Repeater, communication system, and operation method and program for communication system

Abstract

To provide a repeater, a communication system, a method of operating the communication system, and a program that allow the mixing of topology information generated by different methods and contribute to mutual utilization of the information.SOLUTION: A repeater or the like includes a detection unit that detects connection and disconnection of a communication device, a communication device information acquisition unit that acquires communication device information which is information relating to the communication device for each communication device in response to detection by the detection unit, a storage unit that stores communication device configuration information which is information generated on the basis of the communication device information and is information relating to the configuration of the communication device within a communication network, and a transmission unit that transmits the communication device configuration information to other communication devices.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present device and system relate to grasping and visualizing reliable communication network configuration information. [Background technology]

[0002] With the spread of wireless LANs (Local Area Networks), the number of network elements such as terminals and access points is increasing, and there is a growing demand to understand and visualize topology configuration information, which is the configuration and relationship of these elements in a communication network.In addition, the increase in wireless LAN access point devices that incorporate new mesh technology in recent years has spurred this growing demand. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-145893 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The disclosures of the above-mentioned prior art documents are incorporated herein by reference. The analysis was carried out by the present inventors.

[0005] On the other hand, the algorithms for the function to display a topology diagram that visualizes the topology information of a communication network differ for each vendor that provides the software development kit (SDK), and the algorithms are often black boxes. Therefore, when combining access point devices from different vendors, the information in the topology diagram may be partially incorrect, or information on all devices on the network may not be available, resulting in incomplete information in the topology diagram.

[0006] Patent Document 1 discloses a mechanism that makes it possible to visualize a network configuration even in the case of incomplete information as described above (when the connection relationship of communication devices is unknown or in the case of a multi-vendor environment).However, even in the technology of Patent Document 1, the topology determination method is configured with a unique algorithm, and unless the method is adopted for standardization and becomes widely used, the situation in which topology information generated by different methods by different vendors is mixed will not change.

[0007] Therefore, in one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a repeater, a communication system, an operation method of a communication system, and a program that allow the mixture of topology information generated by different methods and contribute to mutual utilization of the information. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a repeater having a detection unit that detects connection and disconnection of a communication device, a communication device information acquisition unit that acquires communication device information for each communication device in response to detection by the detection unit, the communication device information being information relating to the communication device, a storage unit that stores communication device configuration information which is information relating to the configuration of the communication device within a communication network, the communication device information being information generated based on the communication device information, and a transmission unit that transmits the communication device configuration information to other communication devices.

[0009] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a communications system including a repeater having a communication device, a detection unit that detects connection and disconnection of the communication device, a communication device information acquisition unit that acquires communication device information for each communication device in response to detection by the detection unit, which is information regarding the communication device, a storage unit that holds communication device configuration information, which is information generated based on the communication device information and is information regarding the configuration of the communication device within a communication network, and a transmission unit that transmits the communication device configuration information to other communication devices, and a parent unit having a receiving unit that receives the communication device configuration information transmitted from the transmitting unit of the repeater and a storage unit that stores the communication device configuration information, wherein the storage unit updates the communication device configuration information stored in the storage unit in response to reception of the communication device configuration information by the receiving unit.

[0010] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for operating a communication system including the steps of: a first computer detecting connection and disconnection of a communication device; the first computer acquiring, for each communication device, communication device information relating to the communication device in response to the detection; the first computer acquiring communication device configuration information generated based on the communication device information, the communication device configuration information being information relating to a configuration of the communication devices within a communication network; the first computer transmitting the communication device configuration information to a second computer; the second computer receiving the communication device configuration information transmitted from the first computer; the second computer accumulating the communication device configuration information; and the second computer updating the accumulated communication device configuration information in response to receiving the communication device configuration information.

[0011] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program for causing a computer to execute the following processes: a first processing module that executes a process of detecting connection and disconnection of a communication device; a process of acquiring, for each communication device, communication device information that is information about the communication device in response to the detection; a process of acquiring communication device configuration information that is information generated based on the communication device information and is information about the configuration of the communication device in a communication network; and a process of transmitting the communication device configuration information to another communication device; and a second processing module that executes a process of receiving the communication device configuration information transmitted by the first processing module, a process of accumulating the communication device configuration information, and a process of updating the accumulated communication device configuration information in response to reception of the communication device configuration information.

[0012] The program can be recorded on a computer-readable storage medium. The storage medium can be a non-transient medium such as a semiconductor memory, a hard disk, a magnetic recording medium, an optical recording medium, etc. The present invention can also be embodied as a computer program product. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to each aspect of the present invention, there are provided a repeater, a communication system, an operation method of a communication system, and a program that allow the mixture of topology information generated by different methods and contribute to mutual utilization of the information. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a configuration of a repeater according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] 4 is a diagram illustrating an overview of network configuration information including a relay device according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 3] 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of communication device configuration information held by a repeater of the first embodiment; FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a configuration of a repeater according to the first embodiment; [Diagram 5]10 is a flowchart showing an example of a process flow of the repeater of the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing a flow of a process for updating communication device configuration information in the relay device of the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a hardware configuration of a repeater according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a communication system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] 8 is shown as communication device configuration information, and (b) is an example of another communication device configuration information generated on the parent device. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a communication system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation flow of a communication system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a communication system according to an embodiment. [Figure 13] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a wireless LAN access point master unit of the communication system according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 14] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a wireless LAN access point repeater of a communication system according to an embodiment. [Figure 15] 2 is a block diagram showing in further detail an example of the configuration of a wireless LAN access point master unit of the communication system in the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 16] 2 is a block diagram showing in further detail an example of the configuration of a wireless LAN access point repeater of the communication system in the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 17] 10 is a flowchart for explaining an example of an operation of the repeater of the embodiment. [Figure 18] 10 is a flowchart for explaining an example of an operation of a parent device of the embodiment. [Figure 19(a)] 10 is a flowchart for explaining an example of an operation of a parent device of the embodiment. [Figure 19(b)]10 is a flowchart for explaining an example of an operation of a parent device of the embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram for explaining an operation in the communication system of the embodiment. [Figure 21(a)] 10 is a flowchart for explaining an example of an operation of a parent device of the embodiment. [Figure 21(b)] 10 is a flowchart for explaining an example of an operation of a parent device of the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] First, an overview of one embodiment will be described. Note that the reference numerals in the drawings are given to each element for convenience as an example to aid in understanding, and the description of this overview is not intended to be limiting in any way.

[0016] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a repeater according to an embodiment. The repeater 01 according to the embodiment includes a detection unit 02, a communication device information acquisition unit 03, a storage unit 04, and a transmission unit 05.

[0017] The detection unit 02 detects connection and disconnection of a communication device. The communication device information acquisition unit 03 acquires communication device information, which is information about the communication device, for each communication device in response to detection by the detection unit 02. The storage unit 04 stores communication device configuration information, which is information about the configuration of the communication device within the communication network, and is information generated based on the communication device information. The transmission unit 05 transmits the communication device configuration information to other communication devices.

[0018] The repeater 01 in the above embodiment detects connection and disconnection of a communication device, and acquires communication device information of the detected communication device. The acquired communication device information is compared with communication device information in the communication device configuration information stored in the storage unit 04. The data in the storage unit 04 is updated according to the comparison result, and the configuration information of the communication device under the control of the repeater 01 becomes available for reference.

[0019] The communication device configuration information that can now be referenced is transmitted by the transmitting unit 05 to the master unit or to other repeaters that are directly or indirectly connected to the master unit.

[0020] In this way, in one embodiment of the repeater, the latest communication device configuration information is obtained and transmitted to a higher-level parent device or repeater, thereby aggregating and updating communication device configuration information for the entire communication network to which the repeater belongs, thereby keeping the information up to date and making it possible to obtain highly reliable communication device configuration information.

[0021] Hereinafter, specific embodiments will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the same components in each embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0022] [First embodiment] [Outline of the device] 2 is a diagram showing an outline of network configuration information including a repeater of this embodiment. An access point AP01, which corresponds to a repeater of this embodiment, is connected to a smartphone DEV001, which is a terminal, and a notebook computer DEV002. The access point AP01 is further connected to a communication device such as a higher-level repeater or a parent device via a communication network.

[0023] The access point AP01 is also connected to a lower level repeater, access point AP001, which is connected to a terminal, personal computer DEV0001.

[0024] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of communication device configuration information held by the repeater 01 (access point AP01) of this embodiment. The network configuration information of Fig. 2 is shown as the communication device configuration information. This communication device configuration information is composed of communication device information written in each line. The communication device information describes its own MAC address and child MAC, and further includes the connection mode. This "connection mode" consists of information specifying whether it is wireless or wired, and if it is wireless, the frequency band.

[0025] When the repeater 01 detects a connection or disconnection of a communication device, the communication device information is added to or deleted from the communication device configuration information. Then, depending on the addition or deletion, the communication device configuration information is transmitted to a higher-level repeater or parent device.

[0026] [Device configuration] 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the repeater 01 of this embodiment. As shown in this diagram, the repeater 01 of this embodiment has a detection unit 02, a communication device information acquisition unit 03, a storage unit 04, a transmission unit 05, and an update unit 06.

[0027] The detection unit 02 detects connection and disconnection of a communication device. A "communication device" refers to a device that has a network interface and can be identified by a Media Access Control address (MAC address), and includes, for example, a personal computer (PC) or a smartphone. A lower-level repeater (such as an access point) connected to the repeater 01 is also included in the communication device. Connection and disconnection may be detected by detecting packets such as Discovery, Request, and Release of the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), for example.

[0028] The communication device information acquisition unit 03 acquires communication device information, which is information about the communication device, for each communication device in response to detection by the detection unit 02. The "communication device information" basically refers to information indicated by each row of the communication device configuration information shown in FIG. 3. That is, the communication device information of the smartphone DEV001 includes at least the MAC address of the smartphone DEV001 as the "child MAC address" and wireless (2.4 GHz) as the "connection mode". Furthermore, the MAC address is associated with the above as the identification number of the access point AP01 (repeater 01) to which the smartphone DEV001 is connected, and is set as the "own MAC address". When the corresponding detection unit 02 detects the connection or disconnection of a communication device, the "child MAC address", the "connection mode", and the "own MAC address" indicated above of the communication device related to the connection or disconnection are acquired. The acquired communication device information is sent to the update unit 06.

[0029] The storage unit 04 stores communication device configuration information, which is information generated based on the communication device information and is information regarding the configuration of communication devices in the communication network. As shown in Fig. 3, the communication device information acquired by the communication device information acquisition unit 03 is aggregated and stored in a storage area in the repeater 01 as the communication device configuration information.

[0030] The update unit 06 updates the communication device configuration information held in the holding unit 04 in response to acquisition by the communication device information acquisition unit 03. Specifically, when the detection unit 02 detects a connection of a communication device, it determines whether or not an identification number of the communication device included in the communication device information acquired by the communication device information acquisition unit 03 in response to the detection exists in the communication device configuration information held in the holding unit 04, and if it is determined that the identification number does not exist, it adds the communication device information related to the acquired identification number of the communication device to the communication device configuration information.

[0031] When the detection unit 02 detects a disconnection of a communication device, it determines whether or not the identification number of the communication device included in the communication device information acquired by the communication device information acquisition unit 03 in response to the detection is present in the communication device configuration information stored in the storage unit 04, and if it is determined that the identification number is present, it deletes the communication device information related to the acquired communication device identification number from the communication device configuration information.

[0032] The transmitting unit 05 transmits the communication device configuration information to other communication devices. The communication device configuration information stored in the storing unit 04 is transmitted to other repeaters (access points) via a communication network by wire or wirelessly. The other repeaters include so-called wireless master units. The timing of transmission may be at least in response to the update of the communication device configuration information by the updating unit 06.

[0033] [Processing flow] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the process flow of the repeater of this embodiment. The repeater first detects whether a connection or disconnection of a communication device has been detected (step S01). If no connection or disconnection has been detected (step S01, N), the repeater continues to wait for detection. If either a connection or disconnection has been detected (step S01, Y), the repeater acquires communication device information, which is information about the communication device, for each communication device in response to the detection (step S02). In response to the acquisition, the communication device configuration information held in the storage area is updated (step S03). When the update is complete, the repeater transmits the communication device configuration information to other communication devices (step S04) and ends the process.

[0034] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of the process of updating the communication device configuration information in the repeater of this embodiment. This is a flowchart for explaining step S03 in FIG. 5 in more detail. First, a case is determined as to whether a connection or disconnection of a communication device has been detected. That is, it is determined whether a connection of a communication device has been detected (step S001). If a connection has been detected (step S001, Y), it is determined whether an identification number included in the acquired communication device information exists in the communication device configuration information (step S002). If the result of the determination is that the identification number exists (step S002, Y), nothing is done and the process returns to the beginning. If the identification number does not exist (step S002, N), the acquired communication device information is added to the communication device configuration information held in the storage area (step S003).

[0035] On the other hand, if what is detected is not a connection of a communication device (step S001, N), it is determined whether or not a disconnection of a communication device has been detected (step S004). If a disconnection has not been detected (step S004, N), the process returns to the beginning without doing anything. If a disconnection has been detected (step S004, Y), it is further determined whether or not the identification number included in the acquired communication device information exists in the communication device configuration information (step S005). If the result of the determination is that it does not exist (step S005, N), the process returns to the beginning without doing anything. On the other hand, if it does exist (step S005, Y), the communication device information related to the identification number is deleted from the communication device configuration information (step S006).

[0036] [Hardware configuration] Next, a description will be given of the hardware configuration of various devices constituting the repeater according to the first embodiment. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the repeater 01 according to the first embodiment.

[0037] The repeater 01 can be configured by an information processing device (computer) and has the configuration exemplified in Fig. 7. For example, the repeater 01 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, a memory 002, an input / output interface 003, and a wireless communication module 004 as a communication means, which are interconnected by an internal bus 005. Note that the connection with the communication device is not limited to wireless communication, and therefore the repeater 01 may include a NIC (Network Interface Card) in addition to the wireless communication module 004.

[0038] However, the configuration shown in Fig. 7 is not intended to limit the hardware configuration of the repeater 01. The repeater 01 may include hardware not shown, and may not include the input / output interface 003 as necessary. In addition, the number of CPUs and the like included in the repeater 01 is not intended to be limited to the example shown in Fig. 7, and for example, the repeater 01 may include multiple CPUs.

[0039] The memory 002 is a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), or an auxiliary storage device (such as a hard disk).

[0040] The input / output interface 003 is a means for interfacing with a display device and an input device (not shown). The display device is, for example, a liquid crystal display, etc. The input device is, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, etc. that accepts user operations.

[0041] The functions of the repeater 01 are realized by a detection program, a communication device information acquisition program, a transmission program, an update program, etc., which are processing modules, and communication device configuration information data stored in the memory 002. The processing modules are realized, for example, by the CPU 001 executing the programs stored in the memory 002. The programs can be downloaded via a network or updated using a storage medium that stores the programs. Furthermore, the processing modules may be realized by a semiconductor chip. That is, it is sufficient to have some means for executing the functions performed by the processing modules using some hardware and / or software.

[0042] [Hardware operation] When the repeater 01 starts processing, the detection program is called from the memory 002 and executed by the CPU 001. The program waits for the connection and disconnection of communication devices.

[0043] When a connection or disconnection of a communication device occurs, the detection program receives a connection or disconnection request from the communication device via the wireless communication module 004. The request includes a MAC address as an identification number and information associated with the MAC address, and this information is used to identify the communication device to be connected or disconnected.

[0044] Next, the communication device information acquisition program is called from the memory 002 and is executed by the CPU 001. When the program detects a connection of a communication device, it acquires communication device information from the communication device via the wireless communication module 004. When the program detects a disconnection, it searches the communication device configuration information using the identification number specified by the detection program as a key to acquire the corresponding communication device information.

[0045] Next, the update program is called from the memory 002 and is executed by the CPU 001. The update program executes the processes shown in FIGS.

[0046] Next, the transmission program is called from the memory 002 and is executed by the CPU 001. This program transmits all or a part of the communication device configuration information data via the wireless communication module 004 to another communication device.

[0047] [Effect description] The repeater 01 of this embodiment detects the connection and disconnection of communication devices and obtains communication device information of these communication devices, thereby updating the communication device configuration information describing the network topology. This makes it possible to identify the network topology within the range connected to the repeater 01. The repeater 01 can transmit this information to other communication devices, and by aggregating the transmitted communication device configuration information, it is possible to identify topology information within the communication network to which the repeater 01 belongs.

[0048] [Second embodiment] In this embodiment, the configuration and operation of a communication system including a terminal and a parent unit in addition to a repeater will be described.

[0049] [System Overview] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an outline of the communication system of this embodiment. It is composed of a terminal indicated by "DEV...", a repeater indicated by "AP...", and a parent device indicated by "AP1". Fig. 9(a) shows the configuration of the communication devices in Fig. 8 as communication device configuration information. In other words, it is communication device configuration information generated on the parent device AP1.

[0050] Fig. 9(b) is an example of another communication device configuration information generated on the parent device AP1. The other communication device configuration information is generated by a method different from that of the communication device configuration information of Fig. 9(a). For this reason, for example, detection of the terminal DEV001 has failed. Also, the connection mode of the terminal DEV0001 is different from that of Fig. 9(a), and may be an error.

[0051] In the communication system of this embodiment, the communication device configuration information obtained by the generation method described in the above embodiment is aggregated in the parent device AP1 to generate communication device configuration information indicating the topology of the entire network to which each communication device belongs, and by synchronizing with communication device configuration information generated by another method as shown in Figure 9(b), it is possible to complement communication device configuration information generated by another method.

[0052] [System configuration] Fig. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the communication system of this embodiment. As shown in this figure, the communication system of this embodiment includes a repeater 01, terminals 11a to 11c, and a parent device 21. The repeater 01 has a detection unit 02, a communication device information acquisition unit 03, a storage unit 04, a transmission unit 05, and an update unit 06. The parent device 21 has a reception unit 22, a storage unit 23, a synchronization unit 24, a drawing unit 25, and a drawing request reception unit 26. The terminal 11a is connected to the repeater 01 by a wired connection. The terminals 11b and 11c are connected to the repeater 01 by a wireless connection. Note that these connection modes are merely examples, and the number of terminals is not limited to three.

[0053] Terminals 11a to 11c each have a communication interface for a PC, a smartphone, or the like, and are capable of communicating with communication devices within the network, including repeater 01.

[0054] The components of the repeater 01, that is, the detection unit 02, the communication device information acquisition unit 03, the storage unit 04, the transmission unit 05, and the update unit 06, have been explained in the above embodiment, so description thereof will be omitted.

[0055] The master unit 21 is connected wirelessly or by wire to the repeater 01. At least one master unit 21 exists in the network, and is connected to other communication devices such as a router.

[0056] The receiving unit 22 receives the communication device configuration information transmitted from the transmitting unit 05 of the repeater 01. As described above, the communication device configuration information is transmitted at the timing when the communication device configuration information is updated by the updating unit 06 of the repeater 01, and is received by the receiving unit 22 of the parent device 21 and sent to the storage unit 23.

[0057] The storage unit 23 stores the communication device configuration information. The storage unit 23 receives the communication device configuration information received by the receiving unit 22 and stores it in a storage area of ​​the parent device 21. The storage unit 23 also updates the communication device configuration information stored in the storage unit 23 in response to the reception of the communication device configuration information by the receiving unit 22. The update procedure determines whether or not the communication device information included in the communication device configuration information received by the receiving unit 22 exists in the communication device configuration information stored in the storage unit 23, and if it exists, deletes the communication device information related to the identification number included in the communication device configuration information stored in the storage unit 23, and executes a process of adding all of the communication device information included in the received communication device configuration information to the communication device configuration information stored in the storage unit 23 regardless of whether it exists.

[0058] By adopting the above-mentioned update method, it is possible to update the communication device configuration information without omission. Also, if there is duplicate communication device information in the communication device configuration information, it is possible to remove the duplicate at the timing of updating.

[0059] The synchronization unit 24 adds, updates, or deletes communication device information to another communication device configuration information, which is information on the configuration of communication devices in the same communication network, other than the stored communication device configuration information, based on the stored communication device configuration information. The other communication device configuration information may be, for example, topology information generated by a parent device using a vendor-dependent method.

[0060] The synchronization method is, for example, by the storage unit 23, when the communication device configuration information is updated. Specifically, first, from the updated communication device configuration information, it is determined whether communication device information that is a record to be synchronized exists in another communication device configuration information. The method of determination is to determine whether the own MAC address of each communication device information that is an element of the updated communication device configuration information exists in the other communication device configuration information, and if it does not exist, the communication device information is added to the other communication device configuration information. Next, if the own MAC address exists, it is further determined whether the child MAC address matches. If they do not match, the communication device information is added to the other communication device configuration information. Next, if the own MAC address and the child MAC address match but only the connection mode is different (for example, in the case of DEV0001 in Figs. 9(a) and (b)), the communication device information (or the connection mode) is overwritten to the other communication device configuration information.

[0061] Next, looking from the other communication device configuration information, it is determined whether or not the updated communication device configuration information contains communication device information that is a record to be synchronized. This is determined by determining whether or not the own MAC address of each communication device information that is an element of the other communication device configuration information exists in the updated communication device configuration information, and if it does not exist, the communication device information is deleted from the other communication device configuration information. Next, if the own MAC address exists, it is further determined whether or not the child MAC address matches. If they do not match, the communication device information is deleted from the other communication device configuration information (for example, in the case of DEV0004 in Figure 9(b)).

[0062] The drawing unit 25 visualizes and draws the configuration of the communication devices in the communication network included in the other communication device configuration information based on the other communication device configuration information. The drawing unit 25 performs drawing in response to a drawing request received by a drawing request receiving unit 26 that receives a drawing request by the drawing unit 25. For example, if the parent device 21 is a product of a certain vendor and has a function of visualizing the network topology, the part having that function corresponds to the drawing unit 25. The drawing request receiving unit 26 receives a drawing request from a terminal or the like via a network or via an input / output interface of the parent device 21. In response to the drawing request, the drawing unit 25 generates a network topology diagram based on the other communication device configuration information. An example of a network topology is one that visualizes and displays the arrangement and interrelationships of terminals, access points that are relays, and parent devices on the network, as shown in FIG. 8. In addition, it may also be one that displays additional information such as IP addresses.

[0063] For example, in a case where the drawing function of the parent device 21 is vendor-dependent and difficult to replace, the communication system of this embodiment makes it possible to grasp at least the data structure of another communication device configuration information, update the another communication device configuration information based on the communication device configuration information generated in the above embodiment, and generate a network topology diagram by the drawing unit 25 of the parent device 21.

[0064] [System Operation] 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation flow of the communication system of this embodiment. The process on the repeater side (steps S01 to S04) has already been explained in the above embodiment, so the description will be omitted. Here, the process of the parent device 21 after (dotted line part) the step (step S04) in which the repeater transmits the communication device configuration information to the parent device 21 will be explained. When the parent device 21 receives the communication device configuration information (step S05), it updates the communication device configuration information (step S06). When the update is completed, it synchronizes with another communication device configuration information (step S07). After that, it accepts a drawing request from a terminal or the like and executes the drawing (step S08).

[0065] [Hardware configuration] Next, the hardware configuration of each device constituting the communication system according to the second embodiment will be described. The repeater 01 has already been described in the above embodiment, so a description thereof will be omitted. Here, the hardware configuration and operation of the master unit 21, which is an element of the communication system, will be described.

[0066] The parent device 21, like the repeater 01, can be configured by an information processing device (computer) and has a configuration similar to that shown in Fig. 7. In addition, matters related to the hardware configuration of the parent device are treated in the same manner as those described in the above embodiment.

[0067] The functions of the repeater 01 are realized by processing modules such as a receiving program, a storage program, a synchronization program, a drawing program, a drawing request receiving unit, etc., communication device configuration information data stored in memory 002, and other communication device configuration information data.

[0068] [Hardware operation] When the parent device 21 starts processing, a receiving program is called from the memory 002 and is executed by the CPU 001, and the parent device 21 waits for communication device configuration information to be transmitted from the repeater 01. When the parent device 21 receives communication device configuration information via the wireless communication module 004 or a NIC (not shown), a storage program is called from the memory 002 and is executed by the CPU 001. The program updates the existing communication device configuration information stored in the memory 002 with the received communication device configuration information.

[0069] Next, the synchronization program is called from the memory 002 in response to the update and executed by the CPU 001. The program performs synchronization processing by comparing the updated communication device configuration information with other communication device configuration information stored in the memory 002. The processing performed on the CPU 001 has already been described.

[0070] After the synchronization process is completed, a drawing request is received from a terminal or the like by the drawing request receiving program that was called from the memory 002 and is running in the CPU 001. When a drawing request is received, the program calls the drawing program stored in the memory 002 to the CPU 001, triggered by the start of the drawing program. The program reads other communication device configuration information stored in the memory 002, and uses this to generate an image of a network topology diagram.

[0071] The generated image data is displayed on a liquid crystal display, which is an input / output interface of the parent device 21, or is transmitted to a terminal or the like via the NIC or wireless communication module 004 and displayed on the terminal or the like.

[0072] [Effect description] The communication system of this embodiment can receive communication device configuration information updated by the repeater 01, compare it with the communication device configuration information in the parent device, and execute a process to update the information. The updated communication device configuration information is synchronized with other communication device configuration information to reflect the update, and the latest network topology diagram can be generated in the drawing program. Even if the drawing program is an existing one that is vendor-dependent, the program can be utilized. In this way, the communication system of this embodiment allows the mixing of communication device configuration information, which is topology information generated by different methods, and contributes to mutual utilization.

[0073] [Example] The configuration and operation of a communication system in which the present invention is implemented will be described below as an embodiment with reference to the drawings.

[0074] [Configuration of the embodiment] Referring to FIG. 12, the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention comprises a wireless LAN access point parent unit 100 (hereinafter, parent unit 100) connected to the Internet 140, a wireless LAN access point repeater 110 (hereinafter, repeater 110), and wireless terminals 120 (120a, 120b,...) that can be wirelessly connected to parent unit 100 and repeater 110.

[0075] Referring to FIG. 13, the parent device 100 includes a control unit 101 , a storage unit 102 , a network communication unit 103 and an input / output unit 104 .

[0076] Referring to FIG. 14, a repeater 110 includes a control unit 111 , a storage unit 112 , a network communication unit 113 and an input / output unit 114 .

[0077] 15 and 16, the control units 101 and 111 are composed of wireless control units 101a and 111a that detect connection and disconnection of wireless communication and manage communications such as wireless connections, and a display processing unit 101b that controls and manages the drawing of topology diagrams, etc.

[0078] Referring to FIG. 15, the storage unit 102 is configured to include parent device configuration information 200, which is a table having information on its own MAC address 201, child MAC address 202, and attachment type 203, whether wired or wireless (if wireless, indicating the frequency band).

[0079] Referring to FIG. 16, the storage unit 112 includes child device configuration information 300, which is a table having information on its own MAC address 301, child MAC address 302, and attachment type 303 of wired or wireless (indicating the frequency band if wireless).

[0080] 13 and 14, network communication units 103 and 113 are units for transmitting and receiving Data Frames between a wireless LAN access point master and a wireless LAN access point repeater, and between a wireless LAN access point master and a wireless terminal 120, which are wirelessly connected.

[0081] 13 and 14, the input / output units 104 and 114 are, for example, Web servers and are units capable of outputting topology diagram information in an HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) response.

[0082] [Operation of the embodiment] Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the flowcharts of Figures 17, 18, 19(a) and (b), and 20. First, it is assumed that the wireless terminal 120 wirelessly associates with the repeater 110 or disconnects the wireless connection thereto.

[0083] The wireless control unit 111a of the repeater 110 performs a child device configuration information update process when it detects a wireless connection or disconnection with the wireless terminal 120. Referring to Fig. 17, in the child device configuration information update process, the MAC address of the terminal that detected the wireless connection or disconnection is acquired (S10), and it is determined whether or not there is a corresponding MAC address in the child MAC addresses 302 of the child device configuration information 300 stored in the storage unit 112 (S11).

[0084] In the case of a wireless connection, if there is no corresponding MAC address, the MAC address of the terminal that detected the wireless association is registered in child MAC address 302 of child device configuration information 300, and the type of association (i.e., "wired" or "wireless", and if it is "wireless", information on the frequency band, "2.4 GHz" or "5 GHz") is registered in association type 303 (S12, S13). The MAC address of repeater 110 is registered in own MAC address 301. If there is a corresponding MAC address, nothing is done. If there is no wireless connection (i.e., if the wireless connection is disconnected) and there is a corresponding MAC address, the data in child device configuration information 300 is deleted (S14, S15). If there is no corresponding MAC address, nothing is done.

[0085] Child device configuration information 300 also includes information about repeater 110 itself. That is, child device configuration information 300 has the relevant data, such as the MAC address of a parent device or repeater to which repeater 110 is connected in self MAC address 301, the MAC address of repeater 110 itself in child MAC address 302, and the type of association with a parent device or repeater to which repeater 110 is connected in association type 303.

[0086] Next, when the wireless control unit 111a of the repeater detects wireless association with the parent device 100, it performs a child device configuration information update notification process. In the child device configuration information update notification process, the child device configuration information 300 stored in the storage unit 112 of the repeater 110 is transmitted to the parent device 100 as a "child device configuration information update notification."

[0087] 18, upon receiving the "child device configuration information update notification," parent device 100 performs parent device configuration information update processing. That is, parent device 100 compares its own MAC address 201 included in parent device configuration information 200 held in storage unit 102 with its own MAC address 301 in child device configuration information 300, and performs matching by comparing child MAC address 202 included in parent device configuration information 200 with child MAC address 302 in child device configuration information 300 (S21). If, as a result of matching, parent device configuration information 200 contains data including the MAC address, that data is deleted (S23), and matching is performed on the next data.

[0088] If, as a result of matching, there is no data including the MAC address in parent device configuration information 200, child MAC address 302 in child device configuration information 300 is added as child MAC address 202 in parent device configuration information 200, and information of belonging type 303 in child device configuration information 300 is added as belonging type 203 in parent device configuration information 200. In addition, own MAC address 301 in child device configuration information 300 is registered as own MAC address 201 in parent device configuration information 200 (S24).

[0089] When the master unit configuration information update process is completed, master unit 100 transmits a "slave unit configuration information update response" to relay unit 110. The "slave unit configuration information update response" includes a flag indicating whether the process was successful.

[0090] Next, the repeater 110 that has received the "child unit configuration information update response" notifies the user of information indicating whether the child unit configuration information update was successful or failed. The method of notification is not limited, but possible methods include a method of displaying the information when the WebGUI of the repeater 110 is accessed, or a method of notifying the user of the LED status indicating the result of the child unit configuration information update when an LED lamp is provided as the input / output unit 114 of the repeater 110.

[0091] Next, it is assumed that there is a drawing process request (in HTTP format) from the wireless terminal 120 to the parent device 100. When the wireless control unit 101a of the parent device 100 detects the drawing process request from the wireless terminal 120, it first performs a database comparison process.

[0092] In the database comparison process, data matching between parent device configuration information 200 and vendor configuration information is performed. Referring to Figures 19(a) and (b), first, using own MAC address 201 of parent device configuration information 200 as a key, it is determined whether the corresponding own MAC address is present in the vendor configuration information (S30, S31). If the corresponding own MAC address is not present, it is determined as "mismatch (waiting for attribution)" and this process is terminated.

[0093] If the corresponding own MAC address is found, then it is determined whether the corresponding child MAC address is found in the vendor configuration information using the child MAC address 202 of the parent device configuration information 200 as a key (S32, S33). If the corresponding child MAC address is not found, it is determined to be "mismatch (waiting for attribution)" and this process is terminated.

[0094] If the corresponding child MAC address is found, then using the attribution type 203 of the parent device configuration information 200 as a key, it is determined whether the data of the corresponding attribution type is equal to that of the vendor configuration information (S34, S35). If the corresponding attribution type is not equal, it is determined to be "mismatch (attribution type mismatch)" and this process is terminated.

[0095] If the corresponding belonging types are the same, matching is performed in the same way using the data of child MAC address 202 of the next parent device configuration information 200 as a key. If there is no data (EOFF), matching is performed in the same way using the data of own MAC address 201 of the next parent device configuration information 200 as a key. If there is no data (EOFF (End Of File)), proceed to the next process.

[0096] That is, using the own MAC address in the vendor configuration information as a key, it is determined whether the corresponding own MAC address 201 is present in the parent device configuration information 200 (S36, S37). If the corresponding own MAC address is not present, it is determined as "mismatch (waiting for association expiration)" and this process is terminated. If the corresponding own MAC address is present, then, using the child MAC address in the vendor configuration information as a key, it is determined as whether the corresponding child MAC address 202 is present in the parent device configuration information 200 (S38, S39). If the corresponding child MAC address is not present, it is determined as "mismatch (waiting for association expiration)" and this process is terminated.

[0097] If there is a corresponding child MAC address, matching is performed in the same way using the child MAC address data of the next vendor configuration information as the key.If there is no data (EOfF), matching is performed in the same way using the own MAC address data of the next vendor configuration information as the key.If there is no data (EOfF), it is considered a "match" and this process ends.

[0098] Finally, the input / output unit 104 of the parent device 100 performs drawing processing using the vendor configuration information, and generates topology diagram data as response data in HTTP format. At this time, if the result of the database comparison processing is any of "mismatch (waiting for attribution)", "mismatch (waiting for attribution expiration)", and "mismatch (mismatch in attribution type)", information indicating the mismatch is added to the response data. For example, there is a method of indicating the mismatch (i.e., the topology diagram is not displayed correctly) by a text message. The generated data is transmitted to the wireless terminal 120 as a drawing processing response (HTTP response), and the topology diagram is displayed on the browser of the wireless terminal 120, etc.

[0099] FIG. 20 is a sequence diagram for explaining a series of operations of the communication system of this embodiment.

[0100] [Effect description] The first effect is that by notifying the parent device of the association status of the wireless terminal of the repeater, the parent device can collectively store the association status as configuration information, which makes it possible to compare the vendor's unique configuration information with the configuration information managed by the parent device. This makes it possible to determine whether the vendor's unique configuration information is correct.

[0101] The second effect is that when the topology diagram is displayed, the result of the above determination can be used to notify the user whether the vendor's unique configuration information is correct, and if it is incorrect, the reason for this. This allows the user to display the correct topology diagram by waiting a while and then displaying the topology diagram again.

[0102] [Operation of another embodiment] Next, the operation of another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowcharts of Figures 21(a) and 21(b) etc. In the database comparison process of the other embodiment, matching is performed between the parent device configuration information 200 and the vendor configuration information, and data of the vendor configuration information is added, updated, or deleted based on the comparison result.

[0103] 21(a) and (b), first, using own MAC address 201 of parent device configuration information 200 as a key, it is determined whether the corresponding own MAC address is present in the vendor configuration information (S50, S51). If the corresponding own MAC address is not present, it is determined that the corresponding own MAC address is not matched (waiting for attribution) and the data of the corresponding parent device configuration information 200 is added to the vendor configuration information. If the corresponding own MAC address is present, next, using child MAC address 202 of parent device configuration information 200 as a key, it is determined whether the corresponding child MAC address is present in the vendor configuration information (S52, S53). If the corresponding child MAC address is not present, it is determined that the corresponding child MAC address is not matched (waiting for attribution) and the data of the corresponding parent device configuration information 200 is added to the vendor configuration information. If the corresponding child MAC address is present, next, using attribution type 203 of parent device configuration information 200 as a key, it is determined whether the data of the corresponding attribution type is equal to the data of the vendor configuration information (S54, S55). If the corresponding belonging types are not the same, it is regarded as "mismatch (belonging type mismatch)" and the data of the belonging type 203 of the corresponding parent device configuration information 200 is overwritten (updated) with the data of the corresponding belonging type of the vendor configuration information.

[0104] If the corresponding belonging types are the same, matching is performed in the same way using the data of child MAC address 202 of the next parent device configuration information 200 as a key. If there is no data (EOfF), matching is performed in the same way using the data of own MAC address 201 of the next parent device configuration information 200 as a key. If there is no data (EOfF), proceed to the next process.

[0105] That is, using the own MAC address of the vendor configuration information as a key, it is determined whether the corresponding own MAC address 201 is present in the parent device configuration information 200 (S56, S57). If the corresponding own MAC address is not present, it is determined as "mismatch (waiting for belonging to expire)" and the corresponding data is deleted from the vendor configuration information.

[0106] If the corresponding own MAC address is found, then the child MAC address in the vendor configuration information is used as a key to determine whether or not the corresponding child MAC address 202 is present in the parent device configuration information 200 (S58, S59). If the corresponding child MAC address is not found, the data is deemed "mismatch (waiting for attribution to expire)" and deleted from the vendor configuration information.

[0107] If there is a corresponding child MAC address, matching is performed in the same way using the child MAC address data of the next vendor configuration information as a key.If there is no data (EOf), matching is performed in the same way using the own MAC address data of the next vendor configuration information as a key.If there is no data (EOf), this process ends.

[0108] Finally, the input / output unit 104 of the parent device 100 performs drawing processing using the vendor configuration information, and generates topology diagram data as response data in HTTP format. The generated data is transmitted to the wireless terminal 120 as a drawing processing response (HTTP response), and the topology diagram is displayed on a browser or the like of the wireless terminal 120.

[0109] [Effect description] In another embodiment of the present invention, in the database comparison process, the vendor configuration information can be updated using the parent device configuration information 200. Therefore, even if the vendor configuration information is incorrect, it is possible to correct the error, and a more accurate topology diagram can be displayed.

[0110] Some or all of the above embodiments can be described as follows, but are not limited to the following: stomach. [Appendix 1] This is the same as the repeater according to the first aspect described above. [Appendix 2] The communication device information acquisition unit acquires, as communication device information, information including an identification number held by the communication device and a connection mode in which the communication device is connected, in association with an identification number held by the repeater, preferably a repeater as described in Appendix 1. [Appendix 3] Preferably, the repeater according to appendix 1 or 2, further comprising an update unit that updates the communication device configuration information stored in the storage unit in response to acquisition by the communication device information acquisition unit. [Appendix 4] The update unit determines whether or not an identification number of a communication device included in the communication device information acquired by the communication device information acquisition unit in response to detection of a connection of a communication device by the detection unit is present in the communication device configuration information stored in the storage unit, and if the determination result is that the identification number is not present, adds the communication device information relating to the identification number of the communication device to the communication device configuration information, and determines whether or not an identification number of a communication device included in the communication device information acquired by the communication device information acquisition unit in response to detection of a disconnection of a communication device by the detection unit is present in the communication device configuration information stored in the storage unit, and if the determination result is that the identification number is present, deletes the communication device information relating to the identification number of the communication device from the communication device configuration information, preferably a repeater of Supplementary Note 3. [Appendix 5] This is the same as the communication system according to the second aspect described above. [Appendix 6] The communication system preferably includes a parent unit which determines whether the communication device information included in the communication device configuration information received by the receiving unit is present in the communication device configuration information stored in the storage unit, and if present, deletes the communication device information relating to the identification number included in the communication device configuration information stored in the storage unit, and adds all of the communication device information included in the received communication device configuration information to the communication device configuration information stored in the storage unit regardless of whether the information is present or not. [Appendix 7] A communication system, preferably as claimed in appendix 5 or 6, including a parent unit further having a synchronization unit that adds, updates, or deletes communication device information based on the stored communication device configuration information, for other communication device configuration information that is information regarding the configuration of communication devices in a communication network, other than the stored communication device configuration information. [Appendix 8] A communication system preferably as claimed in Appendix 7, comprising a drawing unit that visualizes and draws the configuration of communication devices in a communication network included in another communication device configuration information based on another communication device configuration information, a drawing request receiving unit that receives a drawing request by the drawing unit, and a parent unit that performs drawing in response to the drawing request received by the drawing request receiving unit. [Appendix 9] This is as described above with respect to the third aspect of the present invention. [Appendix 10] This is as per the program related to the fourth perspective above. Note that, like Supplementary Note 5, Supplementary Note 9 and Supplementary Note 10 can be expanded into Supplementary Note 6 to Supplementary Note 8.

[0111] The disclosures of the above cited patent documents are incorporated herein by reference. Within the scope of the entire disclosure of the present invention (including the scope of claims), modifications and adjustments of the embodiments and the embodiments are possible based on the basic technical ideas. Furthermore, within the scope of the entire disclosure of the present invention, various combinations or selections (including partial deletions) of various disclosed elements (including each element of each claim, each embodiment and each element of each embodiment, each element of each drawing, etc.) are possible. In other words, the present invention naturally includes various modifications and corrections that a person skilled in the art would be able to make according to the entire disclosure including the scope of claims and the technical ideas. In particular, with regard to the numerical ranges described in this specification, any numerical value or subrange included in the range should be interpreted as being specifically described even if not otherwise specified. [Explanation of symbols]

[0112] 01: Repeater 02:Detection section 03:Communication device information acquisition section 04: Holding part 05: Transmitter 06: Update section 11a~11c: Terminal 21: Parent unit 22: Receiving section 23: Storage section 24: Synchronization section 25: Drawing section 26: Drawing request reception unit 001:CPU 002:Memory 003: Input / Output Interface 004: Wireless communication module 005: Internal bus 100: Parent unit, wireless LAN access point parent unit 101: Control unit 101a: Wireless control unit 101b: Display processing unit 102: Storage unit 103: Network communication unit 104: Input / Output Unit 104: Communication module 110: Repeater, wireless LAN access point repeater 111: Control unit 111a: Wireless control unit 112: Storage unit 113: Network communication unit 114: Input / Output Unit 120: Wireless terminal 140: Internet 200: Parent unit configuration information 201: Own MAC address 202: Child MAC address 203: Attribution type 300: Child device configuration information 301: Own MAC address 302: Child MAC address 303: Attribution Type

Claims

1. Communication devices, A detection unit that detects connection and disconnection of the communication device; a communication device information acquisition unit that acquires communication device information, which is information about the communication device, for each communication device in response to detection by the detection unit; a storage unit for storing communication device configuration information, the communication device configuration information being information regarding a configuration of a communication device in a communication network, the communication device configuration information being generated based on the communication device information; A transmission unit that transmits the communication device configuration information to another communication device; A repeater having a receiving unit for receiving the communication device configuration information transmitted from the transmitting unit of the repeater; A storage unit that stores communication device configuration information; A master unit having a synchronization unit that adds, updates, or deletes communication device information based on the stored communication device configuration information with respect to another communication device configuration information that is information about a configuration of a communication device in the communication network, other than the stored communication device configuration information; Including, The storage unit updates the communication device configuration information stored in the storage unit in response to reception of the communication device configuration information by the receiving unit. Communication systems.

2. the storage unit includes a parent unit which judges whether or not the communication device information included in the communication device configuration information received by the receiving unit exists in the communication device configuration information stored in the storage unit, and if the communication device information exists, deletes the communication device information related to the identification number included in the communication device configuration information stored in the storage unit, and adds all of the communication device information included in the received communication device configuration information to the communication device configuration information stored in the storage unit regardless of whether the communication device information exists. The communication system of claim 1.

3. a drawing unit that visualizes and draws a configuration of communication devices in the communication network, the configuration information being included in the different communication device configuration information, based on the different communication device configuration information; a drawing request receiving unit that receives a drawing request by the drawing unit; the drawing unit includes a parent machine that performs drawing in response to the drawing request accepted by the drawing request acceptance unit; 3. The communication system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A first computer detects connection and disconnection of a communication device; acquiring communication device information, which is information related to the communication device, for each communication device by the first computer in response to the detection; a step of acquiring, by the first computer, communication device configuration information which is information regarding a configuration of a communication device in a communication network and which is generated based on the communication device information; the first computer transmitting the communications device configuration information to a second computer; receiving, by the second computer, the communication device configuration information transmitted from the first computer; storing communication device configuration information by the second computer; updating, by the second computer, stored communication device configuration information in response to receiving the communication device configuration information; a synchronization step of adding, updating, or deleting communication device information to another communication device configuration information, which is information about a configuration of a communication device in the communication network, other than the stored communication device configuration information, based on the stored communication device configuration information; A method of operating a communication system comprising:

5. A process for detecting connection and disconnection of a communication device; A process of acquiring communication device information, which is information about the communication device, for each communication device in response to the detection; A process of acquiring communication device configuration information, which is information regarding a configuration of a communication device in a communication network, generated based on the communication device information; A process of transmitting the communication device configuration information to another communication device; a first processing module that executes receiving the communication device configuration information transmitted by a first processing module; A process of storing communication device configuration information; updating the stored communication device configuration information in response to receiving the communication device configuration information; a synchronization process of adding, updating, or deleting communication device information based on the stored communication device configuration information to another communication device configuration information that is information about a configuration of a communication device in the communication network, other than the stored communication device configuration information; and a second processing module that performs A program for causing a computer to execute the following.

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