Communication device, control method, and program

Abstract

The invention provides a communication apparatus, a control method, and a program. The communication device (102) is configured so as to restrict a combination of the selection of a predetermined frequency band, which is a frequency band to be used in a case where wireless communication in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 series standard is performed, and the selection of a predetermined authentication method, which is an authentication method to be used in a case where wireless communication in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 series standard is performed, from the selection of a predetermined frequency band, which is a frequency band to be used in a case where wireless communication in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 series standard, and the selection of a predetermined authentication method, which is an authentication method to be used in a case where wireless communication is performed. A notification unit configured to issue a notification to a user is controlled.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of an invention patent application with an application date of December 10, 2020, application number 202080089689.3 (international application number PCT / JP2020 / 046106), and invention name “Communication device, control method and program”. Technical Field

[0002] The invention relates to an arrangement for wireless communication. Background Art

[0003] In the case of performing wireless communication, settings for performing wireless communication (hereinafter referred to as communication parameters) are set. An access point (AP) having a role of building a wireless network builds a wireless network using a channel, an encryption method, and an authentication method set as communication parameters. By displaying a setting screen for setting communication parameters of the AP, the user can set the communication parameters in the AP.

[0004] PLT 1 discusses a communication device that controls whether to display a selection screen for internal authentication according to whether an authentication method selected as a communication parameter is an authentication method for performing internal authentication.

[0005] Citation List

[0006] Patent Literature

[0007] PTL1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-199458 Summary of the invention

[0008] Technical issues

[0009] In the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11ax standard (a wireless communication standard considered by the IEEE), in addition to the traditional 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, the 6 gigahertz (GHz) band is considered as a frequency band to be used in communication. Since the encryption method and authentication method supported in the traditional communication in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands are the same, the user does not need to consider the frequency band to set the communication parameters. However, it is believed that only some authentication methods are supported in the communication in the 6 GHz band. In this case, when setting the communication parameters for the communication in the 6 GHz band, it is troublesome for the user to appropriately set the authentication method taking into account the authentication methods that can be used.

[0010] The present invention aims to enable appropriate setting of the combination of frequency band and authentication method.

[0011] Solution to the problem

[0012] In view of the above situation, the communication device according to the present invention includes: a first selection unit for selecting a frequency band to be used when performing wireless communication compliant with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 series standards; a second selection unit for selecting an authentication method to be used when performing wireless communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standards; and a control unit for controlling a notification unit for issuing a notification to a user in a manner that limits the combination of selection of a predetermined frequency band performed by the first selection unit and selection of a predetermined authentication method performed by the second selection unit.

[0013] Advantageous Effects of the Invention

[0014] According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a combination of a frequency band and an authentication method may be appropriately set. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a network in which the communication device 102 participates.

[0016] Figure 2 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the communication device 102 .

[0017] Figure 3 is a diagram showing a functional configuration of the communication device 102 .

[0018] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing processing to be performed when the communication device 102 sets communication parameters.

[0019] Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of a graphical user interface to be displayed by the communication device 102 using the first display method.

[0020] Figure 6 is a diagram showing another example of a graphical user interface to be displayed by the communication device 102 using the first display method.

[0021] Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of a graphical user interface to be displayed by the communication device 102 using the second display method.

[0022] Figure 8 is a diagram showing another example of a graphical user interface to be displayed by the communication device 102 using the second display method.

[0023] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a graphical user interface to be displayed by the communication device 102 using the third display method.

[0024] Fig.10 is a diagram showing another example of a graphical user interface to be displayed by the communication device 102 using the third display method.

[0025] Fig.11 is a diagram showing another example of a graphical user interface to be displayed by the communication device 102 using the third display method.

[0026] Fig.12 is a diagram showing another example of a graphical user interface to be displayed by the communication device 102 using the third display method.

[0027] Fig.13 is a diagram showing an example of a graphical user interface to be displayed by the communication device 102 using the fourth display method.

[0028] Fig.14 is a diagram showing another example of a graphical user interface to be displayed by the communication device 102 using the fourth display method.

[0029] Fig.15 is a diagram showing an example of a graphical user interface to be displayed by the communication device 102 using the fifth display method.

[0030] Fig.16 is a diagram showing another example of a graphical user interface to be displayed by the communication device 102 using the fifth display method.

[0031] Fig.17 is a diagram showing another example of a graphical user interface to be displayed by the communication device 102 using the fifth display method.

[0032] Fig.18 is a diagram showing an example of a graphical user interface to be displayed by the communication device 102 using the sixth display method.

[0033] Fig.19 is a diagram showing another example of a graphical user interface to be displayed by the communication device 102 using the sixth display method. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The configurations described in the following exemplary embodiments are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to the configurations shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0035] Figure 1The configuration of the network in which the communication device 102 according to the present exemplary embodiment participates is shown. The communication device 102 is an access point (AP) having the role of building the network 101. The network 101 is a wireless network. The communication device 103 is a station (STA) having the role of participating in the network 101. Each communication device complies with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11ax standard and can perform wireless communication that complies with the IEEE 802.11ax standard through the network 101. Each communication device can perform communication in frequency bands of the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band, and the 6 GHz band. The frequency bands to be used by each communication device are not limited to these. For example, different frequency bands, such as the 60 GHz band, can be used.

[0036] The communication parameters are set in the communication device 102, and the communication device 102 builds a network according to the set communication parameters. The communication parameters set in the communication device 102 may be preset communication parameters, or may be communication parameters set by the user. The user may set the communication parameters of the communication device 102 via a setting screen displayed on the display unit (notification unit, output unit 305) of the communication device 102 or the display unit of a communication device (not shown) that communicates with the communication device 102 via a cable or wirelessly.

[0037] Specifically, the communication parameter set in the communication device 102 is an authentication method. In addition, at least one of a service set identifier (SSID), an encryption method, an encryption key, a frequency band, a channel, a bandwidth, whether to use a wireless function, and a network name may be set as a communication parameter. Figure 5-19 At least one of various parameters set on the setting screen of the communication parameters shown can be set as the communication parameter.

[0038] SSID is an identifier for identifying AP (communication device 102). The encryption method is a method for encrypting communication between AP (communication device 102) and STA (communication device 103). The encryption key is a key used to encrypt communication between AP (communication device 102) and STA (communication device 103). Only STAs that know the encryption key set in the AP can communicate with the AP. The frequency band is the frequency band to be used when the AP (communication device 102) and STA (communication device 103) communicate with each other. In the IEEE 802.11ax standard, the frequency band can be selected from the 2.4GHz band, the 5GHz band, and the 6GHz band. The channel is the channel to be used when the AP (communication device 102) and the STA (communication device 103) communicate with each other. A channel belonging to the selected frequency band can be selected. For example, in the case where the 2.4GHz band is selected as the frequency band, any channel from channel (ch) 1 to ch 13 can be selected as the channel. The bandwidth is the bandwidth to be used when the AP (communication device 102) and the STA (communication device 103) communicate with each other, and 20 megahertz (MHz), 40MHz, 80MHz or 160MHz can be selected. In addition, a frequency band greater than 160MHz can be selected. Whether to use the wireless function is a parameter indicating whether to use the wireless function of the communication device 102 used as an AP. By setting whether to use the wireless function, whether to use the wireless function to perform wireless communication can be set for each frequency band. Optionally, whether to use the wireless function can be set for all wireless communications of the communication device 102. In the case where the wireless function is set not to be used, the communication device 102 does not build a network. Optionally, the communication device 102 does not perform communication via the network built by itself. The network name is the name of the network to be built by the communication device 102, and can be set using an arbitrary string. The network name and the SSID can be the same. In this case, only any one of the setting items can be set as a communication parameter.

[0039] Specific examples of authentication methods include Open, Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA), WPA2, and WPA3. Open is an authentication method defined as open system authentication in the IEEE 802.11 series of standards. In this authentication method, the AP that has received an authentication request from the STA always sends an authentication success. Since the authentication in this authentication method is always successful, no substantial authentication is performed. WPA is a standard for authentication methods formulated by the Wi-Fi Alliance. WPA2 is a subsequent standard of WPA, and compared with WPA, it enhances security by supporting new encryption methods that WPA does not support. WPA3 is a subsequent standard of WPA2 and is a standard with further enhanced security. In WPA2, a pre-shared key is used as a key for encrypted communication. In this exemplary embodiment, in the case of selecting WPA2 as the authentication method, a pre-shared key is used as an encryption key. Typically, the pre-shared key is manually input to the AP and STA by the user. However, in WPA3, both the AP and the STA generate a key by performing calculations on the passwords input to both the AP and the STA using an elliptic curve cryptosystem, and use the key to encrypt communication instead of using the pre-shared key to encrypt communication. Such a key sharing method is called Simultaneous Authentication of Equals (SAE). In WPA3, a new key is generated each time authentication is performed, so security is enhanced compared to WPA2, which uses the same pre-shared key multiple times. In this exemplary embodiment, when WPA3 is selected as the authentication method, the encryption key corresponds to the password.

[0040] In this exemplary embodiment, communication devices 102 and 103 support different authentication methods according to the frequency band to be used. Specifically, in the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band, communication devices 102 and 103 support all of Open, WPA, WPA2, and WPA3. However, in the 6 GHz band, communication devices 102 and 103 only support WPA3.

[0041] In addition to or instead of WPA3, the communication devices 102 and 103 may support Open as an authentication method, and Open uses a method called Opportunistic Wireless Encryption (OWE) as a key sharing method. While communication is performed without encryption in conventional Open, encryption of communication is enabled in Open using the OWE method. OWE is a key sharing method using an elliptic curve cryptosystem similar to SAE, but differs in that no preliminary password sharing is required.

[0042] Specific examples of encryption methods include Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) and Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). AES is a stronger encryption method than TKIP, with higher cryptographic strength.

[0043] In the present exemplary embodiment, the communication devices 102 and 103 support different encryption methods according to the frequency band to be used. Specifically, in the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band, the communication devices 102 and 103 support both TKIP and AES, and in the 6 GHz band, the communication devices 102 and 103 support only AES. Therefore, in the case of performing communication in the 6 GHz band between the communication devices 102 and 103, the user will select WPA3 as the authentication method and select AES as the encryption method.

[0044] In this case, even in the case where the user selects the 6 GHz band as the frequency band, if, for example, WPA2 is displayed as the authentication method or is made selectable as the authentication method on the setting screen of the communication parameters, the user may not be able to correctly set the communication parameters. Therefore, in the case where the 6 GHz band is selected as the frequency band, the user can easily set the correct communication parameters by changing the display of the setting screen from the setting screen displayed in the case where the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band are selected. Specifically, only WPA3 is displayed or selectable as the authentication method, and only AES is displayed or selectable as the encryption method.

[0045] In the present exemplary embodiment, it is assumed that the communication devices 102 and 103 perform wireless communication in accordance with the IEEE 802.11ax standard, but the standard is not limited thereto. The communication devices 102 and 103 may perform wireless communication in accordance with the IEEE 802.11be standard, which is a successor standard to the IEEE 802.11ax standard. In the IEEE 802.11be standard, similar to the IEEE 802.11ax standard, communication may be performed in frequency bands including the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band, and the 6 GHz band. In this case, similar to communication in accordance with the IEEE 802.11ax standard, supported authentication methods and encryption methods may vary depending on the frequency band.

[0046] The communication devices 102 and 103 comply with the IEEE 802.11ax standard. In addition to this, the communication devices 102 and 103 may comply with at least any one of the legacy standards, which are standards developed before the IEEE 802.11ax standard. The legacy standards refer to the IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax standards. In addition to or instead of the legacy standards, the communication devices 102 and 103 may comply with a successor standard to the IEEE 802.11ax standard. Specifically, the successor standard is the IEEE 802.11be standard. Optionally, the communication devices 102 and 103 may comply with a successor standard that is later than IEEE 802.11be. In this exemplary embodiment, at least any one of the IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax / be standards is referred to as the IEEE 802.11 series of standards. In addition to the IEEE 802.11 series of standards, the communication devices 102 and 103 may comply with other communication standards, such as Near Field Communication (NFC), Ultra Wideband (UWB), ZigBee, and Multi-Band OFDM Alliance (MBOA). UWB includes Wireless Universal Serial Bus (USB), Wireless 1394, and Winners Information Network (WiNET). Communication devices 102 and 103 may comply with a communication standard for wired communication such as a Local Area Network (LAN).

[0047] In the case where the communication devices 102 and 103 comply with the IEEE 802.11 series of standards, the communication devices 102 and 103 can use at least any one of the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band and the 6 GHz band as a frequency band. The communication devices 102 and 103 can perform wireless communication that complies with the IEEE 802.11 series of standards via the channels included in the available frequency band. In this case, the bandwidth of each channel is defined as 20 MHz in the IEEE 802.11 series of standards. The communication devices 102 and 103 can also use channels each having a bandwidth greater than or equal to 40 MHz by combining adjacent channels. In the case where the communication devices 102 and 103 comply with the IEEE 802.11 series of standards, the communication devices 102 and 103 can use a structure called a distributed coordination function (DCF) to communicate data. In DCF, a data transmission device retains data transmission during a random time called backoff to avoid data conflicts with another communication device. After a random time (backoff) has passed, the data transmission device confirms whether the channel to be used for data transmission is not used by another device, and then performs data transmission. Instead of DCF or in addition to DCF, the communication devices 102 and 103 can also use enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA) to perform communication control. In EDCA, data to be transmitted is classified by priority, and different "backoffs" are set for each priority. Specifically, "short backoffs" are set for high-priority data compared to low-priority data.

[0048] The communication devices 102 and 103 conforming to the IEEE 802.11 series of standards may support a method by which, in addition to or instead of a DCF, an AP centrally manages a method of data communication performed by a STA. For example, the communication devices 102 and 103 may support a data communication method using a point coordination function (PCF). In PCF, one device (AP) sequentially sends a polling signal to multiple other devices, and only the device that receives the polling signal from the AP can send data. Since only the device to which the AP has sent a polling signal can send data before the next polling signal is sent, no data conflict occurs. Optionally, the communication devices 102 and 103 may be able to perform communication control using a hybrid coordination function controlled channel access (HCCA). HCCA is a communication method that, in addition to data communication control by performing polling by the AP as in PCF, can also perform communication quality negotiation between the AP and other devices. In HCCA, scheduling that takes data priority into consideration can be performed. Furthermore, the method of avoiding collision of data communicated by STAs by centrally managing data communications performed by STAs by the AP is not limited to the method using the PCF or HCCA.

[0049] Optionally, the communication devices 102 and 103 conforming to the IEEE 802.11 series of standards may support a data communication method using, for example, a request to send (RTS) / clear to send (CTS). In this method, when the STA has data to send, the STA first sends an RTS to the AP. The AP receiving the RTS sends a CTS to the STA in response to the RTS. The STA receiving the CTS sends data to the AP. In this case, the RTS, CTS, and data each include a network allocation vector (NAV) indicating the time that the channel to be used in the transmission is occupied. Since other terminals that detect the RTS, CTS, and data do not send signals within the time period indicated by the NAV, data collisions can be avoided.

[0050] Specific examples of the communication device 102 include a wireless LAN router and a personal computer (PC), but the communication device 102 is not limited to these. The communication device 102 may be any communication device as long as the communication device can perform wireless communication conforming to the IEEE 802.11ax standard with other communication devices. Specific examples of the communication device 103 include a camera, a tablet, a smartphone, a PC, a mobile phone, and a video camera, but the communication device 103 is not limited to these. The communication device 103 only needs to be a communication device capable of performing wireless communication conforming to the IEEE 802.11ax standard with other communication devices. Figure 1 The network shown is a network including one AP and one STA, but the number of APs and the number of STAs are not limited to these.

[0051] Figure 2 1 shows a hardware configuration of the communication device 102 according to the present exemplary embodiment. The communication device 102 includes a storage unit 301 , a control unit 302 , a function unit 303 , an input unit 304 , an output unit 305 , a communication unit 306 , and an antenna 307 .

[0052] The storage unit 301 includes one or more memories, such as a read-only memory (ROM) and a random access memory (RAM), and stores computer programs for performing various operations described below and various types of information (such as communication parameters for wireless communication). In addition to memories such as ROM and RAM, a storage medium such as a floppy disk, a hard disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), a recordable CD (CD-R), a magnetic tape, a nonvolatile memory card, or a digital versatile disk (DVD) can also be used as the storage unit 301. The storage unit 301 may include a plurality of memories.

[0053] The control unit 302 includes one or more processors, such as a central processing unit (CPU) and a microprocessing unit (MPU). The control unit 302 controls the entire communication device 102 by executing a computer program stored in the storage unit 301. The control unit 302 can cooperate with the computer program and operating system (OS) stored in the storage unit 301 to control the entire communication device 102. The control unit 302 also generates data and signals (radio frames) to be sent in communication with another communication device. The control unit 302 may include multiple processors (e.g., a multi-core processor) and control the entire communication device 102 using the multiple processors.

[0054] The control unit 302 also executes predetermined processing such as wireless communication, image capturing, printing, and projection by controlling the function unit 303. The function unit 303 is hardware for the communication device 102 to execute predetermined processing.

[0055] The input unit 304 receives various operations from the user. The output unit 305 performs various outputs to the user via a monitor screen or a speaker. The output unit 305 can be used as a display unit that performs screen display, or as a notification unit that issues various notifications to the user. The output performed by the output unit 305 can be a display on the monitor screen, a voice output of a speaker, or a vibration output. Both the input unit 304 and the output unit 305 can be implemented by a module similar to a touch panel. The input unit 304 and the output unit 305 can each be formed integrally with the communication device 102, can be formed separately from the communication device 102, or can be a device that is wirelessly connected to the communication device 102 or connected by a cable. Optionally, the output unit 305 can be used as a display control unit that enables the display unit of another communication device that communicates with the communication device 102 via wireless communication or wired communication to perform screen display. Optionally, the output unit 305 can be used as an output control unit that, in addition to or instead of the screen, also enables the output unit (e.g., speaker) of other communication devices to perform voice output. The input unit 304 may receive an input performed by a user via another communication device that communicates with the communication device 102 through wireless communication or wired communication.

[0056] The communication unit 306 controls wireless communication in accordance with the IEEE 802.11ax standard. In addition to the IEEE 802.11ax standard, the communication unit 306 may also control wireless communication in accordance with other IEEE 802.11 series standards, or may control wired communication such as a wired LAN. The communication unit 306 controls the antenna 307 to send and receive signals for wireless communication generated by the control unit 302. In addition to the IEEE 802.11ax standard, the communication device 102 may also conform to the NFC standard, In the case of a plurality of communication standards, the communication unit 306 can control wireless communication conforming to these communication standards. In the case where the communication device 102 can perform wireless communication conforming to a plurality of communication standards, a communication unit and an antenna corresponding to each communication standard can be separately included. The communication device 102 communicates data such as image data, document data, and video data with the communication device 103 via the communication unit 306. The antenna 307 can be formed separately from the communication unit 306, or can be formed as one module together with the communication unit 306.

[0057] Antenna 307 is an antenna capable of performing communication in the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band, and the 6 GHz band. In the present exemplary embodiment, it is only necessary that antenna 307 of communication device 102 is capable of performing communication in at least the 6 GHz band. In the present exemplary embodiment, communication device 102 includes one antenna, but may include separate antennas for each frequency band. In the case where communication device 102 includes multiple antennas, communication device 102 may include communication units 306 corresponding to each antenna.

[0058] The communication device 103 has a hardware configuration similar to that of the communication device 102 .

[0059] Figure 3 is a diagram showing a functional configuration of the communication device 102. The communication device 102 includes a wireless communication control unit 201, a display screen generation unit 202, a user input analysis unit 203, a user interface (UI) control unit 204, and a storage control unit 205.

[0060] The wireless communication control unit 201 includes a circuit for sending a wireless signal to another communication device and receiving a wireless signal from another communication device, and a program for controlling the circuit. The wireless communication control unit 201 controls wireless communication according to the IEEE802.11 series of standards. The wireless communication control unit 201 controls the sending and receiving of wireless signals with another communication device in the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band, and the 6 GHz band. In the present exemplary embodiment, the communication device 102 includes one wireless communication control unit, but the number of wireless communication control units is not limited thereto. The communication device 102 may include a wireless communication control unit corresponding to the frequency bands supported by each.

[0061] The display screen generation unit 202 generates content to be displayed on a user interface (UI) based on information acquired from the user input analysis unit 203 described below and information stored in the storage unit 301, and sends the generated content to the UI control unit 204 described below. For example, in the case where the user input analysis unit 203 described below detects that the user has issued an instruction to display a setting screen for communication parameters, the display screen generation unit 202 generates a setting screen for communication parameters and sends the setting screen to the UI control unit 204. The screen to be generated by the display screen generation unit 202 may change according to the user input or the passage of time.

[0062] The user input analysis unit 203 acquires information obtained by the UI control unit 204 described below, and analyzes the content specified by the user. For example, according to the instruction input by the user, the user input analysis unit 203 analyzes the content controlled by the wireless communication control unit 201, and extracts information to be displayed on the screen generated by the display screen generation unit 202. The user input analysis unit 203 sends the extracted information to the display screen generation unit 202.

[0063] The UI control unit 204 includes a program for controlling hardware (input unit 304) related to the user interface, such as a touch panel or buttons for receiving user operations performed on the communication device 102. By using the program of the UI control unit 204, the UI control unit 204 will Figure 2 The input unit 304 shown in the figure sends the content of the user input obtained by the user input analysis unit 203. The UI control unit 204 also sends the image generated by the display screen generation unit 202 to the user input analysis unit 203. Figure 2 The output unit 305 shown. The UI control unit 204 also has a function for presenting information obtained by voice output or the like to the user via the output unit 305, for example.

[0064] The storage control unit 205 controls writing or reading of data to or from the storage unit 301 , which stores data and programs operated in the communication device 102 .

[0065] Figure 4 3 is a flowchart showing processing performed by the communication device 102 when setting communication parameters by loading a computer program stored in the storage unit 301 to the control unit 302 and executing the computer program.

[0066] In the case where the user issues an instruction to display the setting screen of the communication parameters, the communication device 102 starts the processing of the flowchart. The instruction from the user may be issued directly to the input unit 304 of the communication device 102, or may be issued from other communication devices connected to the communication device 102 wirelessly or via a cable. By inputting the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the communication device 102 in the address bar of the browser, other communication devices connected to the communication device 102 wirelessly or via a cable may issue an instruction to display the setting screen. Alternatively, the communication device 102 may start the processing of the flowchart based on the fact that the communication device 102 is connected to other communication devices via a cable or wirelessly for the first time since the factory shipment. Alternatively, the communication device 102 may start the processing of the flowchart based on the fact that the power is turned on for the first time since the factory shipment.

[0067] First, in step S401, the communication device 102 displays a setting screen for communication parameters. The setting screen may be displayed on the display unit (notification unit) of the communication device 102, or may be displayed on the display unit of another communication device (communication device 103) that communicates with the communication device 102 via a cable or wirelessly. Figures 5 to 19 Describes the setting screen displayed in this procedure.

[0068] In step S402, the communication device 102 determines whether the 6 GHz band is selected in the item for setting the frequency band included in the displayed setting screen. In the case where the 6 GHz band is selected as the frequency band to be used, the communication device 102 determines as "yes" in this step. In the case where a different frequency band (2.4 GHz band or 5 GHz band) is selected, the communication device 102 determines as "no" in this step. Channels can be used in the determination in this step. Specifically, the communication device 102 can determine whether a channel belonging to the 6 GHz band is selected in the item for setting the channel included in the displayed setting screen. In this case, in the case where the channel selected as the channel to be used is a channel belonging to the 6 GHz band, the communication device 102 determines as "yes" in this step. On the contrary, in the case where the channel selected as the channel to be used is a channel belonging to other frequency bands (2.4 GHz band or 5 GHz band), the communication device 102 determines as "no" in this step. In the case of determining as "no" in this step, the communication device 102 performs the determination in this step again. In this case, the item display on the setting screen does not switch to the display for the 6 GHz band. In a case where the communication device 102 determines “Yes” in this step, the communication device 102 performs the processing in step S403.

[0069] In step S403, the communication device 102 checks whether there is an STA currently connected in the 2.4 GHz band or the 5 GHz band. In the case that there is no STA connected in at least one of the 2.4 GHz band or the 5 GHz band, the communication device 102 determines "No" in this step and performs processing in step S407. On the contrary, in the case that there is an STA connected in at least one of the 2.4 GHz band or the 5 GHz band, the communication device 102 determines "Yes" in this step and performs processing in step S404.

[0070] In step S404, the communication device 102 determines whether to connect the STA connected in at least one of the 2.4 GHz band or the 5 GHz band using an authentication method not supported in the 6 GHz band. In the present exemplary embodiment, the authentication method not supported in the 6 GHz band is an authentication method of WPA2 or earlier than WPA2. Specifically, the authentication method is WPA2, WPA, or Open that does not use the OWE method. In the case where the communication device 102 communicates with the STA using any of these authentication methods, the STA may not be compatible with WPA3, and if the frequency band is changed to the 6 GHz band, the communication device 102 may become unable to communicate with the STA. Although the AP issues a notification including the authentication method supported by itself using a beacon or a probe response, the STA does not issue such a notification. When sending an association request to the AP, the STA only sends a request for an authentication method for connection. Therefore, the AP cannot recognize whether the STA is compatible with another authentication method different from the authentication method requested by the STA using the association request. In other words, since the AP cannot recognize whether the STA supports WPA3, if the frequency band is changed to the 6 GHz band, the AP cannot recognize whether communication with the STA can be performed. In the case where the communication device 102 uses WPA3 to connect with the STA, the communication device 102 determines "No" in this step and performs the processing in step S407. In contrast, in the case where the communication device 102 uses WPA2 or an authentication method earlier than WPA2 to connect with the STA, the communication device 102 determines "Yes" in this step and performs display in step S405. In the case where the communication device 102 uses Open using the OWE method to connect with the STA, the communication device 102 may determine "Yes" in this step.

[0071] In the case where the communication device 102 determines "No" in step S404, before performing the process in step S407, the communication device 102 may check whether the encryption method used in the connection with the STA is an encryption method that is not supported in the 6 GHz band. Specifically, the communication device 102 may check whether the encryption method used in the connection with the STA is an encryption method with a lower cryptographic strength than that of AES. In the case where the encryption method used in the connection with the STA is an encryption method such as TKIP whose cryptographic strength is lower than that of AES, the communication device 102 performs the process in step S405. On the contrary, in the case where the encryption method used in the connection with the STA is an encryption method whose cryptographic strength is higher than or equal to that of AES, the communication device 102 performs the process in step S407.

[0072] In the case where the communication device 102 can simultaneously maintain networks in a plurality of frequency bands, the process in step S404 can be omitted. This is because, in this case, the communication device 102 can newly establish a network in the 6 GHz band while continuing to connect to the STA.

[0073] In step S405, the communication device 102 displays a warning to the user. The warning displayed in this step is a warning indicating that if the frequency band is changed to the 6 GHz band, the connection with the currently connected STA may be disconnected and reconnection may become impossible. The communication device 102 can perform processing such as outputting a buzzer and lighting a lamp together with displaying the warning. By performing the display, the user can realize that if the frequency band is switched, the connection with the currently connected STA may remain disconnected. Thus, the user can stop the switching operation of the frequency band. Together with the warning, the communication device 102 also displays a selection screen for prompting the user to select whether to continue the switching process of the frequency band.

[0074] In step S406, the communication device 102 determines whether to continue the switching process of the frequency band. Specifically, the communication device 102 determines whether the user has selected to continue the switching process of the frequency band on the selection screen displayed in step S405. In the case where the user has selected to continue the switching process, the communication device 102 determines "yes" in this step and performs the process in step S407. On the contrary, in the case where the user has selected to interrupt or end the switching process, the communication device 102 determines "no" in this step and performs the process in step S402 again. Alternatively, the communication device 102 may display the selection screen in step S405 and determine "no" in this step based on the fact that the predetermined time has passed.

[0075] In step S407, the communication device 102 switches the display of the setting screen to a display for the 6 GHz band. Specifically, the communication device 102 switches the display in a manner that only WPA3 is displayed as an authentication method. Optionally, the communication device 102 switches the display in a manner that only WPA3 can be selected as an authentication method. In addition to WPA3, the communication device 102 can also display Open using the OWE method, or display Open in an optional state. The communication device 102 also switches the display in a manner that only AES is displayed or only AES can be selected as an encryption method. In this case, authentication methods other than WPA3 (Open, WPA, WPA2 without the OWE method) are hidden or displayed in a gray state or shaded state in an unselectable manner. Displaying an option in a gray state means displaying the option in an unselectable state, generally referring to displaying the option in light gray. Encryption methods other than AES (TKIP) are also hidden or displayed in a gray state or shaded state in an unselectable manner. In a case where the display of the setting screen is switched to the display for the 6 GHz band, the communication device 102 may at least notify the user that WPA and WPA2 cannot be used as the authentication method, or TKIP cannot be used as the encryption method.

[0076] In step S408, the communication device 102 determines whether the authentication information that has been set can be used as a communication parameter in the 6 GHz band. Specifically, for example, the communication device 102 determines whether the pre-shared key in WPA2 can be used as a password in WPA3. In the case where the pre-shared key is allowed to be used as a password, the communication device 102 determines "yes" in this step and performs processing in step S409. On the contrary, in the case where the pre-shared key is not allowed to be used as a password, the communication device 102 determines "no" in this step and performs processing in step S410. Whether the pre-shared key in WPA or WPA2 can be used as a password in WPA3 is set by the user in the communication device 102. Alternatively, whether the pre-shared key in WPA or WPA2 can be used as a password in WPA3 is preset in the communication device 102. Alternatively, the communication device 102 can perform the determination in this step based on whether the number of characters of the character string set as the pre-shared key in WPA or WPA2 is greater than or equal to the predetermined number of characters required as a password in WPA3. When the number of characters of the pre-shared key is greater than or equal to the predetermined number of characters, the communication device 102 determines “Yes” in this step. When the number of characters of the pre-shared key is less than the predetermined number of characters, the communication device 102 determines “No” in this step.

[0077] In the case where the communication device 102 determines "yes" in step S408, in step S409, the communication device 102 sets the authentication information that has been set as the communication parameters for communication in the 6 GHz band. Specifically, the communication device 102 sets the pre-shared key in WPA or WPA2 as the password in WPA3. The pre-shared key in WPA or WPA2 can be automatically input into the password input field in WPA3 provided on the setting screen. Even in the case where the processing in step S409 has been performed, a change of the password can be received from the user.

[0078] Optionally, in the case where the communication device 102 determines "No" in step S408, in step S410, the communication device 102 displays a screen for prompting the user to set communication parameters in the 6 GHz band. Specifically, the communication device 102 displays a dialog box or note for prompting the user to enter a password in WPA3. In the case where the setting screen includes a common input field used as an input field for a pre-shared key in WPA or WPA2 and an input field for a password in WPA3, the input field in the setting screen remains blank.

[0079] As mentioned above, Figure 4 As shown, by switching the setting screen of the communication parameters based on the selected frequency band and the authentication method used in the connection with the currently connected STA, the user can easily select the correct communication parameters. The user can also be notified of errors that may be caused by switching the frequency band to the 6 GHz band.

[0080] exist Figure 4 In the flowchart shown, after selecting the 6 GHz band as the frequency band to be used, the communication device 102 determines whether there is an STA that is already connected in the 2.4 GHz band or the 5 GHz band, but the processing flow is not limited to this. In the case where the user selects the 6 GHz band as the frequency band to be used (in the case of determining "yes" in step S402), the communication device 102 can skip the processing in steps S403 to S406 and perform the processing in step S407. Optionally, in the case of determining "yes" in step S402, the communication device 102 can be set by the user whether to determine whether there is an STA that is already connected in the 2.4 GHz band or the 5 GHz band, or to switch the display of the setting screen. In other words, in the case of determining yes in step S402, the communication device 102 can be set by the user whether to perform the processing in step S404 or the processing in step S407.

[0081] In the present exemplary embodiment, the communication device 102 switches at least one of the authentication method and encryption method to be displayed according to the selected frequency band, but the processing flow is not limited thereto. The communication device 102 may switch the frequency band to be displayed according to the selected authentication method. Alternatively, the communication device 102 may switch the frequency band to be displayed according to the selected encryption method. For example, in the case where the user selects WPA2 as the authentication method, the 6 GHz band may be hidden or displayed in an unselectable state as an option for the setting item of the frequency band. In other words, in the case where an authentication method or encryption method that is not supported in the 6 GHz band is selected, the communication device 102 may switch the display of the setting item of the frequency band. In this case, the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band are displayed, or displayed as an optional state.

[0082] In this exemplary embodiment, the communication device 102 prevents the user from selecting an authentication method or encryption method that is not supported in the selected frequency band by switching at least one of the authentication methods and encryption methods to be displayed according to the selected frequency band. However, the configuration is not limited to this. When the user attempts to set an unsupported authentication method or encryption method in the frequency band selected by the user, the communication device 102 can notify the user that the selected authentication method or encryption method is not supported. For example, in the case where the user selects the 6GHz band as the frequency band to be used, the communication device 102 can display an error indicating that communication is not executable on the setting screen of the communication parameters, and further select WPA2 as the authentication method to be used. The communication device 102 can issue a notification based on the user's selection of a setting item for the authentication method or encryption method, or can issue a notification in response to a setting completion instruction of the communication parameters issued by the user.

[0083] Figure 5 An example of a setting screen of communication parameters to be displayed by the communication device 102 according to the present exemplary embodiment is shown. As a display method, six modes corresponding to first to sixth display methods are described.

[0084] Figure 5 and Figure 6 Each shows an example of a graphical user interface (GUI) to be displayed as a setting screen in the first display method by the communication device 102. On the setting screen of the first display method, items for setting a frequency band and items for setting an authentication method and an encryption method are displayed on the same screen. Figure 5 An example of a setting screen to be displayed in the case where the 2.4 GHz band is selected as the frequency band to be used is shown. Figure 6 An example of a setting screen to be displayed in the case where the 6 GHz band is selected as the frequency band to be used is shown.

[0085] like Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, the network name, wireless operation mode, and whether to use automatic channel selection of the network constructed by the communication device 102 are displayed on the setting screen as items that can be set as communication parameters. In addition to these items, encryption method, password strength, and encryption key are also displayed as items that can be set as communication parameters.

[0086] The network name is an item for setting the SSID. The SSID is originally used as an identifier for identifying the communication device 102. Figure 5 and Figure 6 In the case of , the SSID is also used as the network name of the network to be constructed by the communication device 102.

[0087] The wireless operation mode is an item for setting the frequency band of the network constructed by the communication device 102. In the first display method, the 2.4 GHz band is expressed as 802.11n+g+b, and the 5 GHz band is expressed as 802.11ac+n+g+a as expressions representing the frequency bands. The 6 GHz band is expressed as 802.11ax, but the expression is not limited to this. For example, symbols such as " / ", "·" or "" or spaces can be used instead of "+". Optionally, the individual frequency bands can be simply expressed as a 2.4 GHz band, a 5 GHz band, and a 6 GHz band. Optionally, the 2.4 GHz band can be expressed as Wi-Fi 4, the 5 GHz band can be expressed as Wi-Fi5+4, and the 6 GHz band can be expressed as Wi-Fi 6. Wi-Fi 6 is the name of the interconnection certification program between communication devices that comply with the IEEE 802.11ax standard established by the Wi-Fi Alliance. Wi-Fi 4 and Wi-Fi 5 represent the names of certification programs for the IEEE 802.11n standard and the IEEE 802.11ac standard, respectively. In the present exemplary embodiment, the setting screen includes an item for setting a frequency band, but the setting screen may include an item for setting a channel instead of the above item. In this case, the user selects a channel to be set from channels in the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band, or the 6 GHz band.

[0088] exist Figure 4 In the determination in step S402, the communication device 102 performs determination based on the option set in the wireless operation mode. In a case where the option corresponding to the 6 GHz band is selected in the wireless operation mode, the communication device 102 determines "Yes" in step S402.

[0089] Whether to use automatic channel selection is a setting item for setting whether the communication device 102 automatically selects a channel to be used in a set frequency band. If not using automatic channel selection is selected in this setting item, a setting item for setting a channel may be displayed in addition to or instead of this item.

[0090] Encryption is a setting item for setting an encryption method and an authentication method. In the first display method, an encryption method and an authentication method are set together using one setting item. In this exemplary embodiment, the options for encryption method and authentication method include Open, OWE (AES), WPA2 pre-shared key (PSK) (TKIP / AES), WPA2-PSK (AES) and WPA / WPA2-PSK (TKIP / AES). In addition to these options, WPA / WPA2-PSK (TKIP / AES), WPA / WPA2-PSK (AES), WPA2 extensible authentication protocol (EAP) (AES) and WPA2-PSK / WPA3-SAE (AES) are also included as options. In addition to these options, WPA3-SAE (AES), WPA3-EAP (AES) and WPA2 / WPA3-EAP (AES) are also included as options. OWE means Open using OWE as a key sharing method. This option can be expressed as Open (AES) instead of OWE (AES). TKIP / AES indicates that TKIP can be used as an encryption method or AES can be used as an encryption method. Similarly, WPA / WPA2-PSK indicates that WPA-PSK can be used as an authentication method or WPA2-PSK can be used as an authentication method. Similarly, WPA2-PSK / WPA3-SAE indicates that WPA2-PSK can be used as an authentication method or WPA3-SAE can be used as an authentication method. In this way, the encryption method or the authentication method described side by side using " / " indicates that any of them can be used. PSK indicates an authentication method using a key sharing method of a pre-shared key. EAP indicates an authentication method using an authentication server that supports the IEEE 802.1X standard. The authentication method may be expressed as Enterprise instead of EAP. Such an authentication server is not required in PSK. Optionally, SAE may also be expressed as Personal.

[0091] In the case where any one of WPA and WPA2 can be used as an authentication method such as WPA / WPA2-PSK, the option can be described as MIX or WPA2 MIX. Similarly, in the case where any one of WPA2 and WPA3 can be used as an authentication method, the option can be described as MIX or WPA3 MIX.

[0092] Cipher strength is an item for setting the key length of the key used for encryption. The key length can be selected from 128 bits, 192 bits, and 256 bits. As the number of bits selected as the key length increases, security becomes higher. When the key length is determined by default, this item does not need to be displayed on the setting screen.

[0093] The encryption key is an item for setting a pre-shared key when WPA or WPA2 is selected as the authentication method. When WPA3 is selected as the authentication method, the encryption key is also used as an item for setting a password in WPA3. The user can enter any character string or a combination of characters and numbers. When WPA or WPA2 is set as the authentication method, if the communication device 103 used as an STA does not know the pre-shared key set in the communication device 102, the communication device 103 cannot participate in the network built by the communication device 102. Similarly, also when WPA3 is set as the authentication method, if the communication device 103 does not know the password in WPA3 set in the communication device 102, the communication device 103 cannot participate in the network built by the communication device 102. The pre-shared key or password in WPA3 can be shared between the communication devices 102 and 103 by being manually input by the user to the communication device 103, or can be shared through a communication method such as NFC or Bluetooth. Wireless communication sharing.

[0094] The communication device 102 supports all authentication methods and encryption methods in communications in the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band, so Figure 5 As shown, all combinations of encryption methods and authentication methods are displayed as options for this item. In contrast, the communication device 102 supports only a portion of the authentication methods and encryption methods in the communication in the 6 GHz band. Figure 6 As shown, only some combinations of encryption methods and authentication methods are displayed as options for this item. Specifically, only options indicating a combination of WPA3 and Open using the OWE method supported as authentication methods in the 6 GHz band, and AES supported as encryption methods in the 6 GHz band are displayed. Figure 4 In step S407, the communication device 102 will display the Figure 5 The display shown switches to Figure 6 Display shown.

[0095] Figure 6 1 is a diagram showing an example of a communication parameter setting screen to be displayed when the 6 GHz band is selected as the frequency band to be used in the first display method. In communication in the 6 GHz band, the communication device 102 supports WPA3 as an authentication method and Open using OWE as a key sharing method, and supports AES as an encryption method. Therefore, their combination is displayed as an encryption option. Specifically, only OWE (AES), WPA3-SAE (AES), and WPA3-EAP (AES) are displayed. When Figure 5 The displayed screen switches to Figure 6 If the value set as the encryption key is not used as the password in WPA3 (when Figure 4), when "No" is determined in step S408, this item remains blank.

[0096] like Figure 5 and 6 As shown, by switching the authentication method (and encryption method) to be displayed according to the frequency band selected by the user, the user can easily identify the authentication method available in the selected frequency band. By switching the authentication method (and encryption method) to be displayed according to the frequency band selected by the user, communication failure caused by the user mistakenly selecting an unavailable authentication method can also be prevented. Therefore, the user can easily select an authentication method supported in the selected frequency band.

[0097] In the first display method, the authentication method and the encryption method are set together in one setting item, but the display format is not limited thereto. The authentication method and the encryption method may be displayed as separate setting items. In the first display method, "encryption" is used as the name of the setting item for setting the authentication method and the encryption method together, but the name of the setting item is not limited thereto. Another name such as authentication method, security method, or encryption mode may be used.

[0098] Figure 7 and Figure 8 Each shows an example of a graphical user interface to be displayed as a setting screen in the second display method by the communication device 102. In the second display method, a different setting screen is displayed for each frequency band. Figure 7 A display example of a setting screen of communication parameters in the 2.4 GHz band is shown. Figure 8 An example of a display of a setting screen for communication parameters in the 6 GHz band is shown. Figure 7 and Figure 8 Select "Advanced Wireless Settings (2.4GHz)" or "Advanced Wireless Settings (6GHz)" from the left menu to display Figure 7 and Figure 8 The setting screen shown in FIG. 1 is displayed. By selecting “Advanced Wireless Settings (6GHz)” and setting the wireless function, the communication device 102 Figure 4 In step S402 of , it is determined that "yes" is Figure 4 In step S407, the communication device 102 will display the Figure 7 The displayed setting screen switches to Figure 8 When "Advanced wireless settings (5 GHz)" is selected, similar to the case where "Advanced wireless settings (2.4 GHz)" is selected, the communication device 102 may display Figure 7 The settings screen is shown.

[0099] like Figure 7 and 8As shown, as items that can be set as communication parameters, the setting screen displays whether to use the wireless function of the communication device 102, the network name of the network to be constructed, and whether to use automatic channel selection. In addition, in addition to these items, the encryption mode, password strength, and encryption key are also displayed as items that can be set as communication parameters.

[0100] Whether to use the wireless function is an item for setting whether to use the wireless function in the selected frequency band. For example, in the case of setting the use of the wireless function on the setting screen displayed by selecting the 2.4 GHz band in the left menu, the 2.4 GHz band is selected as the frequency band to be used by the communication device 102. According to the setting of using the wireless function on the setting screen displayed by the 6 GHz band selected in the left menu, the communication device 102 determines "yes" in step S402. The communication device 102 can automatically set not to use the wireless function in other frequency bands according to the user setting to use the wireless function in a specific frequency band.

[0101] The network name and whether to use automatic channel selection and Figure 5 and Figure 6 Similar to that shown in .

[0102] Encryption mode is a setting item used to enable authentication method and encryption method to be set together, similar to Figure 5 The "Encryption" setting items are shown. Figure 7 As shown, when "Advanced Wireless Settings (2.4GHz)" is selected, a similar Figure 5 , the communication device 102 displays all combinations of supported authentication methods and encryption methods. Figure 8 As shown, when "Advanced Wireless Settings (6GHz)" is selected, a similar Figure 6 , the communication device 102 displays only the combinations of authentication methods and encryption methods supported in communications in the 6 GHz band.

[0103] Password strength and encryption keys Figure 5 and Figure 6 Similar to that shown in .

[0104] In the second display method, when displaying Figure 8 In the case of the setting screen shown, you can Figure 7 The contents of the settings in the setting items on the setting screen are determined Figure 8 The contents of the corresponding setting items on the setting screen shown. Figure 7 When WPA2-PSK is selected as the encryption mode, the setting screen switches to Figure 8 When the setting screen shown in FIG. 1 is displayed, the communication device 102 may display WPA3-SAE as the default value of the encryption mode. Figure 7When WPA2-EAP is selected as the encryption mode, the setting screen switches to Figure 8 In the setting screen shown, the communication device 102 may display WPA3-EAP as the default value of the encryption mode.

[0105] Optionally, when the communication device 102 displays Figure 8 When the setup screen is displayed, Figure 7 Regardless of the content set in the encryption mode, the communication device 102 can display WPA3-EAP as the default value of the encryption mode.

[0106] like Figure 7 and 8 As shown, the communication device 102 switches the options of the settable authentication method and encryption method according to the frequency band for which the user sets the communication parameters. Therefore, the user can easily select the authentication method and encryption method supported in the frequency band for setting.

[0107] In the second display method, according to the frequency band selected by the user as the frequency band for which the communication parameters are set, Figure 7 The settings screen shown and Figure 8 The setting screen to be displayed is switched between the setting screens shown in the figure, but the display format is not limited thereto. The communication device 102 may prepare setting screens corresponding to the respective frequency bands as tabs, or prepare other screens to be displayed by selecting links corresponding to the respective frequency bands. Optionally, a free input field in which the user can freely input a value may be provided on the setting screen, and a value may be displayed according to the user inputting "6 GHz" in the free input field. Figure 8 The settings screen is shown.

[0108] Figures 9 to 12 Each shows an example of a graphical user interface displayed as a setting screen in the third display method by the communication device 102. In the third display method, a different setting screen is displayed for each frequency band, and an authentication method and an encryption method are displayed as other setting items. Fig. 9 and 10 Each shows a display example of a setting screen of communication parameters in the 2.4 GHz band. Fig. 9 shows an example display of the authentication method options, Fig.10 An example display of encryption method options is shown. Fig.11 and 12 Each shows a display example of a setting screen of communication parameters in the 6 GHz band. Fig.11 shows an example display of the authentication method options, Fig.12 shows an example display of encryption method options. Fig. 9 and 10When you select "Basic (2.4GHz)" from the tab menu in Fig. 9 and 10 The setting screen shown in Fig.11 and 12 When "Basic (6GHz)" is selected in the tab menu, the Fig.11 and 12 The setup screen shown in . By selecting "Basic (6GHz)" and setting to use the wireless function, Figure 4 In step S402, the communication device 102 determines "yes". Figure 4 In step S407, the communication device 102 will display the Fig. 9 and 10 The displayed setting screen switches to Fig.11 and Fig.12 When "Basic (5 GHz)" is selected, similar to the case of selecting "Basic (2.4 GHz)", the communication device 102 may display Fig. 9 and 10 The settings screen is shown.

[0109] like Figures 9 to 12 As shown, the setting screen displays whether to use the wireless function of the communication device 102, the wireless channel, the band in the dual-speed mode, the SSID, the authentication of the wireless network, the encryption of the wireless network, and the encryption key as items that can be set as communication parameters.

[0110] Whether to use wireless function and Figure 7 and 8 Similar to what is shown in .

[0111] The wireless channel is a setting item for setting a channel to be used in communication in the selected frequency band. In the case where "Automatic" is selected in this setting item, the communication device 102 selects a relatively less crowded channel as the channel to be used based on the number of received probe requests. The user can also specify a specific channel. This setting item is displayed as an option for enabling a channel corresponding to the selected frequency band to be selected.

[0112] The dual speed mode is an item for setting the bandwidth used in the communication in the selected frequency band. The user can select any one of 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 160 MHz and 320 MHz as the bandwidth to be used. As an option, an option indicating that the dual speed mode is not used may be included instead of 20 MHz.

[0113] SSID is similar to Figure 5 and 6 The setting items of the network name shown.

[0114] Authentication of wireless network is an item for setting an authentication method of a network constructed by the communication device 102. Encryption of wireless network is an item for setting an encryption method of a network constructed by the communication device 102. In the first display method and the second display method, the authentication method and the encryption method are set together in one setting item. However, in the third display method, the authentication method and the encryption method are set separately in different setting items. Fig. 9 As shown in FIG. 1 , in the case where communication parameters in the 2.4 GHz band are to be set, the communication device 102 displays all supported authentication methods as options. Specifically, the communication device 102 displays Open, OWE, WPA2-PSK, WPA / WPA2-PSK, WPA2-EAP, WPA2-PSK / WPA3-SAE, WPA3-SAE, WPA3-EAP, and WPA2 / WPA3-EAP as options for the authentication method. In addition, in the case where communication parameters in the 2.4 GHz band are to be set, the communication device 102 displays all supported encryption methods as options. Fig.10 Specifically, the communication device 102 displays TKIP, AES, and TKIP / AES as options for the encryption method. TKIP / AES can also be expressed as MIX.

[0115] On the contrary, Fig.11 As shown in FIG. 1 , in the case where communication parameters in the 6 GHz band are to be set, the communication device 102 only displays the authentication methods supported in the communication in the 6 GHz band. Specifically, the communication device 102 displays OWE, WPA3-SAE, and WPA3-EAP as options for the authentication method. Similarly, as shown in FIG. Fig.12 As shown, in the case where communication parameters in the 6 GHz band are to be set, the communication device 102 displays only the encryption methods supported in the communication in the 6 GHz band. Specifically, the communication device 102 displays AES as an option for the encryption method. In the present exemplary embodiment, the communication device 102 supports only AES as the encryption method in the 6 GHz band, and therefore AES can be fixedly set in the setting item of the encryption method in the 6 GHz band.

[0116] The encryption key is similar to Figure 5 and 6 as shown in .

[0117] like Figures 9 to 12 As shown, even in the case where the authentication method and the encryption method are set separately, the user can easily select an appropriate authentication method and encryption method by switching the display according to the selected frequency band through the communication device 102.

[0118] Fig.13 and 14Each shows an example of a graphical user interface to be displayed as a setting screen in the fourth display method by the communication device 102. In the fourth display method, settings of a frequency band to be used, and an authentication method and an encryption method to be used are set on different setting screens. Fig.13 A display example of a setting screen for setting a frequency band to be used is shown. Fig.14 An example of a display of a setting screen for setting an authentication method and an encryption method to be used is shown. Fig.13 Select "Wireless" from the upper menu to display Fig.13 The setting screen shown. Fig.14 Select "Security" from the upper menu to display Fig.14 The setting screen shown. Fig.13 In the left menu of the display, further select "802.11ax (6GHz)" and select "Use" the wireless function on the display screen where "Wireless" is selected. The communication device 102 Figure 4 In step S402 of , it is determined that "yes" is Figure 4 In step S407, the communication device 102 switches the setting screen to be displayed when the user selects "Security" to Fig.14 The settings screen is shown.

[0119] Fig.13 An example of a setting screen to be displayed when "Wireless" is selected from the upper menu is shown. On the left side of the setting screen, a menu for switching to a setting screen corresponding to each frequency band is displayed. The frequency bands are displayed as "802.11a / n / ac (5GHz)", "802.11b / g / n (2.4GHz)", and "802.11ax (6GHz)". The frequency bands can be simply displayed as 5GHz, 2.4GHz, and 6GHz. If any of these menus is selected, as shown in FIG. Fig.13 As shown, a setting screen for setting whether to use the wireless function, the network name, and whether to use automatic channel selection as communication parameters is displayed. In this case, for example, when the setting screen displayed by the 2.4 GHz band is selected in the left menu, it is possible to set whether to use the wireless function in the 2.4 GHz band, etc.

[0120] Whether to use the wireless function is an item for setting whether to use the wireless function in the selected frequency band. For example, in the case of setting to use the wireless function on the setting screen displayed by selecting the 2.4 GHz band in the left menu, the 2.4 GHz band is selected as the frequency band to be used by the communication device 102. According to the setting to use the wireless function on the setting screen displayed by selecting the 6 GHz band in the left menu, the communication device 102 determines "yes" in step S402. According to the user setting to use the wireless function in a specific frequency band, the communication device 102 can automatically set not to use the wireless function in other frequency bands.

[0121] Network name and whether to use automatic channel selection and Figure 5 and 6 Similar to that shown in .

[0122] Fig.14 An example of a setting screen to be displayed when "Security" is selected in the upper menu is shown. Fig.14 As shown, encryption, cipher strength, and encryption key of the communication device 102 are displayed on the setting screen as items that can be set as communication parameters.

[0123] and Figure 5 and 6 , encryption is an item for jointly setting the authentication method and encryption method used by the communication device 102 in communication. Fig.13 On the setting screen shown, the 6 GHz band is set as the frequency band to be used, so Fig.14 The settings screen shown shows only the combinations of authentication methods and encryption methods supported in the 6 GHz band. When the 2.4 GHz band or the 5 GHz band is set as the frequency band to be used, Figure 5 Similarly, all supported combinations of authentication methods and encryption methods are displayed as options in the Encryption settings. Figure 4 In step S407, the display Fig.14 The settings screen is shown.

[0124] like Fig.13 and 14 As shown, even in the case where the frequency band and the authentication method are set on different setting screens, the user can easily set an appropriate authentication method by switching the display of the setting screen for setting the authentication method according to the set frequency band. Similarly, the user can easily set an appropriate encryption method by switching the display of the encryption method according to the set frequency band.

[0125] In the fourth display method, a combination of an authentication method and an encryption method is set using a common setting screen shared between all frequency bands, but the setting screen is not limited thereto. The communication device 102 may be able to set the authentication method and the encryption method using a setting screen that is different for each frequency band. Specifically, the communication device 102 may display a setting screen for the authentication method and the encryption method of the 2.4 GHz band, a setting screen for the authentication method and the encryption method of the 5 GHz band, and a setting screen for the authentication method and the encryption method of the 6 GHz band, respectively.

[0126] In the fourth display method, the frequency band and the authentication method are set separately on other setting screens, but the display format is not limited thereto. Setting items for setting the authentication method and the encryption method may be displayed on the setting screen after the items displayed on the setting screen for the frequency band. In this case, Fig.14 The items shown may be displayed in a collapsed menu format, where the items are displayed in an expanded state by selecting a link. Fig.13 A link labeled "Advanced Settings" may be displayed after the displayed setting items. The expanded state is displayed based on the user selecting the "Advanced Settings" link. Fig.14 Items shown.

[0127] Optionally, you can Fig.14 A link to the settings screen shown is added to Fig.13 By describing the link to the setting screen of the authentication method and the encryption method on the setting screen of the frequency band, the user can easily switch to the setting screen of the authentication method and the encryption method after setting the frequency band.

[0128] Fig.15 and 16 Each shows an example of a graphical user interface to be displayed as a setting screen by the communication device 102 in the fifth display method. In the fifth display method, the authentication method and the encryption method are set on a setting screen different from the setting screen of the frequency band. The authentication method and the encryption method are set by different setting items. Fig.15 A display example of a setting screen for setting a frequency band to be used is shown. Fig.16 A display example of a setting screen for setting an authentication method and an encryption method in a case where the 2.4 GHz band or the 5 GHz band is selected as a frequency band to be used is shown. Fig.17 FIG. 100 is a diagram showing a display example of a setting screen for setting an authentication method and an encryption method in a case where the 6 GHz band is selected as the frequency band to be used. If the user issues an instruction to display a setting screen for setting a frequency band or a channel, the communication device 102 displays Fig.15 If the user issues an instruction to display a setting screen for setting at least one of the authentication method or the encryption method, the communication device 102 displays Fig.16 or the setting screen shown in FIG17. In the case where the 2.4 GHz band or the 5 GHz band is set as the frequency band to be used, the communication device 102 displays Fig.16 In the case where the 6 GHz band is set as the frequency band to be used, the communication device 102 displays Fig.17 The setting screen is shown. Fig.15 On the setting screen shown, according to selecting the 6 GHz band as the frequency band to be used, the communication device 102 Figure 4 In step S402 of , it is determined that "yes" is Figure 4 In step S407 of Fig.16 The displayed setting screen switches to Fig.17 The settings screen is shown.

[0129] Fig.15 An example of a setting screen to be displayed in a case where a user issues an instruction to display a setting screen for setting a frequency band or a channel is shown. Fig.15 As shown, the band and frequency used by the communication device 102 are displayed on the setting screen as items that can be set as communication parameters.

[0130] Band is a setting item for setting the frequency band used by the communication device 102. Specifically, the options of the setting item to be displayed include "2.4GHz band only", "5GHz band only", "6GHz band only", "2.4GHz band priority", "5GHz band priority" and "6GHz band priority". In addition, the options of the setting item to be displayed include dual band (2.4GHz band, 5GHz band), dual band (5GHz band, 6GHz band) and dual band (2.4GHz band, 6GHz band). In addition, three bands (2.4GHz band, 5GHz band, 6GHz band) are displayed as options. In addition, "2.4GHz band priority (5GHz band excluded)", "2.4GHz band priority (6GHz band excluded)", "5GHz band priority (2.4GHz band excluded)" and "5GHz band priority (6GHz band excluded)" are also displayed as options. In addition, "6GHz band priority (2.4GHz band excluded)" and "6GHz band priority (5GHz band excluded)" are displayed as options.

[0131] The options of “2.4 GHz band only”, “5 GHz band only” and “6 GHz band only” are options indicating that only the respective designated frequency bands are used. If any of these options is selected, the other frequency bands are not used. The options of “prioritizing 2.4 GHz band”, “prioritizing 5 GHz band” and “prioritizing 6 GHz band” are options indicating that the respective designated frequency bands will be used preferentially, but in the case where the designated frequency bands are not suitable due to reasons such as congestion, the other frequency bands can be used. In the case where “prioritizing 2.4 GHz band” and “prioritizing 5 GHz band” are selected, and in the case where the set authentication method and encryption method are not supported in the communication of the 6 GHz band, the 6 GHz band is not used. Alternatively, in the case where “prioritizing 2.4 GHz band” and “prioritizing 5 GHz band” are selected, the communication device 102 may display only the authentication method and encryption method supported in the 6 GHz band as options for the authentication method and encryption method. In this case, the communication device 102 may use the 6 GHz band even in the case where “prioritizing 2.4 GHz band” and “prioritizing 5 GHz band” are selected. Dual-band and triple-band are options that indicate that a network can be established and maintained in each designated frequency band at the same time. For example, when dual-band (2.4 GHz band, 5 GHz band) is selected, the communication device 102 establishes networks in two frequency bands, the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band, respectively. In this case, the communication device 102 simultaneously maintains two networks with different frequency bands. When triple-band is selected, the communication device 102 simultaneously maintains three networks with different frequency bands. The option of prioritizing specific frequency bands and excluding different frequency bands (for example, prioritizing "2.4 GHz band (excluding 5 GHz band)" is an option that indicates that a specific frequency is used preferentially and that the frequency bands specified for exclusion are not used. In this case, regardless of the authentication method and encryption method set, the communication device 102 does not use the frequency bands specified for exclusion.

[0132] In this item, in the case where an option including the 6 GHz band is specified as a frequency band to be used, the communication device 102 Figure 4 In the case where dual bands including the 6 GHz band are selected in this item, the communication device 102 can skip the processing in steps S404 to S406 because the communication device 102 can maintain communication in at least one of the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band simultaneously with the communication in the 6 GHz band. Likewise, in the case where triple bands are selected in this item, the communication device 102 can similarly skip the processing in steps S404 to S406.

[0133] Frequency to be used is a setting item for setting the channel or type to be used in the specified frequency band. Type is a general term for multiple channels. In the 5GHz band, the type can be selected from three types including W52 (ch 36 to ch 48), W53 (ch 52 to ch 62), and W56 (ch100 to ch 140). In this setting item, the user can select one or more channels or types. When selecting the frequency band to be used, in the case of selecting in a manner that multiple frequency bands can be used, the channel or type to be used can be specified for each frequency band.

[0134] If the user presses Fig.15 By clicking the OK button on the setting screen shown in the figure to issue an instruction to complete the setting, the frequency band and channel to be used by the communication device 102 for communication are set.

[0135] Next, we will refer to Fig.16 and 17 A setting screen is described, which is displayed in a case where a user issues an instruction to display a setting screen for setting at least one of an authentication method or an encryption method.

[0136] Select the option to exclude the 6GHz band as Fig.15 In the case of using the frequency band in the setting screen shown, Fig.16 The setting screen shown is displayed as a setting screen for selecting at least one of an authentication method or an encryption method. Fig.16 On the setting screen shown, setting items for setting the authentication method and encryption method are displayed separately. Fig.16 In the case of, the communication device 102 displays all authentication methods supported by the communication device 102 in an optional state as options for the authentication method. Specifically, the communication device 102 displays a similar Fig. 9 The communication device 102 also displays all encryption methods supported by the communication device 102 in a selectable state as options for encryption methods. Specifically, the communication device 102 displays a similar Fig.10 options shown.

[0137] Instead, choose to include the 6GHz band as an option to Fig.15 In the case of using the frequency band in the setting screen shown, Fig.17 The setting screen shown is displayed as a setting screen for selecting at least one of an authentication method or an encryption method. Fig.17 On the setting screen shown, setting items for setting the authentication method and encryption method are displayed separately. Fig.17In the case of , the communication device 102 displays the authentication method supported by the communication device 102 in the 6 GHz band in a selectable state as an option for the authentication method. Specifically, the communication device 102 displays a similar Fig.11 The communication device 102 displays the encryption methods supported by the communication device 102 in the 6 GHz band as options for the encryption methods in a selectable state. Specifically, the communication device 102 displays the encryption methods supported by the communication device 102 in the 6 GHz band as options for the encryption methods in a selectable state. Fig.10 The options shown are displayed and other options are displayed in an unselectable state by graying them out. Fig.17 In the setting screen shown, the communication device 102 can display only the selectable options by hiding the non-selectable options.

[0138] like Figures 15 to 17 As shown, according to whether the options selected as the frequency band to be used include the 6 GHz band, by switching the authentication method and the encryption method displayed in a selectable state, the user can easily select an appropriate authentication method and encryption method.

[0139] Fig.18 and 19 Each shows an example of a graphical user interface to be displayed as a setting screen by the communication device 102 in the sixth display method. In the sixth display method, the display of the authentication method and the encryption method is switched according to the frequency band selected to be used. In the sixth display method, communication parameters can be set for each frequency band. Fig.18 A display example of a setting screen for setting communication parameters for communication in the 6 GHz band displayed in a case where “Basic (6 GHz)” is selected from the upper tab menu is shown.

[0140] Fig.19 Shows that when Fig.18 An example of a pop-up menu to be displayed when setting the authentication method in the setting screen shown in FIG. 102 is displayed when the communication device 102 selects "Basic (6GHz)" from the upper tab menu and sets the wireless function to be used. Figure 4 In step S402, it is determined "Yes".

[0141] Fig.18 FIG. 4 shows a display example of a setting screen for setting communication parameters for communication in the 6 GHz band. Fig.18 As shown, whether to use the wireless function of the communication device 102, the wireless channel, the band in the dual-speed mode, the SSID, the authentication of the wireless network, the encryption of the wireless network and the encryption key are displayed on the setting screen as items that can be set as communication parameters.

[0142] For each setting item, a link labeled "Edit" is prepared. If the user selects the link, the corresponding item becomes editable. Specifically, inputting the corresponding item becomes executable, or options for the corresponding item are displayed. In this exemplary embodiment, the input field or options are displayed as a pop-up menu, but the display format is not limited thereto. Fig.18 A value is directly input in each item displayed in the setting screen shown, or a pull-down menu may be displayed. Instead of a link, each item may become editable when a voice input for issuing an editing instruction of the corresponding item is received from the user.

[0143] Whether to use wireless function and Figure 7 and 8 Similar to that shown.

[0144] Wireless channels and dual-speed mode with Figures 9 to 12 Similar to that shown.

[0145] SSID and Figure 5 and 6 The network names shown in are similar.

[0146] The authentication of the wireless network is a setting item for setting the authentication method to be used by the communication device 102. In the case where the 6 GHz band is selected as the frequency band to be used, as shown in FIG. Fig.19 As shown, the authentication methods supported by the communication device 102 in the 6 GHz band are displayed as options. Fig.11 In the case where the 2.4 GHz band or the 5 GHz band is selected as the frequency band to be used, all authentication methods supported by the communication device 102 are displayed as options. Specifically, the following are displayed: Fig. 9 Similar options are shown in .

[0147] The encryption of the wireless network is a setting item for selecting an encryption method to be used by the communication device 102. In the case where the 6 GHz band is selected as the frequency band to be used, encryption methods supported by the communication device 102 in communication in the 6 GHz band are displayed as options. Specifically, the encryption method supported by the communication device 102 in the 6 GHz band is displayed. Fig.12 In the present exemplary embodiment, in this case, AES can be set as a fixed value in this item because the encryption method supported by the communication device 102 in the communication in the 6 GHz band is only AES. In contrast, in the case where the 2.4 GHz band or the 5 GHz band is selected as the frequency band to be used, all encryption methods supported by the communication device 102 are displayed as options. Specifically, a display similar to Fig.10 Options shown in .

[0148] Encryption key and Figure 5 and 6 Similar to what is shown in .

[0149] For example, in Figure 4 In step S407, the communication device 102 switches the options in the pop-up menu to be displayed when the user issues an instruction to edit the authentication method and the encryption method. Fig.19 Therefore, the user can select the appropriate authentication method and encryption method according to the frequency band to be used.

[0150] As described above, in the first to sixth display methods, the options to be displayed as the authentication method or displayed in a selectable state are switched according to the frequency band to be used, so the user can easily set an appropriate authentication method. In addition to or instead of this, the options to be displayed as the encryption method or displayed in a selectable state are switched according to the frequency band to be used, so the user can easily set an appropriate encryption method.

[0151] On the setting screen described as the first to sixth display methods, an item for setting another communication parameter may be added on the setting screen. Optionally, some setting items may not be displayed. In addition, at least one setting item included in the setting screen in any display method of the first to sixth display methods may be included in the setting screen in another display method.

[0152] In the present exemplary embodiment, the communication device 102 switches the display of at least one of the authentication method and the encryption method to a display including only supported methods according to the frequency band selected as the one to be used, but the control is not limited thereto. The communication device 102 only needs to perform control in a manner that limits the combination of a specific frequency band and a specific authentication method or a specific encryption method. Specifically, the communication device 102 only needs to prevent an authentication method or an encryption method that is not supported in the frequency band selected to be used from being selected and set as a communication parameter. For example, regardless of which frequency band is selected, the communication device 102 can display all options of at least one of the authentication method and the encryption method. In this case, when an authentication method or an encryption method that is not supported in the frequency band to be used is selected, the communication device 102 notifies the user of an error. Alternatively, when a setting completion instruction is issued in a state where an authentication method or an encryption method that is not supported in the frequency band to be used is selected, the communication device 102 may notify the user of an error. Specifically, the error notification to the user refers to displaying a screen indicating an error on the display unit (notification unit) of the communication device 102. Alternatively, the communication device 102 may notify the user of an error by reproducing an error sound indicating an error and outputting the error sound from a speaker (notification unit). In this case, in the case where at least one of the authentication methods or encryption methods supported in the frequency band to be used is selected, the communication device 102 may notify the user that there is no problem with the setting. Specifically, the communication device 102 displays a screen indicating that there is no problem with the setting on the display unit (notification unit). Alternatively, the communication device 102 may notify the user by reproducing a sound indicating that there is no problem with the setting and outputting the sound from the output unit (notification unit). Alternatively, in the case where a setting completion instruction is issued in a state where at least one of the authentication methods or encryption methods supported in the frequency band to be used is selected, the communication device 102 may notify the user that the setting is completed. Specifically, the communication device 102 displays a screen indicating that the setting is completed on the display unit (notification unit). Alternatively, the communication device 102 may notify the user by reproducing a sound indicating that the setting is completed and outputting the sound from the output unit (notification unit).

[0153] Optionally, the communication device 102 can switch the frequency band to be displayed in a selectable state according to at least one of the authentication method or encryption method to be used. Specifically, when WPA3 or Open using the OWE method is selected as the authentication method, the communication device 102 displays the 6 GHz band as the frequency band in a selectable state. In this case, the communication device 102 can also display the 5 GHz band and the 2.4 GHz band as the frequency band in a selectable state. In contrast, when WPA, WPA2 or Open without the OWE method is selected as the authentication method, the communication device 102 displays the 5 GHz band and the 2.4 GHz band as the frequency band in a selectable state. In this case, the communication device 102 hides the 6 GHz band or displays the 6 GHz band in a non-selectable state by graying out the 6 GHz band. Similarly, when AES is selected as the encryption method, the communication device 102 displays the 6 GHz band as the frequency band in a selectable state. In this case, the communication device 102 can also display the 5 GHz band and the 2.4 GHz band as the frequency band in a selectable state. In contrast, in the case where TKIP is selected as the encryption method, the communication device 102 displays the 5 GHz band and the 2.4 GHz band as frequency bands in a selectable state, and hides the 6 GHz band or displays the 6 GHz band in an unselectable state by graying it out.

[0154] In the present exemplary embodiment, between the case where communication is performed using the 2.4 GHz band or the 5 GHz band as the frequency band and the case where communication is performed using the 6 GHz band as the frequency band, at least a portion of the available authentication methods is different, but the configuration is not limited thereto. For example, the authentication methods or encryption methods supported in the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band, and the 6 GHz band may be at least different. In this case, the communication device 102 may display only the authentication methods or encryption methods supported in the selected frequency band on the setting screen of the communication parameters according to the selected frequency band. In the case where the communication devices 102 and 103 can perform communication in different frequency bands other than the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band, and the 6 GHz band or in place of these bands, a similar screen display may also be performed. Specifically, according to selecting a different frequency band having a supported authentication method different from that in the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band, and the 6 GHz band, only the authentication methods supported in the communication in the different frequency bands may be displayed on the setting screen. Similarly, regarding encryption methods, in the case where supported encryption methods are different from encryption methods supported in the 2.4 GHz band, 5 GHz band, and 6 GHz band, only encryption methods supported in communications in different frequency bands may be displayed on the setting screen.

[0155] In the present exemplary embodiment, the communication device 102 supports all authentication methods including Open, WPA, WPA2, and WPA3 in communications in the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band, but the configuration is not limited thereto. In communications in the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band, the communication device 102 may not support at least any one of these authentication methods. In this case, in the setting screen described in the first to sixth display methods, the communication device 102 can avoid displaying unsupported authentication methods as selectable options on the setting screen displayed when the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band are selected. For example, in a case where the communication device 102 does not support WPA3 as an authentication method in communications in the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band, the communication device 102 can Figure 5 and 7 The options including WPA3 may be hidden on the setting screen shown, or the options may be prevented from being displayed in a selectable state.

[0156] In the present exemplary embodiment, the communication device 102 supports TKIP and AES as encryption methods in the communication of the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band, but the configuration is not limited thereto. The communication device 102 does not need to support AES in the communication of the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band. In this case, in the setting screen described in the first to sixth display methods, the communication device 102 can avoid displaying an unsupported encryption method as a selectable option on the setting screen displayed when the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band are selected.

[0157] In the present exemplary embodiment, the communication device 102 performs communication in accordance with the IEEE 802.11ax standard in the communication in the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band, and the 6 GHz band, but the standard is not limited thereto. The communication device 102 may perform communication in accordance with different IEEE 802.11 series standards according to the frequency band. For example, the communication device 102 may perform communication in accordance with the IEEE 802.11ax standard as communication in the 6 GHz band, and perform communication in accordance with the IEEE 802.11b standard as communication in the 2.4 GHz band. The communication device 102 may perform communication in accordance with the IEEE 802.11g standard or the IEEE 802.11n standard instead of communication in accordance with the IEEE 802.11b standard. In this case, the communication device 102 may perform communication in accordance with the IEEE 802.11a standard, the IEEE 802.11n standard, or the IEEE 802.11ac standard as communication in the 5 GHz band. The communication device 102 may perform communication in accordance with the same communication standard as communication in any two frequency bands.

[0158] In the present exemplary embodiment, the communication parameters of the communication device 102 are set through the setting screen, but the setting method is not limited thereto. The communication parameters can be set through the system console. Specifically, the communication parameters can be set through the system console displayed on the display unit of the communication device 102 or the display unit of another communication device connected by wired communication or wireless communication. The setting of the communication parameters of the communication device 102 is started by the user inputting a command for issuing an instruction for wireless setting or communication parameters to the system console. The command is a string containing numbers and characters. First, the user inputs a command for specifying the 6 GHz band as the frequency band to be used, thereby setting the frequency band to be used to the 6 GHz band. The command input at this time is a string, such as "set band ax6". Next, in the case where the user inputs a command for specifying an authentication method that is not supported in communication in the 6 GHz band as the authentication method to be used, the system console returns a response indicating that the specified authentication method cannot be set. For example, in the case where the user inputs "set wpa_key_mgmt WPA-PSK" as a command to specify WPA-PSK as the authentication method, the system console outputs "NG". On the contrary, in the case where the user inputs a command for specifying an authentication method supported in communication in the 6 GHz band as an authentication method, the system console returns "OK" indicating that the specified authentication method can be set as a response. The same applies to encryption methods. In the case where the user inputs a command for specifying an encryption method not supported in the 6 GHz band, the system console outputs a response indicating that the specified encryption method cannot be set. In the case where the user inputs a command for specifying an encryption method supported in the 6 GHz band, the system console outputs a response indicating that the specified encryption method can be set. Instead of a pre-specified frequency band, the user can pre-specify an authentication method or an encryption method. In the case where the user inputs a command for specifying the 6 GHz band as the frequency band to be used, in the state where the user specifies an authentication method or an encryption method not supported in the 6 GHz band, the system console outputs a response indicating that the specified frequency band cannot be set. In the case where the user inputs a command for specifying the 6 GHz band as the frequency band to be used, in the state where the user specifies an authentication method or an encryption method supported in the 6 GHz band, the system console outputs a response indicating that the specified frequency band can be set. Instead of or in addition to outputting a response indicating that the specified method or frequency band cannot be set, in a case where the user inputs a command for issuing an instruction to start operation as an AP, the communication device 102 may be prevented from starting operation as an AP. For example, the command to start operation as an AP is "Start AP". In a case where the communication device 102 does not operate as an AP, the reason thereof may be notified to the user.

[0159] exist Figure 4In the flowchart shown, at least part or all of the processing to be performed by the communication device 102 can be implemented by hardware. In the case of implementing the processing by hardware, it is sufficient to generate a dedicated circuit on a field programmable gate array (FPGA) from a computer program for implementing each step by, for example, using a predetermined compiler, and use the dedicated circuit. The gate array circuit can be formed and implemented as hardware similar to FPGA. The processing can be implemented by an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0160] The present invention can also be implemented by the following processing: providing a program for implementing one or more functions of the above exemplary embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or device reading out the program and executing the program. The present invention can also be implemented by a circuit (i.e., ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0161] The present invention is not limited to the above exemplary embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made within the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, in order to apprise the public of the scope of the present invention, the following claims are made.

[0162] This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-233223, filed on December 24, 2019, which is hereby incorporated by reference into this application.

Claims

1. A communication device, comprising: a first selection unit configured to select a frequency band to be used in the case of performing wireless communication conforming to an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 series standard; a second selection unit configured to select an authentication method to be used in the case of performing wireless communication conforming to the IEEE 802.11 series standards; as well as A control unit configured to control a notification unit configured to issue a notification to a user in a manner that limits a combination of selection of a predetermined frequency band by the first selection unit and selection of a predetermined authentication method by the second selection unit.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, in, In a case where the predetermined frequency band is selected by the first selection unit, the control unit controls the display unit serving as the notification unit not to display the predetermined authentication method in a selectable state and to display other authentication methods different from the predetermined authentication method in a selectable state, and When a frequency band different from the predetermined frequency band is selected by the first selection unit, the control unit controls the display unit to display the predetermined authentication method in a selectable state.

3. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein: Even in the case where a frequency band different from the predetermined frequency band is selected by the first selection unit, the control unit controls the display unit to display other authentication methods in a selectable state.

4. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein: In a case where the predetermined frequency band is selected by the first selection unit, the control unit controls the display unit to display the predetermined authentication method in a grayed-out state.

5. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein: In a case where the predetermined frequency band is selected by the first selection unit, the control unit controls the display unit not to display the predetermined authentication method.

6. The communication device according to claim 2, in, In a case where the predetermined frequency band is selected by the first selection unit, the control unit controls the display unit not to display the predetermined encryption method in a selectable state, and to display other encryption methods different from the predetermined encryption method in a selectable state, and When a frequency band different from the predetermined frequency band is selected by the first selection unit, the control unit controls the display unit to display the predetermined encryption method in a selectable state.

7. The communication device according to claim 6, wherein: Even in the case where a frequency band different from the predetermined frequency band is selected by the first selection unit, the control unit controls the display unit to display other encryption methods in a selectable state.

8. The communication device according to claim 6, wherein: Another encryption method is the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES).

9. The communication device according to claim 6, wherein: The predetermined encryption method is the Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP).

10. The communication device according to claim 6, wherein: In a case where the predetermined frequency band is selected by the first selection unit, the control unit controls the display unit to display the predetermined encryption method in a grayed-out state.

11. The communication device according to claim 6, wherein: In a case where the predetermined frequency band is selected by the first selection unit, the control unit controls the display unit not to display the predetermined encryption method.

12. The communication device according to claim 1, in, In a case where the predetermined authentication method is selected by the second selection unit, the control unit controls the display unit serving as the notification unit not to display the predetermined frequency band in a selectable state and to display a frequency band different from the predetermined frequency band in a selectable state, and When another authentication method different from the predetermined authentication method is selected by the second selection unit, the control unit controls the display unit to display the predetermined frequency band in a selectable state.

13. The communication device according to claim 12, wherein: Even in the case where another authentication method is selected by the second selection unit, the control unit controls the display unit to display a frequency band different from the predetermined frequency band in a selectable state.

14. The communication device according to claim 12, wherein: In a case where a predetermined authentication method is selected by the second selection unit, the control unit controls the display unit to display the predetermined frequency band in a grayed-out state.

15. The communication device according to claim 12, wherein: In a case where a predetermined authentication method is selected by the second selection unit, the control unit controls the display unit not to display a predetermined frequency band.

16. The communication device according to claim 12, further comprising: a third selection unit configured to select an encryption method to be used in the case of performing wireless communication conforming to the IEEE 802.11 series standards, wherein, in a case where the predetermined encryption method is selected by the third selection unit, the control unit controls the display unit not to display the predetermined frequency band in a selectable state, and to display a frequency band different from the predetermined frequency band in a selectable state, and When another encryption method different from the predetermined encryption method is selected by the third selection unit, the control unit controls the display unit to display the predetermined frequency band in a selectable state.

17. The communication device according to claim 16, wherein: Even in the case where another encryption method is selected by the third selection unit, the control unit controls the display unit to display a frequency band different from the predetermined frequency band in a selectable state.

18. The communication device according to claim 16, wherein: Other encryption methods are AES.

19. The communication device according to claim 16, wherein: The predetermined encryption method is TKIP.

20. The communication device according to claim 16, wherein: In a case where a predetermined encryption method is selected by the third selection unit, the control unit controls the display unit to display the predetermined frequency band in a grayed-out state.

21. The communication device according to claim 16, wherein: In a case where a predetermined encryption method is selected by the third selection unit, the control unit controls the display unit not to display a predetermined frequency band.

22. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein: In a case where the predetermined frequency band is selected by the first selection unit and the predetermined authentication method is selected by the second selection unit, the control unit controls the notification unit to notify a user of an error.

23. The communication device according to claim 22, wherein: In a case where a predetermined frequency band is selected by the first selection unit and another authentication method different from the predetermined authentication method is selected by the second selection unit, or in a case where a frequency band different from the predetermined frequency band is selected by the first selection unit and the predetermined authentication method or another authentication method is selected by the second selection unit, the control unit controls the notification unit to notify the user that there is no problem with the settings.

24. The communication device according to claim 22, further comprising: a third selection unit configured to select an encryption method used in the case of performing wireless communication conforming to the IEEE 802.11 series standards, Wherein, in a case where the predetermined frequency band is selected by the first selection unit and the predetermined encryption method is selected by the third selection unit, the control unit controls the notification unit to notify the user of an error.

25. The communication device according to claim 24, wherein: In a case where a predetermined frequency band is selected by the first selection unit and an encryption method other than the predetermined encryption method is selected by the third selection unit, or in a case where a frequency band different from the predetermined frequency band is selected by the first selection unit and the predetermined encryption method or other encryption method is selected by the third selection unit, the control unit controls the notification unit to notify the user that there is no problem with the setting.

26. The communication device according to claim 25, wherein: Other encryption methods are AES.

27. The communication device according to claim 24, wherein: The predetermined encryption method is TKIP.

28. The communication device according to claim 22, wherein: The control unit controls the notification unit to notify a user of an error by outputting an error sound for error notification.

29. The communication device according to claim 22, wherein: The control unit controls the display unit serving as the notification unit to notify a user of the error by displaying a screen for error notification.

30. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein: The other authentication method is at least any one of Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) 3 and Open using the Opportunistic Wireless Encryption (OWE) method as a key sharing method.

31. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein: The frequency band different from the predetermined frequency band is a 2.4 gigahertz (GHz) band or a 5 GHz band.

32. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein: The predetermined authentication method is at least any one of Open, WPA, and WPA2 that does not use the OWE method as a key sharing method.

33. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein: The predetermined frequency band is the 6 GHz band.

34. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 33, wherein: The notification unit is a notification unit included in the communication device.

35. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 33, wherein: The notification unit is a display unit included in other communication devices that communicate with the communication device through a cable or wirelessly.

36. A control method for a communication device, the control method comprising: selecting a first choice of a frequency band to be used when performing wireless communications conforming to the IEEE 802.11 series of standards; selecting a second choice of authentication method to be used in the case of performing wireless communication conforming to the IEEE 802.11 series of standards; and A notification unit configured to issue a notification to a user is controlled in such a manner as to limit a combination of selection of a predetermined frequency band by the first selection and selection of a predetermined authentication method by the second selection.

37. A program for causing a computer to function as each unit of the communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 35.

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