Patent ID: 8824431

Claim:
A network information acquisition apparatus that acquires network information related to a wireless network, the apparatus being located in a wireless network coverage area, and the apparatus comprising: a high power communication unit configured to transmit a first request for the network information to an access point of the wireless network; a low power communication unit configured to transmit a second request for the network information to a terminal located in the wireless network coverage area; and a communication control unit configured to activate the high power communication unit to transmit the first request to the access point, and deactivate the low power communication unit, and activate the low power communication unit to transmit the second request to the terminal, and deactivate the high power communication unit, when the high power communication unit does not receive the network information from the access point in response to the first request transmitted from the high power communication unit to the access point, wherein the received network information comprises a remaining time of the received network information, and wherein the communication control unit if further configured to update the remaining time of the received network information.