Electronic apparatus, method for controlling the same, program, and recording medium

Abstract

To appropriately change an access point to be a connection destination.SOLUTION: An electronic apparatus has: receiving means that receives a request for changing a connection destination from an access point; and control means that, when the electronic apparatus is in a first operation state when the change request is received, performs processing of changing the connection destination based on the change request, and when the electronic apparatus is in a second state, performs control not to respond to the change request or to transmit a response indicating rejection of the change to the access point.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device that can be connected via a wireless LAN, a control method thereof, a program, and a storage medium. [Background technology]

[0002] In an Extended Service Set (ESS) consisting of multiple Access Points (APs), there is a technology that dynamically switches the AP to which the STA (Station) connects in order to efficiently exchange data between the AP and the STA. When it is determined that the AP to which the STA should connect should be switched based on the congestion of the AP to which the STA is connected, the availability of other APs, the radio wave conditions, etc., the currently connected AP sends a request to the STA to change the connected AP. When the STA receives an AP change request, it can connect to the appropriate AP by switching the AP to which it connects in accordance with the request.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses the following process of requesting a connected wireless slave device to change its connection destination from a router having an AP function. A mobile router (MR1) that can connect to multiple wireless slave devices checks whether the wireless slave device terminal supports IEEE802.11v. It is possible to determine whether the wireless slave device terminal supports IEEE802.11v from an Association Request frame that the wireless slave device terminal transmits when wirelessly connecting to MR1. If the wireless slave device terminal supports IEEE802.11v, a BTM (BSS Transition Management) Request frame is transmitted to the corresponding wireless slave device terminal. The BSS Transition Candidate List Entries field of the BTM Request frame specifies the BSSID of the parent router RT2 as the connection destination. This prompts the wireless slave device terminal to switch its connection destination, and the wireless slave device terminal switches its connection destination from MR1 to RT2 in accordance with the received BTM Request frame. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2021-175068 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] There are two states for a STA: one where no problem occurs when an AP is switched, and another where a problem occurs when the AP is switched or the STA is disconnected from the currently connected AP. When a problem occurs, if the STA receives an AP change request from an AP and switches the connected AP in response to the request, the problem occurs in the STA.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device that more appropriately changes the access point to which the device is connected, a control method thereof, a program, and a storage medium. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, the electronic device of the present invention is characterized by having a receiving means for receiving a connection destination change request from an access point, and a control means for controlling, when the change request is received, to perform a connection destination change process based on the change request if the electronic device is in a first operating state, and not to respond to the change request if the electronic device is in a second operating state, or to send a response to the change request to the access point to the effect of rejecting the change. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, the access point to be connected can be changed more appropriately. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a system configuration. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an MFP. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an operation display unit of the MFP. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a mobile terminal device. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an access point. [Figure 6] 11 is a sequence diagram illustrating a process in response to a connection destination change request from an AP. [Figure 7] 11 is a flowchart showing a process in the MFP. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although the embodiments describe a number of features, not all of these features are essential to the invention, and the features may be combined in any manner. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

[0011] (System Configuration) FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of a system according to this embodiment. In one example, this system is a wireless communication system in which a plurality of communication devices can wirelessly communicate with each other. In the example of FIG. 1, the communication devices include a mobile terminal device 104, an MFP 100, access points AP101 and AP102, a server 103, and a network 110. Note that AP101 and AP102 may be illustrated as AP1 and AP2. The mobile terminal device 104 is a device having a wireless communication function using a wireless LAN or the like. Note that, hereinafter, the wireless LAN may be referred to as a WLAN. The mobile terminal device 104 may be a personal information terminal such as a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a mobile phone (smartphone), a digital camera, a personal computer, or the like.

[0012] The MFP100 is a printing device having a printing function, and may further have a reading function (scanner), a FAX function, and a telephone function. The MFP100 of this embodiment has a communication function capable of wirelessly communicating with a mobile terminal device 104. Although the MFP100 is used in this embodiment as an example, this is not limiting. For example, a scanner device, a projector, a mobile terminal, a smartphone, a notebook PC, a tablet terminal, a PDA, a digital camera, a music playback device, a television, a smart speaker, and the like, each having a communication function, may be used instead of the MFP100. Note that MFP is an acronym for Multi Function Peripheral.

[0013] The AP101 is provided separately (externally) from the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP100, and operates as a base station device of the WLAN. A communication device having a communication function of the WLAN can communicate in infrastructure mode of the WLAN via the AP101. In the following, an access point may be referred to as an "AP." Also, infrastructure mode may be referred to as a "wireless infrastructure mode." The AP101 performs wireless communication with a communication device that has been authorized to connect to the own device (has been authenticated), and relays wireless communication between the communication device and other communication devices. Also, the AP101 may be connected to a wired communication network, for example, and relay communication between a communication device connected to the wired communication network and another communication device wirelessly connected to the AP101.

[0014] AP 102 has the same functions as AP 101, and MFP 100 switches connection from AP 101 to AP 102 as necessary. Server 103 connects to MFP 100 via AP 101 and network 110, and provides services to MFP 100 by responding to requests from MFP 100. Here, network 110 may be the so-called Internet, or it may be a closed network within a company or a mobile phone network.

[0015] (External configuration of MFP) FIG. 2A shows an example of the external configuration of the MFP 100. The MFP 100 has, for example, a document table 201, a document cover 202, a print paper insertion port 203, a print paper discharge port 204, and an operation display unit 205. The document table 201 is a table on which a document to be read is placed. The document cover 202 is a cover for holding the document placed on the document table 201 and preventing light from a light source that irradiates the document during reading from leaking to the outside. The print paper insertion port 203 is an insertion port that allows various sizes of paper to be set. The print paper discharge port 204 is a discharge port that discharges paper that has been printed. The paper set in the print paper insertion port 203 is transported one sheet at a time to the printing unit, and after printing is performed in the printing unit, it is discharged from the print paper discharge port 204. The operation display unit 205 includes keys such as character input keys, cursor keys, a decision key, and a cancel key, as well as an LED and an LCD, and is configured to be able to accept operations by the user to activate various functions as an MFP and to operate various settings. The operation display unit 205 may also be configured to include a touch panel display. The MFP 100 has a wireless communication function using WLAN, and includes a wireless communication antenna 206 for the wireless communication, although it does not necessarily need to be visible from the outside. Like the mobile terminal device 104, the MFP 100 can also perform wireless communication using WLAN in frequency bands of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz.

[0016] (MFP configuration) 2B shows an example of the configuration of the MFP 100. The MFP 100 includes a main board 211 that performs main control of the device itself, and a wireless unit 226 that is one communication module that performs WLAN communication using at least one common antenna. The MFP 100 also includes, for example, a modem 229 for performing wired communication. The main board 211 includes, for example, a CPU 212 (central processing unit), a ROM 213, a RAM 214, a non-volatile memory 215, an image memory 216, a read control unit 217, a data conversion unit 218, a reading unit 219, and an encoding / decoding processing unit 221. The main board 211 also includes, for example, a printing unit 222, a paper feed unit 223, a print control unit 224, and an operation display unit 220. These functional units in the main board 211 are connected to each other via a system bus 230 managed by the CPU 212. Furthermore, the main board 211 and the wireless unit 226 are connected via, for example, a dedicated bus 225 , and the main board 211 and the modem 229 are connected via, for example, a bus 228 .

[0017] The CPU 212 is a system control unit including at least one processor, and controls the entire MFP 100. In one example, the processing of the MFP 100 described below is realized by the CPU 212 executing a program stored in the ROM 213. Dedicated hardware for each processing may be prepared. The ROM 213 stores a control program and an embedded OS program executed by the CPU 212. In this embodiment, the CPU 212 executes each control program stored in the ROM 213 under the management of an embedded OS also stored in the ROM 213, thereby performing software control such as scheduling and task switching.

[0018] The RAM 214 is composed of an SRAM or the like. The RAM 214 stores data such as program control variables, settings registered by a user, and management data of the MFP 100. The RAM 214 can also be used as a buffer for various types of work. The non-volatile memory 215 is composed of a memory such as a flash memory, and continues to store data even when the power of the MFP 100 is turned off. The image memory 216 is composed of a memory such as a DRAM. The image memory 216 accumulates image data received via the wireless unit 226, image data processed by the encoding / decoding processing unit 221, and the like. Note that the memory configuration of the MFP 100 is not limited to the above configuration. The data conversion unit 218 analyzes data of various formats, converts image data into print data, and the like.

[0019] The reading control unit 217 controls the reading unit 219 (for example, a CIS (contact image sensor)) to optically read the document placed on the document table 201. The reading control unit 217 converts the image obtained by optically reading the document into electrical image data (image signals) and outputs the same. At this time, the reading control unit 217 may output the image data after performing various image processes such as binarization and halftoning.

[0020] The operation display unit 220 is the operation display unit 205 described with reference to FIG. 2(a), and performs display on a display based on display control by the CPU 212, generation of a signal in response to reception of a user operation, and the like.

[0021] The encoding / decoding processor 221 performs encoding and decoding processes and enlargement / reduction processes for image data (JPEG, PNG, etc.) handled by the MFP 100.

[0022] The paper feed unit 223 holds paper for printing. The paper feed unit 223 can supply the set paper under the control of the print control unit 224. The paper feed unit 223 may include multiple paper feed units in order to hold multiple types of paper in one device, and under the control of the print control unit 224, it can control which paper feed unit to use to feed paper.

[0023] The print control unit 224 performs various image processing such as smoothing, print density correction, and color correction on the image data to be printed, and outputs the processed image data to the print unit 222. The print unit 222 is configured to be able to execute a print process of an inkjet recording method, for example, and ejects ink supplied from an ink tank from a print head to record an image on a recording medium such as paper. Note that the print unit 222 may be configured to execute other print processes such as an electrophotographic method. The print control unit 224 may also periodically read out information from the print unit 222 and update status information stored in the RAM 214, including the remaining amount of ink in the ink tank and the state of the print head.

[0024] The wireless unit 226 is a unit capable of providing a communication function of WLAN, and can provide the same function as that of a combination of the WLAN unit 429 of the mobile terminal device 104, for example. That is, the wireless unit 226 converts data into packets according to the WLAN standard and transmits the packets to other devices, and also restores packets from other external devices to the original data and outputs them to the CPU 212. The wireless unit 226 can communicate as a station conforming to the IEEE802.11 standard series. In particular, it can communicate as a station conforming to IEEE802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax. Hereinafter, the station may be referred to as an STA. It can also communicate as an STA compatible with Wi-Fi Agile Multiband (trademark).

[0025] The wireless unit 226 supports IEEE802.11ax, i.e., Wi-Fi6 (trademark), and the MFP100 can also operate as an STA supporting at least one of OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access) and TWT (Target Wake Time). Supporting TWT adjusts the timing of data communication from the master to the STA. The wireless unit 226 (MFP100) that is an STA transitions its communication function to a sleep state when it is not necessary to wait for signal reception. This can reduce power consumption. The wireless unit 226 also supports Wi-Fi 6E (trademark). That is, communication in the 6 GHz band (5.925 GHz to 7.125 GHz) is also possible. The band that is in the 5 GHz band and is subject to Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) does not exist in the 6 GHz band. Therefore, communication in the 6 GHz band does not experience communication interruptions due to DFS standby time, and more comfortable communication can be expected.

[0026] The mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 are capable of P2P (WLAN) communication based on the WFD, and the wireless unit 226 has a software access point (soft AP) function or a group owner function. That is, the wireless unit 226 can build a network for P2P communication and determine a channel to be used for P2P communication.

[0027] (MFP operation display section) FIG. 3 shows an example of a screen display on a display (touch panel display) included in the operation display unit 220 of the MFP 100. FIG. 3(a) shows an example of a home screen displayed when the MFP 100 is powered on and an operation such as printing or scanning is not being performed (idle state, standby state). In FIG. 3(a), display items (menu items) corresponding to copy, scan, and cloud are displayed. Cloud is a menu item related to a cloud function using Internet communication. When any of the menu items is selected by key operation or touch panel operation, the MFP 100 can start executing the corresponding setting or function. The MFP 100 can seamlessly display a screen different from that shown in FIG. 3(a) by accepting key operation or touch panel operation on the home screen of FIG. 3(a).

[0028] Fig. 3(b) is a display example of another part of the home screen, which is a screen transitioned to by an operation (such as a sliding operation to the left or right) to display another page of the home screen from the state of Fig. 3(a). In Fig. 3(b), display items (menu items) corresponding to communication settings, print, and photo are displayed. When any of these menu items is selected, the function corresponding to the selected menu item, that is, the print function, photo function, or communication settings, is executed.

[0029] FIG. 3(c) is a display example of a communication setting menu screen that is displayed when communication setting is selected on the screen of FIG. 3(b). On the communication setting menu screen, "wireless LAN", "wired LAN", "wireless direct", "Bluetooth", and "common" are displayed as menu items (options). "Wireless LAN", "wired LAN", and "wireless direct" are menu items for performing LAN settings, and from these items, settings such as setting a wired connection, enabling / disabling a wireless infrastructure mode, and enabling / disabling a P2P mode such as WFD and soft AP mode can be performed. When the "wireless LAN" item is selected and wireless LAN is enabled by a user operation, wireless infrastructure mode is enabled. When the "wireless direct" item is selected and wireless direct is enabled by a user operation, P2P (WLAN) mode is enabled. In addition, on this screen, a common setting menu for each connection form is also displayed. Furthermore, the user can set the frequency band and frequency channel of wireless LAN from this screen.

[0030] (External configuration of mobile terminal device) FIG. 4(a) is a diagram showing an example of the external configuration of the mobile terminal device 104. In this embodiment, as an example, the mobile terminal device 104 is a smartphone of a general type. The mobile terminal device 104 includes, for example, a display unit 402, an operation unit 403, and a power key 404. The display unit 402 is, for example, a display including a display mechanism of an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) type. The display unit 402 may display information using, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) or the like. The mobile terminal device 104 may have a function of outputting information by voice in addition to or instead of the display unit 402. The operation unit 403 includes hard keys such as keys and buttons, a touch panel, and the like for detecting user operations. In this example, the display unit 402 displays information and the operation unit 403 accepts user operations using a common touch panel display, so that the display unit 402 and the operation unit 403 are realized by one device. In this case, for example, button icons and a software keyboard are displayed using the display function of the display unit 402, and the touch of the user on those points is detected by the operation reception function of the operation unit 403. Note that the display unit 402 and the operation unit 403 may be separated, and hardware for display and hardware for operation reception may be prepared separately. The power key 404 is a hardware key for receiving a user operation for turning the power of the mobile terminal device 104 on or off.

[0031] The mobile terminal device 104 includes a WLAN unit 401 that provides a communication function of a WLAN, although it is not necessarily visible from the outside. The WLAN unit 401 is configured to be able to execute data (packet) communication in a WLAN system that complies with, for example, the IEEE802.11 standard series (IEEE802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax, etc.). In addition, it is capable of communication as an AP compatible with Wi-Fi Agile Multiband (trademark). However, it is not limited to this, and the WLAN unit 401 may be capable of executing communication in a WLAN system that complies with other standards. In this example, it is assumed that the WLAN unit 401 is capable of communication in both the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band. It is also assumed that the WLAN unit 401 is capable of communication based on WFD, communication in a soft AP mode, communication in a wireless infrastructure mode, etc. Operations in these modes will be described later.

[0032] (Configuration of mobile terminal device) FIG. 4(b) shows an example of the configuration of the mobile terminal device 104. In one example, the mobile terminal device 104 has a main board 411 that performs main control of the device itself, and a WLAN unit 429 that performs WLAN communication. The main board 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 storage unit 423, a speaker unit 424, and a power supply unit 425. Here, CPU is an acronym for Central Processing Unit, ROM is an acronym for Read Only Memory, RAM is an acronym for Random Access Memory, and GPS is an acronym for Global Positioning System. The mobile terminal device 104 also includes a display unit 420 and an operation unit 418. These functional units in the main board 411 are connected to each other via a system bus 628 managed by the CPU 412. Furthermore, the main board 411 and the WLAN unit 429 are connected via, for example, a dedicated bus 426 .

[0033] The CPU 412 is a system control unit including at least one processor, and controls the entire mobile terminal device 104. In one example, the processing of the mobile terminal device 104 described below is realized by the CPU 412 executing a program stored in the ROM 413. Dedicated hardware for each process may be prepared. The ROM 413 stores a control program executed by the CPU 412, an embedded operating system (OS) program, and the like. In this embodiment, the CPU 412 executes each control program stored in the ROM 413 under the management of an embedded OS also stored in the ROM 413, thereby performing software control such as scheduling and task switching.

[0034] The RAM 414 is configured by a static RAM (SRAM) or the like. The RAM 414 stores data such as program control variables, setting values ​​registered by the user, and management data of the mobile terminal device 104. The RAM 414 can also be used as a buffer for various types of work. The image memory 415 is configured by a memory such as a dynamic RAM (DRAM). The image memory 415 temporarily stores image data received via the WLAN unit 429 and image data read from the data storage unit 423 for processing by the CPU 412. The non-volatile memory 422 is configured by a memory such as a flash memory, and continues to store data even when the power supply of the mobile terminal device 104 is turned off. Note that the memory configuration of the mobile terminal device 104 is not limited to the above configuration. For example, the image memory 415 and the RAM 414 may be shared, or data may be backed up using the data storage unit 423. In the present embodiment, a DRAM is given as an example of the image memory 415, but other storage media such as a hard disk or a non-volatile memory may also be used.

[0035] The data conversion unit 416 performs data conversion such as analysis of data in various formats, color conversion, image conversion, etc. The telephone unit 417 controls the telephone line and realizes telephone communication by processing audio data input and output via the speaker unit 424. The GPS 419 receives radio waves transmitted from satellites and acquires location information such as the current latitude and longitude of the mobile terminal device 104.

[0036] The camera unit 421 has a function of electronically recording and encoding an image input through a lens. Image data obtained by imaging with the camera unit 421 is stored in the data storage unit 423. The speaker unit 424 performs control to realize a function of inputting or outputting voice for a telephone function and other functions such as alarm notification. The power supply unit 425 is, for example, a portable battery, and controls the power supply to the device. The power supply state includes, for example, a dead battery state in which the battery has no remaining charge, a power-off state in which the power key 404 is not pressed, a running state in which the device is normally running, and a power-saving state in which the device is running but is in power-saving mode.

[0037] The display unit 420 is the display unit 402 described with reference to Fig. 4(a), and performs various input operations and displays the operating status and status of the MFP 100 based on the control of the CPU 412. The operation unit 418 is the operation unit 403 described with reference to Fig. 4(a), and upon receiving a user operation, executes control such as generating an electrical signal corresponding to the operation and outputting the electrical signal to the CPU 412.

[0038] The mobile terminal device 104 performs wireless communication using the WLAN unit 429, and performs data communication with other devices such as the MFP 100. The WLAN unit 429 converts data into packets and transmits the packets to other devices. The WLAN unit 429 also restores packets from other external devices to their original data and outputs the data to the CPU 412. The WLAN unit 429 is a unit for realizing communication compliant with the WLAN standards. The WLAN unit 429 can operate in parallel in at least two communication modes including a wireless infrastructure mode and a P2P (WLAN) mode. The frequency bands used in these communication modes may be limited by the functions and performance of the hardware.

[0039] (Access point configuration) 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an AP 101 having a wireless LAN access point function. The AP 101 includes a main board 510 that controls the AP 101, a wireless LAN unit 516, a wired LAN unit 518, and an operation button 520.

[0040] A microprocessor-type CPU 511 arranged on a main board 510 operates according to a 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 other communication terminal devices by controlling a wireless LAN unit 516 via a wireless LAN communication control unit 515. The CPU 511 also performs wired LAN communication with other communication terminal devices by controlling a wired LAN unit 518 via a wired LAN communication control unit 517. The CPU 511 can accept operations from a user via an operation button 520 by controlling an operation unit control circuit 519. The CPU 511 includes at least one processor.

[0041] The AP 101 also includes an interference wave detection unit 521 and a channel change unit 522. The interference wave detection unit 521 performs processing to detect interference waves when wireless communication is being performed in a band where DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection) is performed. If an interference wave is detected when wireless communication is being performed in a band where DFS is performed, the channel change unit 522 performs processing to change the channel to be used when it is necessary to immediately change to an available channel, etc.

[0042] The AP 102 has a similar configuration to the AP 101.

[0043] (P2P communication method) Next, we will outline a P2P (WLAN) communication method in which devices communicate directly with each other wirelessly without going through an external access point in WLAN communication. P2P (WLAN) communication can be realized using a number of methods, and for example, a communication device can support a number of modes for P2P (WLAN) communication and selectively use one of the multiple modes to execute P2P communication (WLAN).

[0044] The following two P2P modes are envisioned: Soft AP mode Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) mode A communication device capable of P2P communication may be configured to support at least one of these modes, but a communication device capable of P2P communication does not necessarily have to support all of these modes and may be configured to support only some of them.

[0045] A communication device (e.g., the mobile terminal device 104) having a communication function based on WFD calls up a (possibly dedicated) application for implementing the communication function by accepting a user operation via the operation unit of the communication device. The communication device then displays a UI (user interface) screen provided by the application to prompt the user to operate the device, and can execute WFD communication based on the accepted user operation.

[0046] ●Soft AP mode In the soft AP mode, a communication device (e.g., the mobile terminal device 104) operates as a client that requests various services. The other communication device (e.g., the MFP 100) operates as a soft AP that can execute the functions of a WLAN AP by software settings. Note that commands and parameters transmitted and received when establishing a wireless connection between a client and a soft AP are not described here because those specified in the Wi-Fi (registered trademark) standard are sufficient. In addition, the MFP 100 operating in the soft AP mode determines a frequency band and a frequency channel as a parent station. Therefore, the MFP 100 can select which frequency band to use from 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz, and which frequency channel to use within that frequency band.

[0047] ●WFD mode The MFP 100 may be configured to start up as a fixed parent station in the WFD mode (Autonomous Group Owner). In this case, GO Negotiation processing for determining the role is not required. In addition, in this case, the MFP 100 determines the frequency band and frequency channel as the parent station. Therefore, the MFP 100 can select which frequency band to use from 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz, and which frequency channel to use within that frequency band.

[0048] (Wireless infrastructure mode) In the wireless infrastructure mode, communication devices (e.g., the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100) that communicate with each other are connected to an external AP (e.g., the AP 101) that manages the network, and communication between the communication devices is performed via the AP. In other words, communication between the communication devices is performed via a network built by the external AP. When the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 each find the AP 101 and transmit a connection request to the AP 101 to connect, communication between these communication devices in the wireless infrastructure mode via the AP 101 is possible. Note that multiple communication devices may be connected to separate APs. In this case, data transfer is performed between the APs, and communication between the communication devices is possible. Commands and parameters transmitted and received during communication between the communication devices via an access point may be those specified in the Wi-Fi standard, and therefore description thereof will be omitted here. In this case, the AP 101 determines the frequency band and frequency channel. Therefore, the AP 101 can select which frequency band to use from 5 GHz, 2.4 GHz, and 6 GHz, and which frequency channel to use within that frequency band.

[0049] (Processing in response to a request from the AP to change the connection destination of the STA) The mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 support a function disclosed as Wi-Fi Agile Multiband (trademark). Wi-Fi Agile Multiband is a function that enables the selection of an optimal environment according to the changing conditions of a Wi-Fi network. Specifically, STAs such as the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 and APs such as the AP 101 exchange information about the network environment using the IEEE802.11 series of communication standards. By such information exchange, when the network is congested, the AP can guide (change the connection destination) the STA to another AP, frequency band, channel, or even to another cellular service in some cases.

[0050] 6 is a sequence diagram when MFP 100 switches the AP of the connection destination from AP 101 to AP 102 in response to a connection destination change request from AP 101. In this sequence, the processes executed by each device are realized by the CPU of each device reading various programs stored in a memory such as a ROM of each device into a RAM and executing the programs.

[0051] 6, it is assumed that MFP 100 has established a connection in wireless infrastructure mode with AP 101. In addition, when MFP 100 and AP 101 connect in wireless infrastructure mode, AP 101 acquires information on whether MFP 100 supports IEEE802.11v, and performs the following processing if the information that MFP 100 supports IEEE802.11v has been acquired.

[0052] In S601, the AP 101 transmits to the MFP 100 an inquiry (measurement request) regarding the radio wave strength of APs around the MFP 100. This inquiry can be transmitted including, for example, a beacon frame request or a beacon report request. In other words, this request can use a mechanism defined in the IEEE 802.11k standard.

[0053] In S602, in response to the request received in S601, the MFP 100 receives frames transmitted from the surrounding APs and measures their radio field strength. This allows the radio field strength of each of the multiple APs, including AP 101 and AP 102, to be measured.

[0054] In S603, the MFP 100 transmits a list of the radio wave strengths of the APs around the MFP 100 measured in S602 as a response to the request received in S601. Note that the radio wave strength to be responded to may be information stored in the RAM 214 and non-volatile memory 215 of the MFP 100 in addition to or instead of the information measured in S602. This response is transmitted including, for example, a beacon report or measurement reports.

[0055] In S604, the AP 101 determines whether or not it is necessary to switch the connection destination of the MFP 100 based on the congestion status in the network that the AP 101 is aware of and the radio wave strength received in S603 from the MFP 100. Factors that the AP 101 uses to determine that a connection switch is necessary include a large number of connected STAs, a large amount of communication, other APs are less congested, the presence or absence of radio interference, and AP function stoppage. When it determines that a switch of the connection destination of the MFP 100 is necessary and determines the SSID, channel, and frequency band of another AP to be specified as the switching destination of the MFP 100, the process proceeds to S605.

[0056] In S605, the AP 101 transmits an AP change request (connection destination switch request) to the MFP 100. The connection destination change request includes information on the SSID, channel, and frequency band of another AP designated as a switch destination to the MFP 100, as determined in S604. Note that multiple SSIDs may be designated. The connection destination change request is transmitted, for example, as a BTM Request. In other words, a BTM (BSS Transition Management) Request frame defined in the IEEE802.11v standard is transmitted. In the example of FIG. 6, it is assumed that the AP 102 is designated as the switch destination included in the connection destination change request.

[0057] In S606, if the MFP 100 complies with the connection destination change request received in S605, the MFP 100 transmits a response indicating switch approval to the AP 101. If the MFP 100 does not comply with the connection destination change request, the MFP 100 may transmit a switch refusal as a response. The response is transmitted as a BTM Response. In the example of FIG. 6, the response indicating switch approval is transmitted.

[0058] In S607, the AP 101 and the MFP 100 disconnect the connection in the wireless infrastructure mode.

[0059] In S608, the MFP 100 transmits a connection request to the AP 102 so as to connect to the AP 102 specified in the connection destination change request received in S605.

[0060] As a result, in S609, a connection between the MFP 100 and the AP 102 is established in the wireless infrastructure mode.

[0061] With this mechanism, the MFP100, which is an STA, can change the connection destination from the AP101 to the AP102 based on a connection destination change request from the AP101 to which it was originally connected. The AP101 and the AP102 may be APs installed at different locations. That is, the MFP100 can switch to another AP installed at a location different from the AP to which it was originally connected by the process of FIG. 6. Also, the APs may correspond to different frequency bands among a plurality of frequency bands (any two or three of 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz) provided by the same device. That is, the MFP100 can switch to another frequency band provided by the same device as the AP to which it was originally connected by the process of FIG. 6. For example, the connection destination can be changed to an AP in the 6 GHz band based on a connection destination change request.

[0062] In this embodiment, an example will be described in which a measurement request and a connection destination change request are transmitted from an AP in a mechanism conforming to Wi-Fi Agile Multiband, and the STA responds to the request, but the present invention is not limited to this. This embodiment can also be applied to a case in which the STA responds to a measurement request or a connection destination change request transmitted from an AP using a mechanism different from the above-mentioned example, or changes the connection destination AP (switching, deleting, or adding the AP to be connected).

[0063] When MFP100 is requested by AP101 to change the connection destination in S605 of FIG. 6, MFP100 can be in a state where changing the AP connection destination does not cause any problems, and in a state where changing the AP connection destination or being disconnected from the currently connected AP causes problems, as described below.

[0064] In this embodiment, when MFP100 receives a connection destination change request from AP101, if there is no problem if MFP100 changes the connection destination, control is performed to change the connection destination AP according to the change request. On the other hand, if there is a problem if MFP100 changes the connection destination AP, a configuration will be described in which control is performed to not respond to the change request or to respond with a refusal to change the connection destination. With such a configuration, it is possible to change the connection destination access point depending on the operating state of MFP100.

[0065] The process executed when the MFP 100 receives a connection destination change request from the currently connected AP will be described with reference to Fig. 7. The process in Fig. 7 is realized, for example, by the CPU 212 reading a program stored in the ROM 213, which is a computer-readable recording medium, into the RAM 214 and executing the program.

[0066] In this embodiment, it is assumed that, when the process of Fig. 7 is started, MFP 100 has established a connection with AP 101 in wireless infrastructure mode. When MFP 100 and AP 101 connect in wireless infrastructure mode, AP 101 acquires information on whether MFP 100 supports IEEE802.11v. If information indicating that MFP 100 supports IEEE802.11v (supports a function for changing the connection destination based on a request to change the connection destination) has been acquired, the following process is performed.

[0067] In S701, the CPU 212 determines whether or not an inquiry (measurement request) about the radio wave strength of APs around the MFP 100 has been received from the AP 101. This inquiry can include a beacon frame request or a beacon report request, and in this embodiment, it is assumed to include either of these requests. The inquiry about radio wave strength determined in S701 corresponds to the process of determining whether or not the inquiry about radio wave strength transmitted by the AP 101 in S601 of FIG. 6 has been received. If the CPU 212 determines in S701 that the inquiry has been received, the process proceeds to S702. On the other hand, if the CPU 212 determines that the inquiry has not been received, the process proceeds to S703.

[0068] 6, the MFP 100 measures the radio wave strength of the APs around the MFP 100. The CPU 212 transmits a list of the radio wave strengths of the APs to the AP 101 as a Beaon report.

[0069] In S703, as described in S605 of Fig. 6, it is determined whether or not a connection destination AP change request has been received from AP 101. If it is determined in S703 that the request has been received, the CPU 212 proceeds to S704. On the other hand, if it is determined that the request has not been received, the CPU 212 proceeds to S707.

[0070] In S704, CPU 212 determines whether MFP 100 can change the AP to which it is connected. If CPU 212 determines that the change is not possible, it proceeds to S708. On the other hand, if CPU 212 determines that the change is possible, it proceeds to S705. That is, in S704, CPU 212 determines whether MFP 100 is in a state in which it can change the AP to which it is connected. Hereinafter, a state in which MFP 100 can change the AP to which it is connected is called a first operating state, and a state in which MFP 100 cannot change the AP to which it is connected is called a second operating state. The second operating state is, for example, a state in which, when MFP 100 changes the AP to which it is connected, the operation currently being performed by MFP 100 is affected.

[0071] The determination of whether the state can be changed in S704 may be made based on, for example, whether MFP 100 is connected to external server 103. If MFP 100 is immediately disconnected from AP 101 while connected to external server 103, communication is forcibly interrupted without performing termination processing, and reconnection procedure may take time. That is, when MFP 100 is not connected to external server 103, MFP 100 is in a first operating state, and when MFP 100 is connected to external server 103, MFP 100 is in a second operating state. External server 103 may be, for example, a cloud print server.

[0072] 6. In S705, the CPU 212 transmits to the AP 101 a response indicating that it will comply with the connection destination change request received from the AP 101, and the process proceeds to S706. The process of S705 corresponds to the process of S606 in FIG.

[0073] In S706, the CPU 212 disconnects the connection between the MFP 100 and the AP 101, and executes a process of connecting to the recommended AP included in the connection destination change request based on the connection destination change request. The process of S706 corresponds to the processes of S607 and S608 in Fig. 6. If the recommended AP included in the connection destination change request includes an AP capable of communicating in the 6 GHz band, the CPU 212 may perform a process of connecting to the AP capable of communicating in the 6 GHz band. This prevents communication disconnection due to the DFS standby time as described above, and more comfortable communication can be expected.

[0074] In S707, the CPU 212 determines whether or not the connection with the currently connected AP 101 has been terminated. If the CPU 212 determines that the connection has not been terminated, the process proceeds to S701. On the other hand, if the CPU 212 determines that the connection has been terminated, the process in FIG. 7 ends.

[0075] In S708, the CPU 212 stores information on the recommended AP to be connected (connection information of the recommended AP including identification information for identifying the recommended AP such as BSSID) included in the connection destination change request received from the AP 101 in the RAM 214 of the MFP 100, and proceeds to S709.

[0076] In S709, the CPU 212 refers to the change reason included in the connection destination change request received from the AP 101 and determines whether the change reason includes a strong reason. If the CPU 212 determines that there is a strong reason, the process proceeds to S710, and if the CPU 212 determines that there is no strong reason, the process proceeds to S711. In S709, the CPU 212 determines that the change reason is a strong reason when, for example, the Disassociation Imminent bit or the BSS Termination Included bit of the Request mode of the BTM Request is 1.

[0077] In S710, the CPU 212 does not return a response to the connection destination change request, and proceeds to S712. Here, the above-mentioned strong reason is, in other words, a situation in which there is a possibility that the connection between the AP 101 and the MFP 100 may be disconnected. For example, when the radio wave strength between the AP 101 and the MFP 100 is low, the change reason included in the change request is set as a strong reason, assuming that the connection between the AP 101 and the MFP 100 may be disconnected. For example, even if the CPU 212 transmits a change refusal response in the process of S709, the AP 101 may forcibly disconnect the connection with the MFP 100 at the time of receiving the change refusal response. Therefore, in S710, in the case of a strong reason, the CPU 212 does not return a response in the hope that the connection with the AP 101 can be maintained until the response waiting time of the AP 101 times out. The connection waiting time is, for example, a predetermined time during which the AP 101 waits for a response from the MFP 100.

[0078] In S711, the CPU 212 transmits a change refusal response to the AP 101 in response to the change request from the AP 101, and proceeds to S712. Here, the absence of a strong reason is, in other words, a situation in which disconnection between the AP 101 and the MFP 100 is recommended. For example, the network of the AP 101 may be congested when multiple devices are connected to the AP 101. In the process of S709, for example, even if the CPU 212 transmits a change refusal response to the AP 101, it is considered that the AP 101 that receives the change refusal response will not forcibly disconnect the connection with the MFP 100. Therefore, in the process of S711, if there is no strong reason, the AP 101 may be able to maintain the connection with the AP 101 without forcibly disconnecting, and therefore the CPU 212 transmits the change refusal response. For example, by CPU 212 transmitting a change refusal response, it is expected that AP 101 will lower the priority of the connection destination change of MFP 100 among multiple devices that are connected to AP 101 and are candidates for connection destination change that have no strong reason for requiring forced disconnection. This makes it possible for MFP 100 to maintain the connection with AP 101, for example, when a device other than MFP 100 that has a higher priority changes its connection destination. That is, in S710 or S711, CPU 212 can be said to be performing control not to change the connection destination in response to the connection request of AP 101 when MFP 100 is in the second state.

[0079] In S712, the CPU 212 determines whether or not a connection destination AP change request has been received again from the AP 101. If the CPU 212 determines in S712 that the request has not been received, the process proceeds to S713, and if the CPU 212 determines that the request has been received, the process proceeds to S715.

[0080] In S713, the CPU 212 determines whether the state of the MFP 100 has become changeable to the destination AP. If the CPU 212 determines that the state has become changeable (i.e., the state has changed from the second operation state to the first operation state), the process proceeds to S715, and if the state remains changeable (i.e., the state remains in the second operation state), the process proceeds to S712.

[0081] The process in S714 is the same as that in S713, and therefore the description will be omitted. In S714, if the CPU 212 determines that the change is possible, the process proceeds to S715. On the other hand, if the CPU 212 determines that the change is still not possible, the process proceeds to S708, and the recommended connection AP information is overwritten in the RAM 214.

[0082] In S715, CPU 212 changes the connection destination to the AP of the recommended connection AP information stored in S708, and proceeds to S707. The connection destination AP change process executes the same processes as S607, S608, and S609 in FIG. 6. That is, in S715, at the timing when MFP 100 changes from the second operation state to the first operation state, even if a connection destination change request has not been received since the first operation state was entered, the connection destination is changed to the recommended AP indicated by the connection destination change request previously received when MFP 100 was in the second operation state. In this way, as soon as it becomes possible to change the connection destination AP, MFP 100 can quickly change the connection destination to an AP that is expected to have a more stable connection state, and achieve a stable connection state.

[0083] In S713 or S714, when the CPU 212 determines that the MFP 100 can change the connection destination AP, the CPU 212 may, for example, send a response to the AP 1 indicating that the MFP 100 can change the connection destination AP. In other words, the response indicating that the change is possible is a response indicating approval of switching the connection destination AP.

[0084] In this way, according to the present embodiment, when the MFP 100 is requested by the AP 101 to change the AP to which it is connected, the MFP 100 changes the AP to which it is connected in response to the request of the AP 101, or controls not to comply with the request of the AP 101 depending on the operating state of the MFP 100. That is, when the MFP 100 receives a request to change the AP to which it is connected, it does not return a response if there is a possibility of being forcibly disconnected, and returns a rejection response if it is recommended to change the AP to which it is connected, so that the MFP 100 can continue the connection with the AP 101 as long as possible. Furthermore, even after the MFP 100 has performed control not to comply with the request of the AP 101, if the operating state of the MFP 100 becomes changeable, the MFP 100 can switch to the recommended AP to which it is connected. Therefore, the AP to which it is connected can be appropriately changed depending on the operating state of the MFP 100.

[0085] In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which, when a Beacon request is received in S701, the CPU 212 transmits a Beacon report to the AP 101 in S702, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in the process of S702, when it is determined in S704 that the connection destination of the MFP 100 cannot be changed, the CPU 212 may control not to transmit a Beacon report to the AP 101 even if a Beacon request is received. That is, the MFP 100 may be configured not to transmit a Beacon report when it receives a Beacon request repeatedly in the second operating state. Alternatively, when the MFP 100 receives a Beacon request in the second operating state, the MFP 100 may control to respond (make a false response) with information indicating that the radio wave reception conditions of APs other than the currently connected AP are inferior to the conditions actually measured (weak radio waves, much noise, radio waves cannot be detected). In this way, it is expected that a request to change the connection destination from the currently connected AP to another AP is suppressed. This prevents the connection destination from being changed in response to a connection destination change request.

[0086] In the present embodiment, in the process of S704, a state in which the MFP 100 is not connected to the external server 103 is set as a first operating state, and a state in which the MFP 100 is connected to the external server 103 is set as a second operating state. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the normal power state of the MFP 100 may be set as the first operating state, and a state in which the MFP 100 is in a power-saving state lower than the normal power state may be set as the second operating state. That is, the process of S704 may be determined according to the power state of the MFP 100. The power-saving mode is, for example, an operating state in which the clock frequency of the processor of the MFP 100 is lower than that of the normal power state. In this way, by performing the process of S704 based on the power state of the MFP 100, for example, if the MFP 100 is in a power-saving mode and has a low clock frequency, it may not be possible to switch the AP of the connection destination in response to a request from the AP 101 to change the connection destination. For this reason, the normal power state of the MFP 100 may be set as the first operating state, and a state in which the MFP 100 is in a power-saving state lower than the normal power state may be set as the second operating state.

[0087] Also, the process of S704 may be performed according to the printing operation of MFP 100. In S704, for example, a state in which MFP 100 has not received print data may be set as a first operating state, and a state in which MFP 100 has received part of the print data from another device and has not yet completed receiving the remaining print data may be set as a second operating state. As a result, while MFP 100 is receiving print data from another device such as mobile terminal 104 or server 103, MFP 100 does not respond to the change request from AP 101, or responds with a refusal. This makes it possible to avoid adverse effects such as uneven printing caused by print data being printed intermittently due to a change in the connected AP by MFP 100.

[0088] In this embodiment, if there is a strong reason for the change in the change request, the CPU 212 does not respond to the AP 101 in S710. Also, if there is no strong reason for the change in the change request, the CPU 212 responds with refusal to the AP 101 in S711, but this is not limited to the example. For example, if there is a strong reason for the change in the change request, the CPU 212 may respond with refusal to the AP 101 in S710. Also, if there is no strong reason for the change in the change request, the CPU 212 may not respond to the AP 101 in S711.

[0089] In the present embodiment, the CPU 212 executes the processes from S708 to S715 when it is determined in S704 that the connection destination cannot be changed, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the CPU 212 may start a process to eliminate the cause of the connection destination not being changeable when it is determined in S704 that the connection destination cannot be changed, or when it is determined in S709 that there is a strong reason. For example, the CPU 212 may start a process to end communication with the external server 103 when the connection destination AP cannot be changed because communication with the external server 103 is in progress. This can increase the probability that the MFP 100 will be in a state where the connection destination AP can be changed before the connection is forcibly disconnected, even when the connection is forcibly disconnected from the AP 101.

[0090] The various controls described above as being performed by MFP 100 may be performed by a single piece of hardware, or the entire device may be controlled by multiple pieces of hardware (e.g., multiple processors or circuits) sharing the processing.

[0091] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the present invention is applied to an MFP, but is not limited thereto. The present invention is applicable to wireless devices that function as STAs capable of processing in response to a request to change the connection destination from an AP. That is, the present invention is applicable to, for example, personal computers, PDAs, tablet terminals, mobile phone terminals such as smartphones, music players, game consoles, electronic book readers, smart watches, various measuring devices (sensor devices) such as thermometers and hygrometers, digital cameras (including still cameras, video cameras, network cameras, and security cameras), printers, scanners, drones, video output devices, audio output devices (for example, smart speakers), media streaming players, and wireless LAN slave devices (adapters) that can be connected to USB terminals and LAN cable terminals. The video output device includes, for example, a device that acquires (downloads) a video on the Internet specified by a URL instructed from an electronic device and outputs it to a display device connected via a video output terminal such as HDMI (trademark), thereby realizing streaming playback on the display device or realizing mirroring display (display in which the content displayed on the electronic device is also displayed on the display device). Furthermore, the video output device includes media players such as televisions, hard disk recorders, Blu-ray recorders, and DVD recorders, head-mounted displays, projectors, televisions, display devices (monitors), signage devices, etc. Furthermore, the present invention is also applicable to Wi-Fi-connectable devices known as smart home appliances, such as air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, ovens, microwave ovens, lighting equipment, heating equipment, and cooling equipment.

[0092] The present invention can also be realized by a process in which a program for implementing one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or device read and execute the program. The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that implements one or more of the functions.

[0093] The disclosure of the present embodiment includes the following electronic device, control method, program, and recording medium. (Item 1) A receiving means for receiving a connection destination change request from an access point; When the change request is received, When the device is in the first operating state, a process of changing the connection destination is performed based on the change request. and a control means for controlling the electronic device so that, when in a second operating state, the electronic device does not respond to the change request, or sends a response to the access point indicating a change refusal in response to the change request. (Item 2) 2. The electronic device according to item 1, wherein the control means performs control so as not to perform processing to change the connection destination based on the change request when the electronic device is in the second operating state. (Item 3) The electronic device described in item 1 or 2, characterized in that the control means controls to execute a process of changing the connection destination based on the change request when the second operating state is transitioned to the first operating state. (Item 4) a storage means for controlling the device to store the change request received by the receiving means when the device is in the second operating state; The electronic device described in any one of items 1 to 3, characterized in that when the control means transitions from the second operating state to the first operating state, a process to change the connection destination is performed based on the change request stored in the storage means. (Item 5) The control means When the second operating state is set, control is performed so as not to respond to the change request, 5. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, when the second operating state is transitioned to the first operating state, a response indicating that the change is possible is transmitted to the access point. (Item 6) When the control means is in the second operating state, failing to respond to the change request based on the change reason included in the change request; Alternatively, the electronic device according to any one of items 1 to 5 may switch control so as to transmit a response to the change request to the access point indicating that the change is rejected. (Item 7) The electronic device described in item 6, characterized in that the control means controls the electronic device not to respond to the change request when the reason for the change includes a situation in which the connection between the access point and the electronic device may be severed. (Item 8) The electronic device described in item 6 or 7, characterized in that when the reason for the change includes a situation in which the connection between the access point and the electronic device may be severed, the control means controls the access point not to respond to the change request until a response waiting time for the change request from the access point times out. (Item 9) The electronic device described in any one of items 6 to 8, characterized in that the control means controls the electronic device to respond to the change request by rejecting the response when the reason for the change includes a situation in which disconnection between the access point and the electronic device is recommended. (Item 10) a second receiving means for receiving a request to measure radio wave intensity of an access point in the vicinity of the electronic device from the access point to which the electronic device is currently connected; a transmitting means for transmitting the measurement report of the radio wave strength based on the second receiving means receiving the measurement request, The transmitting means is If the device is in the first operating state, transmitting the measurement report; 10. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the measurement report is not transmitted when the electronic device is in the second operating state. (Item 11) 11. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the second operating state is a state in which the electronic device is communicating with an external server. (Item 12) a printing unit that receives print data from another device in the network using the access point and prints the print data; the first operating state is a state in which the print data is not received, 11. The electronic device according to any one of items 1 to 10, characterized in that the second operating state is a state in which a portion of the print data has been received from the other device and the remaining reception has not been completed. (Item 13) The electronic device includes a processor. 11. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the second operating state is an operating state in which a clock frequency of the processor is lower than that of the first operating state. (Item 14) 14. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the electronic device is a printer. (Item 15) The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the electronic device is capable of operating in accordance with at least one of OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access) and TWT (Target Wake Time). (Item 16) The electronic device according to any one of items 1 to 15, characterized in that the electronic device is capable of operating in accordance with IEEE 802.11ax. (Item 17) The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that, when controlling to change the connection destination in response to the change request, the control means controls to change to an access point having a frequency band of 6 GHz. (Item 18) 1. A method implemented in an electronic device, comprising: a receiving step of receiving a connection change request from an access point; When the change request is received, When the device is in the first operating state, a process of changing the connection destination is performed based on the change request. not responding to the change request when in the second operating state; Alternatively, the method further comprises a control step of transmitting a response to the change request, the response indicating that the change is rejected, to the access point. (Item 19) A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the electronic device described in any one of items 1 to 17. (Item 20) 20. A computer-readable recording medium having the program according to item 19 stored therein.

[0094] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0095] 100 MFP, 101 AP1, 102 AP2, 103 server, 104 mobile terminal device, 212 CPU

Claims

1. Receiving means for receiving a request to change the connection destination from a wireless LAN access point, When the aforementioned change request is received, If the first operating state is in place, the process of changing the connection destination based on the change request is performed. An electronic device characterized by having control means for controlling the device so as not to respond to the change request when it is in a second operating state.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control means controls the connection destination change process based on the change request when the second operating state is in place.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control means controls the execution of the connection destination change process based on the change request when transitioning from the second operating state to the first operating state.

4. The system includes a storage means that controls the receiving means to store the change request received when the second operating state is in place, The electronic device according to claim 3, characterized in that when the control means transitions from the second operating state to the first operating state, it controls the process of changing the connection destination based on the change request stored in the storage means.

5. The control means is When the second operating state is in place, control the system so as not to respond to the change request, The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that, when transitioning from the second operating state to the first operating state, it transmits a response to the access point indicating that it can be changed.

6. When the control means is in the second operating state, Based on the reason for the change included in the change request, we will not respond to the change request. Alternatively, the electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that it can switch to a control that sends a response to the access point indicating a refusal to change in response to the change request.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the control means controls not to respond to the change request if the reason for the change includes a situation that may disconnect the connection between the access point and the electronic device.

8. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein the control means controls the access point not to respond to the change request until the waiting time for the access point to respond to the change request times out, when the reason for the change includes a situation that may cause the connection between the access point and the electronic device to be severed.

9. The electronic device according to claim 6, characterized in that the control means controls to respond to the change request to reject the response when the reason for the change includes a situation that recommends disconnecting the access point from the electronic device.

10. A second receiving means that receives a request from the connected access point to measure the radio wave strength of access points in the vicinity of the electronic device, The system comprises a transmitting means that transmits a radio wave intensity measurement report based on the fact that the second receiving means has received the measurement request, The aforementioned transmission means is If the first operating state is in place, the measurement report is sent. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that it does not transmit the measurement report when the second operating state is in place.

11. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that the second operating state is a state in which the electronic device is communicating with an external server.

12. The system includes a printing means that receives print data from other devices within the network via the aforementioned access point and prints it, The first operating state is a state in which the print data has not been received. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that the second operating state is a state in which a portion of the print data has been received from the other device, but the reception of the remaining data has not yet been completed.

13. The aforementioned electronic device includes a processor, The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that the second operating state is an operating state in which the clock frequency of the processor is lower than that of the first operating state.

14. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that the electronic device is a printer.

15. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that the electronic device is capable of operating in accordance with at least one of OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access) or TWT (Target Wake Time).

16. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that the electronic device is capable of operating in accordance with IEEE 802.11ax.

17. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that when the control means controls to change the connection destination in response to the change request, it controls to change to an access point with a frequency band of 6 GHz.

18. A method performed in an electronic device, A receiving process that receives a request to change the connection destination from a wireless LAN access point, When the aforementioned change request is received, If the first operating state is in place, the process of changing the connection destination based on the change request is performed. A method characterized by comprising a control step of controlling the system so as not to respond to the change request when it is in a second operating state.

19. A program for causing a computer to function as one of the means of the electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

20. A computer-readable recording medium on which the program described in claim 19 is stored.

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