Patent ID: 8208631
Filing Date: 2012-06-26
Classification: H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. A group management apparatus which manages a group in which one or a plurality of information processing apparatuses connect to each other by wireless communication, the apparatus comprising: a detection unit configured to detect a position of an information processing apparatus; a determination unit configured to determine, based on the detection unit, whether the information processing apparatus exists in a predetermined range; a notification unit configured to notify the information processing apparatus of an encryption key to be used in the group, when the determination unit determines that the information processing apparatus exists in the predetermined range; a holding unit configured to hold a table indicating an attribute of an information processing apparatus belonging to the group, the attribute including: a terminal name, a position of the apparatus, identification information, and type information indicative of whether or not the apparatus is a built-in device that is not mobile; a discrimination unit configured to discriminate whether an information processing apparatus which exists in the predetermined range is a built-in device based on the attribute indicated by the table; a cancellation unit configured to cancel the group when only an information processing apparatus determined to be a built-in device exists in the predetermined range; and a generation unit configured to generate a new group of a plurality of information processing apparatuses when it is detected, based on a position detection result obtained by the detection unit, that a number of information processing apparatuses existing in the predetermined range has changed after the cancellation unit cancels the group, the new group using a new encryption key different from the encryption key used before the cancellation unit cancelled the group.