JP2012227970A - Wireless network system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a wireless network system for making it easy to set network information to a client apparatus which hardly has a user interface.SOLUTION: A commander 2 makes its own network switch to communication with a player 1 when detecting the player 1 having activated a wireless network with a specific SSID, and transmits network information for communicating with an access point to the player 1. The player 1 activates the wireless network with the specific SSID, receives the network information for communicating with the access point from the commander 2, and subsequently switches to communication with the access point.

Description

  The present invention relates to a wireless network system that performs wireless network communication via an access point.

  In recent years, a network audio system using a wireless LAN has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1). As shown in FIG. 1, such an audio system includes a player that plays music, a commander that allows a user to perform operations such as selecting music, one or more source devices that store audio sources such as music files, and the like. These are configured to transmit and receive commands and audio sources via a wireless LAN (and a wired LAN).

  Of the devices constituting the network audio system, the player and the commander are manufactured as dedicated devices, but the wireless LAN access point is a general-purpose device (for example, one already installed in a residence). Often used.

JP 2007-158854 A

  For this reason, both the commander and the player need to set the wireless LAN in the infrastructure mode via a general-purpose access point. The commander has an abundant user interface such as a liquid crystal display and a key switch. Therefore, the network information (SSID, WEP key, etc.) of the wireless LAN may be set using this user interface. Since it is assumed to be operated, it has almost no user interface. Therefore, it is very difficult to set general-purpose access point network information for the player.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a wireless network system that facilitates setting of network information for a client device such as a player having almost no user interface.

The present invention is a wireless network system having an access point that relays a wireless network, and a user device and a client that communicate with the wireless network via the access point,
The user apparatus stores a network name including a network name and an encryption key for setting the wireless network, and monitoring means for monitoring that the client has activated a wireless network using a specific SSID Network information transmission means for switching the wireless network of its own device to communication with the client and transmitting the network information to the client when the client activates a wireless network using a specific SSID. Prepared,
In response to a specific operation, the client starts a wireless network using the specific SSID, and when receiving the network information from the user device, the network switches to a wireless network mode using the network information. Switching means.

  In the above invention, the client includes a network information storage unit that stores a specific SSID and a specific encryption key used when starting a wireless network with the specific SSID, and the start unit of the client includes the network information When the wireless network is activated using the specific SSID and the specific encryption key stored in the storage unit, and the monitoring unit of the user device finds the network device of the specific SSID, the network device is connected to the client. It may be determined that.

  In the above invention, the client is an audio player that acquires music data (such as music file and streaming data) via a wireless network, and the user device is a commander that controls the audio player via a wireless network. There may be.

  According to the present invention, even when the client does not have a user interface and the network information cannot be set, the network information is received by communicating with the user apparatus, so that the network information can be easily set for the client. Become.

Configuration diagram of an audio system according to an embodiment of the present invention Flow chart showing operation in normal mode of the audio system Flow chart showing operation in setting mode of the audio system

≪Audio system≫
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an audio system according to an embodiment of the present invention. This audio system is configured by connecting a player 1, a commander 2, a personal computer 3 as a source device, and the like via a wireless LAN via an access point 4. Note that a wired LAN is connected to the access point 4 as a backbone, and a router (DHCP server) and other source devices are connected to the wired LAN. In this figure, only one personal computer 3 is shown as a source device, but the number of source devices connected by a wireless LAN is not limited to one. The source device may be a device other than a personal computer.

  The player 1 includes an audio file playback unit, an amplifier, and the like, reads out an audio file stored in the personal computer 3, plays it back, amplifies it, and emits sound from the speaker 5. The commander 2 includes a display unit such as a liquid crystal display, an operation unit such as a key switch and a touch pad, a memory storing a command, and the like, and reads out a command corresponding to the operation of the operation unit by the user from the memory. Send via. The personal computer 3 has a built-in storage such as a hard disk and stores a plurality of audio files in this storage. The audio file is a file of a format such as mp3, for example. The personal computer 3 permits access to the storage via a LAN (wireless LAN), the commander 2 acquires the file name (song name) of the audio file in the storage, and the player 1 is designated by the user. Get audio files from this storage.

  In the audio system having the above-described configuration, the music is selected and played by the procedure shown in FIG. That is, an audio file is selected according to the procedure shown in FIG. 2, and the audio file is played back.

  FIG. 3A is a flowchart showing the music selection operation of the commander 2. The commander 2 displays a screen for selecting a source device (input) during normal operation (S1). In this state, the commander 2 accepts a source device selection operation by the user (S2). When the source device is selected by the user, the commander 2 accesses the selected source device, acquires the file name of an audio file (hereinafter referred to as a song file) stored in the storage, and lists it on the screen. Display (S3). The commander 2 accepts a music file selection operation by the user in this state (S4). When the music file is selected by the user, the player 1 is notified of information (directory, file name, etc.) of the selected source device and music file (S5).

  FIG. 5B is a flowchart showing the playback operation of the player 1. When the information of the source device and the music file is received from the commander 2 (S11), the designated source device is accessed (S12), and the designated directory is accessed to obtain the music file (S13). Then, the music file is reproduced (S14). As a result, the song is played.

  As described above, the player 1, the commander 2, and the personal computer (source device) 3 communicate with each other via the access point 4, so that the music file is selected and the music file is transferred.

  In the case of a source device having a song playback function / performance function, the source device plays back / plays a song selected by the user, and the played / played digital audio signal is stream-transferred from the source device to the player 1. What should I do?

≪Wireless LAN setting≫
Next, processing for setting the wireless LAN of the audio system having the above-described configuration will be described. That is, when a wireless LAN is constructed using a general-purpose access point 4, a network consisting of a network name (SSID) provided by the access point 4 to the player 1, the commander 2 and the personal computer 3, an encryption key such as a WEP key, and the like. Information needs to be set. Since the personal computer 3 and the commander 2 are provided with abundant user interfaces, the staff (or the user) can easily set the network information.

  On the other hand, the player 1 does not have a user interface in the main body, and it is difficult to set the network information of the access point 4 by directly operating the player 1. Therefore, in this embodiment, the network information is set from the commander 2 to the player 1.

  Here, a wireless network is set for the player 1 with a specific SSID (network name) “MC2 _ << serial No >> _ 1_DEFAULT” and an encrypted password “<< serial No >>”. Here, << Serial No >> is a serial number (manufacturing number) of the player 1 and is, for example, an 8-digit number string.

  When the clerk activates the player 1 by a specific operation (for example, pressing the mute button while turning on the power), the setting mode is set, and the player 1 activates the wireless network with the specific SSID and the encrypted password.

  On the other hand, the commander 2 monitors whether or not a network device having a specific SSID “MC2 _ << 8-digit numeric string >> _ 1_DEFAULT” appears in the normal mode operation. When a network device with the specific SSID appears, it is determined that this network device is the player 1 waiting for setting, and the player 1 with the above SSID “MC2 _ << serial No >> _ 1_DEFAULT" and the encrypted password “<< serial No >>”. In response to this, network information (SSID, encrypted password) via the access point 4 stored in advance is transmitted to the player 1.

  The player 1 receives this SSID and the encrypted password, sets it to the network function of its own device, and switches to the wireless network via the access point 4. Thereby, the wireless LAN setting of the audio system described in FIG. 1 is completed.

  The operation procedure of each commander 2 and player 1 in the setting mode will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 2A, when the power is turned on by a specific operation by an attendant (S20), the player 1 activates a wireless network with a specific SSID and password (S21), and searches for a communication partner.

  In FIG. 5B, the commander monitors whether or not the specific SSID is detected in the wireless network during the normal mode operation (S30). When the specific SSID is detected (YES in S30), this SSID is displayed on the display to ask the staff for permission (S31). The clerk compares the displayed ID with the serial number of the player 1 to be set (described on the back of the device) and confirms that it is the SSID of the player 1 to be set. Do the operation to do. When the permission operation is performed (YES in S32), the wireless network is switched to the wireless network in which the SSID and the encrypted password are set (S33), and the player 1 as the communication partner communicates via the access point 4 Network information is transmitted (S34). Thereafter, the wireless network is returned to the normal wireless network via the access point 4 (S35), and the setting operation is terminated.

  In FIG. 2A, the player 1 receives network information from the commander 2 (S22), sets the network information (SSID, WEP key) to the wireless network function, and sets the communication mode via the access point 4. Switch to the network (S23). Thereby, the wireless LAN setting of the audio system of FIG. 1 is completed.

  Note that the specific operation for setting the player 1 to the setting mode is not limited to the above-described operation (turning on the power while pressing the mute button).

  Further, although this embodiment has been described by taking as an example the case where network information via the general-purpose access point 4 is set in the player 1 of the audio system, the present invention can be applied to other than the audio system. Further, the setting source is not limited to the commander, and the setting destination is not limited to the player.

1 Player 2 Commander 3 Source device (PC)
4 access points

Claims (3)

A wireless network system comprising an access point that relays a wireless network, and a user device and a client that communicate with the wireless network via the access point,
The user equipment is
A storage for storing network information including a network name and an encryption key for setting the wireless network;
Monitoring means for monitoring that the client has activated a wireless network using a specific SSID;
Network information transmission means for switching the wireless network of its own device to communication with the client and transmitting the network information to the client when the client activates a wireless network using a specific SSID;
With
The client
An activation means for activating a wireless network using the specific SSID in response to a specific operation;
Network switching means for switching to a wireless network mode using the network information when the network information is received from the user device;
Wireless network system equipped with. The client includes a network information storage unit for storing a specific SSID and a specific encryption key used when starting a wireless network with the specific SSID,
The activation unit of the client activates a wireless network using the specific SSID and a specific encryption key stored in the network information storage unit,
The wireless network system according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring unit of the user apparatus determines that the network device is the client when the network device of the specific SSID is found. The client is an audio player that acquires song data via a wireless network;
The wireless network system according to claim 1, wherein the user device is a commander that controls the audio player via a wireless network.

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