Electronic device, method for controlling electronic device, and storage medium

Abstract

The invention discloses an electronic device, a method for controlling the electronic device, and a storage medium. The electronic device includes: a receiving unit configured to receive a change request to change a connection destination AP to be connected from a currently connected access point AP; an acquisition unit configured to acquire connection information for connecting to the specific AP from the terminal device; a processing unit configured to perform a process of connecting to the specific AP in accordance with the connection information; and a control unit configured to perform control to perform a connection destination change based on a change request to change a connection destination AP in a first state in which a specific condition is satisfied after connection to the specific AP, and perform control to perform a connection destination change based on the change request to change the connection destination AP in a second state in which the specific condition is not satisfied after connection to the specific AP. Control is performed so as not to make the connection destination change based on the change request.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electronic device capable of changing a connection destination AP to be connected to according to a connection destination change request from an access point (AP), a method for controlling the electronic device, and a storage medium. Background Art

[0002] A technology for an extended service set (ESS) including multiple APs involves dynamically switching a connection destination AP to which a station (STA) in the ESS is to be connected to in order to efficiently exchange data between the AP and the STA. When it is determined that the AP as the connection destination is to be switched based on, for example, congestion of the AP to which the STA is currently connected, occupancy of other APs, or radio wave conditions, the currently connected AP sends an AP change request to the STA. Upon receiving the AP change request, the STA switches the connection destination AP according to the request to connect to an appropriate AP.

[0003] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2021-175068 discloses the following process for sending a request to change the connection destination from a router with AP function to a currently connected wireless slave unit. A mobile router (MR1) that can be connected to multiple wireless slave units checks whether the wireless slave terminal supports the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11v. It can be determined whether the wireless slave terminal supports IEEE802.11v based on an association request frame sent from the wireless slave terminal for wireless connection to MR1. If the wireless slave terminal supports IEEE 802.11v, a basic service set (BSS) transition management (BTM) request frame is sent to the wireless slave terminal. In the BTM request frame, the BSS transition candidate list entry field specifies the basic service set identifier (BSSID) of the master router RT2 as the connection destination. Thus, the connection destination of the slave terminal is switched. Based on the received BTM request frame, the wireless slave terminal switches the connection destination from MR1 to the master router RT2.

[0004] Japanese Patent No. 6635978 proposes a method of transmitting connection information for connecting to an AP to which an information processing apparatus is connected to a communication device with which the information processing apparatus communicates without the AP to connect the communication device to the AP.

[0005] As in Japanese Patent No. 6635978, in the case where connection information is sent from a terminal device to an electronic device to set up a wireless local area network (LAN) for connecting the electronic device to an AP, after the electronic device is connected to the AP and then some processing is performed, the setting of the wireless LAN is completed. The processing performed before the setting is completed includes, for example, communication confirmation for confirming the connection status between the terminal device and the electronic device via the AP and settings for sending a job from an information processing device to the electronic device. During these processes, if the AP to which the electronic device is connected is changed according to a connection destination change request from the AP as described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2021-175068, the setting may fail before completion. Summary of the invention

[0006] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a mechanism for reducing the possibility of failure in wireless LAN setting for connecting an electronic device to an AP by transmitting connection information from a terminal device to the electronic device due to a change in a connection destination AP.

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an electronic device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: a receiving unit, configured to receive a change request for changing a connection destination AP to be connected to from a currently connected access point AP; an acquisition unit, configured to acquire connection information for connecting to a specific AP from a terminal device; a processing unit, configured to perform processing for connecting to the specific AP according to the connection information; and a control unit, configured to, in a first state in which a specific condition is satisfied after connecting to the specific AP, execute control to make a connection destination change based on the change request to thereby change the connection destination AP, and in a second state in which the specific condition is not satisfied after connecting to the specific AP, execute control not to make a connection destination change based on the change request.

[0008] Further features of various embodiments will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an example configuration of a system.

[0010] Figure 2A and Figure 2B is a diagram illustrating an example configuration of a multifunction peripheral (MFP).

[0011] Figure 3A , Figure 3B and Figure 3C is an illustration of a sample screen displayed on the operation display unit of the MFP.

[0012] Figure 4A and Figure 4B is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a mobile terminal device.

[0013] Figure 5 This is a diagram of the configuration of an access point (AP).

[0014] Figure 6 is a sequence diagram illustrating processing performed in response to a connection destination change request from an AP.

[0015] Fig. 7A and Figure 7B is a flowchart of wireless LAN setting processing executed by the MFP according to the first embodiment and subsequent processing for changing a connection destination according to a connection destination change request.

[0016] Figure 7C is a flowchart of a wireless LAN setting process performed by the mobile terminal device according to the first embodiment.

[0017] Fig. 8A and Figure 8B is a flowchart of wireless LAN setting processing executed by the MFP according to the second embodiment and subsequent processing for changing a connection destination according to a connection destination change request.

[0018] Figure 8C is a flowchart of a wireless LAN setting process performed by a mobile terminal device according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the present embodiments are merely examples, and unless otherwise specified, specific examples of components, processing steps, display screens, etc. are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0020] System Configuration

[0021] Figure 1 An example configuration of a system according to the present embodiment is illustrated. In one example, the system is a wireless communication system in which a plurality of communication devices can wirelessly communicate with each other. Figure 1 In the example shown in , the communication device includes a mobile terminal device 104, an MFP 100, access points AP1 (101) and AP2 (102), a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server 103, a domain name system (DNS) server 105, and a network 110. The mobile terminal device 104 is a device having a wireless communication function using a wireless local area network (LAN) or the like. The wireless LAN may be referred to as a WLAN hereinafter. The mobile terminal device 104 may be, for example, a personal information terminal such as a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile phone (smartphone), a digital camera, or a personal computer (PC).

[0022] MFP 100 is a printer with a printing function. MFP 100 may also have a reading function (scanner), a fax sending (fax) function, and a telephone function. In the present embodiment, MFP 100 also has a communication function for wirelessly communicating with a mobile terminal device 104. The present embodiment describes MFP 100 by way of example and not limitation. Instead of MFP 100, any other device with a communication function may also be used, such as a scanner device, a projector, a mobile terminal, a smart phone, a laptop PC, a tablet terminal, a PDA, a digital camera, a music player, a television, or a smart speaker. MFP is an acronym for a multifunction peripheral.

[0023] The access point AP1 (101) is deployed separately from (or located outside) the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100, and operates as a WLAN base station device. A communication device having a WLAN communication function can perform communication in an infrastructure mode for WLAN via the access point AP1 (101). In the following description, the access point may be referred to as an "AP". The infrastructure mode for WLAN may be referred to as a "wireless infrastructure mode". The access point AP1 (101) performs wireless communication with a communication device (authenticated communication device) that is allowed to connect to the access point AP1 (101), and relays wireless communication between the communication device and other communication devices. The access point AP1 (101) can be connected to, for example, a wired communication network, and can relay communication between a communication device connected to the wired communication network and other communication devices wirelessly connected to the access point AP1 (101).

[0024] The access point AP2 (102) has a function equivalent to that of the access point AP1 (101). If necessary, the MFP 100 switches the connection from the access point AP1 (101) to the access point AP2 (102). The DHCP server 103 is connected to the MFP 100 via the access point AP1 (101) and the network 110, and responds to a request from the MFP 100 to provide a service to the MFP 100. Figure 1 In the example, the DHCP server 103 is connected as a device different from the access points AP1 (101) and AP2 (102). However, the access points AP1 (101) and AP2 (102) may have a DHCP server function. The DNS server 105 is connected to the MFP 100 and the mobile terminal device 104 via the access point AP1 (101) and the network 110, and responds to requests from the MFP 100 or the mobile terminal device 104 to provide a name resolution service. The network 110 may be the Internet, a closed network within a company, or a mobile phone network.

[0025] Appearance of MFP

[0026] Figure 2A The diagram shows an example appearance of the MFP 100. The MFP 100 includes, for example, a document table 201, a document cover 202, a print sheet insertion port 203, a print sheet discharge port 204, and an operation display unit 205. The document table 201 is a table on which a document to be read is placed. The document cover 202 is a cover that is closed to press the document placed on the document table 201 and prevent light from a light source irradiating the document from leaking outward during reading of the document. The print sheet insertion port 203 is an insertion port in which sheets of various sizes can be set. The print sheet discharge port 204 is a discharge port through which printed sheets are discharged. The sheets set in the print sheet insertion port 203 are conveyed one by one to a printing unit 222 (described below), printed by the printing unit 222, and then discharged through the print sheet discharge port 204. The operation display unit 205 includes keys such as character input keys, cursor keys, enter keys, and cancel keys, a light emitting diode (LED), a liquid crystal display (LCD), and the like. The operation display unit 205 is configured to accept operations performed by a user, such as activation of various MFP functions and setting of various settings. The operation display unit 205 may also include a touch panel display. The MFP 100 has a wireless communication function using WLAN, and includes a wireless communication antenna 206 for wireless communication. The wireless communication antenna 206 may be invisible from the outside. Similar to the mobile terminal device 104, the MFP 100 may also perform wireless communication in a frequency band such as a 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz band using WLAN.

[0027] MFP Configuration

[0028] Figure 2B An example configuration of the MFP 100 is illustrated. The MFP 100 includes a main board 211 for performing main control of the MFP 100, and a wireless unit 226. The wireless unit 226 is a communication module for performing WLAN communication by using at least one common antenna. The MFP 100 also includes, for example, a modem 229 for performing wired communication. The main board 211 includes, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) 212, a read-only memory (ROM) 213, a random access memory (RAM) 214, a nonvolatile memory 215, an image memory 216, a reading control unit 217, a data conversion unit 218, a reading unit 219, and an encoding / decoding processing unit 221. The main board 211 also includes, for example, a printing unit 222, a sheet feeding unit 223, a printing control unit 224, an operation display unit 220, and a fax control unit 227.

[0029] The functional units in the above-mentioned main board 211 are connected to each other via a system bus 230 managed by a CPU 212. The main board 211 and the wireless unit 226 are connected via a dedicated bus 225, for example. The main board 211 and the modem 229 are connected via a bus 228, for example.

[0030] The CPU 212 is a system control unit including at least one processor, and controls the overall operation of the MFP 100. In one example, the processing of the MFP 100 described below is implemented by the CPU 212 executing a program stored in the ROM 213. Hardware dedicated to each processing may be provided. The ROM 213 stores a control program executed by the CPU 212, an embedded operating system (OS) program, and the like. In the present embodiment, the CPU 212 executes each control program stored in the ROM 213 under the management of the embedded OS stored in the ROM 213 to control software such as for scheduling and for switching tasks.

[0031] The RAM 214 includes, for example, a static random access memory (SRAM). The RAM 214 stores data such as data of program control variables, setting values ​​registered by a user, and data for managing the MFP 100. The RAM 214 can also be used as a buffer for various jobs. The nonvolatile memory 215 includes, for example, a memory such as a flash memory, and continues to store data even after the power of the MFP 100 is turned off. The image memory 216 includes a memory such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM). The image memory 216 stores image data received via the wireless unit 226, image data processed by the encoding / decoding processing unit 221, and the like. The memory configuration of the MFP 100 is not limited to the above configuration. The data conversion unit 218 performs processing such as analysis of data in various formats and conversion from image data to print data.

[0032] The reading control unit 217 controls the reading unit 219 (e.g., a contact image sensor (CIS)) to optically read the document placed on the document table 201. The reading control unit 217 converts the image obtained by optically reading the document into electrical image data (image signal) and outputs the electrical image data. At this time, the reading control unit 217 may perform various image processing such as binarization and halftone processing before outputting the image data.

[0033] The operation display unit 220 and the reference Figure 2A The described operation display unit 205 corresponds to and executes processing such as displaying on a display under display control of the CPU 212 and generating a signal in response to accepting a user operation.

[0034] The encoding / decoding processing unit 221 performs encoding processing, decoding processing, and enlargement / reduction processing on image data handled by the MFP 100 , such as Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) data or Portable Network Graphics (PNG) data.

[0035] The sheet feeding unit 223 holds sheets to be printed. The sheet feeding unit 223 can feed a group of sheets under the control of the print control unit 224. The sheet feeding unit 223 may include a plurality of sheet feeding units to hold a plurality of types of sheets in a single device, and may perform control to determine from which sheet feeding unit to feed a sheet under the control of the print control unit 224.

[0036] The print control unit 224 performs various image processing such as smoothing processing, print density correction processing, and color correction on the image data to be printed, and outputs the processed image data to the print unit 222. The print unit 222 is configured to perform, for example, an inkjet printing process. The print unit 222 ejects ink supplied from an ink cartridge through a print head, and records an image on a recording medium such as a sheet of paper. The print unit 222 may be configured to perform other printing processes, such as an electrophotographic printing process. In addition, the print control unit 224 may periodically read information on the print unit 222, and update, for example, status information stored in the RAM 214. The status information includes, for example, the remaining amount of the ink cartridge and the status of the print head.

[0037] The wireless unit 226 is a unit capable of providing WLAN communication functions. For example, the wireless unit 226 can provide functions similar to the functions of the combination of the WLAN unit 401 of the mobile terminal device 104. That is, according to the WLAN standard, the wireless unit 226 converts data into packets and sends the packets to other devices, or restores packets from other external devices to original data and outputs the original data to the CPU 212. The wireless unit 226 can perform communication as a station that complies with the IEEE 802.11 standard series. Specifically, the wireless unit 226 can perform communication as an IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax station. In the following description, a station may be referred to as a STA. In addition, the wireless unit 226 can be used as a Wi-Fi Agile Multiband TM STA performs communication.

[0038] The wireless unit 226 supports IEEE 802.11ax, i.e., Wi-Fi 6 TM, and can perform processing compliant with IEEE 802.11ax. That is, the MFP 100 can perform one or both of the processing of a STA supporting OFDMA (or compatible therewith) and the operation (processing) of a STA supporting TWT (or compatible therewith). OFDMA is the abbreviation of orthogonal frequency division multiple access. TWT is the abbreviation of target wake-up time. Since the wireless unit 226 supports TWT, the data communication timing from the host device to the STA is adjusted. When there is no need to wait for signal reception, the wireless unit 226 (i.e., MFP 100) acting as a STA puts the communication function into a sleep state. This configuration can reduce power consumption. The wireless unit 226 also supports Wi-Fi 6E TM That is, the wireless unit 226 can also perform communication on the 6 GHz band (5.925 GHz to 7.125 GHz). The 6 GHz band does not include the target band in which the dynamic frequency selection (DFS) is implemented, which is included in the 5 GHz band. Thus, in the communication on the 6 GHz band, communication interruption caused by the DFS waiting time does not occur. Therefore, it can be expected that more comfortable communication can be performed.

[0039] The mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 can perform point-to-point (P2P) (WLAN) communication based on Wi-Fi Direct (WFD), and the wireless unit 226 has a software access point (Soft-AP) function or a group owner function. That is, the wireless unit 226 can establish a P2P communication network and determine a channel to be used for P2P communication.

[0040] Operation display unit of MFP

[0041] FIG. 3A to FIG. 3C An example screen displayed on the display (touch panel display) included in the operation display unit 220 of the MFP 100 is schematically illustrated. Figure 3A An example of a home screen displayed when no operation such as printing or scanning occurs after the power of the MFP 100 is turned on (when the MFP 100 is in an idle state or a standby state) is illustrated. Figure 3A , display items (menu items) labeled "Copy", "Scan", and "Cloud" are displayed. The item "Cloud" is a menu item related to a cloud function using Internet communication. When one of the menu items is selected by key operation or touch panel operation, the MFP 100 can start implementing the corresponding setting or function. The MFP 100 accepts Figure 3A key operations or touch panel operations on the home screen shown in Figure 3A The screen shown in the figure is different from the screen shown in the figure.

[0042] Figure 3BThe diagram shows an example of displaying other parts of the home screen. In response to an operation of displaying other pages of the home screen (such as sliding from left to right or vice versa), a switch from Figure 3A The status shown in Figure 3B The transition of the screen shown in Figure 3B In the display, display items (menu items) labeled as "communication settings", "printing" and "photos" are displayed. When one of these menu items is selected, the function corresponding to the selected menu item, that is, one of the printing function, the photo function and the communication settings is implemented.

[0043] Figure 3C The figure shows an example of the menu screen display for communication settings. Figure 3B This menu screen is displayed when communication settings are selected on the screen shown in . The menu screen for communication settings displays menu items (options) "Wireless LAN", "Wired LAN", "Wireless Direct", "Bluetooth", and "Common Settings". The items "Wireless LAN", "Wired LAN", and "Wireless Direct" are menu items for performing LAN settings, and one of these items is used to perform settings, such as setting a wired connection, enabling or disabling a wireless infrastructure mode, or enabling or disabling a P2P mode (such as a WFD or soft AP mode). When the item "Wireless LAN" is selected and the wireless LAN is set to enable by a user operation, the wireless infrastructure mode is enabled. When the item "Wireless Direct" is selected and the wireless direct connection is set to enable by a user operation, the P2P (WLAN) mode is enabled. This screen also displays a "Common Settings" menu associated with each connection mode. On this screen, the user can also set the frequency band and frequency channel for the wireless LAN.

[0044] Appearance of mobile terminal equipment

[0045] Figure 4A 4 is a diagram illustrating an example appearance of a mobile terminal device 104. In the present embodiment, as an example, the mobile terminal device 104 is an ordinary smart phone. The mobile terminal device 104 includes, for example, a display unit 402, an operation unit 403, and a power key 404. The display unit 402 is, for example, a display including an LCD display mechanism. The display unit 402 can display information by using, for example, an LED. In addition to the display unit 402 or instead of the display unit 402, the mobile terminal device 104 can have a function of outputting information by voice. The operation unit 403 includes hard keys such as keys and buttons, a touch panel, etc. to detect user operations.

[0046] In the illustrated example, information is displayed on the display unit 402 using a common touch panel display and user operations are accepted through the operation unit 403. Therefore, the display unit 402 and the operation unit 403 are implemented by a single device. In this case, for example, a button icon or a software keyboard is displayed using the display function of the display unit 402, and a user's touch on the button icon or the software keyboard is detected by the operation acceptance function of the operation unit 403. The display unit 402 and the operation unit 403 can be separated from each other, and the hardware for display and the hardware for operation acceptance can be provided separately. The power key 404 is a hard key for accepting a user operation to turn on or off the power of the mobile terminal device 104.

[0047] The mobile terminal device 104 includes a WLAN unit 401 that provides a WLAN communication function. The WLAN unit 401 may be invisible from the outside. The WLAN unit 401 is configured to perform data (packet) communication in a WLAN system that complies with, for example, the IEEE 802.11 standard series (such as IEEE802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax).

[0048] In addition, the WLAN unit 401 can be used as a Wi-Fi Agile Multiband TM AP performs communication. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this configuration, and the WLAN unit 401 can be configured to perform communication in a WLAN system that complies with any other standard. In the illustrated example, it is assumed that the WLAN unit 401 can perform communication on both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands. It is also assumed that the WLAN unit 401 can perform communication based on WFD, communication in soft AP mode, communication in wireless infrastructure mode, etc. The operations in these modes will be described below.

[0049] Configuration of mobile terminal equipment

[0050] Figure 4BAn example configuration of a mobile terminal device 104 is illustrated. In one example, the mobile terminal device 104 includes a main board 411 for performing main control of the mobile terminal device 104 and a WLAN unit 429 for performing WLAN communication. The main board 411 includes, for example, a CPU 412, a ROM 413, a RAM 414, an image memory 415, a data conversion unit 416, a telephone unit 417, a GPS 419, a camera unit 421, a nonvolatile memory 422, a data storage unit 423, a speaker unit 424, and a power supply unit 425. CPU is an acronym for a central processing unit, ROM is an acronym for a read-only memory, RAM is an acronym for a random access memory, and GPS is an acronym for a global positioning system. The mobile terminal device 104 also includes a display unit 420 and an operation unit 418. The functional units in the above-mentioned main board 411 are connected to each other via a system bus 628 managed by the CPU 412. The main board 411 and the WLAN unit 429 (the above-mentioned WLAN unit 401) are connected to each other via a dedicated bus 426, for example.

[0051] The CPU 412 is a system control unit including at least one processor, and controls the overall operation of the mobile terminal device 104. In one example, the processing of the mobile terminal device 104 described below is realized by the CPU 412 executing the program stored in the ROM 413. Hardware dedicated to each processing can be provided. The ROM 413 stores the control program executed by the CPU 412, the embedded OS program, etc. In the present embodiment, the CPU 412 executes each control program stored in the ROM 413 under the management of the embedded OS stored in the ROM 413 to control software such as for scheduling and for switching tasks.

[0052] The RAM 414 includes, for example, an SRAM. The RAM 414 stores data such as data of program control variables, setting values ​​registered by a user, and data for managing the mobile terminal device 104. The RAM 414 can also be used as a buffer for various jobs. The image memory 415 includes a memory such as a DRAM. The image memory 415 temporarily stores image data received via the WLAN unit 429 and image data read from the data storage unit 423 so that the CPU 412 processes the image data. The nonvolatile memory 422 includes, for example, a memory such as a flash memory, and continues to store data even after the power supply of the mobile terminal device 104 is disconnected. The memory configuration of the mobile terminal device 104 is not limited to the above configuration. For example, the image memory 415 and the RAM 414 can be shared, or the data storage unit 423 can be used to back up data. In the present embodiment, an example of the image memory 415 is a DRAM. However, any other storage medium such as a hard disk or a nonvolatile memory can be used as the image memory 415.

[0053] The data conversion unit 416 performs analysis of data in various formats and data conversion such as color conversion and image conversion. The telephone unit 417 controls the telephone line and processes audio data input or output via the speaker unit 424 to achieve telephone communication. The GPS 419 receives radio waves transmitted from a satellite and acquires position information such as the longitude and latitude of the current position of the mobile terminal device 104.

[0054] The camera unit 421 has a function of electronically recording and encoding an image input via a lens. The image data of the image captured by the camera unit 421 is stored in the data storage unit 423. The speaker unit 424 performs control to realize a function of inputting or outputting voice for a telephone function or realizes other functions such as an alarm notification. The power supply unit 425 is, for example, a portable battery and controls the power supply to the mobile terminal device 104. The state of the power supply includes, for example, a depleted battery state in which the battery has no remaining capacity, a power-off state in which the power key 404 remains unpressed, an activated state in which the mobile terminal device 104 is normally activated, and a power saving state in which the mobile terminal device 104 is activated and is in a power saving mode.

[0055] The display unit 420 and the reference Figure 4A The display unit 402 described above corresponds to the display unit 402 described above, and accepts various input operations under the control of the CPU 412, for example, and displays the operation status and conditions of the MFP 100. The operation unit 418 corresponds to the display unit 402 described above, and accepts various input operations under the control of the CPU 412, for example, and displays the operation status and conditions of the MFP 100. Figure 4A The operation unit 418 corresponds to the operation unit 403 described above. In response to a user operation, the operation unit 418 performs control to, for example, generate an electric signal corresponding to the operation and output the electric signal to the CPU 412.

[0056] In the mobile terminal device 104, the WLAN unit 429 is used to perform wireless communication and perform data communication with other devices such as the MFP 100. The WLAN unit 429 converts data into packets and sends the packets to other devices. In addition, the WLAN unit 429 restores the packets from other external devices to original data and outputs the original data to the CPU 412. The WLAN unit 429 is a unit for implementing communication that complies with each WLAN standard. The WLAN unit 429 can operate concurrently in at least two communication modes including a wireless infrastructure mode and a P2P (WLAN) mode. The frequency bands used in these communication modes may be limited by hardware functions and capabilities.

[0057] Access point configuration

[0058] Figure 5 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the access point AP1 (101) having a wireless LAN access point function. The access point AP1 (101) includes a main board 510 for controlling the access point AP1 (101), a wireless LAN unit 516, a wired LAN unit 518, and an operation button 520.

[0059] The CPU 511 has the form of a microprocessor disposed on the main board 510, and operates according to the control program stored in the program memory 513 in the form of ROM and the contents of the data memory 514 in the form of RAM. The program memory 513 and the data memory 514 are connected to the CPU 511 via the internal bus 512. 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. In addition, 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 terminal devices. The CPU 511 can control the operation unit control circuit 519 to accept the operation of the user using the operation button 520. The CPU 511 includes at least one processor.

[0060] The access point AP1 ( 101 ) further includes an interference wave detection unit 521 and a channel change unit 522 .

[0061] The interference wave detection unit 521 performs a process of detecting an interference wave during wireless communication performed on a frequency band in which DFS is implemented. In response to detecting an interference wave during wireless communication performed on a frequency band in which DFS is implemented, the channel change unit 522 performs a process of changing a channel to be used when, for example, it is necessary to immediately change the channel to an available channel.

[0062] The access point AP2 (102) has a configuration similar to that of the access point AP1 (101).

[0063] P2P communication method

[0064] Next, a brief description of the following P2P (WLAN) communication method will be given, which is used to allow devices to directly communicate with each other wirelessly without using an external access point in WLAN communication. P2P (WLAN) communication can be implemented by using a variety of methods. For example, a communication device supports a variety of modes for P2P (WLAN) communication and selectively uses one of the multiple modes to perform P2P (WLAN) communication.

[0065] The following two P2P modes are provided:

[0066] Soft AP mode; and

[0067] WFD mode.

[0068] A communication device capable of performing P2P communication may be configured to support at least one of these modes. However, even a communication device capable of performing P2P communication does not need to support all of these modes, but may only support a portion of these modes.

[0069] A communication device having a WFD communication function (e.g., mobile terminal device 104) calls an application (or a dedicated application, if any) for implementing the communication function in response to a user operation accepted via an operation unit of the communication device. The communication device then displays a screen of a user interface (UI) provided by the application to prompt the user to perform an operation, and can perform WFD communication in response to accepting the operation performed by the user.

[0070] Soft AP Mode

[0071] In the soft AP mode, a communication device (e.g., mobile terminal device 104) operates in the role of a client requesting various services. Then, another communication device (e.g., MFP 100) operates as a soft AP set by software to implement the function of an AP in a WLAN. Since commands and parameters sent and received in a wireless connection established between a client and a soft AP are The commands and parameters are defined by the standard, so their description will be omitted. The MFP 100 operating in the soft AP mode operates as a master station and determines the frequency band and frequency channel. Thus, the MFP 100 can select which frequency band to use from the 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz frequency bands and which frequency channel to use in the frequency band.

[0072] WFD Mode

[0073] The MFP 100 can be activated as a fixed master (i.e., autonomous group owner) in the WFD mode. In this case, the group owner (GO) negotiation process for determining the role is not performed. In addition, in this case, the MFP 100 operates as a master and determines the frequency band and frequency channel. Thus, the MFP 100 can select which frequency band to use from the 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz frequency bands and which frequency channel to use in the frequency band.

[0074] Wireless Infrastructure Mode

[0075] In the wireless infrastructure mode, communication devices that communicate with each other (e.g., the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100) are connected to an external AP (e.g., the access point AP1 (101)) that controls the network, and communication between the communication devices is performed via the external AP. In other words, communication is performed between the communication devices via the network established by the external AP. The mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 respectively discover the access point AP1 (101), send a connection request to the access point AP1 (101), and connect to the access point AP1 (101). Therefore, these communication devices can communicate with each other via the access point AP1 (101) in the wireless infrastructure mode. Multiple communication devices can be connected to different APs. In this case, data transmission is performed between APs to allow communication between the communication devices. Since the commands and parameters sent and received during communication between the communication devices via one or more access points are The commands and parameters are defined by the standard, so the description thereof will be omitted. In this case, the access point AP1 (101) determines the frequency band and the frequency channel. Thus, the access point AP1 (101) can select which frequency band to use and which frequency channel to use in the frequency band from among the 5 GHz, 2.4 GHz, and 6 GHz frequency bands.

[0076] Processing of the response to the connection destination change request from the AP to the STA

[0077] The mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 support Wi-Fi Agile Multiband TM Publicly available features. The Wi-Fi Agile Multiband feature enables selection of the optimal environment according to the changing conditions of the Wi-Fi network. Specifically, STAs (such as mobile terminal devices 104 and MFP 100) and APs (such as access point AP1 (101)) exchange information about the network environment by using a series of IEEE 802.11 communication standards. This exchange of information allows the AP to direct the STA to other APs, frequency bands or channels when the network is congested, or even to other cellular services (changing the connection destination) in some cases.

[0078] Figure 6 This is a sequence diagram of a process in which the MFP 100 switches the connection destination AP to be connected from the access point AP1 (101) to the access point AP2 (102) according to the connection destination change from the access point AP1 (101).

[0079] In the illustrated sequence, the processing performed by each device is realized by the CPU included in the device reading various programs stored in a memory such as a ROM included in the device into a RAM included in the device and executing the programs.

[0080] exist Figure 6 In the process shown in , in the initial state, the MFP 100 has established a connection with the access point AP1 (101) in the wireless infrastructure mode. When the MFP 100 and the access point AP1 (101) are connected to each other in the wireless infrastructure mode, the access point AP1 (101) has acquired information indicating whether the MFP 100 supports IEEE 802.11v. If the access point AP1 (101) has acquired information indicating that the MFP 100 supports IEEE 802.11v, the following process is performed.

[0081] In S601, access point AP1 (101) sends an inquiry (measurement request) about the radio field intensity of an AP located near MFP 100 to MFP 100. This inquiry is sent as, for example, a beacon frame request or a beacon report request. That is, a request defined by the IEEE 802.11k standard may be used.

[0082] In S602, in response to the request received in S601, MFP 100 receives frames transmitted from APs located near MFP 100 and measures the respective radio field strengths of these APs. Thus, the radio field strength of each of a plurality of APs including access points AP1 (101) and AP2 (102) is measured.

[0083] In S603, the MFP 100 sends a list of radio field strengths of APs located near the MFP 100 measured in S602 as a response to the request received in S601. In addition to or instead of the information measured in S602, the radio field strengths to be sent as a response may be, for example, information stored in the RAM 214 and the nonvolatile memory 215 of the MFP 100. The response is sent in the form of a beacon report or a measurement report, for example.

[0084] In S604, the access point AP1 (101) determines whether to switch the connection destination of the MFP 100 based on the network congestion recognized by the access point AP1 (101) and the radio field strength received from the MFP 100 in S603. Examples of factors that the access point AP1 (101) uses to determine to change the connection destination include: a large number of connected STAs, a large amount of communication, a decrease in congestion of the network for other APs, the presence or absence of interfering radio waves, and a stop of the AP function. If the access point AP1 (101) determines to switch the connection destination of the MFP 100 and determines the service set identifier (SSID), channel, and frequency band of the other AP to be designated as the destination to which the MFP 100 is to connect, the process proceeds to S605.

[0085] In S605, the access point AP1 (101) transmits an AP change request (connection destination change request) to the MFP 100. The connection destination change request includes information on the SSID, channel, and frequency band of the other AP specified as the destination to which the MFP 100 is to connect determined in S604.

[0086] A plurality of SSIDs can be specified. The connection destination change request is transmitted, for example, as a basic service set (BSS) transition management (BTM) request. That is, a BTM request frame defined by the IEEE 802.11v standard is transmitted. Figure 6 In the example shown in , the access point AP2 ( 102 ) is specified as the destination included in the connection destination change request.

[0087] In S606, if the MFP 100 complies with the connection destination change request received in S605, the MFP 100 sends a response indicating acceptance of the switching of the connection destination to the access point AP1 (101). If the MFP 100 does not comply with the connection destination change request, the MFP 100 may send a response indicating rejection of the switching of the connection destination. This response is sent as a BTM response. Figure 6 In the example shown in , it is assumed that a response indicating that the switching of the connection destination is accepted is transmitted.

[0088] In S607, the access point AP1 (101) and the MFP 100 disconnect in the wireless infrastructure mode.

[0089] In S608, the MFP 100 transmits a connection request to the access point AP2 (102) in order to connect to the access point AP2 (102) designated by the connection destination change request received in S605.

[0090] Therefore, in S609, a connection between the MFP 100 and the access point AP2 (102) in the wireless infrastructure mode is established.

[0091] This mechanism allows the MFP 100 serving as a STA to change the connection destination from the access point AP1 (101) to the access point AP2 (102) according to a connection destination change request from the access point AP1 (101) to which the MFP 100 was originally connected. The access points AP1 (101) and AP2 (102) may be located at different locations. That is, by Figure 6 , the MFP 100 can switch the connection destination from the AP to which the MFP 100 is initially connected to another AP installed at a different location. The access points AP1 (101) and AP2 (102) can support different frequency bands among a plurality of frequency bands (two or three of the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands) provided by the same device. That is, by Figure 6 , the MFP 100 can switch the frequency band to another frequency band provided by the same device as the AP to which the MFP 100 was originally connected. For example, the MFP 100 can change the connection destination to an AP in the 6 GHz band in response to the connection destination change request.

[0092] This embodiment describes the use of Wi-Fi Agile Multiband TM The example in which the measurement request and the connection destination change request are sent from the AP by a mechanism different from the mechanism in the above example and the STA responds to these requests. However, some embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to this example. Some embodiments are also applicable when the STA responds to and changes the connection destination AP (switches, deletes, or adds the AP used as the connection destination) in response to the measurement request and the connection destination change request sent from the AP by using a mechanism different from the mechanism in the above example.

[0093] First embodiment

[0094] In response to accepting a predetermined operation on the operation display unit 220, the MFP 100 is set to a wireless LAN setting mode, in which the setting of the wireless LAN (reception of connection information) can be accepted from the mobile terminal device 104 via a P2P connection. The setting of the wireless LAN via a P2P connection (communication setting) is hereinafter referred to as the wireless LAN setting, and the mode in which the connection information is received and the connection to the AP can be attempted is hereinafter referred to as the wireless LAN setting mode. The connection information includes the SSID (which is the identification information of the AP) and the password (network key, wired equivalent privacy (WEP) key, and pass phrase). For example, the setting of the wireless LAN setting mode is triggered by detecting an initial setting flag when the power is turned on for the first time after the MFP 100 is purchased, or by accepting an instruction from the user to operate in the wireless LAN setting mode. Alternatively, the setting of the wireless LAN setting mode can be triggered by accepting a predetermined command via a beacon, etc. Examples of the setting of the wireless LAN include the setting of the access point to which the MFP 100 is connected, the setting of the transmission control protocol / Internet protocol (TCP / IP) address, and the security setting.

[0095] In the present embodiment, a description will be given assuming that the mobile terminal device 104 performs LAN setting for the MFP 100 through the wireless LAN setting to establish an infrastructure connection with the MFP 100. Specifically, the mobile terminal device 104 sets the AP (for example, the access point AP1 (101)) to which the mobile terminal device 104 is originally connected as the connection destination of the MFP 100, and accordingly can establish an infrastructure connection with the MFP 100 via the AP (access point AP1 (101)).

[0096] In the wireless LAN setting, the mobile terminal device 104 transmits connection information for connecting to the AP to the MFP 100 in the P2P mode. Then, the MFP 100 connects to the AP according to the received connection information, and the mobile terminal device 104 also connects to the same AP. Thus, an infrastructure connection can be established.

[0097] In the wireless LAN setting mode, the function of the software AP provided in the MFP 100 is enabled to allow the access point function in the MFP 100 to operate. For example, the access point function in the MFP 100 may be to allow connection without authentication or encryption processing using a password. In addition, the access point function in the MFP 100 may be to allow connection through fixed connection information (here, connection information for connecting to an access point in the MFP 100) pre-contained in a setting application installed in the mobile terminal device 104, which performs the wireless LAN setting. The MFP 100 is configured to be able to receive and interpret commands from the setting application, and change the LAN settings of the MFP 100 according to the received commands.

[0098] This allows the mobile terminal device 104 to connect to the MFP 100 operating in the wireless LAN setting mode without accepting input of connection information for connecting to the MFP 100 from the user or acquiring the connection information from the MFP 100 .

[0099] In addition, using the setting application, the mobile terminal device 104 performs communication confirmation to confirm that the STA has been connected to the AP specified by the connection information by using the wireless LAN setting. Specifically, for example, a simple network management protocol (SNMP) is used for communication confirmation. However, the protocol used for communication confirmation is not limited to SNMP, and any other protocol can be used.

[0100] Fig. 7A and Figure 7B 2 is a flowchart of wireless LAN setting processing and subsequent processing for changing a connection destination according to a connection destination change request executed by the MFP 100. The illustrated processing is implemented by the CPU 212 reading a program stored in the ROM 213 into the RAM 214 and executing the program.

[0101] Figure 7C is a flowchart of the wireless LAN setting process executed by the mobile terminal device 104. Figure 7C The diagram shows Fig. 7A and Figure 7B The processing shown in FIG. 4 is related to the processing performed by the MFP 100. The processing shown is realized by the CPU 412 reading the program stored in the ROM 413 into the RAM 414 and executing the program. The processing shown is realized by executing the application or OS installed in the mobile terminal device 104.

[0102] Will describe Fig. 7A and Figure 7B When the MFP 100 is set to the wireless LAN setting mode, the process starts. Fig. 7A and Figure 7BThe processing shown in .

[0103] In S701 , the CPU 212 establishes a connection with the mobile terminal device 104 in the P2P mode.

[0104] In S702, the CPU 212 determines whether connection information (such as SSID and password) of the AP is received from the mobile terminal device 104. If the connection information is received, the process proceeds to S703; otherwise, the process waits for reception of the connection information.

[0105] In S703, the CPU 212 sets a suppression state for stopping (or suppressing) the change of the connection destination AP based on the connection destination change request from the AP, and records information indicating that the suppression state is set in the RAM 214. In the suppression state, the change of the connection destination AP based on the connection destination change request from the AP is suppressed, for example, by any one or a combination of two or more of the following methods.

[0106] First method

[0107] In response to receiving a connection destination change request from the currently connected AP, the CPU 212 transmits information indicating ignore or reject to the AP and performs control to maintain the connection with the currently connected AP without changing the connection destination according to the received connection destination change request.

[0108] Second method

[0109] In response to the reception of the measurement request, the CPU 212 performs control to respond (pseudo-response) by sending information indicating that the radio wave reception condition of an AP other than the currently connected AP is worse than the actually measured condition (e.g., the radio wave is weak, there is much noise, or the radio wave cannot be detected). This makes it possible to foreseeably suppress the transmission of a request to change the connection destination to another AP from the currently connected AP. Therefore, the connection destination is suppressed from being changed according to the connection destination change request.

[0110] Third method

[0111] When connected to the AP, the CPU 212 sends information indicating that the MFP 100 does not support the function of changing the connection destination AP according to the connection destination change request to the AP, and connects to the AP. Specifically, for example, before wirelessly connecting to the AP, the CPU 212 creates data of an association request frame including information indicating that the MFP 100 does not support IEEE 802.11v. Then, the CPU 212 performs an operation including sending the created association request frame data to perform a process of wirelessly connecting to the AP. The information indicating that the MFP 100 does not support IEEE 802.11v is more specifically information indicating that a flag of BSS transition support, for example, for the association request is turned off. Therefore, the connection destination AP recognizes that the MFP 100 does not support the connection destination change function (is disabled), and does not send a measurement request or a connection destination change request to the MFP 100 from the currently connected AP. Thus, the connection destination change corresponding to the connection destination change request is suppressed. In the case of using the third method, when connecting to the AP in the subsequent control of S704, the CPU 212 transmits information indicating that the MFP 100 does not support the function of changing the connection destination AP according to the connection destination change request to the AP, and connects to the AP.

[0112] In S704, the CPU 212 disconnects the P2P connection with the mobile terminal device 104, and starts connecting to the AP indicated by the connection information in the wireless infrastructure mode based on the connection information (such as SSID and password) received from the mobile terminal device 104 in S702. In the present embodiment, a description will be given assuming that a connection is made to the access point AP1 (101).

[0113] In S705, the CPU 212 determines whether the connection with the access point AP1 (101) in the wireless infrastructure mode has been completed. If it is determined that the connection has been completed, the process proceeds to S706; otherwise (if the connection has not been completed), the process waits for the connection to be completed in S705.

[0114] In S706, CPU 212 starts a timer for measuring a predetermined time. Because it is not known when MFP 100 can receive communication confirmation from mobile terminal device 104, the timer is used to measure the predetermined time for not responding to the connection destination change request. The timer is not necessarily started immediately after the connection between MFP 100 and the access point is completed. The timer can be started before the connection is completed. In the present embodiment, the predetermined time is about 10 seconds to 30 seconds.

[0115] In S707, the CPU 212 determines whether a communication confirmation request is received from the mobile terminal device 104. If it is determined that a communication confirmation request is received, the process proceeds to S708; otherwise, the process proceeds to S709. For example, the mobile terminal device 104 broadcasts a reference request (GetRequest-PDU) as a communication confirmation request to the access point AP1 (101) by using SNMP. The access point AP1 (101) sends a reference request to the connected STA. After receiving the reference request sent from the access point AP1 (101), the MFP 100 sends response data that can identify its MAC address as a response (Response-PDU). The mobile terminal device 104 compares the MAC address of the MFP 100 stored in advance with the MAC address of the received response data. If the MAC addresses match, the mobile terminal device 104 determines that the response data has been sent from the MFP 100. Therefore, the communication between MFP100 and access point AP1 (101) is established, and it can be confirmed that mobile terminal device 104 and MFP 100 are allowed to communicate with each other via access point AP1 (101). That is, communication can be confirmed. As long as STA can uniquely identify the response data, the response data mentioned is not limited to the MAC address. The determination of S707 is: whether the reference request sent from access point AP1 (101) is received.

[0116] In S708 , the CPU 212 responds to the communication confirmation request. That is, the CPU 212 sends response data capable of identifying the MAC address of the MFP 100 to the mobile terminal device 104 as a response (Response-PDU) to the received reference request.

[0117] In S709, the CPU 212 determines whether a connection destination change request is received from the currently connected AP (as described in S605 above). If a connection destination change request is received, the process proceeds to S710; otherwise, the process proceeds to S711. In the case where a connection destination change based on a connection destination change request is suppressed by using the above-mentioned second or third method, the process of S709 can be omitted because the change request itself is unlikely to be sent. In the case where a connection destination change based on a connection destination change request is suppressed by using the above-mentioned first or second method, a measurement request may be received in this case, but the description of the process will be omitted.

[0118] In S710, the CPU 212 responds to and rejects the connection destination change request received in S709, or ignores the connection destination change request without responding. Then, the CPU 212 performs control not to perform a change of the connection destination AP based on the connection destination change request.

[0119] In S711, the CPU 212 determines whether a predetermined time has passed based on the timer started in S706. If the predetermined time has passed (if the condition that the predetermined time has passed since the connection with the AP is completed as a specific condition is satisfied), the process proceeds to S712; otherwise, the process returns to S707 to repeat the process.

[0120] In S712, the CPU 212 executes a process for enabling a connection destination change based on the connection destination change request. This process is used to release the suppression state set in S703 and clear the information indicating the suppression state recorded in the RAM 214. In the case where the control for setting the suppression state is executed using the third method described above, the CPU 212 disconnects the connection with the currently connected AP and then reconnects to the same AP.

[0121] At this time, the CPU 212 transmits information indicating that the MFP 100 supports the function of changing the connection destination AP according to the connection destination change request to the AP.

[0122] In S713, the CPU 212 determines whether a measurement request (above) has been received from the currently connected AP. Figure 6 If a measurement request is received, the process proceeds to S714; otherwise, the process proceeds to S715.

[0123] In S714, if Figure 6 As described in S602 and S603 in FIG. 1 , the CPU 212 measures the radio field strengths of APs located near the MFP 100 using the wireless unit 226, and transmits a list of the radio field strengths of these APs as a beacon report to the currently connected AP.

[0124] In S715, the CPU 212 determines whether a connection destination change request is received from the currently connected AP (as described above in S605). If a connection destination change request is received, the process proceeds to S716; otherwise, the process proceeds to S719.

[0125] In S716, the CPU 212 determines whether the change of the connection destination corresponding to the received connection destination change request is acceptable. If it is determined that the change of the connection destination is acceptable, the process proceeds to S718; otherwise, the process proceeds to S717. An example of a state in which the change of the connection destination is unacceptable (or an unacceptable state) is a state in which printing is in progress while print data (print job) is being received from other information processing devices via the currently connected AP. Another example is, for example, a power saving state in which the clock number is made smaller than the clock number for processing connected to the AP.

[0126] In S717, the CPU 212 responds to and rejects the connection destination change request received in S715, or ignores the connection destination change request without responding. Then, the CPU 212 performs control not to perform a change of the connection destination AP based on the connection destination change request.

[0127] In S718, the CPU 212 responds to the connection destination change request received in S715, and transmits information indicating acceptance of the request to the currently connected AP. Then, the CPU 212 disconnects the currently connected access point AP1 (101), and performs processing for connecting to the AP recommended for connection included in the connection destination change request received in S715. That is, the CPU 212 changes the connection destination AP according to the connection destination change request. More specifically, the CPU 212 performs processing in Figure 6 The processing described in S606 to S609 in .

[0128] In S719, the CPU 212 determines whether the wireless connection with the currently connected AP has been terminated (disconnected). The termination of the wireless connection determined here occurs in response to an event such as turning off the power of the MFP 100, disabling the setting of the wireless connection, or failing to receive radio waves from the currently connected AP. In S719, it is not intended to determine a disconnection from the original connection destination caused by the process of changing the connection destination according to the connection destination change request. If the wireless connection with the currently connected AP has not been terminated, the process returns to S713. If the wireless connection with the currently connected AP has been terminated, then Fig. 7A and Figure 7B The processing shown in is completed.

[0129] Will describe Figure 7C When the mobile terminal device 104 is set to the wireless LAN setting mode, the process starts Figure 7C The processing shown in .

[0130] In S731 , the CPU 412 establishes a connection with the MFP 100 in the P2P mode.

[0131] In S732, the CPU 412 immediately Figure 7C Before the process shown in is started, connection information (such as SSID and password) of the connected AP (access point AP1 (101) in this embodiment) is sent to the MFP 100. As described above, the sent information is received by the MFP 100 in S702.

[0132] In S733 , the CPU 412 disconnects the P2P connection with the MFP 100 and establishes an infrastructure connection with the access point AP1 ( 101 ).

[0133] In S734, the CPU 412 sends a communication confirmation request to the currently connected AP. The communication confirmation request has been described in S707 above. For example, the CPU 412 sends a reference request (GetRequest-PDU) to the access point AP1 (101) in a broadcast manner by using SNMP.

[0134] In S735, the CPU 412 determines whether a communication confirmation response (the above-mentioned response data) transmitted from the MFP 100 is received before a predetermined waiting time has passed. If a response is received, the process proceeds to S736. If a response cannot be received even after a predetermined waiting time has passed, the process proceeds to S738.

[0135] In S736, the CPU 412 determines whether the completion of other settings is confirmed. Examples of other settings include settings of application software (hereinafter referred to as application) in the mobile terminal device 104. The mobile terminal device 104 requests capability information from the MFP 100, and the MFP 100 sends its capability information to the mobile terminal device 104. Thus, information about the MFP 100 is registered in the application in the mobile terminal device 104, after which communication with the MFP 100 can be performed by the application. Specifically, for example, a print job can be sent to the MFP 100 by the application (print driver). If the completion of other settings is successfully confirmed, the process proceeds to S737. If other settings fail, the process proceeds to S738.

[0136] In S737, the CPU 412 causes the display unit 420 to display information indicating that the wireless LAN setting with the MFP 100 is successful. Then, Figure 7C The processing shown in is completed.

[0137] In S738, the CPU 412 causes the display unit 420 to display information indicating that the wireless LAN setting with the MFP 100 has failed. Then, Figure 7C The processing shown in is completed.

[0138] According to the present embodiment described above, at the time of wireless LAN setting, the connection destination change based on the change request is set to be suppressed. Therefore, even if a connection destination change request is received from the AP, the connection destination AP is not changed. Thus, during the wireless LAN setting and until the predetermined time assuming that the communication confirmation has been completed has passed, the processing can be performed while maintaining the connection with a single AP. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the failure of the wireless LAN setting caused by the inability to confirm the communication between the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100.

[0139] In the case of connecting to an AP according to the connection information input by the user to the MFP 100 without using the wireless LAN setting, there is no need to confirm the communication with the mobile terminal device 104. Thus, in this case, even if a predetermined time has not elapsed since the connection with the AP was completed (i.e., even if a specific condition is not satisfied), the connection destination AP is changed according to the connection destination change request as long as the change request is acceptable.

[0140] Second embodiment

[0141] The first embodiment describes an example in which a connection destination change based on a connection destination change request is suppressed until a predetermined time has passed since the MFP 100 was connected to the AP in the wireless LAN setting mode. The second embodiment describes an example in which a connection destination change based on a connection destination change request is suppressed until a suppression release request indicating that the setting is completed is received from the mobile terminal device 104 in addition to or instead of until a predetermined time has passed since the MFP 100 was connected to the AP.

[0142] Fig. 8A and Figure 8B 1 is a flowchart of wireless LAN setting processing performed by MFP 100 according to the second embodiment and subsequent processing for changing a connection destination according to a connection destination change request. The processing shown is implemented by CPU 212 reading a program stored in ROM 213 into RAM 214 and executing the program. In S821 and S822, the processing shown is the same as that described above. Fig. 7A and Figure 7B The processing shown in is different.

[0143] The processing of S801 and S802 is the same as above Fig. 7A The processing of S701 and S702 in is similar, so the description thereof will be omitted. Note that if "YES" is determined in S802, the processing proceeds to S821.

[0144] In S821, the CPU 212 determines whether a connection destination change suppression request transmitted from the mobile terminal device 104 is received. If the connection destination change suppression request is received, the process proceeds to S803 to set the suppression state; otherwise, the process waits for the reception of the connection destination change suppression request. As described above, in the second embodiment, the suppression state is set based on an instruction from the mobile terminal device 104. Instead of setting the suppression state based on an instruction from the mobile terminal device 104, the suppression state may be set in response to receiving connection information from the mobile terminal device 104 as in the first embodiment. That is, the process of S821 may be omitted.

[0145] The processing from S803 to S810 is the same as that described above. Fig. 7A and Figure 7B The processing of S703 to S710 in is similar, so the description thereof will be omitted. Note that if "No" is determined in S809, the processing proceeds to S822.

[0146] In S822, the CPU 212 determines whether a suppression release request transmitted from the mobile terminal device 104 is received. The suppression release request is a request to release the suppression of the connection destination change based on the connection destination change request. If the suppression release request is received, the process proceeds to S812 to release the suppression state; otherwise, the process proceeds to S811. As described above, in the second embodiment, the suppression state is released based on the instruction from the mobile terminal device 104. This makes it possible to change the connection destination AP according to the connection destination change request without waiting for a predetermined time to pass after the mobile terminal device 104 confirms that the wireless LAN setting is completed.

[0147] The processing from S811 to S819 is the same as above Figure 7B , and thus the description thereof will be omitted. The processing of S811 may be omitted, and if "No" is determined in S822, the processing may return to S807. As described above, the passage of a predetermined time is not used as a condition for releasing the suppression state, thereby ensuring that the suppression state can be released after receiving the suppression release request sent from the mobile terminal device 104. That is, it is possible to change the connection destination AP according to the connection destination change request after the mobile terminal device 104 reliably confirms that the wireless LAN setting is completed.

[0148] Figure 8C is a flowchart of a wireless LAN setting process executed by the mobile terminal device 104 according to the second embodiment. Figure 8C The diagram shows Fig. 8A and Figure 8BThe processing shown is associated with the processing performed by the MFP 100 shown in . The processing shown is realized by the CPU 412 reading the program stored in the ROM 413 into the RAM 414 and executing the program. The processing shown is realized by the execution of the application or OS installed in the mobile terminal device 104. In S841 and S842, the processing shown is the same as that described above. Figure 7C The processing shown in is different.

[0149] The processing of S831 and S832 is the same as above Figure 7C The processing of S731 and S732 in is similar, so their description will be omitted.

[0150] In S841, the CPU 412 transmits a request to suppress a connection destination change based on the connection destination change request to the MFP 100. As described above, the transmitted request is received in S821 by the MFP 100. The processing of S841 may be omitted, as in S821 described above.

[0151] The processing from S833 to S836 is the same as above. Figure 7C The processing of S733 to S736 in is similar, so the description thereof will be omitted. Note that if "YES" is determined in S836, the processing proceeds to S842.

[0152] In S842, the CPU 412 sends a request to release the suppression of the connection destination change based on the connection destination change request to the MFP 100. The suppression release request may also be information corresponding to enabling (or allowing) the connection destination to be changed according to the request to change the connection destination AP. The suppression release request may also be information indicating that all wireless LAN setting processes to be performed by the mobile terminal device 104 for the MFP 100 have been completed. As described above, the sent request is received by the MFP 100 in S822.

[0153] The processing of S837 and S838 is the same as above Figure 7C The processing of S737 and S738 in is similar, so their description will be omitted.

[0154] According to the above-described embodiment, at the time of wireless LAN setting, after connection is made with an AP, until a specific condition (such as the passage of a predetermined time or the reception of a release request) is satisfied, a connection destination change based on a change request is set to be suppressed. Therefore, even if a connection destination change request is sent from the AP, the connection destination AP does not change. Thus, during the wireless LAN setting and until a specific condition is satisfied, processing can be performed while maintaining a connection with a single AP (or the same AP). This configuration can reduce the possibility of failure of wireless LAN setting to connect to an AP by sending connection information from a mobile terminal device 104 to an MFP 100 as an electronic device due to a change in the connection destination AP.

[0155] The various types of control performed by the CPU 212 or 412 described above may be performed by one piece of hardware, or multiple pieces of hardware (eg, multiple processors or circuits) may share processing to control the overall operation of the MFP 100 or the mobile terminal device 104 .

[0156] Although the present disclosure has described its exemplary embodiments in detail, some embodiments are not limited to these specific embodiments and can be modified in various ways without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Such modifications also fall within the scope of the present disclosure. The above embodiments are examples, and any combination thereof can be used.

[0157] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiments, the present disclosure is applied to MFP as an example. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the example shown, and can be applied to any wireless device used as a STA capable of performing processing according to a connection destination change request from an AP. That is, the present disclosure can be applied to PCs, PDAs, tablet terminals, mobile phone terminals such as smartphones, music players, game devices, e-book readers, smart watches, and various measuring devices (sensor devices) such as thermometers and hygrometers. The present disclosure can also be applied to digital cameras (including still cameras, video cameras, web cameras, and security cameras), printers, scanners, and drones. The present disclosure can also be applied to video output devices, audio output devices (e.g., smart speakers), media streaming players, and wireless LAN slave devices (adapters) that can be connected to a universal serial bus (USB) terminal or a LAN cable terminal. Video output devices, for example, include devices such as set-top boxes and are configured to obtain (download) moving images or still images identified by a uniform resource locator (URL) specified by an electronic device from the Internet, and output the moving images or still images to a video output terminal (such as a high-definition multimedia interface) via the video output terminal. The present invention also relates to a display device connected to a video output terminal (video output terminal). This configuration enables streaming playback on the display device and enables mirroring display (allowing the content displayed on the electronic device to also be displayed on the display device). In addition, for example, video output devices include media players such as hard disk recorders, blue-ray recorders, and DVD recorders, head-mounted displays, projectors, televisions, display devices (monitors), and signage devices. The present disclosure may also be applicable to Wi-Fi-enabled devices known as smart home appliances, such as smart air conditioners, smart refrigerators, smart washing machines, smart vacuum cleaners, smart ovens, smart microwave ovens, smart lighting systems, smart heaters, and smart coolers.

[0158] According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the possibility of failure in wireless LAN setting of connecting an electronic device to an AP by transmitting connection information from a mobile terminal device to the electronic device due to a change in a connection destination AP.

[0159] Other embodiments

[0160] The (one or more) embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented by a computer of a system or device that reads out and executes computer executable instructions (e.g., one or more programs) recorded on a storage medium (which may also be more completely referred to as a "non-transitory computer-readable storage medium") to perform the functions of one or more of the above (one or more) embodiments and / or includes one or more circuits (e.g., application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs)) for performing the functions of one or more of the above (one or more) embodiments, and by a method executed by a computer of a system or device, for example, by reading out and executing computer executable instructions from a storage medium to perform the functions of one or more of the above (one or more) embodiments and / or controlling one or more circuits to perform the functions of one or more of the above (one or more) embodiments. The computer may include one or more processors (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessing unit (MPU)), and may include a network of separate computers or separate processors to read out and execute computer executable instructions. Computer executable instructions may be provided to the computer, for example, from a network or a storage medium. The storage medium may include, for example, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a storage device of a distributed computing system, an optical disk (such as a compact disk (CD), a digital versatile disk (DVD), or a Blu-ray disk (BD)) TM ), flash memory devices, memory cards, etc.

[0161] Although the disclosure has described exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that some embodiments are not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments.The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.

Claims

1. An electronic device, characterized in that: include: a receiving unit configured to receive a change request for changing a connection destination AP to be connected to from a currently connected access point AP; an obtaining unit configured to obtain connection information for connecting to a specific AP from a terminal device; a processing unit configured to execute a process of connecting to the specific AP according to the connection information; as well as A control unit is configured as In a first state in which a specific condition is satisfied after connecting to the specific AP, performing control to make a connection destination change based on the change request so as to change the connection destination AP, and In a second state in which the specific condition is not satisfied after connecting to the specific AP, control is performed not to perform a connection destination change based on a change request.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The specific condition includes a condition that a predetermined time has passed since connecting to the specific AP.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The specific condition includes a condition that specific information is received from a terminal device after connecting to the specific AP.

4. The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein: The specific information is information corresponding to permission to change the connection destination based on the change request.

5. The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein: The specific information is information indicating that a wireless local area network (LAN) setting process performed by the terminal device for the electronic apparatus has been completed.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The acquisition unit acquires connection information when the electronic device is connected to the terminal equipment without intervention of the AP.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The acquisition unit acquires the connection information in the wireless LAN setting process of the electronic device.

8. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: When connecting to the specific AP according to the connection information, the control unit performs control to set a suppression state that suppresses a change of the connection destination based on the change request.

9. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein: In the case where the suppression state is set, The control unit performs control to transmit information indicating that the electronic device does not support a function of connection destination change based on a change request to the specific AP and connect to the specific AP.

10. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein: In the case where the suppression state is set, The control unit performs control to respond to a measurement request received from a currently connected AP by sending information indicating a radio wave condition that is worse than the condition measured for an AP other than the currently connected AP, or the control unit performs control not to change the connection destination based on a change request even if the receiving unit receives a change request from the currently connected AP.

11. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: In the first state, In a state where the change request is unacceptable, the control unit performs control not to perform a connection destination change based on the change request.

12. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein: The state in which the change request is unacceptable is at least one of a power saving state and a state in which printing is in progress while print data is being received via the currently connected AP.

13. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: After connecting to the AP according to the connection information input from the user, the control unit performs control to make a connection destination change based on the change request even if the specific condition is not satisfied.

14. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising: A print control unit is configured to perform control to print on a print sheet.

15. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The electronic device performs IEEE 802.11ax connection with the AP and performs a process conforming to the IEEE 802.11ax standard.

16. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The electronic device performs at least one of a process compliant with Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) and a process compliant with a Target Wake Time (TWT).

17. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The connection destination change based on the change request is performed to change the connection destination AP to an AP using the 6 GHz band.

18. A method for controlling an electronic device, characterized in that: The method includes: receiving a change request to change a connection destination AP to be connected to from a currently connected access point AP; Obtain connection information for connecting to a specific AP from a terminal device; Performing a process of connecting to the specific AP according to the connection information; in a first state in which a specific condition is satisfied after connecting to the specific AP, performing control to make a connection destination change based on a change request so as to change the connection destination AP; and In a second state in which the specific condition is not satisfied after connecting to the specific AP, control is performed not to perform a connection destination change based on a change request.

19. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The device stores computer executable instructions which, when executed by one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to: receiving a change request to change a connection destination AP to be connected to from a currently connected access point AP; Obtain connection information for connecting to a specific AP from a terminal device; Performing a process of connecting to the specific AP according to the connection information; in a first state in which a specific condition is satisfied after connecting to the specific AP, performing control to perform a connection destination change based on a change request so as to change the connection destination AP; as well as In a second state in which the specific condition is not satisfied after connecting to the specific AP, control is performed not to perform a connection destination change based on a change request.

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