Communication device, method, and program

Abstract

To provide a communication device that reduces the possibility of band shifting at a timing inappropriate for the communication device.SOLUTION: A communication device includes instruction means for instructing an external device on a communication method to be used in a second wireless communication, on the basis of a communication method to be used in a first wireless communication designated by an external access point. When the state of the communication device satisfies a condition, the instruction means instructs the external device on a communication method to be used in the second wireless communication on the basis of the communication method to be used in the first wireless communication designated by the external access point. When the state of the communication device does not satisfy the condition, the instruction means does not instruct the external device on the communication method to be used in the second wireless communication.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication device, a method, and a program capable of wireless communication. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, wireless LAN has been widely used as a wireless communication technology. Not only conventional PCs and mobile terminals, but various electronic devices are equipped with wireless LAN communication functions, and there is a movement to expand the functions. Accordingly, image forming devices that support wireless LAN communication functions and communicate with PCs and smartphones via wireless LAN to wirelessly transfer print data, scan data, and other various data of documents are becoming common. Regarding wireless LAN, the communication standard is stipulated by IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11. In wireless LAN, the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz frequency bands can be used, and communication channels are assigned to each of the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands.

[0003] In the case of wireless LAN communication devices that are compatible with the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands, they can perform wireless LAN communication using communication channels assigned to the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands. Of these, the 2.4 GHz band has a narrow available frequency band and a small number of available channels. For this reason, in addition to interference caused by congestion in communication between wireless LAN devices, interference from devices that use other communication methods such as Bluetooth and Zigbee also exists. Furthermore, the effects of interference from devices such as microwave ovens when they are in operation are also widely known. For this reason, the 2.4 GHz band may be prone to degradation of communication quality. On the other hand, the 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands have a wide available frequency band and therefore a large number of available channels. For this reason, it is said that they are less susceptible to interference, interference, and interference from other devices as mentioned above, and that they provide relatively good wireless LAN communication quality compared to the 2.4 GHz band. Therefore, by monitoring the communication quality during wireless LAN communication, if a degradation in communication quality is detected, the communication quality may be improved by switching to a communication channel with good communication quality, thereby improving communication throughput.

[0004] In addition, wireless LAN specifies a method for wireless communication between a wireless LAN access point and a wireless terminal (infrastructure mode), and a method for wireless communication between wireless terminals (direct mode). In wireless infrastructure mode communication, the wireless LAN access point, which is the parent device, determines the frequency band for communication. This is a common communication method used when connecting multiple communication devices to the Internet via wireless LAN. In wireless direct mode communication, communication is performed only between a parent wireless terminal and a child wireless terminal, without going through an access point. As with infrastructure mode, the parent device determines the frequency band. Since communication is performed in a one-to-one closed environment, it cannot be connected to the Internet, but since communication settings can be established with relatively simple operations, it is actively adopted in home appliances and the like.

[0005] Patent Document 1 describes that in wireless infrastructure mode communication, a channel change is performed from the 2.4 GHz band to the 5 GHz band in response to a communication channel switching instruction received from a wireless LAN access point. Patent Document 1 also describes that at the same time, a band shift is also performed from the 2.4 GHz band to the 5 GHz band in direct mode communication in which the image forming apparatus is the parent device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-142243 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] When a band change instruction determined based on the communication status of a wireless LAN access point is also applied to direct mode communication, a band change may be performed at a timing that is not appropriate for the communication device.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a communication device, a method, and a program that reduce the possibility that a band shift occurs at a timing that is inappropriate for the communication device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problem, a communication device of the present invention is a communication device comprising a first communication means for performing a first wireless communication between the communication device and an external access point, a second communication means for performing a second wireless communication between the communication device and an external device using the communication device as an access point, and an instruction means for instructing the external device of a communication method to be used in the second wireless communication based on the communication method to be used in the first wireless communication instructed by the external access point, wherein when a state of the communication device satisfies a condition, the instruction means instructs the external device of a communication method to be used in the second wireless communication based on the communication method to be used in the first wireless communication instructed by the external access point, and when a state of the communication device does not satisfy the condition, the instruction means does not instruct the external device of the communication method to be used in the second wireless communication. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the possibility that a band shift occurs at a timing that is inappropriate for a communication device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a communication system. [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image forming apparatus; [Diagram 3] 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a wireless LAN processing unit. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram of processing performed between devices. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram of processing performed between devices. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart showing a process executed in the image forming apparatus. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart showing a process executed in the image forming apparatus. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing criteria for determining whether or not switching of communication channels can be performed. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing criteria for determining whether or not switching of communication channels can be performed. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing criteria for determining whether or not switching of communication channels can be performed. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing criteria for determining whether or not switching of communication channels can be performed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] 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.

[0013] [First embodiment] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a communication system in this embodiment. The communication system in FIG. 1 is realized as a communication environment in which wireless infrastructure mode communication and wireless direct mode communication can be performed simultaneously. First, a configuration for performing wireless infrastructure mode communication will be described. A wireless LAN access point 1 plays the role of a parent device in wireless infrastructure mode communication. It controls the entire data communication conforming to the wireless LAN standard and also performs data communication itself. The wireless LAN access point 1 is, for example, a router capable of executing an access point function. In this embodiment, the wireless LAN access point 1 is particularly called an "external access point" in the sense that it is an access point outside the image forming apparatus 2.

[0014] In this embodiment, the image forming apparatus 2 will be described as a general multifunction peripheral (MFP) having functions such as a copy function, a scan function, and a print function. The image forming apparatus 2 will be described as an inkjet recording apparatus that employs an inkjet recording method. However, the image forming apparatus 2 may be a recording apparatus that employs another recording method such as an electrophotographic method. Furthermore, the image forming apparatus 2 has a wireless LAN communication function, and acts as a child device in wireless infrastructure mode communication, communicating with a wireless LAN access point 1. The wireless LAN access point 1 and the image forming apparatus 2 communicate via a wireless infrastructure mode communication path 3.

[0015] In this embodiment, the wireless LAN access point 1 and the image forming apparatus 2 are compatible with, as an example, a 2.4 GHz band communication channel and a 5 GHz band communication channel in the wireless LAN communication standard, and perform communication using these communication channels. The 2.4 GHz band has a narrow available frequency band and a small number of available channels. Therefore, in addition to interference and crosstalk due to congestion in communication between wireless LAN devices, interference and crosstalk from devices adopting other communication methods such as Bluetooth and Zigbee exists. Furthermore, the influence of interference waves during operation of devices such as microwave ovens is also widely known. For this reason, the communication quality may be easily degraded in the 2.4 GHz band. On the other hand, the 5 GHz band has a wide available frequency band and a large number of available channels. Therefore, it is considered that the 5 GHz band is less susceptible to interference, interference, and crosstalk from other devices as described above, and that the 5 GHz band provides a relatively good wireless LAN communication quality compared to the 2.4 GHz band. The wireless LAN access point 1 in this embodiment has a function of monitoring the communication status and switching the communication channel according to changes in the wireless communication environment. In other words, when the wireless LAN access point 1 determines that it is necessary to switch the communication channel to improve communication quality (such as communication throughput), it can notify the image forming apparatus 2 of the communication channel to which it should be switched and instruct the image forming apparatus 2 to switch the communication channel.

[0016] PC4 is an information processing device that is provided in the wireless LAN access point 1 and is connected to the wireless LAN access point 1 via a wired LAN line 5. The image forming device 2 can receive and print print data generated by PC4 via the wired LAN line 5, the wireless LAN access point 1, and the wireless infrastructure mode communication path 3. The image forming device 2 can also transmit scanned data to PC4 via the wireless infrastructure mode communication path 3, the wireless LAN access point 1, and the wired LAN line 5, and transmit the scanned data to PC4.

[0017] Next, a configuration for performing wireless direct mode communication will be described. The image forming device 2 is, for example, a general inkjet recording type MFP equipped with functions such as copy, scan, and print functions. Furthermore, the image forming device 2 has a wireless LAN communication function and can act as a parent device in wireless direct mode communication. The image forming device 2 controls the entire data communication conforming to the wireless LAN standard and also performs data communication by itself.

[0018] The mobile terminal 6 is, for example, an information processing device such as a smartphone, and serves as a child device in wireless direct mode communication, communicating with the image forming apparatus 2. The image forming apparatus 2 and the mobile terminal 6 communicate via a wireless direct mode communication path 7. As an example, the image forming apparatus 2 and the mobile terminal 6 are compatible with 2.4 GHz band communication channels and 5 GHz band communication channels in the wireless LAN communication standard, and communicate using these communication channels.

[0019] In this embodiment, the image forming device 2 has a function of receiving a communication channel switching instruction from the wireless LAN access point 1, and further using the instruction to similarly switch the communication channel established between itself and the mobile terminal 6. That is, the wireless LAN access point 1 determines that it is necessary to switch the communication channel to improve communication quality. After that, the image forming device 2 that has received the instruction can further notify the mobile terminal 6 of the communication channel to which it should be switched, and instruct it to switch the communication channel.

[0020] The image forming device 2 can receive print data generated by the mobile terminal 6 via the wireless direct mode communication path 7 and print it. The image forming device 2 can also transmit scanned data to the mobile terminal 6 via the wireless direct mode communication path 7 and transmit the scanned data to the mobile terminal 6. In printing by the image forming device 2, the print quality can be set when printing the print data generated by the mobile terminal 6. That is, when generating print data by a driver corresponding to the image forming device 2 provided in the mobile terminal 6, the print quality can be specified in stages, for example, as "high", "medium", and "low" as the print quality and the print data can be generated. At this time, the higher the print quality, the higher the resolution of the image processing performed, so the print data amount becomes larger and the communication data amount communicated via the wireless direct communication path 7 becomes larger.

[0021] Furthermore, in the image forming device 2, the quality of the scanned image can be set when the scanned data is transmitted to the portable terminal 7. That is, when scanning is performed by the image forming device 2, the scan resolution (reading resolution) can be set by a dpi (dots per inch) value. The higher the dpi value, the higher the scan resolution. The image forming device 2 performs scanning at the set scan resolution and generates scan data. At this time, the higher the scan resolution, the higher the resolution of the image read, so the amount of scan data becomes larger, and the amount of communication data communicated via the wireless direct communication path 7 becomes larger.

[0022] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus 2. The control unit 21 includes a CPU 21a and a memory 21b, and controls the operation of each unit. The CPU 21a is a processor that reads and executes a program 23a stored in the storage device 23. The operation of the image forming apparatus 2 in this embodiment is realized, for example, by the CPU 21a reading and executing the program 23a. The program 23a is a program that causes the control unit 21 to execute various processes described later. Note that, as will be described in detail later, the program 23a includes a communication control program for performing wireless LAN communication using the wireless LAN processing unit 26. The memory 21b operates as a work memory that stores temporary data and the like associated with the CPU 21a executing the program.

[0023] The operation panel 22 is provided with a configuration for accepting operations by a user. That is, the operation panel 22 includes a display unit 22a, which is formed of, for example, a liquid crystal panel, and displays various information, and an operation input unit 22b, which inputs user operations to the display unit 22a. The storage device 23 is a storage device that stores various programs, data, and information. The storage device 23 stores a program 23a.

[0024] The reading processing unit 24 is a processing unit that optically reads an original image and generates scan data. The reading processing unit 24 includes an original transport unit that transports one page of an original placed on an original placement table (not shown) to the reading unit and reads the original line by line from the top of the page, and an image data output unit that converts the original image read by the reading unit into image data and generates scan data.

[0025] The print processing unit 25 is a processing unit that outputs a printed matter by executing a print process based on image data. For example, a recording head (not shown) that ejects ink droplets to perform recording is mounted on a carriage, and a recording medium such as paper is transported one sheet at a time while the carriage is moved back and forth to form a print image on the recording medium. The print processing unit 25 also includes a print transport unit that ejects the printed matter.

[0026] The wireless LAN processing unit 26 performs wireless LAN communication with the wireless LAN access point 1 and the mobile terminal 6. Specifically, for example, the wireless LAN processing unit 26 performs processing for transmitting and receiving data packets in accordance with the wireless LAN communication method defined in the IEEE802.11 standard.

[0027] 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the wireless LAN processing unit 26. The wireless LAN communication control unit 26a operates as an interface with the control unit 21, and performs wireless LAN communication while controlling each unit of the wireless LAN processing unit 26 according to an instruction from the control unit 21. The baseband processing unit 26b performs modulation / demodulation and error correction processing of digital data based on the wireless LAN communication method. The 5 GHz RF processing unit 26c is configured as a circuit that performs transmission / reception processing of RF signals by the wireless LAN communication method in the 5 GHz band. Specifically, the 5 GHz RF processing unit 26c includes a transmission circuit having a VCO, a mixer, a power amplifier, a filter, etc., and a reception circuit having an LNA, a VCO, a mixer, a filter, etc. Note that VCO is an abbreviation for Voltage Controlled Oscillator, and LNA is an abbreviation for Low Noise Amplifier. In this embodiment, the 5 GHz RF processing unit 26c is described as a circuit that performs transmission / reception processing of RF signals by the wireless LAN communication method in the 5 GHz band, but may be configured as a circuit that can perform transmission / reception processing of RF signals by the wireless LAN communication method in the 6 GHz band.

[0028] The 2.4 GHz RF processing unit 26d is configured as a circuit that performs transmission and reception processing of RF signals in the 2.4 GHz band by the wireless LAN communication method. The 2.4 GHz RF processing unit 26d includes a transmission circuit having a VCO, a mixer, a power amplifier, a filter, etc., and a reception circuit having an LNA, a VCO, a mixer, a filter, etc. The switching unit 26e is a switch for switching whether the antenna 26f is connected to the 5 GHz RF processing unit 26c or the 2.4 GHz RF processing unit 26d, and is controlled by the switching control unit 26g.

[0029] The switching control unit 26g switches between the 5 GHz band and the 2.4 GHz band in accordance with an instruction from the wireless LAN communication control unit 26a. That is, the switching control unit 26g switches the switch of the switching unit 26e and simultaneously enables the transmission / reception circuit of the 5 GHz RF processing unit 26c or the 2.4 GHz RF processing unit 26d. Therefore, the above-mentioned switching control enables transmission and reception in both communication channels of the 5 GHz band and the 2.4 GHz band. The antenna 26f is an antenna for wireless LAN communication, and is a dual-band antenna capable of wireless communication in each frequency band of the 5 GHz band and the 2.4 GHz band.

[0030] The following describes the modes and connection methods for performing wireless communication using the wireless LAN processing unit 26.

[0031] <About the direct connection method> A direct connection refers to a form in which devices are directly and wirelessly connected to each other without going through an external device such as a wireless LAN access point 1. A direct connection is also called a peer-to-peer connection (P2P connection). The image forming device 2 can operate in a mode (direct connection mode) for communicating via a direct connection as one of the connection modes. In Wi-Fi communication, there are multiple modes for communicating via a direct connection, such as a software AP mode and a Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) mode.

[0032] A mode in which a direct connection is performed by WFD is called a WFD mode. WFD is a standard established by the Wi-Fi Alliance, and is included in the IEEE802.11 series of communication standards. In the WFD mode, after a device to be a communication partner is searched for by a device search command, the roles of the P2P group owner (GO) and the P2P client are determined, and the remaining wireless connection processing is performed. The group owner corresponds to a Wi-Fi parent station (parent device), and the client corresponds to a Wi-Fi child station (child device). This role determination is called GO Negotiation. Note that in the WFD mode, which is a state before the role determination, the image forming device 2 is neither a parent station nor a child station. Specifically, first, one device issues a device search command between the devices to communicate with each other and searches for a device to connect in WFD mode. When the other device to be a communication partner is searched for, the two devices confirm information about services and functions that can be provided by each other's devices. Note that this device provision information confirmation is optional and not required. This device provision information confirmation phase corresponds to, for example, P2P Provision Discovery. Next, by mutually confirming this device provision information, it is determined which one will be the P2P client and which one will be the P2P group owner. When the client and group owner are determined, they exchange parameters for communication by WFD between them. Based on the exchanged parameters, the remaining wireless connection processing and IP connection processing are performed between the client and group owner. Note that in the WFD mode, the image forming device 2 may always operate as the GO without executing the above-mentioned GO Negotiation. In other words, the image forming device 2 may operate in the WFD mode, which is an autonomous GO mode. In addition, the state in which the image forming device 2 operates in the WFD mode is, for example, a state in which the image forming device 2 operates as the GO even though a WFD connection has not been established, or a state in which a WFD connection has been established and the image forming device 2 operates as the GO.

[0033] In the software AP mode, between devices that communicate (for example, the mobile terminal 6 and the image forming device 2), one device (for example, the mobile terminal 6) becomes a client that plays a role of requesting various services. Then, the other device (for example, the image forming device 2) realizes the function of an access point in Wi-Fi by software settings. The software AP corresponds to a parent station of Wi-Fi, and the client corresponds to a child station of Wi-Fi. In the software AP mode, the client searches for a device that will become a software AP by a device search command. When the software AP is found, the remaining wireless connection processing (establishment of a wireless connection, etc.) between the client and the software AP is performed, and then the IP connection processing (assignment of an IP address, etc.) is performed. Note that commands and parameters transmitted and received when realizing a wireless connection between the client and the software AP may be those specified in the Wi-Fi standard, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0034] In this embodiment, when the image forming device 2 establishes and maintains a direct connection, the image forming device 2 operates as a master station in the network to which the image forming device belongs. The master station is a device that constructs a wireless network and provides a slave station with parameters used for connecting to the wireless network. The parameters used for connecting to the wireless network are, for example, parameters related to the channel used by the master station. By receiving the parameters, the slave station connects to the wireless network constructed by the master station using the channel used by the master station. In the direct connection mode, the image forming device 2 operates as a master station, so that the image forming device 2 can determine which frequency band and which channel are to be used for communication in the direct connection mode. In this embodiment, as an example, the image forming device 2 is assumed to be able to use a channel corresponding to a 2.4 GHz frequency band and a channel corresponding to a 5 GHz frequency band for communication in the direct connection mode.

[0035] <About infrastructure connection method> The infrastructure connection is a connection form in which devices that communicate with each other (for example, the PC 4 and the image forming device 2) are connected to an access point (for example, the wireless LAN access point 1) that manages the network of the devices, and the devices communicate with each other via the access point. The image forming device 2 can also operate in a mode for communicating via an infrastructure connection (infrastructure connection mode) as one of the connection modes.

[0036] In infrastructure connections, each device searches for an access point using a device search command. Once an access point has been found, the remaining wireless connection processing (establishment of a wireless connection, etc.) between the device and the access point is carried out, and then IP connection processing (assignment of an IP address, etc.) is carried out. Note that commands and parameters sent and received when establishing a wireless connection between a device and an access point can be those specified in the Wi-Fi standard, and so a description of these will be omitted here.

[0037] In this embodiment, when the image forming device 2 operates in the infrastructure connection, the wireless LAN access point 1 operates as a parent station, and the image forming device 2 operates as a child device. That is, in this embodiment, the infrastructure connection refers to a connection between the image forming device 2 operating as a child device and the wireless LAN access point 1 operating as a parent device. When the image forming device 2 has established an infrastructure connection and the PC 6 has also established an infrastructure connection with the wireless LAN access point 1, communication between the image forming device 2 and the PC 4 is possible via the wireless LAN access point 1. Since the channel used for communication in the infrastructure connection is determined by the wireless LAN access point 1, the image forming device 2 executes communication in the infrastructure connection using the channel determined by the wireless LAN access point 1. In this embodiment, as an example, it is assumed that the image forming device 2 can use a channel corresponding to a 2.4 GHz frequency band and a channel corresponding to a 5 GHz frequency band for communication in the infrastructure connection. Note that the image forming device 2 can also use a channel corresponding to a DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection) band of the 5 GHz frequency band for communication in the infrastructure connection. In order for PC4 to communicate with image forming device 2 via wireless LAN access point 1, PC4 needs to recognize that image forming device 2 belongs to the network formed by wireless LAN access point 1 and to which PC4 belongs.

[0038] Next, a communication flow of wireless LAN communication between the wireless LAN access point 1, the image forming device 2, and the mobile terminal 6 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 4. As described above, the wireless LAN access point 1 has a function of monitoring the communication status and switching the communication channel according to the change in the wireless communication environment. It is assumed that the wireless LAN access point 1 determines that it is necessary to switch the communication channel to improve the communication quality in the wireless infrastructure mode communication path 3 that it controls as a parent device. In this case, the wireless LAN access point 1 notifies the image forming device 2, which is a child device, of the communication channel to be switched to, and instructs it to switch the communication channel. Furthermore, the image forming device 2 uses the instruction received from the wireless LAN access point 1 to notify the mobile terminal 6, which is a child device, of the communication channel to be switched to, via the wireless direct mode communication path 7 that it controls as a parent device, and instructs it to switch the communication channel.

[0039] The image forming apparatus 2 receives an instruction to switch the communication channel of the wireless infrastructure mode communication path 3 from the wireless LAN access point 1. In this embodiment, in response to the instruction to switch the communication channel, the image forming apparatus 2 may switch the communication channel of the wireless direct mode communication path 7 established between the image forming apparatus 2 and the mobile terminal 6, or may not switch the communication channel.

[0040] 4 is a sequence diagram showing a communication flow in the case where the communication channel is switched as described above. In S61, the wireless LAN access point 1 and the image forming apparatus 2 are performing data communication in wireless infrastructure mode. In this case, the wireless LAN access point 1 determines that a change in the communication environment requires switching of the communication channel to improve communication quality. Then, in S62, the wireless LAN access point 1 issues an instruction to switch the communication channel to the image forming apparatus 2 by specifying the communication channel to which the communication channel should be switched. For example, an instruction to switch the communication channel from the 2.4 GHz band to the 5 GHz band is issued.

[0041] In S63, if the image forming device 2 approves the switching of the communication channel, it notifies the wireless LAN access point 1 of the approval of the switching. In S64, the image forming device 2 performs a process of switching the communication channel to communicate on the communication channel designated in S62. After this, in S65, the wireless LAN access point 1 and the image forming device 2 continue the wireless infrastructure mode communication on the switched communication channel. Also, in S66, the image forming device 2 and the portable terminal 6 perform data communication in the wireless direct mode.

[0042] In S67, the image forming device 2 determines whether or not to issue a communication channel switching instruction to the mobile terminal 6 by specifying a communication channel to be switched to, in response to the communication channel switching instruction received in S62 from the wireless LAN access point 1. In this case, the image forming device 2 determines to switch the communication channel of the wireless direct mode communication. The criteria for this determination will be described later.

[0043] In S68, the image forming apparatus 2 issues a communication channel switching instruction to the mobile terminal 6 by specifying the communication channel to be switched to, using the communication channel switching instruction received in S62 from the wireless LAN access point 1. For example, an instruction to switch the communication channel from the 2.4 GHz band to the 5 GHz band is issued. If the mobile terminal 6 approves the switching of the communication channel, it notifies the image forming apparatus 2 of the approval of the switching in S69.

[0044] In S70, the portable terminal 6 performs a process of switching the communication channel to communicate through the communication channel designated in S68. After that, in S71, the image forming apparatus 2 and the portable terminal 6 continue the wireless direct mode communication through the switched communication channel.

[0045] FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram showing a communication flow in the case where the communication channel is not switched.

[0046] In S71, the wireless LAN access point 1 and the image forming apparatus 2 are performing data communication in wireless infrastructure mode. In this case, the wireless LAN access point 1 determines that a change in the communication environment requires a change in the communication channel to improve communication quality. Then, in S72, the wireless LAN access point 1 issues an instruction to switch the communication channel to the image forming apparatus 2 by specifying the communication channel to which the communication channel should be switched. For example, an instruction to switch the communication channel from the 2.4 GHz band to the 5 GHz band is issued.

[0047] In S73, if the image forming device 2 approves the switching of the communication channel, it notifies the wireless LAN access point 1 of the approval of the switching. In S74, the image forming device 2 performs a process of switching the communication channel to communicate on the communication channel designated in S72. After this, in S75, the wireless LAN access point 1 and the image forming device 2 continue the wireless infrastructure mode communication on the switched communication channel. Also, in S76, the image forming device 2 and the portable terminal 6 perform data communication in the wireless direct mode.

[0048] In S77, the image forming device 2 determines whether or not to issue a communication channel switching instruction to the mobile terminal 6 by specifying a communication channel to be switched to, using the communication channel switching instruction received in S72 from the wireless LAN access point 1. In this case, the image forming device 2 determines not to switch the communication channel of the wireless direct mode communication. The criteria for this determination will be described later.

[0049] In S78, the image forming apparatus 2 and the portable terminal 6 do not perform a process of switching the communication channel, and continue the wireless direct mode communication on the currently used communication channel.

[0050] Next, the operation of the image forming apparatus 2 in the above-mentioned flow will be described with reference to a flowchart.

[0051] Fig. 6 is a flowchart executed in the image forming apparatus 2. The process in Fig. 6 is realized, for example, by the CPU 21a reading and executing the program 23a. In this embodiment, after receiving an instruction to switch the communication channel from the wireless LAN access point 1, the image forming apparatus 2 determines whether or not to switch the channel of the wireless direct mode communication established with the mobile terminal 6 depending on the state of the image forming apparatus 2 itself. The process in Fig. 6 is started, for example, when the image forming apparatus 2 is started.

[0052] In S501, the control unit 21 acquires the communication state between the image forming apparatus 2 and the portable terminal 6. The communication state acquired in S501 will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0053] In S502, the control unit 21 determines whether or not to switch the communication channel in the wireless direct communication with the mobile terminal 6 when an instruction to switch the communication channel is received from the wireless LAN access point 1, based on the communication state acquired in S501.

[0054] If it is determined in S502 that the communication channel in the wireless direct communication is to be switched, the process proceeds to S503. In S503, the control unit 21 sets, in a predetermined storage area of ​​the storage device 23, "switching approval" indicating that the communication channel in the wireless direct communication with the mobile terminal 6 is to be switched in response to the instruction to switch the communication channel from the wireless LAN access point 1. The setting at that time may be performed by, for example, turning a flag on / off. Then, the process returns to S501.

[0055] If it is determined in S502 that the communication channel in the wireless direct communication is not to be switched, the process proceeds to S504. In S504, the control unit 21 sets, in a predetermined storage area of ​​the storage device 23, "switching refusal" indicating that the communication channel in the wireless direct communication with the mobile terminal 6 is not to be switched in response to the instruction to switch the communication channel from the wireless LAN access point 1. The setting at that time may be performed by, for example, turning a flag on / off. Then, the process returns to S501.

[0056] 6 is repeatedly performed at regular time intervals, for example, when the image forming apparatus 2 is started. That is, the setting information of "switching approval" or "switching refusal" stored in a predetermined storage area changes appropriately according to the state of the image forming apparatus acquired in S501.

[0057] Next, Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the processing executed in the image forming apparatus 2. For example, the processing in Fig. 7 is realized by the CPU 21a reading and executing the program 23a. The processing in Fig. 7 is executed when the image forming apparatus 2 is simultaneously performing wireless infrastructure mode communication with the wireless LAN access point 1 and wireless direct mode communication with the mobile terminal 6. Here, it is assumed that the control unit 21 controls each unit of the wireless LAN processing unit 26 to perform wireless LAN communication with the wireless LAN access point 1 by a predetermined communication method and communication channel determined by the wireless LAN communication with the wireless LAN access point 1.

[0058] In S601, the control unit 21 determines whether or not there is an instruction to switch the communication channel from the wireless LAN access point 1 through the wireless LAN processing unit 26. If it is determined that there is an instruction to switch the communication channel, the process proceeds to S602. If it is determined that there is no instruction to switch the communication channel, the control unit 21 continues the wireless LAN communication by the wireless LAN processing unit 26 as it is, and repeats the process from S601.

[0059] In S602, the control unit 21 judges whether or not to execute switching of the communication channel in the wireless direct mode communication. This corresponds to S67 in Fig. 4 and S77 in Fig. 5. The control unit 21 reads out setting information set in a predetermined storage area of ​​the storage device 23. If the read setting information is "switching approved", it is judged to execute switching of the communication channel in the wireless direct mode communication, and the process proceeds to S603.

[0060] In S603, the control unit 21 switches the communication channel in the wireless direct mode communication by the wireless LAN control unit 26. That is, the control unit 21 controls the 5 GHz RF processing unit 26c, the 2.4 GHz RF processing unit 26d, and the switching unit 26e by the switching control unit 26g via the wireless LAN communication control unit 26a. Then, the communication channel is changed to the communication channel of the switching destination instructed by the wireless LAN access point 1. Also, in S603, the control unit 21 transmits a communication channel switching instruction to the mobile terminal 6 by the wireless LAN control unit 26. This corresponds to S68 in FIG. 4. In S604, the control unit 21 continues the wireless direct mode communication with the mobile terminal 6 by the wireless LAN processing unit 26 on the communication channel of the switching destination switched in S603. This corresponds to S71 in FIG. 4. Thereafter, the process from S601 is repeated.

[0061] On the other hand, if the read setting information is "switching refusal", it is determined that switching of the communication channel in the wireless direct mode communication is not to be executed, and the process proceeds to S605. In S605, the control unit 21 continues the communication in the wireless direct mode with the current communication channel without switching the communication channel in the wireless direct mode by the wireless LAN control unit 26. That is, the control unit 21 continues the wireless direct mode communication with the settings of the 5 GHz RF processing unit 26c, the 2.4 GHz RF processing unit 26d, and the switching unit 26e unchanged, without performing switching control by the switching control unit 26g via the wireless LAN communication control unit 26a. This corresponds to S78 in FIG. 5. Then, the process from S601 is repeated.

[0062] Based on the above explanation, we will explain the criteria for determining whether to switch the communication channel in the wireless direct mode communication established with the mobile terminal 6 when the image forming apparatus 2 receives an instruction to switch the communication channel from the wireless LAN access point 1.

[0063] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a criterion for determining whether or not to execute switching of a communication channel in the wireless direct mode. FIG. 8 is an example of a table in which each state of carrier sense executed from the image forming apparatus 2 to the mobile terminal 6 is used as a criterion for determining whether or not to execute switching of a communication channel in the wireless direct mode communication. Carrier sense refers to a signal for checking whether a communication channel can be established between a parent device and a child device of a wireless LAN and a check process thereof. By executing carrier sense, it is possible to determine whether the same channel is available before transmitting data. If other communication is being performed or the environment is such that data communication cannot be performed, the parent device re-executes carrier sense after a certain period of time. The carrier sense in this embodiment is executed by the switching control unit 26g controlling the 5GHz RF processing unit 26c, the 2.4GHz RF processing unit 26d, and the switching unit 26e via the wireless LAN communication control unit 26a.

[0064] The following describes how the determination as to whether or not switching of the communication channel in the wireless direct mode communication can be performed for each condition, as shown in the flowchart of FIG.

[0065] State 71 indicates a state in which the image forming device 2 has performed carrier sense on a communication channel that is scheduled to be used in wireless direct mode communication with the mobile terminal 6. State 71 particularly indicates a state in which it has been found that other communication is already taking place on the same channel or that the environment is such that data communication cannot be performed. In this manner, when other communication is taking place, the image forming device 2 repeatedly performs carrier sense after a certain period of time has elapsed. In this embodiment, if the communication channel is not available even after performing carrier sense five times in succession (the number of times of execution is less than a predetermined value), it is determined that switching to that communication channel is not possible. When state 71 is acquired as the communication state in S501 of FIG. 6, it is determined in S502 that switching of the communication channel in wireless direct mode communication is not to be performed, and "switching refusal" is set in S504.

[0066] State 72 indicates a state in which carrier sense is executed and it is determined that the communication channel to be used is available. In this embodiment, even if other communication is being performed on the communication channel, if the channel is released before carrier sense is executed four times in succession, it is determined that switching to the communication channel is executable. When state 72 is acquired as the communication state in S501 of FIG. 6, it is determined in S502 that switching of the communication channel of the wireless direct mode communication is to be executed, and "switching approved" is set in S503. Note that the determination criteria are not limited to the criteria shown in FIG. 8, and the predetermined value of the number of consecutive occurrences may be other values ​​instead of five times.

[0067] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the possibility of band shifting at an inappropriate time or band shifting to a frequency band that is disadvantageous for wireless direct mode communication. Note that, although this embodiment has been described as switching to a communication channel for the 5 GHz band, it is also possible to switch to a communication channel for the 6 GHz band.

[0068] [Second embodiment] The second embodiment will be described with respect to the differences from the first embodiment. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a criterion for determining whether or not to switch the communication channel in the wireless direct mode communication. Fig. 9 is an example of a table in which the response status of the portable terminal 6 to a beacon issued from the image forming apparatus 2 is used as a criterion for determining whether or not to switch the communication channel in the wireless direct communication.

[0069] A beacon in a wireless LAN is a signal that is periodically issued from a parent device to a child device to notify the child device of its presence. The child device and the parent device that receive the beacon communicate with each other multiple times, thereby authenticating each other as communication targets and establishing a communication channel. It is possible to determine whether the communication channel is available by monitoring the response status from the child device to the beacon transmitted by the parent device. If other communication is being performed or if the environment does not allow data communication, the response from the child device to the beacon will be delayed. In this embodiment, the transmission of the beacon is realized by the switching control unit 26g controlling the 5 GHz RF processing unit 26c, the 2.4 GHz RF processing unit 26d, and the switching unit 26e via the wireless LAN communication control unit 26a.

[0070] State 81 indicates a state in which the image forming apparatus 2 has transmitted a beacon on a communication channel that is scheduled to be used for wireless direct mode communication with the mobile terminal 6. State 81 particularly indicates a state in which it has been determined that another communication is already taking place on the same channel or that the environment is such that data communication is not possible. In this embodiment, if no response to the beacon transmitted by the image forming apparatus 2 is received for 5 seconds or more, it is determined that the communication channel cannot be used for data communication and that communication channel switching is not possible. If state 81 is acquired as the communication state in S501 of FIG. 6, it is determined in S502 that the communication channel switching in the wireless direct mode communication is not to be executed, and "switching refusal" is set in S504.

[0071] A state 82 indicates a state in which the communication channel to be used is determined to be available as a result of the transmission of a beacon by the image forming apparatus 2 and the subsequent communication with the portable terminal 6. In this embodiment, even if the communication channel is temporarily in an unsuitable state for communication, if the portable terminal 6 responds to the beacon within 5 seconds, it is determined that switching to the communication channel is executable. When the state 82 is acquired as the communication state in S501 of FIG. 6, it is determined in S502 that switching of the communication channel in the wireless direct mode communication is to be executed, and "switching approved" is set in S503. Note that the criteria for determination are not limited to the criteria shown in FIG. 8, and the threshold value for the time until a response is not limited to 5 seconds, but may be another value.

[0072] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the possibility of band shifting at an inappropriate time or to a frequency band that is disadvantageous for wireless direct mode communication, based on the reply from the mobile terminal 6 to the transmitted beacon.

[0073] [Third embodiment] The following describes the differences from the first and second embodiments. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a criterion for determining whether or not to switch the communication channel in the Wireless Direct mode. Note that in this embodiment, instead of the communication state in S501 in Fig. 6, the job execution state of the image forming device 2 as described below is acquired.

[0074] In this embodiment, the communication channel switching process is realized by the switching control unit 26g controlling the 5 GHz RF processing unit 26c, the 2.4 GHz RF processing unit 26d, and the switching unit 26e via the wireless LAN communication control unit 26a.

[0075] Status 91 indicates a state in which the image forming device 2 is on standby and waiting for a print job or a scan job. In this case, the image forming device 2 is not executing a print job or a scan job. Therefore, the image forming device 2 determines to switch the communication channel in the wireless direct communication with the mobile terminal 6 in response to the instruction to switch the communication channel from the wireless LAN access point 1. That is, "switching approved" is set in S503 in FIG. 6.

[0076] Status 92 and status 93 are statuses in which the image forming device 2 is executing a print job. That is, the control unit 21 performs print processing by controlling the print processing unit 25 using the print data received from the portable terminal 6 by the wireless LAN processing unit 26. Here, status 92 is a case in which the print quality setting notified from the portable terminal 6 is high quality. In this case, the amount of print data received from the portable terminal 6 is large, and reception continues for a while. Therefore, the image forming device 2 determines to switch the communication channel in the wireless direct communication with the portable terminal 6 in response to the instruction to switch the communication channel from the wireless LAN access point 1. That is, "switching approved" is set in S503 in FIG. 6.

[0077] On the other hand, state 93 is a case where the print quality setting notified from the portable terminal 6 is medium quality or low quality. In this case, the amount of print data that the image forming device 2 receives from the portable terminal 6 is not large. Therefore, the image forming device 2 determines not to switch the communication channel in the wireless direct communication with the portable terminal 6 in response to the instruction to switch the communication channel from the wireless LAN access point 1. That is, "switching refusal" is set in S504 in FIG. 6.

[0078] In state 94, the image forming device 2 is printing, but the recording medium or ink has run out, and the printing operation is interrupted. That is, the control unit 21 interrupts the printing operation of the print processing unit 25 and is in a standby state waiting for the addition of a recording medium or ink. Therefore, the image forming device 2 determines to switch the communication channel in the wireless direct communication with the mobile terminal 6 in response to the instruction to switch the communication channel from the wireless LAN access point 1. That is, "switching approved" is set in S503 in FIG. 6.

[0079] Status 95 and status 96 are statuses in which the image forming device 2 is executing a scan job. That is, the control unit 21 reads the scanned document by the reading control unit 24, controls the wireless LAN processing unit 26, and transmits the scan data to the mobile terminal 6. Here, status 95 is a case where the scan resolution is set to 300 dpi or more. In this case, the amount of scan data transmitted from the image forming device 2 to the mobile terminal 6 is large, and the transmission of the scan data continues for a while. Therefore, the image forming device 2 determines to switch the communication channel in the wireless direct communication with the mobile terminal 6 in response to the instruction to switch the communication channel from the wireless LAN access point 1. That is, "switching approved" is set in S503 of FIG. 6.

[0080] On the other hand, state 96 is a case where the scan resolution setting is less than 300 dpi. In this case, the amount of scan data transmitted from the image forming device 2 to the portable terminal 6 is small, and the transmission of the scan data does not continue for long. Therefore, the image forming device 2 determines not to switch the communication channel in the wireless direct communication with the portable terminal 6 in response to the switching of the communication channel from the wireless LAN access point 1. That is, "switching refusal" is set in S504 in FIG. 6.

[0081] In state 97, the image forming device 2 is scanning, but has finished scanning one page of a document and is in the process of setting the next page, and the scanning operation is interrupted. In this case, the image forming device 2 is in a standby state, not in a scanning operation state. Therefore, the image forming device 2 determines to switch the communication channel in the wireless direct communication with the mobile terminal 6 in response to the instruction to switch the communication channel from the wireless LAN access point 1. That is, "switching approved" is set in S503 in FIG. 6.

[0082] As described above, in states 92 and 95, there is still a large amount of print data to be received or scan data to be sent, and it is assumed that data communication with the portable terminal 6 will continue for a while. Therefore, when an instruction to switch the communication channel is received from the wireless LAN access point 1, the communication channel in the wireless direct communication with the portable terminal 6 is switched in response to the switching instruction, thereby improving the communication throughput. This makes it possible to satisfy the communication throughput required in states 92 and 95, and to increase the likelihood that printing and scanning at the required speed will be maintained.

[0083] On the other hand, in states 93 and 96, it is assumed that there is little print data to be received or little scan data to be sent, and the amount of data communication with the portable terminal 6 is relatively small. Therefore, even if there is an instruction to switch the communication channel from the wireless LAN access point 1, the communication channel in the wireless direct communication with the portable terminal 6 in response to the switching instruction is not switched. This is because there is a high possibility that printing and scanning at the required speed will be maintained even if operation is continued with the current communication throughput without switching the communication channel in the wireless direct communication.

[0084] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the possibility of band shifting at an inappropriate time or to a frequency band that is disadvantageous for wireless direct mode communication, based on the state of the image forming device 2.

[0085] [Fourth embodiment] The following describes the differences from the first to third embodiments. Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a criterion for determining whether or not to switch communication channels in the wireless direct mode. Note that in this embodiment, a state as described below is acquired instead of the communication state in S501 in Fig. 6.

[0086] In this embodiment, the result of a weather radar search process, generally called DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection), is used as the judgment criterion. The 5 GHz band radio waves of wireless LAN are close in frequency to the weather radar, so there is a possibility that they may interfere with each other. In this embodiment, in order to prevent this situation, the DFS function is used to check the presence or absence of a weather radar before performing data communication in the 5 GHz band, thereby judging whether or not to switch the communication channel from the 2.4 GHz band to the 5 GHz band.

[0087] The DFS process in this embodiment is realized by the switching control unit 26g controlling the 5 GHz RF processing unit 26c, the 2.4 GHz RF processing unit 26d, and the switching unit 26e via the wireless LAN communication control unit 26a.

[0088] State 101 indicates a state in which weather radar radio waves are detected as a result of performing DFS processing on a 5 GHz band communication channel scheduled to be used in wireless direct mode communication with the portable terminal 6. When the image forming device 2 detects weather radar radio waves, it determines that the communication channel cannot be used for data communication. Then, in response to a communication channel switching instruction from the wireless LAN access point 1, the image forming device 2 determines not to switch the communication channel in wireless direct communication with the portable terminal 6. That is, "switching refusal" is set in S504 in FIG. 5.

[0089] State 102 indicates a state in which no weather radar radio waves are detected as a result of DFS processing on a 5 GHz communication channel scheduled for use in wireless direct mode communication with the mobile terminal 6. The image forming device 2 determines that the communication channel may be usable for data communication, and executes further detailed determination. The detailed determination here refers to a determination based on the result of the carrier sense processing described in the first to third embodiments, a determination based on the response time to a beacon, and a determination based on the state of the image forming device 2.

[0090] As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to reduce the possibility of band shifting at inappropriate timing or to a frequency band that is disadvantageous for wireless direct mode communication, based on the result of DFS processing.

[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 this embodiment includes the following communication device, method, and program. (Item 1) A communication device, comprising: a first communication means for performing a first wireless communication between the communication device and an external access point; a second communication means for performing a second wireless communication between the communication device and an external device, the second communication means using the communication device as an access point; an instruction means for instructing the external device of a communication method to be used in the second wireless communication based on a communication method to be used in the first wireless communication instructed from the external access point; Equipped with the instruction means, when a state of the communication device satisfies a condition, instructs the external device of a communication method to be used in the second wireless communication based on the communication method to be used in the first wireless communication instructed by the external access point; if the state of the communication device does not satisfy the condition, the communication device does not instruct the external device on the communication method to be used in the second wireless communication. A communication device comprising: (Item 2) 2. The communication device according to item 1, wherein the instruction from the external access point is a switching instruction to switch a first communication method used in the first wireless communication to a second communication method. (Item 3) a receiving means for receiving the switching instruction from the external access point; a determination means for determining whether or not a state of the communication device satisfies the condition after the switching instruction is received by the receiving means; 3. The communication device according to item 2, further comprising: (Item 4) The communication device described in item 3, characterized in that when the determination means determines that the state of the communication device satisfies the condition, the instruction means instructs the external device to switch from the first communication method used in the second wireless communication to the second communication method. (Item 5) 5. The communication device according to item 3 or 4, further comprising a switching means for switching the first communication method used in the first wireless communication to the second communication method after the receiving means receives the switching instruction. (Item 6) 6. The communication device according to item 5, wherein the determination by the determination means is performed after the switching by the switching means. (Item 7) 7. The communication device according to any one of items 2 to 6, wherein the state of the communication device includes a communication state of the communication device. (Item 8) 8. The communication device according to item 7, wherein the condition is that the number of times carrier sense is executed during communication using the second communication method is less than a predetermined value. (Item 9) 8. The communication device according to item 7, wherein the condition is that the response time of the external device to a signal transmitted from the communication device in the second communication method is less than a predetermined value. (Item 10) 10. The communication device according to any one of items 2 to 9, wherein the state of the communication device includes a job execution state. (Item 11) 11. The communication device according to item 10, wherein the condition includes that the job is not being executed. (Item 12) 12. The communication device according to item 11, wherein the job is not being executed includes at least one of the job being on standby and the job being interrupted. (Item 13) 11. The communication device according to item 10, wherein the condition is that a specified job is being executed. (Item 14) the jobs include a first job and a second job having a larger communication volume than the first job; Item 14. The communication device according to item 13, wherein the predetermined job is the second job. (Item 15) Item 15. The communication device according to item 14, wherein when the job is a print job, the second job is a job in which a print quality is set higher than that of the first job. (Item 16) Item 15. The communication device according to item 14, wherein when the job is a scan job, the second job is a job in which a reading resolution is set higher than that of the first job. (Item 17) 17. The communication device according to any one of items 2 to 16, wherein the second communication method is a communication method having a wider frequency band than the first communication method. (Item 18) 18. The communication device according to any one of items 1 to 17, wherein the first wireless communication is wireless communication in an infrastructure mode. (Item 19) 19. The communication device according to any one of items 1 to 18, wherein the second wireless communication is wireless communication in a direct mode. (Item 20) 1. A method implemented in a communications device, comprising: a first communication step of performing a first wireless communication between the communication device and an external access point; a second communication step of performing a second wireless communication between the communication device and an external device using the communication device as an access point; an instruction step of instructing the external device of a communication method to be used in the second wireless communication based on the communication method to be used in the first wireless communication instructed from the external access point; having In the instructing step, when a state of the communication device satisfies a condition, the external device is instructed of a communication method to be used in the second wireless communication based on the communication method to be used in the first wireless communication instructed by the external access point; if the state of the communication device does not satisfy the condition, the communication device does not instruct the external device on the communication method to be used in the second wireless communication. A method comprising: (Item 21) A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the communication device according to any one of items 1 to 19.

[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] 1 Wireless LAN access point: 2 Image forming device: 6 Portable terminal: 21 Control unit: 21a CPU: 21b Memory

Claims

1. 1. A communication device, comprising: a first communication means for performing a first wireless communication between the communication device and an external access point; a second communication means for performing a second wireless communication between the communication device and an external device, the second communication means using the communication device as an access point; an instruction means for instructing the external device of a communication method to be used in the second wireless communication based on a communication method to be used in the first wireless communication instructed from the external access point; Equipped with the instruction means, when a state of the communication device satisfies a condition, instructs the external device of a communication method to be used in the second wireless communication based on the communication method to be used in the first wireless communication instructed by the external access point; if the state of the communication device does not satisfy the condition, the communication device does not instruct the external device on the communication method to be used in the second wireless communication. A communication device comprising:

2. 2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the instruction from the external access point is a switching instruction to switch a first communication method used in the first wireless communication to a second communication method.

3. a receiving means for receiving the switching instruction from the external access point; a determination means for determining whether or not a state of the communication device satisfies the condition after the switching instruction is received by the receiving means; The communication device of claim 2 , further comprising:

4. The communication device according to claim 3, characterized in that when the determination means determines that the state of the communication device satisfies the condition, the instruction means instructs the external device to switch from the first communication method used in the second wireless communication to the second communication method.

5. 4. The communication device according to claim 3, further comprising a switching means for switching the first communication method used in the first wireless communication to the second communication method after the receiving means receives the switching instruction.

6. 6. The communication device according to claim 5, wherein the determination by said determining means is performed after the switching by said switching means.

7. The communication device according to claim 2 , wherein the state of the communication device includes a communication state of the communication device.

8. The communication device according to claim 7 , wherein the condition is that the number of times carrier sense is executed during communication in the second communication method is less than a predetermined value.

9. 8. The communication device according to claim 7, wherein the condition is that a response time of the external device to a signal transmitted from the communication device in the second communication method is less than a predetermined value.

10. 3. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein the state of the communication device includes a job execution state.

11. The communication device according to claim 10 , wherein the condition includes that the job is not being executed.

12. 12. The communication device according to claim 11, wherein the job is not being executed includes at least one of the job being on standby and the job being interrupted.

13. 11. The communication device according to claim 10, wherein the condition is that a predetermined job is being executed.

14. The jobs include a first job and a second job having a larger communication volume than the first job, 14. The communication device according to claim 13, wherein the predetermined job is the second job.

15. 15. The communication device according to claim 14, wherein when the job is a print job, the second job is a job in which a print quality is set higher than that of the first job.

16. 15. The communication device according to claim 14, wherein when the job is a scan job, the second job is a job in which a reading resolution is set higher than that of the first job.

17. 3. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein the second communication method is a communication method having a wider frequency band than the first communication method.

18. The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the first wireless communication is wireless communication in an infrastructure mode.

19. The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the second wireless communication is wireless communication in a direct mode.

20. 1. A method implemented in a communications device, comprising: a first communication step of performing a first wireless communication between the communication device and an external access point; a second communication step of performing a second wireless communication between the communication device and an external device using the communication device as an access point; an instruction step of instructing the external device of a communication method to be used in the second wireless communication based on a communication method to be used in the first wireless communication instructed from the external access point; having In the instructing step, when a state of the communication device satisfies a condition, the external device is instructed of a communication method to be used in the second wireless communication based on the communication method to be used in the first wireless communication instructed by the external access point; if the state of the communication device does not satisfy the condition, the communication device does not instruct the external device on the communication method to be used in the second wireless communication. A method comprising:

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

Images