Network system, network control device, and access point device

Abstract

To makes it possible to appropriately control an access point device without cumbersome operation of a user and to adjust a better communication environment.SOLUTION: An access point device notifies a main device 1 of wireless communication-related information at every predetermined timing through an information notification processing part, and an operation state of the access point device itself is controlled by a control part in accordance with instruction information from the main device 1. The main device 1 receives the wireless communication related information from the access point device through a connection end 104T, and updates an AP management table 106 by a table updating unit 121 based on the received wireless communication related information. In the main device 1, a control determination part 122 determines whether or not control of the access point device is necessary based on a data stored in the AP management table 106. When control is necessary, an AP control processing part 123 forms instruction information and provides the instruction information to the target access point device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system that is configured within a limited area, such as a business phone system configured within a predetermined premises, and that enables the use of wireless communication terminals, and to devices used in such a system. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1, which will be described later, discloses a business phone system in which a main unit is connected to multiple access point devices via a LAN, and mobile phone terminals are able to connect to an external network through these multiple access point devices and the main unit. The mobile phone terminals are wireless LAN terminals that are able to connect to the external network through the access point devices. The business phone system is a telephone system that is composed of a main unit and multiple telephones, and allows not only external calls but also internal calls, and is also called a key telephone system.

[0003] The business phone system disclosed in Patent Document 1 performs channel scanning at the current location of a wireless LAN terminal, starting with the channel used by an access point device whose communication range covers that location. This allows for extremely short channel scanning times. Therefore, as the wireless LAN terminal moves, a seamless handover can be performed, whereby the access point device to which the terminal is connected is seamlessly switched. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-85154 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In network systems configured using access point devices, such as the business phone system disclosed in Patent Document 1, communication problems may occur with wireless LAN terminals wirelessly connected to the access point devices. In such cases, a closer look at the network system configuration reveals that a large number of access point devices are installed, often causing radio wave interference between the access point devices. Some access point devices are equipped with an automatic frequency selection function. However, the frequency (communication channel) selected by the automatic frequency selection function is almost identical depending on the manufacturer, and the same frequency (communication channel) is often selected by multiple access point devices.

[0006] Figure 15 shows the status of wireless communication channels in the IEEE802.11b standard, which is a 2.4GHz band wireless LAN. As shown in Figure 15, available wireless communication channels range from 1ch to 14ch. Each channel is spaced 5MHz apart, and when communicating via wireless LAN on a specified channel, communication is performed using a total bandwidth of 22MHz, with 11MHz bandwidth on both sides of the center frequency. For this reason, when communication is performed using adjacent channels with overlapping bandwidths, radio waves from the adjacent channels will interfere with each other.

[0007] For this reason, when using an automatic frequency selection function, communication channels are selected at intervals of five channels, such as "1ch, 6ch, 11ch, 14ch" or "2ch, 7ch, 12ch," to avoid radio wave interference. Therefore, even when using an automatic frequency selection function, if a large number of access point devices are installed, there are many cases where multiple access point devices select the same communication channel. In the case of the invention disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, although it is possible to speed up channel selection and improve handover, it is not possible to improve the communication environment of the access point devices.

[0008] Here, the IEEE802.11b standard, which uses the 2.4 GHz band, has been used as an example for explanation, but the same problem occurs in the IEEE802.11g standard, which also uses the 2.4 GHz band. Also, Figure 16 shows the state of wireless communication channels in the IEEE802.11a standard, which uses the 5 GHz band. The same problem may occur in the IEEE802.11a standard, which uses the 5 GHz band, as shown in Figure 16.

[0009] In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a network system having multiple access point devices that can appropriately control the access point devices without bothering the user, thereby creating a better communication environment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to solve the above problem, the network system of the invention described in claim 1 comprises: A network system comprising: a network control device connected to a wide area network; and a plurality of access point devices connected to the network control device, the access point devices enabling wirelessly connected communication terminals to connect to the wide area network through the network control device, The access point device an information notification processing means for notifying the network control device of wireless communication related information of the own device, including device identification information of the own device, at each predetermined timing; an operating state control means for controlling the operating state of the device itself in response to instruction information from the network control device; Equipped with The network control device a receiving means for receiving the wireless communication related information from the access point device; a table updating means for updating an access point management table for each of the access point devices based on the wireless communication related information received through the receiving means; a control determination means for determining whether or not control is required for the access point device based on the data stored in the access point management table when the table update means updates the access point management table; an access point control processing means for forming and transmitting instruction information to the target access point device when the control determination means determines that control is necessary; The present invention is characterized by comprising:

[0011] According to the network system of the invention recited in claim 1, the network system is configured to include a network control device and a plurality of access point devices. The access point devices notify the network control device of wireless communication-related information at predetermined intervals through an information notification processing means, and control their own operating states in accordance with instruction information from the network control device through an operating state control means. The network control device receives wireless communication-related information from the access point devices through a receiving means, and updates the access point management table based on the received wireless communication-related information through a table update means. Furthermore, the network control device determines, through a control determination means, whether or not control of the access point devices is necessary based on the data stored in the access point management table. If the control determination means determines that control is necessary, the access point control processing means forms instruction information and provides it to the target access point device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, in a network system having a plurality of access point devices, it is possible to appropriately control the access point devices without bothering the user, thereby creating a better communication environment. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a network system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a main device according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of data stored in a terminal management table of a main device according to an embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of data stored in an AP management table of the main device according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 5] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of an access point device according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of notification information transmitted from an access point device to a main device according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example (example 1) of processing performed in the network system according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] 8 is a diagram for explaining the state of the AP management table when the processing shown in FIG. 7 is performed. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example (example 2) of processing performed in the network system according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a diagram for explaining the state of the AP management table when the processing shown in FIG. 9 is performed. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example (Example 3) of processing performed in the network system according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] This is a sequence diagram continuing from FIG. [Figure 13] 13 is a diagram for explaining the state of the AP management table when the processing shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 is performed. FIG. [Figure 14] 13 is a diagram for explaining the state of the AP management table when the processing shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 is performed. FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the state of a wireless communication channel according to the IEEE802.11b standard, which is a wireless LAN in the 2.4 GHz band. [Figure 16] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the state of a wireless communication channel according to the IEEE802.11a standard using the 5 GHz band. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] An embodiment of a system and device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the embodiment described below, a network system according to the present invention will be described as being applied to a business phone system configured in a company office. The main device of the business phone system described below is an embodiment of a network control device according to the present invention. The access point device (hereinafter abbreviated as AP) of the business phone system described below is an embodiment of an access point device according to the present invention.

[0015] <Network system configuration example> FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a network system according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of APs 3(1), 3(2), ..., 3(n) are connected to a main device 1 via a LAN 2. Communication terminals 4(1), 4(2), ..., 4(n) are configured to be wirelessly connected to each of the plurality of APs 3(1), 3(2), ..., 3(n). Note that the subscript n in AP 3(n) and communication terminal 4(n) originally means an integer of 1 or greater, but in FIG. 1, because APs 3(1), 3(2), and communication terminals 4(1), 4(2) already exist, it means an integer of 3 or greater.

[0016] That is, each of APs 3(1), 3(2), ..., 3(n) has a wireless communication function conforming to the Wi-Fi (registered trademark) standard, and realizes a function for connecting each of communication terminals 4(1), 4(2), ..., 4(n) to LAN 2. Each of communication terminals 4(1), 4(2), ..., 4(n) is a mobile phone terminal that enables voice calls, and has a wireless communication function conforming to the Wi-Fi (registered trademark) standard.

[0017] 1 shows, as an example of a connection mode, a case in which a communication terminal 4(1) is connected to AP3(1), a communication terminal 4(2) is connected to AP3(2), and a communication terminal 4(n) is connected to AP3(n). However, this is not limited to this, and each of the communication terminals 4(1), 4(2), ..., 4(n) can move while making a call, and handover to switch APs as they move is possible. In other words, each of the communication terminals 4(1), 4(2), ..., 4(n) can be connected to each of the APs 3(1), 3(2), ..., 3(n).

[0018] The main unit 1 performs call control for communication terminals 4(1), 4(2), ..., 4(n), which are connected to the main unit via APs 3(1), 3(2), ..., 3(n) and LAN 2 (subordinate telephones). Note that call control refers to a series of controls such as making and receiving calls, connecting call lines (telephone lines) to enable calls, and disconnecting connected call lines. The main unit 1 also controls the on / off and blinking of the LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) of the communication terminals 4(1), 4(2), ..., 4(n) connected to the main unit via APs 3(1), 3(2), ..., 3(n) and LAN 2.

[0019] In this embodiment, the wide area network 5 includes a public switched telephone network, a mobile phone network, and an IP telephone network. As shown in Fig. 1, mobile phone terminals such as smartphones 7 are connected to the wide area network 5 via an outside telephone 6 and a mobile phone network base station BS(1). In Fig. 1, the outside telephone 6, base station BS(1), and smartphone 7 are shown as representatives, and in reality, a large number of outside telephones, mobile phone network base stations, and smartphones are connected to the wide area network 5.

[0020] In the network system of the embodiment shown in Figure 1, a business phone system is configured with a main unit 1, APs 3(1), 3(2), ..., 3(n), and communication terminals 4(1), 4(2), ..., 4(n). As a result, each of the communication terminals 4(1), 4(2), ..., 4(n) is subject to call control by the main unit 1, and the functions of the main unit 1 allow connection of call lines to an outside telephone 6 or a smartphone 7 via a wide area network 5, enabling external calls. Also, each of the communication terminals 4(1), 4(2), ..., 4(n) is subject to call control by the main unit 1, and the functions of the main unit 1 allow connection of call lines to a communication terminal connected to a LAN 2, enabling internal calls.

[0021] In the network system of this embodiment, it is assumed that wireless LAN communication conforming to the IEEE802.11b standard is adopted between AP3(1), AP3(2), ..., AP3(n) and communication terminals 4(1), 4(2), ..., 4(n). Each of AP3(1), 3(2), ..., 3(n) has an automatic frequency selection function, but the communication channels (wireless communication channels) that can be selected are limited, so the communication channels selected by AP3(1), AP3(2), ..., AP3(n) may overlap. In this case, radio waves will interfere with each other between APs that select the same communication channel, making it difficult to communicate effectively.

[0022] Therefore, in the network system of this embodiment, each of APs 3(1), 3(2), ..., 3(n) has a function of notifying the main unit 1 of its own wireless communication related information. Furthermore, each of APs 3(1), 3(2), ..., 3(n) has a function of controlling its own operating state in accordance with instruction information from the main unit 1. Also, in the network system of this embodiment, the main unit 1 has a function of managing wireless communication related information notified from each of APs 3(1), 3(2), ..., 3(n). Also, the main unit 1 has a function of grasping the communication state from the wireless communication related information from each of APs 3(1), 3(2), ..., 3(n), and providing instruction information to a necessary AP among APs 3(1), 3(2), ..., 3(n) to control the operating state of that AP.

[0023] This prevents interference between radio waves between APs, and maintains a good communication environment. Although details will be described later, the wireless communication-related information notified from each of APs 3(1), 3(2), ..., 3(n) includes, for example, its own device identification information, the channel being used, and receiving device information. The receiving device information includes, for example, device identification information of the sender of the received signal and information indicating the signal strength of the received signal. Below, a description is given of an example configuration of the main device 1 and APs 3(1), 3(2), ..., 3(n) that make up the network system of this embodiment.

[0024] Note that APs 3(1), 3(2), ..., 3(n) basically have the same configuration. Therefore, in the following description, unless a particular distinction is required, APs 3(1), 3(2), ..., 3(n) will be collectively referred to as AP3. Furthermore, each of communication terminals 4(1), 4(2), ..., 4(n) can be supported by an existing communication terminal equipped with a wireless communication function conforming to the Wi-Fi (registered trademark) standard. Therefore, a description of an example configuration of communication terminals 4(1), 4(2), ..., 4(n) will be omitted. Furthermore, each of communication terminals 4(1), 4(2), ..., 4(n) basically have the same configuration. Therefore, in the following description, unless a particular distinction is required, communication terminals 4(1), 4(2), ..., 4(n) will be collectively referred to as communication terminal 4.

[0025] [Configuration example of main unit 1] 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the main unit 1 according to the embodiment. In FIG. 1, a connection terminal 101T constitutes a connection terminal to a wide area network 5. A communication I / F (Interface) 101 performs communication processing through the wide area network 5. That is, the communication I / F 101 converts a signal addressed to the main unit 1 that is transmitted via the wide area network 5 into a signal in a format that can be processed by the main unit 1 and receives the converted signal. The communication I / F 101 also converts a signal to be transmitted from the main unit 1 to a signal in a transmission format and sends the converted signal to the wide area network 5 to transmit it to the destination.

[0026] The control unit 102 is a microprocessor equipped with a central processing unit (CPU), read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), non-volatile memory, etc. (not shown), and controls each component of the main device 1. The control unit 102 can also decompose and generate various data, such as control data and audio data, which are packetized and transmitted / received. The storage device 103 is a device unit consisting of a recording medium, such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or solid state drive (SSD), and its driver, and records, reads, modifies, deletes, etc., various types of data. The storage device 103 stores and holds necessary data and programs, and is also used as a working area for temporarily storing intermediate data generated in various processes.

[0027] Connection end 104T constitutes a connection end to LAN2. LAN I / F (Interface) 104 enables communication between main unit 1 and each of the communication terminals 4 accommodated in main unit 1 via LAN2. Therefore, signals from main unit 1 to communication terminal 4 are converted by LAN I / F 104 into signals in a transmission format and transmitted to communication terminal 4. Furthermore, signals from communication terminal 4 are converted by LAN I / F 104 into signals in a format that can be processed by the device itself and then taken in. Although not shown, main unit 1 is equipped with a clock circuit that provides the current date, current day of the week, and current time.

[0028] The terminal management table 105 and the AP (access point) management table 106 are formed in a storage device unit consisting of a recording medium such as an HDD or SSD and its driver. The terminal management table 105 and the AP management table 106 may be formed in different storage areas in the same storage device unit, or may be formed in different storage devices.

[0029] Terminal management table 105 stores and holds address information and other management information about communication terminals 4 accommodated in itself through AP 3. In this embodiment, communication terminal 4 is a Wi-Fi communication terminal and functions as an extension telephone. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of data stored in terminal management table 115 of main unit 1. As shown in FIG. 3, terminal management table 105 manages communication terminals 4 accommodated in main unit 1. In terminal management table 105, the following information is stored and held for each communication terminal 4: "extension number," "IP (Internet Protocol) address," "MAC (Media Access Control) address," "port number," and "other."

[0030] The "extension number" is an internal telephone number assigned to all communication terminals 4 accommodated in the main unit 1. The IP address is assigned, for example, by a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server function installed in the main unit 1, and is information that can uniquely identify each device that can connect to the Internet. The "MAC address" is device identification information uniquely assigned to network devices and is composed of a vendor ID and a device ID. The "port number" is the port number used by each communication terminal 4. The "other" information can be managed by adding various information required for processing, such as a user name or a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) corresponding to an IP address. The data stored in the terminal management table 105 allows the main unit 1 to grasp information about each communication terminal 4 accommodated therein.

[0031] The AP management table 106 stores and holds wireless communication-related information for each AP 3 connected to the AP management table 106 via the LAN 2. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of data stored in the AP management table of the main unit 1 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the AP management table 106 stores and holds, for each AP 3, the MAC address, status (state), channel in use, and receiving device information of the AP 3. The MAC address of the AP 3 is device identification information that can uniquely identify each AP 3. The status is information that indicates the operating state of the AP 3, such as activated, stopped, or not activated. In this embodiment, "stopped" means that the AP 3 has stopped transmitting signals but is continuing to receive signals. Therefore, the "not activated" state, in which the AP 3 neither transmits nor receives signals, is different.

[0032] The used channel is information indicating the communication channel selected (tuned) by the AP 3 for wireless communication with the communication terminal 4. In this embodiment, as described above, each AP 3 employs a wireless communication method conforming to the IEEE802.11b standard, and the used channel is indicated by a number ranging from "01" to "14." The receiving device information is composed of the MAC address of the device that is the sender of the signal (received signal) received by each AP 3, regardless of the used channel, and information indicating the reception status. The information indicating the reception status is information indicating whether the strength (reception level) of the received signal is low, middle, or high. The information indicating the reception status may directly use a numerical value indicating the received signal strength, such as RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator), but in this embodiment, the reception status is indicated by three levels: low, middle, and high, determined according to the received signal strength.

[0033] In this embodiment, it is assumed that the MAC address of AP3(1) is "AAA001", the MAC address of AP3(2) is "AAA002", and the MAC address of AP3(3) is "AAA003". It is also assumed that the MAC address of communication terminal 4(1) is "AAA901", the MAC address of communication terminal 4(2) is "AAA902", and the MAC address of communication terminal 4(3) is "AAA903".

[0034] Therefore, in the case of the AP management table 106 shown in Fig. 4, the following contents can be grasped. AP3(1) with MAC address "AAA001" is active and is using channel "01." Furthermore, this AP3(1) is receiving a signal at a "high level" from communication terminal 4(1) with MAC address "AAA101," and is receiving a signal at a "medium level" from AP3(2) with MAC address "AAA002." Furthermore, AP3(2) with MAC address "AAA002" is active and is using channel "04."

[0035] Furthermore, AP3(2) is receiving a signal at a "medium level" from AP3(1) whose MAC address is "AAA001." It can also be determined that AP3(3) whose MAC address is "AAA003" has not yet been started. Thus, the data stored in the AP management table 106 allows the main unit 1 to obtain wireless communication-related information about each of the APs 3 connected to the main unit 1 via the LAN 2.

[0036] Note that a device whose MAC address (not the MAC address of the receiving device information) is registered in AP management table 106 shown in Fig. 4 can be determined to be AP 3 connected to main unit 1 via LAN 2. Also, a device whose MAC address is registered in terminal management table 105 shown in Fig. 3 can be determined to be communication terminal 4 wirelessly connected to AP 3. Suppose there is a device whose MAC address is listed in the receiving device information of AP management table 106, but whose MAC address is not registered in either AP management table 106 or terminal management table 105. Since this device is neither AP 3 nor communication terminal 4, it can be determined to be a device that is not related to the network system (business phone system) in question (an unrelated device).

[0037] Under the control of the control unit 102, the call control unit 110 uses management information from the terminal management table 105 to perform call control such as outgoing calls, incoming calls, responses, and disconnections for the subordinate communication terminals 4. As shown in FIG. 2, the call control unit 110 includes an outgoing call control unit 111 and an incoming call control unit 112. When an outgoing call (outgoing call request) is received from a subordinate communication terminal 4, the outgoing call control unit 111 functions to send outgoing call information to the specified destination to call the destination, and when the destination responds, connects the call line to enable the call. Furthermore, when the outgoing call control unit 111 is configured to perform connection processing for the call line in response to the outgoing call request, if the call is placed on-hook, the outgoing call control unit 111 also performs processing to cancel (cancel) the connection processing.

[0038] Furthermore, when an incoming call addressed to the terminal itself (a call notification from the other party) is accepted, the incoming call control unit 112 functions to notify the subordinate communication terminal 4 of the incoming call. As a result, a ring tone is emitted at the communication terminal 4, notifying the occurrence of the incoming call. When an operation to answer the incoming call (off-hook operation) is performed at the communication terminal 4, the incoming call control unit 112 detects this, answers the incoming call, and connects a call line to the subordinate communication terminal 4 that was off-hook, enabling the call.

[0039] In the main unit 1 of this embodiment, processes such as putting a connected call line on hold, transferring a call, and releasing a call are performed under the control of the control unit 102 in response to requests from the subordinate communication terminals 4. In addition, the control unit 102 also controls the turning on / off of LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) provided in the subordinate communication terminals 4 and the display of information on the display.

[0040] The AP connection management unit 120 manages the operating status and communication status of each AP 3 connected via the LAN 2, and appropriately controls each AP 3 accordingly, thereby realizing the function of creating and maintaining a good communication environment for the business phone system. The AP connection management unit 120 includes a table update unit 121, a control determination unit 122, and an AP control processing unit 123. The table update unit 121 performs processing to update the AP management table 106 at predetermined intervals based on wireless communication related information transmitted from each AP 3 via the LAN 2. This allows the AP management table 106 to grasp the latest wireless communication related information for each AP 3.

[0041] The control determination unit 122 determines whether there is an AP 3 to be controlled based on the data stored in the AP management table 106, and if it determines that there is an AP 3 to be controlled, it performs processing to identify the control content. Here, the control content indicates specific control content such as stopping signal transmission or changing the channel in use. The AP control processing unit 123 performs processing to form instruction information for the AP 3 to be controlled in accordance with the determination result of the control determination unit 122 and the identified control content, and transmits this to the AP 3 to be controlled. Such functions of the AP connection management unit 120 realize the function of creating and maintaining a good communication environment for the business phone system.

[0042] [AP3 configuration example] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an AP 3 according to an embodiment. The control unit 301 is a microprocessor including a CPU, ROM, RAM, non-volatile memory, etc. (not shown), and controls each unit of the AP 3. The information notification processing unit 302, which will be described in detail later, performs a process of forming wireless communication-related information including the MAC address of the AP itself and providing the information to the main unit 1 via the LAN 2. The connection terminal 303T constitutes a connection terminal to the LAN 2. The LAN I / F 303 realizes a communication function via the LAN 2. That is, the LAN I / F 303 converts a signal sent to the AP itself into a signal in a format that can be processed by the AP itself and imports the converted signal into the AP itself. The LAN I / F 303 also converts a signal to be transmitted from the AP itself into a transmission signal and transmits the signal to the LAN 2.

[0043] The connection information storage unit 304 stores wireless LAN connection information (authentication information) for wirelessly connecting to a communication terminal equipped with a wireless LAN function. The connection information is, for example, information such as an ESSID (Extended Service Set Identifier) ​​as a network identifier and a WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) key for encryption. A wireless LAN transmission / reception circuit 310 is connected to the I / O port 305. The wireless LAN transmission / reception circuit 310 includes a transmission processing circuit 311, a reception processing circuit 312, a transmission amplifier 313, a reception amplifier 314, an antenna distribution circuit 315, a transmission antenna 316, and a reception antenna 317.

[0044] In AP3, a packet transmitted from LAN2 passes through LANI / F 303 → I / O port 306 → transmission processing circuit 311 → transmission amplifier 313 → antenna distribution circuit 315 → transmission antenna 316, and is then wirelessly transmitted to wirelessly connected communication terminal 4. Meanwhile, a packet received from communication terminal 4 and received by receiving antenna 317 passes through antenna distribution circuit 315 → reception amplifier 314 → reception processing circuit 312 → I / O port 306 → LANI / F 303, and is then sent to LAN2. This connects main unit 1 and communication terminal 4 through AP3, and enables voice calls using communication terminal 4 with outside telephones 6, smartphones 7, and the like connected to wide area network 5.

[0045] In this way, packetized signals such as transmitted packets and received packets are sent and received between the main unit 1 and the communication terminal 4. Therefore, the AP 3 basically realizes a relay function of transmitting transmitted packets from the main unit 1 to the communication terminal 4 and transmitting received packets from the communication terminal 4 to the main unit 1. The AP 3 can receive not only signals (received packets) from the communication terminal 4, but also signals (received packets) from other APs 3 located nearby and communication devices unrelated to the business phone system.

[0046] For this reason, in the AP3 of this embodiment, the reception processing circuit 312 is configured to detect the RSSI of all received packets (received signals) and notify the control unit 301. The control unit 301 also has a function of disassembling the received packets from the reception processing circuit 312 into packets and extracting the MAC address of the device that sent the received packets. The control unit 301 also knows what communication channel is being selected by controlling the transmission processing circuit 311 and the reception processing circuit 312.

[0047] The control unit 301 supplies the acquired RSSI, the MAC address of the source device, and information indicating the selected communication channel to the information notification processing unit 302. The information notification processing unit 302 uses the information provided by the control unit 301 to form wireless communication related information, packetizes it, and provides it to the main unit 1 via the LAN 2. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of wireless communication related information that is notification information transmitted from the AP 3 to the main unit 1 in the embodiment.

[0048] 6, the information notification processing unit 302 forms wireless communication related information consisting of a destination MAC address (MAC address of the main unit 1), a source MAC address (MAC address of the AP), a channel in use, and one or more pieces of receiving device information. The identification information of the main unit 1 is the MAC address or IP address of the main unit 1. The receiving device information consists of the source MAC address acquired from the received packet being received by the main unit itself, and a reception state according to the RSSI of the received packet.

[0049] There may be multiple sources of packets received by the AP 3. In this case, receiving device information consisting of the MAC address and reception status acquired from the received packets from each source is included in a distinguishable manner, such as receiving device information 1, receiving device information 2, ... in Fig. 6. This allows the AP 3 to notify the main unit 1 of its own MAC address, the channel used, the source MAC address, and reception strength for all received packets (received signals) received through the receiving antenna 317.

[0050] Furthermore, when AP3 receives packetized instruction information from the main unit 1 via the connection terminal 303 and LAN I / F 303, the control unit 301 disassembles the information into packets and understands the instruction content. The control unit 301 controls its own operation state according to the understood instruction content. For example, it performs control such as transitioning from active to inactive, transitioning from inactive to active, or changing the selected communication channel. Note that, as described above, inactive means a state in which signal transmission processing is stopped, but signal reception processing is continued. Therefore, even in the stopped state, the processing of forming wireless communication-related information and transmitting it to the main unit 1 continues.

[0051] In this way, in AP 3, control unit 301 and information notification processing unit 302 cooperate to realize the function of information notification processing means, and control unit 301 realizes the function of operation state control means. Also, as described above, reception processing circuit 312 has the function of detecting RSSI for each received packet (received signal), and control unit 301 has the function of extracting the MAC address of the source device from the received packet.

[0052] [Explanation of operations performed by the business phone system] Next, a specific example of the operation of a business phone system configured using the above-described main unit 1, AP 3, and communication terminal 4 will be described. Three examples will be described below.

[0053] <Example 1 of business phone system operation> Fig. 7 is a sequence diagram for explaining an example (example 1) of processing performed in the network system of the embodiment. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the state of the AP management table 106 of the main unit 1 when the processing shown in Fig. 7 is performed. Example 1 of the operation explained using Figs. 7 and 8 is an example in which the same communication channel is selected by AP3(1) and AP3(2) that are activated at different times.

[0054] In the business phone system, when none of APs 3(1), 3(2), ..., 3(n) are activated, as shown in Fig. 7, AP 3(1) is powered on and activated (step S1). In this case, AP 3(1) causes control unit 301 and information notification processing unit 302 to function, forming wireless communication related information (Fig. 6) and transmitting this to main unit 1 (step S2). Main unit 1 receives the wireless communication related information from AP 3(1), causes table update unit 121 to function, and performs processing to update AP management table 106 (step S3).

[0055] In this case, since only AP3(1) is still active, AP3(1) is marked as active in the AP management table 106, and the communication channel selected by AP3(1) is recognized as the channel in use. Here, the MAC address of AP3(1) is assumed to be "AAA001" and the channel in use is assumed to be "01." The control determination unit 122 of the main unit 1 functions to determine whether there is an AP3 that needs to be controlled (step S4). However, at this stage, AP3(1) is the only target for control, and there is no need to stop AP3(1) or change the channel in use. Therefore, it is determined that control of AP3(1) is not necessary, and the AP control and table update processes of step S5 are not executed.

[0056] After that, it is assumed that the communication terminal 4(1) is powered on and started up (step S6), and a connection request is formed and transmitted to the AP 3(1) (step S7). Since the AP 3(1) has no communication terminals wirelessly connected to itself and has a margin in its belonging number (the number of communication terminals that can be wirelessly connected), it performs authentication processing in response to the connection request from the communication terminal 4(1) and wirelessly connects the communication terminal 4(1) to itself (step S8). The AP 3(1) forms wireless communication related information at predetermined intervals and transmits it to the main unit 1 (step S9). In this case, the communication terminal 4(1) is wirelessly connected to the AP 3(1) and is in a state of performing wireless communication with the AP 3(1), and therefore the MAC address and reception status of the communication terminal 4(1) are notified to the main unit 1 from the AP 3(1). Here, it is assumed that the MAC address of the communication terminal 4(1) is "AAA901".

[0057] The main unit 1 receives the wireless communication related information from AP3(1), and the table update unit 121 functions to perform a process of updating the AP management table 106 (step S10). In this case, for AP3(1) whose MAC address in the AP management table 106 is "AAA001," the MAC address and reception status of the communication terminal 4(1) are updated as receiving device information 1. Next, the control determination unit 122 of the main unit 1 functions to determine whether there is an AP3 that needs to be controlled (step S11). However, since only AP3(1) is still active and AP3(1) is the only object to be controlled, it is determined that control of AP3 is unnecessary, and the AP control and table update processes of step S12 are not executed.

[0058] After that, it is assumed that AP3(2) is powered on and started up (step S13). In this case, AP3(2) causes the control unit 301 and the information notification processing unit 302 to function, and forms wireless communication related information (FIG. 6), which is then transmitted to the main unit 1 (step S14). The main unit 1 receives the wireless communication related information from AP3(2), and causes the table update unit 121 to function, performing processing to update the AP management table 106 (step S15).

[0059] In this case, since AP3(2) is still activated, AP3(2) is registered as activated in the AP management table 106, and the communication channel selected by AP3(2) is recognized as the channel in use. Here, the MAC address of AP3(2) is assumed to be "AAA002" and the channel in use is assumed to be "01." Also, it is assumed that the activated AP3(2) has received a signal from the previously activated AP3(1), and has transmitted the MAC address, reception status, and wireless communication related information of AP3(1) as receiving device information.

[0060] After the AP management table update process of step S15 has been performed, the state of the data stored in the AP management table 106 will be as shown in Fig. 8. From the AP management table 106 shown in Fig. 8, it can be seen that AP3(1) with a MAC address of "AAA001" is active, the channel being used is "01", and that a signal from communication terminal 4(1) with a MAC address of "AAA901" is being successfully received. It can also be seen that AP3(2) with a MAC address of "AAA002" is active, the channel being used is "01", and that a signal from AP3(1) with a MAC address of "AAA001" is being successfully received.

[0061] Therefore, the AP management table 106 shown in FIG. 8 indicates that AP3(2) can receive a signal transmitted from AP3(1), and that AP3(1) and AP3(2) are using the same communication channel. Furthermore, it can be seen that no communication terminal 4 is wirelessly connected to AP3(2). In this state, if AP3(2), which was activated later, is left activated, there is a high risk of interference between signals transmitted and received between AP3(1) and AP3(2). Therefore, the control determination unit 122 of the main device 1 determines that AP3(2) needs to be stopped, and notifies the AP control processing unit 123 of this (step S16). That is, in this case, the control determination unit 122 determines that there is an AP 3 that needs to be controlled, that is AP3(2), and transitions the control content from "activated" to "stopped."

[0062] In response to this, the AP control processing unit 123 executes AP control and updates the AP management table 106 (step S17). Specifically, the AP control processing unit 123 creates instruction information with AP3(2) as the destination and an instruction to transition to a stopped state as the control content, and transmits this to AP3(2) via LAN2 (step S18). As a result, in AP3(2), the control unit 301 controls the transmission processing circuit 311 to stop signal transmission and change to a stopped state (step S19). Furthermore, on the day the instruction information was sent, the AP control processing unit 123 updates the status of AP3(2) whose MAC address is "AAA002" in the AP management table 106 to "stopped" (step S17).

[0063] This stops signal transmission from AP3(2), preventing signal interference between AP3(1) and AP3(2). Moreover, by changing the status of AP3(2) in the AP management table 106 to "stopped," AP3(2) can resume signal transmission and transition to operating if a change occurs in the communication environment and it becomes necessary.

[0064] In the case of Example 1 described with reference to Figures 7 and 8, only communication terminal 4(1) was wirelessly connected to AP3(1), and there was a sufficient number of communication terminals (association number) that could be connected to AP3(1). For this reason, AP3(2) was controlled to transition from active to inactive. However, if the association number of AP3(1) had already reached its maximum (MAX), control would be exercised to change the channel used by AP3(2) to allow subsequent communication terminals 4 to wirelessly connect. In this example, since the channel used by AP3(1) is "01," it is desirable to change the channel used by AP3(2) to channel "06" or later.

[0065] <Example 2 of business phone system operation> Fig. 9 is a sequence diagram for explaining an example (example 2) of processing performed in the network system of the embodiment. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the state of the AP management table 106 of the main unit 1 when the processing shown in Fig. 9 is performed. Example 2 of the operation described with reference to Figs. 9 and 10 is an example in which AP3(3) is started when AP3(1) and AP3(2) are already running, and each selects a different adjacent communication channel.

[0066] 9, AP3(1) is already activated (step S21), and AP3(2) is also already activated (step S22). Therefore, the AP management table 106 of the main unit 1 is updated with the wireless communication related information from AP3(1). Specifically, the AP management table 106 of the main unit 1 is updated with the following: AP3(1) MAC address "AAA001", status "activating", used channel "01", and receiving device information 1 of AP3(2) MAC address "AAA002" and reception status "high".

[0067] Similarly, the AP management table 106 of the main unit 1 is updated with the wireless communication related information from AP3(2). Specifically, the AP management table 106 of the main unit 1 is updated with the MAC address of AP3(2) "AAA002," the status "Starting," the channel used "03," and the MAC address of AP3(1) "AAA001" and the reception state "High" as receiving device information 1.

[0068] After that, it is assumed that AP3(3) is powered on and started up (step S23). In this case, AP3(3) causes the control unit 301 and the information notification processing unit 302 to function, form wireless communication related information (FIG. 6), and transmit this to the main unit 1 (step S24). The main unit 1 receives the wireless communication related information from AP3(3), causes the table update unit 121 to function, and performs processing to update the AP management table 106 (step S25).

[0069] Specifically, it is assumed that the information of AP3(3) MAC address "AAA003," status "starting," and used channel "05" has been updated in the AP management table 106 of the main unit 1. It is also assumed that the AP management table 106 has been updated with the MAC address "AAA002" of AP3(2) and the reception status "high" as receiving device information 1, and the MAC address "AAA001" of AP3(1) and the reception status "low" as receiving device information 2.

[0070] Furthermore, by activating AP3(3), AP3(1) is also able to receive signals from AP3(3), and the AP management table 106 of the main unit 1 is updated with wireless communication related information from AP3(1) at predetermined timings. In this case, it is assumed that the MAC address of AP3(3) is "AAA003" and the reception status is "low" as the information in the receiving device information 2 for AP3(1). Similarly, by activating AP3(3), AP3(2) is also able to receive signals from AP3(3), and the AP management table 106 of the main unit 1 is updated with wireless communication related information from AP3(2) provided at predetermined timings. In this case, it is assumed that the MAC address of AP3(3) is "AAA003" and the reception status is "high" as the information in the receiving device information 2 for AP3(2).

[0071] 10, the operating states of AP3(1), AP3(2), and AP3(3) can be grasped from the data stored in AP management table 106. That is, AP3(1) with MAC address "AAA001" is "in operation," using channel "01," and can receive signals from AP3(2) with MAC address "AAA002" and AP3(3) with MAC address "AAA003." Also, AP3(2) with MAC address "AAA002" is "in operation," using channel "03," and can receive signals from AP3(1) with MAC address "AAA001" and AP3(3) with MAC address "AAA003." Similarly, AP3(3) with MAC address "AAA003" is "in operation," using channel "05," and can receive signals from AP3(2) with MAC address "AAA002" and AP3(1) with MAC address "AAA001."

[0072] From the data stored in the AP management table 106 shown in FIG. 10, it can be seen that AP3(2) has high signal reception strength from AP3(1) and AP3(3). AP3(1) also has high signal reception strength from AP3(2), but low signal reception strength from AP3(3). Similarly, AP3(3) has high signal reception strength from AP3(2), but low signal reception strength from AP3(1). This indicates that there is a high possibility of signal interference between AP3(1) and AP3(2), and a high possibility of signal interference between AP3(2) and AP3(3). However, while AP3(1) and AP3(3) can receive signals from each other, the reception strength is low, making it clear that there is little possibility of signal interference, and handover from the communication area of ​​AP3(1) to AP3(3) is possible.

[0073] From these facts, it can be determined that even if AP3(2) is stopped, there will be no disruption to wireless communication with communication terminal 4 as long as AP3(1) and AP3(3) are active. Therefore, control determination unit 122 of main device 1 determines that AP3(2) needs to be stopped, and notifies AP control processing unit 123 of this (step S26). That is, in this case, control determination unit 122 determines that there is an AP 3 that needs to be controlled, which is AP3(2), and the control content is to transition from "active" to "stopped."

[0074] In response to this, the AP control processing unit 123 executes AP control and updates the AP management table 106 (step S27). Specifically, the AP control processing unit 123 creates instruction information with AP3(2) as the destination and an instruction to transition to a stopped state as the control content, and transmits this to AP3(2) via LAN2 (step S28). As a result, in AP3(2), the control unit 301 controls the transmission processing circuit 311 to stop signal transmission and enter a stopped state (step S29). In addition, after sending the instruction information, the AP control processing unit 123 updates the status of AP3(2) whose MAC address is "AAA002" in the AP management table 106 to "stopped" (step S27).

[0075] This stops signal transmission from AP3(2), preventing signal interference between AP3(1) and AP3(2), and between AP3(3) and AP3(2). Moreover, by changing the status of AP3(2) in the AP management table 106 to "stopped," AP3(2) can resume signal transmission and transition to operating status if a change occurs in the communication environment and it becomes necessary. Furthermore, an environment is created in which handover between the communication area of ​​AP3(1) and the communication area of ​​AP3(3) can be performed smoothly.

[0076] <Example 3 of business phone system operation> Figures 11 and 12 are sequence diagrams for explaining an example (example 3) of processing performed in the network system of the embodiment. Figures 13 and 14 are diagrams showing the state of the AP management table of the main unit 1 when the processing shown in Figures 11 and 12 is performed. Operation example 3 explained using Figures 11 to 14 is an example of a case in which a stopped AP 3 is started and an started AP 3 is stopped again in the business phone system.

[0077] For example, assume that the operations described with reference to Figures 9 and 10 have already been performed, and that AP3(1) is activated (step S31) and AP3(2) is stopped (step S32) as shown in Figure 11. Also, assume that the maximum number of communication terminals that can be wirelessly connected to SP3(1) is already wirelessly connected, as indicated by "Affiliation Number MAX" in Figure 11. Note that, in this example, the MAC address of AP3(1) is "AAA001" and the MAC address of AP3(2) is "AAA002." Also, assume that the communication channel (usage channel) selected by AP3(1) is "01," and the notification channel (usage channel) selected by AP3(2) is "04."

[0078] In this case, it is assumed that communication terminal 4(X) is started up (step S33), and forms and transmits a connection request to AP3(1) (step S34). As described above, the maximum number of communication terminals that can be wirelessly connected to AP3(1) is already wirelessly connected. Therefore, AP3(1) determines that wireless connection of communication terminal 4(X) is not possible (step S35), and forms and transmits a connection disapproval notice to communication terminal 4(X) that originated the connection request (step S36). As a result, communication terminal 4(X) will request connection to another AP3, but at this point, AP3(2) is stopped and cannot recognize an active AP3, so communication terminal 4(X) cannot form and transmit a connection request.

[0079] On the other hand, AP3(1), which rejected the connection request from communication terminal 4(X), notifies the main unit 1 that it received the connection request in the MAX belonging number state (step S37). This notification notifies the main unit 1 that there is a communication terminal 4(X) that was unable to connect wirelessly to AP3(1). In the main unit 1, the control determination unit 122 functions to check the data stored in the AP management table 106 (step S38) and determine whether there is an AP3 to be controlled (step S39). That is, since it is known that there is a communication terminal 4(X) that was unable to connect to AP3(1), the control determination in step S39 is a process of determining whether there is an inactive AP3 that has selected a communication channel adjacent to the channel used by AP3(1).

[0080] In this example, as described above, AP3(2) using channel "04" is "inactive" near AP3(1) using channel "01." Therefore, in the control determination of step S39, it is determined that there is an AP3 to be controlled, that is AP3(2), and that control is required to activate the inactive AP3(2). The control determination unit 122 notifies the AP control processing unit 123 of the determination result. The AP control processing unit 123 forms instruction information for instructing activation (step S40) and provides this to AP3(2) (step S41).

[0081] As a result, the control unit 301 of AP3(2) controls each unit, such as activating the transmission processing circuit 311, to transition the operation state of the own device from a stopped state in which no signal is transmitted to an activated state in which a signal is transmitted, and starts transmitting radio waves (signals) (step S42). Also, in step S40, the AP control processing unit 123 also performs processing to update the AP management table 106, such as changing the status of AP3(2) in the AP management table 106 to "activated".

[0082] In this way, when AP3(2) transitions from being stopped to being active, AP3(2) also starts to send out a signal, so that communication terminal 4(X) can recognize that AP3(2) is nearby. Therefore, communication terminal 4(X), whose connection was refused by AP3(1), forms and transmits a connection request to AP3(2) (step S43). AP3(2) wirelessly connects to communication terminal 4(X) to enable mutual communication (step S44), and control unit 301 and information notification processing unit 302 function to form wireless communication related information and transmit this to main device 1 (step S45).

[0083] The main unit 1 receives the wireless communication related information from AP3(2), and the table update unit 121 functions to perform a process of updating the AP management table 106 (step S46). In this case, the status of AP3(2) changes from "stopped" to active, and the update indicates that AP3(2) can now receive signals from communication terminal 4(X). Then, the control determination unit 122 of the main unit 1 determines whether or not there is an AP3 to be controlled (step S47). However, at this stage, both active AP3(1) and AP3(2) have communication terminals wirelessly connected thereto and are not targets for control. Therefore, it is determined that control of AP3 is unnecessary, and the AP control and table update processes of step S48 are not executed.

[0084] An example of data stored in the AP management table 106 of the main unit 1 corresponding to the processing from step S31 to step S48 is shown in Fig. 13. That is, as shown in Fig. 13, AP3(1) with a MAC address of "AAA001" is active and is performing wireless communication on the channel being used "01", but the maximum number of communication terminals that can be wirelessly connected to this AP3(1) are already wirelessly connected. Meanwhile, there is AP3(2) with a MAC address of "AAA002" that has been activated and has selected communication channel "04" as the channel being used, but has been set to "inactive" because the channel being used is close to that of AP3(1).

[0085] In this state, communication terminal 4(X) sent a connection request to AP3(1), but the connection request was rejected because the association number was at MAX. AP3(1) notified main unit 1 that a connection request had been made to itself in the association number MAX state. In response to this, main unit 1 transitioned AP3(2) from "inactive" to active and resumed transmission of radio waves (signals), so communication terminal 4(X) sent a connection request to AP3(2) and was wirelessly connected to AP3(2). This series of states is updated in AP management table 106. Therefore, by the processing (operations) of steps S31 to S48 shown in FIG. 11, communication terminal 4(X) is wirelessly connected to AP3(2) and is ready to perform voice calls via main unit 1.

[0086] 12, it is assumed that some of the wirelessly connected communication terminals 4 are powered off or otherwise disconnected from AP3(1), and the state in which the number of belonging terminals of AP3(1) is at MAX is resolved (step S49). In this case, in AP3(1), the control unit 301 and the information notification processing unit 302 function to form the wireless communication related information described with reference to FIG. 6 and transmit this to the main unit 1 (step S50). The table update unit 121 of the main unit 1 updates the AP management table 106 based on the received wireless communication related information (step S51).

[0087] The wireless communication related information transmitted in step S50 includes the MAC addresses of communication terminals capable of wireless communication with AP3(1). The AP management table 106 is updated based on the wireless communication related information. Therefore, by comparing the MAC addresses in the receiving device information in the AP management table 106 with the MAC addresses in the terminal management table 105, it is possible to determine how many subordinate communication terminals 4 are wirelessly connected to AP3(1). Therefore, the main unit 1 can also determine that the AP3(1) belonging number MAX state has been resolved and that AP3(1) is now capable of wireless connection to a new communication terminal 4. It can also be determined that both AP3(1) and AP3(2) are active and have selected nearby communication channels. This state can be determined from the data stored in the AP management table 106.

[0088] The control determination unit 122 of the main unit 1 determines whether or not control of AP3 is necessary based on the data stored in the AP management table 106 (step S52). In this example, the control determination unit 122 of the main unit 1 determines that AP3(1) and AP3(2) may cause communication interference because they use similar channels. Therefore, the control determination unit 122 determines that AP3(2) needs to be transitioned from "active" to "inactive" and notifies the AP control processing unit 123 of this. The AP control processing unit 123 generates a stop instruction (step S53) and provides it to AP3(2) (step S54).

[0089] As a result, the control unit 301 of AP3(2) controls each unit, such as stopping the transmission processing circuit 311, to transition the operation state of the own device from an active state in which signals are sent to an inactive state in which signals are not sent, and stop sending radio waves (signals) (step S55). Also, in step S53, the AP control processing unit 123 also performs processing to update the AP management table 106, such as changing the status of AP3(2) in the AP management table 106 to "inactive".

[0090] In this way, when AP3(2) transitions from being active to being inactive, AP3(2) stops transmitting signals, and the wireless connection between AP3(2) and communication terminal 4(X) is severed (step S56). Therefore, communication terminal 4(X) is in a state where it can receive signals from AP3(1) and can recognize the existence of AP3(1), so it forms and transmits a connection request to AP3(1) (step S57). AP3(1) wirelessly connects to communication terminal 4(X) to enable mutual communication (step S58), and the control unit 301 and information notification processing unit 302 function to form wireless communication related information and transmit this to the main device 1 (step S59).

[0091] The main unit 1 receives wireless communication related information from AP3(2), and the table update unit 121 functions to perform a process of updating the AP management table 106 (step S60). In this case, information about the communication terminal 4(X) with the MAC address "AAA90X" is added to the receiving device information of AP3(1). Also, the status of AP3(2) is updated to indicate that it has changed from "active" to "stopped." Then, the control determination unit 122 of the main unit 1 determines whether or not there is an AP 3 to be controlled (step S61). However, at this stage, only AP3(1) is active, and there is no communication terminal 4 that cannot wirelessly connect to AP3. Therefore, it is determined that control of AP3 is unnecessary, and the AP control and table update processes of step S62 are not executed.

[0092] An example of data stored in the AP management table 106 of the main unit 1 corresponding to the processing from step S49 to step S62 is shown in Fig. 14. That is, as shown in Fig. 14, it can be seen that AP3(1) with a MAC address of "AAA001" is active, is performing wireless communication on the channel being used "01", and the state of maximum number of belongings has been resolved. Furthermore, it is shown that a communication terminal 4(X) with a MAC address of "AAA90X" is also wirelessly connected to AP3(1) with a MAC address of "AAA001". Meanwhile, AP3(2), which was active and had selected communication channel "04" as the channel being used, is now set to "inactive".

[0093] As described above, in Example 3, the main unit 1 can accurately grasp the communication status between AP3(1) and AP3(2) based on the data stored in the AP management table 106, and can control the activation / stop of AP3 so that no communication terminal 4 is unable to connect wirelessly to AP3. Furthermore, in a situation where no communication terminal 4 is unable to connect wirelessly, the main unit 1 can control the activation / stop of AP3 so that no communication interference occurs. Note that, in the above-described Example 3, only the activation / stop of AP3(2) is controlled, but by moving the channel used by AP2(2) from "04" to "06," for example, it is possible to prevent communication interference between AP3(1) and AP2(2).

[0094] [Other examples of control] The control of AP 3 performed by the main unit 1 described above is merely an example. Various controls are possible by appropriately grasping the communication status based on the data stored in the AP management table 106. That is, it is possible to transition AP 3 from active to inactive, from inactive to active, change (change) the channel in use, transition from inactive to active, and further change the channel in use. In addition, if there is an AP 3 for which a predetermined time has elapsed since there was no wirelessly connected communication terminal, it is also possible to transition the AP 3 from active to inactive. In this case, the predetermined time can be measured using a clock circuit (not shown) provided in the main unit 1. It is also possible to simultaneously control multiple APs 3. For example, it is possible to change the channel in use of AP 3(1) and transition AP 3(2) from inactive to active.

[0095] In essence, the state (pattern) of the data stored in the AP management table is associated with the content of control, and this is stored and held in a specified file as control specification data. As a result, when the state of the data stored in the AP management data matches the pattern held in the specified file, instruction information is formed to execute the content of control associated with that pattern, and is provided to the target AP 3. This allows appropriate control of multiple APs 3 connected to the main unit 1 via LAN according to various expected communication states.

[0096] [Effects of the embodiment] According to the above-described business phone system, when multiple APs 3 are connected to the main unit 1, the main unit 1 can appropriately control each AP 3, creating a better communication environment without any user intervention. This allows each communication terminal 4 connected to the main unit 1 via the AP 3 to always communicate appropriately. This allows for the construction of a highly reliable business phone system that uses wireless communication terminals as telephones. Furthermore, the construction of this business phone system does not require the operator to take the time to measure and understand the communication environment.

[0097] [Variations] In the above-described embodiment, the network system according to the present invention has been described as being applied to a business phone system, but the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can also be applied to a communication system that includes a network control device connected to a wide area network, a plurality of access point devices connected to the network control device via LAN, and communication terminals that are wirelessly connected to the access point devices.

[0098] For example, the present invention can be applied to a system consisting of a UTM device connected to the Internet, multiple access point devices connected to the UTM device via LAN, and notebook PCs (personal computers) or tablet PCs wirelessly connected to these access point devices. The present invention can also be applied to a business phone system in which a cordless telephone terminal consisting of a base unit and a handset is connected to a main unit 1. In this case, the base unit corresponds to the access point device. More specifically, the present invention can be applied to a business phone system in which a Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard cordless telephone is connected to a main unit 1.

[0099] In the above-described embodiment, whether a communication terminal can connect to the AP 3 is determined by comparing the MAC address in the receiving device information in the AP management table 106 with the MAC address in the terminal management table 105, but the present invention is not limited to this. When the communication terminal 4 that sent the connection request and the AP 3 that received the connection request perform authentication processing and are wirelessly connected to each other, the AP 3 notifies the main unit 1 of this fact. In the main unit 1, in the case of a wirelessly connected communication terminal, flag information indicating that the communication terminal is wirelessly connected is added to the receiving device information in the AP management table 106.

[0100] This makes it possible to determine that the wireless communication terminal to which the flag information is added is a communication terminal wirelessly connected to the AP 3. Therefore, it is possible to distinguish between wirelessly connected communication terminals 4 and unrelated terminal devices that are not wirelessly connected and are simply transmitting signals. In addition, by counting the number of communication terminals 4 to which the flag information is added in the receiving device information of the AP management table 106, it is possible to quickly and accurately grasp the number of wirelessly connected communication terminals. [Explanation of symbols]

[0101] 1...main unit, 101T...connection end, 101...communication I / F, 102...control unit, 103...storage device, 104T...connection end, 104...LAN I / F, 105...terminal pipeline table, 106...AP management table, 110...call control unit, 111...calling control unit, 112...terminating control unit, 120...AP connection management unit, 121...table update unit, 122...control determination unit, 123...AP control processing unit, 2...LAN, 3, 3(1), 3(2), 3(n)...AP, 301...control unit, 302...information Notification processing unit, 303T... connection terminal, 303... LAN I / F, 304... connection information storage unit, 305... I / O port, 310... wireless LAN transmission / reception circuit, 311... transmission processing circuit, 312... reception processing circuit, 313... transmission amplifier, 314... reception amplifier, 315... antenna distribution circuit, 316... transmission antenna, 317... reception antenna, 4, 4(1), 4(2), 4(n)... communication terminal, 5... network, 6... outside telephone, 7... smartphone, BS(1)... base station

Claims

1. A network system comprising: a network control device connected to a wide area network; and a plurality of access point devices connected to the network control device, the access point devices enabling wirelessly connected communication terminals to connect to the wide area network through the network control device, The access point device an information notification processing means for notifying the network control device of wireless communication related information of the own device, including device identification information of the own device, at each predetermined timing; an operating state control means for controlling the operating state of the device itself in response to instruction information from the network control device; Equipped with The network control device a receiving means for receiving the wireless communication related information from the access point device; a table updating means for updating an access point management table for each of the access point devices based on the wireless communication related information received through the receiving means; a control determination means for determining whether or not control is required for the access point device based on data stored in the access point management table when the table update means updates the access point management table; an access point control processing means for forming and transmitting instruction information to the target access point device when the control determination means determines that control is necessary; A network system comprising:

2. 2. The network system according to claim 1, The wireless communication related information includes one or more of channel identification information for identifying a wireless communication channel selected by the access point device, device identification information of a transmission source obtained from a wireless received signal, and information on the signal strength of the received signal. A network system comprising:

3. 3. The network system according to claim 1, The instruction information formed by the access point control processing means of the network control device includes a stop instruction to continue receiving signals by radio but stop transmitting signals by radio, a start instruction to start transmitting signals by radio, and a movement instruction to move wireless communication channels. A network system comprising:

4. A network control device of a network system including: a network control device connected to a wide area network; and a plurality of access point devices connected to the network control device, the access point devices enabling wirelessly connected communication terminals to connect to the wide area network through the network control device, the access point device comprises an information notification processing means for notifying the network control device of wireless communication related information of the access point device, including device identification information of the access point device, via the LAN at each predetermined timing, and an operation state control means for controlling the operation state of the access point device in response to instruction information from the network control device, a receiving means for receiving the wireless communication related information from the access point device; a table updating means for updating an access point management table for each of the access point devices based on the wireless communication related information received through the receiving means; a control determination means for determining whether or not control is required for the access point device based on data stored in the access point management table when the table update means updates the access point management table; an access point control processing means for forming and transmitting instruction information to the target access point device when the control determination means determines that control is necessary; A network control device comprising:

5. An access point device of a network system including a network control device connected to a wide area network, and a plurality of access point devices connected to the network control device, the access point devices enabling wirelessly connected communication terminals to connect to the wide area network through the network control device, the network control device comprises a receiving means for receiving wireless communication related information from the access point device, a table updating means for updating an access point management table for each of the access point devices based on the wireless communication related information received through the receiving means, a control determining means for determining whether or not control is required for the access point device based on data stored in the access point management table when the table updating means updates the access point management table, and an access point control processing means for forming and transmitting instruction information to the target access point device when the control determining means determines that control is required; an information notification processing means for notifying the network control device of wireless communication-related information of the device itself, including device identification information of the device itself, via the LAN at each predetermined timing; an operating state control means for controlling the operating state of the device itself in response to instruction information from the network control device; An access point device comprising:

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