Communication devices, methods, programs, and storage media

Abstract

This provides a mechanism for more optimal communication using a predetermined communication method. [Solution] The communication device includes a first communication means that communicates via an external access point using wireless LAN communication, a second communication means that communicates directly with an external terminal device without going through an external access point using wireless LAN communication, and a control means that controls the second communication means to perform a specific process to disconnect the connection with the external terminal device when establishing a connection with an external access point where communication using a first communication method via multiple external access points by the first communication means is enabled.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication device capable of performing wireless communication, a method executed in the communication device, a program, and a storage medium.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, with the increase in the amount of data to be communicated, the development of communication technologies such as wireless LAN (Local Area Network) has been promoted. As the main communication standards for wireless LAN, the IEEE802.11 standard series is known. The IEEE802.11 standard series includes standards such as IEEE802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax / be.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a communication device compatible with IEEE802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax. In addition, a mechanism for Multi-AP communication in which a plurality of access points (APs) cooperate to transmit data to a station (STA) has been studied.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In Multi-AP communication, there is room for improvement in suitable communication and user usability. An object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism for more suitably performing communication by a predetermined communication method.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The communication device according to the present invention is characterized by comprising: a first communication means that communicates via an external access point using wireless LAN communication; a second communication means that communicates directly with an external terminal device without going through an external access point using wireless LAN communication; and a control means that controls the second communication means to perform a specific process to disconnect the connection with the external terminal device when establishing a connection with an external access point where communication using a first communication method via a plurality of external access points by the first communication means is enabled, while a connection with the external terminal device has been established by the second communication means. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, communication can be performed more favorably using a predetermined communication method. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing the configuration of a wireless communication system. [Figure 2] This is a diagram showing the configuration of a communication device. [Figure 3] This is a diagram showing the user interface screen. [Figure 4] This diagram shows the configuration of a mobile terminal device. [Figure 5] This diagram shows the configuration of the access point. [Figure 6] This is a sequence diagram showing the interaction between the STA and AP in multi-AP communication. [Figure 7] This is a communication sequence diagram between a communication device and an access point. [Figure 8] This is a diagram to explain the hidden terminal problem. [Figure 9] This is a communication sequence diagram between a communication device and an access point. [Figure 10] This is a diagram showing the user interface screen. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention as defined in the claims. While the embodiments describe multiple features, not all of these features are essential to the invention, and the features may be combined in any way. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, identical or similar configurations are given the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0010] (System Configuration) Figure 1 shows an example of the system configuration according to this embodiment. In one example, this system is a wireless communication system in which multiple communication devices can communicate with each other wirelessly. The system in Figure 1 includes an MFP 100 which is a communication device, a mobile terminal device 101, a multi-AP group 110 which includes multiple access points (APs), a DHCP server 114, a DNS server 115, and a network 120. The multi-AP group 110 is described as including AP111, AP112, and AP113, but the multi-AP group 110 may include more APs.

[0011] The mobile terminal device 101 is a device that has wireless communication capabilities such as wireless LAN. In the following, wireless LAN may be referred to as WLAN. The mobile terminal device 101 may be a personal information terminal such as a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a mobile phone terminal (smartphone), a tablet terminal, a digital camera, a personal computer, etc.

[0012] The MFP100 is a printing device with printing capabilities, and may also have scanning, faxing, and telephone functions. Furthermore, the MFP100 in this embodiment has a communication function that allows it to communicate wirelessly with the mobile terminal device 101. While this embodiment describes the use of the MFP100 as an example, it is not limited to this. For example, a scanner, projector, mobile terminal, smartphone, notebook PC, tablet, PDA, digital camera, music playback device, television, smart speaker, etc., each with communication capabilities, may be used instead of the MFP100. MFP is an acronym for Multi-Function Peripheral.

[0013] AP111 is installed separately (externally) from the mobile terminal device 101 and MFP100, and operates as a WLAN base station device. Communication devices with WLAN communication capabilities can communicate in WLAN infrastructure mode via AP111. Infrastructure mode is sometimes referred to as "wireless infrastructure mode." AP111 communicates wirelessly with communication devices that it has authorized to connect to (authenticated) and relays wireless communication between those communication devices and other communication devices. AP111 can also be connected to a wired communication network, for example, and can relay communication between communication devices connected to that wired communication network and other communication devices that are wirelessly connected to AP111.

[0014] AP112 and AP113 have the same hardware configuration as AP111. Furthermore, AP111, AP112, and AP113 are APs that support Multi-AP communication, as described later, and they form a group (Multi-AP group 110) and operate in a cooperative manner.

[0015] The DHCP server 114 is connected to the MFP 100 via the AP 111 and the network 120, and provides services to the MFP 100 by responding to requests from the MFP 100. In FIG. 1, the DHCP server 114 is described as being connected as a device separate from the APs 111, 112, and 113, but the APs 111, 112, and 113 may have a DHCP server function.

[0016] The DNS server 115 is connected to the MFP 100 and the mobile terminal device 101 via the AP 111 and the network 120, and provides services for name resolution by responding to requests from the MFP 100 and the mobile terminal device 101. Here, the network 120 may be the so-called Internet, or may be a closed network within a company or a mobile phone network.

[0017] (Appearance configuration of MFP) FIG. 2(a) shows an example of the external appearance configuration of the MFP 100. The MFP 100 has, for example, a document table 201, a document cover 202, a printing paper insertion port 203, a printing paper discharge port 204, and an operation display unit 220. The document table 201 is a table on which a document to be read is placed. The document cover 202 is a cover for pressing the document placed on the document table 201 and preventing light from a light source that irradiates the document during reading (scanning) from leaking outside. The printing paper insertion port 203 is an insertion port into which papers of various sizes can be set. The printing paper discharge port 204 is a discharge port for discharging the printed paper. The papers set in the printing paper insertion port 203 are conveyed one by one to the printing unit, and after being printed by the printing unit, are discharged from the printing paper discharge port 204. The operation display unit 220 includes a touch panel display and is configured to be able to receive activation of various functions as an MFP by the user and operations for various settings. Further, the operation display unit 220 may include physical operation keys such as a character input key, a cursor key, a determination key, a cancellation key, etc., and an LED, an LCD, etc. [[ID={12]]

[0018] The MFP100 has a wireless communication function via WLAN and does not necessarily need to be visible from the outside, but it is configured to include a wireless communication antenna 206 for that wireless communication. Like the mobile terminal device 101, the MFP100 can perform wireless communication via WLAN.

[0019] (MFP configuration) Figure 2(b) shows an example configuration of the MFP100. The MFP100 includes a main board 211 that performs the main control of the device itself, and a wireless unit 250 which is a communication module that performs WLAN communication using at least one antenna. The MFP100 may also be configured to include, for example, a wired LAN unit for wired LAN communication.

[0020] The main board 211 includes, for example, a CPU 212 (central processing unit), ROM 213, RAM 214, non-volatile memory 215, image memory 216, read control unit 217, data conversion unit 218, read unit 219, and code decoding unit 221. The main board 211 also includes, for example, a printing unit 222, a paper feeding unit 223, a print control unit 224, and an operation display unit 220. These functional units within the main board 211 are interconnected via a system bus 230 managed by the CPU 212. The main board 211 and the wireless unit 250 are connected, for example, via a dedicated bus 225.

[0021] The CPU 212 is a system control unit including at least one processor, and controls the entire MFP 100. In one example, the processing of the MFP 100 described below is realized by the CPU 212 executing a program stored in the ROM 213. Dedicated hardware may be provided for each process. The ROM 213 is a non-volatile memory that stores control programs and embedded OS programs executed by the CPU 212. In this embodiment, the CPU 212 loads each control program stored in the ROM 213 into the RAM 214 and executes them under the management of the embedded OS stored in the ROM 213, thereby performing software control such as scheduling and task switching.

[0022] RAM214 is a volatile memory composed of SRAM or the like. RAM214 stores data such as program control variables, user-registered settings, and MFP100 management data. RAM214 can also be used as a buffer for various work. Non-volatile memory 215 is composed of memory such as flash memory and continues to store data even when the MFP100 is powered off. Image memory 216 is composed of memory such as DRAM. Image memory 216 stores image data received via the wireless unit 250 and image data processed by the code decoding processing unit 221. Note that the memory configuration of MFP100 is not limited to the above configuration. The data conversion unit 218 performs analysis of various data formats and conversion from image data to print data.

[0023] The reading control unit 217 controls the reading unit 219 (for example, a CIS (contact image sensor)) to optically read (scan) the document placed on the document glass 201. The reading control unit 217 converts the image obtained by optically reading the document into electrical image data (image signal) and outputs it. At this time, the reading control unit 217 may perform various image processing such as binarization and halftone processing before outputting the image data.

[0024] The operation display unit 220 includes a touch panel display that displays images based on display control by the CPU 212, and performs functions such as generating signals in response to user operations on the touch panel display or physical operation keys.

[0025] The encoding and decoding processing unit 221 performs encoding and decoding processing, as well as scaling processing, for image data (JPEG, PNG, etc.) handled by the MFP100.

[0026] The paper feed unit 223 holds paper for printing. The paper feed unit 223 can supply the set paper under the control of the print control unit 224. The paper feed unit 223 may include multiple paper feed units to hold multiple types of paper in one device, and the print control unit 224 can control which paper feed unit to use for feeding.

[0027] The print control unit 224 applies various image processing to the image data to be printed, such as smoothing, print density correction, and color correction, and outputs the processed image data to the print unit 222. The print unit 222 is configured to perform, for example, inkjet printing, and ejects ink supplied from the ink tanks from the print head to record an image on a recording medium such as paper. The print unit 222 may also be configured to perform other printing processes such as electrophotography. Furthermore, the print control unit 224 can periodically read information from the print unit 222 and update status information, including the remaining amount of ink in the ink tanks and the status of the print head, which is stored in the RAM 214.

[0028] The wireless unit 250 is a unit capable of providing WLAN communication functionality, and can provide similar functionality to, for example, the wireless unit 401 of the mobile terminal device 101. That is, the wireless unit 250 converts data into packets according to the WLAN standard and transmits the packets to other devices, and also restores packets from external devices back to their original data and outputs it to the CPU 212.

[0029] The wireless unit 250 is capable of communication as a Station (hereinafter referred to as STA) or Access Point (AP) compliant with the IEEE 802.11 standard series. Specifically, it is capable of communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax / be / bn standards. The wireless unit 250 includes at least one processor and at least one memory that stores programs.

[0030] The communication control unit 240 is a unit that controls the communication functions of the MFP 100 and controls the wireless unit 250. The processing of the communication control unit 240 is realized by the CPU 212 executing a control program stored in the ROM 213. The communication control unit 240 and the wireless unit 250 are interconnected, for example, via the system bus 230 and a dedicated bus 225.

[0031] (MFP operation display) Figure 3 schematically shows an example of the screen display on the display (touch panel display) included in the operation display unit 220 of the MFP100.

[0032] Figure 3(a) shows an example of the home screen displayed when the MFP100 is powered on but not performing any operations such as printing or scanning (idle state, standby state). The area 310 at the top of the home screen is the basic menu area, where menu items selected when issuing copy or scan commands are displayed. In Figure 3(a), area 310 displays a list of icons 311 to 313, corresponding to copy, scan, and print, respectively, as basic menu items (display items). When each basic menu item is selected, a detailed menu corresponding to it is displayed, and the MFP100 can be instructed to perform the operation / function (copy or scan) corresponding to the selected menu item. By displaying other pages of the basic menu (such as sliding left or right on area 310), different menu items from icons 311 to 313 can be displayed in area 310. For example, an icon corresponding to the cloud can be displayed. The cloud is a menu item related to cloud functions that utilize internet communication.

[0033] The network display area 321 is an area that displays icons indicating the network status. In the example shown, the network display area 321 displays icons indicating that both wireless infrastructure and wireless direct are disabled. Furthermore, touching the network display area 321 will display the communication settings menu.

[0034] Icon 322 is an operation icon that accepts instructions to perform setup on a PC / smartphone. When icon 322 is touched, the same action as when "Set up on PC / smartphone" is selected in Figure 3(d), which will be described later, is performed.

[0035] Icon 323 is the operation icon to select when changing settings or performing maintenance on the MFP100.

[0036] Figure 3(b) shows an example of the communication settings menu screen displayed when the network display area 321 is touched on the home screen of Figure 3(a). The communication settings menu screen displays the following menu items (options): "Wireless LAN", "Wired LAN", "Wireless Direct", "Bluetooth", and "Common Settings". "Wireless LAN", "Wired LAN", and "Wireless Direct" are menu items for LAN settings, and from these items you can configure settings such as wired connection settings, enabling / disabling wireless infrastructure mode, and enabling / disabling P2P modes such as WFD and soft AP mode.

[0037] Figure 3(c) shows an example of the wireless LAN settings menu screen displayed when the "Wireless LAN" option is selected in the screen shown in Figure 3(b). The wireless LAN settings menu screen displays the following menu items (options): "Enable / Disable Wireless LAN," "Wireless LAN Setup," and "Display Wireless LAN Settings." Selecting the "Enable / Disable Wireless LAN" option switches the setting of enabling or disabling the wireless infrastructure mode. Selecting the "Wireless LAN Setup" option displays the wireless LAN setup menu shown in Figure 3(d). Selecting "Display Wireless LAN Settings" displays a detailed screen (wireless LAN settings display screen) that shows details such as the current wireless LAN settings and communication status.

[0038] Figure 3(d) shows an example of the wireless LAN setup menu screen displayed when the "Wireless LAN Setup" option is selected in the screen shown in Figure 3(c). The wireless LAN setup menu screen displays the following menu items (options): "Set up with PC / smartphone," "Set up by entering a password," and "Set up using the router buttons." From these items, you can perform wireless LAN setup using the network setup mode described later, the password entry method, or the push-button method.

[0039] (External configuration of a mobile terminal device) Figure 4(a) shows an example of the external configuration of the mobile terminal device 101. In this embodiment, as an example, the case where the mobile terminal device 101 is a general-purpose smartphone is shown. The mobile terminal device 101 is composed of, for example, a display unit 420, an operation unit 418, and a power key 404. The display unit 420 is a display that includes a display mechanism such as an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) type or an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) type. The display unit 420 may also display information using, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode). In addition to or instead of the display unit 420, the mobile terminal device 101 may also have a function to output information by voice. The operation unit 418 is composed of hard keys such as keys and buttons, a touch panel, etc., for detecting user operations. In this example, since the information display on the display unit 420 and the reception of user operations by the operation unit 418 are performed using a common touch panel display, the display unit 420 and the operation unit 418 are realized by a single device. In this case, for example, button icons or a software keyboard are displayed using the display function of the display unit 420, and the operation reception function of the operation unit 418 detects when the user touches these areas. Alternatively, the display unit 420 and the operation unit 418 may be separated, with separate hardware for display and hardware for operation reception. The power key 404 is a hard key for receiving user input to turn the power of the mobile terminal device 101 on or off.

[0040] The mobile terminal device 101 does not necessarily need to be visible from its external appearance, but it has a wireless unit 401 that provides WLAN communication functionality. The wireless unit 401 is configured to perform data (packet) communication in a WLAN system compliant with, for example, the IEEE 802.11 standard series (IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax / be / bn). However, it is not limited to this, and the wireless unit 401 may be able to perform communication in a WLAN system compliant with other standards. In this example, the wireless unit 401 is assumed to be able to communicate in both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands. However, it is not limited to this, and the wireless unit 401 may be able to communicate in one or more frequency bands including the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands. Furthermore, the wireless unit 401 is assumed to be able to perform WFD-based communication, soft AP mode communication, wireless infrastructure mode communication, etc. The operation of these modes will be described later.

[0041] (Configuration of mobile terminal devices) Figure 4(b) shows an example of the configuration of the mobile terminal device 101. In one example, the mobile terminal device 101 has a main board 411 that performs the main control of the device itself, and a wireless unit 429 that performs WLAN communication. The main board 411 includes, for example, a CPU 412, ROM 413, RAM 414, image memory 415, data conversion unit 416, telephone unit 417, GPS 419, camera unit 421, non-volatile memory 422, data storage unit 423, speaker unit 424, and power supply unit 425. Here, CPU is an acronym for Central Processing Unit, ROM for Read Only Memory, RAM for Random Access Memory, and GPS for Global Positioning System. The mobile terminal device 101 also includes a display unit 420 and an operation unit 418. These functional units within the main board 411 are interconnected via a system bus 428 managed by the CPU 412. Furthermore, the main board 411 and the wireless unit 429 (the aforementioned wireless unit 401) are connected, for example, via a dedicated bus 426.

[0042] The CPU 412 is a system control unit including at least one processor, and controls the entire mobile terminal device 101. In one example, the processing of the mobile terminal device 101 described below is realized by the CPU 412 executing a program stored in the ROM 413. Dedicated hardware may be provided for each process. The ROM 413 stores control programs and embedded operating system (OS) programs that the CPU 412 executes. In this embodiment, the CPU 412 performs software control such as scheduling and task switching by executing each control program stored in the ROM 413 under the management of the embedded OS, which is also stored in the ROM 413.

[0043] RAM 414 is composed of SRAM (Static RAM) or the like. RAM 414 stores data such as program control variables, user-registered settings, and management data for the mobile terminal device 101. RAM 414 can also be used as a buffer for various tasks. Image memory 415 is composed of memory such as DRAM (Dynamic RAM). Image memory 415 temporarily stores image data received via the wireless unit 429 and image data read from the data storage unit 423 for processing by the CPU 412. Non-volatile memory 422 is composed of memory such as flash memory, and continues to store data even when the power to the mobile terminal device 101 is turned off. Note that the memory configuration of the mobile terminal device 101 is not limited to the above configuration. For example, image memory 415 and RAM 414 may be shared, or data backup may be performed using the data storage unit 423. In this embodiment, DRAM is given as an example of image memory 415, but other storage media such as hard disks or non-volatile memory may be used.

[0044] The data conversion unit 416 performs data analysis of various formats and data conversions such as color conversion and image conversion. The telephone unit 417 controls the telephone line and processes the voice data input and output via the speaker unit 424 to enable telephone communication. The GPS 419 receives radio waves transmitted from satellites and acquires location information such as the current latitude and longitude of the mobile terminal device 101.

[0045] The camera unit 421 has the function of electronically recording and encoding images input through the lens. Image data obtained by imaging with the camera unit 421 is stored in the data storage unit 423. The speaker unit 424 has the function of inputting or outputting sound for telephone functions, and also performs control to realize other functions such as alarm notifications. The power supply unit 425 is, for example, a portable battery and controls the power supply to the device. Power states include, for example, a battery-dead state where there is no remaining battery power, a power-off state where the power key 404 is not pressed, a normal startup state, and a power-saving state where the device is running but power saving is enabled.

[0046] The display unit 420, based on the control of the CPU 412, performs various input operations and displays the operating status and status of the MFP 100. The operation unit 418 receives user operations and performs control such as generating electrical signals corresponding to those operations and outputting them to the CPU 412.

[0047] The mobile terminal device 101 performs wireless communication using the wireless unit 429 to communicate data with other devices such as the MFP 100. The wireless unit 429 converts data into packets and transmits them to other devices. The wireless unit 429 also restores packets from external devices back to their original data and outputs it to the CPU 412. The wireless unit 429 is a unit that enables communication compliant with WLAN standards. The wireless unit 429 can operate in parallel in at least two communication modes, including wireless infrastructure mode and P2P (WLAN) mode. The frequency bands used in these communication modes may be limited by the hardware functions and performance.

[0048] (Access point configuration) Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of AP111, which has wireless LAN access point functionality. It consists of a main board 510 that controls AP111, a wireless LAN unit 516, a wired LAN unit 518, and operation buttons 520.

[0049] The microprocessor-type CPU 511 located on the main board 510 operates according to the control program stored in the ROM-type program memory 513, which is connected via the internal bus 512, and the contents of the RAM-type data memory 514. The CPU 511 controls the wireless LAN unit 516 through the wireless LAN communication control unit 515 to perform wireless LAN communication with other communication terminal devices. Specifically, the wireless LAN unit 516 is configured to perform data (packet) communication in a WLAN system compliant with, for example, the IEEE 802.11 standard series (IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax / be / bn) as wireless LAN communication. It is also capable of communication as an AP compatible with Multi-AP communication, which will be described later. However, it is not limited to this, and the wireless LAN unit 516 may also be capable of performing communication in WLAN systems compliant with other standards. In this example, the wireless LAN unit 516 is assumed to be capable of communication in the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz frequency bands. However, the wireless LAN unit 516 may also be capable of communicating in one or more frequency bands, including the 2.4GHz band, the 5GHz band, and the 6GHz band.

[0050] Furthermore, the CPU 511 controls the wired LAN unit 518 through the wired LAN communication control unit 517 to perform wired LAN communication with other communication devices. The CPU 511 can accept user input via the operation buttons 520 by controlling the operation control unit 519. The CPU 511 includes at least one processor.

[0051] The AP111 also includes an interference wave detection unit 521 and a channel changing unit 522. The interference wave detection unit 521 performs interference wave detection processing when wireless communication is being performed in a band where DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection) is implemented. The channel changing unit 522 performs channel changing processing when an interference wave is detected while wireless communication is being performed in a band where DFS is implemented, and when it is necessary to immediately switch to an available channel.

[0052] AP112 and AP113 have the same configuration as AP111.

[0053] (P2P mode (direct mode)) Next, we will outline the P2P (WLAN) communication method, which allows devices to communicate directly wirelessly with each other without the need for an external access point. P2P (WLAN) communication can be implemented using multiple methods; for example, a communication device can support multiple modes for P2P (WLAN) communication and selectively use one of these modes to perform P2P communication (WLAN).

[0054] Two P2P modes are assumed:

[0055] • Soft AP mode • Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) mode A communication device capable of performing P2P communication may be configured to support at least one of these modes. On the other hand, a communication device capable of performing P2P communication is not required to support all of these modes, but may be configured to support only some of them.

[0056] A communication device with WFD communication capabilities (for example, a mobile terminal device 101) receives user input via its control panel, thereby calling a (possibly dedicated) application to implement the communication function. The communication device then displays a UI (user interface) screen provided by the application to prompt user input, and can perform WFD communication based on the received user input.

[0057] ● Soft AP mode In soft AP mode, the communication device (e.g., mobile terminal device 101) acts as a client requesting various services. The other communication device (e.g., MFP100) operates as a soft AP capable of performing WLAN AP functions through software configuration. The commands and parameters transmitted and received when establishing a wireless connection between the client and the soft AP are those specified in the Wi-Fi® standard, so their explanation is omitted here. In addition, the MFP100 operating in soft AP mode determines the frequency band and frequency channel as the master station. Therefore, the MFP100 can select which frequency band to use from 5GHz and 2.4GHz, and which frequency channel to use within that frequency band.

[0058] ●WFD mode The MFP100 can be configured to start permanently as the master station in WFD mode (Autonomous Group Owner). In this case, the GO Negotiation process to determine the role is unnecessary. Also, in this case, the MFP100 determines the frequency band and frequency channel as the master station. Therefore, the MFP100 can select which frequency band to use, 5GHz or 2.4GHz, and which frequency channel to use within that frequency band.

[0059] (Wireless infrastructure mode) In wireless infrastructure mode, communication devices that communicate with each other (for example, the mobile terminal device 101 and the MFP 100) are connected to an external AP (for example, AP 111) that manages the network, and communication between communication devices takes place through that AP. In other words, communication between communication devices is performed via the network established by the external AP. When the mobile terminal device 101 and the MFP 100 each discover AP 111, send connection requests to AP 111, and connect, communication between these communication devices in wireless infrastructure mode via AP 111 becomes possible. Note that multiple communication devices are separate. It is also possible to connect to an AP. In this case, data transfer between APs enables communication between communication devices. The commands and parameters sent and received during communication between each communication device via the access point can be those specified in the Wi-Fi standard, so an explanation of them is omitted here. In this case, AP111 determines the frequency band and frequency channel. Therefore, AP111 can select which frequency band to use from 5GHz, 2.4GHz, and 6GHz, and which frequency channel to use within that frequency band.

[0060] (Multi-AP News) The IEEE 802.11be standard specifies multi-link communication, in which a single access point (AP) establishes multiple links with a single station (STA) via multiple different frequency channels and communicates in parallel.

[0061] Furthermore, the IEEE 802.11bn standard, the successor to the IEEE 802.11be standard, is exploring methods to improve usability using Multi-AP communication.

[0062] For example, distributed MIMO technology is based on a technique called MIMO (multi-user multi-output), which uses multiple transmitting and receiving antennas simultaneously on the same channel. In distributed MIMO, in an environment with multiple access points (APs) and multiple service stations (STAs), APs form groups to share information about communication status and the status of each AP, and data is sent to the STA in parallel from multiple APs at the same time. Because multiple APs perform joint transmission, the number of spatial streams can be increased compared to the case of a single AP, and thus an improvement in throughput can be expected.

[0063] Another example is a technology that improves reception quality at the STA by utilizing the effects of time diversity and spatial diversity, through which multiple APs transmit data to the STA at different times using time-division multiplexing.

[0064] This type of communication technology, in which multiple access points (APs) form a group and operate in a coordinated manner, is called Multi-AP communication. APs are classified into a single Coordinator AP that manages all APs and Coordinated APs that operate under the management of the Coordinator AP.

[0065] In the following, in Multi-AP communication, the AP that manages the other APs will be referred to as the "Coordinator AP" or "Sharing AP". APs operating under the management of the Coordinator AP will be referred to as the "Coordinated AP" or "Shared AP". The Coordinator AP and the Coordinated AP can send and receive signals from each other. Furthermore, each of the multiple APs, including AP111 to AP113, may be connected wirelessly and perform wireless LAN communication, or connected via a wired connection and perform wired LAN communication. It is assumed that AP111 to AP113 are capable of Multi-AP communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standards and support a configuration in which multiple APs cooperate to communicate with a common STA.

[0066] There are two types of multi-AP communication methods: Co-OFDMA and Joint-TX. In Co-OFDMA (Coordinated-Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access), the available frequency resources are separated among multiple BSSs (Basic Service Sets). For example, the frequency resources used by AP112 and MFP100(STA) are separated from those used by AP113 and MFP100(STA) so as not to overlap. This prevents interference between BSS communications. If an STA has the capability to transmit and receive simultaneously on multiple frequency bands (multiple resource units within the same channel or spanning different channels, multiple channels, or multiple of the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands), multiple APs can cooperate to transmit and receive data on the same STA. Data includes content data such as image data, audio data, document data, and print data. In this case, for example, it is possible to send packet 1 of content A from AP112 to MFP100(STA) and send packet 2 of content A from AP113 to MFP100(STA) in parallel.

[0067] In the Joint-TX (Joint-Transmission) method, the same signal is transmitted and received between multiple access points (APs) and one station (STA). The system controls the reception of a multiplexed wave (superimposed wave, multiplexed wave, composite wave) created by combining the radio waves emitted from multiple APs in a way that is amplified by wave interference. This ensures that the STA receives a stronger signal (amplified signal) than a signal from a single AP alone. For example, the same signal is transmitted and received between AP112 and MFP100(STA), and between AP113 and MFP100(STA), with the signal being multiplexed and amplified at the MFP100(STA) location. For instance, at the same time, AP112 sends packet 1 of content A to MFP100(STA), and AP113 sends packet 1 of content A to MFP100(STA). The content A radio waves are transmitted in a way that multiplexes at the MFP100(STA) location. This improves the reliability (connectivity) of communication between the STA and APs, as well as the speed of data transmission and reception.

[0068] Figure 6 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a process in which AP111 operates as a Coordinator AP, and Coordinated APs AP112 and AP113 cooperate to send and receive data to and from the MFP100(STA). In this sequence, the processing performed by each device is realized by the CPU of each device reading various programs stored in the memory such as ROM into RAM and executing them.

[0069] In S601, AP111 to AP113 perform Multi-AP setup processing. During Multi-AP setup processing, capability information and parameters are exchanged between APs, and a group is formed for Multi-AP communication.

[0070] In S602, Multi-AP coordination processing is performed between AP111 and AP113. For example, the Multi-AP communication method is determined, the AP roles (Coordinator AP or Coordinated AP) are determined, and parameters and network information are exchanged between APs. The Multi-AP communication method and AP roles are determined by exchanging and comparing parameters between AP111 and AP113. At that time, the Coordinator AP (AP111) notifies the Coordinated APs (AP112 and AP113) of network information that should be used in common (such as the SSID to be used in common and the BSSID (Basic Service Set color ID) to be used in common). Note that the BSSID to be used in common is notified in the case of Joint-TX.

[0071] In S603, AP112 and AP113 transmit Beacon frames (information that APs spontaneously transmit periodically) according to the network information notified in S602. The Beacon frame contains information indicating that Multi-AP communication is possible with the connected STA and information indicating the Multi-AP communication method. APs that support Multi-AP communication may also transmit a Multi-AP IE (Information Element) within the Beacon frame. The Multi-AP IE contains at least one of the following pieces of information (one or more of the following pieces of information).

[0072] • The SSID used by multiple Coordinated APs belonging to the same multi-AP group (the ESSID to be used in common, as notified by S602) • BSSID (In the case of Joint-TX, the BSSID notified by S602 should be used in common by APs belonging to multi-AP group 110) • BSS color value (identifier) ​​for Multi-AP communication • Operating wireless channel (If using the Joint-TX method, this is the communication channel that should be used in common. If using the Co-OFDMA method, this is the communication channel and / or resource unit used by the source AP. In the case of the Co-OFDMA method, this may also include the communication channels and / or resource units used by other APs within the multi-AP group 110.) • Multi-AP communication method (information that identifies whether it is Co-OFDMA or Joint-TX) The storage method and structure of this information are not limited to those described here, and similar information may be stored and transmitted in a similar format. Note that Multi-AP IE may have a different name, such as Multi-AP Element. Furthermore, Multi-AP IE may be included in wireless frames such as the S605 Probe Response frame or other Action frames.

[0073] In S604, the MFP100(STA) begins establishing a connection with the AP using wireless infrastructure mode. The MFP100(STA) sends a ProbeRequest frame to begin searching for the AP in order to determine whether the AP supports Multi-AP communication.

[0074] In S605, the MFP100(STA) searches for and discovers APs by receiving ProbeResponse frames and Beacon frames transmitted from APs, which are responses to AP searches.

[0075] In S606, MFP100(STA) performs connection processing with at least one CoordinatedAP based on the information contained in the frame received in S605. Here, as an example, MFP100(STA) sends a connection request to AP112 and performs a connection attempt (connection processing). This connection processing includes processes such as Authentication and Association as defined in IEEE802.11. MFP100(STA) may also add Multi-AP IE to the Association Request frame it sends to indicate that it is requesting Multi-AP communication. Upon receiving the Association Request frame, AP112 sends an Association Response frame in response. This establishes a wireless LAN connection between MFP100(STA) and AP112.

[0076] In S607, when AP112 establishes a connection with MFP100(STA), it notifies CoordinatorAP(AP111) of information indicating that it has established a connection with MFP100(STA), along with connection parameters related to the connected MFP100(STA). The connection parameters related to the connected MFP100(STA) include information used or generated during the connection process between AP112 and MFP100 (such as PMK cache, roaming information, authentication information, etc.), and the STA identifier. Similarly, when AP113 connects with MFP100(STA), AP113 also notifies CoordinatorAP(AP111) that it has established a connection.

[0077] After S607, AP111 transmits the connection parameters for MFP100(STA) transmitted in S607 to AP113. AP113 may use the transmitted connection parameters for MFP100(STA) to establish a connection with MFP100. However, in the Joint-TX method, data can be transmitted from APs that have not established a connection. In other words, APs that have not established a connection can also be sources of multiplexed radio waves. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform the process of establishing a connection between AP113 and MFP100.

[0078] In S608, the CoordinatorAP (AP111) determines the transmission parameters (information necessary for determining the transmission timing and transmission power for each CoordinatedAP and each antenna, and / or resource unit allocation information, etc.) based on the connection parameters (parameters received in S607) of the CoordinatedAP that has connected to the MFP100 (STA), and then allocates the transmission data. The determined transmission parameter information is notified to each CoordinatedAP via a Multi-AP Trigger frame. AP112 and AP113 set their own transmission parameters (transmission timing, transmission power, and resource units to be used) based on the notified information. Note that the Multi-AP Trigger frame may have a different name. Also, the Multi-AP Trigger frame may be an extension of the Trigger frame of the IEEE802.11ax / be standard.

[0079] In S609, the CoordinatorAP (AP111) sends data to be sent to the MFP100 (STA) (for example, content data such as image data, document data, and print data) to the CoordinatedAP.

[0080] In S610, when the Coordinated APs (AP112, 113) receive data to be transmitted from the Coordinator AP (AP111), they coordinately transmit that data to the MFP100. Also, when the Coordinated APs (AP112, AP113) receive data from the MFP100 (STA), they transmit that received data to the Coordinator AP (AP111). Note that this order of data transmission and reception is just an example; for example, data reception from the STA may occur before data transmission to the STA.

[0081] Furthermore, the CoordinatorAP may directly transmit and receive signals with the STA. For example, AP111 may operate as both a CoordinatorAP and a CoordinatedAP. In this case, for example, AP111 may transmit and receive wireless frames between itself and the STA while issuing instructions to AP112 or AP113 to transmit and receive wireless frames between AP112 or AP113 and the STA. The CoordinatorAP may also transmit data to be transmitted to the CoordinatedAP when it causes the CoordinatedAP to transmit wireless frames. However, it is not limited to this, and the CoordinatedAP may also obtain data to be transmitted directly from, for example, the Internet. In addition, the CoordinatorAP may receive data received by the CoordinatedAP from the STA, but the CoordinatedAP may also forward the data received from the STA to the STA's partner device instead of forwarding it to the CoordinatorAP.

[0082] Furthermore, any AP within the same network can operate as a Coordinator AP, and it may be determined by some criteria that one of the APs will operate as a Coordinator AP. The Coordinator AP does not necessarily operate as an AP that transmits Beacon frames, but may only perform the Coordinator AP's role, such as sending instructions to other APs. Also, each AP may operate as multiple Coordinated APs by having multiple wireless LAN communication control units 515. Additionally, the Coordinator AP may be implemented as a logical function, and one physical AP may operate as a Coordinator AP while simultaneously operating as one or more Coordinated APs.

[0083] In this embodiment, the MFP100's wireless unit 250 is equipped with only one antenna and one analog front end. Furthermore, during simultaneous connections, where both infrastructure and P2P connections are established in parallel, the infrastructure mode (for communication via the infrastructure connection) and the P2P mode (for communication via the P2P connection) are switched on a time-division basis at unit time intervals. This switching is controlled by the CPU or CPU 212 of the wireless unit 250. The setting value for the ratio (duty cycle) of communication on the infrastructure side and the P2P side is stored in the ROM 213, and the CPU 212 performs the switching based on this setting value. The setting value can be configured by inputting a command from outside the wireless unit 250. An analog front end (AFE) is a circuit system that converts analog signals from the antenna into digital signals, and can improve signal quality and accuracy by performing signal amplification, filtering, and noise reduction. In the following description, the MFP100's wireless unit 250 is equipped with only one antenna and one analog front end.

[0084] Also, when AP111, AP112, and AP113 do not perform Multi-AP communication, they are assumed to manage only specific BSSs. For example, AP111 manages only BSS1, AP112 manages only BSS2, and AP113 manages only BSS3. For example, AP111 and AP112 each manage resource allocation and communication timing in OFDMA communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11ax standard in BSS1 and BSS2, and AP113 manages resource allocation and communication timing in OFDM communication in BSS3.

[0085] <Processing when starting a P2P connection during Co-OFDMA mode infrastructure connection> Next, the processing when starting a P2P connection during Co-OFDMA mode infrastructure connection will be described.

[0086] Consider a case where MFP100 connects to an external mobile terminal device (slave station) as the master station of a P2P connection when it is in a situation where Multi-AP communication in the Co-OFDMA mode is possible as wireless communication in infrastructure mode. That is, consider a case where simultaneous connection of infrastructure connection and P2P connection is established in MFP100. In this case, the communication parameters on the infrastructure connection side need to be adjusted to the communication parameters specified by the Coordinator AP, but those communication parameters are not necessarily suitable for easy switching to wireless communication on the P2P connection side. Therefore, the decrease in communication efficiency due to time-division switching between infrastructure mode and P2P mode can be significant.

[0087] Furthermore, within the Co-OFDMA system, during the designated time period for transmission in the designated frequency band (RU) specified by the CoordinatorAP, the STA, MFP100, must also be on standby for reception in that designated frequency band. In other words, during the above designated time period, the MFP100 must occupy the designated frequency band specified by the CoordinatorAP on the infrastructure connection side. This means that during that designated time period, even if no data transmission or reception is actually occurring on the infrastructure connection side, the STA, MFP100, cannot perform wireless communication on the P2P connection side in the designated frequency band, and must wait for data transmission or reception on the P2P connection side. Consequently, the communication efficiency on the P2P connection side is reduced.

[0088] In this embodiment, when wireless communication is performed on the P2P connection side, wireless communication is performed on the infrastructure connection side using a method other than Co-OFDMA. This prevents a significant decrease in communication efficiency when performing wireless communication on the infrastructure connection side and wireless communication on the P2P connection side, as described above. This process is particularly effective in devices equipped with a wireless communication unit that uses only one antenna and AFE for wireless LAN communication, simultaneously establishes infrastructure and P2P connections, and switches between infrastructure mode and P2P mode by frequency time division.

[0089] Figure 7 shows the sequence of devices when MFP100 establishes a P2P connection from an infrastructure connection state. An infrastructure connection state means that MFP100 has established an infrastructure connection with the multi-AP group 110, with Co-OFDMA Multi-AP communication enabled. Establishing a P2P connection means that MFP100 establishes a wireless LAN P2P connection with the mobile terminal device 102 (not shown in Figure 1). In this sequence, the processing performed by each device is realized by the CPU of each device reading various programs stored in computer-readable memory such as ROM into RAM and executing them. Here, the mobile terminal device 102 is a device that communicates with MFP100 via a P2P connection, and is not a device that communicates with MFP100 via AP (infrastructure connection). Therefore, it is a different device from the mobile terminal device 101 in Figure 1, which communicates with MFP100 via AP (infrastructure connection), and is given a different reference numeral. However, the configuration of the mobile terminal device 102 is assumed to be the same as that of the mobile terminal device 101 shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(b).

[0090] In S701, AP111, AP112, and AP113 constitute a multi-AP group 110 using the Co-OFDMA method. The processing in S701 corresponds to the processing in S601 and S602 in Figure 6. Here, the multi-AP communication method is the Co-OFDMA method, and it is assumed that AP111 is the Coordinator AP and AP112 and 113 are the Coordinated APs.

[0091] In S702, an infrastructure connection is established between MFP100 and AP112 with Co-OFDMA multi-AP communication enabled. The processing in S702 corresponds to the processing in S603 to S606 in Figure 6. In S702, MFP100 notifies AP112 that MFP100 is able to connect using Co-OFDMA. This notification is made, for example, using a Probe Request frame or an Association Request frame.

[0092] In S703, AP111, AP112, AP113, and MFP100 adjust the Co-OFDMA operating parameters under the guidance of AP111. The processing in S703 corresponds to the processing in S608 in Figure 6. As adjustments, for example, adjustments are made to the frequency band between the STA and the connected AP, the RU and transmission timing when each AP transmits data, and the RU and transmission timing when the STA transmits data.

[0093] In S704, data is transmitted and received between AP112 and MFP100, and between AP113 and MFP100, based on the coordinated RU and communication timing. The processing in S704 corresponds to the processing in S610 in Figure 6.

[0094] In S705, the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 determines whether a P2P connection trigger has occurred. If it is determined that a P2P connection trigger has occurred, the process in S706 is executed. A P2P connection trigger is, for example, when the MFP 100 has enabled P2P connectivity and receives a P2P connection request from the mobile terminal device 102, which is the P2P connection partner. Alternatively, a P2P connection trigger could be, for example, when the MFP 100 receives a P2P connection instruction operation with the mobile terminal device 102 as the connection partner. However, it is not limited to these. For example, the P2P connection trigger could be when the MFP 100 has enabled P2P connectivity. In that case, once the P2P connectivity is enabled, the process in S706 is executed before receiving a P2P connection request or before receiving a P2P connection instruction operation with the mobile terminal device 102 as the connection partner. For example, if the "Wireless Direct" item in Figure 3(b) is selected and the setting is changed from "Disabled" to "Enabled," it means that the P2P connection has been enabled. Also, if the MFP100 is powered on while the "Wireless Direct" item is set to "Enabled," it means that the P2P connection has been enabled. When the P2P connection is enabled, the MFP100 transmits a beacon (wireless signal) indicating that a P2P connection is possible, and surrounding devices can discover the MFP100 as a target for P2P connection. If the mobile terminal device 102 receives the beacon indicating that the MFP100 is capable of P2P connection and performs an operation to instruct the MFP100 to be the connection partner, the mobile terminal device 102 will send a P2P connection request to the MFP100. Furthermore, even if the mobile terminal device 102 does not perform an operation to instruct the MFP100 to be the connection partner for P2P connection, P2P communication may be enabled on the mobile terminal device 102. In such cases, the MFP 100 can receive a beacon emitted by the mobile terminal device 102, and then send a P2P connection request from the MFP 100 to the mobile terminal device 102.In that case, when the MFP 100 receives an instruction operation to establish a P2P connection with the mobile terminal device 102, which is the P2P connection partner, the MFP 100 sends a P2P connection request to the mobile terminal device 102.

[0095] In S706, the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 performs P2P connection processing with the mobile terminal device 102. For example, it performs Wi-Fi Direct connection processing. In this case, the Wi-Fi Direct connection processing is performed between the MFP 100 and the mobile terminal device 102 so that the MFP 100 becomes the Group Owner. The connection processing in S706 is performed using a method that does not use OFDMA.

[0096] In S707, the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 requests AP 112 to disconnect the infrastructure connection. Specifically, CPU 212 sends a De-authentication frame requesting the disconnection (disconnection) of the connection using the Co-OFDMA method. Note that this request is not limited to being sent to AP 112, but may be sent to any of the multiple APs that make up the multi-AP group. That is, for example, the request may be sent to AP 113.

[0097] In S708, the CPU212 of the MFP100 controls the system to re-establish the infrastructure connection with AP112 using a method other than Co-OFDMA. This control is performed automatically after S705, even if there is no user action to establish the infrastructure connection. For example, the CPU212 sends a Probe Request frame or Association Request frame to AP112, the connection partner to which the infrastructure connection is to be re-established, containing information indicating that the Co-OFDMA method is not supported. The CPU212 then controls the system to notify AP112 that the Co-OFDMA method is not supported before attempting to establish the connection. Alternatively, the CPU212 controls the system to notify AP112 that the MFP100 is not supported by not sending a specific frame defined by IEEE802.11bn to AP112 before attempting to establish the connection. If an infrastructure connection is established using a method other than Co-OFDMA, the MFP100 will connect to AP112 using a method that does not support Multi-AP communication, or a method other than Co-OFDMA (e.g., Joint-TX) even if it is Multi-AP communication. Although AP112 was used as the connection partner for the MFP100 in S707, it is not limited to this; any other AP belonging to the same network as the AP to which it was connected in S702 is acceptable. This is because any AP belonging to the same network can communicate with the same communication partner (e.g., mobile terminal device 101) that was communicated via the infrastructure connection when connected in S702. An example of an AP belonging to the same network is an AP (e.g., AP113) belonging to the same multi-AP group 110 as AP112. If it is not necessary to be able to communicate with the same communication partner (e.g., mobile terminal device 101) that was communicated via the infrastructure connection when connected in S702, the MFP100 may connect to an AP belonging to a different network. For example, at the S707 stage, the MFP100 may connect to the AP with the best radio signal among the available APs. This process allows the MFP100 to communicate without being limited by the adjustment of operating parameters led by AP111 in S703.

[0098] In this embodiment, the MFP100 switches between infrastructure mode and P2P mode in a time-division manner in the operation of the antenna and analog front end. In this switching, the switching time becomes particularly long when switching to far apart frequencies, for example, when the frequency band on the infrastructure connection side is 2.4 GHz and the frequency band on the P2P connection side is 5 GHz. Furthermore, the Co-OFDMA method requires the use of a complex modulation method in order to keep the frequency band used when transmitting data within a narrow range, which consumes a lot of computing resources of the CPU of the wireless unit 250. As a result, the overhead required for switching between wireless communication on the P2P connection side and wireless communication on the infrastructure connection side, and the load on the communication processing on the infrastructure connection side, may make it difficult to switch to wireless communication on the P2P connection side. This can lead to a decrease in the communication efficiency of the P2P connection side.

[0099] In this embodiment, the connection method on the infrastructure side is changed to a method other than the Co-OFDMA method. By doing so, it becomes possible to connect the AP and the infrastructure using connection parameters that can be easily switched between the P2P connection side and the infrastructure, regardless of the schedule adjustment by the CoordinatorAP.

[0100] When performing wireless communication on the P2P connection side within the specified frequency band designated by CoordinatorAP, the P2P connection side must wait for data transmission and reception even though the infrastructure connection side is not actually transmitting or receiving data.

[0101] In this embodiment, the connection method on the infrastructure connection side is changed to a method other than the Co-OFDMA method. By doing so, the P2P connection side does not have to wait for data transmission and reception, and the decrease in communication efficiency on the P2P connection side can be suppressed.

[0102] Furthermore, it was explained that after S705, a P2P connection is established in S706, and then a reconnection using a non-Co-OFDMA method is established on the infrastructure connection side in S707 and S708. However, this is not the only option; after S705, the processes of S707 and S708 may be executed before the process of S706.

[0103] The aforementioned S705 is a process that determines whether or not there was an event that triggers the processing of S707 and S708. Specifically, for example, the following determination is made.

[0104] (A) Determining whether a P2P connection request has been received from the mobile terminal device 102, which is the P2P connection partner, while the P2P connection is enabled. Alternatively, determining whether the MFP 100 has received an instruction operation to initiate a P2P connection with the mobile terminal device 102 as the connection partner. In other words, determining whether an event has occurred that triggers the start of the connection process with the P2P connection partner. An event that triggers the start of the connection process is, for example, the receipt of an Association Request or the sending of an Association Response.

[0105] If the judgment in (A) is true, then processing S707 and S708 is executed accordingly. Even after the P2P connection is enabled, the infrastructure-side reconnection processing in S707 and S708 will not be performed until the P2P connection is actually established. Therefore, even after the P2P connection is enabled, wireless communication using Multi-AP communication with the Co-OFDMA method can be performed on the infrastructure connection side until the P2P connection is actually established.

[0106] (B) Determination of whether the P2P connection has been enabled in MFP100. In other words, determination of whether the event that triggers the start of Beacon frame transmission has occurred.

[0107] If the judgment in (B) is true, then processing S707 and S708 is executed accordingly, the infrastructure connection side can be set to a non-Co-OFDMA method before the P2P connection is established. Therefore, when accepting a P2P connection request or when establishing a P2P connection, wireless communication in P2P mode can be performed more efficiently.

[0108] Alternatively, you may perform the following check in S705.

[0109] (C) After establishing a P2P connection, determine whether communication has started on the P2P connection side that sends and receives a predetermined type of data (e.g., print data), or communication that exceeds a predetermined amount of data.

[0110] If the result of the (C) judgment is true, the infrastructure connection side of S707 and S708 may be configured to perform reconnection processing using a non-Co-OFDMA method.

[0111] Furthermore, even if the judgment results of (A) to (C) are true, if the following conditions are met, control may be taken to prevent the non-Co-OFDMA reconnection process on the infrastructure connection side of S707 and S708 from being executed. Then, when the following conditions are no longer met, for example when the following specific communication process is completed, the non-Co-OFDMA reconnection process on the infrastructure connection side of S707 and S708 may be executed.

[0112] (Condition) The infrastructure connection side must be performing communication processing that involves sending and receiving specific data using the Co-OFDMA method (for example, sending and receiving print data or scan data to and from the mobile terminal device 101 via the AP, or sending and receiving data for firmware updates of the MFP).

[0113] Furthermore, during the reconnection process in S708, it is possible to request the AP to use the same channel used for the P2P connection for the infrastructure connection, and to control it to use the same channel used for the P2P connection for the infrastructure connection. This can further reduce the overhead of time-division switching between P2P mode and infrastructure mode.

[0114] Alternatively, during the reconnection process in S708, the AP may be requested to establish the infrastructure connection using a frequency band (RU or communication channel) that does not interfere with the frequency band used by the P2P connection side. This can suppress interference between wireless communication on the P2P connection side and wireless communication on the infrastructure connection side. This will be explained in detail using Figure 8.

[0115] Figure 8 illustrates how the so-called Hidden Node Problem occurs in S704 when MFP100 begins communicating with AP112.

[0116] In communication between the MFP100 and AP113, when AP113 transmits a carrier wave, devices within the wireless communication range 801 can detect AP113's carrier wave by carrier sense. In this case, the MFP100 and the mobile terminal device 102 can detect AP113's carrier wave. Therefore, the mobile terminal device 102 can start outputting its own carrier wave after AP113's carrier wave has stopped, preventing collision between the mobile terminal device 102's carrier wave and AP113's carrier wave, thus preventing a decrease in communication efficiency due to collision.

[0117] On the one hand, when communication between the MFP100 and the AP112 is enabled in S704, the AP112 may not be able to detect the carrier wave of the mobile terminal device 102. Therefore, the AP112 may transmit its own carrier wave while the carrier wave of the mobile terminal device 102 is being transmitted. The carrier wave of the AP112 can be received by devices within the wireless communication range 802, and at the position of the MFP100 within the overlapping range of both the wireless communication range 801 and the wireless communication range 802, the carrier wave of the mobile terminal device 102 and the carrier wave of the AP112 collide. During the collision, the MFP100 cannot correctly receive communication from either the mobile terminal device 102 or the AP112, and retransmission is required from both the mobile terminal device 102 and the AP112, resulting in a decrease in communication efficiency. As a countermeasure for the hidden terminal problem, there is the RTS (Request To Send) / CTS (Clear To Send) mechanism defined in IEEE802.11. However, when using RTS / CTS, communication waiting time occurs and communication efficiency decreases, and collisions that occur between the wireless communication on the infrastructure connection side and the wireless communication on the P2P connection side, which are different BSSs, may not be addressed by RTS / CTS. Therefore, it cannot be addressed by the RTS / CTS mechanism.

[0118] On the other hand, in this embodiment, the connection method on the infrastructure connection side is changed to a method other than the Co-OFDMA method. Therefore, in addition to the effects of this embodiment already described, it is possible to avoid a decrease in communication efficiency due to the hidden terminal problem.

[0119] <Processing when starting an infrastructure connection in the Co-OFDMA method during P2P connection> Next, we will explain the process when the MFP100 initiates an infrastructure connection with an AP that constitutes a Multi-AP group using the Co-OFDMA method while a P2P connection is established. When an infrastructure connection is initiated with an AP that constitutes a Multi-AP group using the Co-OFDMA method while a P2P connection is established and Multi-AP communication is performed, the wireless communication on the infrastructure connection side and the wireless communication on the P2P connection side may interfere with each other, potentially reducing communication efficiency. In particular, this may hinder efficient communication using Multi-AP communication, and the benefits of Multi-AP communication may not be fully realized. Therefore, in this embodiment, when the MFP100 initiates an infrastructure connection with an AP that constitutes a Multi-AP group using the Co-OFDMA method while a P2P connection is established, the MFP100 prompts the user to disconnect the P2P connection or automatically disconnects it.

[0120] Figure 9 shows the sequence when MFP100 establishes a P2P connection over a wireless LAN with the mobile terminal device 102, and then establishes an infrastructure connection with Co-OFDMA Multi-AP communication enabled. In this sequence, the processing performed by each device is realized by the CPU of each device reading various programs stored in the memory such as ROM into RAM and executing them. Here, the mobile terminal device 102 is a device that communicates with MFP100 via a P2P connection, and is not a device that communicates with MFP100 via AP (infrastructure connection). Therefore, it is a different device from the mobile terminal device 101 in Figure 1, which communicates with MFP100 via AP (infrastructure connection), and is given a different reference numeral. However, the configuration of the mobile terminal device 102 is assumed to be the same as that of the mobile terminal device 101 shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(b).

[0121] In S901, the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 establishes a P2P connection with the mobile terminal device 102. The establishment of the P2P connection in S901 is performed using a method other than OFDMA. Specifically, for example, the MFP 100 becomes the Wi-Fi Direct Group Owner, and a Wi-Fi Direct connection is established with the mobile terminal device 102.

[0122] In S902, AP111, AP112, and AP113 constitute a Co-OFDMA multi-AP group 110. This process corresponds to S601 and S602 in Figure 6. In S902, the Multi-AP communication method is Co-OFDMA, AP111 is determined as the Coordinator AP, and AP112 and AP113 are determined as Coordinated APs.

[0123] In S903, the CPU212 of the MFP100 determines whether a trigger has occurred to enable Co-OFDMA Multi-AP communication for infrastructure connection. If it is determined that such a trigger has occurred, the process in S904 is executed. On the other hand, if it is determined that such a trigger has not occurred, the processes from S904 onward are not executed. The trigger for enabling Co-OFDMA Multi-AP communication for infrastructure connection is, for example, one of the following:

[0124] The connection information for a Coordinated AP belonging to a multi-AP group that uses Co-OFDMA multi-AP communication is stored in the MFP100, and the setting status of the "Enable / Disable Wireless LAN Settings" item in the wireless LAN settings menu in Figure 3(c) has been changed from disabled to enabled. Note that the connection information for the Coordinated AP is, for example, the SSID and password.

[0125] The power was turned on while the "Enable / Disable Wireless LAN Settings" item in the wireless LAN settings menu in Figure 3(c) was set to "Enabled," and connection information to a Coordinated AP belonging to a multi-AP group that performs Co-OFDMA Multi-AP communication was stored in the MFP100.

[0126] The setting status of the "Enable / Disable Wireless LAN Settings" item in the wireless LAN settings menu in Figure 3(c) is enabled, and connection information to a Coordinated AP belonging to a multi-AP group that performs Co-OFDMA Multi-AP communication is stored in the MFP100, and the MFP100 has moved from an area where it cannot receive the radio waves of the Coordinated AP to an area where it can receive them.

[0127] The operation was performed to instruct a wireless LAN connection to a Coordinated AP belonging to a multi-AP group that performs Co-OFDMA multi-AP communication, using one of the methods corresponding to the wireless LAN setup items in Figure 3(d).

[0128] In S904, the CPU 212 of the MFP100 establishes an infrastructure connection with AP112, enabling Co-OFDMA multi-AP communication. This process corresponds to S603 to S606 in Figure 6. Also in S904, the MFP100 notifies AP112 that the MFP100 is able to connect using the Co-OFDMA method. This notification is made, for example, using a Probe Request frame or an Association Request frame.

[0129] In S905, AP111, AP112, AP113, and MFP100 adjust the Co-OFDMA operating parameters under the guidance of AP111. This process corresponds to S608 in Figure 6. The adjustment of Co-OFDMA operating parameters includes, for example, adjusting the frequency band between the STA and the connected AP, adjusting the RU and transmission timing when each AP transmits data, and adjusting the RU and transmission timing when the STA transmits data.

[0130] In S906, the CPU 212 of the MFP100 displays a confirmation dialog screen (confirmation screen) on the operation display unit 220.

[0131] Figure 10 shows an example of a confirmation dialog screen displayed in S906. The confirmation dialog screen 1001 displays the message, "Disconnecting the direct connection will improve the communication efficiency of the wireless LAN. Do you want to disconnect the direct connection?" In this embodiment, disconnecting the P2P connection prevents interference between the wireless communication on the infrastructure connection side and the wireless communication on the P2P connection side, which would otherwise hinder efficient communication using Multi-AP communication. Therefore, the confirmation dialog screen is displayed in S906 to prompt the user to disconnect the P2P connection that is currently being established. The confirmation dialog screen 1001 is provided with a "Yes" button 1002 to accept the instruction to disconnect the P2P connection and a "No" button 1003 to accept the instruction to maintain the P2P connection (i.e., not disconnect).

[0132] In S907, the CPU 212 of the MFP100 determines whether the "Yes" button 1002, which accepts the instruction to disconnect the P2P connection, or the "No" button 1003 has been selected. If it is determined that the "Yes" button 1002 has been selected, the process in S908 is executed. On the other hand, if it is determined that the "No" button 1003 has been selected, the processes from S908 onwards are not executed, and the P2P connection is maintained without being disconnected.

[0133] In S908, the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 controls the disconnection of the P2P connection with the mobile terminal device 102. Specifically, for example, the CPU 212 sends a de-authentication frame to the mobile terminal device 102, disconnecting the Wi-Fi Direct connection.

[0134] In S909, the CPU212 of the MFP100 performs data transmission and reception between AP112 and AP113 based on the operating parameters adjusted in S905, such as the RU and communication timing. This process corresponds to S610 in Figure 6.

[0135] According to the process shown in Figure 9, based on the trigger occurring in S903 to establish an infrastructure connection with Co-OFDMA Multi-AP communication enabled, S906 displays a confirmation dialog screen prompting the user to disconnect the P2P connection. If the user accepts the instruction to disconnect the P2P connection in the confirmation dialog screen, the P2P connection is disconnected. With this configuration, the benefits of Co-OFDMA Multi-AP communication can be enjoyed without causing interference with the wireless communication on the P2P connection side. Furthermore, the process shown in Figure 9 can suppress the Hidden Node Problem described in Figure 8.

[0136] In addition, in S908, the CPU212 of MFP100 may change the communication ratio so that the communication ratio of the wireless communication on the infrastructure connection side is higher than the communication ratio of the P2P connection side, rather than disconnecting the P2P connection.

[0137] Furthermore, if a trigger occurs in S903 to establish an infrastructure connection with Co-OFDMA Multi-AP communication enabled, other processing may be performed when an infrastructure connection with Co-OFDMA Multi-AP communication enabled is established. For example, in that case, the P2P connection may be disconnected in S908 without executing the processes in S906 and S907. In other words, the P2P connection may be automatically disconnected without receiving a command from the user to disconnect the P2P connection. Alternatively, for example, the CPU 212 of the MFP100 may determine the amount of wireless communication on the P2P connection side, and if the amount of communication is less than a predetermined amount, it may execute the process in S906, and if the amount of communication is large (i.e., above the predetermined amount), it may not execute the processes in S906 to S908. In that case, if the amount of wireless communication on the P2P connection side changes to less than a predetermined amount after an infrastructure connection with Co-OFDMA Multi-AP communication enabled has been established, the CPU 212 may be controlled to perform the processes in S906 to S908.

[0138] Furthermore, the configuration in which S906 to S908 are processed when S903 determines that a trigger has occurred to establish an infrastructure connection in which Co-OFDMA Multi-AP communication is enabled is not limited to the sequence shown in Figure 9. For example, when the infrastructure connection side recognizes that data that satisfies predetermined conditions will be sent or received while the infrastructure connection is established, the processing of S906 to S908 may be executed when the sending or receiving of data that satisfies those predetermined conditions begins. Recognition of data sending or receiving is, for example, job detection. Here, sending or receiving data that satisfies predetermined conditions is, for example, sending or receiving data of a predetermined capacity or more. Also, sending or receiving data that satisfies predetermined conditions is, for example, sending or receiving data of a predetermined type. Specifically, for example, this could be sending or receiving print data or scan data with a mobile terminal device 101 via the AP, or sending or receiving data for firmware updates of the MFP 100.

[0139] In this embodiment, the processing described for the Co-OFDMA method of Multi-AP communication may also be applied to the OFDMA method of IEEE802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6). That is, when the MFP100 is connected to one external AP and is in a situation where communication using the OFDMA method of IEEE802.11ax is possible, and a P2P connection is initiated, the infrastructure connection that enables communication using the OFDMA method of IEEE802.11ax may be temporarily disconnected, as shown in Figure 7, and the infrastructure connection may be re-established using a method that does not support the OFDMA method of IEEE802.11ax. Also, when an infrastructure connection using the OFDMA method of IEEE802.11ax is initiated while a P2P connection is in progress, the user may be prompted to disconnect the P2P connection, or the P2P connection may be automatically disconnected, as shown in Figure 9. In other words, the Co-OFDMA method of Multi-AP communication in this embodiment may be replaced with the OFDMA method of IEEE802.11ax, and various controls may be performed. Even in that case, the same effects as those described in this embodiment can be achieved.

[0140] Furthermore, the various controls described above, which were explained as being performed by the CPU of each device, may be performed by a single piece of hardware, or multiple pieces of hardware (for example, multiple processors or circuits) may share the processing to control the entire device.

[0141] Furthermore, although the present invention has been described in detail based on its preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various forms that do not depart from the spirit of the invention are also included in the present invention. Moreover, each of the embodiments described above is merely one embodiment of the present invention, and it is possible to combine each embodiment as appropriate.

[0142] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiments used the application of the present invention to an MFP as an example, the invention is not limited to this example and can be applied to any wireless device capable of Multi-AP communication. That is, the present invention can be applied to personal computers, PDAs, tablet terminals, mobile phone terminals such as smartphones, music players, game consoles, e-book readers, smartwatches, and various measuring devices (sensor devices) such as thermometers and hygrometers. The present invention can also be applied to digital cameras (including still cameras, video cameras, network cameras, and security cameras), printers, scanners, and drones. The present invention can also be applied to video output devices, audio output devices (e.g., smart speakers), media streaming players, and wireless LAN adapters that can connect to USB terminals or LAN cable terminals. A video output device includes, for example, a set-top box, which acquires (downloads) videos and still images from the internet specified by a URL instructed by a communication device and outputs them to a display device connected via a video output terminal such as HDMI®. This enables streaming playback on the display device or mirroring display (displaying the content displayed on the communication device on the display device as well). Furthermore, video output devices include media players such as televisions, hard disk recorders, Blu-ray recorders, and DVD recorders, as well as head-mounted displays, projectors, televisions, display devices (monitors), and signage devices. The present invention is also applicable to Wi-Fi-connected devices known as smart home appliances, such as air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, ovens, microwave ovens, lighting fixtures, heating appliances, and cooling appliances.

[0143] The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and by having one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0144] The disclosure of this embodiment includes communication devices, methods, programs, and storage media. (Item 1) A first communication method that communicates via an external access point using wireless LAN communication, A second communication method that uses wireless LAN communication to communicate directly with external terminal devices without going through an external access point, A control means that controls the following when establishing a connection with an external terminal device via the second communication means, and establishing a connection with an external access point via the first communication means using a first communication method through multiple external access points, to disconnect the connection with the external terminal device via the second communication means; A communication device characterized by having the following features. (Item 2) The communication device according to item 1, characterized in that the control means controls the second communication means not to perform the specific processing even when establishing a connection with the external access point for which communication using the first communication method is enabled, if a predetermined amount or more of communication is being performed. (Item 3) The communication device according to item 2, characterized in that the control means controls the device to perform the specific processing based on the fact that the amount of communication by the second communication means falls below a predetermined amount, after establishing a connection with the external access point for which communication using the first communication method is enabled. (Item 4) The communication device according to any one of items 1 to 3, characterized in that the first communication method is a communication method in which each of the multiple access points belonging to the group to which the external access point connected by the first communication means belongs communicates with the communication device using different resource units from each other. (Item 5) The communication device according to any one of items 1 to 4, characterized in that the first communication method is a Co-OFDMA (Coordinated-Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) method in Multi-AP communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standards. (Item 6) The aforementioned specific process is the process of displaying a screen that receives an instruction from the user to disconnect the connection with the external terminal device via the second communication means, When the control means receives the instruction while the screen is displayed, it controls the connection between the second communication means and the external terminal device to disconnect. A communication device according to any one of items 1 to 5, characterized by the features described herein. (Item 7) The communication device according to any one of items 1 to 6, characterized in that the specific processing is a process of disconnecting the connection between the second communication means and the external terminal device, even without receiving an instruction from the user to disconnect the connection between the second communication means and the external terminal device. (Item 8) The communication device according to any one of items 1 to 7, characterized in that, when the second communication means initiates a predetermined communication while the device is connected to the external access point by the first communication means and capable of communication using the first communication method, the control means controls the first communication means to change to a second state in which it is capable of communicating with the external access point using a communication method different from the first communication method. (Item 9) A first communication method that communicates via an external access point using wireless LAN communication, A second communication method that uses wireless LAN communication to communicate directly with external terminal devices without going through an external access point, A control means that controls the following when a connection is established between the external terminal device and the second communication means, and a connection is established between the external access point and the first communication method via a plurality of external access points by the first communication means, and when the transmission or reception of data that satisfies predetermined conditions is started using the first communication method, to perform a specific process to disconnect the connection between the external terminal device and the second communication means; A communication device characterized by having the following features. (Item 10) The communication device according to item 9, characterized in that the predetermined condition is at least one of a plurality of conditions, including transmitting or receiving data of a predetermined capacity or more, and transmitting or receiving data of a predetermined type. (Item 11) The communication device according to item 9 or 10, characterized in that the first communication method is a communication method in which each of the multiple access points belonging to the group to which the external access point connected by the first communication means belongs communicates with the communication device using different resource units from each other. (Item 12) The communication device according to any one of items 9 to 11, characterized in that the first communication method is a Co-OFDMA (Coordinated-Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) method in Multi-AP communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standards. (Item 13) The aforementioned specific process is the process of displaying a screen that receives an instruction from the user to disconnect the connection with the external terminal device via the second communication means, When the control means receives the instruction while the screen is displayed, it controls the connection between the second communication means and the external terminal device to disconnect. A communication device according to any one of items 9 to 12, characterized in that it is a communication device. (Item 14) The communication device according to any one of items 9 to 13, characterized in that the specific processing is a process of disconnecting the connection between the second communication means and the external terminal device, even without receiving an instruction from the user to disconnect the connection between the second communication means and the external terminal device. (Item 15) The communication device according to any one of items 9 to 14, characterized in that, when a predetermined communication is initiated by the second communication means in a first state in which the device is connected to the external access point by the first communication means and communication using the first communication method is possible, the control means controls the first communication means to change to a second state in which it is capable of communicating with the external access point using a communication method different from the first communication method. (Item 16) A method performed in a communication device, The first communication process involves communication via an external access point using wireless LAN communication, A second communication process involves communicating directly with an external terminal device via wireless LAN communication without going through an external access point, A control step that controls the following: In the second communication step, while a connection with the external terminal device is established, in the first communication step, when establishing a connection with the external access point for which communication via a first communication method through multiple external access points is enabled, a specific process is performed to disconnect the connection with the external terminal device in the second communication step. A method characterized by having the following: (Item 17) A method performed in a communication device, The first communication process involves communication via an external access point using wireless LAN communication, A second communication process involves communicating directly with an external terminal device via wireless LAN communication without going through an external access point, A control step that controls the system to perform a specific process to disconnect the connection with the external terminal device in the second communication step when, in the second communication step, a connection is established with the external access point for which communication via a plurality of external access points in the first communication step is enabled, and when the system starts transmitting or receiving data that satisfies predetermined conditions in the first communication step, A method characterized by having the following: (Item 18) A program for causing a computer to function as one of the means of a communication device as described in any one of items 1 through 8. (Item 19) A computer-readable storage medium containing a program for causing a computer to function as one of the means of a communication device as described in any one of items 1 through 8. (Item 20) A program for causing a computer to function as one of the means of a communication device as described in any one of items 9 through 15. (Item 21) A computer-readable storage medium containing a program for causing a computer to function as one of the means of a communication device as described in any one of items 9 through 15. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0145] 100 Communication devices: 101 Mobile terminal devices: 111, 112, 113 APs: 212, 412, 511 CPUs

Claims

1. A first communication means that communicates via an external access point using wireless LAN communication, A second communication means that communicates directly with an external terminal device via wireless LAN communication without going through an external access point, A control means that controls the following when establishing a connection with an external terminal device via the second communication means, and establishing a connection with an external access point via the first communication means using a first communication method through multiple external access points, to disconnect the connection with the external terminal device via the second communication means: A communication device characterized by having the following features.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control means controls the second communication means to refrain from performing the specific processing even when establishing a connection with the external access point for which communication using the first communication method is enabled, if a predetermined amount or more of communication is being performed by the second communication means.

3. The communication device according to claim 2, characterized in that the control means controls the device to perform the specific processing based on the fact that the amount of communication by the second communication means falls below a predetermined amount, after establishing a connection with the external access point for which communication using the first communication method is enabled.

4. The communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first communication method is a communication method in which each of the multiple access points belonging to the group to which the external access point connected by the first communication means belongs communicates with the communication device using different resource units from each other.

5. The communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first communication method is a Co-OFDMA (Coordinated-Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) method in Multi-AP communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standard.

6. The aforementioned specific process is the process of displaying a screen that receives an instruction from the user to disconnect the connection with the external terminal device via the second communication means, When the control means receives the instruction while the screen is displayed, it controls the connection between the second communication means and the external terminal device to disconnect. The communication device according to feature 1.

7. The communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that the specific processing is a process of disconnecting the connection between the second communication means and the external terminal device, even without receiving an instruction from the user to disconnect the connection between the second communication means and the external terminal device.

8. The communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the second communication means initiates a predetermined communication while the device is connected to the external access point by the first communication means and capable of communication using the first communication method, the control means controls the first communication means to change to a second state in which it is capable of communicating with the external access point using a communication method different from the first communication method.

9. A first communication means that communicates via an external access point using wireless LAN communication, A second communication means that communicates directly with an external terminal device via wireless LAN communication without going through an external access point, A control means controls the following when a connection is established between the external terminal device and the second communication means, and a connection is established between the external access point and the first communication method via a plurality of external access points by the first communication means, and when the transmission or reception of data that satisfies predetermined conditions is started using the first communication method, to perform a specific process to disconnect the connection between the external terminal device and the second communication means; A communication device characterized by having the following features.

10. The communication device according to claim 9, characterized in that the predetermined condition is at least one of a plurality of conditions, including transmitting or receiving data of a predetermined capacity or more, and transmitting or receiving data of a predetermined type.

11. The communication device according to claim 9, characterized in that the first communication method is a communication method in which each of a plurality of access points belonging to the group to which the external access point connected by the first communication means belongs communicates with the communication device using different resource units from each other.

12. The communication device according to claim 9, characterized in that the first communication method is a Co-OFDMA (Coordinated-Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) method in Multi-AP communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standards.

13. The aforementioned specific process is the process of displaying a screen that receives an instruction from the user to disconnect the connection with the external terminal device via the second communication means, When the control means receives the instruction while the screen is displayed, it controls the connection between the second communication means and the external terminal device to disconnect. The communication device according to feature 9.

14. The communication device according to claim 9, characterized in that the specific processing is a process of disconnecting the connection between the second communication means and the external terminal device, even without receiving an instruction from the user to disconnect the connection between the second communication means and the external terminal device.

15. The communication device according to claim 9, characterized in that, when the second communication means initiates a predetermined communication while the device is connected to the external access point by the first communication means and capable of communication using the first communication method, the control means controls the first communication means to change to a second state in which it is capable of communicating with the external access point using a communication method different from the first communication method.

16. A method performed in a communication device, A first communication process involves communication via an external access point using wireless LAN communication, A second communication process involves communicating directly with an external terminal device via wireless LAN communication without going through an external access point, A control step that controls the following: In the second communication step, while a connection with the external terminal device is established, in the first communication step, when establishing a connection with the external access point for which communication via a first communication method through multiple external access points is enabled, a specific process is performed to disconnect the connection with the external terminal device in the second communication step. A method characterized by having the following:

17. A method performed in a communication device, A first communication process involves communication via an external access point using wireless LAN communication, A second communication process involves communicating directly with an external terminal device via wireless LAN communication without going through an external access point, A control step that controls the following when, in the second communication step, a connection is established with the external terminal device, and in the first communication step, a connection is established with the external access point for which communication via a plurality of external access points in a first communication method is enabled, and when the transmission or reception of data that satisfies predetermined conditions using the first communication method is started, a specific process is performed to disconnect the connection with the external terminal device in the second communication step. A method characterized by having the following:

18. A program for causing a computer to function as one of the means of a communication device described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

19. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as one of the means of a communication device described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

20. A program for causing a computer to function as one of the means of a communication device described in any one of claims 9 to 15.

21. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as one of the means of a communication device described in any one of claims 9 to 15.

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