Wireless LAN device, management server, management system, setting device, and management method of the wireless LAN device

Abstract

To provide a technique for managing a wireless LAN device so as to be operable only in a specific operation mode of a plurality of operation modes.SOLUTION: According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a wireless LAN device having a plurality of operation modes, including: a communication processing unit that executes communication processing in accordance with a set operation mode among the plurality of operation modes; and a mode setting unit that sets the operation mode. Upon receiving setting information related to the setting of the operation mode, and the mode setting unit verifies the setting information based on information unique to the wireless LAN device, and sets the operation mode according to the setting information when determining that the setting information is appropriate information for the wireless LAN device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a wireless LAN device, a management server, a management system for wireless LAN devices, a setting device, and a management method for wireless LAN devices. [Background technology]

[0002] Wireless LAN (Local Area Network) devices are widely used as base stations for connecting wireless LAN devices such as smartphones, tablets, and PCs to the Internet. Due to the characteristics of wireless LANs, the communication range between the base station and the devices may be limited. To address this issue, some wireless LAN devices have a relay mode. In the relay mode, the wireless LAN device functions as a relay for relaying communication between the base station and the devices.

[0003] There are known wireless LAN devices that can select one of multiple operating modes. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2013-126094 (Patent Document 1) discloses a wireless LAN communication device that can switch between master mode, slave mode, and repeater mode depending on the usage situation. Also, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2011-244051 (Patent Document 2) discloses a wireless repeater device that can switch one port between an external network and an internal network. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-126094 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-244051 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] To introduce a wireless LAN into a home, etc., it is necessary to obtain a wireless LAN device. There are two ways to obtain a wireless LAN device: purchasing a commercially available device or renting a wireless LAN device from a telecommunications carrier that provides an Internet connection.

[0006] Generally, commercially available wireless LAN devices allow users to freely select from multiple operation modes for the wireless LAN device. However, if a user sets the operation mode of the wireless LAN device incorrectly, there is a risk that normal wireless LAN communication will not be possible.

[0007] Furthermore, when a telecommunications carrier lends a wireless LAN device to a user, the intended use of the wireless LAN device is subject to the terms of the application submitted by the user to the telecommunications carrier (in other words, the terms of the contract between the user and the telecommunications carrier). The scope of use of a wireless LAN device lent by a telecommunications carrier should be limited to the scope of the application submitted by the user. Therefore, if a user is allowed to freely switch the operating mode of a wireless LAN device lent by a telecommunications carrier, various problems are expected to arise.

[0008] For example, if a wireless LAN device is used in an operation mode other than the operation mode (e.g., base station mode) specified in the contract between the telecommunications carrier and the user, such use is considered to be outside the contract. As another example, it is possible that a malicious person obtains a wireless LAN device from a telecommunications carrier, changes the operation mode of the wireless LAN device without the carrier's permission, and then resells it.

[0009] On the other hand, from the viewpoint of versatility, it is preferable for a wireless LAN device to have multiple operation modes. Therefore, there may be a demand for a wireless LAN device that has multiple operation modes but has restrictions so that it can only be used in a specific operation mode.

[0010] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a technique for managing a wireless LAN device so that it can operate only in a specific operation mode out of multiple operation modes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The wireless LAN device of the present disclosure is a wireless LAN device having multiple operating modes, and is equipped with a communication processing unit that executes communication processing according to a set operating mode from among the multiple operating modes, and a mode setting unit for setting the operating mode, and when the mode setting unit receives setting information regarding the setting of the operating mode, it verifies the setting information based on information specific to the wireless LAN device, and if it determines that the setting information is appropriate for the wireless LAN device, it sets the operating mode according to the setting information.

[0012] The management server of the present disclosure is a management server for managing wireless LAN devices having multiple operating modes, and includes a memory unit that stores individual identification information for identifying the wireless LAN device, setting information regarding the setting of the operating mode of the wireless LAN device, and an encryption key that pairs with the encryption key held by the wireless LAN device, a management unit that encrypts the setting information corresponding to the individual identification information using the encryption key stored in the memory unit to generate encrypted setting information, and a communication interface for providing the encrypted setting information to the wireless LAN device.

[0013] The management system of the present disclosure is a management system for managing wireless LAN devices having multiple operating modes, and includes a management server that stores setting information regarding the setting of the operating mode of the wireless LAN devices, and a setting device for setting the operating mode of the wireless LAN devices, wherein the management server transfers setting information associated with unique information of at least one wireless LAN device to be configured to the setting device, and the setting device provides the setting information associated with the unique information to the wireless LAN device to which it is connected by connecting to the wireless LAN device.

[0014] The setting device of the present disclosure is a setting device for setting the operating mode of a wireless LAN device having multiple operating modes, wherein the wireless LAN device has a recording unit that records individual identification information that identifies the wireless LAN device, and the setting device includes a reading unit that reads the individual identification information, and a communication unit that acquires connection information related to the individual identification information read by the reading unit via a communication line and connects to the wireless LAN device via wireless LAN in accordance with the connection information, and the communication unit receives setting information for setting the operating mode associated with unique information of at least one wireless LAN device to be set via the communication line, and transmits the setting information to the wireless LAN device to be set.

[0015] The management method for a wireless LAN device according to the present disclosure is a management method for a wireless LAN device having a plurality of operating modes, wherein the wireless LAN device is configured to operate in an operating mode among the plurality of operating modes according to setting information, and the management method includes a step in which the wireless LAN device receives setting information for setting the operating mode, a step in which the wireless LAN device verifies the received setting information based on information unique to the wireless LAN device, and a step in which the wireless LAN device sets the operating mode according to the setting information if the setting information is determined to be valid for the wireless LAN device in the verification step. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to manage a wireless LAN device so that it can operate only in a specific operation mode out of a plurality of operation modes. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating operation modes of a wireless LAN device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a wireless LAN device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the setting of the operation mode of the wireless LAN device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating information stored in the management server and information written to the USB dongle. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the exchange of information stored in a wireless LAN device and information regarding the setting of an operation mode in the wireless LAN device. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram showing a flow of management of the operation modes of wireless LAN devices by the management system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating the operation mode change process executed by the wireless LAN device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a process of writing a setting file of a wireless LAN device to a USB dongle, which is executed by the management server in the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a process for saving the setting results of the operation mode of the wireless LAN device, which is executed by the management server in the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of setting the operation modes of a plurality of wireless LAN devices using a USB dongle. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the setting of the operation mode of the wireless LAN device 10 according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating how the dedicated device shown in FIG. 11 reads out the individual identification information of the wireless LAN device. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating information stored in the management server and information written to the dedicated device in the second embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a sequence diagram showing a flow of management of the operation modes of wireless LAN devices by the management system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating the operation mode change process executed by the wireless LAN device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 16]FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating a process of transferring a setting file of a wireless LAN device to a dedicated device, which is executed by the management server in the second embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating a process for saving the setting results of the operation mode of the wireless LAN device, which is executed by the management server in the second embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram showing management of wireless LAN devices according to the third embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram showing management of wireless LAN devices according to the fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] [Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.

[0019] (1) A wireless LAN device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a wireless LAN device having a plurality of operating modes, and includes a communication processing unit that executes communication processing according to a set operating mode among the plurality of operating modes, and a mode setting unit for setting the operating mode, wherein when the mode setting unit receives setting information regarding the setting of the operating mode, the mode setting unit verifies the setting information based on information specific to the wireless LAN device, and when it determines that the setting information is appropriate for the wireless LAN device, sets the operating mode according to the setting information.

[0020] According to the above configuration, it is possible to manage a wireless LAN device so that it can operate only in a specific operation mode among multiple operation modes. To set the operation mode of a wireless LAN device, the wireless LAN device must receive configuration information. Furthermore, the configuration information must be appropriate for the wireless LAN device. Whether the configuration information is appropriate is determined based on information unique to the wireless LAN device. Therefore, since the information unique to each wireless LAN device is different, the operation mode of the wireless LAN device cannot be set using configuration information for another wireless LAN device. Furthermore, the environment in which the configuration information can be provided is limited.

[0021] In other words, the operating mode of the wireless LAN device can be determined only in an environment where configuration information can be provided, and therefore the wireless LAN device can be managed so that it can operate only in a specific operating mode among multiple operating modes.

[0022] (2) The wireless LAN device described in (1) above holds, as its unique information, individual identification information and an encryption key that is unique to the wireless LAN device, and when the mode setting unit receives encrypted setting information, it uses the information to verify that the encrypted setting information is related to the individual identification information and can be decrypted using the encryption key.

[0023] According to the above configuration, it is possible to determine whether the setting information received by the wireless LAN device is appropriate for the wireless LAN device, and if the information is appropriate, the wireless LAN device can set the operation mode in accordance with the setting information.

[0024] (3) The wireless LAN device described in (2) above includes a communication connector to which a dongle storing encrypted setting information can be connected, and the mode setting unit detects that the dongle has been connected to the communication connector, verifies the encrypted setting information stored in the dongle, and transfers information indicating the results of the verification of the setting information to the dongle via the communication connector.

[0025] According to the above configuration, the wireless LAN device can receive setting information by connecting to the dongle. The wireless LAN device can set its operation mode in accordance with the setting information. Furthermore, by transferring the operation mode setting result (which may include the verification result of the setting information) to the dongle, the latest operation mode of the wireless LAN device can be managed based on the operation mode setting result.

[0026] (4) The wireless LAN device described in (2) above has a recording unit that records individual identification information, and the mode setting unit verifies the encrypted setting information when a setting device that reads the individual identification information connects to the wireless LAN device via wireless LAN using wireless LAN connection information associated with the individual identification information and the encrypted setting information is transferred from the setting device.

[0027] According to the above configuration, the wireless LAN device can receive setting information by connecting to the setting device, and can therefore set the operation mode according to the setting information sent from the setting device.

[0028] (5) In the wireless LAN device described in (4) above, the multiple operating modes include a base station mode and a mode different from the base station mode, the wireless LAN device is connectable to a setting device in the base station mode, and the mode setting unit transfers information indicating the results of verification of the setting information to the setting device prior to setting the operating mode in accordance with the setting information.

[0029] According to the above configuration, the setting device can receive the result of verification of the setting information from the wireless LAN device. If the wireless LAN device changes its operating mode from the parent mode to another mode, the setting device may be unable to connect to the wireless LAN device. This problem can be avoided by having the mode setting unit transfer information indicating the result of verification of the setting information to the setting device before setting the operating mode according to the setting information.

[0030] (6) In a wireless LAN device described in any one of (1) to (5) above, when the wireless LAN device detects a connection to the Internet, it transmits information including at least the operating mode to a management server that manages the wireless LAN device.

[0031] According to the above configuration, the operation mode of the wireless LAN device can be managed even after the wireless LAN device is connected to the Internet.

[0032] (7) A management server according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a management server for managing wireless LAN devices having multiple operating modes, and includes a memory unit that stores individual identification information for identifying the wireless LAN device, configuration information regarding the setting of the operating mode of the wireless LAN device, and an encryption key that pairs with the encryption key held by the wireless LAN device, a management unit that encrypts the configuration information corresponding to the individual identification information using the encryption key stored in the memory unit to generate encrypted configuration information, and a communication interface that provides the encrypted configuration information to the wireless LAN device.

[0033] According to the above configuration, it is possible to generate setting information corresponding to the wireless LAN device to be configured, and therefore to manage the wireless LAN device so that it can operate only in a specific operation mode among multiple operation modes.

[0034] (8) In the management server described in (7) above, the management unit acquires information regarding the operating mode of the wireless LAN device from the wireless LAN device and verifies whether the operating mode of the wireless LAN device matches the operating mode according to the setting information stored in the memory unit.

[0035] According to the above configuration, the management server can manage whether or not the actual operation mode of the wireless LAN device matches the operation mode managed by the management server itself.

[0036] (9) The management server described in (7) or (8) above provides a packaging system that packages instruction manuals for wireless LAN devices with information for selecting an instruction manual that corresponds to the set operating mode of the wireless LAN device, based on the setting of the operating mode of the wireless LAN device.

[0037] With the above configuration, for example, a user who receives a wireless LAN device can operate the wireless LAN device only in the operation mode specified in the instruction manual. In other words, the user cannot operate the wireless LAN device in any mode other than the preset operation mode. Therefore, the wireless LAN device can be managed so that it can only operate in a specific operation mode out of multiple operation modes.

[0038] (10) A management system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a management system for managing wireless LAN devices having multiple operating modes, and includes a management server that stores setting information related to setting the operating modes of the wireless LAN devices, and a setting device for setting the operating modes of the wireless LAN devices. The management server transfers setting information associated with unique information of at least one wireless LAN device to be configured to the setting device, and the setting device provides the setting information associated with the unique information to the wireless LAN device to which it is connected by connecting to the wireless LAN device.

[0039] According to the above configuration, the wireless LAN device can be managed so that it can operate only in a specific operation mode out of a plurality of operation modes.

[0040] (11) A setting device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a setting device for setting the operating mode of a wireless LAN device having a plurality of operating modes, wherein the wireless LAN device has a recording unit that records individual identification information that identifies the wireless LAN device, and the setting device includes a reading unit that reads the individual identification information, and a communication unit that acquires connection information related to the individual identification information read by the reading unit via a communication line and connects to the wireless LAN device via wireless LAN in accordance with the connection information, and the communication unit receives, via the communication line, setting information for setting the operating mode that is associated with unique information of at least one wireless LAN device to be set, and transmits the setting information to the wireless LAN device to be set.

[0041] According to the above configuration, the wireless LAN device can be managed so that it can operate only in a specific operation mode out of a plurality of operation modes.

[0042] (12) In the setting device described in (11) above, the communication unit receives information from the wireless LAN device regarding the results of the wireless LAN device verifying the setting information, and transmits the information regarding the verification results to a management server that manages the setting information.

[0043] According to the above configuration, the management server can manage the operation modes of the wireless LAN devices.

[0044] (13) A method for managing a wireless LAN device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a method for managing a wireless LAN device having a plurality of operating modes, wherein the wireless LAN device is configured to operate in an operating mode among the plurality of operating modes according to setting information, and the management method includes the steps of: receiving setting information for setting the operating mode by the wireless LAN device; verifying the received setting information by the wireless LAN device based on information unique to the wireless LAN device; and setting the operating mode by the wireless LAN device according to the setting information if the setting information is determined to be valid for the wireless LAN device in the verification step.

[0045] According to the above configuration, the wireless LAN device can be managed so that it can operate only in a specific operation mode out of a plurality of operation modes.

[0046] [Details of the embodiments of the present disclosure] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will not be repeated.

[0047] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating operation modes of a wireless LAN device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, wireless LAN devices 10A, 10B, and 10C are all wireless LAN devices according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and are installed, for example, in a user's home.

[0048] Each of the wireless LAN devices 10A, 10B, and 10C has a plurality of operation modes and operates in any one of the plurality of operation modes. In one embodiment, each of the wireless LAN devices 10A, 10B, and 10C operates in a master mode, a repeater mode, and a client mode. The wireless LAN device 10A is connected to the Internet 1 and operates in the master mode. The wireless LAN device 10C is connected to a client 2 (for example, via a wired connection) and operates in the client mode. Note that in this embodiment, the wireless LAN device cannot connect to the client 2 in the repeater mode.

[0049] A wireless LAN 5 is formed by a wireless connection between a master device and a slave device. However, for example, the master device and the slave device may be installed indoors where radio waves have difficulty reaching each other. By installing the wireless LAN device 10C in a location where the radio wave reception strength is strong for both the master device and the slave device, the wireless LAN device 10C can be operated in repeater mode. This allows the wireless LAN device 10A (master device) and the wireless LAN device 10B (slave device) to communicate wirelessly via the wireless LAN device 10C (repeater), thereby achieving stable communication.

[0050] The wireless LAN device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited to having all of the above modes. The wireless LAN device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may have any two of the above three modes. For example, the wireless LAN device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may have a master mode and a mode different from the master mode (repeater mode or client mode). Alternatively, the wireless LAN device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may have other modes in addition to the above three modes.

[0051] In the following description, wireless LAN devices according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, including the above-described wireless LAN devices 10A to 10C, are collectively referred to as "wireless LAN device 10." The configuration of wireless LAN 5 shown in FIG. 1 is one example showing that wireless LAN device 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can operate in each of a plurality of modes. Therefore, the configuration of wireless LAN 5 is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 1. For example, client 2 may also have the function of a slave device.

[0052] 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a wireless LAN device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 2, a wireless LAN device 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a communication interface 12, a communication processing unit 14, and a mode setting unit 16.

[0053] The communication interface 12 includes a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port 21, a wireless communication unit 22, a LAN port 23, and a WAN (Wide Area Network) port 24.

[0054] The USB port 21 is a plug socket for a USB cable or a device that performs USB connection. The wireless communication unit 22 includes a communication circuit for wireless communication (including wireless LAN) between the wireless LAN device 10 and a terminal device (not shown in FIG. 2). The LAN port 23 is a connection port for connecting a terminal device (not shown in FIG. 2) to the wireless LAN device 10 via a LAN cable.

[0055] The WAN port 24 is a connection port for a wired connection to the Internet. For example, the WAN port 24 may be wired to a LAN port of an ONU (Optical Network Unit), which is a terminal device on an optical line. The ONU is a device that converts optical signals to digital signals and vice versa to connect to the Internet.

[0056] The communication processing unit 14 is a circuit that performs predetermined processing on received data and data to be transmitted. If necessary, the communication processing unit 14 may perform processing on the data in accordance with the operation mode of the wireless LAN device 10.

[0057] The mode setting unit 16 receives setting information related to the setting of the operation mode via the communication interface 12, and sets the operation mode of the wireless LAN device 10 in accordance with the setting information. Upon receiving the setting information, the mode setting unit 16 verifies the setting information based on the unique information possessed by the wireless LAN device 10. If the mode setting unit 16 determines that the received setting information is valid as setting information for the wireless LAN device 10, the mode setting unit 16 sets the operation mode in accordance with the received setting information. As a result, the operation mode of the wireless LAN device 10 is changed from the current operation mode to the operation mode in accordance with the received setting information.

[0058] In the initial state of the wireless LAN device 10 (for example, when the power is turned on for the first time or when reset), the operation mode of the wireless LAN device 10 may be a default mode (for example, parent mode), or the operation mode of the wireless LAN device 10 may not be set. Even in these cases, the operation mode of the wireless LAN device 10 can be set by the wireless LAN device 10 receiving setting information.

[0059] The communication processing unit 14 and the mode setting unit 16 can be realized by, for example, a semiconductor integrated circuit such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) that implements firmware. The communication processing unit 14 and the mode setting unit 16 may be realized by a single integrated circuit. Alternatively, the communication processing unit 14 and the mode setting unit 16 may be realized by different integrated circuits.

[0060] The wireless LAN device 10 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may be, for example, a wireless LAN router, or may be, for example, a device that also has the functionality of an ONU (Optical Network Unit), such as a home gateway.

[0061] As a comparison with a wireless LAN device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a wireless LAN device equipped with a physical switch for switching operation modes is assumed. In such a device, a user can easily change the operation mode by operating the switch. On the other hand, in a wireless LAN device 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when a mode setting unit 16 receives setting information related to the setting of the operation mode of the wireless LAN device 10, the mode setting unit 16 verifies the setting information based on information unique to the wireless LAN device 10. If the mode setting unit 16 determines that the received setting information is valid for the wireless LAN device 10, the mode setting unit 16 sets the operation mode according to the received setting information.

[0062] Unless a user can obtain the setting information of the wireless LAN device 10, the user cannot change the operation mode of the wireless LAN device 10. Furthermore, the setting information must be based on information unique to the wireless LAN device 10. Even if a user can obtain setting information for a wireless LAN device, if the user does not know the unique information of the wireless LAN device to be configured, the user cannot determine whether the setting information corresponds to setting information that can change the operation mode of the wireless LAN device 10 to be configured. Therefore, it is not easy for a user to verify the validity of the setting information using the unique information of the wireless LAN device 10.

[0063] The environment in which configuration information for setting the operation mode of the wireless LAN device 10 to be configured can be generated is limited to an environment that has information specific to the wireless LAN device 10 and can generate the configuration information. Such an environment corresponds to an environment in which a "finished product" (a wireless LAN device in which the operation mode has already been set) is manufactured from a "semi-finished product" (i.e., a wireless LAN device in which the operation mode has not yet been set). The environment in which a "finished product" is manufactured from a "semi-finished product" can be limited to an environment provided by, for example, a manufacturer of the wireless LAN device 10 or a telecommunications carrier that rents the wireless LAN device 10 to a user. As a result, according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the wireless LAN device 10 can be managed so that it can operate only in a specific operation mode among multiple operation modes.

[0064] The following describes an example of setting and managing the operation mode of a wireless LAN device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0065] <First Embodiment> 3 is a diagram illustrating the setting of the operation mode of the wireless LAN device 10 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 shows the configuration of a management system 101 for managing the wireless LAN device 10. The management system 101 includes a management server 30 that manages the operation mode of the wireless LAN device 10 to be managed, and a USB dongle 40 that is a setting device. The management system 101 is realized, for example, by a business that provides the wireless LAN device 10 to a user (for example, a manufacturer of the wireless LAN device 10, a telecommunications carrier that rents out the wireless LAN device 10, etc.). Therefore, the management system 101 has information specific to the wireless LAN device 10 to be set, and is capable of generating setting information for setting the operation mode of the wireless LAN device 10.

[0066] The management server 30 has a database 31 that stores a setting file for setting the operation mode of the wireless LAN device 10. The setting file is transferred to the wireless LAN device 10 by a USB dongle 40.

[0067] According to the first embodiment, the management system 101 sets the operation mode of the wireless LAN device 10 in the following procedure.

[0068] (1) The setting file stored in the management server 30 is written to the USB dongle 40. Although not shown in FIG. 3, the management server 30 may have a USB port for connecting the USB dongle 40 directly or via a USB cable.

[0069] (2) The USB dongle 40 is connected to the USB port 21 of the wireless LAN device 10. The USB dongle 40 may be connected directly to the USB port 21 or may be connected to the USB port 21 via a USB cable.

[0070] (3) The wireless LAN device 10 sets the operation mode. Specifically, the mode setting unit 16 reads a configuration file from the USB dongle 40 via the USB port 21. The mode setting unit 16 verifies the validity of the configuration file (that it is configuration information for the wireless LAN device 10) based on information unique to the wireless LAN device 10. If the received configuration file is valid information for the wireless LAN device 10, the mode setting unit 16 sets the operation mode of the wireless LAN device 10 in accordance with the information contained in the configuration file. On the other hand, if the configuration file is invalid, the mode setting unit 16 does not set the operation mode.

[0071] (4) The mode setting unit 16 transfers information about the verification of the setting file (in other words, information about the setting result of the operation mode) to the USB dongle 40 via the USB port 21. The USB dongle 40 stores the information about the setting result of the operation mode.

[0072] (5) When the USB dongle 40 is connected to the management server 30, the USB dongle 40 transfers information about the setting result of the operation mode of the wireless LAN device 10 to the management server 30. The management server 30 stores the received information in the database 31. Therefore, the operation mode of the wireless LAN device 10 is managed in the management server 30.

[0073] 4 is a diagram illustrating information stored in the management server 30 and information written to the USB dongle 40. As shown in FIG. 4, the management server 30 includes a database 31 serving as a storage unit, a management unit 32, and a communication interface 33.

[0074] Database 31 stores a server private key 301 and information about n managed wireless LAN devices. In Fig. 4, the n wireless LAN devices are represented as "device 1"..."device n". In the following description, any one of the n wireless LAN devices will also be referred to as "device m".

[0075] In the first embodiment, the information related to the wireless LAN device can include individual identification information, a device public key, operation mode setting information, operation mode state information, and the last state information reception time. In Fig. 4, examples of the information related to device 1 include individual identification information 311, a device public key 321, operation mode setting information 331, operation mode state information 341, and the last state information reception time 351. Similarly, in Fig. 4, examples of the information related to device n include individual identification information 31n, a device public key 32n, operation mode setting information 33n, operation mode state information 34n, and the last state information reception time 35n.

[0076] The individual identification information is information for uniquely identifying each wireless LAN device, and may be, for example, a serial number assigned to each wireless LAN device.

[0077] The device public key is combined with the server private key 301 to encrypt the configuration file sent to each WLAN device. As will be described later, each WLAN device holds its own unique encryption key. The device public key and server private key 301 correspond to the encryption keys that form a pair with that encryption key.

[0078] The operation mode setting information is information for setting the operation mode of each wireless LAN device, and includes, for example, a setting value indicating one of the parent mode, relay mode, and child mode.

[0079] The operation mode status information and the last status information reception time are information indicating the results of the operation mode setting of each wireless LAN device. The operation mode status information is information indicating the current operation mode of the wireless LAN device. The last status information reception time is the time when information regarding the operation mode of the wireless LAN device was last received (i.e., the most recent reception time).

[0080] When setting the operation mode of a target wireless LAN device, the management unit 32 of the management server 30 encrypts the operation mode setting information corresponding to the wireless LAN device and creates an encrypted setting file. The file name of the setting file includes individual identification information representing the wireless LAN device to be set. Therefore, the setting file includes the individual identification information and the operation mode setting information.

[0081] The management unit 32 writes the encrypted setting file to the USB dongle 40 via the communication interface 33. Therefore, the communication interface 33 is a communication interface for providing the encrypted setting information from the management server 30 to the wireless LAN device.

[0082] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, any method can be used to encrypt and decrypt the information included in the configuration file. One example of encryption and decryption is a shared key cryptosystem.

[0083] As a common key cryptosystem, for example, the Diffie-Hellman key agreement method can be applied. In the Diffie-Hellman key agreement method, two communication devices mutually generate a public key and a private key, and exchange the public key. Then, a common key is generated using the private key of each device and the public key of the other device. From the viewpoint of achieving higher security, the elliptic curve Diffie-Hellman key agreement method may be adopted in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0084] For example, when setting the operation mode of a wireless LAN device of device m, the management unit 32 of the management server 30 generates a setting file 401 including operation mode setting information 43 for setting the operation mode of device m. The file name of the setting file 401 includes the individual identification information 41 of device m. The management unit 32 encrypts the setting file 401 using a common key and writes the encrypted setting file 401 to the USB dongle 40 via the communication interface 33.

[0085] 5 is a diagram showing the exchange of information stored in a wireless LAN device and information related to the setting of the operation mode in the wireless LAN device. The wireless LAN device 10 shown in FIG. 5 corresponds to the above-mentioned "device m." The mode setting unit 16 holds a server public key 501, individual identification information 51, a device private key 502, and operation mode setting information 53.

[0086] When the USB dongle 40 is connected to the USB port 21, the mode setting unit 16 reads the setting file 401 (encrypted setting file) stored in the USB dongle 40 from the USB dongle 40 and verifies the setting file 401.

[0087] Specifically, the mode setting unit 16 verifies that the file name given to the configuration file 401 is related to its own individual identification information 51. For example, it is confirmed whether the individual identification information 41 given as the file name matches the individual identification information 51. If the individual identification information 41 matches its own individual identification information 51, the mode setting unit 16 uses a common key generated from the server public key 501 and the device private key 502 (this common key corresponds to the encryption key held by the wireless LAN device 10) to verify whether the encrypted configuration file 401 can be decrypted using the common key.

[0088] When the encrypted setting file 401 is decrypted using the common key, the mode setting unit 16 changes the operation mode setting information 53 in accordance with the operation mode setting information 43 included in the setting file 401. By determining whether the setting information received by the wireless LAN device 10 is appropriate for the wireless LAN device 10, the wireless LAN device 10 can set the operation mode in accordance with the setting information.

[0089] The mode setting unit 16 creates verification result information 46 that indicates the result of verifying the configuration file 401. If the configuration file 401 is valid, the verification result information 46 may include information that indicates the set operation mode setting.

[0090] The mode setting unit 16 generates a result file including the individual identification information and verification result information of the wireless LAN device 10 ("device m"), and encrypts the result file 402 using a common key. The file name of the encrypted result file 402 includes the individual identification information of the wireless LAN device 10. The mode setting unit 16 then writes the encrypted result file 402 to the USB dongle 40 via the USB port 21. The USB dongle 40 stores the encrypted result file 402, which includes the individual identification information 44 and the verification result information 46. Note that although the individual identification information 51 and the individual identification information 44 are shown separately in FIG. 5, they are the same information.

[0091] FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram showing a flow of management of the operation modes of wireless LAN devices by the management system according to the first embodiment.

[0092] First, individual identification information (for example, a serial number) of the wireless LAN device 10, and a public key and a private key of the wireless LAN device 10 are prepared. Meanwhile, a public key and a private key of the management server 30 are also prepared.

[0093] When the wireless LAN device 10 is manufactured, the individual identification information of the wireless LAN device 10, the private key of the wireless LAN device 10, and the public key of the management server 30 are stored inside the wireless LAN device 10. Similarly, the individual identification information and the public key of the wireless LAN device 10 are stored in the management server 30.

[0094] Furthermore, a private key of the management server 30 is stored in advance in the management server 30. The private key of the management server 30 may be generated and stored inside the management server 30 before the manufacturing of the wireless LAN device 10.

[0095] 6, in step S1, an operator inputs individual identification information (e.g., serial number) of a wireless LAN device to be configured and a setting value indicating an operation mode into management server 30. There are no particular limitations on the method or means by which the operator obtains the individual identification information of the wireless LAN device. For example, the operator is notified of the individual identification information of the wireless LAN device to be configured by the administrator of the wireless LAN device.

[0096] The management server 30 generates a common key from the server private key and the public key of the wireless LAN device ((1)). Then, the management server 30 encrypts the operation mode information with the generated common key and outputs the encrypted setting file ((2)).

[0097] In step S2, the worker obtains the encryption setting file from the management server 30. In step S3, the worker writes the encryption setting file to the USB dongle 40. For example, the worker may connect his / her personal computer to the management server 30 to read the encryption setting file from the management server 30. In this case, the encryption setting file read from the management server 30 is written to the USB dongle 40 by the worker's personal computer.

[0098] In step S4, the worker connects the USB dongle 40 to the USB port of the wireless LAN device 10. As a result, the wireless LAN device 10 reads the encryption setting file from the USB dongle 40.

[0099] The wireless LAN device 10 generates a common key from the server public key and the device private key in advance ((1)). The wireless LAN device 10 attempts to decrypt the encrypted configuration file read from the USB dongle 40 using the generated common key ((2)). If the encrypted configuration file is successfully decrypted, the wireless LAN device reflects the setting values ​​(setting values ​​indicating the operating mode) contained in the configuration file to itself. This sets the operating mode of the wireless LAN device ((3)).

[0100] The wireless LAN device 10 writes information indicating the result of verifying the configuration file to the USB dongle 40. If the encrypted configuration file can be decrypted using the common key, the validity of the configuration file is verified. On the other hand, if the encrypted configuration file cannot be decrypted using the common key, the configuration file is not valid as information for the wireless LAN device 10.

[0101] In step S5, the worker confirms that writing of the setting values ​​has been completed in the wireless LAN device 10. For example, if the wireless LAN device 10 has an indicator that flashes while the operating mode is being set, the worker can confirm that writing of the setting values ​​to the wireless LAN device has been completed when the indicator stops flashing. After confirming that writing of the setting values ​​has been completed, the worker removes the USB dongle 40 from the wireless LAN device 10.

[0102] In step S6, the worker retrieves the information stored in the USB dongle 40 (information indicating the result of the verification of the configuration file) and transfers the information to the management server 30. For example, the worker connects the USB dongle 40 to a personal computer and reads the information indicating the result of the verification of the configuration file from the USB dongle 40. The worker then transfers the information from the personal computer to the management server 30.

[0103] The management server 30 receives the transferred information and, based on that information, checks whether the setting of the operation mode of the wireless LAN device 10 has been successful. If the setting of the operation mode of the wireless LAN device 10 has been successful, the management server 30 updates the information on the operation mode status of the wireless LAN device 10 to information indicating the set operation mode ((3)).

[0104] The pair of public and private keys of the management server 30 may be randomly generated by the management server 30 each time an encryption setting file is generated in the management server 30. In this case, the server public key is embedded at the beginning of the encryption setting file sent from the management server 30. The wireless LAN device 10 extracts the public key of the management server 30 from the received encryption setting file and generates a common key from the public key and the device private key. The wireless LAN device 10 then attempts to decrypt the encryption setting file using the common key. This method can further strengthen the security of communications between the wireless LAN device 10 and the management server 30.

[0105] 7 is a flowchart illustrating the operation mode change process executed by the wireless LAN device according to embodiment 1. The process shown in this flowchart is mainly executed by the mode setting unit 16. As shown in FIG. 7, first, in step S11, the mode setting unit 16 determines whether or not the USB dongle 40 is connected to the USB port 21.

[0106] If the USB dongle 40 is connected to the USB port 21 (S11: YES), in step S12, the mode setting unit 16 determines whether the file name (individual identification information 41) of the configuration file 401 stored in the USB dongle 40 matches the individual identification information of the wireless LAN device 10. On the other hand, if the USB dongle 40 is not connected to the USB port 21 (S11: NO), the wireless LAN device 10 is not subject to setting of the operating mode, and the process therefore ends.

[0107] If the file name of the setting file 401 stored in the USB dongle 40 matches the individual identification information 51 of the wireless LAN device 10 (S12: YES), in step S13, the mode setting unit 16 attempts to decrypt the encrypted setting file 401 using the common key, and determines whether the decryption of the encrypted setting file 401 was successful.

[0108] If the encrypted setting file 401 is successfully decrypted (S13: YES), in step S14, the mode setting unit 16 sets the operation mode of the wireless LAN device 10 in accordance with the operation mode setting information 43 included in the setting file 401. In step S15, the mode setting unit 16 generates a result file 402 including the result of verifying the setting file 401 and the setting result of the operation mode, and encrypts the result file 402 using a common key. The mode setting unit 16 writes the encrypted result file 402 (setting result) to the USB dongle 40.

[0109] Note that, in step S12, if the file name of the encrypted setting file does not match the individual identification information of the wireless LAN device (S12: NO), or if the decryption of the encrypted setting file is not successful in step S13 (S13: NO), the wireless LAN device 10 is also excluded from the setting of the operation mode. Therefore, the mode setting unit 16 does not set the operation mode of the wireless LAN device 10. In these cases, similar to the processing in step S15, the mode setting unit 16 may generate and encrypt a result file 402 including the result of verifying the setting file 401, and write the encrypted result file 402 to the USB dongle 40.

[0110] 8 is a flowchart illustrating a process of writing a setting file of a wireless LAN device to a USB dongle, which is executed by the management server in embodiment 1. As shown in FIG. 8, in step S21, individual identification information of the wireless LAN device 10 to be configured and a setting value indicating the setting of the operation mode are input to the management server 30. The management server 30 (management unit 32) receives this information.

[0111] In step S22, the management unit 32 refers to the database 31 to identify a wireless LAN device corresponding to the input individual identification information. The management unit 32 reads out operation mode setting information related to the identified wireless LAN device from the database 31 and encrypts the read operation mode setting information using a common key. As a result, the management server 30 generates a setting file 401 whose file name includes the individual identification information.

[0112] In step S23, the management server 30 writes the generated setting file 401 to the USB dongle 40.

[0113] 9 is a flowchart illustrating a process for saving the setting result of the operation mode of the wireless LAN device, which is executed by the management server in embodiment 1. As shown in FIG. 9, in step S31, an encrypted setting result file (result file 402) is extracted from USB dongle 40. In step S32, USB dongle 40 transmits encrypted result file 402 to management server 30.

[0114] In step S33, the management server 30 (management unit 32) refers to the database 31 and determines whether or not the file name of the result file 402 matches any of the individual identification information stored in the database 31. If the file name of the result file 402 matches any of the individual identification information stored in the database 31 (S33: YES), in step S34, the management unit 32 attempts to decrypt the result file 402 using the common key corresponding to the individual identification information, and determines whether or not the encrypted result file 402 has been successfully decrypted.

[0115] If the encrypted result file 402 is successfully decrypted (S34: YES), in step S35, the management unit 32 updates the database 31 using information on the operation mode state of the wireless LAN device 10 after the setting, so that the latest operation mode state of the wireless LAN device 10 is reflected in the database 31.

[0116] If the file name of the result file 402 does not match any of the individual identification information stored in the database 31 (S33: NO), or if the decryption of the result file 402 is not successful (S34: NO), it means that the operating mode has not been set for the wireless LAN device 10. Therefore, the wireless LAN device 10 is not a device for which the operating mode is to be set. In these cases, the management unit 32 ends the process without updating the database 31. By the process shown in FIG. 9, the management server 30 can manage whether the actual operating mode of the wireless LAN device 10 matches the operating mode managed by the management server 30.

[0117] As described above, according to the first embodiment, the wireless LAN device 10 sets the operation mode based on the setting information only when the wireless LAN device 10 receives the setting information associated with its own unique information. Therefore, the wireless LAN device can be managed so that it can operate only in a specific operation mode among multiple operation modes.

[0118] In the above embodiment, only files related to one specific wireless LAN device 10 are stored in the USB dongle 40. However, the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to this.

[0119] 10 is a diagram showing an example of setting the operation modes of a plurality of wireless LAN devices using a USB dongle 40. The USB dongle 40 stores setting files for the wireless LAN devices 10_1 to 10_n. The operation modes of the wireless LAN devices 10_1 to 10_n are set by sequentially connecting the USB dongle 40 to the wireless LAN devices 10_1 to 10_n. According to this embodiment, an operator can efficiently set the operation modes of a plurality of wireless LAN devices.

[0120] <Embodiment 2> FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating setting of the operation mode of the wireless LAN device 10 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 shows the configuration of a management system 102 for managing the operation mode of the wireless LAN device 10. In the second embodiment, a dedicated device 40A is used as a setting device for setting the operation mode of the wireless LAN device 10, instead of the USB dongle 40. The dedicated device 40A can be realized by a computer that executes a dedicated application 48 for setting the operation mode of the wireless LAN device 10. Specific examples of the dedicated device 40A include communication terminal devices such as a personal computer, a tablet, and a smartphone.

[0121] The dedicated device 40A and the management server 30A are connected via a network such as a LAN 1A. The connection between the wireless LAN device 10 and the dedicated device 40A and the setting of the operation mode of the wireless LAN device 10 by the management system 102 are performed in the following procedure.

[0122] (1) The dedicated device 40A reads out the individual identification information of the wireless LAN device 10.

[0123] (2) The dedicated device 40A transmits the individual identification information of the wireless LAN device 10 to the management server 30A and inquires about the setting information.

[0124] (3) The management server 30A responds to the dedicated device 40A with wireless LAN information and an encryption setting file for connecting to the wireless LAN. The wireless LAN information may include the SSID (Service Set Identifier) ​​of the wireless LAN device 10. If necessary, the wireless LAN information may include an encryption key in addition to the SSID.

[0125] (4) The dedicated device 40A uses the acquired wireless LAN information to connect to the wireless LAN device 10 via wireless LAN. Since the default operation mode of the wireless LAN device 10 is the parent device mode, the dedicated device 40A is connected to the wireless LAN as a child device.

[0126] (5) When the wireless LAN device 10 and the dedicated device 40A are connected, the dedicated device 40A transmits an encryption setting file to the wireless LAN device 10.

[0127] (6) In the wireless LAN device 10, the wireless communication unit 22 receives the encryption setting file transferred from the dedicated device 40A. The mode setting unit 16 verifies the received encryption setting file.

[0128] The configuration of mode setting unit 16 is the same as the configuration shown in Fig. 5. As in the first embodiment, mode setting unit 16 attempts to decrypt the encrypted configuration file using a common key generated from server public key 501 and device private key 502. If the encrypted configuration file can be decrypted, mode setting unit 16 sets the operating mode of wireless LAN device 10 in accordance with the information included in the configuration file.

[0129] (7) The mode setting unit 16 transfers information indicating the result of the verification of the setting file and the result of the setting of the operation mode to the dedicated device 40A via the wireless LAN.

[0130] (8) The dedicated device 40A responds with information indicating the result of verifying the configuration file and the result of setting the operation mode to the management server 30A. The management server 30A receives and stores the information.

[0131] Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating the reading of the individual identification information of the wireless LAN device by the dedicated device shown in Fig. 11. As shown in Fig. 12, the wireless LAN device 10 has a recording unit 17 that records the individual identification information 51A of the wireless LAN device 10.

[0132] On the other hand, the dedicated device 40A includes a reader 49A that reads the individual identification information 51A and a communication unit 49B that connects to the wireless LAN device 10 via wireless LAN. The reader 49A and the communication unit 49B operate under the control of the dedicated application 48 shown in FIG.

[0133] In one embodiment, the individual identification information 51A may be displayed in the form of, for example, a two-dimensional code. For example, a sticker on which a code representing the individual identification information 51A (e.g., a serial number) is printed may be attached to the housing of the wireless LAN device 10. In this case, a camera that captures an image of the code may be used as the reader 49A. The dedicated device 40A reads the individual identification information 51A from the image of the code. In another example, the recording unit 17 may be an IC chip on which the individual identification information 51A is recorded, and the reader 49A may be a device that reads the information recorded on the IC chip in a non-contact manner, such as an NFC (Near Field Communication) reader.

[0134] The communication unit 49B uses the individual identification information 51A read by the reader 49A to exchange information with each of the management server 30A and the wireless LAN device 10. As can be seen from Fig. 11 and Fig. 12, the communication unit 49B executes the steps (2) to (8) shown in Fig. 11.

[0135] Therefore, communication unit 49B obtains wireless LAN connection information associated with individual identification information 51A read by reader 49A from management server 30A via the communication line. Then, communication unit 49B connects to wireless LAN device 10 via wireless LAN in accordance with the wireless LAN connection information. Furthermore, communication unit 49B receives setting information for setting the operation mode associated with information unique to wireless LAN device 10 from management server 10A via the communication line, transmits the setting information to wireless LAN device 10, and receives information from wireless LAN device 10 regarding the result of wireless LAN device 10 verifying the setting information. Communication unit 49B transmits the result of wireless LAN device 10 verifying the setting information to management server 30A.

[0136] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating information stored in management server 30A and information written to dedicated device 40A in the second embodiment. Similar to management server 30 according to the first embodiment, management server 30A stores server private key 301 and information relating to n managed wireless LAN devices. In the second embodiment, wireless LAN connection information 361 to 36n is added as information relating to each of the n managed wireless LAN devices. In this respect, management server 30A differs from management server 30. For example, when setting the operation mode of "device m," dedicated device 40A receives wireless LAN connection information 36m for connecting to "device m" from management server 30A. Note that the information stored in wireless LAN device 10 is the same as the information shown in the first embodiment (see FIG. 5), and therefore, description thereof will not be repeated.

[0137] FIG. 14 is a sequence diagram showing a flow of management of the operation modes of wireless LAN devices by the management system according to the second embodiment.

[0138] As in the first embodiment, individual identification information (for example, a serial number) of the wireless LAN device 10, and a public key and a private key of the wireless LAN device 10 are prepared. Meanwhile, a public key and a private key of the management server 30A are also prepared in advance.

[0139] When the wireless LAN device 10 is manufactured, the individual identification information of the wireless LAN device 10, the private key of the wireless LAN device 10, and the public key of the management server 30A are stored inside the wireless LAN device 10. Similarly, the private key of the management server 30A is stored in advance in the management server 30A. Furthermore, the individual identification information and the public key of the wireless LAN device 10A are stored in the management server 30A.

[0140] As shown in FIG. 14, in step S1A, the worker operates the dedicated device 40A to read out the individual identification information from the wireless LAN device 10.

[0141] In step S2A, the dedicated device 40A transfers the individual identification information to the management server 30A.

[0142] The management server 30A generates a common key from the server private key and the public key of the wireless LAN device ((1)). The management server 30A then encrypts the configuration file with the generated common key and outputs the encrypted configuration file ((2)). As in the first embodiment, the public key and private key pair of the management server 30A may be randomly generated each time an encrypted configuration file is generated.

[0143] In step S3A, the management server 30A transmits the wireless LAN connection information and the encryption setting file to the dedicated device 40A. For example, the wireless LAN connection information may be notified to the dedicated device 40A by an email sent from the management server 30A. As a result, the dedicated device 40A receives the wireless LAN connection information.

[0144] In step S4A, the worker inputs the wireless LAN information of the wireless LAN device 10 into the dedicated device 40A, thereby setting the dedicated device 40A to be connected to the wireless LAN device 10 via wireless LAN.

[0145] In step S5A, the worker operates the dedicated device 40A to cause the dedicated device 40A to transmit the encryption setting file to the wireless LAN device 10.

[0146] As in the first embodiment, the wireless LAN device 10 generates a common key in advance from the server public key and the device private key ((1)). The wireless LAN device 10 attempts to decrypt the configuration file received from the dedicated device 40A using the generated common key ((2)). If the configuration file is successfully decrypted, it is verified that the configuration file is valid as information for the wireless LAN device 10. In other words, the wireless LAN device 10 can set the operating mode. Therefore, the wireless LAN device 10 responds to the dedicated device 40A with the verification result of the configuration file ((3) and step S6A). The wireless LAN device 10 then reflects the setting value (setting value indicating the operating mode) contained in the configuration file in itself. This sets the operating mode of the wireless LAN device ((4)).

[0147] As described above, in the second embodiment, the response of the mode setting result from the wireless LAN device 10 to the dedicated device 40A is made before the setting of the operation mode of the wireless LAN device 10. The reason for this is that there is a possibility that the dedicated device 40A will not be able to connect to the wireless LAN device 10 after the operation mode of the wireless LAN device 10 is changed from the base station mode to another mode. According to the procedure shown in Fig. 14, the dedicated device 40A can receive the mode setting result from the wireless LAN device 10 while the operation mode of the wireless LAN device 10 is in the base station mode.

[0148] In step S7A, the dedicated device 40A transmits the information indicating the verification result received from the wireless LAN device 10 to the management server 30A.

[0149] The management server 30A receives the verification result file sent from the dedicated device 40A and checks, based on the result file, whether the setting of the operation mode of the wireless LAN device was successful. If the setting of the operation mode of the wireless LAN device was successful, the management server 30A updates the information on the state of the operation mode of the wireless LAN device to information indicating the set operation mode.

[0150] 15 is a flowchart illustrating the operation mode change process executed by the wireless LAN device according to embodiment 2. The process shown in this flowchart is mainly executed by the mode setting unit 16.

[0151] 15, first, in step S12A, mode setting unit 16 determines whether the file name of the received encryption setting file matches the individual identification information of the wireless LAN device. If the file name of the encryption setting file matches the individual identification information of the wireless LAN device (S12A: YES), in step S13A, mode setting unit 16 determines whether the encryption setting file has been successfully decrypted.

[0152] If the encrypted setting file is successfully decrypted (S13A: YES), in step S14A, mode setting unit 16 responds with the result of the mode setting to dedicated device 40A. Then, in step S15A, mode setting unit 16 sets the operation mode of the wireless LAN device in accordance with the setting information included in the setting file.

[0153] On the other hand, in step S12A, if the file name of the encrypted setting file does not match the individual identification information of the wireless LAN device (S12A: NO), or in step S13A, if the decryption of the encrypted setting file is not successful (S13A: NO), the mode setting unit 16 returns an error response to the dedicated device 40A.

[0154] Fig. 16 is a flowchart illustrating a process of transferring a setting file of a wireless LAN device to a dedicated device, which is executed by the management server in embodiment 2. The flow shown in Fig. 16 is basically the same as the flow shown in Fig. 8, and the processes of steps S21A and S22A are the same as the processes of steps S21 and S22 shown in Fig. 8, respectively. Therefore, detailed description of steps S21A and S22A will not be repeated.

[0155] 16, in step S21A, the individual identification information and operation mode setting of the wireless LAN device to be configured are input to management server 30A. In step S22A, management unit 32 refers to database 31A to identify the wireless LAN device corresponding to the input individual identification information. Management unit 32 reads operation mode setting information related to the identified wireless LAN device from database 31A and encrypts the read operation mode setting information using a common key. As a result, management server 30A generates setting file 401 whose file name includes the individual identification information.

[0156] In step S23A, the management server 30 responds to the dedicated device 40A with the generated encryption operation mode setting file and the wireless LAN connection information of the target wireless LAN device.

[0157] Fig. 17 is a flowchart illustrating a process for saving the setting results of the operation mode of a wireless LAN device, which is executed by the management server in embodiment 2. The flow shown in Fig. 17 is basically the same as the flow shown in Fig. 9, and the processes of steps S31A to S35A are the same as the processes of steps S31 to S35 shown in Fig. 9, respectively. Therefore, detailed description of the processes common to the processes of steps S31 to S35 will not be repeated.

[0158] 17, in step S31A, the dedicated device 40A receives the check result (verification result) of the encrypted configuration file from the wireless LAN device 10. In step S32A, the dedicated device 40A transmits the encrypted check result (verification result) to the management server 30A.

[0159] In step S33A, management server 30A refers to database 31A and determines whether the file name of the encrypted check result matches the individual identification information stored in database 31A. If the file name of the encryption setting result file matches the individual identification information stored in database 31A (S33A: YES), in step S34A, management server 30A determines whether the encryption setting result file was successfully decrypted using the common key corresponding to the individual identification information. If the encryption setting result file was successfully decrypted (S34A: YES), in step S35A, management server 30A reflects the post-configuration operating mode state of the wireless LAN device in database 31A.

[0160] In step S33A, if the file name of the encrypted setting file does not match the individual identification information stored in database 31A (S33A: NO), or if the decryption of the encrypted setting result file is not successful in step S34A (S34A: NO), the operating mode has not been set for the target wireless LAN device 10. Therefore, management server 30A returns an error response in step S36A. In this case, management server 30A ends the process without updating database 31A. This allows management server 30A to manage whether the actual operating mode of wireless LAN device 10 matches the operating mode managed by management server 30A.

[0161] As in the first embodiment, dedicated device 40A may set the operation modes of multiple wireless LAN devices by sequentially connecting to the multiple wireless LAN devices, thereby enabling the operator to efficiently set the operation modes of multiple wireless LAN devices.

[0162] <Third Embodiment> The management server 30 according to the first embodiment and the management server 30A according to the second embodiment manage information relating to the operation modes of wireless LAN devices. The management of wireless LAN devices by the management server 30 or the management server 30A can be applied to a packaging system for shipping wireless LAN devices. In the following description, the term "management server 30 (30A)" collectively refers to the management servers 30 and 30A.

[0163] Fig. 18 is a schematic diagram showing management of wireless LAN devices according to embodiment 3. As shown in Fig. 18, management server 30 (30A) provides information for selecting an instruction manual corresponding to the set operation mode of the wireless LAN device to packing system 103, which packs instruction manuals for the wireless LAN device, based on the setting of the operation mode of the wireless LAN device. Specifically, management server 30 (30A) transmits individual identification information and operation mode information of the wireless LAN device to be packed.

[0164] 18, the management server 30 transmits the individual identification information and operation mode information of the wireless LAN devices 10D and 10E to the packing system 103. The operation mode of the wireless LAN device 10D is set to the master mode, and the operation mode of the wireless LAN device 10E is set to the repeater mode. The packing system 103 selects an instruction manual 61A for the master mode and an instruction manual 61B for the repeater mode as instruction manuals for the wireless LAN devices 10D and 10E, respectively. The wireless LAN devices 10D and 10E are already contained in boxes 65A and 65B, respectively, and the packing system 103 places the instruction manuals 61A and 61B in the boxes 65A and 65B, respectively.

[0165] According to the third embodiment, a user who receives a wireless LAN device can operate the wireless LAN device only in the operation mode specified in the instruction manual. In other words, the user cannot operate the wireless LAN device in any mode other than the preset operation mode. Therefore, according to the third embodiment, the wireless LAN device can be managed so that it can operate only in a specific operation mode among multiple operation modes.

[0166] <Fourth Embodiment> In the fourth embodiment, the management server manages the operation mode even after the wireless LAN device is installed on the user side.

[0167] 19 is a schematic diagram showing management of wireless LAN devices according to the fourth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 19, a wireless LAN device 10 is installed, for example, in a user's home. For example, when the wireless LAN device 10 is started up (for example, when it is powered on or reset), the wireless LAN device 10 connects to the Internet 1. When the wireless LAN device 10 detects connection to the Internet 1, it transmits information specifying the wireless LAN device 10, such as individual identification information, operation mode information, customer line information, and location information, to the management server 30 (30A) over the Internet 1. The management server 30 (30A) determines whether the information about the wireless LAN device 10 managed in a database matches the information received from the wireless LAN device 10.

[0168] If the two do not match, there is a possibility that the wireless LAN device 10 is being used for a purpose other than its intended purpose. In such a case, the management server 30 (30A) may issue a warning to the wireless LAN device 10. Alternatively, if the two do not match, the management server 30 (30A) may control the wireless LAN device 10 to stop operation of the wireless LAN device 10. Therefore, according to the fourth embodiment, the wireless LAN device can be managed so that it can operate only in a specific operation mode out of multiple operation modes.

[0169] The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and should not be considered limiting. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims rather than the above-described embodiments, and it is intended to include any modifications within the scope of the claims and meanings equivalent to the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0170] 1. Internet 1A LAN 2 Client 5 Wireless LAN 10,10A~10E,10_1~10_n Wireless LAN device 12,33 Communication Interface 14. Communication processing unit 16 Mode setting section 17 Recording section 21 USB ports 22 Radio Communication Department 23 LAN ports 24 WAN ports 30,30A Management Server 31,31A Database 32 Management Department 31n, 41, 44, 51, 51A, 311 Individual identification information 32n,321 Device public key 33n, 43, 53, 331 Operation mode setting information 34n,341 Operation mode status information 35n,351 Status information last received time 36m, 36n, 361 connection information 40 USB dongles 40A dedicated device 46 Verification result information 48 dedicated applications 49A reader 49B Communications Department 61A, 61B Instruction Manual 65A,65B box 101,102 Management System 103 Packaging System 301 Server Private Key 401 Configuration File 402 result file 501 Server Public Key 502 Device private key S1A,S1,S2,S2A,S3,S3A,S4,S4A,S5A,S5,S6,S7A,S11,S12,S12A,S13,S13A,S14,S14A,S15A,S 15,S21A,S21,S22,S22A,S23,S23A,S31A,S31,S32A,S32,S33,S33A,S34A,S34,S35A,S35,S36A step

Claims

1. A wireless LAN device having a plurality of operation modes, a communication processing unit that executes communication processing in accordance with a set operation mode among the plurality of operation modes; a mode setting unit for setting the operation mode, When the mode setting unit receives setting information regarding the setting of the operating mode, it verifies the setting information based on information specific to the wireless LAN device, and if it determines that the setting information is valid for the wireless LAN device, it sets the operating mode in accordance with the setting information.

2. The wireless LAN device holds, as the unique information, individual identification information and an encryption key unique to the wireless LAN device; 2. The wireless LAN device according to claim 1, wherein when the mode setting unit receives the encrypted setting information, the mode setting unit verifies that the encrypted setting information is associated with the individual identification information and is information that can be decrypted using the encryption key.

3. the wireless LAN device includes a communication connector to which a dongle storing the encrypted setting information can be connected, 3. The wireless LAN device according to claim 2, wherein the mode setting unit detects that the dongle is connected to the communication connector, verifies the encrypted setting information stored in the dongle, and transfers information indicating the result of the verification of the setting information to the dongle via the communication connector.

4. the wireless LAN device has a recording unit that records the individual identification information, 3. The wireless LAN device according to claim 2, wherein the mode setting unit verifies the encrypted setting information when a setting device that reads the individual identification information connects to the wireless LAN device via wireless LAN using wireless LAN connection information associated with the individual identification information and the encrypted setting information is transferred from the setting device.

5. the plurality of operation modes include a parent mode and a mode different from the parent mode, the wireless LAN device is connectable to the setting device in the parent device mode, 5. The wireless LAN device according to claim 4, wherein the mode setting unit transfers information indicating a result of verification of the setting information to the setting device before setting the operation mode in accordance with the setting information.

6. 6. The wireless LAN device according to claim 1, wherein when the wireless LAN device detects a connection to the Internet, the wireless LAN device transmits information including at least the operation mode to a management server that manages the wireless LAN device.

7. A management server for managing a wireless LAN device having a plurality of operation modes, a storage unit that stores individual identification information for identifying the wireless LAN device, setting information regarding setting of the operation mode of the wireless LAN device, and an encryption key that forms a pair with an encryption key possessed by the wireless LAN device; a management unit that encrypts the setting information corresponding to the individual identification information using the encryption key stored in the storage unit to generate the encrypted setting information; a communication interface for providing the encrypted setting information to the wireless LAN device.

8. The management server of claim 7, wherein the management unit acquires information regarding the operating mode of the wireless LAN device from the wireless LAN device and verifies whether the operating mode of the wireless LAN device matches the operating mode according to the setting information stored in the memory unit.

9. The management server according to claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the management server provides a packaging system that packages instruction manuals for the wireless LAN device with information for selecting an instruction manual that corresponds to the set operating mode of the wireless LAN device, based on the setting of the operating mode of the wireless LAN device.

10. A management system for managing a wireless LAN device having a plurality of operation modes, comprising: a management server that stores setting information related to the setting of the operation mode of the wireless LAN device; a setting device for setting the operation mode of the wireless LAN device, the management server transfers the setting information associated with unique information of at least one of the wireless LAN devices to be set to the setting device; The setting device provides the setting information associated with the unique information to the wireless LAN device as a connection destination by connecting with the wireless LAN device.

11. A setting device for setting an operation mode of a wireless LAN device having a plurality of operation modes, the wireless LAN device having a recording unit that records individual identification information that identifies the wireless LAN device, The setting device includes: a reading unit that reads the individual identification information; a communication unit that acquires connection information related to the individual identification information read by the reading unit via a communication line and connects to the wireless LAN device via a wireless LAN in accordance with the connection information, A setting device in which the communication unit receives setting information for setting the operating mode, which is associated with unique information of at least one of the wireless LAN devices to be set, via the communication line, and transmits the setting information to the wireless LAN device to be set.

12. The setting device according to claim 11, wherein the communication unit receives information from the wireless LAN device regarding the results of the wireless LAN device verifying the setting information, and transmits the information regarding the verification results to a management server that manages the setting information.

13. A method for managing a wireless LAN device having a plurality of operation modes, the wireless LAN device being configured to operate in an operation mode according to setting information among the plurality of operation modes, the management method comprising: receiving setting information for setting an operation mode by the wireless LAN device; a step of verifying the received setting information by the wireless LAN device based on information unique to the wireless LAN device; A method for managing a wireless LAN device, comprising a step in which, if the setting information is determined to be valid for the wireless LAN device in the verification step, the wireless LAN device sets the operating mode in accordance with the setting information.

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