Patent ID: 7860030

Claim:
A communication system, comprising: a control apparatus configured to control communication in a first network; and a plurality of communication apparatuses, wherein each communication apparatus includes a first operation mode in which the communication apparatus is configured to control communication of other communication apparatuses and a second operation mode in which the communication apparatus is configured to operate under the control of another communication apparatus, wherein the plurality of communication apparatuses includes at least a first communication apparatus and a second communication apparatus, wherein the first communication apparatus includes: an instructing unit configured to instruct the second communication apparatus which is associated with the first network to operate in one of the first operation mode and in the second operation mode in a second network, a first network configuration unit configured to configure the second network with the second communication apparatus by setting, based on an operation mode instructed by the instructing unit to the second communication apparatus, the first communication apparatus to operate in one of the first operation mode and in the second operation mode in the second network, and a first re-associating unit configured to re-associate with the first network when a predetermined communication in the second network configured by the first network configuration unit terminates, wherein the second communication apparatus includes: an instruction detecting unit configured to detect an instruction specifying an operation mode in the second network given by the first communication apparatus, while the second communication apparatus is associated with the first network and is configured to communicate under the control of the control apparatus, a second network configuration unit configured to configure the second network with the first communication apparatus by setting, in accordance with the instruction detected by the instruction detecting unit, the second communication apparatus to operate in one of the first operation mode and in the second operation mode in the second network, and a second re-associating unit configured to re-associate with the first network when a predetermined communication in the second network configured by the second network configuration unit terminates.