Communication system, communication device and processing method therefor

Abstract

A master generates a session key, receives public keys from a plurality of slaves, encrypts the session key using the individual public keys, transmits the encrypted session key to the plurality of slaves, encrypts data using the encrypted session key, and sends it to the plurality of slaves. A plurality of slaves transmit public keys to a master device, receive and decrypt a session key encrypted using individual public keys, receive data encrypted using the session key from the master, and decrypt it using the decrypted session key.

1 . A communication apparatus, comprising:
 a providing unit that provides wireless communication parameters for performing wireless communication with the communication apparatus to another communication apparatus;   a generation unit that generates an encryption key; and   a selection unit that selects a method for sharing the wireless communication parameters with the other communication apparatus from between a first method, in which the encryption key generated by the generation unit is used, and a second method, which is different from the first method;   wherein the providing unit provides the wireless communication parameters to the other communication apparatus using the selected one of the first method or the second method, which is selected by the selection unit in accordance with a sharing method supported by the other communication apparatus.   
     
     
         2 . The communication apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the second method is a method in which an encryption key generated by the other communication apparatus, which receives the wireless communication parameters, is used. 
     
     
         3 . The communication apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein in case that there are first other communication apparatus which supports the first method and second other communication apparatus which supports the second method, the providing unit provides the wireless communication parameters to the first other communication apparatus and the second other communication apparatus together using the first method and the second method. 
     
     
         4 . The communication apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first method is a method, in which the communication apparatus encrypts the encryption key using a public key from the other communication apparatus, transmits the encrypted encryption key to the other communication apparatus, and provides the wireless communication parameters encrypted using the encryption key in response to receiving from the other communication apparatus a notification indicating that completion of decryption of the encrypted encryption key. 
     
     
         5 . The communication apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the generation unit generates different encryption keys for each of other communication apparatuses. 
     
     
         6 . The communication apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication is a wireless LAN compliant with IEEE 802.11. 
     
     
         7 . The communication apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication parameters include at least one of a network identifier, an authentication method and an authentication key. 
     
     
         8 . A control method of a communication apparatus, comprising:
 generating an encryption key;
 selecting a method for sharing wireless communication parameters for performing wireless communication with the communication apparatus with another communication apparatus from between a first method, in which the generated encryption key is used, and a second method, which is different from the first method; and 
   providing the wireless communication parameters to the other communication apparatus using the selected one of the first method or the second method, which is selected in accordance with a sharing method supported by the other communication apparatus.   
     
     
         9 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform the method according to  claim 8 .