Electronic device, control method thereof, computer readable storage medium storing program, and computer program product

Abstract

The invention relates to an electronic device, a control method thereof, a computer readable storage medium storing a program, and a computer program product. An electronic device includes: a receiving unit configured to receive a change request of an access point serving as a connection destination from a wireless LAN access point; and a control unit configured to, after receiving the change request, perform control such that connection destination change processing is performed based on the change request when the electronic device is in a first operating state, and perform connection destination change processing based on the connection destination change processing when the electronic device is in a second operating state. Control is performed such that a response to the change request is not given or a change rejection response to the change request is transmitted to the wireless LAN access point.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device connectable to a wireless LAN, a control method thereof, a computer-readable storage medium storing a program, and a computer program product. Background Art

[0002] In an extended service set (ESS) composed of multiple access points (APs), there is a technology for dynamically switching the connection destination AP to achieve efficient data exchange between the AP and the station (STA). If it is determined that the connection destination AP should be switched based on congestion of the AP to which the STA is connected, the availability of other APs, radio wave conditions, etc., the currently connected AP sends a request to the STA to change the connected AP. After receiving the AP change request, the STA switches the connection destination AP according to the request so that it can connect to an appropriate AP.

[0003] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-175068 discloses a process in which a router with an AP function requests a currently connected wireless sub-device to change a connection destination as follows. A mobile router (MR 1) that can be connected to multiple wireless sub-devices checks whether the wireless sub-device terminal supports IEEE 802.11v. Whether the wireless sub-device terminal supports IEEE 802.11v can be determined based on an association request frame sent when the wireless sub-device terminal is wirelessly connected to MR 1. If the wireless sub-device terminal supports IEEE 802.11v, MR 1 sends a BSS transition management (BTM) request frame to the corresponding wireless sub-device terminal. In the BSS transition candidate list entry field of the BTM request frame, the BSSID of the parent router RT 2 is specified as the connection destination. This prompts the wireless sub-device terminal to switch the connection destination, and the wireless sub-device terminal switches the connection destination from MR 1 to RT 2 based on the received BTM request frame. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present invention provides an electronic device that more appropriately changes an access point serving as a connection destination, a control method thereof, a computer-readable storage medium storing a program, and a computer program product.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present invention provides an electronic device, comprising: a receiving unit configured to receive a change request for an access point serving as a connection destination from a wireless LAN access point; and a control unit configured to, after receiving the change request, execute control so that a connection destination change process is performed based on the change request when the electronic device is in a first operating state, and execute control so that no response to the change request is given or a change rejection response to the change request is sent to the wireless LAN access point when the electronic device is in a second operating state.

[0006] In its second aspect, the present invention provides an electronic device control method performed in an electronic device, comprising: receiving a change request for an access point serving as a connection destination from a wireless LAN access point; and after receiving the change request, when the electronic device is in a first operating state, executing control so that a connection destination change process is performed based on the change request, and when the electronic device is in a second operating state, executing control so that no response to the change request is given or a change rejection response to the change request is sent to the wireless LAN access point.

[0007] The present invention, in its third aspect, provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program configured to cause a computer to: receive a change request for an access point serving as a connection destination from a wireless LAN access point; and upon receiving the change request, when the electronic device is in a first operating state, execute control so that a connection destination change process is performed based on the change request, and when the electronic device is in a second operating state, execute control so that no response to the change request is given or a change rejection response to the change request is sent to the wireless LAN access point.

[0008] The present invention, in its fourth aspect, provides a computer program product configured to cause a computer to: receive a change request for an access point serving as a connection destination from a wireless LAN access point; and upon receiving the change request, when the electronic device is in a first operating state, execute control so that a connection destination change process is performed based on the change request, and when the electronic device is in a second operating state, execute control so that no response to the change request is given or a change rejection response to the change request is sent to the wireless LAN access point.

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to more appropriately change an access point serving as a connection destination.

[0010] Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments (with reference to the attached drawings). BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of the system.

[0012] Figure 2A and Figure 2B is a diagram showing the configuration of the MFP.

[0013] Figure 3A , Figure 3B and Figure 3C It is a diagram showing an operation display unit of the MFP.

[0014] Figure 4A and Figure 4B is a diagram showing the configuration of a portable terminal device.

[0015] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of access points.

[0016] Figure 6 This is a sequence diagram illustrating processing based on a connection destination change request from an AP.

[0017] Fig. 7A and Figure 7B is a flowchart illustrating processing in the MFP. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention. A plurality of features are described in the embodiments, but are not limited to the invention requiring all such features, and a plurality of such features may be appropriately combined. In addition, in the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the same or similar configurations, and redundant descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0019] The STA has a state in which no problem occurs even when the STA performs AP switching, and a state in which a problem may occur when the STA performs AP switching or disconnects from the currently connected AP. If the STA receives an AP change request from the AP in the state in which a problem may occur, and switches the connection destination AP in response to the request, a problem will occur in the STA.

[0020] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to more appropriately change an access point serving as a connection destination.

[0021] (System Configuration)

[0022] Figure 1 An example of the configuration of a system according to the present embodiment is shown. In the example, this system is a wireless communication system in which a plurality of communication devices can wirelessly communicate with each other. Figure 1In the example of , the system includes a portable terminal device 104, an MFP 100, access points (i.e., AP 101 and AP 102), a server 103, and a network 110 as communication devices. Note that AP 101 and AP 102 can be represented as "AP1" and "AP2", respectively. The portable terminal device 104 is a device having a wireless communication function using a wireless LAN or the like. Note that, hereinafter, a wireless LAN may be referred to as a "WLAN". The portable terminal device 104 may be a personal information terminal such as a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile phone (smartphone), a digital camera, a personal computer, etc.

[0023] MFP 100 is a printer device having a printing function, and may also have a scanning function (scanner), a fax function, and / or a telephone function. In addition, the MFP 100 of the present embodiment has a communication function that enables wireless communication with a portable terminal device 104. In addition, the present embodiment will describe an example in which MFP 100 is used, but some embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, a device having a communication function, such as a scanner device, a projector, a portable terminal, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a tablet terminal, a PDA, a digital camera, a music playback device, a television, and a smart speaker, may be used instead of MFP 100. Note that MFP is an acronym for "multifunction peripheral".

[0024] The AP 101 is provided to be separated from (outside) the portable terminal device 104 and the MFP 100, and functions as a base station device of the WLAN. A communication device having a WLAN communication function can perform communication in a WLAN infrastructure mode via the AP 101. Note that, hereinafter, an access point may be referred to as an "AP". In addition, the infrastructure mode may be referred to as a "wireless infrastructure mode". The AP 101 performs wireless communication with a (authenticated) communication device that is allowed to be connected to the AP 101, and relays wireless communication between an authenticated communication device and another communication device. In addition, the AP 101 can be connected to, for example, a wired communication network, and can relay communication between a communication device connected to this wired communication network and another communication device wirelessly connected to the AP 101.

[0025] The AP 102 has the same function as that of the AP 101, and the MFP 100 switches the connection from the AP 101 to the AP 102. The server 103 is connected to the MFP 100 via the AP 101 and the network 110, and provides a service to the MFP 100 in response to a request from the MFP 100. Here, the network 110 may be the so-called Internet, or may be a closed network within a company or a mobile phone network.

[0026] (Appearance and configuration of MFP)

[0027] Figure 2A An example of the appearance configuration of the MFP 100 is shown. The MFP 100 includes, for example, a document platform 201, a document lid 202, a printing paper insertion port 203, a printing paper discharge port 204, and an operation display unit 205. The document platform 201 is a platform on which a scanning target document is placed. The document cover 202 is a cover for pressing a document placed on the document platform 201 or preventing light from a light source for illuminating the document during scanning from leaking to the outside. The printing paper insertion port 203 is an insertion port in which various sizes of paper can be set. The printing paper discharge port 204 is a discharge port for discharging printed paper. The paper set in the printing paper insertion port 203 is conveyed to the printing unit one by one, printing is performed at the printing unit, and then the printed paper is discharged from the printing paper discharge port 204. The operation display unit 205 includes keys such as character input keys, cursor keys, a determination key, and a cancel key, as well as an LED and an LCD, and can accept user activation of various functions as the MFP and operations on various settings. In addition, the operation display unit 205 may include a touch panel display. The MFP 100 has a wireless communication function with a WLAN, and includes a wireless communication antenna 206 for wireless communication, although the antenna 206 does not need to be visible from the outside. Similar to the portable terminal device 104, the MFP 100 can also perform wireless communication in the frequency bands of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz using WLAN.

[0028] (MFP Configuration)

[0029] Figure 2BAn example of the configuration of the MFP 100 is shown. The MFP 100 includes a main unit 211 that performs main control on the MFP 100 and a wireless unit 226 that is a communication module that performs WLAN communication using at least one common antenna. The main unit 211 indicates only a block including functional blocks other than a modem 229 and a wireless unit 266. In addition, the MFP 100 includes a modem 229 for performing, for example, wired communication. The main unit 211 includes, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) 212, a ROM 213, a RAM 214, a nonvolatile memory 215, an image memory 216, a scan control unit 217, a data conversion unit 218, a scan unit 219, and an encoding / decoding processing unit 221. In addition, the main unit 211 includes, for example, a printing unit 222, a paper feed unit 223, a print control unit 224, and an operation display unit 220. The functional units inside the main unit 211 are connected to each other via a system bus 230 managed by the CPU 212. Furthermore, the main unit 211 and the wireless unit 226 are connected to each other via, for example, a dedicated bus 225 , and the main unit 211 and the modem 229 are connected to each other via, for example, a bus 228 .

[0030] The CPU 212 is a system control unit including at least one processor, and performs overall control of the MFP 100. In the example, the processing of the MFP 100 described later is realized by the CPU 212 executing the program stored in the ROM 213. Note that dedicated hardware may be provided for each processing. The ROM 213 stores a control program executed by the CPU 212 and an embedded OS program, etc. In the present embodiment, the CPU 212 executes the control program also stored in the ROM 213 under the control of the embedded OS stored in the ROM 213, thereby performing software control such as scheduling, task switching, etc.

[0031] The RAM 214 is composed of an SRAM or the like. The RAM 214 stores data such as program control variables and data such as set values ​​registered by the user and management data of the MFP 100. In addition, the RAM 214 can be used as a buffer for various jobs. For example, the nonvolatile memory 215 is composed of a memory such as a flash memory, and continues to store data even when the MFP 100 is turned off. The image memory 216 is composed of a memory such as a 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. Note that the memory configuration of the MFP 100 is not limited to the above configuration. For example, the data conversion unit 218 analyzes data in various formats and converts the image data into print data.

[0032] The scanning control unit 217 controls the scanning unit 219 (e.g., a contact image sensor (CIS)) to optically read a document placed on the document platform 201. The scanning control unit 217 converts an image obtained by optically scanning the document into electrical image data (image signal) and outputs the converted image data. At this time, the scanning control unit 217 may output image data that has been subjected to various image processing such as binarization and midtone processing.

[0033] The operation display unit 220 corresponds to the reference Figure 2A The operation display unit 205 described above is configured to perform display on the display according to display control performed by the CPU 212 and to generate a signal in response to acceptance of a user operation, for example.

[0034] The encoding / decoding processing unit 221 performs encoding processing, decoding processing, and scaling processing on image data (such as JPEG and PNG) processed by the MFP 100 .

[0035] The paper feed unit 223 holds paper for printing. The paper feed unit 223 can feed the set paper under the control of the print control unit 224. The paper feed unit 223 may include a plurality of paper feed units to hold a plurality of types of paper in one device, and may perform control as to which paper feed unit to feed paper from 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 can perform, for example, an inkjet recording print process in which ink supplied from an ink cartridge is discharged from a print head to record an image on a recording medium such as paper. Note that the print unit 222 can also be configured to perform another type of print process such as an electrophotographic print process. In addition, the print control unit 224 can periodically read information on the print unit 222 and can update status information stored in the RAM 214, which status information includes the amount of ink remaining in the ink cartridge, the status of the print head, and the like.

[0037] The wireless unit 226 is a unit capable of providing a WLAN communication function, and can, for example, provide the same function as a mixture of the wireless unit 226 and the WLAN unit 429 of the portable terminal device 104. That is, the wireless unit 226 converts data into a packet that complies with the WLAN standard and sends the resulting packet to another device or decodes a packet from another external device into original data, and outputs the resulting data to the CPU 212. The wireless unit 226 can perform communication as a station compatible with the IEEE 802.11 standard series. Specifically, the wireless unit 226 can perform communication as a station compatible with IEEE802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax. In the following, the station may also be referred to as a "STA". In addition, the wireless unit 226 can perform communication as a STA supporting Wi-Fi Agile Multiband.

[0038] The wireless unit 226 supports IEEE 802.11ax, i.e., Wi-Fi 6, and the MFP 100 can also operate as a STA supporting orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) and target wake-up time (TWT). Since the wireless unit 226 supports TWT, the data communication timing from the parent device to the STA is adjusted. When there is no need to wait for signal reception, the wireless unit 226 (MFP 100) as a STA switches the communication function to sleep mode. In this way, power consumption can be suppressed. The wireless unit 226 also supports Wi-Fi 6E. That is, communication in the 6GHz band (5.925GHz to 7.125GHz) is also possible. The target band that exists in the 5GHz band and for which dynamic frequency selection (DFS) is performed does not exist in the 6GHz band. Therefore, communication in the 6GHz band is expected to be more comfortable because communication interruptions due to DFS waiting time do not occur.

[0039] Note that the portable terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 can perform P2P (WLAN) communication based on 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 network for P2P communication and can determine a channel to be used in P2P communication.

[0040] (Operation display unit of MFP)

[0041] FIG. 3A to FIG. 3C An example of a screen display on a display (touch panel display) included in the operation display unit 220 of the MFP 100 is schematically shown. Figure 3AAn example of a home screen displayed during a state (idle state or standby state) in which the MFP 100 has been turned on but no operation (such as printing or scanning) is being performed is shown. Figure 3A , display items (menu items) corresponding to copy, scan, and cloud are displayed respectively. 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, MFP 100 can start executing the corresponding setting or function. Figure 3A By key operations or touch panel operations on the main screen shown in FIG. 1 , the MFP 100 can display the Figure 3A The pictures in the picture are different.

[0042] Figure 3B An example of displaying another part of the home screen and switching from the home screen to the home screen by an operation such as a left or right swipe operation is shown. Figure 3A The state transitions to display another page of the main screen. Figure 3B In the display, display items (menu items) corresponding to communication setting, printing and photo are displayed respectively. When one of the menu items is selected, the function corresponding to the selected menu item, that is, the printing function, the photo function or the communication setting is executed.

[0043] Figure 3C Shows that when Figure 3B An example of a display of a menu screen for communication settings that is displayed when communication settings are selected on the screen. On the menu screen for communication settings, "Wireless LAN", "Wired LAN", "Wireless Direct", "Bluetooth", and "Common" are displayed as menu items (options). "Wireless LAN", "Wired LAN", and "Wireless Direct" are menu items used when configuring LAN settings, and from these items, settings for wired connection, settings for enabling / disabling wireless infrastructure mode, settings for enabling / disabling P2P mode (such as WFD or soft AP mode), and the like are configured. When the item "Wireless LAN" is selected and the wireless LAN is set to enable by 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 user operation, the P2P (WLAN) mode is enabled. A common settings menu related to the connection format is also displayed on this screen. In addition, the user can configure settings for the frequency band and channel of the wireless LAN, and the like on the screen.

[0044] (Appearance and configuration of portable terminal equipment)

[0045] Figure 4A4 is a diagram showing an example of the appearance configuration of the portable terminal device 104. As an example, the present embodiment describes a case where the portable terminal device 104 is a common type of smart phone. Note that the portable terminal device 104 includes, for example, a display unit 402, an operation unit 403, and a power key 404. The display unit 402 is a display including, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) type display mechanism. Note that the display unit 402 can display information using, for example, a light emitting diode (LED), etc. The portable terminal device 104 may also have a function of outputting information by voice in addition to or instead of the display unit 402. The operation unit 403 includes physical keys (such as keys and buttons), a touch panel, etc. for detecting user operations. Note that in this example, since the information display by the display unit 402 and the reception of the user operation by the operation unit 403 are performed using a common touch panel display, the display unit 402 and the operation unit 403 are implemented by a single device. In this case, the button icons and the software keyboard are displayed using the display function of the display unit 402, and the user's touch on those areas is detected by the operation reception function of the operation unit 403. Note that a configuration is also possible in which the display unit 402 and the operation unit 403 are separated and separate pieces of hardware for display and for operation reception are provided. The power key 404 is a physical key for accepting a user operation to turn on or off the portable terminal device 104.

[0046] The portable terminal device 104 includes a WLAN unit 401 that provides a WLAN communication function, although it does not necessarily need to be visible in appearance. The WLAN unit 401 is configured to be able to perform data (data packet) communication in a WLAN system compatible with, for example, the IEEE 802.11 standard series (such as IEEE802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax). The WLAN unit 401 can also perform communication as an AP supporting Wi-Fi Agile Multiband. However, some embodiments are not limited to this, and the WLAN unit 401 is also capable of performing communication in a WLAN system compatible with another standard. Note that in this example, the WLAN unit 401 can perform communication in two frequency bands, 2.4GHz and 5GHz. In addition, 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 later.

[0047] (Configuration of portable terminal equipment)

[0048] Figure 4BAn example of the configuration of the portable terminal device 104 is shown. In the example, the portable terminal device 104 includes a main unit 411 that performs main control on the portable terminal device 104 and a WLAN unit 429 that performs WLAN communication. The main unit 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. Here, "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 main unit 411 indicates only a block including a functional block other than the WLAN unit 429. The portable terminal device 104 also includes a display unit 420 and an operation unit 418. The functional units inside the main unit 411 are connected to each other via a system bus 628 managed by the CPU 412. Furthermore, the main unit 411 and the WLAN unit 429 are connected to each other via a dedicated bus 426, for example.

[0049] The CPU 412 is a system control unit that includes at least one processor and performs overall control of the portable terminal device 104. In the example, the processing of the portable terminal device 104 described later is realized by the CPU 412 executing the program stored in the ROM 413. Note that hardware dedicated to each processing can be provided. The ROM 413 stores the control program and the embedded (OS) program executed by the CPU 412, etc. In the present embodiment, the CPU 412 performs software control for scheduling, task switching, etc. by executing the control program also stored in the ROM 413 under the control of the embedded OS stored in the ROM 413.

[0050] The RAM 414 is composed of a static RAM (SRAM) or the like. The RAM 414 stores data such as program control variables and data such as set values ​​registered by the user and management data of the portable terminal device 104. In addition, the RAM 414 can be used as a buffer for various jobs. The image memory 415 is composed of a memory such as a dynamic RAM (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 for processing by the CPU 412. For example, the nonvolatile memory 422 is composed of a memory such as a flash memory, and continues to store data even when the portable terminal device 104 is turned off. Note that the memory configuration of the portable 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 perform data backup, etc. In addition, in the present embodiment, DRAM can be exemplified as the image memory 415, but another storage medium such as a hard disk or a nonvolatile memory can also be used.

[0051] 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 voice data input and output via the speaker unit 424 to achieve telephone communication. The GPS 419 receives radio waves emitted from satellites and obtains position information of the portable terminal device 104, such as the current latitude and longitude.

[0052] The camera unit 421 has a function of electronically recording and encoding an image input through a lens. Image data obtained by image capture 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 and other functions such as an alarm notification. The power supply unit 425 is, for example, a portable battery, and performs control to supply power to the device. The power supply state includes, for example, a power-off state in which no power is left in the battery, a power-off state in which the power key 404 is not pressed, an activated state in which the device is activated, and a power-saving state in which the device is activated but saves power.

[0053] The display unit 420 corresponds to the reference Figure 4A The display unit 402 described above performs various input operations, display of the operation state and status of the MFP 100, etc. based on the control of the CPU 412. The operation unit 418 corresponds to the display unit 402 described above. Figure 4A The operation unit 403 described above performs control such as generating an electric signal corresponding to the operation and outputting the generated electric signal to the CPU 412, for example, upon receiving a user operation.

[0054] The portable terminal device 104 performs wireless communication using the WLAN unit 429 to communicate data with another device such as the MFP 100. The WLAN unit 429 converts data into a data packet and sends the data packet to another device. In addition, the WLAN unit 429 decodes a data packet from another external device into original data and outputs the original data to the CPU 412. The WLAN unit 429 is a unit for implementing communication in accordance with the WLAN standard. The WLAN unit 429 can operate in at least two communication modes in parallel, including a wireless infrastructure mode and a P2P (WLAN) mode. Note that the frequency bands used in these communication modes may be limited by the performance and functionality of the hardware.

[0055] (Access Point Configuration)

[0056] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an AP 101 having a wireless LAN access point function.

[0057] The AP 101 includes a main unit 510 for controlling the AP 101, a wireless LAN unit 516, a wired

[0058] LAN unit 518 and operation buttons 520. The main unit 510 indicates only blocks including functional blocks other than the wireless LAN unit 516, the wired LAN unit 518, and the operation buttons 520.

[0059] A CPU 511 in the form of a microprocessor arranged on the main unit 510 operates according to a control program stored in a program memory 513 in the form of a ROM connected to the CPU 511 via an internal bus 512 and the contents of a data memory 514 in the form of a RAM. The CPU 511 controls a wireless LAN unit 516 through a wireless LAN communication control unit 515 to perform wireless LAN communication with another communication terminal device. In addition, the CPU 511 controls a wired LAN unit 518 through a wired LAN communication control unit 517 to perform wired LAN communication with another communication terminal device. By controlling an operation unit control circuit 519, the CPU 511 can accept a user operation made through an operation button 520. The CPU 511 includes at least one processor.

[0060] In addition, the AP 101 includes an interference wave detection unit 521 and a channel change unit 522. The interference wave detection unit 521 performs interference wave detection processing while performing wireless communication in a frequency band in which dynamic frequency selection (DFS) is performed. The channel change unit 522 performs processing for changing a channel to be used, for example, when it is necessary to immediately change to an empty channel or when an interference wave is detected when performing wireless communication in a frequency band in which DFS is performed.

[0061] Note that AP 102 also has the same configuration as AP 101 .

[0062] (P2P communication method)

[0063] Subsequently, WLAN communication, i.e., a P2P (WLAN) communication method, in which devices communicate with each other directly and wirelessly without intervention of any external access point, will be schematically described. P2P (WLAN) communication can be implemented by various methods, and for example, a communication device that can support multiple modes of P2P (WLAN) communication can selectively use any one of the multiple modes to perform P2P communication (WLAN).

[0064] The following two modes can be considered as P2P modes:

[0065] -Soft AP mode; and

[0066] -Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) mode.

[0067] A communication device that can perform P2P communication may be configured to support at least one of these modes. On the other hand, even a communication device that can perform P2P communication does not need to support all of these modes, but may be configured to support only some of them.

[0068] A communication device having a WFD communication function (e.g., a portable terminal device 104) calls an application for implementing (in some cases, dedicated to) the communication function after accepting a user operation via its operation unit. The communication device then displays a screen of a user interface (UI) provided by the application to prompt the user to operate, and based on the user operation accepted in response thereto, the communication device can perform WFD communication.

[0069] -Soft AP mode

[0070] In the soft AP mode, a communication device (e.g., portable terminal device 104) operates in the role of a client that requests various services. Another communication device (e.g., MFP 100) operates as a soft AP that can perform the function of a WLAN AP through software settings. Note that the commands and parameters sent and received when establishing a wireless connection between the client and the soft AP only need to be in The commands and parameters are specified in the standard, so their description is omitted here. In addition, the MFP 100 operating in the soft AP mode determines the frequency band and channel as a parent station. Therefore, the MFP 100 can select which frequency band to use from 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz, and can select which channel to use in the selected frequency band.

[0071] -WFD mode

[0072] As a parent station (autonomous group owner) in WFD mode, MFP 100 can be configured to be activated in a fixed manner. In this case, GO negotiation processing for determining roles is not required. In addition, in this case, MFP 100 determines the frequency band and channel as a parent station. Therefore, MFP 100 can select which frequency band to use from 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz, and select which channel to use in the selected frequency band.

[0073] (Wireless Infrastructure Mode)

[0074] In the wireless infrastructure mode, communication devices that communicate with each other (e.g., the portable terminal device 104 and the MFP 100) are connected to an external AP (e.g., AP 101) that performs overall control over the network, and communication between the communication devices is performed via the AP. In other words, communication between the communication devices is performed via a network established by the external AP. As a result of the portable terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 detecting the AP 101 and each sending a connection request to the AP 101, communication in the wireless infrastructure mode between the communication devices via the AP 101 can be performed. Note that multiple communication devices can be connected to each AP. In this case, data transmission between APs enables communication between the communication devices. Commands and parameters sent and received during communication between the communication devices only need to be in The commands and parameters are specified in the standard, so the description thereof is omitted here. In addition, in this case, the AP 101 determines the frequency band and the channel. Therefore, the AP 101 can select which frequency band to use from 5 GHz, 2.4 GHz, and 6 GHz, and can select which channel to use in the selected frequency band.

[0075] (Processing in Response to Connection Destination Change Request from AP to STA)

[0076] The portable terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 support the Wi-Fi Agile Wi-Fi Agile Multiband is a function that enables selection of an optimal environment according to the change conditions of the Wi-Fi network. Specifically, STA (such as the portable terminal device 104 and the MFP 100) and AP (such as the AP 101) exchange information related to the network environment using the IEEE802.11 series of communication standards. Through such information exchange, if there is congestion in the network, the AP can guide the STA to another AP, frequency band or channel, or even to another cellular service in some cases (the AP can cause the STA to change the connection destination).

[0077] Figure 61 is a sequence diagram when the MFP 100 changes the connection destination AP from the AP 101 to the AP 102 in response to a connection destination change request (a change request of the access point serving as the connection destination) from the AP 101. The processing performed by each device in this sequence is realized by the CPU of the device reading various programs stored in a memory such as a ROM included in the device onto the RAM and executing the programs.

[0078] Assume that Figure 6 In the initial state of the processing in , MFP 100 has established a connection with AP 101 in the wireless infrastructure mode. It is also assumed that when MFP 100 has been connected to AP 101 in the wireless infrastructure mode, AP 101 has acquired information about whether MFP 100 supports IEEE 802.11v, and when information indicating that MFP 100 supports IEEE 802.11v has been acquired, AP 101 performs the following processing.

[0079] In step S601, the AP 101 sends an inquiry (measurement request) about the radio wave strength of APs located around the MFP 100 to the MFP 100. The inquiry may be sent together with, for example, a beacon frame request or a beacon report request. That is, the request may use a mechanism specified in the IEEE 802.11k standard.

[0080] In step S602, the MFP 100 receives frames transmitted by APs located around it in response to the request received in step S601 and measures the radio wave strength of the APs. In this way, the radio wave strength of a plurality of APs including the AP 101 and the AP 102 is measured.

[0081] In step S603, the MFP 100 transmits the list of radio wave strengths of the APs located around the MFP 100 measured in step S602 as a response to the request received in step S601. Note that the radio wave strengths to be responded to may be information stored in, for example, the RAM 214 and the nonvolatile memory 215 of the MFP 100 in addition to or instead of the information measured in step S602. For example, the response is transmitted together with the beacon report or the measurement report.

[0082] In step S604, based on the congestion situation in the network recognized by the AP 101 and the radio wave strength received from the MFP 100 in step S603, the AP 101 determines whether it is necessary to switch the connection destination of the MFP 100. Factors based on which the AP 101 determines that it is necessary to switch the connection destination include: many connected STAs, a large amount of communication, other APs with less congestion, the presence or absence of interference signals, disabled AP functions, etc. If it is determined that it is necessary to switch the connection destination of the MFP 100, and the SSID, channel, and frequency band of another AP designated as the switching destination of the MFP 100 are determined, the process proceeds to step S605.

[0083] In step S605, AP 101 sends an AP change request (connection destination switching request) to MFP 100. The connection destination switching request includes information about the SSID, channel, and frequency band of the other AP designated as the switching destination of MFP 100 determined in step S604. Note that there may be a case where multiple SSIDs are designated. The connection destination change request is sent as, for example, a BTM request. That is, a BSS transition management (BTM) request frame specified by the IEEE 802.11v standard is sent. Figure 6 In the example of FIG. 1 , it is assumed that the AP 102 is designated as the switching destination included in the connection destination change request.

[0084] In step S606, if the MFP 100 complies with the connection destination change request received in step S605, the MFP 100 sends a response indicating approval of the switching to the AP 101. If the MFP 100 does not comply with the connection destination change request, the MFP 100 may send a rejection of the switching as a response. The response is sent as a BTM response. Figure 6 In the example of , assume that a response indicating approval of the handover is sent.

[0085] In step S607, the AP 101 and the MFP 100 are disconnected from each other in the wireless infrastructure mode.

[0086] In step S608 , the MFP 100 transmits a connection request to the AP 102 , requesting the AP 102 specified by the connection destination change request received in step S605 to connect to the MFP 100 .

[0087] Thus, in step S609, the connection between the MFP 100 and the AP 102 in the wireless infrastructure mode is established.

[0088] By this mechanism, the MFP 100 as the STA can change the connection destination from the AP 101 to the AP 102 based on the connection destination change request from the AP 101 to which the MFP 100 is initially connected. The AP 101 and the AP 102 may be APs located at different locations. Figure 6 By the processing in , the MFP 100 can switch the connection destination to another AP located at a position different from the position where the originally connected AP is located. In addition, the original AP and the other AP may be APs supporting different frequency bands among a plurality of frequency bands (two or three of 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz) provided by the same device. That is, by Figure 6 By the process in , the MFP 100 can switch the frequency band to another frequency band provided by the same device as the AP that was initially connected. For example, based on the connection destination change request, the connection destination can be changed to an AP in the 6 GHz frequency band.

[0089] Note that this embodiment describes an example in which a measurement request and a connection destination change request are sent from an AP using a mechanism compliant with Wi-Fi Agile Multiband and the STA responds to these requests, but is not limited thereto. This embodiment is also applicable to a case in which the STA responds to a measurement request and a connection destination change request sent from an AP using a mechanism different from the above example and changes the connection destination AP (switches, deletes, or adds a connection destination AP).

[0090] In the case where the MFP 100 is requested to change the connection destination from the AP 101 Figure 6 In step S605, the MFP 100 has a state in which no problem occurs even when the MFP 100 changes the connection destination AP, and a state in which a problem may occur as described later when the MFP 100 changes the connection destination AP or disconnects from the currently connected AP.

[0091] In the present embodiment, when the MFP 100 receives a connection destination change request from the AP 101, if the MFP 100 is in a state where no problem occurs even when it changes the connection destination AP, control is performed so that the connection destination AP is changed in response to the change request. On the other hand, if the MFP 100 is in a state where a problem may occur when it changes the connection destination AP, control is performed so that the MFP 100 does not respond to the change request or gives a response of rejecting the connection destination change. The configuration of such control will be described below. With such a configuration, the access point serving as the connection destination can be changed based on the operating state of the MFP 100.

[0092] refer to Fig. 7A and Figure 7BA process executed when the MFP 100 accepts a connection destination change request from a currently connected AP is described. Fig. 7A and Figure 7B The processing shown in is realized, for example, by the CPU 212 reading a program stored in the ROM 213, which is a computer-readable recording medium, onto the RAM 214 and executing the program.

[0093] In this embodiment, it is assumed that Fig. 7A In the initial state of the processing of , the MFP 100 has established a connection with the AP 101 in the wireless infrastructure mode. In addition, when the MFP 100 is connected to the AP 101 in the wireless infrastructure mode, the AP 101 acquires information about whether the MFP 100 supports IEEE 802.11v. Here, if information indicating that the MFP 100 supports IEEE 802.11v (the MFP 100 supports a function of changing a connection destination according to a connection destination change request) is acquired, the following processing will be performed.

[0094] In step S701, the CPU 212 determines whether an inquiry (measurement request) regarding the radio wave strength of the AP located around the MFP 100 has been received from the AP 101. Such an inquiry may include a beacon frame request or a beacon report request, and in the present embodiment, it is assumed that the inquiry includes one of them. In addition, the inquiry regarding the radio wave strength determined in step S701 corresponds to Figure 6 In step S601 of the process, it is determined whether the inquiry about the radio wave strength transmitted by the AP 101 has been received. If it is determined in step S701 that the inquiry about the radio wave strength has been received, the CPU 212 moves to step S702. On the other hand, if it is determined that the inquiry about the radio wave strength has not been received, the CPU 212 moves to step S703.

[0095] In step S702, the MFP 100 measures the radio wave strength of the APs located around the MFP 100, as shown in FIG. Figure 6 The CPU 212 sends a list of the radio wave strengths of the APs to the AP 101 as a beacon report.

[0096] In step S703, the CPU 212 determines whether a request to change the connection destination AP has been received from the AP 101, as shown in FIG. Figure 6 In step S703, if it is determined that a request has been received, the CPU 212 moves to step S704. On the other hand, if it is determined that a request has not been received, the CPU 212 moves to step S707.

[0097] In step S704, the CPU 212 determines whether the MFP 100 can change the connection destination AP. If it is determined that the MFP 100 cannot change the connection destination AP, the CPU 212 moves to step S708. On the other hand, if it is determined that the MFP 100 can change the connection destination AP, the CPU 212 moves to step S705. That is, in step S704, the CPU 212 determines whether the MFP 100 is in a state in which it can change the connection destination AP. Hereinafter, the state in which the MFP 100 can change the connection destination AP is referred to as a "first operating state", and the state in which the MFP 100 cannot change the connection destination AP is referred to as a "second operating state". The second operating state is, for example, a state in which the operation currently performed by the MFP 100 is affected when the MFP 100 changes the connection destination AP.

[0098] The determination in step S704 as to whether the connection destination AP can be changed can be performed based on whether the MFP 100 is connected to the external server 103. When the MFP 100 is connected to the external server 103, if the MFP 100 is immediately disconnected from the AP 101, the communication may be forcibly interrupted without performing the termination process, and the reconnection process may take time. In other words, when the MFP 100 is not connected to the external server 103, the MFP 100 is in a first operating state, and when the MFP 100 is connected to the external server 103, the MFP 100 is in a second operating state. The external server 103 may be, for example, a cloud print server.

[0099] In step S705, the CPU 212 sends a response to the AP 101 indicating that it will comply with the connection destination change request received from the AP 101, and moves to step S706. The processing in step S705 corresponds to Figure 6 The processing in step S606.

[0100] In step S706, the CPU 212 disconnects the connection between the MFP 100 and the AP 101, and executes processing for connecting to the AP suggested for connection in the change request. The processing in step S706 corresponds to Figure 6 Note that if the APs suggested for connection in the connection destination change request include APs that can perform communication in the 6 GHz band, processing for connecting to the APs that can perform communication in the 6 GHz band can be performed. In this way, the communication disconnection due to the waiting time of DFS as described above does not occur in the MFP 100, and more comfortable communication is expected.

[0101] In step S707, the CPU 212 determines whether the connection to the connected AP 101 has been terminated. If it is determined that the connection has not been terminated, the CPU 212 moves to step S701. On the other hand, if it is determined that the connection has been terminated, the CPU 212 terminates Fig. 7A in the processing.

[0102] In step S708, the CPU 212 stores information about the AP suggested for connection in the connection destination change request received from the AP 101 (information about connection of the suggested AP, including identification information identifying the suggested AP, such as a BSSID) in the RAM 214 of the MFP 100, and moves to step S709.

[0103] In step S709, the CPU 212 refers to the change reason included in the connection destination change request received from the AP 101, and determines whether there is a strong change reason. If it is determined that there is a strong reason, the CPU 212 moves to step S710, and if it is determined that there is no strong reason, the CPU 212 moves to step S711. In step S709, for example, if the DisassociationImminent bit or the BSS Termination Included bit in the request mode of the BTM request is 1, the CPU 212 determines that the change request has a strong change reason.

[0104] In step S710, the CPU 212 does not respond to the connection destination change request, and moves to step S712. Here, the above-mentioned case where there is a strong reason is, in other words, a case where the connection between the AP 101 and the MFP 100 is likely to be disconnected. For example, when the radio wave strength of the AP 101 and the MFP 100 is low and in similar cases, the connection between the AP 101 and the MFP 100 is likely to be disconnected, and therefore a strong reason is set for the change reason included in the change request. For example, even when the CPU 212 sends a change rejection response in the processing in step S709, it can be conceived that the AP 101 forcibly disconnects the connection to the MFP 100 after receiving the change rejection response. Therefore, if there is a strong reason, the CPU 212 does not respond in step S710, hoping that the connection to the AP 101 can be maintained until the waiting time for the response of the AP 101 times out. The waiting time for the response is, for example, a predetermined period of time for which the AP 101 waits for a response from the MFP 100.

[0105] In step S711, the CPU 212 sends a change rejection response to the change request from the AP 101 to the AP 101, and moves to step S712. Here, the above-mentioned case where there is no strong reason is, in other words, a case where it is recommended to disconnect the connection between the AP 101 and the MFP 100. For example, when a plurality of devices are connected to the AP 101 and in similar cases, the network of the AP 101 may be congested. In the processing of step S711, for example, even when the CPU 212 sends a change rejection response to the AP 101, it is conceivable that the AP 101 having received the change rejection response does not forcibly disconnect the connection to the MFP 100. Therefore, in the processing of step S711, if there is no strong reason, the AP 101 can maintain the connection to the AP 101 without forcibly disconnecting the connection, and therefore the CPU 212 sends the change rejection response. For example, by the CPU 212 sending the change rejection response, among the plurality of devices that are candidates for connection destination change that are connected to the AP 101 and that have no strong reason for forcibly disconnecting, it can be expected that the AP 101 has a lower priority for changing the connection destination of the MFP 100. Therefore, if, for example, a device other than the MFP 100 having a higher priority changes its connection destination, it can be conceived that the MFP 100 can maintain the connection to the AP 101. In other words, in step S710 or S711, the CPU 212 performs control so that the connection destination change process based on the connection request from the AP 101 is not performed when the MFP 100 is in the second operation state.

[0106] In step S712, the CPU 212 determines whether a request to change the connection destination AP has been received again from the AP 101. In step S712, if it is determined that such a request has not been received, the CPU 212 moves to step S713, and if it is determined that such a request has been received, the CPU 212 moves to step S715.

[0107] In step S713, the CPU 212 determines whether the MFP 100 has entered a state in which it can change the connection destination AP. If it is determined that the MFP 100 has entered a state in which it can change the connection destination AP (i.e., the state of the MFP 100 is changed from the second operating state to the first operating state), the CPU 212 moves to step S715, and if it is determined that the MFP 100 remains in a state in which it cannot change the connection destination AP (i.e., the MFP 100 remains in the second operating state), the CPU 212 moves to step S712.

[0108] The processing in step S714 is the same as the processing in step S713, so its description is omitted. In step S714, if it is determined that the MFP 100 has entered a state in which it can change the connection destination AP, the CPU 212 moves to step S715. On the other hand, if it is determined that the MFP 100 remains in a state in which it cannot change the connection destination AP, the CPU 212 moves to step S708, where information about the AP recommended for connection is updated on the RAM 214.

[0109] In step S715, the CPU 212 changes the connection destination to the AP indicated by the information on the AP recommended for connection stored in step S708, and moves to step S707. Figure 6 . In other words, in step S715, at the timing when the state of the MFP 100 has shifted from the second operation state to the first operation state, the MFP 100 changes the connection destination to the AP recommended for change indicated by the connection destination change request received in the past when the MFP 100 was in the second operation state, even if the MFP 100 has not received any connection destination change request since the MFP 100 entered the first operation state. In this way, once the MFP 100 is able to change the connection destination AP, the MFP 100 is able to immediately change the connection destination to an AP that the MFP 100 can expect to have a more stable connection state, and the MFP 100 is able to enter a stable connection state.

[0110] In step S713 or S714, if the CPU 212 determines that the MFP 100 has entered a state in which it can change the connection destination AP, the CPU 212 can also give a response indicating that the MFP 100 can change the connection destination AP to AP1. The response indicating that the MFP 100 can change the connection destination AP is, in other words, a response indicating approval of switching of the connection destination AP.

[0111] Therefore, according to the present embodiment, when the MFP 100 is requested to change the connection destination AP from the AP 101, control is performed depending on the operation state of the MFP 100 so that the connection destination AP is changed in response to the request from the AP 101 or the request from the AP 101 is not responded to. That is, when the MFP 100 has received the request to change the connection destination AP, by not sending a response if the connection can be forcibly disconnected, and sending a rejection response if it is recommended to change the connection destination AP, the MFP 100 can continue to be connected to the AP 101 as long as possible. In addition, even after the MFP 100 has been controlled not to respond to the request from the AP 101, when the MFP 100 enters a state in which it can change the operation state of the MFP 100, the MFP 100 can switch the connection destination to the AP that is recommended for connection. Therefore, the AP that is the connection destination can be appropriately changed according to the operation state of the MFP 100.

[0112] The present embodiment describes an example in which the CPU 212 sends a beacon report to the AP 101 in step S702 when a beacon request is received in step S701, but some embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, the processing in step S702 may be controlled so that, for example, if it is determined in step S704 that the MFP 100 cannot change the connection destination, the CPU 212 does not send a beacon report to the AP 101 even after receiving the beacon request. That is, the MFP 100 may be configured not to send a beacon report if a beacon request is repeatedly received when it is in the second operating state. In addition, the MFP 100 may perform control so that if a beacon request is received when the MFP 100 is in the second operating state, the MFP 100 responds (gives a pseudo response) with information indicating that the state of the received radio wave of an AP other than the currently connected AP is not as good as the state of the actually measured radio wave (weak radio wave, high noise, no radio wave detected). By this measure, it is expected that a request to change the connection destination from the currently connected AP to another AP will be suppressed. Therefore, changing the connection destination in response to the connection destination change request is suppressed.

[0113] As an example, the present embodiment has described the case where the first operation state is the state where the MFP 100 is not connected to the external server 103 and the second operation state is the state where the MFP 100 is connected to the external server 103 in the process in step S704, but some embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, the first operation state may be the case where the MFP 100 is in the normal power state, and the second operation state may be the case where the MFP 100 is in the power saving state where less power is consumed than in the normal power state. That is, the determination in the process in step S704 may be performed based on the power state of the MFP 100. The power saving mode refers to an operation state in which, for example, the processor of the MFP 100 has a lower clock frequency than in the normal power state. Therefore, since the process in step S704 is performed based on the power state of the MFP 100, for example, if the MFP 100 has a low clock frequency due to the power saving mode, the connection destination AP may not be switched in response to the connection destination change request from the AP 101. Therefore, a configuration is also possible in which the first operation state is a state in which the MFP 100 is in a normal power state and the second operation state is a state in which the MFP 100 is in a power saving state consuming less power than in the normal power state.

[0114] Furthermore, the processing in step S704 may be performed in response to the printing operation of the MFP 100. In step S704, for example, the first operation state may be a state in which the MFP 100 has not received any print data, and the second operation state may be a state in which a part of the print data has been received from another device and the reception of the remaining print data has not been completed. In this way, when the MFP 100 is receiving print data from another device such as the portable terminal device 104 or the server 103, the MFP 100 does not respond to the change request from the AP 101 or responds with a rejection. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of adverse effects on the MFP 100 such as uneven printing caused by intermittent print data during printing due to the change of the connection destination AP.

[0115] In the present embodiment, when there is a strong reason for change in the change request, the CPU 212 does not respond to the AP 101 in step S710. In addition, an example has been described in which the CPU 212 responds to the AP 101 with a rejection in step S711 when there is no strong reason for change in the change request, but some embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, when there is a strong reason for change in the change request, the CPU 212 may send a response with a rejection to the AP 101 in step S710. In addition, when there is no strong reason for change in the change request, the CPU 212 may not respond to the AP 101 in step S711.

[0116] Furthermore, the present embodiment describes an example in which the CPU 212 performs the processing in steps S708 to S715 if it is determined in step S704 that the connection destination cannot be changed, but some embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, after determining in step S704 that the change of the connection destination is impossible, or after determining in step S709 that there is a strong reason, the CPU 212 may start processing for solving the factor that the change of the connection destination is impossible. For example, if the connection destination AP cannot be changed because the MFP 100 is communicating with the external server 103, the CPU 212 may start processing for terminating the communication with the external server 103. This will increase the probability that the MFP 100 will enter a state in which it is possible to change the connection destination AP before the connection is forcibly disconnected, even if the connection is forcibly disconnected from the AP 101.

[0117] The various controls described above as being performed by the MFP 100 may be performed by a single hardware, or may be processed by sharing by a plurality of hardware (eg, a plurality of processors or circuits) to control the entire device.

[0118] In the above-mentioned embodiments, the case where the present disclosure is applied to MFP 100 is taken as an example, but some embodiments are not limited to this example and are applicable to any wireless device that plays the role of a STA capable of performing processing based on a connection destination change request from an AP. In other words, the present disclosure is applicable to personal computers, PDAs, tablet terminals, mobile phone terminals such as smartphones, music players, game consoles, e-book readers, smart watches, and various measuring devices (sensor devices) such as thermometers and hygrometers. The present disclosure is also applicable to digital cameras (including still cameras, video cameras, web cameras, and security cameras), printers, scanners, and drones. The present disclosure is also applicable to video output devices, audio output devices (e.g., smart speakers), media streaming players, and wireless LAN sub-devices (adapters) that can be connected to USB terminals (terminals) or LAN cable terminals. The video output device includes, for example, obtaining (downloading) a video on the Internet identified by a URL indicated from an electronic device and outputting it to a wireless device connected to a video output terminal (such as a wireless device). ) connected to a display device, thereby achieving streaming playback on the display device and achieving mirroring display (the content displayed on the electronic device is also displayed on the display device). Video output devices also include media players (such as televisions, hard disk recorders (recorders), Blu-ray recorders and DVD recorders), head-mounted displays, projectors, televisions, display devices (monitors) and signage devices. The present disclosure is also applicable to Wi-Fi connectable devices, that is, so-called smart home appliances, such as air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, ovens, microwave ovens, lighting fixtures, heating devices and cooling devices.

[0119] Other embodiments

[0120] The (one or more) embodiments of the present invention may also be implemented by reading out and executing 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 a system or device including 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 performed by a computer of the 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 ), one or more of flash memory devices, memory cards, etc.

[0121] The embodiments of the present invention may also be implemented by providing software (program) for performing the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or various storage media, and a computer or a central processing unit (CPU) or a microprocessing unit (MPU) of the system or device reads and executes the program.

[0122] While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is 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, comprising: a receiving unit configured to receive a change request of an access point serving as a connection destination from a wireless LAN access point; as well as A control unit is configured to, after receiving the change request, execute control so that connection destination change processing is performed based on the change request when the electronic device is in a first operating state, and execute control so that no response to the change request is given or a change rejection response to the change request is sent to the wireless LAN access point when the electronic device is in a second operating state.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, in, When the electronic device is in a second operation state, the control unit performs control so that the connection destination change process is not performed based on the change request.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, in, When the electronic device has transitioned from the second operation state to the first operation state, the control unit performs control so that the connection destination change process is performed based on the change request.

4. The electronic device according to claim 3, further comprising a storage unit configured to store the change request received by the receiving unit when the electronic device is in a second operating state, in, When the electronic device has transitioned from the second operation state to the first operation state, the control unit performs control so that the connection destination change process is executed based on the change request stored in the storage unit.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, in, When the electronic device is in the second operating state, the control unit performs control so that no response to the change request is given, and when the electronic device has transitioned from the second operating state to the first operating state, the control unit performs control so that a response indicating that the connection destination can be changed is sent to the wireless LAN access point.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, in, When the electronic device is in the second operating state, the control unit switches based on the change reason included in the change request to perform control so that no response to the change request is given, or to perform control so that a change rejection response to the change request is sent to the wireless LAN access point.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6, in, If the change reason indicates a situation in which there is a possibility that the connection between the wireless LAN access point and the electronic device is to be disconnected, the control unit performs control so that no response to the change request is given.

8. The electronic device according to claim 7, in, If the change reason indicates a situation in which the connection between the wireless LAN access point and the electronic device is likely to be disconnected, the control unit performs control so that no response to the change request is given before a waiting time for a response to the change request at the wireless LAN access point times out.

9. The electronic device according to claim 6, in, If the change reason indicates a situation in which disconnection between the wireless LAN access point and the electronic device is recommended, the control unit performs control so that a change rejection response to the change request is transmitted.

10. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising: a second receiving unit configured to receive, from a currently connected wireless LAN access point, a measurement request for measuring radio wave strength of a wireless LAN access point located around the electronic device; as well as a sending unit configured to send a measurement report on the measured radio wave strength in response to the measurement request received by the second receiving unit, Wherein, when the electronic device is in a first operating state, the sending unit sends the measurement report, and when the electronic device is in a second operating state, the sending unit does not send the measurement report.

11. The electronic device according to claim 1, The second operating state is a state in which the electronic device is communicating with an external server.

12. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising a printing unit configured to receive print data from other devices in the network via the wireless LAN access point and perform printing, wherein the first operation state is a state in which print data has not yet been received, and The second operation state is a state in which a part of the print data has been received from the other device and reception of the remaining print data has not yet been completed.

13. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising processor, The second operating state is a state in which the processor has a lower clock frequency than in the first operating state.

14. The electronic device according to claim 1, The electronic device is a printer.

15. The electronic device according to claim 1, The electronic device is a device capable of performing operations compatible with at least one of Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) and Target Wake Time (TWT).

16. The electronic device according to claim 1, The electronic device is a device capable of performing operations compatible with IEEE 802.11ax.

17. The electronic device according to claim 1, in, When control is performed so that the connection destination is changed based on the change request, the control unit performs control so that the connection destination is changed to a wireless LAN access point whose frequency band is a 6 GHz band.

18. A method for controlling an electronic device, executed in the electronic device, the method comprising: receiving a change request of an access point serving as a connection destination from a wireless LAN access point; as well as After receiving the change request, when the electronic device is in a first operating state, control is executed so that connection destination change processing is performed based on the change request, and when the electronic device is in a second operating state, control is executed so that no response to the change request is given or a change rejection response to the change request is sent to the wireless LAN access point.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program, wherein the program is configured to cause a computer to: receiving a change request of an access point serving as a connection destination from a wireless LAN access point; and After receiving the change request, when the electronic device is in a first operating state, control is executed so that connection destination change processing is performed based on the change request, and when the electronic device is in a second operating state, control is executed so that no response to the change request is given or a change rejection response to the change request is sent to the wireless LAN access point.

20. A computer program product configured to cause a computer to: receiving a change request of an access point serving as a connection destination from a wireless LAN access point; and After receiving the change request, when the electronic device is in a first operating state, control is executed so that connection destination change processing is performed based on the change request, and when the electronic device is in a second operating state, control is executed so that no response to the change request is given or a change rejection response to the change request is sent to the wireless LAN access point.

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