Communication apparatus, control method thereof, and storage medium

Abstract

The invention provides a communication apparatus, a control method thereof, and a storage medium. The communication apparatus capable of performing communication conforming to an Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard includes: a search unit configured to search for an access point; and a display control unit configured to display information on the access point searched by the search unit as a search result, in which the display control unit displays a first access point as the search result in a user-distinguishable manner, and displays a second access point as the search result in a user-distinguishable manner. The first access point is compliant with a multi-link communication defined in the IEEE 802.11 standard.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a communication device, a control method thereof, and a storage medium. Background Art

[0002] With the increase in the amount of data to be transmitted in recent years, the development of communication technologies such as wireless local area networks (LANs) has progressed. As the main communication standard for wireless LANs, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard series is known. The IEEE 802.11 standard series includes standards such as IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax. For example, in IEEE 802.11ax, the following technologies are standardized: achieving a peak throughput of up to 9.6 gigabits per second (Gbps) using orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), and also improving the communication speed in a congested situation (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2018-50133).

[0003] With the progress of the development of the IEEE 802.11 standard series, for example, a task group called IEEE 802.11be has been started as a subsequent standard aimed at further improving throughput, improving frequency use efficiency, and improving communication latency. For example, in the IEEE 802.11be standard, multi-link communication is studied to establish multiple links between one access point (AP) and one station (STA) via multiple different frequency channels and achieve parallel communication.

[0004] Generally, a technique of outputting the communication state in a communication device via a screen or the like is used to provide the communication state to the user. However, how to output the communication state when the communication device supports a new communication standard has not been studied. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present disclosure aims to provide a method for enabling a user to appropriately recognize the communication state in a communication device that supports a new communication standard.

[0006] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a communication device capable of performing communication conforming to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard, the communication device including: a search unit configured to search for an access point; and a display control unit configured to display information about the access point searched by the search unit as a search result, wherein the display control unit displays a first access point as the search result in a manner distinguishable by the user, the first access point conforming to multi-link communication defined in the IEEE 802.11 standard.

[0007] Other features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawings. Description of the Drawings

[0008] Figure 1 Shows an example of the configuration of a network according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0009] Figure 2 Is a sequence diagram showing the process for starting multi-link communication.

[0010] Figure 3 Shows the format of a Reduced Neighbor Report (RNR) element.

[0011] Figure 4 Is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an access point (AP) and a station (STA).

[0012] Figure 5 Is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an AP and an STA.

[0013] Figure 6A And Figure 6B Shows an example of a display method for the communication status displayed by a communication device.

[0014] Figure 7A And Figure 7B Shows an example of a display method for the communication status displayed by a communication device during AP search.

[0015] Figure 8A And Figure 8B Shows an example of a display method for the communication status displayed by a communication device.

[0016] Figures 9A to 9C Shows the operation mode of multi-link communication.

[0017] Figure 10A And Figure 10B Each shows an example of a display method for the communication status displayed by a communication device based on the operation mode.

[0018] Figures 11A to 11E Each shows a display method for the communication status displayed by a communication device.

[0019] Figure 12 Is a flowchart showing the process performed when a communication device displays the communication status.

[0020] Figure 13 Is a flowchart showing the process performed when a communication device displays the communication status during AP search.

[0021] Figure 14 Is a flowchart showing the process performed when a communication device displays the communication status based on the operation mode.

[0022] Figure 15 This is a flowchart showing the processing performed when a communication device displays a communication state based on an operation mode.

[0023] Figure 16 An example of a report output by the communication device is shown. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0024] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure 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 disclosure is not limited to the disclosed configurations.

[0025] Figure 1 An example of the configuration of a network including a communication device (i.e., an access point (AP) and a station (STA)) according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 1 An example of the configuration of a network including one AP 101 and one STA 102 is shown. As Figure 1 shown, the network formed by the AP 101 is represented by a circle 100. The STA 102 is configured to transmit and receive signals transmitted and received by the AP 101. The STA 102 may include not only the function of a station but also the function of an access point, and may be configured to simultaneously perform the function of a station and the function of an access point.

[0026] The STA 102 joins the network formed by the AP 101. The AP 101 and the STA 102 are configured to perform wireless communication conforming to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11be Extremely (or Extreme) High Throughput (EHT) standard. The IEEE 802.11be standard is also referred to as 7. Each communication device is configured to communicate in frequency bands of 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz. The frequency bands used by each communication device are not limited to these frequency bands. Any other frequency band such as the 60 GHz frequency band may also be used. The AP 101 and the STA 102 are configured to communicate using bandwidths of 20 GHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 160 MHz, and 320 MHz. The bandwidths used by each communication device are not limited to these bandwidths. Any other bandwidth such as 240 MHz and 4 MHz may also be used.

[0027] The AP 101 and STA 102 compliant with the IEEE 802.11be standard can also comply with traditional standards (i.e., standards before the IEEE 802.11be standard) and can also comply with standards after the IEEE 802.11be standard. Specifically, the AP 101 and STA 102 can comply with at least one of the IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax standards. The AP 101 and STA 102 can not only comply with the IEEE 802.11 series of standards, but also comply with other communication standards, such as Near Field Communication (NFC), Ultra-Wide Band (UWB), the Global Standard for Area Networks (ZigBee), and the Multi-Band Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) Alliance (MBOA). UWB includes Wireless Universal Serial Bus (USB), Wireless 1394, and WiMedia Networks (WiNET). The AP 101 and STA 102 can also comply with wired communication standards, such as Wired Local Area Network (LAN). Specific examples of the AP 101 include a Wireless LAN router, a Personal Computer (PC), a smart phone, and a tablet computer. However, the AP 101 is not limited to these examples. The AP 101 can also be an information processing device (such as a wireless chip) configured to perform wireless communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11be standard. Specific examples of the STA 102 include a camera, a tablet computer, a smart phone, a PC, a mobile phone, a video camera, a headset, a printing device, and a Multi-Function Peripheral (MFP), but the STA 102 is not limited to these examples.

[0028] The STA 102 can be an information processing device (such as a wireless chip) configured to perform wireless communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11be standard.

[0029] AP 101 and STA102 establish a link via multiple frequency channels and perform multi-link communication to establish communication. Multi-link communication is defined in the IEEE 802.11 standard. An AP that performs multi-link communication is also referred to as an AP multi-link device (MLD). In the IEEE 802.11 series of standards, the bandwidth of each frequency channel is defined as 20 MHz. The term "frequency channel" used herein refers to the frequency channel defined in the IEEE 802.11 series of standards. In the IEEE 802.11 series of standards, multiple frequency channels are defined for the frequency bands: 2.4 GHz band, 5 GHz band, 6 GHz band, and 60 GHz band. By binding adjacent frequency channels, a bandwidth of 40 MHz or higher can be used in one frequency channel. For example, AP 101 establishes a link 103 with STA 102 via a first frequency channel in the 5 GHz band to communicate with STA102. At the same time, STA 102 establishes a link 104 with AP 101 via a second frequency channel in the 6 GHz band to communicate with AP 101. In this case, STA102 performs multi-link communication to maintain the link 103 via the first frequency channel and the link 104 (used as the second link) via the second frequency channel in parallel.

[0030] In the prior art, an STA compliant with the IEEE 802.11 standard connects to an access point and performs data communication with the access point via a single link. The throughput is increased by connecting to the access point and performing data communication via two or more links simultaneously through multi-link communication. In the IEEE 802.11be standard, support for the 6 GHz band is studied to expand the available frequency band. Two or more links to be used can be selected from the same frequency band (any one of the sub-GHz band, 2.4 GHz band, 3.6 GHz band, 4.9 and 5 GHz band, 60 GHz band, and 6 GHz band) or from different frequency bands. An AP compliant with multi-link communication is called an AP MLD, and an STA compliant with multi-link communication is called an STA MLD. An AP associated with an AP MLD and operating on a different channel is called an affiliated AP, and an STA associated with an STA MLD and operating on a different channel is called an affiliated STA. Each affiliated AP is represented by adding a number to each AP, such as affiliated AP1, affiliated AP2,.... Each affiliated STA is represented by adding a number to each STA, such as affiliated STA1, affiliated STA2,....

[0031] Figure 2 It is a sequence diagram showing an example of a process for starting multi-link communication. The multi-link communication setup process is based on basic multi-link elements, reduced neighbor report (RNR) elements, etc.

[0032] Each AP associated with each frequency band for data communication is called an affiliated AP, and each STA associated with each frequency band for data communication is called an affiliated STA. Determination of whether to establish a multi-link connection is based on the basic multi-link element. The basic multi-link element includes information such as MLD identification (ID) and link ID for multi-link communication. The AP MLD includes the basic multi-link element in the beacon or probe response and sends the beacon or probe response. The STA MLD checks whether the basic multi-link element is included in the beacon or probe response sent from a certain affiliated AP and determines whether the AP corresponds to the AP MLD. In the case where the partner AP corresponds to the AP MLD, the band information and channel information about other affiliated APs belonging to the same AP MLD are obtained from the RNR element included in the obtained beacon or probe response. Based on determining that the MLD ID included in the RNR element is "0", determination of whether the affiliated APs belong to the same AP is performed. Figure 3 The content of the RNR element is shown. The STA MLD switches the channel to the obtained channel, obtains detailed information about each affiliated AP, and establishes a multi-link connection with the affiliated AP to be connected based on the obtained information. Specifically, probe frames and authentication frames are exchanged for multi-link communication, and a 4-way handshake (4WHS) process is performed to establish a connection, i.e., a multi-link connection, between the STA and the AP via multiple links. In the case where the partner AP does not correspond to the AP MLD, a connection is established via a single frequency channel.

[0033] As described above, the AP 101 establishes links with the STA 102 via multiple frequency channels, thereby improving the throughput in the communication with the STA 102. In multi-link communication, multiple links in different frequency bands can be established between communication devices. For example, in addition to the link 103 in the 5 GHz band and the link 104 in the 6 GHz band, the AP 101 and the STA 102 can also establish a third link in the 2.4 GHz band. Alternatively, the AP 101 and the STA 102 can establish links via multiple different channels included in the same frequency band. For example, the AP 101 and the STA 102 can establish the 15ch (channel) in the 6 GHz band as the first link and the 207ch in the 6 GHz band as the second link. Links in the same frequency band and links in different frequency bands can coexist. For example, in addition to the link 103:36ch in the 5 GHz band, the AP 101 and the STA 102 can also establish the 149ch in the 5 GHz band and the 15ch in the 6 GHz band. Since the AP 101 and the STA 102 have established multiple connections in different frequency bands, even in the case of communication congestion in a certain bandwidth, the AP 101 will establish communication in other bandwidths with the STA 102, which prevents throughput degradation in the communication with the STA 102 and prevents communication delay.

[0034] Figure 4 FIG. is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the AP 101 according to the present exemplary embodiment. The AP 101 includes a storage unit 401, a control unit 402, a functional unit 403, an input unit 404, an output unit 405, a communication unit 406, and an antenna 407. The AP 101 may include a plurality of antennas 407.

[0035] The storage unit 401 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, as well as various information such as communication parameters for wireless communication. As the storage unit 401, not only memories such as ROM and RAM, but also storage media such as a floppy disk, a hard disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a compact disc (CD)-ROM, a rewritable (R) CD, a magnetic tape, a non-volatile memory card, and a digital versatile disc (DVD) may be used. The storage unit 401 may include a plurality of memories and the like.

[0036] The control unit 402 includes, for example, one or more processors such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a microprocessing unit (MPU), and controls the overall operation of the AP 101 by executing the computer programs stored in the storage unit 401. The control unit 402 may control the overall operation of the AP 101 by causing an operating system (OS) to cooperate with the computer programs stored in the storage unit 401. The control unit 402 generates data and signals (wireless frames) to be transmitted in communication with other communication devices. The control unit 402 includes a plurality of processors such as a multi-core processor. The plurality of processors may control the overall operation of the AP 101.

[0037] The control unit 402 controls the functional unit 403 to perform wireless communication and predetermined processing such as imaging, printing, or projection. The functional unit 403 is hardware that causes the AP 101 to perform predetermined processing.

[0038] The input unit 404 receives various operations from the user. The output unit 405 performs various output operations on the user via a monitor screen or a speaker. In this case, the output operations performed by the output unit 405 may include display on the monitor screen, audio output from the speaker, and output of vibration. The input unit 404 and the output unit 405 may be implemented as one module, such as a touch panel. The input unit 404 and the output unit 405 may be integrated with the AP 101, or may be separated from the AP 101.

[0039] The communication unit 406 controls wireless communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11be standard. The communication unit 406 can control wireless communication compliant not only with the IEEE 802.11be standard but also with other IEEE 802.11 series standards, and can also control wired communication such as a wired LAN. The communication unit 406 controls the antenna 407 to transmit and receive signals for wireless communication generated by the control unit 402.

[0040] In the case where the AP 101 complies not only with the IEEE 802.11be standard but also with the NFC standard, standards, etc., the AP 101 can control wireless communication compliant with these communication standards. In the case where the AP 101 is configured to perform wireless communication compliant with multiple communication standards, the AP 101 may include respective communication units and respective antennas compliant with the communication standards. The AP101 transmits data such as image data, text data, or video data to a partner device via the communication unit 406. The antenna 407 can be separate from the communication unit 406, or the antenna 407 and the communication unit 406 can be integrated into one module.

[0041] The antenna 407 is an antenna capable of establishing communication in the 2.4 GHz band, 5 GHz band, and 6 GHz band. In the present exemplary embodiment, the AP 101 includes two antennas 407, but may also include three antennas. Additionally, the AP 101 can include different antennas for each frequency band. In the case where the AP 101 includes multiple antennas 407, the AP 101 may include multiple communication units 406 each corresponding to a different one of the multiple antennas. In the present exemplary embodiment, the STA 102 has a hardware configuration similar to that of the AP 101. However, the STA 102 may include at least one of a printing unit for printing image data on a printing medium and a scanner unit for scanning an original document. The STA102 may include a camera unit for taking images. Specifically, the STA 102 can be an image processing device (such as a printer, scanner, or MFP), a mobile terminal (such as a smartphone or tablet computer), a camera, or a PC.

[0042] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the AP 101 according to the present exemplary embodiment. Except that the affiliated AP setting unit 502 is replaced by an affiliated STA setting unit, the STA 102 has a configuration similar to that Figure 5 shown in.

[0043] AP 101 includes a multi-link control unit 501, a subordinate AP setting unit 502, a frame generation unit 503, a frame transmission / reception unit 504, a communication quality measurement unit 505, and an output control unit 506.

[0044] The multi-link control unit 501 is a block that controls communication start processing to establish one or more links for wireless communication between the AP 101 and the STA 102, link addition or deletion processing after communication starts, and communication termination processing to delete all links. Specific examples of connection processing include authentication processing, association processing, and 4WHS processing.

[0045] The subordinate AP setting unit 502 selects and determines the subordinate AP in multi-link communication set by each user interface (UI) unit. The subordinate AP setting unit 502 also sends a notification about the subordinate AP to be used to the frame transmission / reception unit 504.

[0046] The frame generation unit 503 is a block that generates a frame to be transmitted based on the settings set by the subordinate AP setting unit 502.

[0047] The frame transmission / reception unit 504 transmits a wireless frame (the wireless frame includes a beacon / probe response frame and a data frame generated by the frame generation unit 503) based on the subordinate AP information received from the subordinate AP setting unit 502, and receives a wireless frame from a partner device.

[0048] The communication quality measurement unit 505 measures and calculates the communication quality of the beacon / probe response frame received from the frame transmission / reception unit 504. Although examples of communication quality information include received signal strength indicator (RSSI) and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), the communication quality information is not limited to these examples.

[0049] The output control unit 506 controls output operations such as screen output, audio output, or print output to provide information to the user. For example, the communication status of the STA102 is displayed on the screen.

[0050] Now, a first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. This exemplary embodiment shows an example situation where, when a communication device establishes multi-link communication, information indicating multi-link communication is displayed using an icon or the like.

[0051] Figure 6A and Figure 6B shows an example of a screen displayed on the output unit 405 of the STA 102 when the STA102 establishes a wireless LAN link with the AP 101. Although in this exemplary embodiment, the STA102 is an image processing device including a printer and a scanner, the STA102 is not limited to such an image processing device.

[0052] Screen 600 is an example of a screen displayed on output unit 405 when STA 102 establishes wireless LAN communication with AP 101 via a single link. Specifically, screen 600 is an example of a screen displayed by STA 102 when STA 102 establishes wireless communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series of standards with AP 101 via a single link. Screen 600 is, for example, a main screen displayed immediately after STA 102 is started, and is used by a user to select a function to be executed. For example, the user selects copy icon 681 to cause STA 102 to perform a copy process. Screen 600 also includes display items such as a login button 682 for the user to log in to STA 102 and a settings button 683 for various settings of STA 102. Icon 601 is an example of a wireless LAN icon indicating that STA 102 has established communication with AP 101 via a single link. In the present exemplary embodiment, icon 601 indicates the state in which a single link has been established, but may also indicate a state in which communication is performed using only one link. Display examples and output examples in the case of establishing multi-link communication will be described below. The present exemplary embodiment is also applicable to a configuration in which the state of "multi-link communication established" is replaced with the state of "multi-link communication in progress". For example, the state of "multi-link communication established" indicates a state in which STA 102 and AP 101 have performed multi-link setup processing or a state in which STA 102 and AP 101 have performed 4WHS processing after the multi-link setup processing. For example, the state of "multi-link communication in progress" indicates a state in which a traffic identifier (TID) is assigned to each of a plurality of links or a state in which data is actually transmitted via each link. Wireless LAN icon 601 includes a plurality of semi-circular arc-shaped objects. The wireless electric field strength in communication with AP 101 can be displayed by changing the display of the objects. For example, the semi-circular arc-shaped object (such as icon 602) displayed at the top of the screen can be displayed in white to indicate that the wireless electric field strength has decreased compared to the wireless electric field strength indicated by icon 601. As the wireless electric field strength decreases, the color of the displayed semi-circular arc-shaped objects gradually changes to white in order from the top, enabling the user to visually recognize the wireless electric field strength. Icons 601 and 602 are examples of wireless LAN icons. The shape of each icon is not limited to these examples. For example, as in icon 603, lines having different heights can be arranged and displayed. In this case, as the wireless electric field strength decreases, the color of the displayed lines gradually changes to white in order from the rightmost line, enabling the user to visually recognize the wireless electric field strength. The display of the icon is not limited to this example, and the icon can have any shape as long as the icon indicates the communication state of STA 102. For example, a string can be used instead of the form of an icon.

[0053] Screen 610 is an example of a screen displayed on output unit 405 of STA102 when STA102 establishes a link (i.e., multi-link communication) with AP 101 via multiple frequency channels.

[0054] Icon 611 is an example of a multi-link icon indicating that STA102 has established a link with AP 101 via multiple frequency channels. In the present exemplary embodiment, icon 611 indicates the state in which multiple links have been established, but may also indicate the state in which communication is in progress via multiple links as described above. Icon 611 may include a display object as in icon 601 and may indicate the radio field strength by changing the display method. The shape of icon 611 is not limited to this example. For example, icon 611 may include a linear object as in icon 603 instead of using a semi-circular arc-shaped object. In this case, the radio field strength may indicate the radio field strength of any one of the multiple established links (e.g., the link with the highest radio field strength or the link with the lowest radio field strength), or may indicate the calculated average of the radio field strengths of the multiple established links. Icon 611 also includes a display item 612 indicating that multi-link communication has been established. In this case, two display items 612 are displayed to indicate that two links have been established between STA102 and AP 101. In the case where three links have been established between STA102 and AP 101, three display items 612 are displayed. Although a double-headed arrow shape is displayed as display item 612 in the present exemplary embodiment, the shape of display item 612 is not limited to this example. In addition, information indicating that multi-link communication has been established may be displayed without providing any additional display items. Information indicating that multi-link communication has been established may be displayed by changing the icon display method such that, for example, icon 611 is lit when the communication device has established one link (single link), and the display of icon 611 changes to a blinking display when the communication device has established multi-link communication. Icon 611 also includes a display item 613 indicating the frequency bandwidth of each established link. In this case, display item 613 indicates that multi-link communication has been established in both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. Not only the frequency bandwidth of each established link may be displayed, but also channel information and the like may be displayed.

[0055] Figure 12 is a flowchart showing the process for displaying Figure 6A and Figure 6B the screen shown in. The process in the flowchart starts in response to a screen display instruction being received from a user by the communication device (STA102). Each process in the flowchart is implemented such that, for example, control unit 402 loads programs stored in storage unit 401 and executes these programs. During the period when STA102 displays the screen, the process in the flowchart is repeatedly executed every predetermined period.

[0056] In step S101, the control unit 402 determines whether the STA 102 is connected to the AP 101. When the control unit 402 determines that the STA 102 is not connected to the AP 101 (i.e., "No" in step S101), the process proceeds to step S105. In step S105, the control unit 402 hides the icons indicating the communication status (such as icons 601 and 611), and then the process ends. When the control unit 402 determines that the STA 102 is connected to the AP 101 (i.e., "Yes" in step S101), the process proceeds to step S102.

[0057] In step S102, the control unit 402 determines whether the STA 102 has established two or more links. When the control unit 402 determines that the STA 102 has not established two or more links (i.e., "No" in step S102), the process proceeds to step S104. In step S104, the control unit 402 displays a wireless LAN icon indicating a single link (such as one of icons 601, 602, and 603), and then the process ends. When the control unit 402 determines that the STA 102 has established two or more links (i.e., "Yes" in step S102), the process proceeds to step S103. In step S103, the control unit 402 displays icon 611 indicating a multi-link, and then the process ends.

[0058] When the communication device has established multi-link communication, after the processing in the above flowchart, the user can visually recognize that the communication device has established multi-link communication. Although this exemplary embodiment shows an example of displaying icon 611 and the like indicating the communication status on the main screen, the screen for displaying the communication status is not limited to the main screen. In addition, in response to the screen changing to an application screen or the like, the communication status is displayed in the same manner. In other words, displaying icon 611 and the like indicating the communication status in a fixed area on the screen enables the user to frequently check the communication status.

[0059] The display indicating that the communication device has established multi-link communication is not limited to Figure 6A and Figure 6B the display shown.

[0060] Other examples of the screen displayed on the output unit 405 of the STA 102 when the STA 102 and the AP 101 have established multi-link communication will be described with reference to Figures 11A to 11E In some cases, even when the STA 102 and the AP 101 have established multi-link communication, some of the established links may be unusable due to radio wave interference or the like, and only the available links may be used for actual data communication. For example, when the STA 102 and the AP 101 have established multiple links and actually use one link to communicate with the AP 101, the following may be displayedFigure 11A The icon 1101 shown in Figure 11B The icon 1111 shown in

[0061] The icons 1101 and 1111 are examples of icons displayed when the STA 102 has established multiple links and is actually communicating using only one link. Alternatively, the icons 1101 and 1111 can be displayed when the STA 102 has established one link. In this case, when the STA 102 has established multiple links, the display of the icons 1101 and 1111 is changed to the display of the icon 611.

[0062] When the STA 102 establishes multi-link communication with the AP 101 using multiple bandwidths and the radio field strength in the predetermined bandwidth is weak, information indicating a decrease in the radio field strength can be displayed as Figure 11CThe icon 1102 shown. The icon 1102 includes a display item 1112, which indicates the bandwidth with weak radio field strength and the information indicating weak radio field strength. In this case, the icon 1102 indicates that, for example, when the STA 102 has established links in both the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band, the radio field strength in the 2.4 GHz band is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold. In the case where communication in a certain bandwidth among the multiple links established by the STA 102 is in a congested state (busy state), an icon 1103 indicating the busy state can be displayed as shown Figure 11D The icon 1103 indicating the busy state shown. The icon 1103 includes a display icon 1113, which indicates the busy bandwidth and the information indicating busy communication.

[0063] Figure 11E Shows the change of the multi-link icon. Icons 1104, 1105, 1106, and 1107 are icons that respectively indicate that the STA 102 has established multi-link communication or is performing multi-link communication. The icon 1104 includes a right arrow 1114 and a left arrow 1124. The right arrow 1114 can indicate sending data to the AP 101 or uplink communication, while the left arrow 1124 can indicate receiving data from the AP 101 or downlink communication. The icon 1105 includes an upward triangle 1115 and a downward triangle 1125. The upward triangle 1115 can indicate uplink communication, while the downward triangle 1125 can indicate downlink communication. In other words, when the STA 102 performs uplink communication using one of the multiple links and downlink communication using another of the multiple links, the icons 1104 and 1105 are displayed.

[0064] The icon 1106 includes a right arrow 1116 and a right arrow 1126. Each of the right arrow 1116 and the right arrow 1126 can indicate performing uplink communication. The icon 1107 includes an upward triangle 1117 and an upward triangle 1127. Each of the upward triangle 1117 and the upward triangle 1127 can indicate performing uplink communication. In other words, when the STA 102 performs uplink communication via each of the multiple links, the icons 1106 and 1107 are displayed. The display of each triangle can indicate: the communication speed of each link and the information indicating whether the communication speed increases. For example, the icon 1105 indicates that the STA 102 performs multi-link communication using two links, and the display of the upward triangle 1115 indicates that the communication speed of one of the two links is higher or increasing. The display of the downward triangle 1125 indicates that the communication speed of the other of the two links is lower or decreasing.

[0065] Figure 15 Shows for display according to this exemplary embodiment Figures 11A to 11EFlowchart of the processing of the displayed screen. The processing in the flowchart starts in response to the communication device receiving a screen display request. The basic structure of the flowchart is similar to that shown in Figure 12 The same processing is indicated by the same step numbers as in Figure 12 and redundant descriptions are omitted. Only the differences from the processing shown in Figure 12 will be described. During the period when the screen is displayed on STA102, the processing in the flowchart is repeatedly executed at each predetermined time interval.

[0066] In step S501, the control unit 402 checks the communication status of each of the multiple established links.

[0067] In step S502, the control unit 402 displays an icon corresponding to the communication status checked in step S501, and then the processing ends. For example, when STA102 has established communication with AP 101 via two links and is using only one link for data communication, the icon 1101 is displayed on the main screen.

[0068] As described above, according to the processing in the above flowchart, when multiple links are established between STA102 and AP 101, the display of the icon enables the user to visually recognize the communication status. This improves usability.

[0069] Another structural example indicating the multi-link communication status will be described. Multi-link communication includes two operation modes, namely the Simultaneous Transmit and Receive (STR) mode and the Non-Simultaneous Transmit and Receive (NSTR) mode. Figures 9A to 9C Shows the two operation modes of multi-link communication, namely the STR mode and the NSTR mode. The STR mode is an operation mode in which two or more links operate completely independently and without interfering with each other. Figure 9A Shows the communication status of each link in the STR mode.

[0070] AP 101 and STA102 have established two links 103 and 104. Link 103 performs uplink (UL) communication, while link 104 performs downlink (DL) communication. An operation mode in which one link performs receive processing and the other link performs transmit processing is called the STR mode.

[0071] The NSTR mode is an operation mode in which two or more links do not perform receive and transmit operations simultaneously and all links perform either data receive processing or data transmit processing simultaneously. Figure 9B and Figure 9C Each shows the communication status of each link in the NSTR mode. Figure 9B Shows the state where all links perform downlink communication processing, while Figure 9CShows the status of all links for uplink communication processing. The operation mode in which all links perform either data reception processing or data transmission processing simultaneously is called the NSTR mode.

[0072] Figure 10A And Figure 10B Are examples of the screens displayed on the output unit 405 by the STA 102 in each operation mode of multi-link communication.

[0073] Figure 10A The screen 610 shown in is the screen displayed when the STA 102 operates in the STR mode. The icon 1001 is the icon displayed when the STA 102 has established multi-link communication and operates in the STR mode. The icon 1001 includes: an STR mode icon 1011, as a display item indicating that the STA102 operates in the STR mode.

[0074] Figure 10B The screen 610 shown in is the screen displayed when the STA102 operates in the NSTR mode. The icon 1002 is the icon displayed when the STA 102 has established multi-link communication and operates in the NSTR mode. The icon 1002 includes an NSTR mode icon 1012, as a display item indicating that the STA102 operates in the NSTR mode. In this case, the strings "STR" and "NSTR" are used to indicate the operation mode. Alternatively, icons or the like can be used to indicate the operation mode.

[0075] Figure 14 Is a flowchart showing the process for displaying Figure 10A And Figure 10B The screens shown in. The process in this flowchart starts in response to a screen display request received by the communication device. The basic structure of this flowchart is similar to the structure shown in Figure 12 Shown. The same processes are denoted by the same step numbers as the step numbers in Figure 12 And redundant descriptions are omitted. Only the differences from the process shown in Figure 12 Will be described. During the period when the STA 102 displays the screen, the process in this flowchart is repeatedly executed every predetermined period.

[0076] In step S401, the control unit 402 determines whether the STR mode is set to the operation mode in the multi-link communication of the AP 101. When the control unit 402 determines that the STR mode is set (Yes in step S401), the process proceeds to step S402. In step S402, the control unit 402 displays the STR mode icon 1001, and then the process ends. When the control unit 402 determines that the STR mode is not set (No in step S401), the process proceeds to step S403. In step S403, the control unit 402 displays the NSTR mode icon 1002, and then the process ends.

[0077] As described above, when the STA 102 performs multi-link communication, the processing in the above flowchart enables the user to easily identify the operation mode of the STA 102. The feature of this exemplary embodiment is that during the multi-link communication performed by the STA 102, the display is changed according to the operation mode (STR mode, NSTR mode), and the shape of the icon is not limited to the above example.

[0078] The above first exemplary embodiment shows a configuration example of displaying the communication state when the STA 102 and the AP 101 have established a communication connection. The second exemplary embodiment shows a configuration example of displaying information indicating whether each AP is compatible with multi-link communication in a manner that enables the user to distinguish compatibility when the STA 102 searches for an AP to which the STA 102 is to establish a connection. The basic configuration of this exemplary embodiment is similar to the basic configuration of the first exemplary embodiment. Only the differences from the first exemplary embodiment will be described.

[0079] Figure 7A and Figure 7B An example of an access point search result screen displayed on the output unit 405 to enable the user to select an AP to be connected when the STA 102 searches for an AP to be connected is shown. In response to receiving the user's selection on the screen, a connection with the selected AP is established via the control unit 402 or the function unit 403. Then, the STA 102 prints the print data received via the selected AP and sends the image data generated by imaging or scanning to an external device via the selected AP.

[0080] Screen 700 is an example of an access point search result screen displayed by STA 102 on output unit 405. Information about a plurality of APs searched by STA102 is displayed in each row. Icon 701 indicates the radio field strength of the signal transmitted from each AP. Icon 701 is merely an example, and the shape of the icon to be displayed is not limited to this example. Item 702 indicates the service set identifier (SSID) of the corresponding AP. When the user presses the details button 703, a pop-up window 705 is displayed, such that detailed information about each AP is displayed. Pop-up window 705 displays frequency bandwidth information, channel information, etc. about the corresponding AP. Security information 704 indicates information about the security of the corresponding AP. Screen 700 is merely an example, and the content to be displayed is not limited to this example. For example, frequency bandwidth information and channel information to be used by the corresponding AP may be displayed.

[0081] Screen 710 is an example of an access point search result screen displayed when STA102 searches for an AP and detects an AP MLD compatible with multi-link communication. The item "APMLD1" in the SSID column indicates the SSID of the AP MLD. Icon 711 is a multi-link icon as follows, which indicates the radio field strength of the corresponding AP and also indicates the AP MLD configured to perform multi-link communication. In addition to the icon indicating the radio field strength, a display item 721 indicating that the AP is compatible with multi-link communication is added to icon 711. The number of display items 721 added to icon 711 may be the same as the number of links that the corresponding AP can establish. On the other hand, the display item 721 is not added to an AP that is not compatible with multi-link communication. Icon 711 is merely an example, and the shape of the icon to be displayed is not limited to this example. The AP MLD details screen 713 is a screen displayed in response to pressing the AP MLD details button 712, and indicates information about the links that can be established. In this case, frequency bandwidth information and channel information about the links that the AP MLD can establish are displayed.

[0082] Figure 13 is a flowchart showing the process for displaying Figure 7A and Figure 7B the screens shown in. The process in this flowchart starts in response to a request from the user and when the AP search process starts in STA 102. During the period when STA102 displays the screen, the process in this flowchart is repeatedly executed every predetermined period.

[0083] In step S201, control unit 402 starts the AP search process.

[0084] In step S202, the control unit 402 determines whether each detected AP is compatible with multi-link communication. When the detected AP is compatible with multi-link communication (Yes in step S202), the process proceeds to step S203. When the detected AP is not compatible with multi-link communication (No in step S202), the process proceeds to step S204. The determination of whether each detected AP is compatible with multi-link communication is made based on the basic multi-link element, reduced neighbor report element, etc. included in the beacon or probe sent from the AP. Although in this exemplary embodiment, the determination of whether each detected AP is compatible with multi-link communication is made, this determination is not limited to this example. For example, it is possible to determine whether each detected AP conforms to the standard after the IEEE 802.11be standard.

[0085] In step S203, the control unit 402 displays the multi-link icon 711 indicating that the AP is compatible with multi-link communication as the access point search result.

[0086] In step S204, the control unit 402 displays the icon 701 indicating the radio field strength as the access point search result. The number of times the above process is repeated corresponds to the number of APs detected by the STA 102. After all the APs detected by the STA 102 are displayed, the process proceeds to step S205.

[0087] In step S205, the control unit 402 determines whether the AP MLD details button 712 has been pressed. When the control unit 402 determines that the AP MLD details button 712 has been pressed (Yes in step S205), the process proceeds to step S206. In step S206, the control unit 402 displays the AP MLD details screen 713, and then the process ends. When the control unit 402 determines that the AP MLD details button 712 has not been pressed (No in step S205), the process proceeds to step S207.

[0088] In step S207, the control unit 402 determines whether the details button 703 has been pressed.

[0089] When the control unit 402 determines that the details button 703 has been pressed (Yes in step S207), the process proceeds to step S208. In step S208, the control unit 402 displays the pop-up window 705, and then the process ends. In step S207, when the control unit 402 determines that the details button 703 has not been pressed (No in step S207), the process ends.

[0090] The processing in the above flowchart enables the user to easily distinguish whether an AP is compatible with multi-link communication during AP search. This improves usability. For example, a user who prioritizes communication speed selects an AP compatible with multi-link communication, which enables high-speed communication. According to this exemplary embodiment, when STA102 detects an AP MLD during AP search, a multi-link icon different from the icon of an AP not corresponding to the AP MLD is displayed on the AP search screen, and the shape of the icon is not particularly limited.

[0091] The method of displaying an AP compatible with multi-link communication is not limited to the above method. For example, icons such as icons 731 and 732 can be used to display information indicating that the AP is compatible with multi-link communication. For example, when AP MLD1 can establish multi-link communication in both the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band, icons 731 and 732 are displayed. Icon 731 includes a display item indicating the radio field strength of 5 GHz and 5 GHz, and icon 732 includes a display item indicating the radio field strength of 2.4 GHz and 2.4 GHz. In this case, "AP MLD1" is an example of an AP MLD compatible with 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz. When the AP MLD is also compatible with 6 GHz, the radio field strength of 6 GHz is also displayed. In other words, the number of icons displayed to indicate the radio field strength can be the same as the bandwidth supported by the AP.

[0092] The above first exemplary embodiment and second exemplary embodiment show examples of displaying the communication state of a communication device on the main screen or the like. The method of outputting the communication state of the communication device so that the user can recognize the communication state is not limited to the above method. For example, the user can check the communication state on the communication settings screen of the communication device. In addition, when the communication device is an image processing device such as a printer, the communication device may further include a function of printing a report indicating the communication state and the like. The third exemplary embodiment shows an example case of outputting the communication state in this way. The basic configuration of this exemplary embodiment is similar to the basic configuration of the first exemplary embodiment, so only the differences from the first exemplary embodiment will be described.

[0093] Figure 8A and Figure 8B Shows an example of the wireless LAN information displayed on the output unit 405 when STA 102 and AP 101 have established a communication link. Figure 8A and Figure 8B Shows an example of a screen displayed in response to, for example, the user selecting the settings button 683 and also selecting the button to check the communication state on the communication settings screen.

[0094] Screen 800 is an example of wireless LAN information displayed on output unit 405 when a link has been established between STA102 and AP 101. STA102 displays screen 800 on output unit 405 in response to a display request received from a user by STA102, or in response to the establishment of a link between STA102 and AP101. For example, multi-link status 801 indicates the multi-link communication status of the connected STA 102. In this case, "×" is displayed as the multi-link status 801 indicating that multi-link communication has not been established between STA102 and AP 101. In addition, screen 800 also includes information about the SSID or media access control (MAC) address of the AP, wireless LAN status information indicating the radio field strength or congestion level, error information indicating whether a communication error has occurred, and information about the frequency band, channel, and security settings used for communication. Similar to screen 600, screen 800 also includes icon 601 indicating that communication has been established using one link.

[0095] The wireless LAN information included in screen 800 is merely an example and is not limited to this example.

[0096] Screen 810 is an example of wireless LAN information displayed by STA102 on output unit 405 when a link has been established between STA102 and AP 101 via multiple frequency channels.

[0097] The multi-link status 811 indicates information about the frequency band and channel of each of the multiple links established by the STA 102. For example, when the STA 102 has established a link 20ch in the 5 GHz band, a link 24ch in the 5 GHz band, and a link 12ch in the 2.4 GHz band with the AP 101, information such as the multi-link status 811 is displayed. In other words, link information equal in number to the number of links established by the STA 102 with the AP 101 is displayed as the multi-link status 811. For example, when links for two or more channels are established for one frequency bandwidth, more specifically, when two links, 20ch and 24ch in the 5 GHz band, are established, information such as the multi-link status 821 can be displayed. For example, when links for one channel are established for each of two or more bandwidths, more specifically, when a link 24ch in the 5 GHz band and a link 12ch in the 2.4 GHz band are established, information such as the multi-link status 831 can be displayed. The method of indicating the multi-link status is not limited to this example. For example, the frequency band information and channel information for each link can be displayed in the display areas corresponding to the bandwidth information 812 and the channel information 813 respectively on the screen 810. In the present exemplary embodiment, the information 814 indicating that a link is established via multiple frequency channels is displayed in the display area corresponding to the bandwidth information 812 and the channel information 813. The screen 810 also includes an icon 611 indicating multi-link communication in a fixed area at the end of the screen. When the STA 102 has established multi-link communication and is operating in the STR mode, information indicating the STR mode (such as the multi-link operation mode 841) is displayed on the screen 840. Figure 8A and Figure 8B The multi-link status screens 810, 820, 830, and 840 shown are merely examples of methods for displaying frequency channel information about multiple links, and the multi-link status screens to be used are not limited to these examples. For example, the bandwidth information 812 can be divided into "bandwidth 1" and "bandwidth 2", and "bandwidth 1: 5 GHz" and "bandwidth 2: 2.4 GHz" can be displayed for each bandwidth. In addition, the channel information 813 can be displayed in a divided manner in association with the bandwidth information, for example, "channel 1: 20ch, 24ch" and "channel 2: 12ch".

[0098] For example, information indicating whether an error has occurred can be displayed as error information on the screen 810 for each established link. Channel information regarding the link where an error has occurred can be displayed in a distinguishable manner from the channel information regarding the link where no error has occurred. In addition, the radio field strength of each established link can be displayed in a display bar corresponding to the wireless LAN state. In this case, for example, as in the first exemplary embodiment, the multi-link state is displayed by obtaining the information and status of each link established between the STA 102 and the AP 101. The method by which the STA 102 obtains the communication state and displays the obtained communication state is similar to the methods in the first exemplary embodiment and the second exemplary embodiment, and thus redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0099] Figure 6B The screen 620 shown in the figure is an example of a screen displayed on the output unit 405 of the STA102 when the STA102 and the AP 101 have established multi-link communication. The screen 620 includes an icon 621 indicating that multi-link communication has been established. For example, in response to the user selecting the icon 621 through a touch operation or the like, a pop-up window 622 is displayed. The pop-up window 622 includes information indicating the current communication state of the STA102. In the present exemplary embodiment, this information indicates the multi-link state. Although in the present exemplary embodiment, information indicating the frequency band and channels and information indicating the operation mode (such as the STR mode or the NSTR mode) are used as the information indicating the multi-link state, the information indicating the multi-link state is not limited to these examples.

[0100] In response to the user selecting the details button 623 in the pop-up window 622, the screen 810 is displayed.

[0101] The following configuration will be described: When the STA 102 is an image processing device (such as a printer), the communication state is output as a report. The STA 102 stores the report in the storage unit 401. The report includes information such as operation history information and setting information about the STA 102. For example, when the STA 102 is an image processing device, the operation history information refers to the history information indicating print processing, wireless communication, etc. performed by the control unit 402 and the function unit 403. The setting information refers to information about various settings set for the operation of the STA 102. The report includes, for example, information about the remaining amount of toner, the number of printed pages, address filters, Internet Protocol Security Architecture (IPSec), security setting status, and communication state. The function of the STA102 to output the report via the function unit 403 or the output unit 405 is called the report output function. The STA 102 can print the report via the function unit 403, display the report on the monitor screen via the output unit 405, or send the report to an external device (such as a PC) via communication through the function unit 403 and display the report. The report output method is not limited to these examples. An example in which the communication state is printed out as a report will be described below. However, the report can be output by any other method.

[0102] Figure 16 An example of the report is shown. Report 1600 is an example of a report output sheet printed by the STA 102 via the function unit 403 when a link is established between the STA102 and the AP 101. Report 1600 is a report indicating the wireless LAN setting information of the STA 102 and indicates the communication state or information about the AP 101 connected to the STA 102. For example, information 1601 indicates the SSID of the connected AP 101. Information about the bandwidth and channel of the connected AP 101, or wireless LAN radio wave information, can also be displayed as the report 1600 indicating the wireless LAN setting information. The report 1600 indicating the wireless LAN setting information is only an example, and the report is not limited to this example.

[0103] Report 1610 is an example of a report output sheet printed by STA102 via functional unit 403 when STA102 has established a link with AP 101 via multiple frequency channels and performs multi-link communication. Information 1611 indicates information on the frequency bands and channels of each of the multiple links established by STA102. For example, when STA 102 has established a link 20ch in the 5GHz band, a link 24ch in the 5GHz band, and a link 12ch in the 2.4GHz band with AP 101, information 1611 on the multi-link state is output. In the present exemplary embodiment, the multi-link state is output in the same number as the number of links established between STA 102 and AP 101, as shown by multi-link states 821 and 831. The method of indicating the multi-link state is not limited to this example. For example, the frequency band information and channel information of each link can be output in the display areas corresponding to bandwidth information 1612 and channel information 1613 on report 1610, respectively. In this case, for example, information 1614 indicating the establishment of a link via multiple frequency channels is output in the display areas corresponding to bandwidth information 1612 and channel information 1613. When STA102 has established multi-link communication and operates in the STR mode, information indicating the STR mode (such as multi-link operation mode 1621 in report 1620) can be output. Reports 1610 and 1620 are only examples of the method of outputting frequency channel information on multiple links, and the information output method is not limited to these examples. For example, bandwidth information 1612 can be divided into "bandwidth 1" and "bandwidth 2", and "bandwidth 1: 5GHz" and "bandwidth 2: 2.4GHz" can be output. In addition, channel information 1613 can be divided into "channel 1: 20ch, 24ch" and "channel 2: 12ch" and output in association with the bandwidth information. In addition, for example, information indicating whether an error has occurred can be displayed as error information on report 1610 for each established link. The channel information of the link where an error has occurred can be displayed in a distinguishable manner from the channel information of the link where no error has occurred. In the present exemplary embodiment, for example, as in the first exemplary embodiment, the multi-link state is output by obtaining the information and status of each link established by STA102 and AP 101. STA 102 prints out a report in response to receiving a report printing instruction from the user.

[0104] The above configuration enables the user to recognize that STA 102 has established multi-link communication and the information on each of the multiple links. This improves usability.

[0105] (Other exemplary embodiments)

[0106] The first exemplary embodiment to the third exemplary embodiment described above may be appropriately combined. Although the above exemplary embodiments show examples of displaying or outputting information indicating multi-link communication in the STA 102 connected to the AP 101, information indicating multi-link communication in the AP 101 may be displayed or output. In addition, the AP 101 may be a device including the functions of a STA and an AP. The configuration for displaying or outputting information indicating multi-link communication according to the present disclosure is also applicable to devices that directly perform wireless communication without involving an external AP. Although the above exemplary embodiments show example configurations for displaying or outputting information indicating multi-link communication, the configuration is not limited to this example. Information indicating whether the AP complies with the IEEE 802.11be standard (or subsequent standards) may be displayed or output. In this case, for example, the information is output using the string "be".

[0107] A recording medium recording program code for implementing the above functions may be provided to a system or apparatus, and a computer (CPU or MPU) of the system or apparatus may read and execute the program code stored in the recording medium. In this case, the program code read from the storage medium itself implements the functions of the above exemplary embodiments, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the above apparatus.

[0108] For example, a floppy disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, CD-ROM, CD-R, magnetic tape, non-volatile memory card, ROM, DVD, etc. may be used as the storage medium for providing the program code.

[0109] The above functions can be implemented not only by executing the program code read by a computer, but also by causing an operating system (OS) running on the computer to perform part or all of the actual processing based on the instructions of the program code.

[0110] In addition, the program code read from the storage medium is written into a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer.

[0111] The CPU provided in the function expansion board or function expansion unit may perform part or all of the actual processing based on the instructions of the program code to implement the above functions.

[0112] Other embodiments

[0113] Embodiments of the present invention can also be implemented by a computer of a system or apparatus that reads and executes computer-executable instructions (e.g., one or more programs) recorded on a storage medium (which may also be more fully referred to as a "non-transitory computer-readable storage medium") to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiments, and / or includes one or more circuits (e.g., an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)) for performing the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiments. Moreover, embodiments of the present invention can be implemented by a method of, for example, the computer of the system or apparatus reading and executing the computer-executable instructions from the storage medium to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiments, and / or controlling the one or more circuits to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiments. The computer may include one or more processors (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessing unit (MPU)), and may include a network of separate computers or separate processors to read and execute the computer-executable instructions. The computer-executable instructions may be provided to the computer, for example, from a network or the storage medium. The storage medium may include, for example, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a memory of a distributed computing system, an optical disc (such as a compact disc (CD), a digital versatile disc (DVD), or a Blu-ray disc (BD) TM ), a flash device, and a memory card, among others.

[0114] Embodiments of the present invention can also be implemented by the following method, i.e., by providing software (a program) that performs the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or apparatus via a network or various storage media, and the computer or central processing unit (CPU), microprocessing unit (MPU) of the system or apparatus reads and executes the program.

[0115] Although the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the appended claims should be given the broadest interpretation so as to cover all such variations and equivalent structures and functions.

Claims

1. A communication device capable of performing communication in accordance with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers IEEE 802.11 standard, the communication device comprising: a search unit configured to search for an access point; as well as a display control unit configured to display information on the access point searched by the search unit as a search result, The display control unit displays the first access point as the search result in a manner that can be distinguished by a user, and the first access point complies with the multi-link communication defined in the IEEE 802.11 standard.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein: The display control unit displays a second access point as the search result in a manner distinguishable from the first access point, the second access point not conforming to the multi-link communication defined in the IEEE 802.11 standard.

3. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein: The display control unit displays the access point as the search result by adding a first display item indicating the multilink communication to the access point.

4. The communication device according to claim 3, wherein: The first display item includes a second display item indicating a radio field strength of a signal transmitted from the access point.

5. The communication device according to claim 3, wherein: The first display item includes a second display item indicating a radio field strength of a signal for each link transmitted from the access point.

6. The communication device according to claim 3, wherein: The first display item includes third display items, and the number of the third display items is the same as the number of links through which the access point wants to establish the multi-link communication.

7. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising: A printing unit is configured to receive print data via the access point searched by the searching unit and print the print data.

8. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein: The display control unit further displays frequency band information and channel information about each link through which the first access point is to establish the multi-link communication.

9. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising: A determination unit is configured to determine whether the access point searched by the search unit is compatible with the multi-link communication.

10. The communication device according to claim 9, wherein: The determination unit determines whether the access point is compatible with the multi-link communication based on one of a basic multi-link element and a reduced neighbor report element in a beacon or a probe sent from the access point.

11. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein: The communication device includes a function as a station and a function as an access point.

12. A method for controlling a communication device, wherein the communication device is capable of performing communication in accordance with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard, the method comprising the following steps: A searching step of searching for an access point; and a display control step of performing display control to display information about the access point searched by the search step as a search result, in, The display control step displays a first access point as the search result in a manner that can be distinguished by a user, the first access point being compliant with multi-link communication defined in the IEEE 802.11 standard.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs including instructions, the one or more programs being executed by one or more processors of a communication device to perform a control method, the communication device being capable of performing communications compliant with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard, the control method comprising the steps of: A searching step of searching for an access point; and a display control step of performing display control to display information about the access point searched by the search step as a search result, in, The display control step displays a first access point as the search result in a manner that can be distinguished by a user, the first access point being compliant with multi-link communication defined in the IEEE 802.11 standard.

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