Information processing apparatus, control method thereof, storage medium, and program product

Abstract

The invention provides an information processing apparatus, a control method thereof, a storage medium, and a program product. The information processing apparatus transmits, to the communication apparatus, information related to a second network different from a first network to which the information processing apparatus is connected, when a predetermined instruction for performing network setting of the communication apparatus is accepted; after transmitting the information related to the second network, the information processing apparatus searches for the communication apparatus via the first network; the information processing apparatus displays a screen related to a connection destination of the information processing apparatus based on the fact that the communication apparatus is not found in the search via the first network; and after the screen is displayed, the information processing apparatus performs control such that a connection destination of the information processing apparatus is a network based on a user instruction on the screen among the first network and the second network.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, a control method thereof, a storage medium storing a program, and a program product. Background Art

[0002] It is known that a plurality of information processing apparatuses (e.g., PCs) share a device such as a printer as a communication device via a local area network (LAN) connected to the Internet. In some cases, the LAN is constructed as a wireless network, in which case the wireless network is more convenient than a wired network in that the installation location of the device is not limited.

[0003] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-191252 describes that in order to facilitate the printer to join the constructed LAN, the PC temporarily connects the printer via a wireless direct connection to facilitate connecting the printer to the access point. It describes that the PC sends information for connecting the printer to a specific access point to the printer via wireless direct communication. It also describes that the user is prompted to specify the access point setting information (such as the service set identifier (SSID) and password) of the desired access point to which the user wants to connect the printer on the PC. Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-88428 describes that in order to enable communication between a printer and a PC connected to different LANs, the PC automatically connects to the same network as the printer. Summary of the invention

[0004] There is a need to further improve user convenience in a process of allowing communication between a communication device and an information processing device via a network.

[0005] The present invention provides an information processing device, a control method thereof, a storage medium storing a program, and a program product for further improving user convenience in a process of allowing communication between a communication device and an information processing device via a network.

[0006] In its first aspect, the present invention provides a control method for an information processing device, the method comprising: when accepting a predetermined instruction for executing network settings of a communication device, sending information related to a second network different from a first network to which the information processing device is connected to the communication device; after sending the information related to the second network, searching for the communication device via the first network; based on the fact that no communication device is found in the search via the first network, displaying a screen related to the connection destination of the information processing device; and after displaying the screen, controlling so that the connection destination of the information processing device is a network between the first network and the second network based on the user instruction on the screen.

[0007] The present invention, in its second aspect, provides an information processing device, which includes: a sending unit, which is configured to send information related to a second network different from a first network to which the information processing device is connected to the communication device when accepting a predetermined instruction for executing network settings of the communication device; a searching unit, which is configured to search for the communication device via the first network after sending the information related to the second network; a display unit, which is configured to display a screen related to the connection destination of the information processing device based on the fact that the communication device is not found in the search via the first network; and a control unit, which is configured to control, after displaying the screen, so that the connection destination of the information processing device is a network between the first network and the second network based on the user instruction on the screen.

[0008] In its third aspect, the present invention provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs including instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors of an information processing device, cause the information processing device to perform the following steps: when accepting a predetermined instruction for executing network settings for a communication device, sending information related to a second network different from a first network to which the information processing device is connected to the communication device; after sending the information related to the second network, searching for the communication device via the first network; based on the fact that no communication device is found in the search via the first network, displaying a screen related to the connection destination of the information processing device; and after displaying the screen, controlling so that the connection destination of the information processing device is a network between the first network and the second network based on the user instruction on the screen.

[0009] In its fourth aspect, the present invention provides a program product storing one or more programs including instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors of an information processing device, cause the information processing device to perform the following steps: when accepting a predetermined instruction for executing network settings for a communication device, sending information related to a second network different from a first network to which the information processing device is connected to the communication device; after sending the information related to the second network, searching for communication devices via the first network; based on the fact that no communication device is found in the search via the first network, displaying a screen related to a connection destination of the information processing device; and after displaying the screen, controlling so that the connection destination of the information processing device is a network between the first network and the second network based on the user instruction on the screen.

[0010] According to the present invention, user convenience in the process of allowing communication between a communication device and an information processing device via a network can be further improved.

[0011] 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

[0012] Figures 1A to 1C It is a diagram showing the configuration of the system.

[0013] Figure 2 It is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of an information processing device and a communication device.

[0014] Figure 3 This is a flowchart for explaining processing in the information processing device.

[0015] Figure 4 It is a diagram showing a user interface screen.

[0016] Figure 5 This is a flowchart for explaining the processing in the communication device.

[0017] Fig. 6A and Figure 6B This is a flowchart for explaining processing in the information processing device.

[0018] Figure 7 It is a diagram showing a user interface screen.

[0019] FIG. 8A to FIG. 8C It is a diagram showing a user interface screen.

[0020] Fig. 9A and Fig. 9B This is a flowchart for explaining processing in the information processing device.

[0021] Fig.10 It is a diagram showing a user interface screen.

[0022] Fig.11A and Fig. 11B This is a flowchart for explaining processing in the information processing device.

[0023] Fig.12 It is a diagram showing a user interface screen. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Please 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 the invention is not limited to all of these 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 their repeated description is omitted.

[0025] [First embodiment]

[0026] In this embodiment, a system including an information processing device and a communication device will be described. A printer will be described as an example of a communication device, but the communication device may be a personal computer (PC), a tablet terminal, a smartphone, a camera, a smart speaker, a scanner, etc. In addition, a PC will be described as an example of an information processing device, but the information processing device may be a smartphone, a tablet terminal, etc. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the PC performs the construction of a process of connecting the printer to a constructed local area network (LAN). This process is also called network setting and includes the following operations.

[0027] In order to establish a wireless infrastructure connection and communicate between the PC and the printer, the PC sends a network setting instruction to the printer. A wireless infrastructure connection is a connection through an access point (AP), such as a PC and a printer connected to the same AP and communicating through the AP. For example, the AP is included in a wireless LAN router. In a printer without a separate display, it is not easy for a user to enter a service set identifier (SSID) and a password for the printer to connect to the AP into the printer without making a mistake. Therefore, the PC temporarily connects to the printer in a wireless setting mode (described later), sends information such as the SSID and password related to the desired AP that can establish a connection (hereinafter referred to as the setting information of the AP) to the printer, and connects the printer to the AP. For example, the PC obtains a list of APs to which the printer can be connected from the printer, and if the list includes an AP to which the PC has been connected, the PC sends the setting information of the AP to which the PC has been connected to the printer. Then, the printer connects to the AP using the setting information of the AP received from the PC. Since this process does not require the user to operate the printer or the AP, the user can more conveniently perform network settings for the printer.

[0028] As described above, the setting information of the AP includes identification information of the AP such as the SSID and authentication information used in the authentication process of the AP such as a password. In other words, the setting information of the AP is the network information of the AP. When the PC and the AP are connected via a wireless LAN interface, the operating system (OS) of the PC saves the setting information of the AP as a wireless profile. Here, the wireless profile is information including the SSID of the AP to which the wireless LAN interface is connected and the authentication information (such as a password) to be used in the authentication process. The wireless profile is stored and managed by the OS. Therefore, the setting information of the AP to be sent from the PC to the printer can be obtained from the wireless profile stored in the OS.

[0029] For example, suppose that although the PC has specified the 5GHz band SSID and connected to the AP, the printer only supports wireless LAN communication in the 2.4GHz band. Assume that in this case, the network settings for connecting the printer to the network of the AP are performed. At this time, the wireless profile of the AP with the 5GHz band SSID is stored in the OS of the PC. At the same time, the wireless profile of the AP to which the printer is to be connected is not stored in the OS. Therefore, the user is required to specify the setting information of the AP such as the SSID and password on the PC for the AP required by the user (that is, the AP to which the printer is to be connected). For example, the user is required to specify the setting information of the AP such as the SSID and password on the PC for the AP with the 2.4GHz band SSID. Then, in the network settings, the setting information of the AP specified by the user is sent to the printer. As described above, the setting information of the AP sent to the printer in the network settings is not necessarily the same as the setting information of the AP to which the PC has been connected.

[0030] By the way, in the case where one wireless LAN router supports multiple frequency bands, one wireless LAN router may be a plurality of APs each supporting a different frequency band, and a plurality of APs each having a different SSID may be enabled. In addition, depending on the wireless LAN router, some APs have a security function for blocking communication so that communication between devices connected using different SSIDs is not allowed even if the devices are connected to the same wireless LAN router. That is, in the case where an AP supporting 2.4GHz and an AP supporting 5GHz are enabled in one wireless LAN router, when the security function is enabled, control is performed so that communication between a device connected to the AP supporting 2.4GHz and a device connected to the AP supporting 5GHz is not performed. This function is also referred to as an SSID separation function and a privacy separation function. For example, when the security function is enabled in an AP having multiple SSIDs (assuming a first SSID and a second SSID), if a PC is connected to the AP using the first SSID, the PC cannot communicate with a printer connected to the AP using the second SSID. In addition, in a case as described later, Figure 1C In the case where the SSID used by the PC for connection and the SSID used by the printer for connection are different, the two devices may not necessarily be connected to the same AP. In a configuration where the user connects the PC and the printer to different APs, the PC may not be able to communicate with the printer. In this case, for example, even if the PC searches for the printer on the network, the PC cannot discover the printer. Therefore, the printer information cannot be registered in the application on the PC, and the PC cannot perform the function of the printer via the network using the application.

[0031] In addition, for example, even if the PC and the printer are connected to the same AP by sending the setting information of the same AP as the AP to which the PC has been connected to the printer, if the privacy separation function is enabled in the AP, the PC cannot communicate with the printer via the AP. Therefore, in the present embodiment, even if the printer and the AP have been connected by the PC sending the setting information of the AP to the printer, the PC cannot communicate with the printer, and appropriate control is performed. Specifically, in the present embodiment, when the PC cannot find the printer via the network of the AP to which the PC has been connected, and finds the printer in the network of the AP to which the printer is connected, the PC displays a confirmation screen to the user. Then, based on the user instruction on the confirmation screen, control is performed to set the network to which the PC is connected to the same network as the printer. Thus, only when the user determines that the network to which the PC is connected may change, control is performed to set the network to which the PC is connected to the network to which the printer is connected. That is, it is possible to prevent a situation such as the inability to communicate with the printer due to the automatic switching of the network to which the PC is connected without the user's knowledge. In addition, the user does not need to, for example, return the network to which the user has switched without the user's knowledge to the original connection destination network, thereby improving convenience.

[0032] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a system in this embodiment. Figure 1A The figure shows a state where the PC 101 and the AP 102 are connected via a wireless LAN. The printer 103 is also connected to the AP 102 via a wireless LAN. That is, the PC 101 is in a state where it can communicate with the printer 103 via the AP 102, and a wireless infrastructure connection is established. In a wireless infrastructure connection, the PC 101 can build a network environment where two or more devices can communicate. If the printer 103 and the AP 102 are connected via a wireless LAN, and the PC 101 and the printer 103 are able to communicate via the AP 102, it can be said that the printer 103 has established a wireless infrastructure connection. That is, in the wireless infrastructure connection, the PC 101 can build a network environment where two or more devices can communicate. Figure 1A In the example, the PC 101 can be in a state of being connected to the AP 102 via a wired LAN. The external server 171 is a server that can provide services to devices connected to the AP 102 via the Internet. For example, it is a server from which the PC 101 can download a printer driver for the printer 103. Figure 1A In FIG. 1 , the LAN formed by the AP 102 includes the AP 102, the printer 103, and the PC 101. Meanwhile, the wide area network (WAN) includes the AP 102 and the external server 171.

[0033] Figure 1CA configuration is shown in which the AP 104 is connected to the LAN 1 formed by the AP 102 via a WAN. Normally, it is desirable that the AP 104 is connected to the LAN 1 formed by the AP 102 via a LAN, but a user may accidentally build a network. In this case, the LAN 2 formed by the AP 104 may be a different network from the LAN 1, and the printer 103 connected to the LAN 2 and the PC 101 connected to the LAN 1 may not be able to communicate with each other. The AP 104 can access the external server 171 via the WAN connection of the AP 102. That is, the printer 103 connected to the LAN 2 formed by the AP 104 can access the external server 171.

[0034] There is a connection method called wireless direct connection, in which communication can only be performed between two devices. PC 101 and printer 103 can also be connected point-to-point (hereinafter referred to as P2P connection) via wireless direct connection. However, during wireless direct connection, PC 101 and printer 103 each use the wireless LAN interface therein to perform wireless direct connection, so they cannot communicate with devices other than each other. Therefore, wireless direct connection is generally used as a temporary connection. In this embodiment, PC 101 performs network setting processing (P2P wireless setting processing) to connect printer 103 to AP 102 or AP 104 via wireless LAN connection. Specifically, PC 101 sends the setting information of AP 102 (or AP 104) to printer 103 via wireless direct connection, so that printer 103 is connected to AP 102 (or AP 104). In the network setting, PC 101 sends the setting information of AP 102 (or AP 104) to printer 103 using wireless direct connection. In the present embodiment, the state in which the printer 103 can receive a network setting instruction including setting information of an AP is defined as "wireless setting mode" or "network setting mode". Figure 1B .

[0035] Figure 2 1 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration of a communication system including a PC 101 and a printer 103 according to the present embodiment. The PC 101 includes a CPU 201, a ROM 202, a RAM 206, an external storage device 207, a display device 208, and an input interface 209. The CPU 201, the ROM 202, the RAM 206, and the like form a computer of the PC 101 for executing a program. The PC 101 also includes a universal serial bus (USB) interface 205, a wired LAN interface 210, and a wireless LAN interface 211. The PC 101 is not limited to Figure 2 The configuration shown is, and includes, where appropriate, functional blocks that can be executed by a device used as the PC 101.

[0036] The CPU 201 is a processor that reads and executes a control program stored in the ROM 202, controls the entire PC 101, and executes the processing shown in the flowchart to be described later according to the control program. By executing the control program, various functions of the PC 101 are realized, for example, controlling communication with an external device such as the printer 103, generating a print job to be output to the printer 103, and instructing network settings. The RAM 206 is composed of a DRAM, an SRAM, etc. that require a backup power supply, and is used as a memory area for storing temporary setting information, management data, etc. when the PC 101 is operating. In addition, the RAM 206 is also used as a temporary storage area such as the main memory, a work area, etc. of the CPU 201, and is also used as a sending buffer for temporarily storing a generated print job to be sent to the printer 103.

[0037] ROM 202 stores programs 203 corresponding to various processes, including a program for a network setting process for sending the setting information of the AP to the printer, a wireless profile 204 to be described later, and the like. The above-mentioned network setting process will be described in detail later. In addition, the external storage device 207 stores an operating system (OS), a printer driver, and various other types of data. The display device 208 is composed of a light emitting diode (LED), a liquid crystal display (LCD), and the like, and displays various user interface screens of the OS or the program 203 and notifies the status of the PC 101. The input interface 209 is an interface for receiving data input or user instruction operation from a user through an operation performed on an operation unit such as a keyboard. The operation unit may be a physical keyboard, a physical button, or the like, or may be a software keyboard, a software button, or the like displayed on the display device 208. That is, the input interface 209 can accept input from a user via the display device 208.

[0038] The program for network setting processing is an application for performing settings for connecting to the AP to which the printer 103 is to be connected, and may include additional functions other than the network setting function. Hereinafter, the program for network setting processing will be referred to as a setting application. For example, the setting application may include a function for causing the printer 103 to print, a function for causing the printer 103 to scan a document set therein, a function for confirming the status of the printer 103, and the like. The setting application may include a function for sending information obtained from the printer 103, personal information of the user obtained in the PC 101, and the like to a service management server (not shown). The external server 171 may be such a service management server. The setting application is installed from the external server 171 via the wireless LAN interface 211, for example, through Internet communication and stored in the ROM 202. It is assumed that the setting application is an application provided by the supplier of the printer 103.

[0039] ROM 202 also stores network information. The network information includes the IP addresses assigned to the wireless LAN interface 211 and the wired LAN interface 210 of PC 101 and the IP address and subnet mask of the AP to which PC 101 is connected. The network information also includes the wireless profile of the AP to which PC 101 is connected. In other words, ROM 202 stores historical information of the AP to which PC 101 has previously been connected. The wireless profile information includes the SSID, security settings, and password of the AP to which PC 101 has been connected.

[0040] The wired LAN interface 210 and the wireless LAN interface 211 are components for connecting to an external device such as the printer 103 or the AP 102 to perform data communication. For example, the wireless LAN interface 211 can be connected to an access point (not shown) in the printer 103. The wireless LAN interface 211 controls the transmission and reception of data conforming to the communication standard defined in IEEE802.11 according to instructions from the CPU 201. The wireless communication method to be used at this time is, for example, Wireless Fidelity defined by the world organization Wi-Fi Alliance. And is defined as a standard for wireless LAN. In addition, the wireless LAN interface 211 includes an access point for connecting to a device such as a printer 103, as an access point inside the PC 101. The use of this access point is generally referred to as network sharing (tethering). The wireless LAN interface 256 of the printer 103 can be connected to the access point. By activating the access point through the wireless LAN interface 211, the PC 101 acts as an access point. Through the wireless LAN interface 256 and the access point connection in the wireless LAN interface 211, the PC 101 and the printer 103 can communicate with each other. In addition, if the wireless LAN interface 211 of the PC 101 is connected to the Internet, the printer 103 can also be connected to the Internet via the wireless LAN interface 211.

[0041] The PC 101 can be connected point-to-point (P2P connection or directly connected) to the printer 103 via a USB cable 221 or via a wireless direct connection 224 using a wireless LAN interface 211. The PC 101 can also be connected to the LAN 222 via an Ethernet cable 225, and if the printer 103 can also be connected to the LAN 222, the PC 101 and the printer 103 can communicate with each other in the same LAN 222 environment. In addition, the PC 101 can be connected to the LAN 222 by connecting to the AP 102 using the wireless LAN interface 211 and connecting the AP 102 to the LAN 222 via an Ethernet cable 226. In addition, if the printer 103 can be connected to the AP 102, the PC 101 and the printer 103 can communicate with each other via the AP 102.

[0042] The printer 103 includes a CPU 252, a ROM 253, a RAM 258, a display device 259, an input interface 260, a USB interface 251, a wireless LAN interface 256, and a wired LAN interface 257. The CPU 252, the ROM 253, the RAM 258, and the like form a computer of the printer 103 for executing programs. The printer 103 is not limited to Figure 2 The configuration shown is, and includes, where appropriate, functional blocks that can be executed by a device (eg, a multifunction peripheral (MFP)) serving as the printer 103.

[0043] The CPU 252 is a processor that reads and executes a control program stored in the ROM 253, and controls the entire printer 103 and executes processing indicated in a flowchart to be described later according to the control program. By executing the control program, various functions of the printer 103, such as controlling communication with an external device such as the PC 101, are realized. The RAM 258 is composed of a DRAM, an SRAM, etc. that require a backup power supply, and is used as a memory area for storing temporary setting information, management data, etc. when the printer 103 operates. In addition, the RAM 258 is also used as a temporary storage area such as a main memory, a work area, etc. of the CPU 252, and can be used as, for example, a reception buffer for temporarily saving print information received from the PC 101, etc.

[0044] The ROM 253 is a nonvolatile flash memory that stores fixed data such as control programs, data tables, and embedded OS executed by the CPU 252. In the present embodiment, each control program stored in the ROM 253 performs software execution control such as scheduling, task switching, and interrupt processing under the control of the embedded OS stored in the ROM 253.

[0045] The ROM 253 stores a program 254, a wireless profile 255, and the like. Here, the wireless profile 255 is information including the SSID of the AP to which the wireless LAN interface 256 has been connected, authentication information (password, etc.), and the like. The wireless profile 255 is stored and managed by the CPU 252 executing the program 254 included in the ROM 253. For example, when the printer 103 is powered on, the printer 103 can reconnect to the previous network using the wireless profile 255. In addition, for example, similar to the OS of the PC 101, the printer 103 may be configured to manage a plurality of wireless profiles.

[0046] The ROM 253 also stores a unique SSID uniquely set for the printer 103. Here, the unique SSID is uniquely defined for a printer manufacturer or a printer model, and the wireless LAN interface 256 of the printer 103 can function as an AP corresponding to the unique SSID. Therefore, similarly to the case where the PC 101 is connected to the AP 102, the PC 101 can be connected to the printer 103 operating as an AP corresponding to the unique SSID via the wireless direct connection 224.

[0047] The display device 259 is composed of a light emitting diode (LED), a liquid crystal display (LCD), etc., and displays various menus and notifies the status of the printer 103. The input interface 260 is an interface for receiving data input or user instruction operation from a user through an operation performed on an operation unit such as a keyboard. The operation unit may be a physical keyboard, a physical button, etc., or may be a software keyboard, a software button, etc. displayed on the display device 259. That is, the input interface 260 can accept input from the user via the display device 259.

[0048] The printing unit 261 ejects a printing agent such as ink onto a printing medium such as a cut sheet based on image data to form an image on the printing medium and output a print result. In addition, when it is determined that the power-on is the power-on at arrival, the printing unit 261 is configured to perform the following initial installation processing, which includes cleaning of the print head and alignment adjustment for adjusting the ink ejection position. The printing unit 261 is not limited to the inkjet printing method, and may be configured to adopt other printing methods such as an electrophotographic method.

[0049] The printer 103 can perform P2P communication with the PC 101 via the USB cable 221 or via the wireless direct connection 224. In addition, the printer 103 can be connected to the LAN 222 by connecting to the AP 102 using the wireless LAN interface 256 and connecting the AP 102 to the LAN 222 via the Ethernet cable 226. Figure 2 In the description, as described above as an example, the respective processes are distributed between the PC 101 and the printer 103, but may be configured to be distributed in a different manner.

[0050] A mode and a connection method for performing wireless communication using a wireless LAN interface will be described below.

[0051] <About direct connection method>

[0052] Direct connection refers to a form in which devices are directly connected to each other wirelessly without passing through an external device such as AP 102. Direct connection is also called point-to-point connection (P2P connection). The printer 103 can operate in a mode (direct connection mode) for communicating through direct connection as one of the connection modes. In Wi-Fi communication, there are various modes for communicating through direct connection, such as software AP mode and Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) mode.

[0053] The mode of performing direct connection through WFD is called WFD mode. WFD is a standard established by the Wi-Fi Alliance and is a standard included in the IEEE802.11 series of communication standards. In WFD mode, after searching for devices to be communication partners according to the device search command, the P2P group owner (GO) and P2P client roles are determined, and then the remaining wireless connection processing is performed. The group owner corresponds to the Wi-Fi master station (master device), and the client corresponds to the Wi-Fi slave station (slave device). This role determination is also called GO negotiation. In WFD mode, in the state before the role determination, the printer 103 is in a state of neither a master station nor a slave station. Specifically, between the devices communicating, first, one device issues a device search command and searches for the device to be connected in WFD mode. When another device to be a communication partner is found, the two confirm information related to the services and functions that each device can provide. This confirmation of the device providing information is optional and not mandatory. The device providing information confirmation phase corresponds to, for example, P2P providing discovery. Next, by confirming each other's device providing information, it is determined which will be the P2P client and which will be the P2P group owner. When the client and the group owner are determined, they exchange parameters for communicating with each other via WFD. Based on the exchanged parameters, the remaining wireless connection processing and IP connection processing are performed between the client and the group owner. In WFD mode, the printer 103 can always operate as a GO without performing the above-mentioned GO negotiation in the printer 103. That is, the printer 103 can operate in WFD mode (i.e., autonomous GO mode). That is, the state in which the printer 103 operates in WFD mode is, for example, a state in which a connection via WFD is not established but the printer 103 operates as a GO, or a state in which a connection via WFD is established and the printer 103 operates as a GO.

[0054] In software AP mode, between communicating devices (such as PC 101 and printer 103), one device (such as PC 101) is a client that acts as a request for various services. The other device implements the function of an access point in Wi-Fi according to software settings. The software AP corresponds to a Wi-Fi master station, and the client corresponds to a Wi-Fi slave station. In software AP mode, the client searches for a device that serves as a software AP according to a device search command. When a software AP is found, the client performs the remaining wireless connection processing (for example, establishing a wireless connection) and then performs IP connection processing (for example, assigning an IP address) with the software AP. Regarding the commands and parameters to be sent and received when implementing a wireless connection between a client and a software AP, the commands and parameters specified in the Wi-Fi standard can be used, and their description will be omitted here.

[0055] In the present embodiment, when the printer 103 establishes and maintains a direct connection, the printer 103 operates as a master station in the network to which it belongs. The master station is a device that builds a wireless network and is a device that provides parameters for connecting to the wireless network to the slave station. The parameters for connecting to the wireless network are, for example, parameters related to the channels used by the master station. By receiving the parameters, the slave station connects to the wireless network built by the master station using the channels used by the master station. In the direct connection mode, the printer 103 operates as a master station, and therefore, the printer 103 can determine which frequency bands and channels are used for communication in the direct connection mode. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the printer 103 can communicate using channels corresponding to the 2.4 GHz frequency band and channels corresponding to the 5 GHz frequency band in the direct connection mode.

[0056] <About infrastructure connection method>

[0057] The infrastructure connection is a connection form in which devices that communicate (e.g., PC 101 and printer 103) are connected to an access point (e.g., AP 102) of a network that controls these devices and communicate with each other via the access point. The printer 103 can operate in a mode (infrastructure connection mode) of communicating through an infrastructure connection as one of the connection modes.

[0058] In infrastructure connection, each device searches for an access point according to a device search command. When an access point is found, the remaining wireless connection processing (e.g., establishing a wireless connection) is performed between the device and the access point, and then IP connection processing (e.g., assigning an IP address) is performed. Regarding the commands and parameters to be sent and received when implementing a wireless connection between a device and an access point, the commands and parameters specified in the Wi-Fi standard can be used, and their description will be omitted here.

[0059] In the present embodiment, when the printer 103 operates in the infrastructure connection, the AP 102 operates as a master station, and the printer 103 operates as a slave station. That is, in the present embodiment, the infrastructure connection refers to the connection between the printer 103 operating as a slave station and the AP 102 operating as a master station. When the printer 103 establishes an infrastructure connection and the PC 101 establishes an infrastructure connection with the AP 102, communication via the AP 102 becomes possible between the printer 103 and the PC 101. The channel used for communication in the infrastructure connection is determined by the AP 102, and therefore, the printer 103 uses the channel determined by the AP 102 for communication in the infrastructure connection. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the printer 103 can use a channel corresponding to the 2.4 GHz band and a channel corresponding to the 5 GHz band for communication in the infrastructure connection. The printer 103 can also use a channel corresponding to a dynamic frequency selection (DFS) band of the 5 GHz band for communication in the infrastructure connection. In order to communicate with the printer 103 via the AP 102 , the PC 101 needs to recognize (search and discover) that the printer 103 belongs to the network formed by the AP 102 and to which the PC 101 belongs.

[0060] <About Network Setting Mode>

[0061] The printer 103 can operate in the network setting mode. The trigger for the printer 103 to start the operation in the network setting mode may be, for example, a user pressing a button for the network setting mode, or the printer 103 being activated (powered on) for the first time after arrival. The button for the network setting mode may be a hardware (physical) button provided in the printer 103 or a software button displayed by the printer 103 on the display device 259.

[0062] The printer 103 enables Wi-Fi communication when it starts operating in the network setting mode. Specifically, the printer 103 enables the AP (setting AP) dedicated to the network setting mode inside the printer 103 as a Wi-Fi communication enabling process. The SSID of the setting AP corresponds to the above-mentioned unique SSID. As a result, the printer 103 enters a state where a direct connection can be established with the PC 101 via Wi-Fi. It is assumed that the connection information (SSID and password) for connecting to the setting AP is pre-saved in the setting application (program 203) installed on the PC 101, and the PC 101 knows the connection information for connecting to the setting AP in advance. Therefore, it is assumed that the connection information for connecting to the setting AP cannot be changed according to the needs of the user, unlike the connection information of the AP enabled in the direct connection mode. In the network setting mode, the printer 103 can be connected to the PC 101 via Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) instead of the traditional Wi-Fi. That is, the printer 103 can operate as a group owner and receive network information from the PC 101 via WFD communication. In addition, in the network setting mode, the printer 103 can be connected to the PC 101 via Bluetooth. Here, Bluetooth includes Bluetooth Classic and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). That is, for example, the printer 103 can operate as a slave device in BLE in the network setting mode, and receive network information from the PC 101 via the communication of BLE. In addition, in the network setting mode, the printer 103 may be able to perform both network settings via Wi-Fi and network settings via BLE. That is, when the printer 103 starts to operate in the network setting mode, the printer 103 can enable both Wi-Fi communication and BLE communication. Specifically, when the printer 103 starts to operate in the network setting mode, both the enabling of the AP and the enabling of the advertising state can be set, wherein the advertising information is sent via BLE to allow the BLE connection. In addition, the printer 103 can receive network information from the PC 101 via a wired LAN or USB.

[0063] As described above, the printer 103 operates in the network setting mode so that the network setting of the printer 103 is performed according to predetermined conditions (including when the user presses a button or whether it is the initial installation). When operating in the network setting mode, the printer 103 controls the wireless LAN interface 256 and operates as a setting AP, which is enabled only during operation in the network setting mode. The setting AP is an access point different from the access point enabled during the above-mentioned soft AP mode. In addition, it is assumed that the SSID of the setting AP includes a predetermined character string that can be recognized by the setting application (program 203) of the PC 101.

[0064] Furthermore, it is assumed that the printer 103 operating in the network setting mode uses a predetermined communication protocol (setting communication protocol) when communicating with the PC 101 connected to the setting AP. More specifically, the setting communication protocol is, for example, the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).

[0065] After a predetermined period of time has passed since the printer 103 started operating in the network setting mode, it stops operating in the network setting mode and disables the setting AP. When connection information for connecting to an external AP and an instruction for changing the wireless communication operation mode are received from the PC 101 during the network setting mode, the setting AP is also disabled.

[0066] The following will refer to Figure 3 The operation of this embodiment is described in detail through FIG. 8 . Figure 3 1 is a flowchart for describing a process (network setting process) in which the PC 101 connects the printer 103 to a network of an external AP. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of a screen to be displayed on the display device 208 of the PC 101 in the network setting process. Figure 5 It is a flowchart for explaining the processing to be performed by the printer 103. Fig. 6A and Figure 6B It is used to illustrate Figure 3 Flowchart of the printer communication confirmation processing to be performed in step S313 of FIG. Figure 7 and Figure 8 is shown in Fig. 6A and Figure 6B FIG. 2 is a diagram of an example of a screen to be displayed on the display device 208 of the PC 101 in the printer communication confirmation process of FIG.

[0067] Figure 3 1 is a flowchart for explaining the network setting process of the printer 103 performed by the PC 101. The flowchart is implemented by the CPU 201 reading out the program stored in the ROM 202 to the RAM 206 and executing the program. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the PC 101 uses the setting application to perform the process. For example, the flowchart is started based on a predetermined instruction executed by the user on the screen displayed by the setting application. It is assumed that if the PC 101 is connected to the AP 102 via the wired LAN interface 210, the SSID and password of the AP 102 are not stored in the wireless profile 204. If the PC 101 is connected to the AP 102 via the wireless LAN interface 211, the SSID and password of the AP 102 are stored in the wireless profile 204.

[0068] The CPU 201 starts the network setting process by the user executing the program 203 and performing a predetermined operation in the program 203. Here, it is assumed that the PC 101 has been connected to the external AP 102 and the printer 103 is in the network setting mode. Figure 1B The configuration of the system at this time is shown. In addition, the network formed by the AP 102 to which the PC 101 is connected will be referred to as the "first network" hereinafter. In other words, the connection with the AP corresponds to the connection with the network formed with the AP. Similarly, the SSID as the identifier of the first network will be referred to as the "first SSID" hereinafter. Specifically, for example, the first SSID is the SSID of the AP 102 to which the PC 101 is connected. In other words, the first network is the network to which the PC 101 is connected at the timing of receiving at least the above-mentioned predetermined operation.

[0069] In step S301, the CPU 201 searches for the printer 103 in the network setting mode. Specifically, for example, the CPU 201 searches for access points around the PC 101 and obtains the SSID of the found access points. Then, in step S302, the CPU 201 determines whether the found SSID includes a unique SSID known to the setting application. The unique SSID is the SSID issued by the access point of the printer 103 in the network setting mode. The processing of steps S301 and S302 is repeated until it is determined that the found SSID includes a unique SSID. If it is determined that the found SSID includes a unique SSID, the processing proceeds to step S303.

[0070] In step S303, the CPU 201 stores the setting information of the AP 102 to which the wireless LAN interface 211 is connected in the memory. Then, the CPU 201 disconnects the wireless connection between the wireless LAN interface 211 and the AP 102, and establishes a wireless direct connection with the printer 103 in step S304. Specifically, the CPU 201 connects the wireless LAN interface 211 to the unique SSID of the AP. If the PC 101 is connected to the AP 102 by line via the wired LAN interface 210, that is, the PC 101 is not wirelessly connected to the AP 102, the processing of step S303 is skipped. In addition, in the form in which the PC 101 uses a communication method other than Wi-Fi (Bluetooth, wired LAN, USB, etc.) to communicate with the printer 103 in various ways, it is not necessary to disconnect the wireless connection between the wireless LAN interface 211 and the AP 102.

[0071] In step S305, the CPU 201 requests the printer 103 for the SSID list of APs around the printer 103, and receives the SSID list from the printer 103 as a response to the request. The SSID list received here is the SSID list of neighboring APs detected (discovered) by the printer 103. In other words, the SSID list can be said to be a list of APs detected (discovered) by the printer 103. In addition, in other words, it can also be said to be a list of networks detected (discovered) by the printer 103. The request for the SSID list and the SSID list are transmitted via a wireless direct connection, but can be transmitted using a communication method other than Wi-Fi (Bluetooth, wired LAN, USB, etc.).

[0072] In step S306, the CPU 201 obtains the wireless profile 204 stored in the PC 101. If there are multiple networks to which the PC 101 has been connected in the past and there are multiple wireless profiles, the multiple wireless profiles are obtained. Then, the setting information (including the SSID) of the AP 102 connected at the start of the network setting process and the wireless connection that has been disconnected in step S303 are identified and obtained from the obtained wireless profiles.

[0073] In step S307, the CPU 201 confirms the SSID list obtained in step S305 based on the SSID (first SSID) of the AP 102 obtained in step S306. In step S308, the CPU 201 determines whether the first SSID of the AP 102 is included in the SSID list obtained in step S305 as a result of the confirmation. In other words, determining whether the first SSID of the AP 102 is included in the SSID list obtained in step S305 is determining whether the information corresponding to the network formed by the AP 102 is included in the SSID list obtained in step S305.

[0074] If it is determined that the first SSID of the AP 102 is included in the SSID list obtained in step S305, the CPU 201 sets the setting information (including the first SSID and the password) of the AP 102 as the target of the network setting instruction to be sent to the printer 103. That is, by automatically (without user operation) selecting the setting information of the AP 102 connected to the PC 101 at the start of the network setting process, the user can skip the operation of selecting or inputting the setting information (including the SSID and the password) of the AP to which the printer 103 is to be connected. Meanwhile, if it is determined in step S308 that the first SSID of the AP 102 is not included in the SSID list obtained in step S305, the CPU 201 prompts the user to input and indicate the setting information (including the SSID and the password) of the desired AP in step S309.

[0075] For example, there will be no wireless profile if the PC 101 is connected to the AP 102 via the wired LAN interface 210. In this case, in step S308, it is determined that the first SSID of the AP 102 is not included in the SSID list obtained in step S305, and the process proceeds to step S309.

[0076] In addition, for example, the following case is assumed: PC 101 specifies a 5 GHz band SSID (first SSID) and connects to AP 102, while printer 103 supports only wireless LAN communication of 2.4 GHz band. That is, in this case, printer 103 does not support wireless LAN communication of 5 GHz band. A printer that does not support wireless LAN communication of 5 GHz band will be referred to as a 5 GHz incompatible printer below. In some cases, a plurality of APs each using a different frequency band are enabled in a wireless LAN router that enables AP 102, in which case, in step S305, the 5 GHz incompatible printer detects only the 2.4 GHz band SSID in the SSID list and sends it to PC 101. PC 101 saves a wireless profile associated with the 5 GHz band SSID, but does not save a wireless profile associated with the 2.4 GHz band SSID. Therefore, in step S308, it is determined that the first SSID of AP 102 is not included in the SSID list obtained in step S305, and the process proceeds to step S309.

[0077] If the process proceeds to step S309, the user is required to specify setting information such as the SSID and password of the AP for the AP that the user wants (ie, the AP to which the printer 103 is to be connected) on the PC 101. In step S309, the CPU 201 displays the following information on the display device 208: Figure 44. The network information input screen 400 shown in FIG. 4 includes a "next" button 401, a drop-down list 402 for accepting a selection of an "SSID name", an input area 403 for inputting a "password", and an encryption method display area 404 for displaying the encryption method of the selected SSID. The drop-down list 402 lists the information of the SSID list obtained from the printer 103 in step S305. That is, the network information input screen 400 can be said to be a selection screen for displaying the SSID list obtained from the printer 103 and accepting the user's selection from the SSID list. When an SSID is selected from the drop-down list 402, the encryption method display area 404 displays the encryption method information obtained from the printer 103 as auxiliary information related to the SSID. If there is a wireless profile corresponding to the SSID selected from the drop-down list 402 in the wireless profiles obtained in step S306, the CPU 201 can obtain the password included in the wireless profile, thereby omitting the acceptance of the password input in the input area 403. In this embodiment, the SSID is selected using the drop-down list 402 as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, a configuration that allows the user to input an arbitrary SSID name may be adopted instead of the drop-down list 402. In addition, a configuration that allows the user to select an arbitrary encryption method in the encryption method display area 404 may be adopted.

[0078] The password input area 403 is an area for accepting input of a password string for connecting to the selected SSID. The password is a key for encryption using the encryption method displayed in the encryption method display area 404. Regarding the password input area 403, the input password is replaced with other characters such as "·" so that the password is not visible from the outside in terms of security, and is displayed on the screen. However, in order to allow the user to confirm the input characters, the network information input screen 400 can constitute a UI (not shown) for switching to display the password string as the input characters. If the encryption method of the AP is not set, that is, if it is an open authentication network, the password input area 403 can be deactivated because no input is required.

[0079] The network information input screen 400 is a screen that guides the user to input network information for connecting the printer 103 to the desired AP and prompts the user to press the "Next" button 401. When the user presses the "Next" button 401 as guided by the network information input screen 400, the CPU 201 temporarily saves the input network information (SSID, password, and encryption method) as information corresponding to the wireless profile of the AP. At this time, the CPU 201 can perform processing for verifying whether the input network information is correct. Specifically, for example, the CPU 201 can verify whether the input password matches the predetermined format of the encryption method. As a result of the verification, for example, if it is determined that the password and the encryption method are a combination that causes an error, the CPU 201 displays the network information input screen 400 again and prompts the user to enter the correct information. The network that is connected using the network information obtained through the user's input on the network information input screen 400 and formed by the AP corresponding to the network information is referred to as the "second network" below. Similarly, the SSID of the AP that forms the second network (i.e., the identifier of the second network) is referred to as the "second SSID" below. For example, as Figure 1C As shown, the second network is a network formed by AP 104, which is an AP different from AP 102. The second network is a network different from the first network formed by AP 102.

[0080] In step S310, the CPU 201 sends a network setting instruction to the printer 103. If it is determined in step S308 that the first SSID of the AP 102 is included in the SSID list obtained in step S305, the network information of the AP having the first SSID is sent to the printer 103 as the network setting instruction. In addition, if the network information of the second network is obtained according to the user's input in step S309, the network information of the AP having the second SSID is sent to the printer 103 as the network setting instruction. That is, in step S310, the setting information of the AP 102 identified by the first SSID or the setting information of the AP identified by the second SSID is sent to the printer 103. The network setting instruction is sent via a wireless direct connection, but may be sent using a communication method other than Wi-Fi (Bluetooth, wired LAN, USB, etc.). In addition, in a form in which the network setting instruction is sent using a communication method other than Wi-Fi, the network setting instruction may be sent when the PC 101 is connected to the first network by Wi-Fi.

[0081] In step S311, the CPU 201 disconnects the wireless direct connection with the printer 103 and reconnects with the AP 102, and the PC 101 is connected to the AP 102 when the wireless connection is disconnected in step S303. If the wireless profile 204 of the AP 102 is stored in the ROM 202 in the PC 101, the CPU 201 obtains the profile in step S311, thereby reconnecting to the AP 102 without the user re-entering a password or the like. Alternatively, if the encryption method is not set in the AP 102, the CPU 201 can reconnect to the AP 102 by specifying the SSID of the AP 102 without re-entering a password or the like. If the PC 101 is connected to the AP 102 via the wired LAN interface 210, the processing of step S311 will be skipped.

[0082] In step S312, if a wireless profile remains in the ROM 202 due to the temporary establishment of the wireless direct connection, the CPU 201 removes the wireless profile. By the process of step S312, it is possible to prevent a wireless profile of a connection not intended by the user from remaining.

[0083] In step S313, the CPU 201 performs printer communication confirmation processing to determine whether communication between the printer 103 and the PC 101 is possible via the network to which the PC 101 is connected. Fig. 6A and Figure 6B The printer communication confirmation process of step S313 is described.

[0084] In step S314, the CPU 201 obtains information related to the model of the printer 103 from the printer 103 found in step S313 via the network to which the PC 101 is connected. Specifically, for example, capability information is obtained from the printer 103. In step S315, the CPU 201 performs processing for installing a printer driver corresponding to the printer 103 in the PC 101 based on the information. Then, Figure 3 The processing ends. The CPU 201 can obtain the above-mentioned printer driver from the external server 171 via the Internet. In addition, if the printer 103 is not found in step S313, the processing of steps S314 and S315 can be skipped.

[0085] Next, we will refer to Figure 5 The processing of the printer 103 is described in detail. This flowchart is realized by the CPU 252 reading out the program 254 stored in the ROM 253 to the RAM 258 and executing the program 254.

[0086] The CPU 252 starts the process based on the occurrence of an event that triggers the transition to the network setting mode. Figure 5The event is, for example, an operation performed by a user in the input interface 260 of the printer 103 to turn on the printer 103. At this time, only when the printer 103 is turned on for the first time after arrival, the printer 103 can regard the operation for turning on the printer 103 as an event that triggers the transition to the network setting mode. In addition, the event is, for example, an operation performed by a user in the input interface 260 of the printer 103 to transition to the network setting mode that is different from the power-on operation.

[0087] The printer 103 in the network setting mode operates the wireless LAN interface 256 as an access point having the above-mentioned unique SSID. For example, the unique SSID includes a character string corresponding to the model name of the printer 103 or a character string (such as "printer") that can be inferred to be the printer 103. The network setting mode is a mode in which the PC 101 can easily connect to the printer 103 without using authentication information (for example, a password). Since the printer 103 operates as a low-security AP in the network setting mode, the network setting mode is temporarily used when performing the network setting of the printer 103.

[0088] In step S501, before causing the printer 103 to transition to the network setting mode, the CPU 252 searches for access points around the printer 103 and creates an SSID list including the SSIDs of the discovered access points. The access points discovered here are access points to which the printer 103 can connect. In other words, access points to which the printer 103 cannot connect are not discovered by the search performed here. Access points to which the printer 103 cannot connect are, for example, access points that use a frequency band that the printer 103 cannot use or access points that use an encryption method that the printer 103 cannot use. In other words, searching for access points is a search for a network formed by access points. Therefore, as described above, in other words, the SSID list generated here is a list of networks discovered by the search performed by the printer 103. In step S502, the CPU 252 causes the printer 103 to transition to the network setting mode and determines whether a request to obtain the SSID list has been received from the PC 101. This processing corresponds to Figure 3 If it is determined in step S502 that a request to obtain an SSID list has been received from PC 101, then in step S503, CPU 252 performs processing for sending the SSID list requested by PC 101. Specifically, CPU 252 sends the SSID list created in step S501 to PC 101. If it is determined in step S502 that a request to obtain an SSID list has not been received from PC 101, the process proceeds to step S504.

[0089] In step S504, the CPU 252 determines whether a network setting instruction has been received from the PC 101. This process corresponds to Figure 3 Step S310. The network setting instruction includes setting information of the AP. If it is determined in step S504 that the network setting instruction has not been received, the processing starting from step S502 is repeated. At the same time, if it is determined in step S504 that the network setting instruction has been received, then in step S505, the CPU 252 performs processing for connecting to the AP corresponding to the received setting information of the AP. Specifically, for example, if the setting information of the AP received from the PC 101 includes the wireless profile 204, the CPU 252 uses the SSID and password included in the wireless profile 204 to perform processing for connecting to the AP 102. In addition, for example, if the setting information of the AP received from the PC 101 includes network information of the second network input into the PC 101 in step S309, the CPU 252 uses the network information to perform processing for connecting to the external AP forming the second network. After step S505, Figure 5 The processing ends. In this embodiment, Figure 5 The processing is not limited to Figure 5 The order shown in . Whether the network setting instruction has been received may be determined before determining whether the request to obtain the SSID list has been received.

[0090] Will refer to Fig. 6A and Figure 6B describe Figure 3 The printer communication confirmation process of step S313 is performed.

[0091] In step S601, the CPU 201 searches for the printer 103 on the first network formed by the AP 102 and to which the PC 101 belongs. Specifically, the printer 103 is searched for, for example, by sending a broadcast packet or a multicast packet. For example, if the printer 103 and the PC 101 are connected to the same AP 102 and the security function (e.g., SSID separation function) of the AP 102 is not enabled, a response to the packet sent in the search will be received from the printer 103 via the first network. That is, the printer 103 will be discovered by this search. The process of searching for the printer 103 on the first network is hereinafter referred to as a first search.

[0092] In step S602, the CPU 201 determines whether the printer 103 is found in the first search in step S601. If it is determined that the printer 103 is found, then in step S603, the CPU 201 displays a screen indicating that the printer 103 is found by the first search in step S601 on the display device 208. Here, for example, the screen displayed on the display device 208 Fig. 8AThe screen 810 shown in FIG. 810 includes a message indicating that the printer 103 has been found and a message indicating that the connection with the printer 103 has been successfully established. In addition, the screen 810 includes an end button 811 for ending the process. If the end button 811 is pressed, Fig. 6A and Figure 6B The processing is finished.

[0093] Meanwhile, if it is determined that the printer 103 is not found in the first search, then in step S604, the CPU 201 determines whether the first search has been performed a prescribed number of times. If it is determined that the first search has not been performed a prescribed number of times, the processing from step S601 is repeated. If it is determined that the first search has been performed a prescribed number of times, the processing proceeds to step S605.

[0094] In step S605, the CPU 201 determines whether the network information of the AP with the first SSID has been transmitted in step S310 or whether the network information of the AP with the second SSID has been transmitted. If it is determined that the network information of the AP with the first SSID has been transmitted in step S310, the process proceeds to step S620, and the display device 208 displays the network information. Figure 8B The screen 820 may include a message indicating that the network connection to the printer 103 has failed. For example, the screen 820 displays a message indicating that the printer 103 cannot be found and a message indicating that the connection to the printer 103 has not been successfully established. The screen 820 may also include a message indicating that the connection destination of the wireless LAN interface 211 has not been successfully changed. In addition, the screen 820 includes an end button 821 for ending the process. If the end button 821 is pressed, Fig. 6A and Figure 6B Then, when it is determined that the network information of the AP having the second SSID has been transmitted in step S310, the process proceeds to step S606.

[0095] In step S606, the CPU 201 disconnects the connection between the wireless LAN interface 211 and the network having the first SSID, and attempts to establish a connection between the wireless LAN interface 211 and the network having the second SSID. That is, the CPU 201 attempts to change the connection destination of the wireless LAN interface 211. In a state where the setting application is running, an attempt is made to establish a connection between the wireless LAN interface 211 and the network having the second SSID according to an instruction from the setting application. Then, in step S607, the CPU 201 determines whether the connection destination of the wireless LAN interface 211 has been successfully changed. In other words, the case where the connection destination of the wireless LAN interface 211 has been successfully changed is the case where the connection between the wireless LAN interface 211 and the network having the second SSID has been successfully established.

[0096] If it is determined that the connection destination of the wireless LAN interface 211 has not been successfully changed, then in step S617, the CPU 201 causes the wireless LAN interface 211 to reconnect to the network having the first SSID. In step S616, the CPU 201 displays a screen indicating that the network connection of the printer 103 has failed on the display device 208. In the present embodiment, based on the PC 101 finding the printer 103 on the network due to the network setting process, the network connection of the printer 103 is considered to be successful. Here, for example, the screen displayed on the display device 208 Figure 8C For example, the screen 820 displays a message indicating that the printer 103 cannot be found and a message indicating that the connection with the printer 103 has not been successfully established. In addition, the screen 820 displays a message indicating that the wireless LAN interface 211 has been reconnected to the network with the first SSID. The screen 820 may also include a message indicating that the connection destination of the wireless LAN interface 211 has not been successfully changed. In addition, the screen 820 includes an end button 821 for ending the process. If the end button 821 is pressed, Fig. 6A and Figure 6B The processing is finished.

[0097] If it is determined in step S607 that the destination of the wireless LAN interface 211 has been successfully changed, in step S608, the CPU 201 searches for the printer 103 on the second network. Specifically, the printer 103 is searched for, for example, by sending a broadcast packet or a multicast packet. If the printer 103 and the PC 101 are connected to the same second network and the security function (for example, the SSID separation function) of the AP 102 is not enabled, a response to the packet sent in the search will be received from the printer 103 via the second network. That is, the printer 103 will be found through this search. The process of searching for the printer 103 on the second network is referred to as the second search below. In addition, when the wireless LAN interface 211 is set to automatically obtain an IP address, the CPU 201 can consider that the connection destination has been successfully changed when the IP address is assigned after connecting to the AP 102.

[0098] In step S609, the CPU 201 determines whether the printer 103 has been found in the second search in step S608. If it is determined that the printer 103 has not been found in the second search, in step S613, the CPU 201 determines whether the second search has been performed a prescribed number of times. If it is determined that the second search has not been performed a prescribed number of times, the processing from step S608 is repeated. If it is determined that the second search has been performed a prescribed number of times, the processing proceeds to step S614.

[0099] If it is determined in step S613 that the second search has been performed a prescribed number of times, then in step S614, the CPU 201 disconnects the connection between the wireless LAN interface 211 and the network having the second SSID, and reconnects the wireless LAN interface 211 to the network having the first SSID. In a state where the settings application is activated, a connection is established between the wireless LAN interface 211 and the network having the first SSID according to instructions from the settings application. In addition, at this time, since the OS cannot immediately search for neighboring SSIDs after the connection is disconnected, the state may be unstable, and therefore the reconnection may not be successful. Therefore, the CPU 201 may reestablish the connection after a certain period of time has passed since the disconnection. Alternatively, when the reconnection is unsuccessful, the connection failure may be reduced by retrying the reconnection process. Then, in step S615, the CPU 201 deletes the wireless profile (including the second SSID and password) of the second network, and in step S616, displays the wireless profile on the display device 208. Figure 8C The screen indicating that the network connection of the printer 103 has failed is displayed. By the process of step S615, it is possible to prevent the wireless profile of the connection that the user does not want to have from remaining. Figure 8C 820 shown in the end button 821, then Fig. 6A and Figure 6B The processing is finished.

[0100] If it is determined in step S609 that the printer 103 has been found in the second network, then in step S610, the CPU 201 determines whether the PC 101 is in a state where it can be connected to the Internet, that is, whether the PC 101 can access the external server 171. Specifically, for example, the CPU 201 first executes an application programming interface (API) of the OS, which is an API for confirming whether the PC 101 is in a state where it can be connected to the Internet. Then, by referring to the result obtained by executing the API, it is determined whether the PC 101 is in a state where it can be connected to the Internet. In the present embodiment, the execution of the API and the determination of whether the PC 101 is in a state where it can be connected to the Internet are performed after the search in step S608 ends, rather than being performed in parallel with the search in step S608. In addition, when executing the above-mentioned API, if the PC 101 is in a state where it can be connected to the Internet via the second network, the result that the PC 101 is in a state where it can be connected to the Internet will of course be output. However, when the above-mentioned API is executed, even if PC 101 is in a state where it can connect to the Internet via a network other than the second network, a result that PC 101 is in a state where it can connect to the Internet is output. That is, for example, if PC 101 establishes a connection with the second network via a wireless LAN, and establishes a connection with another network via a wired LAN, then in a state where PC 101 can connect to the Internet via another network but cannot connect to the Internet via the second network, a result that PC 101 is in a state where it can connect to the Internet is output. If it is determined that PC 101 is not in a state where it can connect to the Internet, in step S614, CPU 201 disconnects the connection between the wireless LAN interface 211 and the network having the second SSID, and reconnects the wireless LAN interface 211 to the network having the first SSID. Thereafter, the processing of steps S614 to S616 will be the same as described above. Through the determination processing of step S610, it is possible to determine based on the determination of the first SSID in the first SSID. Fig. 6A and Figure 6B The model information acquisition processing of step S314 performed after the processing is completed prevents failure to successfully obtain the printer driver from the external server 171. For example, the processing of step S610 does not necessarily have to be performed after the processing of step S609, but can be performed at the timing of accessing the external server 171. In the present embodiment, as described above, a form of performing the determination of step S610 and branching the processing based on the determination result of step S610 is described, but the present invention is not limited to this form. A form of omitting the determination of step S610 may be adopted. Specifically, for example, such a form may be adopted: if the determination result of step S609 is "yes", the processing always enters step S611 without performing the determination of step S610.

[0101] If it is determined in step S610 that the PC 101 is in a state where it can connect to the Internet, then in step S611, the CPU 201 displays a confirmation screen on the display device 208 for confirming to the user whether to maintain the connection between the network (second network) to which the connection destination has been changed and the PC 101. Here, for example, the display device 208 displays a confirmation screen. Figure 7 The confirmation screen 700 shown. For example, the confirmation screen 700 includes a message indicating that the printer 103 has been found on the second network, a message indicating that the wireless LAN interface 211 has been connected to the network having the second SSID, and an area 703 for displaying the second SSID. In addition, for example, the confirmation screen 700 includes a "manual" button 704 for displaying a manual indicating a detailed description, and a "yes" button 701 and a "no" button 702 (either of which is operated by the user in response to the content of the message).

[0102] When the connection between the PC 101 and the second network is maintained, the PC 101 may not be able to perform communication with other external devices connected to the first network. Therefore, when the "manual" button 704 included in the confirmation screen 700 is pressed, a description of a preventive measure to prevent the change of the network to which the PC 101 is connected is displayed as a network manual, i.e., Internet content, through a web browser or the like. Specifically, for example, the content includes such a description that by keeping the PC 101 connected to the second network as a change, the communication with the external device connected to the first network can be interrupted. Although an example of displaying by pressing the "manual" button 704 has been described, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the content may be embedded in the confirmation screen 700 for display. Alternatively, a message corresponding to the details of the content may also be displayed on the confirmation screen 700. The confirmation screen 700 is a screen that displays a message confirming with the user whether to maintain the state of the PC 101 connected to the second network and prompts the user to press the "yes" button 701 or the "no" button 702. In other words, the confirmation screen 700 can be said to be a selection screen capable of accepting a user instruction on whether to connect the PC 101 to the first network or the second network. Furthermore, in other words, the confirmation screen 700 is a screen that prompts the user to confirm whether to switch to the connection between the network (first network) that is the connection destination before the change and the PC 101 .

[0103] In step S612, the CPU 201 determines whether to maintain the connection with the second network. Specifically, for example, when the user presses the "Yes" button 701, the CPU 201 determines to maintain the connection between the wireless LAN interface 211 and the second network, and in step S603, displays the "Connection" on the display device 208. Fig. 8A If the end button 811 included in the screen 810 is pressed, Fig. 6A and Figure 6BIn this case, even if you accept the end Fig. 6A and Figure 6B The wireless LAN interface 211 is connected to the second network. Fig. 6A and Figure 6B The operation of the processing of the wireless LAN interface 211 will not be switched from the second network to the first network. At the same time, when the user presses the "No" button 702, the CPU 201 determines not to maintain the connection between the wireless LAN interface 211 and the second network, and enters step S614. Thereafter, the processing of steps S614 to S616 will be the same as above.

[0104] exist Fig. 6A and Figure 6B In the process of, the determination processing of step S604 and step S613 can be performed based on the condition of whether the processing time of performing the first search and the second search reaches a specified amount of time (for example, a predetermined number of seconds), rather than based on the determination condition of whether the number of times the first search and the second search are performed reaches a specified number of times. In this case, the first search and the second search are repeated in step S601 and step S608 until a certain period of time has passed. In addition, the conditions in step S604 and step S613 do not have to be the same. That is, one of the searches can be determined based on the condition of whether the specified number of times has been reached, and the other search can be determined based on the condition of whether the specified number of seconds has been reached.

[0105] In addition, while the first search is being performed, the printer 103 may be performing a process of connecting to the AP based on the setting information of the AP sent from the PC 101. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the threshold value of the first search in consideration of the time required for the printer 103 to perform the process. Meanwhile, with respect to the second search, since the search is performed after a sufficient amount of time has passed, it is likely that the printer 103 has completed the connection to the second network, and it is not necessary to determine the threshold value in consideration of the time required for the printer 103 to connect to the AP 102. Therefore, the threshold value of the second search is smaller in quantity or shorter in time than the threshold value of the first search. Thus, Fig. 6A and Figure 6B The processing time is kept to a minimum.

[0106] Furthermore, the following configuration may be adopted: if it is determined in step S610 that the Internet cannot be connected even if the AP having the second SSID is connected, then the display Figure 8CInstead of a screen, a screen for prompting the user to confirm whether to continue the network setting process in a state where the user cannot connect to the Internet is first displayed. For example, a continue confirmation screen (not shown) such as “No Internet connection. Continue processing?” is displayed, and an instruction to continue processing is accepted on the screen, so that the user can continue processing in a state where the network with the second SSID is connected even without an Internet connection.

[0107] In this embodiment, the PC 101 is described as an example in which the printer driver is obtained from the external server 171 via the Internet after establishing communication with the printer 103. Fig. 6A and Figure 6B In the embodiment, the determination of whether Internet connection can be made in step S610 is performed, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which the processing of step S610 is performed immediately before accessing the external server 171 to determine whether Internet connection can be made. A configuration may be adopted in which, if it is determined that Internet connection cannot be made at this time, a network having the first SSID is temporarily switched to access the external server 171.

[0108] As described above, in the present embodiment, if the PC 101 can communicate with the printer 103 when it is connected to the second network, the user is first prompted to confirm whether to change to the second network. Therefore, only when the user allows the change to the second network, the connection destination of the PC 101 is changed from the first network to the second network. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the situation such as the situation that the communication between the PC 101 and the printer 103 is no longer carried out due to the connection destination network being automatically changed and therefore the situation that the original network needs to be switched can be prevented, thereby improving convenience. In addition, the PC 101 can establish a state in which it can communicate with the printer 103 on the second network and end the network setting process. Thus, for example, when the user performs a process such as printing instructions to the printer 103 after the network setting process is completed, the printing process can be successfully performed without error. In addition, when the connection destination of the PC 101 is changed from the first network to the second network, it is indicated to the user that the connection with the external device on the first network may be interrupted, thereby preventing the situation in which the user is not aware of the possibility of interruption.

[0109] [Second embodiment]

[0110] The second embodiment will be described below with respect to the differences from the first embodiment. In this embodiment, when the printer 103 is found in the second search, the connection destination of the PC 101 is returned to the first network before the confirmation screen is displayed. Then, the confirmation screen is displayed, and the user is prompted to select the network to which the PC 101 is to be connected. Thus, only when the user determines that the network to which the PC is connected may change, the network to which the PC is connected will be switched to the network to which the printer is connected. That is, it is possible to prevent situations such as the network to which the PC is connected automatically switching without the user's knowledge and being unable to communicate with a printer connected to a network with a different SSID. In addition, it is possible to prevent situations in which the network setting process ends while the connection destination network remains changed even if the user interrupts the network setting process.

[0111] Will refer to Fig. 9A and Fig. 9B The printer communication confirmation process of step S313 according to the present embodiment is described. This is implemented, for example, by the CPU 201 reading out a program stored in the ROM 202 to the RAM 206 and executing the program. Fig. 9A and Fig. 9B Processing. Implemented by the Settings app Fig. 9A and Fig. 9B In addition, for example, the process is started based on a predetermined instruction made by the user on a screen displayed by the setting application. Fig. 9A and Fig. 9B processing.

[0112] Since the description of steps S901 to S911 and step S930 is the same as Fig. 6A and Figure 6B The descriptions of steps S601 to S610, step S613, and step S620 are the same, so their descriptions will be omitted.

[0113] If it is determined in step S907 that the connection destination of the wireless LAN interface 211 has not been successfully changed, then in step S920, the CPU 201 causes the wireless LAN interface 211 to reconnect to the network having the first SSID. Then, in step S919, the CPU 201 displays a screen indicating that the network connection of the printer 103 has failed on the display device 208. Here, for example, Figure 8C If the end button 821 of the screen 820 is pressed, Fig. 9A and Fig. 9B The processing is finished.

[0114] If it is determined in S910 that the second search has been performed a prescribed number of times, then in step S912, the CPU 201 disconnects the connection between the wireless LAN interface 211 and the network having the second SSID, and reconnects the wireless LAN interface 211 to the network having the first SSID. In a state where the settings application is activated, a connection is established between the wireless LAN interface 211 and the network having the first SSID according to instructions from the settings application. In addition, at this time, since the OS cannot immediately search for neighboring SSIDs after the connection is disconnected, the state may be unstable, and therefore the reconnection may not be successful. Therefore, the CPU 201 may reestablish the connection after a certain period of time has passed since the disconnection. Alternatively, when the reconnection is unsuccessful, the connection failure may be reduced by retrying the reconnection process. Then, in step S913, the CPU 201 deletes the wireless profile (including the second SSID and password) of the second network, and in step S919, displays the wireless profile on the display device 208. Figure 8C The screen indicating that the network connection of the printer 103 has failed is displayed. By the process of step S913, it is possible to prevent the wireless profile of the connection that the user does not want to have remain. Figure 8C 820 shown in the end button 821, then Fig. 9A and Fig. 9B The processing is finished.

[0115] If it is determined in step S911 that the Internet cannot be connected, the processing from step S912 above will be performed. Meanwhile, if it is determined in step S911 that the Internet can be connected, then in step S914, the CPU 201 disconnects the wireless LAN interface 211 from the network with the second SSID and reconnects the wireless LAN interface 211 to the network with the first SSID. Then, in step S915, the CPU 201 displays a confirmation screen on the display device 208 for prompting confirmation whether to change the connection destination network. Here, for example, a confirmation screen is displayed on the display device 208. Fig.10 The selection screen 1000 shown. For example, the confirmation screen 1000 includes a message indicating that the printer 103 has been found on the second network, a message prompting confirmation to change the connection destination of the wireless LAN interface 211 to the network having the second SSID, and an area 1003 for displaying the second SSID. In addition, for example, the confirmation screen 1000 includes a "manual" button 1004 for displaying a manual indicating a detailed description, and a "yes" button 1001 and a "no" button 1002 (either of which is operated by the user in response to the content of the message).

[0116] When the PC 101 is connected to the second network, the PC 101 may not be able to perform communication with other external devices connected to the first network. Therefore, when the "Manual" button 1004 included in the confirmation screen 1000 is pressed, a description of a precautionary measure against changing the network to which the PC 101 is connected is displayed as a network manual, i.e., Internet content, through a web browser or the like. This description is the same as that of pressing the "Manual" button 1004. Figure 7 The confirmation screen 1000 is the same as the description displayed when the "Manual" button 704 of the control panel is pressed. The confirmation screen 1000 is a screen that displays a message for the user to confirm whether to change the PC 101 to connect to the second network and prompts the user to press the "Yes" button 1001 or the "No" button 1002. In other words, the confirmation screen 1000 can be said to be a selection screen that can accept a user instruction from the user as to whether to connect the PC 101 to the first network or the second network. In addition, in other words, the confirmation screen 1000 is a screen that prompts the user to confirm whether to switch to the connection between the network (second network) that is the connection destination before the change and the PC 101.

[0117] In step S916, the CPU 201 determines whether to change the connection destination of the wireless LAN interface 211 to the second network. Specifically, for example, when the user presses the "Yes" button 1001, the CPU 201 determines to change the connection destination of the wireless LAN interface 211 to the second network, and attempts to change the connection destination of the wireless LAN interface 211 to a network having a second SSID in step S917. Then, in step S918, the CPU 201 determines whether the connection destination of the wireless LAN interface 211 has been successfully changed.

[0118] If it is determined in step S918 that the destination of the wireless LAN interface 211 has been successfully changed, then in step S903, the CPU 201 displays the destination on the display device 208. Fig. 8A If the end button 811 of the screen 810 is pressed, Fig. 9A and Fig. 9B Meanwhile, if it is determined that the connection destination of the wireless LAN interface 211 has not been successfully changed, then in step S919, the CPU 201 displays on the display device 208 a message indicating that the network connection of the printer 103 has failed. Figure 8B If you press Figure 8B 820 shown in the end button 821, then Fig. 9A and Fig. 9B The following configuration may be adopted: if it is determined in step S918 that the connection destination of the wireless LAN interface 211 has not been successfully changed, the connection destination of the PC is changed to the first network, and the display device 208 displays the connection destination of the wireless LAN interface 211. Figure 8C The picture is 820.

[0119] Refer to step S916 again. For example, when the user presses the "No" button 1002, in step S916, the CPU 201 determines not to change the connection destination of the wireless LAN interface 211 to the second network. Then, in step S913, the CPU 201 deletes the wireless profile (including the second SSID and password) of the second network, and in step S919, displays the wireless profile on the display device 208. Figure 8B A screen indicating that the network connection to the printer 103 has failed is displayed. If you press Figure 8B 820 shown in the end button 821, then Fig. 9A and Fig. 9B The processing is finished.

[0120] The following configuration may be adopted: in the process of connecting the wireless LAN interface 211 to the second network in step S905, the wireless profile is not retained at the time of connection. Specifically, for example, the above control is performed by allowing specification of whether to save the wireless profile for connecting to the AP in the OS. If it is specified in the OS not to save the wireless profile for connecting to the AP, and the wireless LAN interface 211 is connected to the second network in step S906, there is no need to perform the process of deleting the wireless profile of the second network in step S913.

[0121] As described above, according to this embodiment, the connection destination of the wireless LAN interface 211 is returned to the original first network before step S915. Therefore, even if the user interrupts the network setting process in step S915, the process can be prevented from being ended while the connection destination network remains changed.

[0122] [Third embodiment]

[0123] The third embodiment will be described below with respect to the differences from the first and second embodiments. In this embodiment, before performing the second search, the user is prompted to select a network to which the PC 101 is to be connected. Thus, for example, when a network administrator intentionally restricts devices from connecting to the second network, the PC 101 can be prevented from connecting to the second network (even temporarily) without the user's knowledge.

[0124] Will refer to Fig.11A and Fig. 11B The printer communication confirmation process of step S313 according to the present embodiment is described. This is implemented, for example, by the CPU 201 reading out a program stored in the ROM 202 to the RAM 206 and executing the program. Fig.11A and Fig. 11B processing. Fig.11A and Fig. 11BThe processing is implemented by the setting application. In addition, for example, the setting application starts based on a predetermined instruction made by the user on the screen displayed by the setting application. Fig.11A and Fig. 11B processing.

[0125] Since the description of steps S1101 to S1104 is the same as Fig. 6A and Figure 6B The descriptions of steps S601 to S604 are the same as those of steps S601 to S604, and thus descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0126] If it is determined in step S1104 that the first search has been performed a prescribed number of times, then in step S1105, the CPU 201 displays a prior confirmation screen for prompting confirmation of a change in the connection destination network on the display device 208. Here, for example, Fig.12 The prior confirmation screen 1200 is shown. For example, the prior confirmation screen 1200 includes a message indicating that the printer 103 is not found on the first network, a message indicating that the printer can be detected by changing the connection destination of the wireless LAN interface 211 to a network having the second SSID, and an area 1203 for displaying the second SSID. In addition, for example, the prior confirmation screen 1200 includes a "manual" button 1204 for displaying a manual indicating a detailed description, and a "yes" button 1201 and a "no" button 1202 (either of which is operated by the user in response to the content of the message).

[0127] When the PC 101 is connected to the second network, the PC 101 may not be able to perform communication with other external devices connected to the first network. Therefore, when the "Manual" button 1204 included in the prior confirmation screen 1200 is pressed, a description of a precautionary measure to prevent a change in the network to which the PC 101 is connected is displayed through a web browser or the like. This description is the same as that of pressing the "Manual" button 1204. Figure 7 The prior confirmation screen 1200 is the same as the description displayed when the "Manual" button 704 of the control panel is pressed. The prior confirmation screen 1200 is a screen that displays a message for the user to confirm whether to change the PC 101 to connect to the second network and prompts the user to press the "Yes" button 1201 or the "No" button 1202. In other words, the prior confirmation screen 1200 can be said to be a selection screen that can accept a user instruction from the user as to whether to connect the PC 101 to the first network or the second network. In addition, in other words, the prior confirmation screen 1200 is a screen that prompts the user to confirm whether to switch to the connection between the network (second network) that is the connection destination after the change and the PC 101.

[0128] In step S1106, the CPU 201 determines whether to change the connection destination of the wireless LAN interface 211 to the second network. Specifically, for example, when the user presses the "No" button 1202, the CPU 201 determines not to change the connection destination of the wireless LAN interface 211 to the second network. Then, in step S1116, the CPU 201 displays the "No" button 1202 on the display device 208. Figure 8B If the end button 821 of the screen 820 is pressed, Fig.11A and Fig. 11B The processing is finished.

[0129] Meanwhile, when the user presses the "Yes" button 1201, the CPU 201 determines to change the connection destination of the wireless LAN interface 211 to the second network. Then, in step S1107, the CPU 201 determines whether the network information of the AP with the first SSID has been transmitted in step S310 or whether the network information of the AP with the second SSID has been transmitted. If it is determined that the network information of the AP with the first SSID has been transmitted in step S310, the process proceeds to step S1120, and the display device 208 displays the network information. Figure 8B The screen indicating that the network connection of the printer 103 has failed. If the end button 821 is pressed, then Fig.11A and Fig. 11B Then, when it is determined that the network information of the AP having the second SSID has been transmitted in step S310, the process proceeds to step S1108.

[0130] In step S1108, the CPU 201 disconnects the connection between the wireless LAN interface 211 and the network having the first SSID, and attempts to establish a connection between the wireless LAN interface 211 and the network having the second SSID. In a state where the setting application is running, the connection between the wireless LAN interface 211 and the network having the second SSID is attempted to be established according to an instruction from the setting application. Then, in step S1109, the CPU 201 determines whether the connection destination of the wireless LAN interface 211 has been successfully changed. In other words, the case where the connection destination of the wireless LAN interface 211 has been successfully changed is the case where the connection between the wireless LAN interface 211 and the network having the second SSID has been successfully established.

[0131] If it is determined in step S1109 that the connection destination of the wireless LAN interface 211 has not been successfully changed, then in step S1117, the CPU 201 causes the wireless LAN interface 211 to reconnect to the network having the first SSID, and displays a screen indicating that the network connection of the printer 103 has failed on the display device 208. Figure 8C 820 shown in the end button 821, then Fig.11A and Fig. 11B The processing is finished.

[0132] If it is determined in step S1109 that the destination of the wireless LAN interface 211 has been successfully changed, then in step S1110, the CPU 201 searches the second network for the printer 103. Specifically, the printer 103 is searched for, for example, by transmitting a broadcast packet or a multicast packet.

[0133] In step S1111, the CPU 201 determines whether the printer 103 is found in the second search in step S1110. If it is determined that the printer 103 is not found in the second search, then in step S1112, the CPU 201 determines whether the second search has been performed a prescribed number of times. If it is determined that the second search has not been performed a prescribed number of times, the processing from step S1110 is repeated. If it is determined that the second search has been performed a prescribed number of times, the processing proceeds to step S1114.

[0134] In step S1114, the CPU 201 disconnects the wireless LAN interface 211 from the network having the second SSID, and reconnects the wireless LAN interface 211 to the network having the first SSID. Then, in step S1115, the CPU 201 deletes the wireless profile (including the second SSID and the password) of the second network, and in step S1116, displays the wireless profile on the display device 208. Figure 8C The screen indicating that the network connection of the printer 103 has failed is displayed. By the process of step S1115, it is possible to prevent the wireless profile of the connection that the user does not want to have from remaining. Figure 8C 820 shown in the end button 821, then Fig.11A and Fig. 11B The processing is finished.

[0135] If it is determined in step S1111 that the printer 103 is found in the second search, then in step S1113, the CPU 201 determines whether an Internet connection can be made via the second network, that is, whether the external server 171 can be accessed. The description of step S1111 is the same as Fig. 6A and Figure 6B If it is determined that the Internet connection cannot be made, the above-mentioned processing of steps S1114 to S1116 will be performed.

[0136] If it is determined in step S1113 that an Internet connection is possible, the display device 208 displays Fig. 8A If the end button 811 of the screen 810 is pressed, Fig.11A and Fig. 11B The processing is finished.

[0137] As described above, according to this embodiment, before changing the connection destination from the first network to the second network, the user is prompted to confirm. Thus, for example, when the network administrator restricts devices from connecting to the second network, PC 101 can be prevented from connecting to the second network (even temporarily) without the user's knowledge.

[0138] Other embodiments

[0139] The embodiments of the present invention may also be implemented by reading 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 one or more functions in the above-mentioned embodiments, and / or a computer of a system or device including one or more circuits (e.g., an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)) for performing one or more functions in the above-mentioned embodiments, and the embodiments of the present invention may be implemented by, for example, reading and executing the computer executable instructions from the storage medium by the computer of the system or device to perform one or more functions in the above-mentioned embodiments, and / or controlling the one or more circuits to perform one or more functions in the above-mentioned 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 and execute the computer executable instructions. The computer executable instructions may be provided to the computer, for example, from a network or the storage medium. The storage medium may include, for example, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a memory of a distributed computing system, an optical disk (such as a compact disc (CD), a digital versatile disc (DVD), or a Blu-ray disc (BD) TM ), flash memory devices, memory cards, and the like.

[0140] 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.

[0141] 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. A control method for an information processing device, the control method comprising: when accepting a predetermined instruction for executing network setting of the communication device, transmitting to the communication device information related to a second network different from a first network to which the information processing device is connected; After sending the information related to the second network, searching for a communication device via the first network; displaying a screen related to a connection destination of the information processing device based on the fact that the communication device is not found in the search via the first network; as well as After the screen is displayed, control is performed so that the connection destination of the information processing apparatus is a network based on a user instruction on the screen, out of the first network and the second network.

2. The control method according to claim 1, wherein: When a first user instruction is accepted on the screen, control is performed so that the information processing device is connected to the first network, and when a second user instruction is accepted on the screen, control is performed so that the information processing device is connected to the second network.

3. The control method according to claim 1, further comprising: changing the connection destination of the information processing device to the second network based on the communication device not being found in the search via the first network; as well as After changing the connection destination of the information processing device to the second network, searching for a communication device via the second network, in, Based on the fact that the communication device is not found in the search via the first network but is found in the search via the second network, a screen related to a connection destination of the information processing device is displayed.

4. The control method according to claim 3, further comprising: Based on the fact that the communication device is not found in the search via the second network, the connection destination of the information processing device is changed to the first network without displaying a screen related to the connection destination of the information processing device.

5. The control method according to claim 3, further comprising: Based on the failure to find the communication device in the search via the second network, the information related to the second network stored in the information processing device is deleted.

6. The control method according to claim 3, wherein: When no communication device is found in the search via the first network, a predetermined notification screen indicating that no communication device is found is displayed instead of a screen related to the connection destination of the information processing device.

7. The control method according to claim 3, further comprising: after changing the connection destination of the information processing device to the second network, determining whether the information processing device is in a state where the information processing device can connect to the Internet, in, Based on the fact that the communication device was not found in the search via the first network but was found in the search via the second network, and determining that the information processing device is in a state where the information processing device can connect to the Internet after the connection destination of the information processing device is changed to the second network, a screen related to the connection destination of the information processing device is displayed.

8. The control method according to claim 7, further comprising: Based on determining that the information processing device is not in a state where the information processing device can connect to the Internet after changing the connection destination of the information processing device to the second network, the connection destination of the information processing device is changed to the first network without displaying a screen related to the connection destination of the information processing device.

9. The control method according to claim 7, further comprising: Based on determining that the information processing device is not in a state where the information processing device can connect to the Internet after changing the connection destination of the information processing device to the second network, information related to the second network stored in the information processing device is deleted.

10. The control method according to claim 7, wherein: In a case where the network based on the user instruction on the screen is the first network, the connection destination of the information processing device is changed to the first network, and When the network based on the user instruction on the screen is the second network, the connection destination of the information processing apparatus remains the second network.

11. The control method according to claim 1, further comprising: receiving, from the communication device, a list of networks discovered in a search performed by the communication device; as well as In case the first network is included in the list, sending information related to the first network to the communication device, in, In case the first network is not included in the list, information related to the second network is sent to the communication device.

12. The control method according to claim 11, further comprising: When the first network is not included in the list, displaying the list; as well as accepting a user selection of any network in the displayed list, in, The second network is the network selected by the user from the list.

13. The control method according to claim 11, wherein: searching for a communication device via the first network after the information associated with the first network has been sent; When no communication device is found in a search via the first network after information related to the first network has been transmitted, a predetermined notification screen that no communication device is found is displayed instead of a screen related to a connection destination of the information processing device.

14. The control method according to claim 11, wherein: in a case where the first network is included in the list, transmitting information included in the wireless profile stored in the information processing device to the communication device as information related to the first network, Based on the first network not being included in the list, displaying an input screen for accepting a user input of information related to the second network, and In a case where the first network is not included in the list, the information input in the input screen is transmitted to the communication device as information related to the second network.

15. The control method according to claim 1, further comprising: changing the connection destination of the information processing device to the communication device in a case where a predetermined instruction has been accepted; as well as After transmitting information related to the second network via the connection between the information processing device and the communication device, changing the connection destination of the information processing device to the first network, in, After the connection destination of the information processing device has been changed to the first network, a communication device is searched for via the first network.

16. The control method according to claim 1, further comprising: After control is performed so that the connection destination of the information processing apparatus is a network based on a user instruction on the screen among the first network and the second network, the printer driver is obtained via the Internet.

17. The control method according to claim 1, wherein: The communication device is a printing device.

18. The control method according to claim 1, wherein: The information related to the second network is sent to the communication device via any one of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, wired LAN, and USB.

19. An information processing device, comprising: a transmission unit configured to, when accepting a predetermined instruction for performing network setting of the communication device, transmit information related to a second network different from the first network to which the information processing device is connected to the communication device; a search unit configured to search for a communication device via the first network after the information related to the second network has been transmitted; a display unit configured to display a screen related to a connection destination of the information processing device based on the fact that the communication device is not found in the search via the first network; as well as A control unit is configured to, after displaying the screen, perform control so that a connection destination of the information processing device is a network based on a user instruction on the screen, among the first network and the second network.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs including instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of an information processing device cause the information processing device to perform the following steps: when accepting a predetermined instruction for executing network setting of the communication device, transmitting to the communication device information related to a second network different from a first network to which the information processing device is connected; After sending the information related to the second network, searching for a communication device via the first network; displaying a screen related to a connection destination of the information processing device based on the fact that the communication device is not found in the search via the first network; as well as After the screen is displayed, control is performed so that the connection destination of the information processing apparatus is a network based on a user instruction on the screen, out of the first network and the second network.

21. A program product storing one or more programs including instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of an information processing device cause the information processing device to perform the following steps: when accepting a predetermined instruction for executing network setting of the communication device, transmitting to the communication device information related to a second network different from a first network to which the information processing device is connected; After sending the information related to the second network, searching for a communication device via the first network; displaying a screen related to a connection destination of the information processing device based on the fact that the communication device is not found in the search via the first network; as well as After the screen is displayed, control is performed so that the connection destination of the information processing apparatus is a network based on a user instruction on the screen, out of the first network and the second network.

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