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

Abstract

To provide an electronic apparatus that more appropriately changes an access point to be a connection destination.SOLUTION: An electronic apparatus comprises: at least one processor; receiving means that receives a request for changing an access point to be a connection destination from a first access point being connected with the electronic apparatus; and control means that, when the electronic apparatus is in the first mode, performs control so that processing of changing the connection destination based on the change request is performed, and when the electronic apparatus is in a second mode in which the clock frequency of the at least one processor is lower than that in the first mode, performs control so that the processing of changing the connection destination based on the change request is not performed.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] The electronic device of the present invention is characterized in that it is an electronic device comprising at least one processor, a receiving means for receiving a request to change the access point to be connected to from a first access point to which it is connected, and a control means for controlling the electronic device to be in the first mode and a second mode in which the clock frequency of the at least one processor is lower than that of the first mode, so that when the electronic device is in the first mode, a process to change the connection destination based on the change request is performed, and when the electronic device is in the second mode, a process to change the connection destination based on the change request is not performed. 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 process 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:

[0045] 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.

[0046] 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.

[0047] ●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.

[0048] ●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.

[0049] (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.

[0050] (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 (registered 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.

[0051] 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.

[0052] 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.

[0053] 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.

[0054] 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.

[0055] 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.

[0056] 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.

[0057] 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.

[0058] 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.

[0059] In S607, the AP 101 and the MFP 100 disconnect the connection in the wireless infrastructure mode.

[0060] 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.

[0061] As a result, in S609, a connection between the MFP 100 and the AP 102 in the wireless infrastructure mode is established.

[0062] 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.

[0063] 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).

[0064] [First embodiment] (Control of connection change requests from APs) There are two states for a STA: one where no problems occur when an AP is switched, and another where problems occur when the AP is switched or the STA is disconnected from the currently connected AP. When a problem occurs, the STA will experience problems if it receives an AP change request from the AP and switches the connected AP in response to the request. Also, if the STA does not respond to the AP change request to avoid problems, it may be disconnected from the currently connected AP, which also causes problems for the STA.

[0065] For example, some STAs have a technology for reducing the power consumption of the STA itself by lowering the operating clock of the processing CPU in the STA according to the power mode when the STA is not used for a certain period of time, or by switching the processing CPU to a sub-CPU with a lower operating clock, thereby reducing the power consumption. If the STA switches the destination AP in response to a request from the AP while the clock is down in the power saving mode, a timeout may occur on the destination AP side in the connection process with the destination AP, which involves a high calculation load such as WPA-EAP (Wi-Fi Protected Access-Extensible Authentication Protocol), and the connection with the AP may be cut off. In this embodiment, the destination AP can be appropriately switched according to the state of the MFP 100.

[0066] Next, the control of MFP100 in response to a connection destination AP change request from AP101 will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 7. Each step shown in the flowchart of Fig. 7 is realized by CPU212 expanding into RAM214 a control program stored in a computer-readable memory such as ROM213 and executing it.

[0067] In S701, the CPU 212 receives a connection destination AP change request from the AP 101. In S702, the CPU 212 refers to the request reason (Request Mode) included in the connection destination AP change request from the AP 101. The request reason is referred to by the following bits included in the change request:

[0068] -Preferred Candidate List Included bit indicates whether the BTM Request frame includes a transition candidate list. - Abridged Bit indicating whether the STA has an AP recommended by the STA in the transition candidate list Disassociation Imminent Bit, which indicates whether the current AP will be disconnected. BSS Termination Included Bit indicates whether the BSS (Basic Service Set) is shut down and disconnected from the AP. The BTM Request frame contains a Session Information URL field, and the ESS Disassociation Imminent Bit indicates that the STA is disconnected from the ESS. In S703, the CPU 212 determines whether or not the request reason indicates that the connection with the AP 101 is to be disconnected. For example, when a Disassociation Imminent Bit indicating whether or not the connection with the current AP is to be released is set, or a BSS Termination Included Bit indicating whether or not the BSS is shut down and the connection with the AP is to be released is set, the CPU 212 determines whether or not the connection with the AP 101 is to be disconnected. If it is determined that the connection between the AP 101 and the MFP 100 is to be disconnected, the process proceeds to S704. On the other hand, if it is determined that the connection with the AP 101 is not to be disconnected, the process proceeds to S708.

[0069] In S704, the CPU 212 determines whether the MFP 100 is operating in a power saving mode. The power saving mode refers to a state in which the MFP 100 is operating with a lower operating clock frequency than in the normal mode. The state in which the operating clock frequency is lower than in the normal mode is realized by lowering the operating clock frequency of the processing CPU mounted on the MFP 100. In addition, when the MFP 100 is mounted with multiple processing CPUs such as a main CPU with a high operating clock frequency and a sub-CPU with a low operating clock frequency, the state may be realized by switching the processing CPU to the sub-CPU with the low operating clock frequency.

[0070] In other words, the power saving mode is a mode in which fewer blocks are supplied with power than in normal mode. For example, if the normal mode operation is a state in which power is supplied to all blocks in the MFP 100 in FIG. 2B, the power saving mode is a state in which power supply to the reading control unit 217, the reading unit 219, the printing unit 222, and the printing control unit 224 is stopped.

[0071] If it is determined in S704 that the MFP 100 is operating in the power saving mode, the process proceeds to S705. In S705, the CPU 212 returns the MFP 100 from the power saving mode. Returning from the power saving mode is achieved by changing the operating clock frequency of the processing CPU to the operating clock frequency during operation in the normal mode, or by switching the processing CPU to the main CPU used during operation in the normal mode. If it is determined in S704 that the MFP 100 is not operating in the power saving mode, the process proceeds to S706. The process of S705 enables the MFP 100 to be in a state in which switching of the connection destination AP can be performed.

[0072] Thus, in this embodiment, even if MFP100 is in a power saving state, if the reason for the request included in the request to change the connection destination AP is a predetermined reason, for example, a reason corresponding to the disconnection of the connection with AP101, the connection destination AP will be switched.

[0073] In S706, the CPU 212 transmits a response indicating acceptance of the switch to the AP 101, and in S707 switches the connection destination AP to the AP .

[0074] After S707 is executed, the CPU 212 transitions the MFP 100 to the power saving mode. The transition to the power saving mode is realized by changing the operating clock frequency of the processing CPU to the operating clock frequency during operation in the power saving mode, or by switching the processing CPU to a sub-CPU used during operation in the power saving mode.

[0075] In S708, the CPU 212 judges whether the security setting of the connected wireless communication is WPA-EAP (Wi-Fi Protected Access Extensible Authentication Protocol). If it is judged that the security setting is WPA-EAP (first setting), the process proceeds to S709. If it is judged that the security setting is not WPA-EAP (second setting different from the first setting), the process proceeds to S711. Note that, although WPA-EAP is taken as an example in this embodiment, other security settings that may cause a timeout in the encryption process based on the operating clock frequency of the processing CPU in the power saving mode may be used as the judgment criterion.

[0076] In S709, CPU 212 determines whether MFP 100 is operating in power saving mode, similarly to S704. If it is determined in S709 that MFP 100 is operating in power saving mode, the process proceeds to S710. In S710, CPU 212 transmits a response indicating a refusal to switch the connection destination AP to AP 101, and maintains the connection with AP 101. After S710, the process in FIG. 7 ends. If it is determined in S709 that MFP 100 is not operating in power saving mode, the process proceeds to S711.

[0077] In this way, if the connection destination AP change request received from AP 101 does not indicate that the connection between AP 101 and MFP 100 will be disconnected and the encryption process involves high calculation processing, and MFP 100 is operating in power saving mode, a response is made refusing to switch the connection destination AP. This makes it possible to prevent a timeout from occurring when operating in power saving mode with the connection destination AP after switching (changed AP).

[0078] In S711, CPU 212 determines whether or not a print job is being processed. If it is determined that a print job is being processed, the process proceeds to S712. On the other hand, if it is determined that a print job is not being processed, the process proceeds to S713. In S712, CPU 212 transmits a response to AP 101 indicating a refusal to switch the connection destination AP, and maintains the connection with AP 101. After S712, the process in FIG. 7 ends.

[0079] In this way, if the request to change the connection destination AP received from AP 101 does not indicate that the connection between AP 101 and MFP 100 will be disconnected, and if a print job is being executed, a response is made refusing to switch the connection destination AP. This makes it possible to prevent a situation in which print data is interrupted. Also, in this example, a print job is described as an example, but it may also be determined whether another job, such as a scan job, is being processed.

[0080] In S713, the CPU 212 transmits a response indicating approval of the switching of the connection destination AP to the AP 101. Then, in S714, the CPU 212 switches the connection destination AP to the AP 102. After S714, the processing in FIG.

[0081] In this manner, in this embodiment, if the request to change the destination AP received from AP 101 does not indicate that the connection between AP 101 and MFP 100 will be disconnected, the MFP 100 operates to respond with an acknowledgement of switching the destination AP as much as possible. In other words, if the current state of MFP 100 satisfies a predetermined condition, the destination AP is not switched. The predetermined condition here is, for example, that the security setting is WPA-EAP, MFP 100 is in power saving mode, and a job is being processed.

[0082] Note that when the process proceeds from S708: No to S711: No, there may be cases where the MFP 100 is in the power saving mode. Therefore, the same processes as S704 and S705 may be executed before S713. With such a configuration, when the MFP 100 is in the power saving mode, it is possible to configure it so that the connection destination AP is switched in S714 after returning from the power saving mode. Then, after S714 is executed, the CPU 212 transitions the MFP 100 to the power saving mode. The transition to the power saving mode is realized by changing the operating clock frequency of the processing CPU to the operating clock frequency during operation in the power saving mode, or by switching the processing CPU to a sub-CPU used during operation in the power saving mode.

[0083] [Second embodiment] The second embodiment will be described below with respect to the differences from the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, when it is determined in S709 that the MFP 100 is in the power saving mode, a response indicating a refusal to switch the connected AP is transmitted to the AP 101 in S710, and the power saving mode is maintained. In this embodiment, when the MFP 100 satisfies a predetermined condition and transitions to the power saving mode, control is performed so that a request to change the connected AP is not transmitted from the AP 101 to the MFP 100. With such a configuration, when the MFP 100 is in the power saving mode, the power saving mode can be maintained without switching the connected AP.

[0084] As a predetermined condition for transitioning to the power saving mode, for example, it is assumed that the operation display unit 220 is set to not accept an operation for a predetermined time. In this case, the CPU 212 first disconnects the connection with the AP 101 based on the fact that the condition is satisfied, and then transmits a connection request with the AP 101 to the AP 101 again. At that time, the CPU 212 transmits information to the AP 101 that the MFP 100 does not support IEEE802.11v. Here, even if the MFP 100 actually supports IEEE802.11v, the CPU 212 transmits information to the AP 101 that the MFP 100 does not support the standard. Then, the CPU 212 transitions the MFP 100 to the power saving mode. The transition to the power saving mode is realized by changing the operating clock frequency of the processing CPU to the operating clock frequency during operation in the power saving mode, or by switching the processing CPU to a sub-CPU used during operation in the power saving mode. By such an operation, it is possible to control so that the AP 101 does not transmit a request to change the connection destination AP.

[0085] Thereafter, based on the fact that the condition for returning from the power saving mode is satisfied, the CPU 212 returns the MFP 100 from the power saving mode. The condition for returning from the power saving mode is, for example, the reception of a user operation on the operation display unit 220. Returning from the power saving mode is realized by changing the operating clock frequency of the processing CPU to the operating clock frequency during operation in the normal mode, or by switching the processing CPU to the main CPU used during operation in the normal mode. Then, the CPU 212 disconnects the connection with the AP 101, and thereafter transmits a connection request to the AP 101. At that time, the CPU 212 transmits information to the AP 101 indicating that the AP 101 is compatible with IEEE802.11v.

[0086] In this way, when MFP 100 satisfies a predetermined condition and transitions to the power saving mode, control is performed so that a request to change the connected AP is not transmitted from AP 101 to MFP 100. With such a configuration, when MFP 100 transitions to the power saving mode, it is possible to maintain the power saving mode without switching the connected AP.

[0087] In the above-described second embodiment, an example was described in which the connection with the AP is restarted when the power saving mode is entered, and information indicating that the connection destination change function is not supported (that the IEEE802.11v is not supported) is transmitted to the AP and the connection is made, so that the connection destination is not changed in response to a connection destination change request. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and other methods may be used as long as the control is performed in the power saving mode to suppress the change of the connection destination AP in response to a connection destination change request from the AP. For example, when connecting to the AP, information indicating that the connection destination change function is supported is transmitted to the AP, but when a measurement request (S601) is received, the control may be performed to respond (to a false response) with information indicating that the radio wave reception status of other APs other than the currently connected access point is inferior to the status actually measured (weak radio waves, much noise, radio waves cannot be detected). In this way, it is expected that a connection destination change request to another AP is suppressed from being sent from the currently connected AP. Therefore, a change of the connection destination in response to a connection destination change request is suppressed.

[0088] In each of the above embodiments, the various controls described as being performed by MFP100 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.

[0089] In addition, although the present invention has been described in detail based on the preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various forms within the scope of the gist of the present invention are also included in the present invention. Furthermore, each of the above-mentioned embodiments merely shows one embodiment of the present invention, and each embodiment can be appropriately combined.

[0090] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the present invention is applied to the MFP100. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and can be applied to any wireless device that has multiple operation modes and functions as a STA capable of processing in response to a request to change the connection destination from an AP. That is, the present invention is applicable to various measuring devices (sensor devices) such as personal computers, PDAs, tablet terminals, mobile phone terminals such as smartphones, music players, game consoles, electronic book readers, smart watches, thermometers, and hygrometers. The present invention is also applicable to digital cameras (including still cameras, video cameras, network cameras, and security cameras), printers, scanners, and drones. The present invention is also applicable to video output devices, audio output devices (e.g., smart speakers), media streaming players, and wireless LAN adapters (adapters) that can be connected to USB terminals or 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 (registered 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.

[0091] 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.

[0092] The disclosure of the present embodiment includes the following electronic device, its control method, program, and storage medium. (Item 1) An electronic device, At least one processor; A receiving means for receiving a request to change the access point to be connected from a currently connected first access point; a first mode and a second mode in which a clock frequency of the at least one processor is lower than that of the first mode; When the electronic device is in the first mode, a process of changing the connection destination based on the change request is performed; a control means for controlling the electronic device so that a process of changing a connection destination based on the change request is not performed when the electronic device is in the second mode; An electronic device comprising: (Item 2) The control means When the electronic device is in the first mode and the change request is received, a process of changing the connection destination based on the change request is performed; and when the change request is received while the electronic device is in the second mode, controlling the electronic device not to perform a process of changing the connection destination based on the change request. 2. The electronic device according to item 1, (Item 3) The electronic device described in item 1, characterized in that the control means performs specific processing to suppress the transmission of the change request from the first access point in the second mode, thereby controlling the electronic device to not perform a connection destination change process based on the change request when the electronic device is in the second mode. (Item 4) The electronic device described in item 3, characterized in that when the control means transitions the electronic device from the first mode to the second mode, as the specific process, it controls the electronic device to disconnect from the first access point, reconnect to the first access point, and notify the electronic device that the change request of the connection destination is not supported. (Item 5) The electronic device described in item 3 or 4, characterized in that, in the second mode, the control means controls the specific processing to respond to a measurement request received from the first access point with information indicating radio wave conditions for access points other than the first access point that are worse than the conditions to be measured. (Item 6) The control means when the electronic device is in the second mode and a setting related to a connection with a second access point that is to be a connection destination after the change based on the change request is a first setting, control is performed so that a process of changing the connection destination based on the change request is not performed; When the electronic device is in the second mode and a setting related to a connection with the second access point is a second setting different from a first setting, control is performed so that a connection destination change process based on the change request is performed. 3. The electronic device according to item 1 or 2. (Item 7) 7. The electronic device according to item 6, wherein the first setting is a setting that uses a predetermined encryption process when connecting to the second access point. (Item 8) 8. The electronic device according to item 7, wherein the predetermined encryption process is WPA-EAP (Wi-Fi Protected Access-Extensible Authentication Protocol). (Item 9) The electronic device described in item 1 or 2, characterized in that the control means controls the electronic device so that a connection destination change process based on the change request is not performed when the electronic device is in a specified state even if the electronic device is in the first mode. (Item 10) 10. The electronic device according to item 9, wherein the predetermined state includes a state in which a job is being executed. (Item 11) The electronic device described in item 1 or 2, characterized in that the control means controls the electronic device to perform a connection destination change process based on the change request when information indicating a reason for the change of the connection destination included in the change request received by the receiving means indicates a predetermined reason even when the electronic device is in the second mode. (Item 12) 12. The electronic device according to item 11, wherein the specified reason corresponds to a disconnection of the connection between the access point and the electronic device. (Item 13) The electronic device described in item 11 or 12, characterized in that when the control means receives the change request including information indicating the specified reason while in the second mode, the control means controls the electronic device to transition from the second mode to the first mode, and then to perform a connection destination change process based on the change request. (Item 14) The electronic device described in item 13, characterized in that when the control means receives the change request including information indicating the specified reason while in the second mode, it transitions the electronic device from the second mode to the first mode, then performs a connection destination change process based on the change request, and then controls the electronic device to transition from the first mode to the second mode. (Item 15) 15. The electronic device according to any one of items 1 to 14, wherein the second mode is a power saving mode that consumes less power than the first mode. (Item 16) 16. The electronic device according to any one of items 1 to 15, further comprising a printing means for printing an image on a recording medium. (Item 17) The electronic device according to any one of items 1 to 16, 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 18) The electronic device according to any one of items 1 to 17, characterized in that the electronic device is capable of operating in accordance with IEEE 802.11ax. (Item 19) The electronic device described in any one of items 1 to 18, characterized in that when the control means controls to change the connection destination based on the change request, it controls to change to an access point with a frequency band of 6 GHz. (Item 20) 1. A method for controlling an electronic device, the method being executed in an electronic device having at least one processor, the method comprising: a receiving step of receiving a request to change the access point to be connected from a currently connected first access point; a first mode and a second mode in which a clock frequency of the at least one processor is lower than that of the first mode; When the electronic device is in the first mode, a process of changing the connection destination based on the change request is performed; a control step of controlling the electronic device so that a process of changing a connection destination based on the change request is not performed when the electronic device is in the second mode; 13. A method for controlling an electronic device comprising: (Item 21) 20. A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the electronic device according to any one of items 1 to 19. (Item 22) 22. A computer-readable storage medium having the program according to item 21 stored therein.

[0093] 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]

[0094] 100 MFP: 101 AP1: 102 AP2: 103 Server: 104 Mobile terminal device: 212 CPU: 213 ROM: 214 RAM

Claims

1. It is an electronic device, At least one processor, A receiving means that receives a request to change the destination access point from the first access point to which it is connected, Of the first mode and the second mode in which the clock frequency of at least one processor is lower than that of the first mode, If the electronic device is in the first mode, the connection destination change process based on the change request is performed. When the electronic device is in the second mode, the control means controls the connection destination change process based on the change request by transmitting a response indicating rejection to the change request and performing a specific process that suppresses the transmission of the change request from the first access point in the second mode, An electronic device characterized by having the following features.

2. The control means is If the electronic device is in the first mode and receives the change request, it will perform the connection destination change process based on the change request. When the electronic device is in the second mode and receives the change request, it sends a response indicating rejection of the change request, thereby controlling the device to not perform the connection destination change process based on the change request. The electronic device according to feature 1.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control means controls the electronic device so that when it is in the second mode, the connection destination change process based on the change request is not performed by performing the specific process.

4. The electronic device according to claim 3, characterized in that, when the electronic device is transitioned from the first mode to the second mode, the control means controls the connection to the first access point, disconnects the connection to the first access point, reconnects to the first access point, and, along with the connection, notifies that the electronic device is not responding to the change request of the connection destination.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the second mode, the control means controls, as a specific process, to respond to a measurement request received from the first access point with information indicating radio wave conditions worse than those being measured for other access points other than the first access point.

6. The control means controls the connection to the second access point, which will be the changed connection destination based on the change request, to not perform the connection destination change process based on the change request, when the electronic device is in the second mode and the setting for the connection to the second access point, which will be the changed connection destination based on the change request, Even if the electronic device is in the second mode, if the settings for connection with the second access point are different from the first settings, control is made so that the connection destination change process based on the change request is performed. The electronic device according to feature 1.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6, characterized in that the first setting is a setting that uses a predetermined encryption process when connecting to the second access point.

8. The electronic device according to claim 7, characterized in that the predetermined encryption process is WPA-EAP (Wi-Fi Protected Access-Extensible Authentication Protocol).

9. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control means controls the connection destination change process based on the change request to not be performed when the electronic device is in the first mode or when the electronic device is in a predetermined state.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9, characterized in that the predetermined state includes the state during job execution.

11. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control means controls the electronic device to perform a connection destination change process based on the change request if the information indicating the reason for changing the connection destination included in the change request received by the receiving means indicates a predetermined reason, even if the electronic device is in the second mode.

12. The electronic device according to claim 11, characterized in that the predetermined reason is a reason corresponding to the disconnection of the connection between the access point and the electronic device.

13. The electronic device according to claim 11, characterized in that when the control means receives the change request which includes information indicating the predetermined reason while in the second mode, it controls the electronic device to transition from the second mode to the first mode, and then to perform the connection destination change processing based on the change request.

14. The electronic device according to claim 13, characterized in that when the control means receives the change request including information indicating the predetermined reason while in the second mode, it transitions the electronic device from the second mode to the first mode, then performs a connection destination change process based on the change request, and then controls the electronic device to transition from the first mode to the second mode.

15. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that the second mode is a power-saving mode that consumes less power than the first mode.

16. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising a printing means for printing an image onto a recording medium.

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

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

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

20. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that the change request is a request transmitted from a wireless LAN access point connected in infrastructure mode.

21. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that the change request is a BTM (BSS Transfer Management) Request as defined in the IEEE 802.11v standard.

22. A method for controlling electronic equipment, which is performed in an electronic device having at least one processor, A receiving step in which a request to change the destination access point is received from the first access point that is currently connected, Of the first mode and the second mode in which the clock frequency of at least one processor is lower than that of the first mode, If the electronic device is in the first mode, the connection destination change process based on the change request is performed. A control step to prevent the destination change process based on the change request from being performed, by, if the electronic device is in the second mode, sending a response indicating rejection to the change request and performing a specific process that suppresses the transmission of the change request from the first access point in the second mode, A method for controlling electronic equipment, characterized by having the following features.

23. 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 21.

24. A computer-readable storage medium containing the program described in claim 23.

Images