Communication apparatus, information processing apparatus, system, and control method thereof

Abstract

The invention provides a communication apparatus, an information processing apparatus, a system, and a control method thereof. The communication device is provided with a communicator which is used for carrying out direct communication conforming to the Wi-Fi Direct standard with an external device under the condition of no access point intervention; and a display controller that displays a display object from which the first connection information and the second connection information can be extracted for a single image capture. The first connection information is used for a connection of direct communication with a communication device by a first method, includes an SSID and a password of the communication device, and is included in a first key group to which a first identifier is assigned. The second connection information is used for a connection of direct communication with the communication apparatus by a second method different from the first method, and is included in a second key group to which a second identifier is assigned.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The technology disclosed herein relates to communication devices and control methods thereof, information processing devices and control methods thereof, and systems and control methods thereof. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, with the increase in communication data volume, communication technologies such as Wireless Local Area Networks (LANs) have developed. 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 IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax standards. For example, in the latest IEEE 802.11ax standard, not only is a peak throughput of up to 9.6 gigabits per second (Gbps) achieved, but the technique of improving communication rates under congestion through the use of Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) has also been standardized. Note that OFDMA is an abbreviation for "Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access".

[0003] On the other hand, the Wi-Fi Alliance has developed procedures for certifying wireless LAN devices. For example, the WFD standard has been developed, which defines the process of establishing a communication link between wireless LAN stations (STAs) by exchanging communication parameters without intervention from the access point (AP). WFD is a standard for Wi-Fi... The abbreviation for .

[0004] The Wi-Fi Aware standard has also been established as a standard for searching for services provided by devices. Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-201427 describes a technique for detecting communication terminals using the Wi-Fi Aware standard.

[0005] In addition, a method is known to use QR codes when connecting directly via Wi-Fi Direct or similar methods. A method for establishing a wireless connection. Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-175444 discloses a method in which a wireless direct connection is established by displaying a QR code generated according to the communication parameters required for a wireless direct connection on a printer and having the QR code read by a mobile terminal.

[0006] As Wi-Fi In the new WFD R2 method, a QR code is specified for bootstrapping, thereby enabling parameter exchange. However, for users of counterpart terminals (such as smartphones) that do not support the WFD R2 method, it is inconvenient not to be able to use QR codes to implement the traditional wireless direct connection standard (traditional method), as the WFD R2 method is not feasible. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In view of the above problems, this disclosure provides a mechanism for which multiple Wi-Fi Direct standards can preferably be used.

[0008] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a communication device is provided, comprising: a communication unit for direct communication with an external device conforming to the Wi-Fi Direct standard without access point intervention; and a display control unit for controlling the display of a display object for a single capture, from which first connection information and second connection information can be extracted, wherein the first connection information is connection information for establishing the direct communication with the communication device via a first method, including the SSID and password of the communication device, and is included in a first key group assigned a first identifier, and the second connection information is connection information for establishing the direct communication with the communication device via a second method different from the first method, and is included in a second key group assigned a second identifier.

[0009] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a communication device is provided, comprising: a communication unit for direct communication with an external device conforming to the Wi-Fi Direct standard without access point intervention; and a display control unit for controlling the display of a first display object and a second display object, and for controlling the display of the first display object after the display of the second display object, wherein first connection information can be extracted from the first display object, the first connection information being connection information for establishing the direct communication with the communication device via a first method and including the SSID and password of the communication device, and second connection information can be extracted from the second display object, the second connection information including connection information for establishing the direct communication with the communication device via a second method different from the first method.

[0010] According to another aspect of this disclosure, an information processing apparatus is provided, comprising: a communication unit for direct communication with an external device conforming to the Wi-Fi Direct standard without access point intervention; an image sensor; an extraction unit for extracting extraction information from objects detected in an image captured by the image sensor; and a control unit for controlling, when the extracted information includes both first connection information and second connection information, to establish a connection with a communication device indicated by the second connection information based on the second connection information, wherein the first connection information is connection information for establishing the direct communication with the communication device via a first method, including the SSID and password of the communication device, and is included in a first key group assigned a first identifier, and the second connection information is connection information for establishing the direct communication via a second method different from the first method, and is included in a second key group assigned a second identifier.

[0011] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a system including a communication device and an information processing device is provided. The communication device includes: a communication unit for direct communication with an external device conforming to the Wi-Fi Direct standard without access point intervention; and a display control unit for controlling the display of a display object for a single capture, from which first connection information and second connection information can be extracted. The first connection information is connection information for establishing direct communication with the communication device via a first method, including the SSID and password of the communication device, and is included in a first key group assigned a first identifier. The second connection information is connection information for establishing direct communication with the communication device via a second method different from the first method, and is included in a second key group assigned a second identifier. The information processing device includes: a communication unit for direct communication with an external device conforming to the Wi-Fi Direct standard without access point intervention. Direct communication according to the Direct standard; an image sensor; an extraction unit for extracting extraction information from objects detected in an image captured by the image sensor; and a control unit for controlling, when the extracted information includes both first connection information and second connection information, to establish a connection with a communication device indicated by the second connection information based on the second connection information, wherein the first connection information is connection information for establishing the direct communication with the communication device via a first method and includes the SSID and password of the communication device, and the second connection information includes connection information for establishing the direct communication via a second method different from the first method.

[0012] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a control method for a communication device is provided, the communication device comprising: a communication unit for direct communication with an external device conforming to the Wi-Fi Direct standard without access point intervention; and a display control unit, the control method comprising: controlling the display control unit to display a display object for a single capture, and extracting first connection information and second connection information from the display object, wherein the first connection information is connection information for establishing the direct communication with the communication device via a first method, including the SSID and password of the communication device, and is included in a first key group assigned a first identifier, and the second connection information is connection information for establishing the direct communication with the communication device via a second method different from the first method, and is included in a second key group assigned a second identifier.

[0013] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a control method for a communication device is provided, the communication device comprising: a communication unit for direct communication with an external device conforming to the Wi-Fi Direct standard without access point intervention; and a display control unit, the control method comprising: controlling the display control unit to display a first display object and a second display object, and controlling the display to display the first display object after displaying the second display object, wherein first connection information can be extracted from the first display object, the first connection information being connection information for establishing the direct communication with the communication device via a first method and including the SSID and password of the communication device, and second connection information can be extracted from the second display object, the second connection information including connection information for establishing the direct communication with the communication device via a second method different from the first method.

[0014] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a control method for an information processing apparatus is provided, the information processing apparatus comprising: a communication unit for direct communication with an external device conforming to the Wi-Fi Direct standard without access point intervention; an image sensor; an extraction unit; and a control unit, the control method comprising: extracting extraction information from objects detected in an image captured by the image sensor by the extraction unit; and, if the extracted information includes both first connection information and second connection information, controlling by the control unit to establish a connection with a communication device indicated by the second connection information based on the second connection information, wherein the first connection information is connection information for establishing the direct communication with the communication device via a first method, including the SSID and password of the communication device, and is included in a first key group assigned a first identifier, and the second connection information is connection information for establishing the direct communication via a second method different from the first method, and is included in a second key group assigned a second identifier.

[0015] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a control method is provided for a system including a communication device and an information processing device. The communication device includes: a communication unit for direct communication with an external device conforming to the Wi-Fi Direct standard without access point intervention; and a display control unit. The information processing device includes: a communication unit for direct communication with an external device conforming to the Wi-Fi Direct standard without access point intervention; an image sensor; an extraction unit; and a control unit. The control method includes: controlling the display control unit of the communication device to display a display object for a single image capture, and extracting first connection information and second connection information from the display object. The first connection information is connection information for direct communication with the communication device via a first method, including the SSID and password of the communication device, and is included in a first key group assigned a first identifier. The second connection information is for direct communication with the communication device via the first method. Connection information for direct communication with the communication device via a different second method is included in a second key group assigned a second identifier; extraction information is extracted from objects detected in an image captured by the image sensor by the extraction unit of the information processing device; and when the extraction information includes both first connection information and second connection information, control is performed by the control unit to establish a connection with the communication device indicated by the second connection information based on the second connection information, wherein the first connection information is connection information for direct communication via a first method and includes the SSID and password of the communication device, and the second connection information includes connection information for direct communication via a second method different from the first method.

[0016] With the above configuration, multiple Wi-Fi Direct standards can be preferably used.

[0017] The features of this disclosure will become apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following description of the embodiments is by way of example. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating an example of system construction;

[0019] Figure 2A and Figure 2B These are diagrams and block diagrams showing the layout of the MFP;

[0020] Figures 3A to 3C These are diagrams showing examples of displays on the operation display unit of the MFP;

[0021] Figure 4A and Figure 4B These are diagrams and block diagrams showing the arrangement of the mobile terminal devices;

[0022] Figure 5 This is a block diagram showing the layout of the access points;

[0023] Figure 6 This is a sequence diagram used to explain the connection processing of the traditional WFD standard;

[0024] Figure 7 This is a sequence diagram used to explain the connection processing of the new WFD standard;

[0025] Figure 8A-1 and Figure 8A-2 The flowchart illustrates the display of a QR code and the connection process with a terminal using an MFP according to an embodiment.

[0026] Figure 8B This is a flowchart illustrating the display of a QR code and the connection process with a terminal using an MFP according to an embodiment.

[0027] Figure 9A This is a flowchart illustrating the display of a QR code and the connection processing with a terminal in an MFP according to a variant of the embodiment.

[0028] Figure 9B This is a flowchart illustrating the display of a QR code and the connection processing with a terminal in an MFP according to a variant of the embodiment.

[0029] Figures 10A to 10D Each of the above figures illustrates an example of a QR code display according to an embodiment;

[0030] Figure 11A This is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the printing application software in a mobile terminal device.

[0031] Figure 11B This is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the printing application software in a mobile terminal device.

[0032] Figure 12A This is a flowchart illustrating the processing of application software in a universal QR code reader on a mobile terminal device; and

[0033] Figure 12B This is a flowchart illustrating the processing of application software in a universal QR code reader on a mobile terminal device. Detailed Implementation

[0034] Embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the embodiments are merely examples, and unless otherwise stated, actual examples such as components, processing steps, and display screens are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0035] When connecting a device and a communication device (such as a printer) using conventional methods, the device connects to the communication device via a wireless infrastructure connection. In other words, because the device connects to the communication device by treating it as an access point, it disconnects from the other access point. Therefore, even if the device is already connected to an external access point, the connection between the device and the external access point is temporarily lost. Then, even if the device can communicate with the communication device, it cannot communicate with the internet via the external access point. That is, for example, even if the device can receive and acquire images scanned by the communication device with scanning capabilities, it cannot upload the images received from the communication device to the internet in this state. To upload the received images to the internet, the direct connection with the communication device needs to be disconnected, and a reconnection with the access point needs to be established.

[0036] On the other hand, when the counterpart terminal supports simultaneous connection to wireless infrastructure and direct wireless connection, the wireless infrastructure connection can remain intact even if the counterpart terminal and printer are directly connected via the WFD R2 method. Therefore, for example, the counterpart terminal can receive and acquire images scanned by a communication device with scanning capabilities, and in this state, can upload the images received from the communication device to the Internet.

[0037] Considering the above, given the availability of both the traditional WFD connection method and the WFD R2 method, we prefer to use the WFD R2 method for connection.

[0038] On the other hand, in communication devices that support both conventional and WFD R2 connections, for example, consider dividing menu items into those for the conventional method and those for the WFD R2 method, and displaying a QR code for establishing a WFD connection via the method corresponding to the user's selected menu item. However, with this configuration, the user of the counterpart terminal does not know which menu item to select unless they know whether their counterpart terminal supports either the conventional or WFD R2 method of the WFD standard. In many cases, users cannot recognize the existence of multiple WFD methods, the characteristics of each method, or which method their own model supports.

[0039] In view of the above problems, this embodiment provides a mechanism to provide a better connection state and prevent the menu structure from becoming complicated when the user does not know which method, the traditional method or the WFDR2 method, will be used for connection.

[0040] (System Structure)

[0041] Figure 1An example of the construction of a system according to this embodiment is shown. In the example, the system is a wireless communication system in which multiple communication devices can communicate wirelessly with each other. Figure 1 In this example, the system includes: a mobile terminal device 104 and an MFP 100 as communication devices, an AP 101 as an access point, a DHCP server 103, and a network 110. The mobile terminal device 104 is a device with wireless communication capabilities via a wireless LAN, etc. Note that in the following text, a wireless LAN will sometimes be referred to as a WLAN. The mobile terminal device 104 can be a personal information terminal such as a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile phone (smartphone), a digital camera, a personal computer, etc.

[0042] MFP 100 is a printing device with printing capabilities, and may also have reading (scanner), fax, and telephone capabilities. According to this embodiment, MFP 100 has communication capabilities enabling wireless communication with mobile terminal device 104. In this embodiment, the use of MFP 100 will be exemplified, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, a scanner, projector, mobile terminal, smartphone, laptop, tablet computer, PDA, digital camera, music player, television, or smart speaker with communication capabilities can be used instead of MFP 100. Note that MFP is an abbreviation for "Multi Function Peripheral".

[0043] AP 101 is configured separately from mobile terminal device 104 and MFP 100 (configured externally to mobile terminal device 104 and MFP 100) and operates as a WLAN base station device. Communication devices with WLAN communication capabilities can communicate via AP 101 in WLAN infrastructure mode. Note that in the following text, the access point is sometimes referred to as an "AP". In the following text, the infrastructure mode is sometimes referred to as "wireless infrastructure mode". AP 101 wirelessly communicates with a communication device (to which AP 101 allows (authenticates) a connection) and relays wireless communication between the communication device and another communication device. AP 101 connects to, for example, a wired communication network and is capable of relaying communication between a communication device connected to the wired communication network and another communication device wirelessly connected to AP 101.

[0044] DHCP server 103 connects to MFP 100 via AP 101 and network 110, and provides services to MFP 100 in response to requests from MFP 100. Note that reference has been made. Figure 1The DHCP server 103 is described as being connected as a separate device from AP 101, but AP 101 can be configured to have DHCP server functionality. DNS server 105 is connected to MFP 100 or mobile terminal device 104 via AP 101 and network 110, and provides name resolution services in response to requests from MFP 100 or mobile terminal device 104. Network 110 can be the so-called Internet, a closed office network, or a mobile phone network.

[0045] (MFP exterior layout)

[0046] Figure 2A An example of the external layout of an MFP 100 is shown. The MFP 100 includes, for example, a document tray 201, a document cover 202, a print sheet insertion port 203, a print sheet discharge port 204, and an operation display unit 205. The document tray 201 is a tray for placing the document to be read. The document cover 202 is a cover that presses the document onto the document tray 201 and prevents light leakage from the light source illuminating the document during reading. The print sheet insertion port 203 is an insertion port for sheets of various sizes. The print sheet discharge port 204 is a discharge port for discharging the printed sheet. The sheets placed at the print sheet insertion port 203 are fed one by one to the printing unit and discharged from the print sheet discharge port 204 after being printed by the printing unit. The operation display unit 205 includes keys such as character input keys, cursor keys, an OK key, and a cancel key, LEDs, and an LCD, and is configured to accept activation of various functions of the MFP and various settings performed by the user. The operation display unit 205 may include a touch panel display. The MFP 100 has WLAN wireless communication capabilities and includes a wireless communication antenna 206 for wireless communication, which does not always need to be visible externally. Similar to the mobile terminal device 104, the MFP 100 can conduct wireless communication via WLAN in the 2.4 GHz band, 5 GHz band, and 6 GHz band.

[0047] (MFP setup)

[0048] Figure 2BAn example of the arrangement of an MFP 100 is shown. The MFP 100 includes a motherboard 211 and a wireless unit 226. The motherboard 211 performs main control of the MFP 100, and the wireless unit 226 serves as a communication module for WLAN communication using at least one common antenna. The MFP 100 also includes a modem 229 for, for example, wired communication. The motherboard 211 includes, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) 212, ROM 213, RAM 214, non-volatile memory 215, image memory 216, a read control unit 217, a data conversion unit 218, a read unit 219, and an encoding / decoding processing unit 221. The motherboard 211 also includes, for example, a printing unit 222, a sheet feed unit 223, a print control unit 224, an operation display unit 220, and a FAX control unit 227. The functional units in the motherboard 211 are interconnected via a system bus 230 managed by the CPU 212. The motherboard 211 and the wireless unit 226 are connected via, for example, a dedicated bus 225, and the motherboard 211 and the modem 229 are connected via, for example, a bus 228.

[0049] CPU 212 is a system control unit including at least one processor and controls the entire MFP 100. In this example, the processing of the MFP 100, described below, is implemented by CPU 212 executing programs stored in ROM 213. Note that dedicated hardware can be prepared for each processing step. ROM 213 stores control programs, embedded OS programs, etc., to be executed by CPU 212. In this embodiment, CPU 212 executes the control programs stored in ROM 213 under the management of the embedded OS, which is also stored in ROM 213, thereby performing software control such as scheduling or task switching.

[0050] RAM 214 is composed of SRAM, etc. RAM 214 stores data such as program control variables, as well as user-registered settings and management data of the MFP 100. RAM 214 can be used as various work buffers. Non-volatile memory 215 is composed of memory such as flash memory, and retains stored data even when the MFP 100 is turned off. Image memory 216 is composed of memory such as DRAM. Image memory 216 accumulates image data received via wireless unit 226, image data processed by encoding / decoding processing unit 221, etc. Note that the memory structure of the MFP 100 is not limited to the above-described structure. Data conversion unit 218 performs various forms of data analysis, conversion from image data to print data, etc.

[0051] The readout control unit 217 controls the readout unit 219 (e.g., a contact image sensor (CIS)) to optically read the original document on the document stage 201. The readout control unit 217 converts the image obtained by optically reading the original document into electrical image data (image signal) and outputs the image data. At this time, the readout control unit 217 can output the image data after performing various image processing such as binarization and halftone processing.

[0052] The operation display unit 220 is a reference Figure 2A The described operation display unit 205 performs display on the display based on display control of CPU 212, signal generation in response to user operation, etc.

[0053] The encoding / decoding processing unit 221 performs encoding, decoding, and scaling processing on the image data (JPEG, PNG, etc.) processed by the MFP 100.

[0054] The sheet feed unit 223 holds the sheet to be printed. The sheet feed unit 223 can supply the set sheet under the control of the print control unit 224. The sheet feed unit 223 may include multiple sheet feed units to hold multiple types of sheet in one device, and can control which sheet feed unit feeds the sheet under the control of the print control unit 224.

[0055] The print control unit 224 performs various image processing operations on the image data to be printed, such as smoothing, print density correction, and color correction, and outputs the processed image data to the print unit 222. The print unit 222 is configured to perform printing processing via, for example, an inkjet printing method, and ejects ink supplied from the ink cartridge from the print head to print an image on a printing medium such as a sheet. Note that the print unit 222 can also be configured to perform another printing process via an electrophotographic method, etc. The print control unit 224 can periodically read information from the print unit 222 and update status information, etc., stored in RAM 214, including the remaining ink cartridge level and the print head status.

[0056] Wireless unit 226 is a unit capable of providing WLAN communication functionality, and can provide functions similar to, for example, those combined with WLAN unit 401 of mobile terminal device 104. That is, wireless unit 226 converts data into data packets according to the WLAN standard and sends these data packets to another device. Furthermore, wireless unit 226 recovers the original data based on data packets from another external device and outputs the data to CPU 212. Wireless unit 226 can communicate as a station conforming to the IEEE 802.11 standard family. Specifically, wireless unit 226 can communicate as a station conforming to IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax. Hereinafter, this station will sometimes be referred to as a STA.

[0057] Wireless unit 226 conforms to IEEE 802.11ax (i.e., Wi-Fi 6). TM It is capable of processing compliant with IEEE 802.11ax. That is, the MFP 100 can operate as either a STA supporting (compliant) OFDMA or a STA supporting (compliant) TWT. OFDMA is an abbreviation for "Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access." TWT is an abbreviation for "Target Wake Time." Because the MFP 100 supports TWT, the timing of data communication from the master device to the STA is adjusted. When there is no need to wait for signal reception, the wireless unit 226 (MFP 100) acting as the STA switches the communication function to sleep mode. This reduces power consumption. The wireless unit 226 also supports Wi-Fi 6E. TM In other words, wireless unit 226 can communicate even in the 6 GHz band (5.925 GHz to 7.125 GHz). The target band present in the 5 GHz band where Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) is performed does not exist in the 6 GHz band. Therefore, communication drops due to DFS standby time will not occur in 6 GHz band communication, and smoother communication can be expected. In this example, processing conforming to IEEE 802.11ax is performed, but mobile terminal device 104 and MFP 100 can operate according to another standard in the IEEE 802.11 family. For example, mobile terminal device 104 and MFP 100 can conform to standards after IEEE 802.11be.

[0058] Note that mobile terminal device 104 and MFP 100 can perform WFD-based P2P (WLAN) communication, and wireless unit 226 has software access point (software AP) functionality or group owner functionality. That is, wireless unit 226 can build a P2P communication network and determine the channel to use in P2P communication. WFD is based on standards developed by the Wi-Fi Alliance. Wireless unit 226 can also operate as a WFD client.

[0059] (MFP Operation Display Unit)

[0060] Figures 3A to 3C Each schematically illustrates an example of a screen display on a monitor (touch panel display) included in the operation display unit 220 of the MFP 100. Figure 3A This shows an example of the main screen displayed when the MFP 100 is powered on and not performing operations such as printing or scanning (idle or standby state). Figure 3A The display shows menu items corresponding to Copy, Scan, and Cloud. The Cloud menu item relates to cloud functions using internet communication. When any menu item is selected via button or touch panel operation, the MFP 100 can begin executing the corresponding settings or functions. The MFP100... Figure 3A The main screen accepts button or touch panel operations and can be seamlessly displayed with... Figure 3A The different scenes in the video.

[0061] Figure 3B This shows an example of another portion of the main screen. This screen is accessed through actions that display another page of the main screen (e.g., swiping left or right). Figure 3A The state transition within. In Figure 3B The menu items are displayed in the middle and correspond to communication settings, printing, and photos. When any menu item is selected, the function corresponding to the selected menu item is executed, which is any one of the printing function, photo function, and communication settings.

[0062] Figure 3C Shown in Figure 3BThis is an example of the communication settings menu screen displayed when selecting communication settings on the screen. The communication settings menu screen displays menu items (options) "Wireless LAN", "Wired LAN", "Wireless Direct", "Bluetooth", and "General Settings". "Wireless LAN", "Wired LAN", and "Wireless Direct" are menu items used for LAN settings. From these items, you can make settings such as wired connection settings, enabling / disabling wireless infrastructure mode, and enabling / disabling P2P modes (such as WFD or software AP mode). When the "Wireless LAN" item is selected and wireless LAN is enabled through user operation, wireless infrastructure mode is enabled. When the "Wireless Direct" item is selected and wireless direct is enabled through user operation, P2P (WLAN) mode is enabled. This screen also displays a general settings menu for various connection types. Users can configure the wireless LAN's frequency band and frequency channel from this screen.

[0063] (Appearance and layout of mobile terminal devices)

[0064] Figure 4A This is a diagram illustrating an example of the external arrangement of a mobile terminal device 104. In this embodiment, the mobile terminal device 104 is illustrated as a typical form of smartphone. Note that the mobile terminal device 104 includes, for example, a display unit 402, an operation unit 403, and a power button 404. The display unit 402 is, for example, a display including a liquid crystal display (LCD) type display mechanism. Note that the display unit 402 may use, for example, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to display information. In addition to or replacing the display unit 402, the mobile terminal device 104 may also have the function of outputting information via audio. The operation unit 403 includes hardware keys (such as keys and buttons) and a touch panel for detecting user operations. Note that in this example, a common touch panel display is used for displaying information on the display unit 402 and accepting user operations performed through the operation unit 403, and the display unit 402 and the operation unit 403 are implemented by a single device. In this case, for example, the display function of the display unit 402 is used to display button icons and a soft keyboard, and the operation acceptance function of the operation unit 403 detects the user's touch on these parts. Note that the display unit 402 and the operation unit 403 can also be separated, with display hardware and operation receiving hardware prepared separately. The power button 404 is a hardware button used to accept user operations to turn the mobile terminal device 104 on or off.

[0065] Mobile terminal device 104 includes a WLAN unit 401 that provides WLAN communication functionality, although the WLAN unit 401 does not always need to be outwardly visible. The WLAN unit 401 is configured to perform data (packet) communication in a WLAN system conforming to, for example, the IEEE 802.11 standard family (e.g., IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax). The WLAN unit 401 can function as a Wi-FiAgile Multiband compliant device. TM The WLAN unit 401 communicates with the AP. However, the WLAN unit 401 is not limited to this and can perform communication in a WLAN system conforming to another standard. Note that this example assumes that the WLAN unit 401 can communicate in the 2.4 GHz band, 5 GHz band, and 6 GHz band. Furthermore, the WLAN unit 401 can perform WFD-based communication, communication in software AP mode, communication in wireless infrastructure mode, etc. Operation in these modes will be described later.

[0066] (Arrangement of mobile terminal devices)

[0067] Figure 4B An example of the arrangement of a mobile terminal device 104 is shown. In this example, the mobile terminal device 104 includes a motherboard 411 for main control of the mobile terminal device 104 and a WLAN unit 429 for WLAN communication. The motherboard 411 includes, for example, a CPU 412, a ROM 413, a RAM 414, an image memory 415, a data conversion unit 416, a telephone unit 417, a GPS 419, a camera unit 421, a non-volatile memory 422, a data accumulation unit 423, a speaker unit 424, and a power supply unit 425. CPU is an abbreviation for "Central Processing Unit", ROM is an abbreviation for "Read Only Memory", RAM is an abbreviation for "Random Access Memory", and GPS is an abbreviation for "Global Positioning System". The mobile terminal device 104 also includes a display unit 420 and an operation unit 418. The functional units in the motherboard 411 are connected to each other via a system bus 628 managed by the CPU 412. The motherboard 411 and the WLAN unit 429 (the aforementioned WLAN unit 401) are connected via, for example, a dedicated bus 426.

[0068] CPU 412 is a system control unit including at least one processor and controls the entire mobile terminal device 104. In this example, the processing of the mobile terminal device 104, described below, is implemented by CPU 412 executing programs stored in ROM 413. Note that dedicated hardware can be prepared for each processing step. ROM 413 stores control programs, embedded operating system (OS) programs, etc., to be executed by CPU 412. In this embodiment, CPU 412 executes the control programs stored in ROM 413 under the management of the embedded OS, which is also stored in ROM 413, thereby performing software control such as scheduling or task switching.

[0069] RAM 414 is composed of static RAM (SRAM) or the like. RAM 414 stores data such as program control variables, as well as data such as user-registered settings and management data of the mobile terminal device 104. RAM 414 can be used as various working buffers. Image memory 415 is composed of memory such as dynamic RAM (DRAM). Image memory 415 temporarily stores image data received via WLAN unit 429 and image data read from data accumulation unit 423 for processing by CPU 412. Non-volatile memory 422 is composed of memory such as flash memory and can continuously store data even after the mobile terminal device 104 is turned off. Note that the memory structure of the mobile terminal device 104 is not limited to the above-described structure. For example, image memory 415 and RAM 414 can be shared, or data accumulation unit 423 can be used for data backup, etc. In this embodiment, DRAM is exemplified as image memory 415, but another storage medium such as hard disk or non-volatile memory can be used.

[0070] The data conversion unit 416 performs various forms of data analysis and data conversion such as color conversion or image conversion. The telephone unit 417 controls the telephone line and processes audio data input / output via the speaker unit 424, thereby enabling telephone communication. The GPS 419 receives radio waves transmitted from satellites and obtains location information of the mobile terminal device 104, such as its current latitude and longitude.

[0071] Camera unit 421 has the function of electronically recording and encoding images input through the lens. Image data acquired by camera unit 421 is stored in data accumulation unit 423. Speaker unit 424 controls voice input or output functions for telephone functions and functions such as alarm notifications. Power unit 425 is, for example, a portable battery, and controls the power supply of the device. Power states include, for example, a battery depletion state, a power-off state where the power button 404 is not pressed, an active state where the mobile terminal device 104 is normally activated, and a power-saving state where the mobile terminal device 104 is activated but power is being saved.

[0072] Display unit 420 is a reference Figure 4A The described display unit 402 displays various input operations, the operating status of the MFP 100, and status conditions, etc., based on the control of the CPU 412. The operation unit 418 is referenced... Figure 4A The described operation unit 403 performs the following control when receiving user operation: generates an electrical signal corresponding to the operation and outputs it to CPU 412.

[0073] Mobile terminal device 104 uses WLAN unit 429 for wireless communication and data communication with another device, such as MFP 100. WLAN unit 429 converts data into data packets and sends these packets to the other device. Furthermore, WLAN unit 429 recovers the original data from data packets from another external device and outputs the data to CPU 412. WLAN unit 429 is a unit for implementing communication compliant with the WLAN standard. WLAN unit 429 can operate simultaneously in at least two communication modes, including wireless infrastructure mode and P2P (WLAN) mode. Note that the frequency bands used in these communication modes may be limited by hardware capabilities and performance.

[0074] (Access point deployment)

[0075] Figure 5 This is a block diagram showing the arrangement of AP 101, which has wireless LAN access point functionality. AP 101 includes: a main board 510 for controlling AP 101, a wireless LAN unit 516, a wired LAN unit 518, and operation buttons 520.

[0076] A microprocessor-type CPU 511, located on the motherboard 510, operates according to the control program stored in a ROM-type program memory 513 connected via an internal bus 512 and the contents of a RAM-type data memory 514. The CPU 511 performs wireless LAN communication with another communication terminal device by controlling a wireless LAN unit 516 via a wireless LAN communication control unit 515. The CPU 511 performs wired LAN communication with another communication terminal device by controlling a wired LAN unit 518 via a wired LAN communication control unit 517. The CPU 511 can accept user input via operation buttons 520 through a control operation unit control circuit 519. The CPU 511 includes at least one processor.

[0077] AP 101 also includes an interference detection unit 521 and a channel changing unit 522. When wireless communication is performed in a frequency band where Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) is performed, the interference detection unit 521 performs interference detection processing. When wireless communication is performed in a frequency band where DFS is performed, if interference is detected and the channel must be immediately changed to an idle channel, the channel changing unit 522 performs channel changing processing.

[0078] (P2P communication method)

[0079] Next, we will provide a general explanation of P2P (WLAN) communication methods, in which devices directly communicate wirelessly with each other without the intervention of an external access point. Various methods can be used to implement P2P (WLAN) communication. For example, communication devices support multiple modes for P2P (WLAN) communication and can perform P2P (WLAN) communication by selectively using any of these modes.

[0080] As a P2P model, let's assume the following two modes:

[0081] Software AP mode

[0082] Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) mode

[0083] A communication device capable of performing P2P communication can be configured to support at least one of these modes. However, even a communication device capable of performing P2P communication does not need to support all of these modes, and can be configured to support only some of them.

[0084] A communication device with WFD communication capability (e.g., mobile terminal device 104) accepts user operations via an operation unit and invokes an application (in some cases, a dedicated application) to implement the communication function. The communication device can display a user interface (UI) screen provided by the application to prompt the user for operation and perform WFD communication based on the user operations accepted in the response.

[0085] ●Software AP mode

[0086] In software AP mode, the communication device (e.g., mobile terminal device 104) operates as a client requesting various services. Another communication device (e.g., MFP 100) operates as a software AP capable of performing WLAN AP functions through software settings. Note that the commands and parameters sent / received when establishing a wireless connection between the client and the software AP are determined by... The standard-defined commands and parameters are sufficient, so their description will be omitted here. In software AP mode, the MFP 100 acts as the master station, determining the frequency band and frequency channel. The MFP 100 can select which frequency band—2.4GHz, 5GHz, or 6GHz—to use, and which frequency channel within that band. In software AP mode, no negotiation is required to determine the role, nor is compliance with the Wi-Fi Alliance's WFD standard necessary.

[0087] ●WFD mode

[0088] The MFP 100 can be statically activated as the master station (Autonomous Group Owner) in WFD mode. Note that the Autonomous Group Owner will sometimes be referred to as Auto GO below. In this case, the GO negotiation process used to determine roles becomes unnecessary. Furthermore, in this case, the MFP 100, as the master station, determines the frequency band and frequency channel. The MFP 100 can choose which frequency band—2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, or 6 GHz—to use, and which frequency channel within that band. In WFD mode, it can be configured to negotiate (GO negotiation) to determine the device operating as both the group owner and client, respectively.

[0089] (Wireless Infrastructure Mode)

[0090] In wireless infrastructure mode, communication devices (e.g., mobile terminal devices 104 and MFP100) that communicate with each other connect to an external access point (AP) (e.g., AP 101) that controls the entire network, and communication between the communication devices occurs via the AP. In other words, communication between the communication devices occurs via a network constructed by the external AP. Each of the mobile terminal devices 104 and MFP100 finds AP 101, sends a connection request to AP 101, and connects to AP 101, thereby enabling communication between these communication devices in wireless infrastructure mode via AP 101. Note that multiple communication devices can connect to a single AP. In this case, communication between the communication devices becomes possible by forwarding data between APs. The commands and parameters sent / received in communication between communication devices via the access point are those defined by the Wi-Fi standard, and therefore their description will be omitted here. In this case, AP 101 determines the frequency band and frequency channel. AP 101 can choose which frequency band, 5GHz band, or 6GHz band to use, and which frequency channel within that band.

[0091] Assume that WFD includes both traditional and new standard methods. That is, within the WFD standard, there are multiple methods across different standard versions. In the following text, the traditional WFD method will be referred to as WFD R1, while the newer WFD method will be referred to as WFD R2. WFD R1 and WFD R2 differ in their device search and parameter exchange methods.

[0092] (Connection processing in the traditional WFD standard)

[0093] Mobile terminal device 104 and MFP 100 support the function of being released to the public as Wi-Fi Direct. Wi-Fi Direct is a function that enables the establishment of a private Wi-Fi network without requiring an internet connection through a Wi-Fi Direct-enabled device. More specifically, even in environments without AP 101, Wi-Fi Direct-enabled devices like mobile terminal device 104 and MFP 100 can directly connect to each other.

[0094] Figure 6 This is a sequence diagram illustrating the process of connecting mobile terminal device 104 and MFP 100 according to the WFD standard. Figure 6 The processing sequence of WFD R1 is shown. The processing, executed by each device in this sequence, is achieved by reading various programs stored in the memory (such as ROM) of each device into RAM and executing these programs by the CPU of each device.

[0095] For example, when each of the mobile terminal devices 104 and MFP 100 receives a WFD start command from the user, the sequence processing begins. Upon receiving the WFD start command from the user, each of the mobile terminal devices 104 and MFP 100 searches for a partner device by repeatedly switching between a listening state and a search state. Prior to these states, there may be a period of scanning various channels. For example, in the listening state, the device selects channel 1 in the 2.4 GHz band and waits for a probe request frame from another communication device. In the search state, the device sends a probe request frame while switching frequency channels (e.g., channel 1, 6, or 11) and waits for a probe response frame.

[0096] In S601, mobile terminal device 104 sends a probe request frame to search for WFD communication devices. The search is conducted by sending the probe request frame to find a partner device on the search side. It is assumed here that the search-side communication device is mobile terminal device 104, and the searched partner device is MFP 100. The probe request frame includes WFD attributes (P2P IE), thus specifying the search target as a WFD communication device.

[0097] In S602, upon receiving a probe request frame, MFP 100 sends a probe response frame. After receiving the probe response frame sent by MFP 100, mobile terminal device 104 detects MFP 100 as a WFD communication partner. Note that each of the probe request frame and probe response frame includes a P2P IE and can include multi-link elements. Multi-link elements can include communication parameters for multi-link communication as defined by the IEEE 802.11be standard. This allows multiple links to be established between communication devices through a single connection process. As described above, in WFD R1, the presence of another communication device can be detected through a first search process using probe request frames / probe response frames. This first search process is the search sequence of WFD R1.

[0098] In S603, mobile terminal device 104 and MFP 100 perform GO negotiation processing. During GO negotiation processing, the channel to be used for direct wireless communication can be determined. In GO negotiation processing, mobile terminal device 104 and MFP 100 send or receive GO negotiation request / response frames, which include an intent value indicating the degree to which the device wants to become a GO. The roles of P2P group owner (GO) and P2P client are determined through the GO negotiation request / response frames. MFP 100 can be statically activated as the master station (GO) (autonomous group owner) in WFD mode. In this case, the GO negotiation processing for determining roles becomes unnecessary. MFP 100 performs GO negotiation processing by setting its intent value to the maximum value of 15, but can always operate as a GO. In this case, MFP 100, as the master station, determines the frequency band and frequency channel for direct wireless communication. Therefore, MFP 100 can choose which frequency band, either the 2.4 GHz band or the 5 GHz band, and which frequency channel within that band to use.

[0099] In S604, mobile terminal device 104 and MFP 100 handle the exchange of communication parameters via Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS). Communication parameters can include parameters used for wireless communication, such as Service Set Identifier (SSID), encryption method, encryption key, authentication method, AKM, BSSID, and MAC address. AKM is an abbreviation for "Authentication and Key Management." AKM indicates the key exchange algorithm or authentication protocol used for wireless communication. For example, if AKM indicates "SAE," the communication parameters can include a password for connecting to a GO or AP compliant with Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) 3. If AKM indicates "psk," the communication parameters can include a pre-shared key (PSK) / password for connecting to a GO or AP compliant with WPA 2. If AKM indicates "1X," the communication parameters can include an ID, password, and a public key for connecting to an AP compliant with WPA Enterprise. Note that when authentication / key exchange is based on WPA or IEEE 802.11, the password and PSK / password are encryption keys. The WPS process in S604 is a communication parameter exchange sequence for WFD R1. Based on the process in S604, the channel used in S601 can be changed to the channel used in S603 for communication.

[0100] In S605, when it is determined that MFP 100 is performing a GO operation, MFP 100 begins transmitting beacon frames. The beacon frames may include communication parameters for communicating with MFP 100. The beacon frames may include information elements and attributes defined by the WFD standard. This allows communication devices other than mobile terminal device 104 to detect the presence of MFP 100 and establish a direct wireless communication connection with it. For example, another communication device can detect the presence of MFP 100 by receiving beacon frames that include information defined by the WFD standard.

[0101] In S606, the mobile terminal device 104 sends a probe request frame to initiate a connection process with the MFP 100. In S607, upon receiving the probe request frame, the MFP 100 sends a probe response frame.

[0102] In S608, the mobile terminal device 104 sends an authentication frame. In S609, the MFP100 sends an authentication frame upon receiving the authentication frame.

[0103] In S610, when the mobile terminal device 104 receives the authentication frame, it sends an association request frame. In S611, when the MFP 100 receives the association request frame, it sends an association response frame.

[0104] In S612, the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 perform a four-way handshake. By performing the connection procedure, a connection is established between the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100.

[0105] Although not shown in the above sequence, mobile terminal device 104 and MFP 100 can send or receive provision discovery request / response frames. The above processing of mobile terminal device 104 and MFP 100 can be reversed.

[0106] (Connection processing of the new WFD standard)

[0107] Figure 7 This is a sequence diagram illustrating the process of connecting mobile terminal device 104 and MFP 100 according to the WFD standard. Figure 7 The processing sequence of WFD R2 is shown. The processing, executed by each device in this sequence, is achieved by reading various programs stored in the memory (such as ROM) of each device into RAM and executing these programs by the CPU of each device.

[0108] For example, when each of the mobile terminal devices 104 and MFP 100 receives a WFD start command from a user, sequence processing begins. In the WFD R2 search sequence, a second search process is performed. An example of the search process through the second search process is shown. During the search process, each of the mobile terminal devices 104 and MFP 100 performs processing based on whether its own device is a service-providing side communication device or a service-requesting side communication device, and detects another communication device. A service-providing side communication device can be referred to as a publisher, listener, advertiser, etc. A service-requesting side communication device can be referred to as a subscriber, searcher, seeker, etc. For example, a service-requesting side communication device can send frames to detect another communication device. A service-providing side communication device can receive frames sent by another communication device and respond to them. The role assigned to a communication device can be determined by the upper layer (service layer, etc.). (Refer to...) Figure 7 An example is described below: Mobile terminal device 104 operates as a service requesting side communication device, and MFP 100 operates as a service providing side communication device. For example, mobile terminal device 104 intermittently performs detection operations and sends frames to detect another communication device. For example, in the second search process, the mechanism of the Wi-Fi Aware standard developed by the Wi-Fi Alliance can be used. That is, frames defined by the Wi-Fi Aware standard can be used as communication frames in the second search process. Not only the Wi-Fi Aware standard, but other service search protocols and methods can also be used in the second search process.

[0109] In S701, mobile terminal device 104 sends a service discovery frame to search for WFD communication devices. It is assumed here that mobile terminal device 104 uses channel 6 in the 2.4 GHz band to send the service discovery frame. By sending the service discovery frame, a searchable partner device is searched. It is assumed here that the searched communication device is mobile terminal device 104, and the searched partner device is MFP 100. The service discovery frame includes WFD attributes, thus specifying that the search target is a WFD communication device.

[0110] In S702, when MFP 100 receives a service discovery frame, it sends a service discovery frame. This sent service discovery frame can be referred to as an SDF follow-up. Mobile terminal device 104 detects MFP 100 as a WFD communication partner by receiving the service discovery frame. The aforementioned second search process is the search sequence for WFD R2. Because the first search process for WFD R1 and the second search process for WFD R2 are different in method, the WFD R2 method cannot search for communication devices that only conform to WFD R1. Conversely, the WFD R1 method cannot search for communication devices that only conform to WFD R2.

[0111] In S703, the mobile terminal device 104 sends a bootstrapping request frame. This request concerns a method for exchanging communication parameters. Using this frame, the mobile terminal device 104 can notify the MFP 100 of an exchanging method it can execute, such as a button press, PIN code, password, QR code, or NFC tag. For example, if the mobile terminal device 104 can use a QR code to perform the exchange method, it can indicate whether it can display a QR code or read a QR code. If the mobile terminal device 104 can use a password to perform the exchange method, it can indicate whether it can use a string or a number, or both. Note that if the mobile terminal device 104 can use a password to perform the exchange method, it can indicate whether it can display a password or input a password. Furthermore, the mobile terminal device 104 can indicate whether a button press can be used as a trigger for exchanging communication parameters. The information notified by the mobile terminal device 104 is not limited to this.

[0112] In S704, in response to a request to use a bootstrapping request frame, MFP 100 sends a response to mobile terminal device 104 using a bootstrapping response frame. As an example, MFP 100 can select a switching method executable by itself from the switching methods included in the request from mobile terminal device 104 and transmit a response including information specifying the switching method. If no switching method is executable by its own device among the switching methods included in the request, a response including information indicating this situation can be transmitted.

[0113] In S705, bootstrapping processing is performed using an exchange method determined between the communication devices for exchanging communication parameters, thereby exchanging communication parameters. For example, MFP 100 displays a QR code, and mobile terminal device 104 reads the QR code, thereby exchanging communication parameters. The bootstrapping processing in S705 is the communication parameter exchange sequence of WFD R2.

[0114] In S706, mutual authentication can be performed via PASN authentication. PASN is an abbreviation for "Preassociation Security Negotiation". Communication parameters used with PASN can include the public keys of each communication device. These PASN communication parameters can be exchanged using methods not defined in the WFD standard, such as Bluetooth. Alternatively, a temporary network including an AP can be formed, and communication devices can connect to this network to obtain communication parameters. In PASN, mobile terminal device 104 and MFP 100 can perform GO negotiation processing. In GO negotiation processing, the channel used for direct wireless communication can be determined. The roles of the P2P group owner (GO) and the P2P client are also determined. MFP 100 can be statically activated as the master station (autonomous group owner) in WFD mode. In this case, GO negotiation processing for determining roles becomes unnecessary. MFP 100 performs GO negotiation processing by setting its intent value to the maximum value of 15, but can always operate as the GO. In this scenario, the MFP 100, acting as the master station, determines the frequency band and frequency channel to be used for direct wireless communication. Therefore, the MFP 100 can choose which frequency band—2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, or 6 GHz—to use, and which frequency channel within that band. In WFD R1, the frequency bands available for direct wireless communication are the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, but in WFD R2, the available frequency bands are the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands. Unlike WFD R1, in WFD R2, the role determination is made after exchanging communication parameters. Starting with the processing in S707, the channel used in S701 can be changed to the channel used in S706 for communication.

[0115] In S707, when it is determined that MFP 100 is performing a GO operation, MFP 100 begins sending beacon frames. The beacon frames may include communication parameters for communicating with MFP 100. The beacon frames may include information elements and attributes defined by the WFD standard. This allows communication devices other than mobile terminal device 104 to detect the presence of MFP 100 and establish a connection with it. For example, another communication device can detect the presence of MFP 100 by receiving beacon frames that include information defined by the WFD standard.

[0116] In S708, the mobile terminal device 104 sends a probe request frame to initiate a connection process with the MFP 100. In S709, upon receiving the probe request frame, the MFP 100 sends a probe response frame.

[0117] In S710, the mobile terminal device 104 sends an authentication frame. In S711, the MFP 100 sends an authentication frame upon receiving the authentication frame.

[0118] In S712, the mobile terminal device 104 sends an association request frame upon receiving an authentication frame. In S713, the MFP100 sends an association response frame upon receiving the association request frame.

[0119] In S714, mobile terminal device 104 and MFP 100 perform a four-way handshake. By performing the connection procedure, a connection is established between mobile terminal device 104 and MFP 100.

[0120] The above processing of mobile terminal device 104 and MFP 100 can be reversed. Assume that P2PIE can indicate whether the device conforms to WFD R1 or WFD R2.

[0121] Note that the autonomous group owner will sometimes be referred to as Auto GO in the following text.

[0122] (For direct connection device registration processing)

[0123] Figures 8A-1 to 8B This is a flowchart illustrating the process associated with the display of a QR code in the MFP 100 for direct connection to an external device such as a mobile terminal device. The QR code is used to register a device such as the MFP 100 in the mobile terminal device 104. The mobile terminal device 104 reads the QR code displayed on the screen included in the operation display unit 220 of the MFP 100, decodes the information encoded as the QR code, and uses it to register the MFP 100 in the mobile terminal device 104. The mobile terminal device 104 can establish a direct connection with the registered MFP 100, send print jobs to the MFP 100, and cause the MFP 100 to execute the print jobs. Figures 8A-1 to 8B This includes the process from when the MFP 100 displays a QR code for direct connection to when a connection is established with the mobile terminal device 104. Note that this can be achieved through... Figure 6 or Figure 7 The sequence shown establishes a connection between MFP 100 and mobile terminal device 104. Figures 8A-1 to 8B The process shown begins upon activation of the MFP 100, but this disclosure is not limited to activation, and the process can be executed from step S802 according to a device registration instruction. This is achieved by deploying (or loading) the program recorded in the MFP 100's non-volatile memory 215 to RAM 214 and executing the program by the CPU 212. Figures 8A-1 to 8B The process is shown below. When the MFP 100 is powered on, it begins... Figures 8A-1 to 8BThe process is illustrated below. Note that in the following text, direct connection will sometimes be referred to as direct communication. Direct communication is communication compliant with the Wi-Fi Direct standard. In this embodiment, two methods are used as direct communication methods. The conventional WFD method as the first method is a conventional method compliant with the Wi-Fi Direct standard. The WFD R2 method as the second method is a Wi-Fi Direct version 2 compliant method compliant with the Wi-Fi Direct standard.

[0124] In step S801, CPU 212 performs activation processing for MFP 100. If infrastructure connectivity is enabled in the network settings, connection processing with external access points is performed. If direct connectivity is enabled, WFD R1 and WFD R2 search processing are performed.

[0125] In step S802, the CPU 212 displays a reference on the display included in the operation display unit 220. Figure 3A and Figure 3B The main screen described.

[0126] In step S803, CPU 212 determines whether the communication settings option has been selected on the main screen. If it is determined that the communication settings have been selected, the process proceeds to step S807; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S804.

[0127] In step S804, CPU 212 determines whether another operation has been performed. The other operation is an operation not related to communication setup, and is, for example, a copy command, a scan command, a cloud service usage command, etc. If it is determined that another operation has been performed, the process proceeds to step S805; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S806.

[0128] In step S805, CPU 212 performs processing corresponding to other operations. For example, it performs processing corresponding to copying, scanning, or cloud service operations.

[0129] In step S806, CPU 212 determines whether a termination event has occurred. A termination event is, for example, the operation of shutting down MFP 100. If a termination event is determined to have occurred, then... Figures 8A-1 to 8B The process shown ends; otherwise, the process returns to step S803 to wait for operation.

[0130] In step S807, the CPU 212 displays a reference on the display included in the operation display unit 220. Figure 3C The described communication settings menu.

[0131] In step S808, CPU 212 determines whether "Wireless Direct Connection" has been selected from the multiple menu items included in the communication settings menu. If "Wireless Direct Connection" is selected, the process proceeds to step S810; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S809.

[0132] In step S809, processing is performed corresponding to the menu item selected from the communication settings menu. A detailed description of this process will be omitted. Afterward, the process returns to step S802.

[0133] In step S810, the CPU 212 displays a wireless direct connection menu screen on the display included in the operation display unit 220. The wireless direct connection menu screen includes items for changing and displaying settings related to wireless direct connection, as well as items indicating the execution of wireless direct connection. For example, the wireless direct connection menu screen displays multiple menu items, including "Settings Information Display", "Connect to Smartphone", "Enable / Disable Wireless Direct Connection Switch", "Change Network Name (SSID)", and "Change Password".

[0134] In step S811, CPU 212 determines whether "Connect to smartphone" has been selected from the multiple menu items included in the wireless direct connection menu screen. If it is determined that "Connect to smartphone" has been selected, the process proceeds to step S820; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S812.

[0135] In step S812, CPU 212 determines whether "Change Network Name (SSID)" has been selected from the multiple menu items included in the Wireless Direct Connection menu screen. If it is determined that "Change Network Name (SSID)" has been selected, the process proceeds to step S813; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S814.

[0136] In step S813, CPU 212 accepts a setting change operation from the user, which in this example is a network name change operation. More specifically, it accepts character input for changing a portion of the string for the Wireless Direct Connection (WFD) SSID to a string arbitrarily set by the user. The combination of the input string and the predetermined string is the SSID of MFP 100 in WFD, and is stored in non-volatile memory 215 as at least a portion of the Wireless Direct Connection setting information.

[0137] In step S814, CPU 212 determines whether "Change Password" has been selected from the multiple menu items included in the Wireless Direct Connection menu screen. If it is determined that "Change Password" has been selected, the process proceeds to step S815; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S816.

[0138] In step S815, CPU 212 accepts a setting change operation from the user, in this example a password (access key) change operation. More specifically, it accepts character input for changing the string used as the WFD password to a string arbitrarily set by the user. In this example, the input string is the WFD password and is stored in non-volatile memory 215 as at least part of the wireless direct connection setting information.

[0139] In step S816, CPU 212 determines whether another menu item has been selected from the multiple menu items included in the Wireless Direct Connect menu screen. If it is determined that another menu item has been selected, the process proceeds to step S817; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S818.

[0140] In step S817, the CPU 212 performs setting processing corresponding to the selected menu item. For example, it sets a security method (encryption method or authentication method) for WFD, etc., based on the user's operation. The settings are also stored in non-volatile memory 215 as at least part of the wireless direct connection setting information.

[0141] In step S818, CPU 212 determines whether a return operation has been performed. If it is determined that a return operation has not been performed, the process returns to step S811 to wait for an operation. If it is determined that a return operation has been performed, the process returns to step S802 to display the main screen.

[0142] In step S820, the CPU 212 displays a device selection menu on the display included in the operation display unit 220. The device selection menu includes device types (as selection candidates) as menu items. For example, the device selection menu displays options including... Several menu items under "Other".

[0143] In step S821, CPU 212 determines whether a user operation has been performed to select one of the menu items (i.e., the device type included in the device selection menu). If it is determined that one of the menu items has been selected, the process proceeds to step S823; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S822.

[0144] In step S822, CPU 212 determines whether a return operation has been performed. If it is determined that a return operation has not been performed, the process returns to step S821 to wait for an operation. If it is determined that a return operation has been performed, the process returns to step S802 to display the main screen.

[0145] In step S823, CPU 212 enables Wireless Direct Connection (WFD). In this process, if Wireless Direct Connection is already enabled, no new process is started. If Wireless Direct Connection is disabled, it is enabled. This sets the state where WFDR1 search processing and WFD R2 search processing can be performed.

[0146] In step S824, CPU 212 acquires the wireless direct connection setting information (information indicating the settings set in step S813, step S815 or step S817) and the device type information selected in step S821 recorded in non-volatile memory 215.

[0147] In step S825, CPU 212 generates a QR code based on the information obtained in step S824. The generated QR code includes connection information for connecting via WFD R2 and connection information for connecting via the conventional WFD method. Furthermore, the information obtained in step S824 is included in the QR code. The QR code is generated based on the network settings status. The connection information for connecting via each method includes, for example, the SSID and encryption method set in step S813 associated with each connection method, and the encryption key (password) set in step S814. (The description continues...) Figures 8A-1 to 8B Next, we will explain a practical example of the information included in a QR code.

[0148] In step S826, the CPU 212 displays the QR code generated in step S825 on the display included in the operation display unit 220. Figure 10A An example of the display at this time is shown. On the display, message 1001 prompting the user to read the QR code and QR code 1002 are displayed. QR code 1002 is the QR code generated in step S825. Additionally, a return button 1003 is displayed. The displayed QR code is optically read and decoded by the mobile terminal device 104, and the encoded information is acquired by the mobile terminal device 104 and used for registration and connection (or pairing) of the MFP 100. Note that the display of the QR code in step S826 and the reading of the QR code by the mobile terminal device 104 correspond to WFD R2. Figure 7 The bootstrapping process in step S705. In conventional WFD methods, these correspond to providing and reading connection information for device registration in the mobile terminal device 104. Therefore, in WFD R2, before generating and displaying the QR code in steps S825 and S826, for example, between steps S824 and S825, the bootstrapping process may have already been performed. Figure 7Steps S701 to S704 of the process shown. Here, it is assumed that the information exchange via the QR code is determined by the bootstrap request frame and response frame (S703 and S704) with the mobile terminal device 104. Alternatively, in WFD R2, when establishing a WFD connection using the QR code generated and displayed in steps S825 and S826, steps S701 to S704 are omitted. Figure 7 The process shown consists of steps S701 to S704. On the other hand, in the conventional WFD method, the connection information provided to the mobile terminal device 104 in step S826 is used to perform the process. Figure 6 The process is shown.

[0149] In step S827, CPU 212 determines whether the operation of selecting the back button 1003 has been performed. If it is determined that the back button 1003 has been selected, the process returns to step S802 to display the main screen; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S828.

[0150] In step S828, CPU 212 determines whether a WFD connection request has been received from any external device. Received connection requests include two types: those conforming to the conventional method and those conforming to the WFD R2 method. Connection requests conforming to the conventional method are connection requests regarding the WFD SSID in the conventional method. If the connection request conforms to the WFD R2 method, pairing processing based on information loaded by the QR code is performed according to the connection request. If a connection request conforming to either the conventional method or the WFD R2 method is received, the process proceeds to step S829; otherwise, the process returns to step S827. Note that step S829 and subsequent steps will be described assuming a connection request has already been received from the mobile terminal device 104.

[0151] In step S829, the CPU 212 sets the QR code 1002 displayed on the display to a non-display state and displays a message indicating that connection processing is in progress.

[0152] In step S830, the CPU 212 performs WFD connection processing with the mobile terminal device 104 using a method corresponding to the connection request received in step S828. When connection processing is performed using the WFD R2 method, the CPU 212 performs the connection processing from the above... Figure 7 The process begins with S706. In the case of connection processing via conventional methods, CPU 212 performs the following connection processing, which includes authentication processing to determine whether the correct password has been received for the WFD SSID in the conventional method.

[0153] In step S831, CPU 212 determines whether the WFD connection with mobile terminal device 104 has been successful. If the connection is successful, the process proceeds to step S832; otherwise (if the connection fails), the process proceeds to step S833.

[0154] In step S832, the CPU 212 displays a message indicating that the connection has been successfully established (connection established) on the display included in the operation display unit 220, and processing returns to step S802 to display the main screen. Afterwards, the MFP 100 can perform processing instructed from the mobile terminal device 104 via WFD communication (e.g., printing instructed by a print job) and information transmission to the mobile terminal device 104 via WFD communication (e.g., transmission of image data scanned by the MFP 100). If a WFD R2 connection has been established, the WFD R2 connection between the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100, as well as the infrastructure connection between the mobile terminal device 102 and the AP 101, are maintained simultaneously. Therefore, the mobile terminal device 104 can perform processing via the AP 101 and the network 110 while maintaining the WFD R2 connection with the MFP 100. That is, for example, scanned images received from the MFP 100 via WFD R2 can be uploaded to a server on the Internet via the AP 101 and the network 110. Figure 1 In the example shown, mobile terminal device 104 and MFP 100 are connected to the same AP 101. Alternatively, that is, if MFP 100 is connected to another AP or not connected to any AP, the processing can also be performed. Therefore, the convenience is high. On the other hand, if mobile terminal device 104 and MFP 100 are connected via a conventional WFD method, the infrastructure connection between mobile terminal device 104 and AP 101 is broken. Therefore, communication with MFP 100 is possible, but as mentioned above, inconvenience may arise when processing is performed from mobile terminal device 104 via the AP.

[0155] In step S833, the CPU 212 displays a message indicating that the connection has failed (unable to establish a connection) on the display included in the operation display unit 220, and returns to step S826 to display the QR code generated in step S825 again.

[0156] Through the above process, a communication device with image forming capabilities (such as an MFP) can display a QR code on its display section. This QR code is obtained by encoding connection information for connecting to an information processing device or terminal device (such as a mobile terminal device) according to the conventional WFD standard or the WFD R2 standard. Connection information from each standard of the conventional WFD standard and the WFD R2 standard can be extracted from the displayed QR code. The information processing device that reads the QR code to obtain connection information can connect to the communication device using one of the two connection information entries. (See below for further details.) Figure 11A and Figure 11B This describes the processing procedure performed by the information processing device at this time. Therefore, even if an information processing device does not have the resources to connect to the communication device via WFD R2, it can be connected according to conventional standards.

[0157] (Example of information included in a QR code)

[0158] The string obtained when decoding the QR code 1002 shown in step S826 (the string extracted from QR code 1002) will be described, that is, the connection information encoded when the QR code was generated in step S825. Assume that the string extracted from QR code 1002 is, for example, the string enclosed in double quotes below.

[0159] "WFDR2:S:DIRECT-xyAB-CDEFG;T:WPA2;P:0123456789;;WIFI:S:DIRE CT-xyAB-CDEFG;T:WPA2;P:0123456789;;"

[0160] The elements included in the above string have the following meanings.

[0161] The first string of the sentence (the string before the first colon) indicates the sentence's identifier.

[0162] • “;”... key (an element of a string) separator

[0163] • “;;”... the end of a sentence, in units of strings.

[0164] For a key, the part before the colon indicates the key identifier and the part after the colon indicates the key value.

[0165] Therefore, in the above string, according to sentence 1 →Sentence 2 describes the two sentences in sequence: Sentence 1 (or the first string) and Sentence 2 (or the second string). Sentence 1 and Sentence 2 correspond to the connection information of the WFD R2 method and the connection information of the traditional WFD method, respectively, and can also be referred to as the first connection information and the second connection information.

[0166] Sentence 1 "WFDR2:S:DIRECT-xyAB-CDEFG;T:WPA2;P:0123456789"

[0167] Sentence 2 "WIFI:S:DIRECT-xyAB-CDEFG;T:WPA2;P:0123456789"

[0168] Regarding sentence 1, which serves as the first connection information, its association with WFD R2 can be identified by the identifier "WFDR2". Sentence 1 includes several keys, which will be described below.

[0169] A key with a key identifier "S" (indicating the SSID) and the value "DIRECT-xyAB-CDEFG", where the SSID can also be considered as identification information for the wireless LAN.

[0170] A key with a key identifier "T" (indicating the authentication method) and a value "WPA2", where the authentication method can also be considered as an encryption method.

[0171] A key with a key identifier “P” (password) and a value “0123456789”, where the password can also be called an encryption key.

[0172] The information indicated by each key is shared during the bootstrapping process in S705 when establishing a WFD connection via the WFD R2 method. This information includes a communication parameter group shared with the communication partner prior to the processing (GO negotiation processing in S706), which determines which of the MFP 100 and the communication partner is the master station (group owner). The above information is merely an example, and sentence 1 may include information such as a passphrase, encryption method, encryption key, authentication method, AKM, or BSSID (MAC address) as a key.

[0173] Regarding sentence 2, which serves as the second connection information, its association with the traditional WFD method can be identified by the identifier "WIFI". Sentence 2 includes several keys, which will be described below.

[0174] A key with a key identifier "S" (indicating SSID) and the value "DIRECT-xyAB-CDEFG".

[0175] A key with a key identifier "T" (indicating the authentication method) and the value "WPA2".

[0176] A key with a key identifier "P" (password) and the value "0123456789".

[0177] Note that an example has been described above where the key group for sentence 1 and the key group for sentence 2 are the same, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. Specifically, sentence 1 related to WFD R2 may include another key required for the WFD R2 connection, or may exclude keys not required for the WFD R2 connection from the aforementioned keys. Depending on the device selected in the device selection menu (i.e., information about the OS used to specify the communication partner), different keys may be included, or strings with different structures may be used. Furthermore, the structures of the strings described above are merely examples, and this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0178] As described above, QR code 1002 includes (encoded) information such as extracting a string obtained by describing sentence 1 and then sentence 2, where sentence 1 includes information related to WFD R2 and sentence 2 includes information related to the conventional WFD method. That is, the strings have a positional relationship such that sentence 1 appears before sentence 2. The mobile terminal device 104 loaded with the QR code typically executes the processing indicated by the sentences included in the extracted string in the order of the describing sentences. Therefore, the mobile terminal device 104 loaded with QR code 1002 first attempts the processing corresponding to sentence 1, and then attempts the processing corresponding to sentence 2. Thus, first, the mobile terminal device 104 attempts a WFD connection via WFD R2. If the WFD connection is successful, a connection via the conventional method is not required, and therefore the processing indicated by sentence 2 is not executed.

[0179] If the mobile terminal device 104 is not a model that supports WFD R2, or if it cannot establish a WFD connection via the WFD R2 method due to other factors, it performs WFD connection processing via the conventional method according to sentence 2. As described above, the QR code 1002 includes both information about the WFD R2 method and information about the conventional method, and stores information for prioritizing the execution of the WFD R2 method. Therefore, WFD connection can be reliably established regardless of whether the device (mobile terminal device 104) acting as the WFD connection partner has the capability to connect via the WFD R2 method. Furthermore, if the device has the capability to connect via the WFD R2 method, it is prioritized over the conventional method for connection. Moreover, the user performs a simple operation of simply loading the QR code 1002 without concern about whether the method is the conventional or WFD R2 method. As described above, WFD connection can be established more reliably regardless of the capabilities of the WFD connection partner, and it is more convenient to prioritize connection via the WFD R2 method.

[0180] Note that, in this example, for WFD R2, Figure 8B the generation and display of the QR code in step S825 and step S826 correspond to Figure 7 the bootstrapping process in S705 of Figure 7 . However, similar to the conventional WFD method, the generation and display of the QR code can be a process performed before the connection process shown in Figure 7 so as to register the MFP by providing connection information from the MFP 100 to the mobile terminal device 104. In this case, when making a connection compliant with the WFD R2 standard, Figure 8B the connection process shown in

[0181] <Variant Example of QR Code Display Related Process for WFD Connection Performed by MFP 100>

[0182] Before describing the connection process in the mobile terminal device 104, a variant example of the process in which the MFP100 provides connection information using a QR code will now be described. Figures 8A-1 to 8B shown in

[0183] In the process described with reference to Figures 8A-1 to 8B , an example of displaying the QR code 1002 including both the information of the WFD R2 method and the information of the conventional method has been explained. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the QR code including the information of the WFD R2 method and the QR code including the information of the conventional method can be switched and displayed.

[0184] As a variant example of the process shown in Figures 8A-1 to 8B , the process of switching between and displaying the QR code including the information of the WFD R2 method and the QR code including the information of the conventional method will be described with reference to Figure 9A and Figure 9B .

[0185] Figure 9A The process before the process in step S924 of Figures 8A-1 to 8B is the same as the process in steps S801 to S823 described with reference to

[0186] In step S924, the CPU 212 acquires the wireless direct connection setting information (information indicating the setting content set in step S813, step S815, or step S817) recorded in the non - volatile memory 215 and the information of the device type selected in step S821. In this process, the information for making a connection by the WFD R2 method is acquired, and there is no need to acquire the information only for making a connection by the conventional method, which is unnecessary for the connection by the WFD R2 method.

[0187] In step S925, CPU 212 generates a QR code based on the information obtained in step S924. The generated QR code includes information for connection via the WFD R2 method, but excludes any information for connection via the conventional WFD method. It includes the information obtained in step S924.

[0188] In step S926, the CPU 212 displays the QR code generated in step S925 on the display included in the operation display unit 220. Figure 10B An example of the display at this time is shown. On the display, message 1001 and QR code 1012, prompting the user to read the QR code, are displayed. QR code 1012 is the QR code generated in step S925. QR code 1012 includes the information of sentence 1 (connection information for the WFD R2 method) but does not include the information of sentence 2 (connection information for the conventional WFD method). That is, by reading and decoding QR code 1012, a string including sentence 1 but excluding sentence 2 is extracted. If a WFD connection cannot be established even by reading QR code 1012, message 1014 and a switch button 1015, prompting the user to switch the displayed QR code, are displayed.

[0189] In step S927, CPU 212 determines whether the operation of selecting the back button 1003 has been performed. If it is determined that the back button 1003 has been selected, the process returns to step S802 to display the main screen; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S928.

[0190] In step S928, CPU 212 determines whether the selection switch button 1015 has been operated. If it is determined that the selection switch button 1015 has been operated (the QR code has been indicated), the process proceeds to step S944; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S929.

[0191] In step S929, CPU 212 determines whether a connection request via the WFD R2 method has been received from any external device. If it is determined that a connection request via the WFD R2 method has been received, the process proceeds to step S930; otherwise, the process returns to step S927. Note that the processes in steps S930 to S934 will be described by assuming that a connection request has been received from mobile terminal device 104. The connection request is as described above. Figures 8A-1 to 8B As stated above.

[0192] In step S930, the CPU 212 sets the QR code 1012 displayed on the display to a non-display state and displays a message indicating that connection processing is in progress.

[0193] In step S931, the CPU 212 performs WFD connection processing with the mobile terminal device 104 through the WFD R2 method.

[0194] In step S932, CPU 212 determines whether the WFD connection with mobile terminal device 104 has been successful. If the connection is successful, the process proceeds to step S934; otherwise (if the connection has failed), the process proceeds to step S933.

[0195] In step S933, CPU 212 displays a message indicating that the connection has failed (connection could not be established) on the display included in the operation display unit 220, and processing returns to step S926 to display the QR code generated in step S925. Note that the error display in step S933 may include instructions prompting the user to press the toggle button 1015 to switch the QR code. After step S933, processing may proceed to step S944 without returning to step S926.

[0196] The processing in step S934 is the same as described above. Figure 8B The process in step S832 is the same, and a display can be made to notify the user that the connection has been successful.

[0197] In addition to Figure 9A In addition to adding step S928, Figure 7 The correspondence between the connection processing and steps S925 to S929 shown is as follows: Figure 7 The connection processing shown and Figure 8B The correspondence between steps S825 and S828 is the same. That is, in step S929, the reception of the bootstrap request received before step S925 can be confirmed again.

[0198] In step S944, CPU 212 acquires the wireless direct connection setting information (information indicating the settings configured in steps S813, S815, or S817) and the device type information selected in step S821, recorded in non-volatile memory 215. In this process, it is not necessary to acquire information used only for connections via the WFD R2 method, as this information is unnecessary for connections via conventional methods.

[0199] In step S945, CPU 212 generates a QR code based on the information obtained in step S944. The generated QR code includes information for connection via conventional methods, but excludes information for connection via the WFD R2 method.

[0200] In step S946, the CPU 212 displays the QR code generated in step S945 on the display included in the operation display unit 220. Figure 10C An example of the display at this time is shown. The display shows message 1001 and QR code 1022, used to prompt the user to read the QR code. QR code 1022 is the QR code generated in step S945. QR code 1022 includes the information of sentence 2 (connection information of the conventional WFD method), but does not include the information of sentence 1 (connection information of the WFD R2 method). That is, by reading and decoding QR code 1022, a string including sentence 2 but excluding sentence 1 is extracted.

[0201] In step S947, CPU 212 determines whether the operation of selecting the back button 1003 has been performed. If it is determined that the back button 1003 has been selected, the process returns to step S802 to display the main screen; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S949.

[0202] In step S949, CPU 212 determines whether a connection request via the conventional WFD method has been received from any external device. If it is determined that a connection request via the conventional method has been received, the process proceeds to step S950; otherwise, the process returns to step S947. Note that the processes in steps S950 to S954 will be described by assuming that a connection request has been received from mobile terminal device 104. The connection request is as described above. Figures 8A-1 to 8B As stated above.

[0203] In step S950, the CPU 212 sets the QR code 1022 displayed on the display to a non-display state and displays a message indicating that connection processing is in progress.

[0204] In step S951, the CPU 212 performs WFD connection processing with the mobile terminal device 104 using conventional methods.

[0205] The processing in steps S952 to S954 is the same as described above. Figure 8B The processes in steps S831 to S833 are the same.

[0206] As described above, even by switching and displaying QR codes that include information for connecting via the WFD R2 method and those that include information for connecting via the conventional method, a WFD connection can be established more reliably, regardless of the capabilities of the WFD connection partner. Because of the order in which the display is switched, the QR code for the WFD R2 method information is displayed before the QR code for the conventional method, making it easier to prioritize connecting via the WFD R2 method. Furthermore, the user does not need to concern themselves with whether the method is the conventional or WFD R2 method.

[0207] exist Figure 9A and Figure 9B In the method shown, when the device only supports the conventional method, the operability of the device is better than that of the conventional method due to the labor of reading the QR code twice and operating the switch button 1015. Figures 8A-1 to 8B The method shown is less complex, but it can reduce the amount of data included in a single QR code. If the amount of data in a QR code is large, the number of QR code cells is large, thus only displaying correctly on higher resolution displays, or reducing readability on the reader side. Conversely, if the amount of data in a QR code is small, it can prevent an increase in the number of QR code cells and display the QR code correctly even on low-resolution displays, or improve readability on the reader side.

[0208] Notice, Figure 10B The QR code 1012 shown may include string information obtained by adding a note (guidance message) stating "WFD R2 method not supported" to sentence 1 when the mobile terminal device 104 is unable to perform the processing indicated in sentence 1. Alternatively, it may include information such that the note reads "Connection via displayed QR code is not supported. Please read the corresponding QR code." Therefore, a user who has read QR code 1012 via a terminal that does not support the WFD R2 method may be prompted to press the switch button 1015 to switch to displaying QR code 1022. The guidance message does not need to be fixed but can be configurable. Furthermore, based on the flag received when a bootstrap request is received in S703, it can be determined that parameter exchange via QR code using the WFD R2 method is not supported. If this is determined, a note can be embedded in QR code 1012. If no service discovery frame for the WFD R2 method is received in S701, it is assumed that no mobile terminal has WFD R2 enabled, and a note can be embedded in QR code 1012.

[0209] like Figure 10DAs shown, QR code 1012, which includes information about the WFD R2 method, and QR code 1022, which includes information about the conventional method, can be displayed side by side for single-shot operation without switching. In this case, assume the two QR codes are arranged in such an order that the terminal reading both QR codes at once prioritizes processing QR code 1012, which includes information about the WFD R2 method (QR code 1012 is placed on the left when arranged horizontally, and on the top when arranged vertically). A message 1041 is displayed to prompt the user to read both QR codes. Note that instead of message 1041, a message prompting the user to read QR code 1012, which includes information about the WFD R2 method, could be displayed, such as "Please start reading the QR code from the left."

[0210] Note that, as Figure 10D As shown, when displaying QR codes containing connection information corresponding to the traditional WFD method and QR codes containing connection information corresponding to the WFD R2 method side by side, the display process can be in accordance with... Figures 8A-1 to 8B The process. In this case, step S825 generates multiple (in this case, two) QR codes corresponding to these methods, such as... Figure 10D As shown, the multiple QR codes are displayed in step S826.

[0211] Note that in this example, with Figure 9A The generation and display of the QR code corresponding to the WFD R2 method in steps S925 and S926 can be performed in... Figure 7 The processing shown prior to the connection process is to register the MFP by providing connection information from the MFP100 to the mobile terminal device 104. In this case, when connecting according to the WFD R2 standard, it is also possible to... Figure 9A In step S931 Figure 7 The connection process is shown.

[0212] <Processing of printing applications in mobile terminal device 104>

[0213] Figure 11A and Figure 11B This is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the printing application software (hereinafter referred to as the printing application) in the mobile terminal device 104. The processing involves: capturing a QR code displayed on the MFP 100 using the camera of the mobile terminal device 104, reading the QR code, and establishing a WFD connection between the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 based on the information extracted from the QR code. The printing application may correspond to: executing... Figures 8A-1 to 8B The MFP 100 process shown and the execution based on Figure 9A and Figure 9BThe variant examples shown are processed by any of the MFP 100.

[0214] Figure 11A and Figure 11B The processing shown is performed by the mobile terminal device 104. More specifically, it is achieved by deploying the printing application program recorded in the non-volatile memory 422 to the RAM 414 and having the CPU 412 execute the program. Figure 11A and Figure 11B The process is shown. When the user is instructed to activate the printing application in the mobile terminal device 104, the process begins. Figure 11A and Figure 11B The processing is shown.

[0215] In step S1101, the CPU 412 displays the main screen of the printing application on the display unit 420. The printing application is used to control a printer such as the MFP 100 and can send print commands (send print jobs) and scan commands (send scan jobs) to the printer. The main screen of the printing application displays information about the printer registered in the printing application (the status information of the MFP 100 if it is registered). Furthermore, on the main screen of the printing application, menu items such as "Original Printing," "Photo Printing," "Scan," and "Cloud" (instruction items using cloud services) are displayed as menu items for issuing commands to the printer. The main screen of the printing application also displays items for registering printers in the printing application.

[0216] In step S1102, CPU 412 determines whether a new printer registration operation has been performed by operating the display item for printer registration. If it is determined that a printer registration operation has been performed, the process proceeds to step S1103; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S1120.

[0217] In step S1103, CPU 412 determines whether the operation of selecting QR code registration as the new printer registration method (the operation method when connecting to a new printer via wireless communication) has been performed. If QR code registration is selected, the process proceeds to step S1105; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S1104.

[0218] In step S1104, CPU 412 connects to the new printer and registers the printer using a method other than QR code. For example, CPU 412 connects to a printer found through a multicast printer search request within the network and registers the printer.

[0219] In step S1105, the CPU 412 activates the camera unit 421 and begins to capture images by reading the QR code through the camera unit 421 (live view shooting).

[0220] In step S1106, the CPU 412 determines whether a QR code has been detected (QR code read) in the image captured by the camera unit 421. If a QR code has been detected, the process proceeds to step S1108; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S1107. The read QR code can be obtained from the MFP 100 via... Figures 8A-1 to 8B or Figure 9A and Figure 9B The process shown displays a QR code.

[0221] In step S1107, CPU 412 determines whether the operation of canceling the QR code reading and shooting via camera unit 421 has been performed. If the cancellation operation has been performed, CPU 412 ends the shooting by camera unit 421 and returns to step S1101 to display the main screen of the printing application.

[0222] In step S1108, CPU 412 extracts a string by decoding the QR code detected in step S1106. Then, CPU 412 determines whether the string of extracted information includes a sentence corresponding to the WFD R2 method (i.e., sentence 1). If it is determined that a sentence corresponding to the WFD R2 method is included, the process proceeds to step S1109; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S1111. As described above, if a sentence with the identifier "WFDR2" describing the sentence exists, it is determined that a sentence corresponding to the WFD R2 method is included.

[0223] In step S1109, CPU 412 instructs the operating system (OS) operating on the mobile terminal device 104 to perform a WFD connection using the WFD R2 method according to the sentence (sentence 1) corresponding to the WFD R2 method, the existence of which has been determined in step S1108. More specifically, CPU 412 requests the OS to perform a WFD connection using the WFD R2 method, while informing the OS of the values ​​of each key extracted from the sentence corresponding to the WFD R2 method. Based on this request, the OS performs the WFD R2 connection. Figure 7 The connection process shown is with a communication partner (MFP 100) that has an identifier (SSID) included in the notification key.

[0224] Note that at this time, the MFP that can be connected via the WFD R2 method can be registered in the mobile terminal device 104 to display the QR code detected in step S1106. The registration information includes connection information obtained from the QR code and a name assigned to the target MFP. For the registered MFP, a corresponding icon can be created, and this icon can be displayed on the initial screen when the printing application is activated as an option for the MFP that can be connected via the WFD R2 method. The registration timing can be the timing when the connection is successful, rather than the start of the connection process.

[0225] In step S1110, CPU 412 determines whether the WFD connection via the WFD R2 method has been successful. If a connection success notification is received from the OS, the connection is determined to be successful. If the connection is successful, the process proceeds to step S1114; otherwise (because the mobile terminal device 104 does not support connections via the WFD R2 method, a failure notification is received or the requested processing is not performed), the process proceeds to step S1111.

[0226] In step S1111, CPU 412 determines whether the string extracted by decoding the QR code detected in step S1106 includes a sentence corresponding to the conventional method (i.e., sentence 2). If it is determined that a sentence corresponding to the conventional method is included, the process proceeds to step S1112; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S1115. As described above, if a sentence with the identifier "WIFI" describing the sentence exists, it is determined that a sentence corresponding to the conventional method is included.

[0227] In step S1112, CPU 412 instructs the operating system (OS) operating on mobile terminal device 104 to establish a WFD connection via a conventional method based on a sentence (sentence 2) corresponding to the conventional method, the existence of which was determined in step S1111. More specifically, CPU 412 requests the OS to establish a WFD connection via the conventional method, while simultaneously informing the OS of the values ​​of each key extracted from the sentence corresponding to the conventional method. Based on this request, the OS initiates Wi-Fi connection processing with a communication partner (MFP 100) possessing an identifier (SSID) included in the notified keys.

[0228] Note that at this point, the MFP that can be connected via the conventional WFD method can be registered in the mobile terminal device 104 to display the QR code detected in step S1106. The registration information includes connection information obtained from the QR code and a name assigned to the target MFP. For the registered MFP, a corresponding icon can be created, and this icon can be displayed on the initial screen when the printing application is activated as an option for the MFP that can be connected via the conventional WFD method. The registration timing can be the timing when the connection is successful, rather than the start of the connection process.

[0229] In step S1113, CPU 412 determines whether the WFD connection via the conventional method has been successful. If a connection success notification is received from the OS, the connection is determined to be successful. If the connection is successful, the process proceeds to step S1114; otherwise (if a failure notification is received), the process proceeds to step S1115.

[0230] In step S1114, the CPU 412 displays a message on the display unit 420 indicating that the connection with the new printer has been successful and a message indicating that the new printer can be registered, and the process returns to step S1101.

[0231] In step S1115, the CPU 412 displays an error message on the display unit 420 to indicate that the connection to the printer has failed, a new printer cannot be registered, or information about the printer as the connection destination cannot be obtained from the QR code. Afterward, the process returns to step S1101.

[0232] Note that the processes in steps S1105 to S1115 are interpreted as processes performed when an instruction to register a new printer is transmitted. These processes can be performed when an instruction is given to perform a direct connection function with the printer, a function used when temporarily establishing a P2P connection with the printer.

[0233] In step S1120, CPU 412 determines whether other processing has been indicated. If other processing has been indicated, the process proceeds to step S1121; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S1122.

[0234] In step S1121, the CPU 412 performs processing corresponding to instructions for other processes. Through this processing, print instructions (send print job) and scan instructions (send scan instructions) are issued to the registered printer.

[0235] In step S1122, CPU 412 determines whether a command to terminate the printing application has been transmitted. If a termination command has been transmitted, CPU 412 closes the printing application and terminates the process. Figure 11A and Figure 11BThe process is shown. If no end-of-transmission instruction is received, the process returns to step S1102 to repeat the process.

[0236] exist Figure 11A and Figure 11B In the illustrated process, the determination process in step S1111 is performed after the determination process in step S1108 for the entire string extracted from the detected QR code. Therefore, when the string extracted from the QR code includes both sentence 1 and sentence 2, regardless of the content of sentence 1 and sentence 2, a connection via the WFD R2 method can be performed preferentially over a connection via the conventional method. That is, in the example above, even if sentence 2 is described before sentence 1, a connection via the WFD R2 method can be performed preferentially over a connection via the conventional method. Furthermore, if the mobile terminal device 104 supports the WFD R2 method, a WFD connection can be performed via the WFD R2 method; if the mobile terminal device 104 does not support the WFD R2 method, a WFD connection can be performed via the conventional method. In other words, a more reliable WFD connection can be performed regardless of whether the mobile terminal device 104 supports the WFD R2 method. Moreover, the user does not need to concern themselves with whether the mobile terminal device 104 supports a connection via the WFD R2 method.

[0237] In addition, if through filming Figure 10D The image shown depicts two QR codes being captured at once. After the determination process in step S1108, the two strings extracted from the two QR codes are then subjected to the determination process in step S1111. Therefore, if multiple QR codes are detected, regardless of their positional relationship, the connection via the WFD R2 method can be prioritized over the connection via conventional methods. That is, for example, even when... Figure 10D With QR code 1022 placed on the left and QR code 1012 placed on the right, the connection via the WFD R2 method can be prioritized over the connection via the traditional method.

[0238] <Processing of the universal QR code reader in mobile terminal device 104>

[0239] Figure 12A and Figure 12BThis is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the application software (hereinafter referred to as the QR code reader) of a general-purpose QR code reader in mobile terminal device 104. This processing can be performed by a dedicated application for reading QR codes or a camera application with QR code reading capabilities. The processing involves: capturing a QR code displayed on MFP 100 using the camera of mobile terminal device 104 to read the QR code; and establishing a WFD connection between mobile terminal device 104 and MFP 100 based on the information extracted from reading the QR code. This is achieved by deploying the QR code reader program recorded in non-volatile memory 422 to RAM 414 and executing the program by CPU 412. Figure 12A and Figure 12B The process is shown below. When the activation of the QR code reader is indicated in the mobile terminal device 104, it begins. Figure 12A and Figure 12B The processing is shown.

[0240] In step S1201, the CPU 412 activates the QR code reader and the camera unit 421, and begins real-time shooting through the camera unit 421.

[0241] In step S1201, the CPU 412 determines whether a QR code has been detected (QR code read) in the image captured by the camera unit 421. If a QR code has been detected, the process proceeds to step S1204; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S1203.

[0242] In step S1203, the CPU 412 determines whether a command to terminate the QR code reader has been received. If a termination command has been received, the QR code reader is closed, and Figure 12A and Figure 12B The process shown ends. If no end command is received, the process returns to step S1202 to repeat the process.

[0243] In step S1204, CPU 412 decodes the QR code detected in step S1202 to extract a string. Then, CPU 412 assigns sequence numbers to one or more sentences included in the extracted string.

[0244] In step S1205, the CPU 412 initializes the counter N stored in RAM 414 to 1. The counter N represents the number assigned to the sentence of interest.

[0245] In step S1206, CPU 412 determines whether the sentence with sequence number N (the Nth sentence) extracted in step S1204 is a identifiable (readable) sentence. If the sentence is identifiable, the process proceeds to step S1210; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S1220.

[0246] In step S1210, CPU 412 determines whether the Nth sentence corresponds to the WFD R2 method. If the Nth sentence is determined to correspond to the WFD R2 method, the process proceeds to step S1211; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S1213. As described above, if the sentence describes the sentence identifier "WFDR2", then the sentence is determined to correspond to the WFD R2 method.

[0247] In step S1211, CPU 412 instructs the operating system (OS) operating on mobile terminal device 104 to perform a WFD connection via the WFD R2 method according to the Nth sentence. This process is the same as the process in step S1109 above.

[0248] In step S1212, similar to step S1110 above, CPU 412 determines whether the WFD connection via the WFD R2 method has been successful. If the connection has been successful, the process proceeds to step S1217; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S1216.

[0249] In step S1213, CPU 412 determines whether the Nth sentence corresponds to the traditional method. If the sentence is determined to correspond to the traditional method, the process proceeds to step S1214; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S1218. As described above, if a sentence describing the sentence identifier "WIFI" exists, it is determined that a sentence corresponding to the traditional method exists.

[0250] In step S1214, the CPU 412 instructs the operating system (OS) operating on the mobile terminal device 104 to establish a WFD connection using conventional methods, based on the Nth instruction. This process is the same as that in step S1112 described above.

[0251] In step S1215, similar to step S1113 above, CPU 412 determines whether the WFD connection via the conventional method has been successful. If the connection is successful, the process proceeds to step S1217; otherwise (if a failure notification is received), the process proceeds to step S1216.

[0252] In step S1217, the CPU 412 displays a message on the display unit 420 indicating that the connection with the communication partner via Wi-Fi (wireless LAN) has been successful. In step S1218, the CPU 412 displays an error message on the display unit 420 to indicate that the connection with the communication partner via Wi-Fi (wireless LAN) has failed, or that information about the communication partner as the connection destination cannot be obtained from the QR code.

[0253] In step S1218, further processing is performed based on the Nth sentence. For example, if the Nth sentence is information indicating a URL, the URL is displayed as a link. If the URL displayed as a link is touched, the displayed URL is accessed.

[0254] In step S1220, CPU 412 determines whether the counter N is the maximum value of the sequence number assigned in step S1204, that is, whether all sentences extracted in step S1204 have been checked. If N is the maximum value, the process returns to step S1202; otherwise, in step S1221, N is incremented by 1, and the process returns to step S1206. In other words, the determination process starting from step S1206 is performed on the next sentence among the multiple sentences included in the extracted string.

[0255] Even when reading a QR code using a general QR code reader, as shown in the reference... Figure 12A and Figure 12B As stated, if the reference is read Figures 10A to 10D The display of the QR codes described in the text is achieved through a connection method supported by the mobile terminal device 104. In this example, the connection method supported by the mobile terminal device 104 is one of a WFD connection via the WFD R2 method and a WFD connection via a conventional method. Then, in the case of displaying the QR code, as referred to... Figures 10A to 10D Even in the various descriptions mentioned, Figure 12A and Figure 12B In the general processing shown, connections made via the WFD R2 method are also preferred over connections made via the traditional method.

[0256] According to the above embodiments, multiple Wi-Fi Direct standards can be used more preferably.

[0257] <Another variation>

[0258] replace Figure 8B The QR code 1002 generated in step S825 and displayed in step S826 can generate a string including sentence 1 and sentence 2 as a string obtained by decoding the QR code, such as a string formed by letter characters, numbers, and symbols [SM1], and be displayed as a display object. In this case, the mobile terminal device 104 can perform character recognition on the captured string, thereby extracting both the first connection information indicated by sentence 1 and the second connection information indicated by sentence 2. In recent years, due to the high pixel density of display devices, high-quality characters can be displayed, and the accuracy of character recognition processing is very high through the use of machine learning, errors caused by misidentification are suppressed, and strings can be used instead of QR codes.

[0259] This also applies to other steps in displaying the QR code, such as steps S925 and S926, and steps S945 and S946. With this configuration, the entire system operates in the same manner as described in the above embodiments and variations, thereby achieving the desired effect. Furthermore, with this configuration, the use of QR codes is unnecessary. For example, even if the conditions for using QR codes change, it will no longer affect the system. Additionally, the user can read the displayed object on the operation display unit 220 of the MFP 100.

[0260] Note that the various control operations described above performed by the CPU 212 can be performed by a single hardware component, or the entire device can be controlled by sharing processing among multiple hardware components (e.g., multiple processors or circuits).

[0261] While this disclosure has been described in detail based on its preferred embodiments, it is not limited to these specific embodiments and includes various forms without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, the above embodiments are merely examples of this disclosure and can be appropriately combined.

[0262] In the above embodiments, examples of applying this disclosure to an MFP have been described. However, this disclosure is not limited to these examples and is applicable to any wireless device capable of P2P (WLAN) communication based on a WFD. That is, this disclosure is applicable to personal computers, PDAs, tablet terminals, mobile phone terminals such as smartphones, music players, gaming devices, e-book readers, smartwatches, and various measuring devices (sensor devices) such as thermometers and hygrometers. This disclosure is applicable to digital cameras (including still cameras, camcorders, webcams, and security cameras), printers, scanners, and drones. This disclosure is applicable to video output devices, audio output devices (e.g., smart speakers), media streaming players, and wireless LAN slave devices (adapters) capable of connecting to USB terminals or LAN cable terminals. Video output devices include, for example, devices such as set-top boxes that acquire (download) moving / still images on the Internet specified by a URL indicated by an electronic device and output them via a wireless network such as a set-top box. The video output terminal is connected to a display device. This enables streaming playback and mirroring on the display device (where content displayed on the electronic device is also displayed on the display device). Video output devices also include media players such as televisions, hard disk recorders, Blu-ray recorders and DVD recorders, head-mounted displays, projectors, televisions, display devices (monitors), and signage devices. This disclosure is even applicable to Wi-Fi connected devices known as smart home appliances, such as air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, cleaners, ovens, microwave ovens, lighting fixtures, heating appliances, and cooling devices.

[0263] Other embodiments

[0264] Embodiments of this disclosure can also be implemented by a computer that reads and executes computer-executable instructions (e.g., one or more programs) recorded on a storage medium (also more fully referred to as a "non-transitory computer-readable storage medium") to perform one or more functions of the above embodiments and / or includes one or more circuits (e.g., application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs)) for performing one or more functions of the above embodiments. Furthermore, embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented using a method performed by the computer of the system or device, for example, reading and executing the computer-executable instructions from the storage medium to perform one or more functions of the above embodiments and / or controlling the one or more circuits to perform one or more functions of the above embodiments. The computer may include one or more processors (e.g., central processing unit (CPU), microprocessor unit (MPU)) and may include separate computers or a network of 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, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), the memory of a distributed computing system, or an optical disc (such as a compact disc (CD), a digital versatile optical disc (DVD), or a Blu-ray disc (BD)). TM One or more of the following: flash memory devices and memory cards.

[0265] Embodiments of the present invention can also be implemented by providing software (including computer program products of computer programs) that performs the functions of the above embodiments to a system or device via a network or various storage media, and the computer (central processing unit (CPU) or microprocessor unit (MPU) of the system or device) reads and executes the computer program.

[0266] Although this disclosure has been described with reference to embodiments, it should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. The scope of the appended claims should be interpreted in the broadest possible sense to cover all such variations and equivalent structures and functions.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising: The communications unit is used for direct communication with external devices in accordance with the Wi-Fi Direct standard without the intervention of an access point; as well as A display control unit is used to control the display of a target object for a single shot, and to extract first connection information and second connection information from the target object. Wherein, the first connection information is connection information for establishing direct communication with the communication device via the first method, including the SSID and password of the communication device, and is included in a first key group assigned a first identifier, and The second connection information is connection information for establishing direct communication with the communication device through a second method different from the first method, and is included in a second key group assigned a second identifier.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein, The display object is a QR code, from which the first connection information and the second connection information can be extracted.

3. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein, The QR code is displayed such that the strings extracted from the QR code have the following positional relationship: the second connection information appears before the first connection information.

4. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein, The display object is an image including a first QR code and a second QR code, which can extract the first connection information from the first QR code and the second connection information from the second QR code.

5. The communication device according to claim 4, wherein, On the screen, the second QR code is placed to the left or above the first QR code.

6. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein, The display object is a string, from which the first connection information and the second connection information can be extracted.

7. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein, The second connection information includes at least one of the following: communication parameters, encryption key, and AKM to be shared before processing with a communication partner when the direct communication is performed via the second method, and determining which of the communication devices and the communication partners is the master station.

8. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein, The communication device is a printer.

9. A communication device comprising: The communications unit is used for direct communication with external devices in accordance with the Wi-Fi Direct standard without the intervention of an access point; as well as A display control unit is configured to control the display of a first display object and a second display object, and to control the display of the first display object after the display of the second display object. First connection information can be extracted from the first display object; the first connection information is connection information for establishing a direct communication connection with the communication device via a first method and includes the SSID and password of the communication device. Second connection information can be extracted from the second display object; the second connection information includes connection information for establishing a direct communication connection with the communication device via a second method different from the first method.

10. The communication device according to claim 9, wherein, The display item for receiving instructions to switch displays is displayed together with the second display object, and switches to display the first display object instead of the second display object based on the operation of the display item.

11. The communication device according to claim 9, wherein, The first display object and the second display object are different QR codes.

12. The communication device according to claim 9, wherein, The second connection information includes at least one of the following: communication parameters, encryption key, and AKM to be shared before processing with a communication partner when the direct communication is performed via the second method, and determining which of the communication devices and the communication partners is the master station.

13. The communication device according to claim 9, wherein, The communication device is a printer.

14. An information processing apparatus comprising: The communications unit is used for direct communication with external devices in accordance with the Wi-Fi Direct standard without the intervention of an access point; Image sensor; An extraction unit is used to extract information from objects detected in images captured by the image sensor. as well as A control unit, configured to control, when the extracted information includes both first connection information and second connection information, to establish a connection with a communication device indicated by the second connection information based on the second connection information. Wherein, the first connection information is connection information for establishing direct communication with the communication device via the first method, including the SSID and password of the communication device, and is included in a first key group assigned a first identifier, and The second connection information is connection information for a direct communication connection using a second method different from the first method, and is included in a second key group assigned a second identifier.

15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein, If the extracted information includes the first connection information but not the second connection information, a connection is made based on the first connection information. If the extracted information includes both the first connection information and the second connection information, and a connection based on the second connection information is successful, a connection based on the first connection information will not be established.

16. The information processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein, If the extracted information includes the first connection information and the second connection information, and the connection based on the second connection information fails, a connection based on the first connection information is established.

17. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein, The object is a QR code.

18. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein, The second connection information includes at least one of the following: communication parameters, encryption key, and AKM to be shared before processing with a communication partner when the direct communication is performed via the second method, and determining which of the information processing device and the communication partner is the master station.

19. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein, The communication device is a printer.

20. A system comprising a communication device and an information processing device, The communication device includes: The communications unit is used for direct communication with external devices in accordance with the Wi-Fi Direct standard without the intervention of an access point; as well as A display control unit is used to control the display of a target object for a single shot, and to extract first connection information and second connection information from the target object. Wherein, the first connection information is connection information for establishing direct communication with the communication device via the first method, including the SSID and password of the communication device, and is included in a first key group assigned a first identifier, and The second connection information is connection information for establishing direct communication with the communication device via a second method different from the first method, and is included in a second key group assigned a second identifier. The information processing device includes: The communications unit is used for direct communication with external devices in accordance with the Wi-Fi Direct standard without the intervention of an access point; Image sensor; An extraction unit is used to extract information from objects detected in images captured by the image sensor; and A control unit is configured to control, when the extracted information includes both first connection information and second connection information, to establish a connection with a communication device indicated by the second connection information based on the second connection information. The first connection information is connection information for establishing the direct communication with the communication device via a first method and includes the SSID and password of the communication device. The second connection information includes connection information for establishing the direct communication via a second method different from the first method.

21. A method for controlling a communication device, the communication device comprising: The communications unit is used for direct communication with external devices in accordance with the Wi-Fi Direct standard without the intervention of an access point; And a display control unit, wherein the control method includes: The display control unit controls the display of the object for a single shot, and first connection information and second connection information can be extracted from the display object. Wherein, the first connection information is connection information for establishing direct communication with the communication device via the first method, including the SSID and password of the communication device, and is included in a first key group assigned a first identifier, and The second connection information is connection information for establishing direct communication with the communication device through a second method different from the first method, and is included in a second key group assigned a second identifier.

22. A method for controlling a communication device, the communication device comprising: The communications unit is used for direct communication with external devices in accordance with the Wi-Fi Direct standard without the intervention of an access point; And a display control unit, wherein the control method includes: The display control unit controls the display of a first display object and a second display object, and controls the display of the first display object after the display of the second display object. First connection information can be extracted from the first display object. The first connection information is connection information for establishing a direct communication connection with the communication device via a first method and includes the SSID and password of the communication device. Second connection information can be extracted from the second display object. The second connection information includes connection information for establishing a direct communication connection with the communication device via a second method different from the first method.

23. A method for controlling an information processing device, the information processing device comprising: The communications unit is used for direct communication with external devices in accordance with the Wi-Fi Direct standard without the intervention of an access point; Image sensor; Extraction section; and a control unit, wherein the control method includes: Extraction information is extracted from objects detected in the image captured by the image sensor by the extraction unit; and When the extracted information includes both first connection information and second connection information, the control unit performs control to establish a connection with the communication device indicated by the second connection information based on the second connection information. Wherein, the first connection information is connection information for establishing direct communication with the communication device via the first method, including the SSID and password of the communication device, and is included in a first key group assigned a first identifier, and The second connection information is connection information for a direct communication connection using a second method different from the first method, and is included in a second key group assigned a second identifier.

24. A control method for a system including a communication device and an information processing device, wherein the communication device includes: The communications unit is used for direct communication with external devices in accordance with the Wi-Fi Direct standard without the intervention of an access point; The information processing device includes a display control unit, comprising: a communication unit for direct communication with an external device conforming to the Wi-Fi Direct standard without access point intervention; an image sensor; an extraction unit; and a control unit, the control method comprising: The display control unit of the communication device controls the display of the object for a single shot, and first connection information and second connection information can be extracted from the display object. Wherein, the first connection information is connection information for establishing direct communication with the communication device via the first method, including the SSID and password of the communication device, and is included in a first key group assigned a first identifier, and The second connection information is connection information for establishing direct communication with the communication device via a second method different from the first method, and is included in a second key group assigned a second identifier; Extraction information is extracted from objects detected in an image captured by the image sensor by the extraction unit of the information processing device; and When the extracted information includes both first connection information and second connection information, the control unit performs control to establish a connection with the communication device indicated by the second connection information based on the second connection information. The first connection information is connection information for establishing the direct communication via a first method and includes the SSID and password of the communication device. The second connection information includes connection information for establishing the direct communication via a second method different from the first method.

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