Storage medium, electronic device, control method thereof, and computer program product

Abstract

The invention relates to a storage medium, an electronic device, a control method thereof, and a computer program product. Provided is a mechanism that makes it possible to more appropriately transmit data to an external device when an inter-application collaboration operation is performed between a collaboration source application and a collaboration destination application in which a second network is provided. A computer-readable storage medium storing a first application that causes at least one computer to function as: a setting unit for setting a second network as a connection destination when transmitting data to an external device, the second network being different from a first network managed by an operating system as the connection destination; the receiving unit is used for receiving a cooperation instruction with a second application program; and a processing unit configured to execute a specific process of causing the second application to obtain connection information for connecting to the second network set by the setting unit when a process of the second application is executed based on the collaboration instruction received by the receiving unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a storage medium storing an application program capable of inter-application collaboration, an electronic device and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] A technology called inter-program collaboration is used for collaboratively operating programs such as applications installed in an information processing device such as a mobile terminal or a smart phone. Specifically, inter-program collaboration enables processing based on information handled by a predetermined program to be performed in a program different from the predetermined program.

[0003] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-18285 (JP 2016-18285A) discloses a technology in which a first application uses a URL scheme to which parameters such as print settings are added to launch a second application. Thus, information is shared between the first application and the second application. That is, a technology related to inter-application collaboration is disclosed. In addition, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2017-10089 (JP 2017-10089A) discloses a technology in which, when inter-application collaboration is launched, a sense of disharmony in a display screen when different applications are launched is suppressed. When inter-application collaboration is launched, seamless collaborative operation and seamless display operation (as if one application is operating) are important elements for improving usability.

[0004] In particular, as disclosed in the above two publications, an application that performs processing by communicating with an external device requires seamless exchange of setting information and communication data of the external device.

[0005] In addition, AOSP Docs Wi-Fi STA / STAConcurrency (Internet URL: https: / / source.android.com / docs / core / connect / wifi-sta-sta-concurrency) discloses a technology that enables a smartphone to simultaneously connect to two Wi-Fi (registered trademark) networks using a technology called Wi-Fi STA / STA simultaneous connection. Such Wi-Fi STA / STA simultaneous connection enables a Wi-Fi network different from the Wi-Fi network set and managed by the OS to be specified and used for each application without disconnecting the Wi-Fi network set and managed by the OS. The Wi-Fi network managed by the OS is called the primary network, and the different Wi-Fi network is called the secondary network.

[0006] In the above two bulletins, the Internet environment is maintained by a primary network, in which applications communicate with external devices (such as printers, etc.) through Wi-Fi. Then, while the Internet environment is maintained through the primary network, the external device can be connected through a secondary network. Such communication technology is important. For example, a mechanism is proposed in which a smartphone with an Android (registered trademark) (Android) OS can connect to a secondary network for each application separately from the primary network managed by the OS.

[0007] In this way, it is assumed that the secondary network is specified and used by the application. Therefore, the inter-application cooperative operation in which each application performs Wi-Fi communication with an external device may cause the following problem. That is, when the first application as the cooperative source uses the secondary network to perform Wi-Fi communication with the external device, the second application as the cooperative destination usually uses the primary network for communication. Therefore, Wi-Fi communication with the external device using the desired network may not be available.

[0008] That is, in the case of externally outputting content data under inter-application collaboration, when a sub-network is set in a first application as a collaboration source, it is assumed that a second application as a collaboration destination outputs content data externally to the sub-network. However, such external output cannot be performed unless the same sub-network as that in the first application is set in the second application. Here, external output of content data refers to data transmission to an external device. For example, this refers to a case where an image selected and designated for printing by an image browser application is handed over to a printer driver application to be sent to a printer, and the image is printed. Summary of the invention

[0009] The present invention provides a mechanism that enables data to be sent to an external device more appropriately when a cooperation source application and a cooperation destination application that have set up a second network perform an inter-application cooperation operation.

[0010] Therefore, one aspect of the present invention provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a first application, wherein the first application enables at least one computer to function as: a setting unit configured to set a second network as a connection destination when sending data to an external device, the second network being different from the first network managed as a connection destination by an operating system; a receiving unit configured to receive collaboration instructions with the second application; and a processing unit configured to perform specific processing for enabling the second application to obtain connection information for connecting to the second network set by the setting unit when executing processing of the second application based on the collaboration instructions received by the receiving unit.

[0011] According to the present invention, when the cooperation source application and the cooperation destination application that have set up the second network perform an inter-application cooperation operation, data transmission to the external device is performed more appropriately.

[0012] 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

[0013] Figure 1A and Figure 1B 1 and 2 are block diagrams respectively showing a hardware configuration and a software configuration of an information processing device (mobile terminal) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 2C : are explanatory diagrams showing examples (first example, second example, and third example) of cooperation between applications in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 3 Detailed description is a flowchart showing processing performed when the information processing apparatus receives a cooperative start operation of application B during operation of application A according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 4 : is a flowchart showing a process performed by the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention when the application B is started.

[0017] Figure 5 It is an explanatory diagram showing a display screen displayed by a store application in the information processing device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 6 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a display screen displayed by application A in the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the configurations described in the following embodiments are merely examples, and the scope of the present invention is not limited by the configurations described in the embodiments. In this specification, a collaboration source application and a collaboration destination application correspond to a launch source application and a launch destination application, respectively. In addition, there are cases where a collaboration source application (collaboration destination application) or a launch source application (launch destination application) is used, and cases where both of them are used.

[0020] First, the information processing device to which the present invention is applied will be described. The mobile terminal 100 is described as an example of the information processing device in the present embodiment, but the information processing device is not limited thereto. Examples of information processing devices include various devices capable of installing programs, such as a notebook PC, a tablet terminal, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a digital camera, a music player, and a television set. In the present embodiment, a smart phone is shown as an example of the mobile terminal 100. A smart phone is a multifunctional mobile phone that has various functions such as a camera function, an Internet browser function, and a mail sending / receiving function in addition to the function of a mobile phone, and is an example of a mobile terminal.

[0021] Figure 1A and Figure 1B is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the mobile terminal 100 as an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1A shows an example of the hardware configuration of the mobile terminal 100, and Figure 1B An example of a software configuration of the mobile terminal 100 is shown. The mobile terminal 100 includes a CPU 101, an operation unit 102, a network interface 103, a memory 104, a display unit 105, and a storage device 106. These components are connected to each other via a bus 114, thereby enabling transmission and reception of required information.

[0022] The CPU 101 controls the entire mobile terminal 100. The user uses the operation unit 102 to give instructions to the mobile terminal 100. The operation unit 102 is composed of, for example, a physical button or a touch panel including a soft button. The memory 104 has a work area of ​​the CPU 101, is used as a temporary storage area for various received data, stores various data, and is also used as a development area for programs. For example, the memory 104 is a random access memory (RAM).

[0023] The display unit 105 is a display device for displaying various information, and is, for example, a liquid crystal panel. In the present embodiment, the operation unit 102 and the display unit 105 share a touch device, and can receive the user's operation and display various information. That is, the operation unit 102 and the display unit 105 are configured to share a touch display. Therefore, the user can give various instructions to the mobile terminal 100 and operate the mobile terminal 100 by swiping the touch display with a finger, clicking the touch display button, etc. The user can also give various instructions to the mobile terminal 100 by operating the touch display with a member other than a finger (for example, an electrostatic touch panel pen such as a stylus pen, etc.). The operation unit 102 and the display unit 105 may not share the same device, and for example, the operation unit 102 may be configured to include a physical input button.

[0024] The storage device 106 stores various control programs such as applications and an operating system (hereinafter also referred to as an OS). The storage device 106 is a non-volatile memory device such as a flash memory. The CPU 101 expands the control program stored in the storage device 106 onto the memory 104 and runs the expanded control program to perform the processing required by the mobile terminal 100. The required processing includes various processing related to the present invention. Therefore, the storage medium storing the control program is the subject of the present invention.

[0025] The network interface 103 is an interface for connecting to a network. The mobile terminal 100 can be connected to the network via the network interface 103, can be connected to an external device (such as a printer, etc.) via the connected network, and can also be connected to the Internet. For example, the mobile terminal 100 is connected to an access point (AP) 107 for Internet connection via the network interface 103. There are connection modes in which the network interface 103 is connected to an external device A 108 (such as a printer, etc.) via the access point 107, a connection mode in which the network interface 103 is directly connected to an external device B 109 (such as a printer, etc.) that starts the access point mode, and the like. The mobile terminal 100 can communicate with the external device A 108 and the external device B 109 via the network interface 103 in any connection mode.

[0026] When data is transmitted and received with the external device A 108 via the access point 107 connected to the Internet, the mobile terminal 100 can transmit and receive data via both Internet communication (such as downloading print data from a cloud server, etc.) and data communication with the external device B 109. On the other hand, when the external device B 109 is in access point mode and directly connected to the network interface 103, the Internet routing function is not provided. That is, in general, when the external device B 109 operates in access point mode, the external device B 109 does not have an Internet routing function. Therefore, when the mobile terminal 100 does not have other connection methods such as cellular data communication, Internet communication may be limited, which is a problem.

[0027] In recent years, in order to cope with such a problem, an OS to be installed in the mobile terminal 100 is proposed, which enables the mobile terminal 100 to simultaneously connect to a plurality of access points (corresponding to Figure 1A The first network connection (referred to as the primary network connection) is a connection with the access point 107 capable of Internet communication. The second network connection (referred to as the secondary network connection) enables communication with the external device B 109 that has activated the access point.

[0028] Typically, the connection via the secondary network is enabled by the OS according to an instruction from the application, and is valid only when the application that issued the instruction to the OS is started. That is, applications other than the application that has issued the connection instruction to the secondary network are not affected. For example, the Android (registered trademark) OS provides the above function.

[0029] like Figure 1B As shown, the storage device 106 of the mobile terminal 100 in this embodiment stores an operating system (OS) 110 , a store application 111 , an application A 112 , and an application B 113 .

[0030] Application A 112 corresponds to a first application, and application B 113 corresponds to a second application. In addition, in the present embodiment, basically, application A 112 is a collaboration source application (launch source application), and application B 113 is a collaboration destination application (launch destination application). The store application 111 is used to download applications to the mobile terminal 100.

[0031] The user selects a desired application using the store application 111, and performs a predetermined operation (a download button click operation, a password authentication operation, etc.) to download the selected application. Thus, the selected application can be downloaded and installed in the mobile terminal 100. The user performs a predetermined operation (e.g., a click operation) on a display button (e.g., an open button) displayed on the display screen of the display unit 105 through the store application 111. Thus, the application installed in the mobile terminal 100 can be started via the store application 111.

[0032] Figure 5 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a display screen displayed by the store application 111 on the display unit 105 . Figure 5 5 shows a display screen for executing application B in a state where application B is already installed in the mobile terminal 100. As described above, application B is started by the user clicking the open button 501. Application A 112 and application B 113 are applications installed in the mobile terminal 100 via the store application 111 via a network or the like. However, application A 112 and application B 113 do not necessarily have to be installed via the store application 111. For example, application A 112 and application B 113 may be installed from a storage medium storing them, or may be pre-stored in the mobile terminal 100 when the mobile terminal 100 is purchased and delivered.

[0033] In the present embodiment, the application A 112 and the application B 113 are applications for sending a print job to a printer having a print function and causing the printer to execute printing based on the sent print job. Although in the present embodiment, the application A 112 and the application B 113 have a function of causing the printer to execute printing, they may have various other functions. For example, the application A 112 and the application B 113 may have a function of sending a scan job to a scanner and causing the scanner to execute scanning based on the sent scan job.

[0034] The store application 111, the application A 112, and the application B 113 are operated via the OS 110. These software programs are stored in the storage device 106, and are developed by the CPU 101 onto the memory 104 and executed.

[0035] In the present embodiment, application A 112 and application B 113 operate in collaboration. Specifically, application B 113 operates using information generated by application A 112. Hereinafter, the collaborative operation of applications is referred to as inter-application collaboration. Hereinafter, an example of inter-application collaboration in a use case will be described. Application A 112 is a collaboration source application, and application B 113 is a collaboration destination application.

[0036] Figure 2A 1 is an explanatory diagram showing inter-application cooperation in a case where the application A 112 and the application B 113 are installed in the mobile terminal 100 and the application B 113 is cooperatively started as a cooperation destination. Figure 2B 1 is an explanatory diagram showing cooperation between applications in a case where the application A 112 and the application B 113 are installed in the mobile terminal 100 and the application B 112 is activated alone. Figure 2C 1 is an explanatory diagram showing cooperation between applications when the application B 113 is not installed in the mobile terminal 100 and the application B 113 is started in cooperation.

[0037] Individual activation means, for example, activation of the application B 113 by a user's click operation on an application icon on a home screen displayed by the OS 110 on the display unit 105. Alternatively, individual activation means activation of the store application 111 by a user's operation on a display screen of the display unit 105. On the other hand, cooperative activation means activation of the application B 113 by a user's operation on a display screen displayed on the display unit 105 using an application other than the store application 111.

[0038] In the present embodiment, in response to a user operation on a display screen displayed on the display unit 105 through the application A 112, the application B 113 is cooperatively started. When cooperative starting is performed, information of the application A 112 that becomes the cooperative source is reported, so that the CPU 101 can grasp whether the application B 113 that is the cooperative destination application is cooperatively started. For example, the cooperative starting is to make other applications execute functions that the application A 112 cannot execute. Alternatively, the cooperative starting is performed to promote the use of other applications (application B 113) when the processing executed in the application A 112 is transferred to the other application.

[0039] Figure 6 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a display screen displayed by the application A 112 on the display unit 105. Figure 6 In the display screen of , various icons indicated by reference numerals 601 to 609 are displayed. Icon 601 (printer setting icon) is a button for setting a printer registered in application A 112. Registration of a printer will be described later. Icon 602 and icon 603 are buttons for sending a print job to the printer registered in application A 112 and causing the printer to print photos and documents stored in mobile terminal 100.

[0040] Icon 604 is a button for sending a scan job to a multifunction printer registered in application A 112 and causing the multifunction printer to perform scanning. Icon 605 is a button for executing a cloud printing function that causes a printer to print image data stored in a cloud server (external server). Icon 606 is a button for sending a copy job to a printer registered in application A 112 to create a copy of a document. Icon 607 is a button for sending a print job to a printer and causing the printer to perform printing on a disk medium. For example, in order to print on a disk medium, an application other than application A 112 (disk media printing application) may be required.

[0041] In this case, when the CPU 101 receives a user operation on the icon 607 in a state where the disk media printing application is installed in the mobile terminal 100, the disk media printing application is cooperatively started. Icon 608 is a button for launching a web page indicating an operation method of the application A 112. Icon 609 is a button for cooperatively starting the application B 113. When the CPU 101 receives a user operation on the icon 609 in a state where the application B 113 is installed in the mobile terminal 100, the application B 113 is cooperatively started. For example, when a printer incompatible with the application B 113 is registered in the application A 112, the CPU 101 grays out or hides the icon 609. This prevents the user operation on the icon 609 from being received.

[0042] In the following, refer to Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 2C Describes an example of collaboration between applications. Figure 2A A first example of inter-application collaboration is described. Figure 2A It shows a case where the application A 112 and the application B 113 are already installed in the mobile terminal 100 and the application B 113 is started in cooperation with the application A 112 .

[0043] First, when the CPU 101 specifies that the icon 609 (see FIG. 1 ) is to be operated, for example, by receiving a command via the operation unit 102, Figure 6 ), the CPU 101 stores and saves the shared information 202 in the information sharing area 201. The CPU 101 can refer to and use the shared information 202 during both the operation of the application A 112 and the operation of the application B 113.

[0044] The shared information 202 is information used to communicate with an external device (such as a printer, etc.) using the secondary network set for the application A112. The shared information 202 includes connection information, printer information, etc. The connection information is information used to connect to the secondary network, such as the SSID (Service Set Identifier) ​​of the secondary network set for the application A112, the IP address of the external device (AP), the MAC address of the external device (AP), and the password (network key, authentication code) used to connect to the secondary network. The printer information is information related to the printer, such as the type of printer and the network address of the printer (the IP address and MAC address of the printer), etc. The connection information is synonymous with the network information. For example, the connection information is in Figure 4 The connection information 202 is described as network information in S403 of FIG. Therefore, the connection information may be referred to as network information (connection information) or connection information (network information). In addition, the connection information and the printer information may be collectively referred to as registration information. In this embodiment, the shared information 202 also includes all other information that the application A 112 and the application B 113 need to refer to and store.

[0045] In addition, the information sharing area 201 is a storage area that stores and saves the shared information 202. For example, the information sharing area 201 may be a public folder accessible during both the operation of the application A 112 and the operation of the application B 113, or may be a clipboard or pasteboard managed by the OS, etc. Basically, the information sharing area 201 is set in the storage device 106 or the memory 104.

[0046] In addition, although the public folder is an area included in the storage device 106 or the memory 104, it may be set in a storage area included in an external storage medium (such as an SD card or HDD, etc.), or may be set in a storage area of ​​a server connected to a network. The storage mode of the shared information 202 is not limited as long as it is possible to store information that can be used during both the operation of the application A 112 and the operation of the application B 113. When the information sharing area 201 becomes filled with the shared information 202, the shared information 202 may be deleted at the timing of using the shared information 202 or at the timing of terminating the startup of the application B 113 started in collaboration. Then, when the application B 113 is started in collaboration, the CPU 101 obtains the shared information 202 by referring to the information sharing area 201 via the application B 113, and performs processing based on the shared information 202.

[0047] As described above, the application A 112 and the application B 113 have a printing function that enables a printer that can communicate with the mobile terminal 100 to print an image. The application A 112 and the application B 113 search for printers in a network near the mobile terminal 100 and register a printer (printing device) to be used for printing from the searched printers, thereby being able to execute the printing function. Here, searching for a printer is the same as obtaining a response from an external device (printer) connected to the access point 107 connected via the above-mentioned network interface 103.

[0048] In other words, the process of registering the printer with the application is a process of setting the communication mode with the printer by the application (setting process). The setting process is, for example, a process of setting a secondary network different from the primary network managed as a connection destination by the operating system (OS110) as a connection destination when sending data to an external device (printer). More specifically, the setting process is a process of setting the SSID (Service Set Identifier) ​​of the secondary network and the like.

[0049] exist Figure 2A In the example of inter-application collaboration shown, the printer information or connection information (network information) registered in application A 112 can be used by application B 113 as shared information 202. As described above, the printer information includes the model name, MAC address, IP address, and Bonjour name of the printer. Then, the CPU 101 performs a process of registering the printer information registered in application A 112 in application B 113 as a process of shared information 202 when collaboration based on application B 113 is started. For example, such a collaboration mode enables the CPU 101 to register a printer in application B 113 without causing application B 113 to perform a process of searching for a printer. Similarly, a process of registering the connection information (network information) registered in application A 112 in application B 113 is performed.

[0050] When performing inter-application cooperative operation, the connection information stored in the information sharing area 201 by the application A 112 basically indicates to connect to an access point different from the access point (primary network) set in the OS 110. As an example thereof, there is a case where a direct connection is used. The direct connection is a connection mode in which the printer starts the access point mode to serve as an access point, and the printer and the mobile terminal 100 are directly connected. The direct connection has an advantage that wireless communication is stable without being affected by the connection performance of the external access point, because the printer and the smartphone (mobile terminal 100) directly perform wireless communication with each other.

[0051] When establishing a communication connection with a printer (external device) using such a function, a connection via an access point is established as a primary network, and a direct connection is established as a secondary network. As described above, a secondary network is valid only in an application that indicates a connection. In this case, it is necessary to add new connection information for indicating a connection method to the secondary network to the connection information included in the shared information 202. This is because, when the shared information 202 stored in the information sharing area 201 does not include connection information related to the secondary network, the application B 113 of the collaboration destination cannot connect to the secondary network and can only use the primary network.

[0052] Since communication with the printer is not established when only the primary network is available, the CPU 101 must perform the processing from the search processing again. Therefore, it is very important that the CPU 101 additionally stores the shared information 202 related to the secondary network in the information sharing area 201 for the operation of inter-application collaboration that communicates with the external device connected via the STA / STA connection. Note that in the case where all the registration information cannot be stored in the information sharing area 201, the minimum information for sending data to the printer (external device) may be stored as the shared information 202 and saved in the information sharing area 201. For example, the connection information to the secondary network basically includes the SSID and the password (network key and authentication code), but only the SSID may be stored in the information sharing area 201. In this case, the password may be obtained by the CPU 101 prompting the user to input the password. The same is true for the printer information, and at least only the IP address of the printer may be stored in the information sharing area 201.

[0053] The specific processing of the first example of inter-application collaboration is as follows. First, when application A 112, which is a collaboration source application, uses a secondary network different from the primary network managed by OS 110, CPU 101 performs the following processing. That is, application A 112 records shared information 202 (recording step) in information sharing area 201 of memory 104, the shared information 202 including printer information and connection information required for data communication with an external device (such as a printer, etc.) via the secondary network. The storage area of ​​storage device 106 may be used instead of memory 104. Next, application A 112 starts application B 113, which is a collaboration destination application (starting step).

[0054] Next, the started application B 113 instructs the OS 110 to connect to the secondary network set in the application A 112 based on the shared information 202 stored in the information sharing area 201 (instruction step). Then, the application B 113 refers to the shared information 202 stored in the information sharing area 201, connects to the secondary network set in the application A 112, and sends data to the printer (sending step). The shared information 202 includes connection information including the SSID (Service Set Identifier) ​​and password of the secondary network set in the application A 112. In addition, the shared information 202 includes printer information (sending destination information) including the type of printer, the IP address and the MAC address of the printer (external device serving as the data sending destination) on the secondary network set in the application A 112.

[0055] When application A 112 as a cooperation source application that performs inter-application cooperation through such an operation starts application B 113 as a cooperation destination application, the following operation can be realized. That is, when the inter-application cooperation operation is performed, information related to the network set in application A 112 as a cooperation source application is transferred to application B 113 as a cooperation destination application. Thus, data transmission to a printer (external device) through the inter-application cooperation operation is appropriately performed through the secondary network set in application A 112.

[0056] Next, we will refer to Figure 2B A second example of inter-application collaboration is described. Figure 2B A case is shown where the application B 113 is started independently of the application A 112 in a state where the application A 112 and the application B 113 are already installed in the mobile terminal 100. The operation of the CPU 101 will be described below.

[0057] and Figure 2A Similarly, when the CPU 101 specifies that the icon 609 (see Figure 6) to cooperatively start the application B 113, the CPU 101 stores and saves the shared information 202 in the information sharing area 201. Figure 2B In the second example of inter-application collaboration in FIG, even when application B 113 is started independently, CPU 101 refers to the storage content in information sharing area 201. Then, when shared information 202 is stored and saved in information sharing area 201, CPU 101 obtains shared information 202 and executes processing based on shared information 202.

[0058] As described above, in the second example of inter-application cooperation, whether application B 113 is started independently or in cooperation, when application B 113 is started, CPU 101 refers to information sharing area 201. Thus, whether application B 113 is started independently or in cooperation, inter-application cooperation with application A 112 can be performed.

[0059] Next, we will refer to Figure 2C A third example of inter-application collaboration is described. Figure 2C A case is shown in which a user operation for cooperatively starting application B 113 is performed on a display screen displayed by application A 112 on display unit 105 in a state in which application B 113 is not installed in mobile terminal 100. The operation of CPU 101 will be described below. Even if a user operation for cooperatively starting application B 113 is performed on a display screen displayed by application A 112 on display unit 105, CPU 101 cannot start application B 113 because application B 113 is not installed in mobile terminal 100.

[0060] To install application B 113 in mobile terminal 100, it is basically necessary to use store application 111. Therefore, when a user operation for launching application B 113 in cooperation with application A 112 is performed on the display screen of display unit 105 in a state where application B 113 is not installed in mobile terminal 100, CPU 101 executes the following processing.

[0061] First, the CPU 101 controls the application A 112 to store and save the shared information 202 in the information sharing area 201 before starting the store application 111. Next, the CPU 101 starts the store application 111. The CPU 101 uses identification information (application designation information 203) for identifying an application to be a download target (hereinafter referred to as a target application) to start the store application 111. As a result, a display screen for downloading the target application is displayed on the display unit 105.

[0062] At this time, the CPU 101 starts the store application 111 using the application designation information 203 that sets the target application to the application B 113. As a result, a display screen for downloading the application B 113 is displayed on the display unit 105, and thus when accepting a user operation on the operation unit 102, the CPU 101 downloads the application B 113. At this time, the CPU 101 can automatically download the application B 113 without receiving a user operation on the operation unit 102.

[0063] Thereafter, the CPU 101 accepts a user operation on an application icon corresponding to the application B 113 on the home screen of the display unit 105, or a user operation on a display screen displayed by the store application 111 on the display unit 105 (operation on Figure 5 Then, the CPU 101 starts the application B 113 in response to these operations, and executes the same operations as those in the application B 113. Figure 2B That is, the CPU 101 executes the processing in the case where the application B 113 is started alone.

[0064] In this way, CPU 101 performs the following operation in a state where application B 113 is not installed in mobile terminal 100. That is, when a user operation for cooperatively starting application B 113 is performed on the display screen where application A 112 is displayed on display unit 105, CPU 101 downloads application B 113 by using store application 111.

[0065] When the application B 113 is started cooperatively, the CPU 101 associates the application A 112 with the application B 113 by using the shared information 202. Figure 2C In the collaborative model shown, even if Figure 2B The application B 113 is shown to be started alone, and the CPU 101 also refers to the information sharing area 201. Therefore, even when the application B 113 is started alone despite the user operation for cooperatively starting the application B 113, the application A 112 and the application B 113 can be operated cooperatively.

[0066] Figure 3 1 is a flowchart showing a process performed by the mobile terminal 100 when a cooperative start operation of the application B 113 is accepted during the operation of the application A 112. The process shown in the flowchart is realized, for example, by the CPU 101 reading a program of the application A 112 stored in the storage device 106, developing the program on the memory 104, and executing the program.

[0067] In addition, the processing shown in this flowchart should be started in a state where a display screen for executing the function of the application A 112 is displayed on the display unit 105 by the application A 112. Here, the application A 112 has a function of setting a secondary network used by the application A 112 independently from the primary network managed by the OS (that is, as a network unrelated to the primary network managed by the OS).

[0068] More specifically, at least the SSID of the secondary network can be set according to the user operation. In addition, the password (network key and authentication code) of the secondary network, the BSSID (Mac address) and nickname of the connection destination AP, etc. can be set. The setting of the secondary network is equivalent to the setting of the second access point (AP) set separately from the first access point (AP) connected to the primary network.

[0069] The basic assumption is that the primary network is different from the secondary network, but the primary network and the secondary network may not be different. The OS connects to the appropriate AP according to the radio wave conditions (connects to the appropriate network as the primary network). The connected network is allowed to eventually be the same network as the secondary network set in the application A 112.

[0070] In S301, the CPU 101 accepts a user operation (cooperation instruction) for cooperatively starting the application B 113. Specifically, the CPU 101 accepts a user touch operation on the icon 609 through the operation unit 102 as a cooperation instruction.

[0071] In S302, the CPU 101 determines whether the application A 112 is using the secondary network. When the CPU 101 determines that the application A 112 has set the secondary network and is using the secondary network (making the secondary network valid) ("Yes"), the processing proceeds to S303. On the other hand, when the CPU 101 determines that the application A 112 is not using the secondary network (the secondary network is not set or the secondary network is set but invalidated) ("No"), the processing proceeds to S308 while skipping S303 to S307 (i.e., the processing in S303 to S307 is not performed). When the application A 112 is not using the secondary network, it is possible to communicate with the printer via the network set by the OS 110, and there is no need to perform any special processing on the following processing.

[0072] Since the secondary network is connected by an instruction from the application, the fact that the application that issued the instruction is using the secondary network is stored in the memory 104 by setting a flag. The CPU 101 can refer to the flag to make a judgment in S302. Alternatively, the CPU 101 can query the OS 110 to make a judgment in S302.

[0073] In addition, when the network information (primary network information) set by the OS 110 is different from the network information currently being used by the application A 112, it can be determined that the application A 112 is using the secondary network. Here, when the CPU 101 determines that the secondary network is being used ("Yes" in S302), the application A 112 communicates with the printer via a network different from the network set by the OS 110.

[0074] In S303, the CPU 101 obtains the SSID of the secondary network that is using the application A 112. In S304, the CPU 101 stores the SSID obtained in S303 (connection information for connecting to the secondary network set in the application A) in the information sharing area 201. The SSID is an access point of the secondary network set in the application A. Through this process (specific process), the application B of the cooperation destination obtains (is notified to the application B) the connection information for connecting to the secondary network set in the application A.

[0075] In S305, the CPU 101 determines whether the password of the secondary network can be obtained. When the CPU 101 determines that the password can be obtained ("Yes"), the process proceeds to S306. On the other hand, when the CPU 101 determines that the password cannot be obtained ("No"), the process proceeds to S308 while skipping S306 and S307. In S306, the CPU 101 obtains the password of the secondary network used by the application A 112. In S307, the CPU 101 stores the password obtained in S306 in the information sharing area 201.

[0076] In S308, CPU 101 records the above-mentioned printer information in information sharing area 201. In the present embodiment, in both cases where the judgment result in S302 is "yes" and "no", the printer information is recorded in information sharing area 201. In S308, CPU 101 also stores information for specifying (indicating) the processing object data (image to be printed, web page, etc.) instructed to collaborate in information sharing area 201. In the present embodiment, the processing object data is, for example, data to be printed. As another example, in the case where the collaboration source application is image browsing software and the collaboration is an instruction to print the browsed image through a printer, the information for specifying the processing object data is information for specifying the browsed image (information for indicating the save location and file name).

[0077] In S309, the CPU 101 determines whether the application B 113 is installed in the mobile terminal 100. When the CPU 101 determines that the application B 113 is installed in the mobile terminal 100 ("Yes" in S309), the process proceeds to S310. On the other hand, when the CPU 101 determines that the application B 113 is not installed in the mobile terminal 100 ("No" in S309), the process proceeds to S311.

[0078] In S310, the CPU 101 starts the application B 113. Thereafter, the CPU 101 continuously executes the following steps through the application B 113. Figure 4 Processing shown.

[0079] In S311, the CPU 101 starts the store application 111 in a known manner (for example, using a URL scheme). At this time, the store application 111 is started with the application designation information 203 for designating the application B 113 added to the URL scheme by the store application 111. As a result, while the store application 111 is started, a screen for downloading the application B 113 is displayed on the display unit 105. In this state, when a user operation for downloading the application B 113 is accepted through the operation unit 102, the CPU 101 becomes able to download and install the application B 113 and start the application B 113. Thereafter, the CPU 101 continuously executes the operation to be described later through the application B 113. Figure 4 Processing shown.

[0080] Figure 4 1 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing performed when the mobile terminal 100 starts the application B 113. For example, the flowchart is implemented by the CPU 101 expanding the program of the application B 113 stored in the storage device 106 to the memory 104 and executing the program. Like the application A 112, the secondary network of the application B 113 can be set as a function of the application B 113. The secondary network of the application B 113 can be set independently of both the secondary network of the application A 112 and the primary network. The primary network can be referred to as the first network. The secondary network of the application A 112 and the secondary network of the application B 113 can be referred to as the second network and the third network, respectively.

[0081] In S401, the CPU 101 starts the application B 113. The processing in S401 is performed by the CPU 101 in response to a trigger (i.e., receiving a user operation through the operation unit 102 for cooperative start of the application B 113 via the application A 112). Alternatively, the trigger may be receiving an instruction to start the application B 113 via the store application 111 or receiving an instruction to start the application B 113 on the home screen of the display unit 105.

[0082] In S402, the CPU 101 determines whether the information sharing area 201 includes the shared information 202. When the CPU 101 determines that the information sharing area 201 includes the shared information 202 ("Yes"), the process proceeds to S403. On the other hand, when the CPU 101 determines that the information sharing area 201 does not include the shared information 202 ("No"), Figure 4 In this case, application B should connect to the primary network or the secondary network set in application B to operate.

[0083] In S403, the CPU 101 determines whether the shared information 202 includes network information (connection information). Figure 3 104 or S307 in the shared information 202. When the CPU 101 determines that the network information (connection information) is included in the shared information 202 ("Yes"), the process proceeds to S404. On the other hand, when the CPU 101 determines that the network information (connection information) is not included in the shared information 202 ("No"), the process proceeds to S410. In this case, the application B should connect to the primary network or the secondary network set in the application B to operate.

[0084] In S404, the CPU 101 displays on the display unit 105 a dialog box indicating that the network used by the application is to be changed. As described above, since the network information (connection information) may not be stored, the presence or absence of the information is confirmed in S404, and the processing is continued. Specifically, in S404, a dialog box for changing the network used in the application B 113 from the main network set by the OS 110 to the network indicated by the network information obtained in S403 is displayed on the display unit 105. In general, when changing the network used in the application, the user's permission is usually required, and the permission dialog box is usually displayed as a function of the OS 110.

[0085] In S405, the CPU 101 determines whether there is a user operation for permitting the network change. When there is an operation corresponding to permission, the process proceeds to S406. On the other hand, when there is an operation corresponding to disapproval (an operation corresponding to rejection), the process proceeds to S410.

[0086] In S406, the CPU 101 determines whether the network information (connection information) included in the shared information 202 includes password information. When it is determined that the network information (connection information) includes password information ("Yes"), the process proceeds to S407. When it is determined that the network information (connection information) does not include password information ("No"), the process proceeds to S408.

[0087] In S407 , the CPU 101 instructs the OS 110 to connect to the secondary network based on the network information (connection information) obtained as the shared information 202 , and the password included in the shared information 202 or the password obtained in S409 described below.

[0088] In S408, CPU 101 displays a password input dialog box on display unit 105. Then, in S409, CPU 101 obtains the password input by the user in the dialog box. That is, when it is determined that the network information (connection information) does not include password information ("No" in S406), CPU 101 needs to obtain the password input by the user via the dialog box displayed on display unit 105 in S408 and S409.

[0089] When the secondary network is used in the application A 112 due to the above-mentioned processing in S407, the application B 113 can be automatically made to join the same network. On the other hand, when it is determined in S403 that the network information (connection information) is not included in the shared information 202 ("No"), the processing in S407 is not performed. As a result, the application B 113 operates in the network (primary network) set by the OS 110. As described above, in the present embodiment, the network in which the application B 113 operates changes according to the determination result in S403.

[0090] In S410, the CPU 101 determines whether the shared information 202 includes printer information (destination information related to the processing target data). When it is determined that the shared information 202 includes printer information ("Yes"), the process proceeds to S411. On the other hand, when it is determined that the shared information 202 does not include printer information ("No"), the process ends.

[0091] In S411, the CPU 101 obtains printer information from the shared information 202. Then, in S412, the CPU 101 applies the obtained printer information to the application B 113. That is, in S412, the processing object data (data such as an image or web page to be printed) indicated from the application A 112 is converted into print data interpretable by the printer indicated by the printer information obtained in S411. Then, the data is sent to the printer indicated by the printer information obtained in S411.

[0092] When a printer is specified in application A112, the same printer information is automatically applied to application B 113 and the same printer becomes available according to the processing in S410, S411 and S412 executed by CPU 101. Thus, cooperatively started application B 113 realizes seamless operation as if it is part of application A112.

[0093] Furthermore, when the network information (connection information) and printer information stored as the shared information 202 are once applied to the application B 113, the application B 113 may store the information. Then, when the application B 113 is started next time, the information obtained in the past may be automatically applied without using the shared information 202. In this case, the CPU 101 may execute only at the first cooperative start. Figure 4 The processing shown in the figure does not need to be executed every time the application B 113 is started. Figure 4 Therefore, there is an advantage of accelerating the startup of the application.

[0094] Next, the first specific operation example will be described. If the CPU 101 has not set the secondary network, the CPU 101 performs the following processing. That is, when the CPU 101 controls the application B 113 to start, the CPU 101 does not notify the application B 113 of the connection information for connecting to the secondary network. For example, when the CPU 101 Figure 3 When the judgment is "No" in S302 in the above process, since the processes in S304 to S307 are skipped, the connection information (network information) to the secondary network is not stored in the information sharing area 201. Therefore, when the CPU 101 controls the startup of the application B 113 in S310, Figure 4 The judgment result of S403 in is "No", and the connection information (network information) to the secondary network is not notified to the application B 113. Therefore, when the CPU 101 does not set the secondary network, the connection information is not notified to the application B 113 as the cooperation destination application, so there is no need to perform useless processing.

[0095] Next, a second specific operation example will be described. Figure 3 When it is judged as "No" in S302 in , the processing in S304 to S307 is skipped, and thus the connection information (network information) for the secondary network of application A112 is not stored in the information sharing area 201. Therefore, application B 113 cannot read the network information (connection information) in S402, and the connection information (network information) is not given from application A112. In this case, the started application B 113 connects to the primary network or the secondary network set in application B113, and sends the processing object data to the external device via the connected network ("No" in S403, S410 to S412). Therefore, application B 113 as the collaboration destination application can make an appropriate network connection in response to the notification of the connection information from application A112 as the collaboration source application, and can send data to an external device such as a printer.

[0096] In the above-described embodiment, when application B obtains the (shared) connection information given from application A, application B connects to the secondary network of application A indicated by the given connection information. However, this is not restrictive in the case where a secondary network is set in application B. Even when the connection information shared by application A is obtained, application B can connect to the secondary network of application B without connecting to the secondary network of application A to send processing target data to an external device. Therefore, by giving priority to the reason for setting the secondary network of application B (for example, the reason for limiting the network to which application B can connect), application B can be appropriately connected to the secondary network of application B.

[0097] As a case where the user intends to set different sub-networks for the application A 112 and the application B 113, there is, for example, the following case. That is, it can be estimated that the application A 112 is directly connected to a monochrome laser printer mainly used for printing documents, and the application B 113 is directly connected to another color inkjet printer used for editing and printing photos. In this case, the SSID for the access point function for connecting to the monochrome laser printer is set in the sub-network of the application A 112. On the other hand, the SSID for the access point function for connecting to the color inkjet printer is set in the sub-network of the application B 113. In this case, when the application A 112 and the application B 113 are cooperatively started and the network setting of the application A 112 is registered in the application B 113, the network setting of the application B 113 is changed to the network setting that the user does not want. Therefore, the application B 113 stores and saves unique setting information (for example, information of at least one bit) indicating whether the application B 113 has uniquely set the sub-network in the memory 104 or the storage device 106.

[0098] When the CPU 101 starts the application B 113, the above-mentioned unique setting information indicating whether the secondary network of the application B 113 is set is obtained. Then, the CPU 101 can control whether to apply the network setting of the application A 112 to the application B 113 according to the judgment result. This can prevent the network set in the application B 113 from being changed regardless of the user's intention. In addition, although the present embodiment focuses only on the network information, the same processing can be performed for the printer information.

[0099] In the above embodiment, the following example is described: when the processing object data is sent to the printer as an external device, the collaboration source application and the collaboration destination application collaborate with each other. However, this configuration is not restrictive, and any method can be applied as long as the data is sent to the external device after the inter-application collaboration. For example, the collaboration source application can be a camera application, and the collaboration destination application can be an album creation application. In this case, the processing object data is image data taken by the camera application, and the information for specifying the processing object data shared via the shared information 202 is image information such as image data that can be arranged in an album. In addition, the present invention is also applicable to the following cases: the collaboration source application is image browsing software, the collaboration destination application is an SNS (social network service) application, the collaboration source application shares information for specifying an image as the processing object data, and the collaboration destination application uploads the image to the server (publishes it to the SNS). In addition, the present invention is also applicable to the following cases: the collaboration source application is a text editor software, the collaboration destination application is a mail application, the processing object data is text, and the text is shared from the collaboration source application to the collaboration destination application, and the mail is sent to the external server as information including the text. The external device to which the processing target data is sent may be a scanner, an MFP, a copier, or the like.

[0100] In the above embodiment, when an operation for collaboratively starting application B 113 is performed on the display screen displayed by application A 112, shared information 202 is stored and saved in information sharing area 201. However, this configuration is not restrictive. For example, shared information 202 can be stored in information sharing area 201 at the timing when CPU 101 receives or generates shared information 202.

[0101] Although in the present embodiment, the application A 112 stores the shared information 202 in the information sharing area 201, and the application B 113 obtains the shared information 202 from the information sharing area 201, this configuration is not restrictive. For example, the application A 112 may store the shared information 202 in a storage device of a cloud server on the Internet, and the application B 113 may query the storage device to obtain the required information when it is started. In this case, the shared information 202 may be obtained at one time, or the information (printer information, etc.) included in the shared information 202 may be queried one by one. In addition, when the application B 113 is started, the OS 110 may notify the shared information 202, and the application A 112 may notify the OS 110 of the content of the shared information 202.

[0102] The various processes performed by the CPU 101 described above may be performed by a single hardware, or may be performed by a plurality of hardware (e.g., a plurality of processors, circuits with various functions) that share the processes for operating the entire device. Although the present invention has been described in detail based on the preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various modifications within the scope of the gist of the present invention are also included in the present invention. In addition, the above-described embodiments are merely examples of the present invention, and the embodiments may be appropriately combined.

[0103] In the above embodiment, an example of applying the present invention to a mobile terminal 100 is described, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the present invention can be applied to any type of device as long as the device includes multiple applications and an OS, and the multiple applications can communicate data with an external device in cooperation with each other. That is, the present invention is applicable to various devices that can install programs as information processing devices, such as PCs, tablet terminals, personal digital assistants (PDAs), digital cameras, music reproduction devices, and televisions. As described above, the external device can be an electronic device, such as a printer, scanner, MFP, or copier. A server that is connected to a network and manages an SNS that is available for search and browsing can be an external device. That is, a device that can receive data and perform corresponding processing can be an external device.

[0104] Other embodiments

[0105] 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.

[0106] 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.

[0107] This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-111653, filed on Jul. 6, 2023, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a first application program, the first application program causing at least one computer to function as: a setting unit configured to set a second network as a connection destination when transmitting data to an external device, the second network being different from a first network managed as a connection destination by the operating system; a receiving unit configured to receive a collaboration instruction with a second application; as well as A processing unit configured to perform a specific process for causing the second application to obtain connection information for connecting to the second network set by the setting unit when the process of the second application is executed based on the cooperation instruction received by the receiving unit.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing the first application according to claim 1, wherein: The setting unit sets the SSID of the second network.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing the first application according to claim 1, wherein: The connection information includes the SSID of the second network.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing the first application according to claim 1, wherein: The connection information includes a password for connecting to the second network.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing the first application according to claim 1, wherein: When the second network is not set by the setting unit, the processing unit does not perform the specific processing when the second application is executed based on the cooperation instruction received by the receiving unit.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing the first application according to claim 1, wherein: The second application is executed based on the collaboration instruction received by the receiving unit: when the connection information based on the specific processing of the first application is obtained, it connects to the second network and sends data to the external device, and when the connection information based on the specific processing of the first application is not obtained, it connects to the first network and sends data to the external device.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing the first application according to claim 1, wherein: The first network is a primary network managed by the operating system, and The setting unit sets the second network as a secondary network.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing the first application according to claim 1, wherein: The first application and the second application are applications of a smartphone.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a second application program, the second application program causing at least one computer to function as: an obtaining unit configured to obtain connection information for connecting to a network notified from the first application when the second application is executed based on the cooperation instruction from the first application; and A controller is configured to perform control to connect to a second network different from a first network managed as a connection destination by the operating system based on the connection information obtained by the obtaining unit and to transmit data to an external device.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing the second application according to claim 9, wherein: The connection information includes the SSID of the second network.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing the second application according to claim 9, wherein: The controller controls to display an input screen for a user to input a password, if the connection information obtained by the obtaining unit does not include a password for connecting to the second network.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing the second application according to claim 9, wherein: The second application is started based on the control of the first application: when the acquisition unit obtains the connection information, it connects to the second network and sends data to the external device; when the acquisition unit does not obtain the connection information, it connects to the first network and sends data to the external device.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing the second application according to claim 9, the second application further causing the at least one computer to function as a setting unit configured to set a third network as a connection destination when transmitting data to the external device, the third network being different from the first network managed by the operating system, and in, The controller controls to connect to the third network and transmit data to the external device even if the obtaining unit obtains the connection information, if the setting unit has set the third network.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing the second application according to claim 9, wherein: The first application and the second application are applications of a smartphone.

15. An electronic device, comprising: at least one memory and at least one processor, the at least one processor being configured to execute a first application program to serve as a unit as follows: a setting unit configured to set a second network as a connection destination when transmitting data to an external device, the second network being different from a first network managed as a connection destination by the operating system; a receiving unit configured to receive a collaboration instruction with a second application; as well as A processing unit configured to perform a specific process for causing the second application to obtain connection information for connecting to the second network set by the setting unit when the process of the second application is executed based on the cooperation instruction received by the receiving unit.

16. An electronic device, comprising: at least one memory and at least one processor, the at least one processor being configured as: a setting unit configured to set a second network as a connection destination when transmitting data to an external device, the second network being different from a first network managed as a connection destination by the operating system, as a function of the first application; a receiving unit configured to receive a collaboration instruction with a second application as a function of the first application; a processing unit configured to, when executing the processing of the second application based on the cooperation instruction received by the receiving unit, perform a specific process of causing the second application to obtain connection information for connecting to the second network set by the setting unit as a function of the first application; an obtaining unit configured to obtain the connection information based on the specific process as a function of the second application program in a case where the second application program is executed based on the cooperation instruction from the first application program; as well as A controller configured to perform control to connect to the second network and transmit data to the external device based on the connection information obtained by the obtaining unit as a function of the second application.

17. A control method for an electronic device executed based on a first application, the control method comprising: setting a second network as a connection destination when transmitting data to the external device, the second network being different from the first network managed as a connection destination by the operating system; receiving a collaboration instruction with a second application; as well as When the processing of the second application is executed based on the received cooperation instruction, a specific process is performed to cause the second application to obtain connection information for connecting to the set second network.

18. A control method for an electronic device executed based on a second application, the control method comprising: when executing the second application based on the cooperation instruction from the first application, obtaining connection information for connecting to the network notified from the first application; as well as Control is performed to connect to a second network different from a first network managed as a connection destination by the operating system based on the obtained connection information and to transmit data to an external device.

19. A computer program product, comprising a computer program, which implements the control method according to claim 17 or 18 when executed by a processor.

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