Display Role Switching for Corporate Miracast Connectivity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication technologies like MIRACAST face challenges in connecting information processing apparatuses, such as corporate PCs, to display devices due to security policies that restrict connections to specific access points, preventing them from functioning as group owners and thus limiting connectivity.
Innovation Solution
The display apparatus dynamically adjusts its role to either act as a group owner or client based on settings, allowing corporate devices to connect by changing the intent value to permit connections, thereby overcoming security restrictions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the information processing apparatus plays the group owner role, then wireless communication can be established, but corporate devices restricted to specific access points cannot connect
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic role switching between group owner and client modes based on connection requirements. The determination unit selects the appropriate role dynamically: when connecting to corporate devices with access point restrictions, the apparatus acts as a client; when other scenarios arise, it functions as a group owner. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by making the role flexible rather than fixed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameter (role) from static to variable. By introducing a determination unit that evaluates connection requirements and switches roles accordingly, the system transforms the fixed group owner parameter into a dynamic variable that can take different values (group owner or client) based on the connection context, enabling compatibility with both restricted and unrestricted devices.
2Device complexity
If the group owner role is fixed, then network formation is simple, but flexibility in connection form decreases when other devices connect later
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic role determination that allows the apparatus to switch between group owner and client roles based on the connection context. This dynamic mechanism enables the system to maintain simple network formation when acting as group owner while gaining flexibility to adapt when corporate devices or other restricted devices need to connect, resolving the contradiction between simplicity and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the information processing apparatus universal by enabling it to perform both group owner and client functions. The determination unit evaluates the connection requirements and selects the appropriate role, making the apparatus capable of handling diverse connection scenarios (unrestricted devices, corporate devices with restrictions, ad-hoc networks) without requiring separate specialized systems.
3Reliability
If corporate devices are restricted to specific access points, then security is maintained, but connectivity to display apparatuses is prevented
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies inversion by reversing the traditional role assignment. Instead of the display apparatus always acting as group owner (which corporate devices cannot connect to), the determination unit inverts the role to client when connecting to corporate devices with access point restrictions. This inversion allows corporate devices to initiate connections to their registered access points while the display apparatus connects to them as a client, maintaining security restrictions while enabling connectivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameter (role) based on the connection target. When the connection target is a corporate device with access point restrictions, the parameter changes from group owner to client. This parameter change allows the system to respect the security restrictions (by not forcing corporate devices to connect to unregistered access points) while still achieving connectivity through the inverted role assignment.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2
AI summary
An information processing apparatus (20) that wirelessly communicates with another information processing apparatus (40) in a role of either a group owner or a client includes a setting change unit (25) to change a setting relating to the role in response to a user operation, a determination unit (29a) to determine the role based on the setting related to the role changed by the setting change unit (25), and a wireless connection control unit (29) to wirelessly communicate with the another information processing apparatus (40) in the role determined by the determination unit (29a).