Patent ID: 8565132

Claim:
A wireless communication terminal comprising: an operating unit that receives an operation by a user; an authentication unit that performs authentication at a data link level for other wireless communication terminals participating in a same ad hoc network as an ad hoc network in which its own wireless communication terminal is participated; a communication unit that performs data communication with the authenticated other wireless communication terminals; and an authentication control unit that, when receiving a presence notification information announcing the presence of other wireless communication terminals, a participation request to the ad hoc network, or a response to the participation request to the ad hoc network from an other wireless communication terminal that has not been authenticated, determines whether or not to perform the authentication by the authentication unit for the other wireless communication terminal that has not been authenticated and has transmitted the presence notification information, the participation request, or the response, wherein after a trigger that starts authentication processing by the operation of the operating unit is generated, when an in-authentication information indicating that the authentication is under processing is not included in the participation request, the response, or the presence notification information including an ID indicating the same ad hoc network in which its own wireless communication terminal is participated, which is transmitted from the other wireless communication terminal that has not yet been authenticated by the authentication unit, the authentication control unit determines not to perform the authentication by the authentication unit for the other wireless communication terminal that has not yet been authenticated and has transmitted the participation request, the response, or the presence notification information including the ID indicating the same ad hoc network in which its own wireless communication terminal is participated, or when through the operation of the operating unit, the other wireless communication terminal to be authenticated is selected from the other wireless communication terminals participating in the same ad hoc network in which its own wireless communication terminal is participated and having not yet been authenticated by the authentication unit, the authentication control unit determines not to perform the authentication by the authentication unit for the other wireless communication terminal that has not been selected by the operating unit; and wherein when it is determined that the authentication is performed, or the authentication is made from the other wireless communication terminal, the authentication control unit performs control so that the presence notification information, the participation request, or the response is transmitted without including the in-authentication information.