Abstract:
A method and apparatus for automatically configuring a wireless network device by receiving configuration information from a configuration information server that stores and provides the configuration information of the wireless network device are provided. The method includes: searching for service sets existing within range of the wireless network device and creating a list of the service sets; transmitting a request message requesting configuration information of the wireless network device to a configuration information server of each of the service sets using the list of the service sets; receiving a response message comprising the configuration information of the wireless network device from the configuration information server; and automatically configuring the wireless network device using the received configuration information.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S. §119(a) of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2004-0039980, filed on Jun. 2, 2004, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to the configuration of a wireless network device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for automatically configuring a wireless network device by receiving configuration information from a configuration information server that stores and provides the configuration information of the wireless network device.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0005]     A wireless network device, for example, a wireless printing device, can transmit and receive data to and from another wireless network device via a wireless network. In order for the wireless printing device to transmit and receive the data wirelessly to and from the other wireless network device, for example, a computer, the wireless printing device includes a wireless network module  100  as illustrated in  FIG. 1  or a wireless network card.  FIG. 1  is a block diagram of the conventional wireless network module  100 .  
         [0006]     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the conventional wireless network module  100  includes a central processing unit (CPU)  110 , a read-only memory (ROM)  112 , a random access memory (RAM)  114 , a non-volatile memory (NVRAM)  116 , an input/output interface unit  118 , and a wireless communication module  120 . The CPU  110  controls the operation of the wireless network module  100 , and the ROM, RAM, and NVRAM memories  112 ,  114 , and  116  store programs or data. The input/output interface unit  118  transmits and receives data to and from an external peripheral device, and the wireless communication module  120  communicates with another wireless network device via a wireless network  130 .  
         [0007]     Usually, for the wireless printing device to communicate with the other wireless network device, an operating mode is set. The operating mode may be an ad-hoc mode or an infrastructure mode.  FIGS. 2 and 3  are structural diagrams illustrating the conventional ad-hoc mode and the conventional infrastructure mode, respectively.  
         [0008]     As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , a wireless printing device  10  set in the ad-hoc mode may be directly connected to a peripheral wireless network device, for example, a laptop computer  22  or a computer  24 . On the other hand, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , a wireless printing device  10  set in the infrastructure mode may be connected to a wireless network device, for example, a laptop computer  38  via an access point  30 , or connected using wires to computers  32 ,  34 , and  36  via the access point  30 . In addition, in order for the wireless printing device to communicate with the other wireless network device, the wireless printing device needs to set values for network identifiers and security measures, such as, a service set identifier (SSID) and a wired equivalent privacy (WEP).  
         [0009]     As described above, when the wireless network device is included in a wireless network system, the user of the wireless network device experiences the inconvenience of having to repeat a complex set up process for the wireless network device. Further, the user needs to accurately know the configuration information of the network.  
         [0010]     A typical method and a system for locating a wireless device that provides information about a location of the wireless device are disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003-0142016. However, the cited reference does not discuss the configuration information of the wireless network device, as described above, and only discloses how to generate information regarding the location of the wireless device.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]     The present invention provides a method of automatically configuring a wireless network device after receiving configuration information from a configuration information server that stores and provides the configuration information of the wireless network device.  
         [0012]     The present invention also provides an apparatus for automatically configuring a wireless network device after receiving configuration information from a configuration information server that stores and provides the configuration information of the wireless network device.  
         [0013]     The present invention also provides a configuration information server for storing and providing configuration information of a wireless network device for automatically configuring the wireless network device.  
         [0014]     According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of automatically configuring a wireless network device so that the wireless network device can transmit and receive data to and from other wireless network devices near the wireless network device via a wireless network. The method comprises searching for service sets existing within range of the wireless network device and creating a list of the service sets; transmitting a request message requesting configuration information of the wireless network device to a configuration information server of each of the service sets using the list of the service sets; receiving a response message comprising the configuration information of the wireless network device from the configuration information server; and automatically configuring the wireless network device using the received configuration information.  
         [0015]     According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for automatically configuring a wireless network device so that the wireless network device can transmit and receive data to and from other wireless network devices near the wireless network device via a wireless network. The apparatus comprises a service set searcher for searching for service sets existing near the wireless network device and creating a list of the service sets; a request message transmitter for transmitting a request message that requests configuration information of the wireless network device to a configuration information server of each of the service sets by using the list of the service sets; a response message receiver for receiving a response message comprises the configuration information of the wireless network device from the configuration information server; and an automatic configuration unit for automatically configuring the wireless network device using the received configuration information.  
         [0016]     According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a configuration information server for storing and providing configuration information of a wireless network device that transmits and receives data to and from other wireless network devices near the wireless network device via a wireless network. The configuration information server comprises a configuration information input unit for receiving the configuration information of the wireless network device from a user and storing the input configuration information; a request message receiver for receiving a request message requesting the configuration information from the wireless network device; a configuration information searcher for determining whether the configuration information of the wireless network device exists by using the request message; and a response message transmitter for transmitting a response message comprising the configuration information to the wireless network device if the configuration information of the wireless network device exists. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]     The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:  
         [0018]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a conventional wireless network module;  
         [0019]      FIG. 2  is a structural diagram illustrating a conventional ad-hoc mode;  
         [0020]      FIG. 3  is a structural diagram illustrating a conventional infrastructure mode;  
         [0021]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart illustrating a method of automatically setting a wireless network device according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0022]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a configuration information server according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0023]      FIG. 6  is a block diagram of the wireless network device and the configuration information server according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0024]      FIG. 7  is a view of an exemplary interface for inputting configuration information according to an embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0025]      FIGS. 8A through 8D  illustrate messages displayed on a liquid crystal display device of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
       [0026]     Throughout the drawings, it should be understood that like reference numbers will refer to similar features, structures, and elements.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS  
       [0027]     The present invention will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown. Descriptions of well-known techniques or structures are omitted for the sake of clarity and conciseness. In addition, the terminology that follows is defined according to the functions of devices in the present invention and may change according to, for example, conventional usage or the intentions of a user or operator. Therefore, definitions should be derived based on the overall contents of the present application.  
         [0028]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart illustrating a method of automatically setting a wireless network device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The wireless network device may be a wireless printing device. The wireless network device may be called a wireless station or a wireless node. A method of automatically setting the wireless printing device, for example, a printer, will now be described.  
         [0029]     Referring to  FIG. 4 , when the printer is added to a wireless network system as a new device, the printer searches for service sets existing near the printer and creates a list of the service sets composed of service set identifiers and an operating mode (Operation S 10 ). The operating mode may be an infrastructure mode or an ad-hoc mode. The service set is generally called a base service set (BSS). It is assumed that in Operation S 10 , N BSSes are found and included in the list of service sets.  
         [0030]     A request message requesting the configuration information of the printer is transmitted from the printer to a configuration information server of one of the BSS in the list (Operation S 12 ). The configuration information may also be called a profile. In addition, the configuration information server may also be called a profile server.  
         [0031]     Next, it is determined whether a response message comprising the configuration information of the printer has been received from the configuration information server (Operation S 14 ).  
         [0032]     When the response message has not been received within a predetermined period, connection to the BSS is terminated. Then, in order to select the next BSS in the list of the found BSSes, N is set to equal N−1. That is, the number of found BSSes is reduced by one (Operation S 18 ). Then, it is determined whether N is 0 (Operation S 20 ). The process is terminated if it is determined that N is 0. That is, the process is terminated without receiving the response message comprising the configuration information of the printer. Alternatively, when N is 0, a list may be recreated by detecting the BSSes again. Meanwhile, when it is not determined that N is 0 in Operation S 20 , the next BSS in the list is selected (Operation S 22 ) and Operation S 12  is repeated.  
         [0033]     When it is determined that the response message has been received in Operation S 14 , the printer is automatically configured using the configuration information of the printer included in the response message (Operation S 16 ). In addition, the printer is made one of the wireless nodes of the BSS by going through an authentication and association processes.  
         [0034]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the configuration information server according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 5 , the configuration information server receives the configuration information of the printer from a user and stores the inputted configuration information (Operation S 30 ). The configuration information of the printer which the user inputs may include a media access control (MAC) address of the printer. Further, when the BSS including the configuration information server is operating in the infrastructure mode, the configuration information server may be an access point (AP).  
         [0035]     The configuration information server determines whether a request message requesting the configuration information transmitted from the printer has been received (Operation S 32 ). When a message requesting the configuration information has not been received, the process is terminated.  
         [0036]     When it is determined that the request message requesting the configuration information has been received in Operation S 32 , the MAC address of the printer, which is preferably included in the request message, is extracted (Operation S 34 ). The configuration information server searches the configuration information stored in the configuration information server using the MAC address of the printer, and determines whether the configuration information corresponding to the MAC address of the printer exists (Operation S 36 ). If the configuration information corresponding to the MAC address of the printer does not exist, the process is terminated.  
         [0037]     If the configuration information corresponding to the MAC address of the printer does exist, a response message comprising the configuration information of the printer is transmitted to the printer (Operation S 38 ).  
         [0038]      FIG. 6  is a block diagram of a wireless network device  10  and a configuration information server  40 . The wireless network device  10  includes a wireless printing device, for example, a printer. An apparatus for automatically configuring the wireless printing device and a configuration information server  40  will now be described. The apparatus for automatically setting the printer may be included in the printer  10 .  
         [0039]     Referring to  FIG. 6 , the printer  10  comprises a service set searcher  12 , a request message transmitter  14 , a response message receiver  16 , and an automatic configuration unit  18 . The configuration information server  40  comprises a configuration information input unit  42 , a request message receiver  44 , a configuration information searcher  46 , and a response message transmitter  48 .  
         [0040]     The service set searcher  12  searches for service sets existing near the printer and creates a list. The request message transmitter  14  transmits a request message to the configuration information server  40  of each service set included in the list of the service sets requesting configuration information of the printer. The request message may include the MAC address of the printer.  
         [0041]     The response message receiver  16  receives the response message comprising the configuration information of the printer from the configuration information server  40 . The automatic configuration unit  18  automatically configures the printer using the received configuration information.  
         [0042]     Meanwhile, the configuration information input unit  41  of the configuration information server  40  receives the configuration information of the wireless network device  10 , for example, the printer, from a user and stores the inputted configuration information. The configuration information input to the configuration information input unit  42  may include the MAC address of the printer  10 .  
         [0043]     The request message receiver  44  receives the request message requesting the configuration information from the printer  10 . The request message may include the MAC address of the printer  10 .  
         [0044]     The configuration information searcher  46  determines whether the configuration information of the printer  10  exists using information from the request message. The configuration information searcher  46  may search for the configuration information of the wireless network device  10  stored in the configuration information server  40  using the MAC address of the printer  10  that may be included in the received request message. The response message transmitter  48  transmits a response message to the printer  10  if the configuration information of the printer  10  exists.  
         [0045]     When the BSS including the configuration information server  40  therein is operating in the infrastructure mode, the configuration information server  40  may be an access point.  
         [0046]      FIG. 7  is a view of an exemplary interface for inputting the configuration information according to an embodiment of the present invention. For example, in a web browser, when selecting features a menu may be displayed for inputting the configuration information by connecting to the configuration information server  40  via an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the profile server or the configuration information server  40 , the interface  50  illustrated in  FIG. 7  may be displayed.  
         [0047]     The user of the printer  10  who wants to store the configuration information of the printer  10  in the configuration information server  40  inputs the configuration information of the printer  10 . The user may complete the inputting of the configuration information by simply inputting the MAC address of the printer  10  because information other than the MAC addresses included in the configuration information is generally provided by the configuration information server  40 .  
         [0048]     In more detail, a section  60  in which basic information is input comprises input fields and menus in which a service set identifier (SSID)  62 , a MAC address  64 , and an operating mode  66  are either inputted or selected. The SSID  62  is the name of the service set, in which the configuration information server  40  is preferably included. The operating mode  66  may be selected from one of the infrastructure mode and the ad-hoc mode. The SSID  62  and the operating mode  66  are determined by the service set in which the configuration information server  40  is included. In addition, a section  70  in which network security information related to wired equivalent privacy (WEP) or other suitable network security information is input and an IP address inputting section  80  are determined by the service set.  
         [0049]     As described-above, in order for the user to input the configuration information of the wireless network device  10 , which may include for example, the printer  10 , to the configuration information server  40 , the user should input the MAC address of the printer  10 . Conventionally, the user must input complex configuration information to configure a wireless network device. However, in an embodiment of the present invention, only the MAC address of the printer  10  must be input. That is, conventionally, complex configuration information, such as the SSID, the operating mode, and the information related to WEP had to be input to set a wireless configuration. However, in an embodiment of the present invention, the wireless network device  10  can be automatically configured by pre-inputting only the MAC address of the wireless network device  10  to the configuration information server  40 .  
         [0050]      FIGS. 8A through 8D  illustrate messages displayed on a liquid crystal display device of the printer  10  when automatically configuring the wireless network device  10 , which includes the printer  10 .  FIG. 8A  is preferably a message shown right after booting up the printer  10 . It is a message denoting that the printer  10  is scanning for the BSS.  FIG. 8B  is preferably a message denoting that the list of the searched BSS is being created.  FIG. 8C  is preferably a message denoting that the wireless network device  10  is waiting for a response from the profile server after a request message for the configuration information has been transmitted to one of the BSSes.  FIG. 8D  is preferably a message denoting the completion of the automatic configuration of the printer  10  after receiving the response message, which preferably includes the configuration information, from the profile server.  
         [0051]     As described-above, repeatedly configuring a wireless network device may be avoided when using an embodiment of the present invention. Also, the configuring of the wireless network device can be easily changed and set.  
         [0052]     While an embodiment of the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims.