JP2011205489A - Radio communication device and radio communication method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a radio communication device that automatically determines access point information common to even communication cards which are different in manufacturer or types.SOLUTION: The radio communication device includes: a communication medium connection portion 109 for carrying out connection to a radio communication card 11 inserted therein; a communication medium control portion 110 for controlling the radio communication card 11; and a storage portion 108 for storing access point information relating to the access point. In the radio communication device, the communication medium control portion 110 detects whether or not the access point information is stored in the storage portion 108 if the communication medium connection portion 109 detects that the radio communication card 11 is inserted in the radio communication device. Further, the communication medium control portion 110 not only reads out the access point information so as to communicate with the access point if the access point information is stored in the storage portion 108 but also acquires the access point information from the access point so as to be stored in the storage portion 108 if the access point information is not stored therein and finally reads out the access point information so as to communicate with the access point.

Description

  The present invention relates to a wireless communication apparatus and a wireless communication method for communicating with an access point in a home or private wireless network.

  In recent years, not only offices and factories, but also information networks by wireless connection or video / audio transmission networks have been widely used not only in homes but also in homes. In particular, wireless connections have rapidly become widespread in connection with personal computers (hereinafter referred to as “PCs”) and peripheral devices, or with network devices such as routers when connecting PCs and other information devices to the Internet. ing. Wireless connection eliminates problems in installation and appearance of LAN (Local Area Network) cables, and it can be freely connected to portable devices, so wireless connections are expected to become the mainstream in general households in the future. The

  In fact, wireless connection is often used for connection with notebook PCs, game machines with internet connection functions, television receivers, electronic book viewing terminals (so-called electronic books), digital camera photo display terminals (so-called digital photo frames), etc. Has been.

  FIG. 9 is a configuration diagram of a network in which a general wireless communication apparatus 300 is used. A detachable wireless communication card 11 having a wireless communication function is attached to the wireless communication device 300. On the other hand, the high speed modem 31 is connected to the Internet 30. As a typical example of the high-speed modem 31, an optical connection modem for connecting to an optical fiber, an ADSL modem for connecting to a public telephone line, or a cable modem for connecting to a cable television network is well known.

  The network control device 32 is connected to the high-speed modem 31 and provides a connection function between the Internet and a home network. A typical example of the network control device 32 is a router, which performs IP address control and communication security management. When the home network is configured with a wire, a plurality of information devices are connected to the network control device 32 with a wire.

  When a home network or the like is configured wirelessly, an access point 33 that functions as a base unit for wireless communication is further connected to the network control device 32. Currently, in the market, the wireless router 34 in which the network control device 32 and the access point 33 are integrated is common. However, in the following description, in order to clarify the function, there is a case where there is an individual access point 33. It is assumed and is described. By wirelessly connecting the wireless communication card 11 and the access point 33, the wireless communication device 300 can join the wireless network and connect to the Internet 30.

  When the wireless communication device 300 is connected to the Internet, information search and browsing by the WEB site browsing function, or uploading of possession information and contents can be performed. In addition, viewing of moving image software by a moving image content service, which has been rapidly spreading in recent years, can also be used.

  As shown in FIG. 10, when a plurality of wireless connections are required in the same house, for example, the wireless communication card 21 is attached to another wireless communication device 400 and wirelessly connected to the access point 33 in the same manner as the communication card 11. can do.

  In such connection, when the wireless communication card 11 is used for the first time, the driver software of the wireless communication card 11 is installed in the wireless communication device 300 and information on the access point 33 (hereinafter referred to as “access point information”). Need to be set). Here, the access point information includes, for example, communication group identification information called SSID (Service Set Identifier), a channel number that defines a frequency for communication, an authentication method such as WPS, and an encryption method such as AES. The setting of these information is performed by reading the information of the access point 33 and writing the data to the wireless communication device 300 automatically or manually when the wireless communication card 11 is attached to the wireless communication device 300 for the first time. The same applies to the relationship between the wireless communication device 400 and the wireless communication card 21.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 11, in addition to the wireless communication card 11, the wireless communication cards 12 and 13 may be selected and used for the wireless communication apparatus 300. In this case, since all the wireless communication cards are connected to the same access point 33, the same access point information may be set. Generally, however, the manufacturer and the model differ for each communication card, so There was annoyance that installation and access point information had to be set again.

  Therefore, in Patent Document 1, a slot for attaching a wireless communication card to an access point is provided, and a wireless communication card as a connection partner is temporarily attached to the slot, so that the access point can attach itself to the wireless communication card at the time of attachment. The access point information is written directly. As a result, even when there are a plurality of wireless communication cards, the same access point information is automatically written to each wireless communication card by inserting the wireless communication cards into the slots of the access points one after another. It will be. Since each wireless communication card stores its access point information in the wireless communication card, it becomes possible to communicate with the target access point without setting again when it is attached to an information terminal such as a PC.

JP 2005-117458 A

  As described above, when the method according to Patent Document 1 is used, when the same access point information is set in a plurality of wireless communication cards, the second and subsequent cards can be set with a relatively simple operation.

  However, when using the method according to Patent Document 1, there are significant restrictions. That is, the plurality of wireless communication cards need to be the same or equivalent types from the same manufacturer. Since the access point repeatedly performs the same setting process for a specific type of wireless communication card, even if another different wireless communication card is installed in the slot, the mutual communication protocol and setting procedure are different, so that the normal setting is I can't. Therefore, in such a case, it is necessary for the user to manually perform the individual setting shown in the procedure of step S19 and step S20 in the flowchart of FIG. Also, the setting for each wireless communication card is troublesome that it must be installed in the slot of the access point each time. Furthermore, this method requires a dedicated access point, and there is a problem that it is versatile.

  The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and provides a wireless communication apparatus and a wireless communication method capable of automatically setting shared access point information for wireless communication cards of different manufacturers. For the purpose.

In order to achieve the above object, a wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1 of the present invention is a wireless communication apparatus having a function of performing wireless communication with an access point by mounting a wireless communication medium, wherein the wireless communication apparatus is mounted. A communication medium connection unit for connecting to a medium; a communication medium control unit for controlling a wireless communication medium; and a storage unit for storing access point information related to an access point. Detects whether or not the access point information is stored in the storage unit, and if the access point information is stored, reads the access point information and communicates with the access point. If the access point information is not saved, the access point information is obtained from the access point and stored in the storage unit. With exists, and wherein the communicating with the access point by reading the access point information.

  Accordingly, it is possible to provide a wireless communication apparatus that can automatically and repeatedly set access point information to be shared for a plurality of wireless communication cards.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wireless communication apparatus according to the first aspect, further comprising: a device control unit that executes installation of driver software; and the storage unit is a driver corresponding to the wireless communication medium. The software installation information is saved, and the communication medium control unit detects whether the driver software is installed based on the installation information when the communication medium connection unit detects the installation of the wireless communication medium. If not installed, the apparatus control unit is caused to install driver software in the storage unit.

  This makes it possible to automatically set access point information to be shared without installing corresponding driver software each time a wireless communication card is installed even for wireless communication cards of different manufacturers and types. Can provide.

  In the wireless communication apparatus according to claim 3 of the present invention, in the wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, the communication medium control unit includes another wireless communication apparatus that stores access point information. In this case, the access point information is acquired and stored in the storage unit by ad hoc communication with another wireless communication device.

  As a result, if there is a wireless communication device already communicating with the access point, the wireless communication device that newly participates in the wireless connection acquires access point information to be shared without communicating with the access point. be able to.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wireless communication method for a wireless communication apparatus having a function of wirelessly communicating with an access point by mounting a wireless communication medium, and storing access point information related to the access point. The step of detecting the attachment of the wireless communication medium, the step of detecting whether or not the access point information is stored, and the case where the access point information is stored when the attachment of the wireless communication medium is detected. The access point information is read and communicated with the access point, and when the access point information is not stored, the access point information is acquired and stored from the access point, and the access point information is read and Communicating with And features.

  The wireless communication method according to claim 5 of the present invention is the wireless communication method according to claim 4, wherein the driver software installation information corresponding to the wireless communication medium is stored, and the driver software is installed based on the installation information. A step of detecting whether or not the driver software is installed, and a step of installing the driver software when the driver software is not installed.

  Further, in the wireless communication method according to claim 6 of the present invention, in the wireless communication method according to either claim 4 or claim 5, when there is another wireless communication device storing access point information, The wireless communication method according to claim 4, further comprising a step of acquiring and storing access point information by ad hoc communication with a communication device.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a wireless communication apparatus and a wireless communication method that can automatically set shared access point information for wireless communication cards of different manufacturers and types.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the radio | wireless communication apparatus in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of the access point information represented by the table format. It is a figure for demonstrating the content of the installation execution flag management table | surface of the driver software in Embodiment 1 of this invention. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation of the wireless communication apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the radio | wireless communication apparatus in Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a block diagram of the network where the radio | wireless communication apparatus in Embodiment 2 of this invention is utilized. It is a figure which shows the example of a setting screen of ad hoc mode. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the radio | wireless communication apparatus in Embodiment 2 of this invention. 1 is a configuration diagram of a network in which a general wireless communication device is used. It is a figure which shows a structure in case one access point is wirelessly connected to two wireless communication apparatuses. It is explanatory drawing in case a some radio | wireless communication apparatus is mounted | worn with one radio | wireless communication apparatus.

  Hereinafter, a wireless communication apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a radio communication apparatus 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The wireless communication apparatus 100 includes a reception unit 101, a separation unit 102, a device control unit 103, a decoding unit 104, an audio output unit 105, a video output unit 106, an operation input unit 107, a storage unit 108, a communication medium connection unit 109, and a communication medium. A control unit 110 is provided.

  Here, it is assumed that the wireless communication device 100 is a digital television having an Internet connection function, and a digital television broadcast signal is supplied to the input of the receiving unit 101. In order to perform wireless communication, the wireless communication card 11 is connected to the communication medium connection unit 109.

  The receiving unit 101 receives a broadcast signal having a high frequency and performs amplification, channel selection, and demodulation. The separating unit 102 separates the video and audio digital signals forming the broadcast program and the program ancillary information multiplexed thereon. The device control unit 103 controls functions of the entire wireless communication device 100, that is, a digital television broadcast reception function, an Internet connection function, and a wireless communication function.

  The decoding unit 104 decodes the video data and audio data input from the separation unit 102 (decodes data compressed by the MPEG2 method and extracts it as uncompressed data), and converts it into reproducible data.

  The audio output unit 105 performs various types of audio processing such as volume adjustment and sound quality adjustment on the audio signal input from the decoding unit 104, and then amplifies and outputs the amplified signal to the speaker. The video output unit 106 performs various video processing such as luminance adjustment and color adjustment on the video signal input from the decoding unit 104, converts the video signal into a predetermined display format, and outputs the video signal to a display unit such as a plasma display.

  The operation input unit 107 performs various operations of the wireless communication device 100 with a digital television broadcast reception function as a center by using, for example, a remote control device. The storage unit 108 stores program ancillary information extracted from the separation unit 102, access point information acquired from an access point, and the like. The communication medium connection unit 109 is equipped with the wireless communication card 11 to connect signals between the wireless communication device 100 and the wireless communication card 11.

  The communication medium control unit 110 controls the communication function of the wireless communication card 11 and performs driver software installation requests, access point connection requests, and access point information acquisition.

  In the above configuration, the operation of the digital television broadcast receiving function will be described first. The digital broadcast signal is amplified, selected, and demodulated by the receiving unit 101, and then separated by the separation unit 102 into video and audio digital signals that form a broadcast program and program ancillary information multiplexed therewith. As for the digital signal, the data compressed by the MPEG system or the like is decoded by the decoding unit 104. The decoded audio data and video data are reproduced by the speaker and the display unit via the audio output unit 105 and the video output unit 106, respectively. The program ancillary information separated by the separation unit 102 is stored in the storage unit 108 via the device control unit 103. The program ancillary information includes program content, broadcast station information, and the like. When a channel selection operation or a program selection operation using an electronic program guide is performed by the operation input unit 107, data regarding the corresponding broadcast station is stored in the storage unit 108. , And receiving frequency control is performed by the receiving unit 101 to select a desired channel.

  Next, the operation of the wireless communication function will be described. When the wireless communication card 11 is attached to the wireless communication device 100, information of the wireless communication card 11 is read into the communication medium control unit 110 via the communication medium connection unit 109, and it is determined that the wireless communication card is attached for the first time. If it has been received, a driver software installation request is issued to the device control unit 103, and the device control unit 103 reads the necessary driver software and installs it in the storage unit 108. Necessary driver software is prepared depending on whether it is stored in advance in the ROM area of the storage unit 108 as one of candidates or downloaded separately from the Internet. At this time, the communication medium control unit 110 stores and manages the driver installation information in the storage unit 108 for each wireless communication card to be connected. That is, for each wireless communication card, the necessary driver software and whether the driver software is installed or not are managed.

  When the driver software is installed, the communication medium control unit 110 then issues a wireless communication application activation request to the device control unit 103, and the device control unit 103 reads out and executes the necessary wireless communication application stored in the storage unit 108. To do. When the wireless communication application is activated, the wireless communication application controls the wireless communication card 11 via the communication medium connection unit 109, thereby detecting an access point with which the wireless communication card 11 can communicate. When a plurality of access points are detected, the user selects a desired access point by operating the operation input unit 107.

  When an access point is selected, the communication medium control unit 110 starts communication with a desired access point, here, the access point 33. During this communication, the communication medium control unit 110 acquires access point information of the access point 33. The access point information is, for example, information for designating an SSID for identifying a communication group to which the access point belongs, a frequency channel to be used, an authentication method, an encryption method, and the like. The point is set. Unless the setting contents of the access point information match between the access point and the wireless communication card that communicates with the access point, normal information cannot be communicated between the two. The acquired access point information is stored in the storage unit 108 in a table format as shown in FIG.

  Next, it is assumed that another wireless communication card 12 is connected to the wireless communication device 100 instead of the wireless communication card 11 (see FIG. 11). If the information of the wireless communication card 12 is read into the communication medium control unit 110 via the communication medium connection unit 109 and it is determined that the card is installed for the first time, an installation request for driver software is sent to the device control unit 103. The apparatus control unit 103 reads necessary driver software and installs it in the storage unit 108. Up to this point, the operation is the same as that when the wireless communication card 11 described above is attached.

  If the access point to be connected to the wireless communication card 12 is also the same access point 33 as that of the wireless communication card 11, the communication medium control unit 110 reads the access point information already written in the storage unit 108 and performs wireless communication. The card 12 can be set and communication with the access point 33 can be easily started.

  As described above, since the communication medium control unit 110 needs to manage the driver software for each wireless communication card to be installed, the storage unit 108 is attached with a flag indicating whether or not the installation has been performed for each wireless communication card. Save it in. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the contents of the driver software installation flag management table. Assume that the wireless communication card 11 is manufacturer A, product A, corresponding driver software A, and the wireless communication card 12 is manufacturer B, product B, corresponding driver software B. FIG. 3A shows that the driver software corresponding to both the wireless communication cards 11 and 12 is not installed. FIG. 3B shows a state where the driver software for the wireless communication card 11 has been installed and the driver software for the wireless communication card 12 has not been installed. FIG. 3C shows that the corresponding driver software is already installed on the wireless communication cards 11 and 12. At this time, the contents of the driver software installation flag management table stored in the storage unit 108 change as shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C as time elapses. To go.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of radio communication apparatus 100 in the present embodiment. In FIG. 4, the communication medium control unit 110 detects the installation of the wireless communication card 11 in step S401. When the wireless communication card 11 is installed, the communication medium control unit 110 moves to step S402 and uses the driver installation information in the storage unit 108 to perform the wireless communication card. The driver software corresponding to 11 is specified. Whether or not the corresponding driver software has been installed is detected in step S403. If it is detected that the driver software has been installed based on the contents of the above-described installation execution flag management table (in the case of “YES” in step S403), the process proceeds to step S406. Moving.

  On the other hand, if the corresponding driver software has not been installed (“NO” in step S403), in step S404, the communication medium control unit 110 issues a driver software installation request to the apparatus control unit 103 to execute the installation. In step S <b> 405, the communication medium control unit 110 receives an installation completion notification from the apparatus control unit 103.

  In step S406, the communication medium control unit 110 detects whether the access point information of the access point 33 to be connected is already stored in the storage unit 108, and if the access point information has been acquired (step S406). If “YES” in S406), the process proceeds to step S410, and the access point information stored in the storage unit 108 is read. On the other hand, if the access point information has not been acquired (in the case of “NO” in step S 406), in step S 407, the communication medium control unit 110 issues a request for starting the wireless communication application to the device control unit 103 and sets the wireless communication application. It is started and communicates with the access point 33 by the wireless communication application. In step S408, the access point information is acquired from the access point 33 and stored in the storage unit. Thereafter, the access point information is output from the storage unit 108 in step S409. Finally, in step S411, the communication medium control unit 110 starts data transmission / reception by wireless communication using the access point information.

  As described above, according to the wireless communication apparatus of the present embodiment, it is possible to automatically set access point information to be shared for wireless communication cards of different manufacturers and types, so that wireless communication can be easily set.

  In the above-described operation of the digital TV broadcast receiving function, the case where the program is obtained by receiving broadcast radio waves has been described, but the program may be acquired from the Internet 30. In this case, the program content is input to the communication medium connection unit 109 and is thereafter provided to the decoding unit 104 via the communication medium control unit 110, the device control unit 103, and the separation unit 102. When the program is recorded, it is stored in the storage unit 108. In recent digital televisions compatible with digital broadcasting, products having a large-capacity storage medium such as a hard disk are widely used, and recording of moving image content for a long time is relatively easy.

  Furthermore, the program content stored in the storage unit 108 can be output from the wireless communication card 11 and uploaded to the Internet 30 or transmitted to other network connection devices using a home network.

(Embodiment 2)
Next, radio communication apparatus 200 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration of radio communication apparatus 200 in the present embodiment. The configuration other than the device control unit 203 and the communication medium control unit 210 of the wireless communication device 200 is the same as the configuration of the wireless communication device 100 described with reference to FIG.

  In the first embodiment, the access point information is acquired by a method in which the wireless communication apparatus 100 acquires the access point information by directly connecting to the access point 33. In the present embodiment, when a plurality of wireless communication devices are connected to one access point 33, another unacquired wireless communication device is in ad hoc mode (so-called child mode) with respect to a wireless communication device that has already acquired access point information. It is possible to acquire access point information by performing communication by inter-machine communication.

  FIG. 6 shows a connection example when two wireless communication apparatuses 100 and 200 are connected to one access point 33. It is assumed that the wireless communication devices 100 and 200 communicate with the access point 33, but the wireless communication device 100 has previously connected to the access point 33 and has already acquired access point information. Thereafter, when the wireless communication apparatus 200 newly tries to communicate with the access point 33, the wireless communication apparatus 100 is connected to the wireless communication apparatus 100 in the ad hoc mode, and the access point information stored in the wireless communication apparatus 100 is acquired. The wireless communication apparatus 200 uses the access point information acquired in this way to connect to the access point 33 and perform data transmission / reception. As described above, the plurality of wireless communication devices 200 and the like after the wireless communication device 100 that communicates with the access point 33 first simply acquire the access point information of the access point 33 that is desired to connect without directly connecting to the access point 33. It becomes possible.

  Returning to FIG. 5, the operation will be described. When the wireless communication card 21 is attached to the wireless communication apparatus 200, information of the wireless communication card 21 is read into the communication medium control unit 210 via the communication medium connection unit 109, and it is determined that the wireless communication card is attached for the first time. If it has been received, a driver software installation request is issued to the device control unit 203, and the device control unit 203 reads the necessary driver software and installs it in the storage unit 108. At this time, the communication medium control unit 210 manages driver installation information in the storage unit 108 for each wireless communication card to be connected. That is, for each wireless communication card, the necessary driver software and whether the driver software is installed or not are managed.

  Next, the communication medium control unit 210 detects whether or not the desired access point information is stored in the storage unit 108, and if it is stored, uses the information to immediately start communication with the access point 33. If not stored, the device control unit 203 issues a request for starting a wireless communication application necessary for ad hoc communication, and the device control unit 203 reads and executes the necessary wireless communication application stored in the storage unit 108. When the ad hoc communication application is activated, the ad hoc communication application drives the wireless communication card 21 via the communication medium connection unit 109, thereby detecting another wireless communication device with which the wireless communication card 21 can communicate. When a plurality of other wireless communication devices are detected, the desired wireless communication device is selected by the user operating the operation input unit 107.

  When another wireless communication device is selected, the communication medium control unit 210 starts communication with a desired wireless communication device, here, the wireless communication device 100. During this communication, the communication medium control unit 210 acquires the access point information of the access point 33 stored in the wireless communication apparatus 100. The acquired access point information is stored in the storage unit 108.

  When the storage of the access point information is completed, the communication with the desired access point 33 is started. This is the same operation as in the first embodiment.

  In order to perform wireless communication in the ad hoc mode between the wireless communication device 100 and the wireless communication device 200, it is necessary to set the same ad hoc mode communication in both devices. FIG. 7 shows an example of a setting screen for ad hoc mode communication. As shown in FIG. 7, an SSID, an encryption method, and an encryption key are input and shared between wireless communication devices that perform ad hoc communication.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of radio communication apparatus 200 in the present embodiment. In FIG. 8, from the detection of the installation of the wireless communication card 21 in step S401 to the installation of driver software as necessary and the detection of whether there is desired access point information in step S406. This is the same as the operation of FIG. 4 described in the first embodiment. Further, when there is access point information in step S406, the process proceeds to step S410, the stored access point information is read, and the process proceeds to step S411 to start wireless communication with the access point using the access point information. Is the same.

  If the access point information is not stored in step S406 (in the case of “NO” in step S406), the process moves to step S701, the communication medium control unit 210 outputs an ad hoc mode setting request to the device control unit 203, and the device The control unit 203 activates a necessary communication application (ad hoc communication application) and displays the setting input screen of FIG. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S702, where the access point information is acquired from the predetermined wireless communication apparatus 100 by ad hoc communication and stored in the storage unit 108. Thereafter, the access point information stored in step S409 is output, and the wireless communication with the access point 33 is started using the access point information in step S411, as in FIG.

  As described above, according to the wireless communication apparatus of the present embodiment, it is possible to easily acquire the access point information by communicating with another wireless communication apparatus that already has access point information in the ad hoc mode.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a wireless communication apparatus and a wireless communication method capable of automatically setting access point information to be shared for wireless communication cards of different manufacturers and types. A wireless communication card can be easily set.

  In the above-described embodiment, a digital television having a network connection function is described as an example of the wireless communication devices 100 and 200. However, an information device, an audiovisual device, and a PC peripheral device having a network connection function may be used.

  The wireless connection is typically a wireless LAN according to the IEEE 802.11 standard, but may be a low-power wireless or other standardized wireless system.

  Also, in the present invention, when it is determined that the wireless communication card is installed for the first time, the communication medium control unit 110 or 210 issues a driver software installation request to the device control unit 103 or 203, and the device control unit 103. Alternatively, the driver software 203 needs to be read and installed in the storage unit 108, but the wireless communication device has a configuration in which driver software corresponding to a wireless communication card that is highly likely to be installed is installed in advance. Also good. In this case, the processing from step S401 to step S405 in FIGS. 4 and 8 can be omitted.

  In the wireless network, when a wireless communication card is attached to a wireless communication apparatus to communicate with an access point, the access point information can be easily set and provided with a network connection function. It can be widely used for digital television, information equipment, audiovisual equipment, and PC peripheral equipment.

11 to 13, 21 Wireless communication card 30 Internet 31 High-speed modem 32 Network control device 33 Access point 34 Wireless router 100, 200, 300, 400 Wireless communication device 101 Receiving unit 102 Separating unit 103, 203 Device control unit 104 Decoding unit 105 Voice Output unit 106 Video output unit 107 Operation input unit 108 Storage unit 109 Communication medium connection unit 110, 210 Communication medium control unit

Claims (6)

A wireless communication device having a function of wirelessly communicating with an access point by mounting a wireless communication medium,
A communication medium connection unit for connecting to the mounted wireless communication medium;
A communication medium control unit for controlling the wireless communication medium;
A storage unit for storing access point information related to the access point,
The communication medium control unit detects whether the access point information is stored in the storage unit when the communication medium connection unit detects attachment of the wireless communication medium,
If the access point information is stored, read the access point information and communicate with the access point,
When the access point information is not stored, the access point information is acquired from the access point and stored in the storage unit, and the access point information is read and communicated with the access point. Wireless communication device. A device control unit that executes installation of the driver software,
The storage unit stores installation information of the driver software corresponding to the wireless communication medium,
The communication medium control unit detects whether the driver software is installed based on the installation information when the communication medium connection unit detects attachment of the wireless communication medium, and the driver software is installed. 2. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, if not, causes the apparatus control unit to install the driver software in the storage unit. When there is another wireless communication device storing the access point information, the communication medium control unit acquires the access point information by ad hoc communication with the other wireless communication device and stores the acquired access point information in the storage unit. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device is a wireless communication device. A wireless communication method of a wireless communication device having a function of wirelessly communicating with an access point by mounting a wireless communication medium,
Storing access point information relating to the access point;
Detecting attachment of the wireless communication medium;
Detecting whether the access point information is stored;
If the access point information is stored when the attachment of the wireless communication medium is detected, the access point information is read and communicated with the access point,
If the access point information is not stored, acquiring and storing the access point information from the access point, reading the access point information and communicating with the access point;
A wireless communication method comprising: Storing installation information of driver software corresponding to the wireless communication medium;
Detecting whether the driver software is installed based on the installation information;
If the driver software is not installed, installing the driver software;
The wireless communication method according to claim 4, further comprising: When there is another wireless communication device that stores the access point information, the step of acquiring the access point information by ad hoc communication with the other wireless communication device and storing it in the storage unit;
The wireless communication method according to claim 4, further comprising:

Images