Patent ID: 8547947

Claim:
A first wireless communication apparatus comprising: a control unit configured to control operation as a creator of a wireless communication network or as a joiner to join a wireless communication network created by another wireless communication apparatus, a transmission unit configured to transmit, in a case that the first wireless communication apparatus is a member of a first wireless communication network in which a second wireless communication apparatus joins, a first signal in response to a search request transmitted from a third wireless communication apparatus, wherein the first signal includes information which makes the third wireless communication apparatus determine to operate as a joiner, wherein the transmission unit transmits, in a case that the first wireless communication apparatus is not a member of the first wireless communication network and satisfies a predetermined condition, a second signal in response to a search request transmitted from the third wireless communication apparatus, wherein the second signal includes information which makes the third wireless communication apparatus determine to operate as a joiner, wherein the transmission unit transmits, in a case that the first wireless communication apparatus is not a member of the first wireless communication network and does not satisfy the predetermined condition, a third signal in response to a search request transmitted from the third wireless communication apparatus, wherein the third signal does not include information which makes the third wireless communication apparatus determine to operate as a joiner, and wherein at least one of the control unit and the transmission unit is implemented by a processor.