Communication device, control method, and program

Abstract

To make it possible to set an appropriate combination of a frequency band and an authentication method.SOLUTION: A communication device 102 controls a notification unit that provides notification to a user so that the combination of a selection of a predetermined frequency band as a frequency band to be used when performing wireless communications in compliance with the IEEE802.11 series standards and a selection of a predetermined authentication method as an authentication method to be used when performing wireless communications in compliance with the IEEE802.11 series standards is restricted.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to setting up wireless communications. [Background technology]

[0002] When performing wireless communication, it is necessary to set the settings (hereinafter referred to as communication parameters) for executing wireless communication. An AP (Access Point), which has the role of constructing a wireless network, constructs a wireless network using the frequency channel, encryption method, and authentication method that are set as communication parameters. A user can set communication parameters in an AP by displaying a setting screen for setting the AP's communication parameters.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a communication device that controls whether or not to display an internal authentication selection screen depending on whether an authentication method selected as a communication parameter is an authentication method for executing internal authentication. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-199458 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The IEEE802.11ax standard, a wireless communication standard being considered by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), is considering using the 6 GHz band as a frequency band for communication in addition to the conventional 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. Since the encryption and authentication methods supported in conventional communications in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands were the same, users did not need to consider the frequency band when setting communication parameters. However, for communications in the 6 GHz band, it is being considered that only some authentication methods will be supported. In such cases, it is troublesome for users to be aware of the available authentication methods and set them appropriately when setting communication parameters for communications in the 6 GHz band.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to make it possible to appropriately set a combination of a frequency band and an authentication method. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In view of the above, the communication device of the present invention has a first selection means for selecting a frequency band to be used when performing wireless communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standard, a second selection means for selecting an authentication method to be used when performing wireless communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standard, and a control means for controlling a notification unit that notifies a user so as to limit the combination of the selection of a predetermined frequency band by the first selection means and the selection of a predetermined authentication method by the second selection means. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it becomes possible to appropriately set a combination of a frequency band and an authentication method. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a network in which a communication device 102 participates. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration of a communication device 102. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of a communication device 102. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing a process executed by the communication device 102 when setting communication parameters. [Diagram 5] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a graphical user interface displayed by a communication device 102 in a first display mode. [Figure 6] 13 is a diagram showing another example of a graphical user interface displayed by the first display type communication device 102. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a graphical user interface displayed by the communication device 102 in a second display mode. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example of a graphical user interface displayed by the communication device 102 in the second display mode. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a graphical user interface displayed by the communication device 102 in a third display method. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example of a graphical user interface displayed by the communication device 102 in the third display method. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example of a graphical user interface displayed by the communication device 102 in the third display method. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example of a graphical user interface displayed by the communication device 102 in the third display method. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a graphical user interface displayed by the communication device 102 in a fourth display mode. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example of a graphical user interface displayed by the communication device 102 in the fourth display mode. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a graphical user interface displayed by the communication device 102 in a fifth display mode. [Figure 16]FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example of a graphical user interface displayed by the communication device 102 in the fifth display mode. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example of a graphical user interface displayed by the communication device 102 in the fifth display mode. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a graphical user interface displayed by the communication device 102 in a sixth display mode. [Figure 19] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example of a graphical user interface displayed by the communication device 102 in the sixth display mode. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the configurations shown in the following embodiments are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to the illustrated configurations.

[0011] FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a network in which a communication device 102 according to the present embodiment participates. The communication device 102 is an access point (AP) that has a role of constructing a network 101. The network 101 is a wireless network. The communication device 103 is a station (STA) that has a role of participating in the network 101. Each communication device supports the IEEE802.11ax standard and can perform wireless communication conforming to the IEEE802.11ax standard via the network 101. IEEE stands for Institute Of Electrical And Electronics Engineers. Each communication device can communicate in the frequency bands of 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz. The frequency bands used by each communication device are not limited to these, and a different frequency band such as the 60 GHz band may be used.

[0012] Communication parameters are set in the communication device 102, and the communication device 102 constructs a network according to the set communication parameters. The communication parameters set in the communication device 102 may be preset or may be set by a user. The user can set the communication parameters of the communication device 102 via a setting screen displayed on a display unit (notification unit, output unit 305) of the communication device 102 or a display unit of a communication device (not shown) that communicates with the communication device 102 in a wired or wireless manner.

[0013] Specifically, the communication parameters set in the communication device 102 are an authentication method. In addition to this, at least one of the SSID, encryption method, encryption key, frequency band, frequency channel, bandwidth, whether or not a wireless function is used, and network name may be set as the communication parameters. At least one of various parameters set on a communication parameter setting screen shown in Figs. 5 to 19 described later may be set as the communication parameter.

[0014] The SSID is an abbreviation of Service Set Identifier, and is an identifier for identifying an AP (communication device 102). The encryption method is a method for encrypting communication between the AP (communication device 102) and the STA (communication device 103). The encryption key is a key used for encrypting communication between the AP (communication device 102) and the STA (communication device 103), and only the STA that knows the encryption key set in the AP can communicate with the AP. The frequency band is a frequency band used when the AP (communication device 102) and the STA (communication device 103) communicate with each other, and can be selected from the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band, and the 6 GHz band in the IEEE802.11ax standard. The frequency channel is a frequency channel used when the AP (communication device 102) and the STA (communication device 103) communicate with each other, and a frequency channel belonging to the selected frequency band can be selected. For example, when the 2.4 GHz band is selected as the frequency band, any of 1ch to 13ch can be selected as the frequency channel. The bandwidth is a bandwidth used when the AP (communication device 102) and the STA (communication device 103) communicate with each other, and any of 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, and 160 MHz can be selected. A band wider than 160 MHz may be selected. The use of the wireless function is a parameter indicating whether or not to use the wireless function of the communication device 102, which is an AP. The use of the wireless function can be set to whether or not to use the wireless function for wireless communication for each frequency band. Alternatively, it may be set for all wireless communication of the communication device 102. If the wireless function is set not to be used, the communication device 102 does not build a network. Alternatively, the communication device 102 does not communicate via a network built by the communication device 102. The network name is the name of the network built by the communication device 102, and can be set by any character string. The network name and the SSID may be the same, and in this case, only one of the setting items may be set as a communication parameter.

[0015] Specific examples of the authentication method include Open, WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access), WPA2, and WPA3. Open is an authentication method defined as Open System Authentication in the IEEE802.11 series standard. In this authentication method, an AP that receives an authentication request from a STA always transmits authentication success. In this authentication method, since authentication is always successful, no actual authentication is performed. WPA is a standard related to authentication methods established by the Wi-Fi Alliance. WPA2 is a successor standard to WPA, and improves security compared to WPA by supporting a new encryption method that was not supported in WPA. WPA3 is a successor standard to WPA2, and is a standard with further improved security. In WPA2, a pre-shared key was used as a key for encrypting communication. In this embodiment, when WPA2 is selected as the authentication method, the encryption key corresponds to the pre-shared key. The pre-shared key was usually manually input into the AP and the STA by the user. However, in WPA3, instead of encrypting with a pre-shared key, a key is generated by both the AP and the STA by performing calculations using elliptic curve cryptography on the passwords entered in both, and the communication is encrypted using the key. This type of key sharing method is called SAE (Simultaneous Authentication of Equals). In WPA3, a new key is generated every time authentication is performed, so security is improved compared to WPA2, which reuses a pre-shared key. In this embodiment, when WPA3 is selected as the authentication method, the encryption key corresponds to a password.

[0016] In this embodiment, the communication devices 102 and 103 support different authentication methods depending on the frequency band they use. Specifically, the communication devices 102 and 103 support all of Open, WPA, WPA2, and WPA3 in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, and support only WPA3 in the 6 GHz band.

[0017] In addition, the communication device 102 and the communication device 103 may support Open, which uses a method called OWE (Opportunistic Wireless Encryption) as a key sharing method, in addition to or instead of WPA3 as an authentication method. In conventional Open, communication was performed without encryption, but Open using the OWE method makes it possible to encrypt communication. OWE is a key sharing method that uses elliptic curve cryptography like SAE, but differs in that it does not require prior sharing of a password.

[0018] Specific encryption methods include TKIP and AES. TKIP is an abbreviation for Temporal Key Integrity Protocol. AES is an abbreviation for Advanced Encryption Standard. AES is a stronger encryption method than TKIP, and has higher encryption strength.

[0019] In this embodiment, the communication devices 102 and 103 support different encryption methods depending on the frequency band they use. Specifically, the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands support both TKIP and AES, and the 6 GHz band supports only AES. Therefore, when communicating between the communication devices 102 and 103 in the 6 GHz band, the user needs to select WPA3 as the authentication method and AES as the encryption method.

[0020] In this case, even if the user selects the 6 GHz band as the frequency band on the communication parameter setting screen, if, for example, WPA2 is displayed or selectable as the authentication method, the user may not be able to set the communication parameters correctly. Therefore, when the 6 GHz band is selected as the frequency band, the display of the setting screen is switched from when the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band are selected, so that the user can easily set the correct communication parameters. Specifically, only WPA3 is displayed or selectable as the authentication method, and only AES is displayed or selectable as the encryption method.

[0021] In this embodiment, the communication devices 102 and 103 perform wireless communication in accordance with the IEEE802.11ax standard, but this is not limited thereto. The communication devices 102 and 103 may perform wireless communication in accordance with the IEEE802.11be standard, which is a successor standard to the IEEE802.11ax standard. In the IEEE802.11be standard, communication can be performed in the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz frequency bands, similar to the IEEE802.11ax standard. In this case, the authentication method and encryption method supported may differ depending on the frequency band, similar to communication in accordance with the IEEE802.11ax standard.

[0022] In addition, the communication devices 102 and 103 are described as being compatible with the IEEE802.11ax standard, but in addition to this, they may be compatible with at least one of the legacy standards that are standards prior to the IEEE802.11ax standard. The legacy standard refers to the IEEE802.11a / b / g / n / ac standards. In addition to or instead of the legacy standard, they may be compatible with a successor standard to the IEEE802.11ax standard. Specifically, the successor standard refers to the IEEE802.11be standard. Alternatively, they may be compatible with a successor standard after IEEE802.11be. In this embodiment, at least one of the IEEE802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax / be standards is referred to as the IEEE802.11 series standard. In addition to the IEEE802.11 series standard, the communication devices 102 and 103 may be compatible with other communication standards such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), NFC, UWB, Zigbee, and MBOA. UWB stands for Ultra Wide Band, and MBOA stands for Multi Band OFDM Alliance. OFDM stands for Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing. NFC stands for Near Field Communication. UWB includes wireless USB, wireless 1394, WiNet, etc. It may also be compatible with wired communication standards such as wired LAN.

[0023] When the communication devices 102 and 103 are compatible with the IEEE802.11 series standard, they can use at least one of the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band, and the 6 GHz band as a frequency band. Furthermore, the communication devices 102 and 103 can perform wireless communication conforming to the IEEE802.11 series standard via a frequency channel included in the available frequency band. In this case, the bandwidth of each frequency channel is defined as 20 MHz in the IEEE802.11 series standard. Note that the communication devices 102 and 103 can also use a bandwidth of 40 MHz or more for one frequency channel by bonding adjacent frequency channels. Furthermore, when the communication devices 102 and 103 are compatible with the IEEE802.11 series standard, they can communicate data using a mechanism called DCF. DCF stands for Distributed Coordination Function. In DCF, a data transmitting device waits for a random time called backoff before transmitting data in order to avoid data collision with other communication devices. After a random time (backoff) has elapsed, the data transmitting device checks whether the frequency channel used for data transmission is not being used by another device before transmitting the data. Note that the communication devices 102 and 103 may be capable of performing communication control using Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA) instead of or in addition to DCF. In EDCA, data to be transmitted is classified by priority, and a different backoff is set for each priority. Specifically, a shorter backoff is set for data with a higher priority than for data with a lower priority.

[0024] Furthermore, the communication devices 102 and 103 that comply with the IEEE802.11 series standard may support a method in which an AP centrally manages data communication by STAs in addition to or instead of DCF. For example, the communication devices 102 and 103 may support a data communication method using PCF (Point Coordination Function). In PCF, one device (AP) transmits a polling signal to multiple other devices in sequence, and only the device that receives the polling signal from the AP can transmit data. Only the device to which the AP transmits a polling signal can transmit data until the next polling signal is transmitted, so data collisions do not occur. Alternatively, the communication devices 102 and 103 may be capable of executing communication control using HCCA (Hybrid Coordination Function Controlled Channel Access). HCCA is a communication method that allows negotiation of communication quality between an AP and other devices in addition to control of data communication by polling by the AP like PCF. Furthermore, HCCA allows scheduling that takes into account the priority of data. The method of preventing collisions of data communicated by each STA by having the AP centrally manage the data communication by the STAs is not limited to the method using PCF or HCCA.

[0025] Alternatively, the communication devices 102 and 103 conforming to the IEEE802.11 series standard may support a data communication method using, for example, RTS / CTS. RTS stands for Request To Send, and CTS stands for Clear To Send. In this method, when a STA has data to transmit, it first transmits an RTS to the AP. The AP that receives the RTS transmits a CTS to the STA in response. The STA that receives the CTS transmits data to the AP. In this case, the RTS, CTS, and data each contain a NAV (Network Allocation Vector) that indicates the time for which the channel used for transmission is occupied. Other terminals that detect the RTS, CTS, and data do not transmit signals during the period indicated by the NAV, thereby avoiding data collisions.

[0026] Specific examples of the communication device 102 include, but are not limited to, a wireless LAN router and a PC. The communication device 102 may be any communication device capable of performing wireless communication with other communication devices in accordance with the IEEE802.11ax standard. Specific examples of the communication device 103 include, but are not limited to, a camera, a tablet, a smartphone, a PC, a mobile phone, a video camera, and the like. The communication device 103 may be any communication device capable of performing wireless communication with other communication devices in accordance with the IEEE802.11ax standard. The network in FIG. 1 is a network configured with one AP and one STA, but the number of APs and STAs is not limited to this.

[0027] 2 shows a hardware configuration of the communication device 102 according to the present embodiment. The communication device 102 includes a storage unit 301, a control unit 302, a function unit 303, an input unit 304, an output unit 305, a communication unit 306, and an antenna 307.

[0028] The storage unit 301 is composed of one or more memories such as a ROM, a RAM, etc., and stores various information such as computer programs for performing various operations described below and communication parameters for wireless communication. ROM stands for Read Only Memory, and RAM stands for Random Access Memory. Note that, in addition to memories such as ROM and RAM, storage media such as flexible disks, hard disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, magnetic tapes, non-volatile memory cards, DVDs, etc. may be used as the storage unit 301. Furthermore, the storage unit 301 may include multiple memories, etc.

[0029] The control unit 302 is configured with one or more processors such as a CPU or an MPU, and controls the entire communication device 102 by executing a computer program stored in the storage unit 301. The control unit 302 may control the entire communication device 102 in cooperation with the computer program stored in the storage unit 301 and an OS (Operating System). The control unit 302 also generates data and signals (radio frames) to be transmitted in communication with other communication devices. The CPU stands for Central Processing Unit, and the MPU stands for Micro Processing Unit. The control unit 302 may also include multiple processors such as a multi-core processor, and the entire communication device 102 may be controlled by the multiple processors.

[0030] Furthermore, the control unit 302 controls the functional unit 303 to execute predetermined processes such as wireless communication, imaging, printing, projection, etc. The functional unit 303 is hardware that enables the communication device 102 to execute predetermined processes.

[0031] The input unit 304 receives various operations from the user. The output unit 305 performs various outputs to the user via a monitor screen or a speaker. The output unit 305 may operate as a display unit that performs screen display or a notification unit that performs various notifications to the user. Here, the output by the output unit 305 may be a display on a monitor screen, a voice output by a speaker, a vibration output, or the like. Both the input unit 304 and the output unit 305 may be realized by one module, such as a touch panel. Also, the input unit 304 and the output unit 305 may be integrated with the communication device 102, or may be separate, and may be devices connected to the communication device 102 wirelessly or by wire. Alternatively, the output unit 305 may operate as a display control unit that causes a display unit of another communication device that communicates with the communication device 102 by wireless communication or wired communication to execute screen display. Alternatively, the output unit 305 may operate as an output control unit that causes an output unit such as a speaker of the other communication device to execute voice output in addition to or instead of a screen. Furthermore, the input unit 304 may receive an input made by the user via another communication device that communicates with the communication device 102 by wireless communication or wired communication.

[0032] The communication unit 306 controls wireless communication conforming to the IEEE802.11ax standard. The communication unit 306 may control wireless communication conforming to other IEEE802.11 series standards in addition to the IEEE802.11ax standard, or control wired communication such as a wired LAN. The communication unit 306 controls the antenna 307 to transmit and receive signals for wireless communication generated by the control unit 302. If the communication device 102 supports the NFC standard, Bluetooth standard, or the like in addition to the IEEE802.11ax standard, the communication unit 306 may control wireless communication conforming to these communication standards. If the communication device 102 can perform wireless communication conforming to a plurality of communication standards, the communication unit 306 may have a configuration having a communication unit and an antenna corresponding to each communication standard. The communication device 102 communicates data such as image data, document data, and video data with the communication device 103 via the communication unit 306. The antenna 307 may be configured as a separate unit from the communication unit 306, or may be configured as a single module together with the communication unit 306.

[0033] The antenna 307 is an antenna capable of communication in the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band, and the 6 GHz band. In this embodiment, it is sufficient that the antenna 307 of the communication device 102 can perform communication in at least the 6 GHz band. In addition, although the communication device 102 has one antenna in this embodiment, it may have a different antenna for each frequency band. In addition, when the communication device 102 has multiple antennas, it may have a communication unit 306 corresponding to each antenna.

[0034] The communication device 103 has the same hardware configuration as the communication device 102 .

[0035] 3 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the communication device 102. The communication device 102 has a wireless communication control unit 201, a display screen generation unit 202, a user input analysis unit 203, a UI control unit 204, and a storage control unit 205.

[0036] The wireless communication control unit 201 includes a circuit for transmitting and receiving wireless signals to and from other communication devices, and a program for controlling the circuit. The wireless communication control unit 201 executes control of wireless communication in accordance with the IEEE802.11 series standard. The wireless communication control unit 201 controls transmission and reception of wireless signals to and from other communication devices in the 2.4 GHz band, 5 GHz band, and 6 GHz band. In this embodiment, the communication device 102 has one wireless communication control unit, but is not limited to this and may have a wireless communication control unit corresponding to each supported frequency band.

[0037] The display screen generating unit 202 generates contents to be displayed on a UI (user interface) from information acquired from a user input analyzing unit 203 described below and information stored in a storage unit 301, and sends the contents to a UI control unit 204 described below. For example, when the user input analyzing unit 203 described below detects that the user has instructed to display a communication parameter setting screen, the display screen generating unit 202 generates a communication parameter setting screen and sends it to the UI control unit 204. Note that the screen generated by the display screen generating unit 202 may change depending on the user input or the passage of time.

[0038] The user input analysis unit 203 acquires information obtained by the UI control unit 204 described below, and analyzes the contents of the user's instructions. For example, in response to the instructions input by the user, the user input analysis unit 203 analyzes the contents to be controlled by the wireless communication control unit 201, and extracts information to be displayed by the display screen generation unit 202. The user input analysis unit 203 sends the extracted contents to the display screen generation unit 202.

[0039] The UI control unit 204 is configured by a program that controls hardware (input unit 304) related to a user interface such as a touch panel or buttons for accepting user operations on the communication device 102. The program of the UI control unit 204 sends the contents of an input from the user obtained from the input unit 304 shown in Fig. 2 to the user input analysis unit 203. In addition, the UI control unit 204 sends an image generated by the display screen generation unit 202 to the output unit 305 shown in Fig. 2. The UI control unit 204 also has a function of presenting information, for example, by audio output, to the user via the output unit 305.

[0040] The memory control unit 205 controls writing and reading of data to and from a memory unit 301 that stores programs and data that run on the communication device 102 .

[0041] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a process executed by the communication device 102 when the communication device 102 reads out a computer program stored in the storage unit 301, causes the control unit 302 to execute the program, and sets communication parameters.

[0042] The communication device 102 starts the process of this flowchart when a user instructs the communication device 102 to display a setting screen for communication parameters. The user may directly instruct the input unit 304 of the communication device 102, or may instruct the communication device 102 to display a setting screen by connecting the communication device 102 wirelessly or wired. The communication device 102 may instruct the communication device 102 to display a setting screen by inputting an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the communication device 102 in an address bar of a browser. Alternatively, the communication device 102 may start the process of this flowchart based on the first time the communication device 102 is connected to another communication device by wire or wireless after being shipped from the factory. Alternatively, the communication device 102 may start the process of this flowchart based on the first time the communication device 102 is powered on after being shipped from the factory.

[0043] First, the communication device 102 displays a setting screen for communication parameters (S401). The setting screen may be displayed on a display unit (notification unit) of the communication device 102, or may be displayed on a display unit of another communication device (communication device 102) that communicates with the communication device 102 in a wired or wireless manner. The setting screen displayed in this step will be described later with reference to Figs. 5 to 19.

[0044] Next, the communication device 102 judges whether or not the 6 GHz band has been selected for the item for setting the frequency band included in the displayed setting screen (S402). If the 6 GHz band has been selected as the frequency band to be used, the judgment in this step is Yes, and if a different frequency band (2.4 GHz band or 5 GHz band) has been selected, the judgment in this step is No. Note that the judgment in this step may use a frequency channel. Specifically, the communication device 102 may judge whether or not a frequency channel belonging to the 6 GHz band has been selected for the item for setting the frequency channel included in the displayed setting screen. In this case, if the frequency channel selected as the frequency channel to be used is a frequency channel belonging to the 6 GHz band, the judgment in this step is Yes. On the other hand, if the frequency channel selected as the frequency channel to be used is a frequency channel belonging to another frequency band (2.4 GHz band or 5 GHz band), the judgment in this step is No. If the judgment in this step is No, the judgment in this step is performed again. In this case, the display of each item on the setting screen is not switched to a display corresponding to the 6 GHz band. If the determination in this step is Yes, the communication device 102 performs the process of S403.

[0045] Next, the communication device 102 checks whether there is a STA currently connected in the 2.4 GHz band or the 5 GHz band (S403). If there is no STA connected in at least one of the 2.4 GHz band or the 5 GHz band, the communication device 102 determines No in this step and performs processing of S407. On the other hand, if there is a STA connected in at least one of the 2.4 GHz band or the 5 GHz band, the communication device 102 determines Yes in this step and performs processing of S404.

[0046] The communication device 102 judges whether or not the STA connected in at least one of the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band is connected by an authentication method not compatible with the 6 GHz band (S404). In this embodiment, the authentication method not compatible with the 6 GHz band is an authentication method before WPA2, specifically, Open that does not use WPA2, WPA, or OWE. When communicating with the STA using any of these authentication methods, there is a possibility that the STA does not support WPA3, and if the frequency band is changed to the 6 GHz band, communication with the STA may not be possible. The AP notifies the authentication method supported by the device itself by a Beacon or a Probe Response, but the STA does not make such a notification. When transmitting an Association Request to the AP, the STA simply requests the authentication method to be used for connection. Therefore, the AP cannot know whether the STA supports another authentication method different from the authentication method requested by the STA by the Association Request. In other words, since the AP cannot know whether the STA supports WPA3, it cannot recognize whether communication with the STA can be performed if the frequency band is changed to the 6 GHz band. If the communication device 102 is connected to the STA by WPA3, the communication device 102 determines No in this step and performs processing of S407. On the other hand, if the communication device 102 is connected to the STA by an authentication method earlier than WPA2, the communication device 102 determines Yes in this step and displays S405. Note that in this step, if the communication device 102 is connected to the STA by Open in the OWE method, the communication device 102 may determine Yes.

[0047] Furthermore, when the communication device 102 determines No in S404, it may check whether the encryption method used in the connection with the STA is an encryption method that is not compatible with the 6 GHz band before performing the process of S407. Specifically, the communication device 102 may check whether the encryption method used in the connection with the STA has encryption strength lower than AES. If the encryption method used in the connection with the STA is TKIP or the like, which has encryption strength lower than AES, the communication device 102 performs the process of S405. On the other hand, if the encryption method used in the connection with the STA has encryption strength equal to or higher than AES, the communication device 102 performs the process of S407.

[0048] If the communication device 102 can simultaneously maintain networks in multiple frequency bands, step S404 may be omitted. In this case, the communication device 102 can establish a new network in the 6 GHz band while continuing the connection with the STA.

[0049] The communication device 102 displays a warning to the user (S405). The warning displayed here indicates that if the frequency band is changed to the 6 GHz band, the connection with the currently connected STA may be disconnected and reconnection may not be possible. In addition to displaying the warning, the communication device 102 may perform processing such as outputting a beep or turning on a lamp. By displaying this, the user can recognize that the connection with the currently connected STA may be disconnected due to the switching of the frequency band. This allows the user to cancel the frequency band switching operation. In addition to the warning, the communication device 102 also displays a selection screen that allows the user to select whether or not to continue the frequency band switching process.

[0050] The communication device 102 determines whether to continue the frequency band switching process (S406). Specifically, it determines whether the user has selected to continue the frequency band switching process on the selection screen displayed in S405. If the user has selected to continue the switching process, the communication device 102 determines Yes in this step and performs processing of S407. On the other hand, if the user has selected to interrupt or end the switching process, the communication device 102 determines No in this step and performs processing of S402 again. Alternatively, the communication device 102 may display the selection screen in S405 and determine No in this step based on the passage of a predetermined time.

[0051] The communication device 102 switches the display of the setting screen to one compatible with the 6 GHz band (S407). Specifically, the authentication method is switched to display only WPA3. Or, the display is switched to allow only WPA3 to be selected as the authentication method. In addition to WPA3, the OWE Open may be displayed or displayed so that it can be selected. Also, the encryption method is switched to display only AES or display only AES so that it can be selected. In this case, authentication methods other than WPA3 (Open, WPA, WPA2 that are not the OWE method) are hidden or grayed out or shaded so that they cannot be selected. Graying out means displaying the corresponding option in a state where it cannot be selected, and generally displays the option in a light gray color. Also, encryption methods other than AES (TKIP) are hidden or grayed out or shaded so that they cannot be selected. In addition, when the communication device 102 switches the display of the setting screen to one compatible with the 6 GHz band, the communication device 102 may notify the user that WPA and WPA2 are not available as authentication methods and that TKIP is not available as an encryption method.

[0052] Next, the communication device 102 judges whether the authentication information already set can be used as a communication parameter for the 6 GHz band (S408). Specifically, for example, it is judged whether the pre-shared key of WPA2 can be used as a password of WPA3. If the use of the pre-shared key as a password is permitted, the communication device 102 judges Yes in this step and performs processing of S409. On the other hand, if the use of the pre-shared key as a password is not permitted, the communication device 102 judges No in this step and performs processing of S410. It is assumed that whether the pre-shared key of WPA, WPA2 can be used as a password of WPA3 is set in the communication device 102 by the user. Alternatively, it is assumed that it is preset in the communication device 102. Alternatively, the communication device 102 may make the judgment in this step based on whether the number of characters of the character string set as the pre-shared key of WPA, WPA2 is equal to or greater than a predetermined number of characters required as a password of WPA3. If the number of characters in the pre-shared key is equal to or greater than the predetermined number of characters, the communication device 102 determines Yes in this step, and if the number of characters is less than the predetermined number of characters, the communication device 102 determines No in this step.

[0053] If the communication device 102 determines Yes in S408, it sets the authentication method that has already been set as a communication parameter for communication in the 6 GHz band (S409). Specifically, the pre-shared key of WPA, WPA2 is set as the password of WPA3. The pre-shared key of WPA, WPA2 may be automatically input into the password input field of WPA3 on the setting screen. Note that even if the process of S409 is performed, the password may be changed by the user.

[0054] Alternatively, if the communication device 102 determines No in S408, it displays a screen for prompting the user to set communication parameters for the 6 GHz band (S410). Specifically, the communication device 102 displays a dialog box or comment for prompting the user to enter a WPA3 password. Note that, if the setting screen shares an input field for the pre-shared keys of WPA and WPA2 with an input field for the WPA3 password, the input field is left blank in this step.

[0055] As shown in Figure 4, the user can easily select the correct communication parameters by switching the communication parameter setting screen based on the selected frequency band, the authentication method with the currently connected STA, etc. Also, the user can be notified of errors that may occur when switching to the 6 GHz frequency band.

[0056] In the flow of FIG. 4, after the 6 GHz band is selected as the frequency band to be used, the communication device 102 determines whether there is a STA already connected in the 2.4 GHz band or the 5 GHz band, but this is not limited thereto. When the 6 GHz band is selected by the user as the frequency band to be used (when Yes is determined in S402), the communication device 102 may skip the processes of S403 to S406 and perform the process of S407. Alternatively, when Yes is determined in S402, the communication device 102 may allow the user to set whether to determine whether there is a STA already connected in the 2.4 GHz band or the 5 GHz band or to switch the display of the setting screen. In other words, the communication device 102 may allow the user to set whether to perform the process of S404 or the process of S407 when Yes is determined in S402.

[0057] In the present embodiment, the communication device 102 switches at least one of the authentication method and the encryption method to be displayed according to the selected frequency band, but the present invention is not limited to this. Alternatively, the communication device 102 may switch the frequency band to be displayed according to the selected encryption method. For example, when WPA2 is selected as the authentication method by the user, the 6 GHz band may not be displayed as an option for the frequency band setting item, or may be displayed so that it cannot be selected. In other words, when an authentication method or encryption method that is not supported in the 6 GHz band is selected, the communication device 102 may switch the display of the frequency band setting item. In this case, the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band are displayed or displayed so that they can be selected.

[0058] In the present embodiment, the communication device 102 switches at least one of the authentication method and the encryption method to be displayed according to the selected frequency band, so that the user does not select an authentication method or an encryption method that is not supported in the selected frequency band. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the communication device 102 may notify the user that the selected authentication method or encryption method is not supported when the user attempts to set an authentication method or an encryption method that is not supported in the selected frequency band. For example, when the user selects the 6 GHz band as the frequency band to be used and further selects WPA2 as the authentication method to be used, the communication device 102 may display an error message on the communication parameter setting screen indicating that communication cannot be performed. The communication device 102 may notify the user when the user selects the setting item of the authentication method or the encryption method, or may notify the user when the user instructs the user to complete the setting of the communication parameters.

[0059] 5 and subsequent figures show examples of communication parameter setting screens displayed by the communication device 102 of this embodiment. As display methods, six patterns, namely, first to sixth display methods, have been described.

[0060] 5 and 6 show an example of a graphical user interface (GUI) that the communication device 102 displays as a setting screen in the first display mode. In the first display mode, the setting screen displays an item for setting the frequency band and an item for setting the authentication method and encryption method on the same screen. FIG. 5 shows an example of the setting screen when the 2.4 GHz band is selected as the frequency band to be used. FIG. 6 shows an example of the setting screen when the 6 GHz band is selected as the frequency band to be used.

[0061] 5 and 6, the setting screen displays the network name of the network established by the communication device 102, the wireless operation mode, and whether or not to use auto channel as items that can be set as communication parameters. In addition to these items, the encryption method, encryption strength, and encryption key are also displayed as items that can be set as communication parameters.

[0062] The network name is an item for setting the SSID. The SSID is originally an identifier for identifying the communication device 102, but in the case of Figs. 5 and 6, it is also used as the network name of the network established by the communication device 102.

[0063] The wireless operation mode is an item for setting the frequency band of the network constructed by the communication device 102. In the first display method, the 2.4 GHz band is expressed as 802.11n+g+b, and the 5 GHz band is expressed as 802.11ac+n+g+a as frequency bands. The 6 GHz band is expressed as 802.11ax, but is not limited to this. For example, symbols such as " / ", "·", and " " or spaces may be used instead of "+". Alternatively, they may simply be expressed as the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band, and the 6 GHz band, respectively. Alternatively, the 2.4 GHz band may be expressed as Wi-Fi 4, the 5 GHz band as Wi-Fi 5+4, and the 6 GHz band as Wi-Fi 6. Wi-Fi 6 is the name of a certification program for interconnection of communication devices compliant with the IEEE 802.11ax standard by the Wi-Fi Alliance. Wi-Fi 4 and Wi-Fi 5 are the names of the certification programs of the IEEE802.11n standard and the IEEE802.11ac standard, respectively. In this embodiment, the setting screen has an item for setting the frequency band, but instead, there may be an item for setting the frequency channel. In this case, the user selects the frequency channel to be set from the frequency channels of the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band, and the 6 GHz band.

[0064] The communication device 102 makes a determination based on the contents set in the wireless setting mode in the determination of S402 in Fig. 4. If the contents corresponding to the 6 GHz band are selected in the wireless setting mode, the communication device 102 determines Yes in S402.

[0065] The use of auto channel is a setting item for setting whether or not the communication device 102 automatically selects a frequency channel to be used in the set frequency band. Note that, if not using auto channel is selected in this setting item, a setting item for setting the frequency channel may be displayed instead of or in addition to this item.

[0066] Encryption is a setting item for setting an encryption method and an authentication method. In the first display method, the encryption method and the authentication method are set together as one setting item. In this embodiment, the options for the encryption method and the authentication method are Open, OWE (AES), WPA2-PSK (TKIP / AES), WPA2-PSK (AES), and WPA / WPA2-PSK (TKIP / AES). In addition to these options, WPA / WPA2-PSK (TKIP / AES), WPA / WPA2-PSK (AES), WPA2-EAP (AES), and WPA2-PSK / WPA3-SAE (AES) are available as options. In addition to these options, WPA3-SAE (AES), WPA3-EAP (AES), and WPA2 / WPA3-EAP (AES) are available as options. Note that OWE refers to Open, which uses OWE as a key sharing method. This option may be expressed as Open(AES) instead of OWE(AES). TKIP / AES indicates that either TKIP or AES may be used as the encryption method. Similarly, WPA / WPA2-PSK indicates that either WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK may be used as the authentication method. Similarly, WPA2-PSK / WPA3-SAE indicates that either WPA-PSK or WPA3-SAE may be used as the authentication method. In this way, the encryption method and authentication method written with / indicate that either may be used. PSK stands for Pre-Shared Key, and indicates an authentication method that uses a key sharing method using a pre-shared key. EAP stands for Extensible Authentication Protocol, and is an authentication method that uses an authentication server that supports the IEEE 802.1X standard. Enterprise may be used instead of EAP. PSK does not require such an authentication server. Personal may be used instead of SAE.

[0067] In addition, when either WPA or WPA2 can be used as the authentication method, such as WPA / WPA2-PSK, it may be written as MIX or WPA2 MIX. Similarly, when either WPA2 or WPA3 can be used as the authentication method, it may be written as MIX or WPA3 MIX.

[0068] Encryption strength is an item for setting the key length used during encryption. Key lengths can be selected from 128 bits, 192 bits, and 256 bits. The larger the key length, the higher the security. Note that if the key length is determined by default, this item does not need to be displayed on the setting screen.

[0069] The encryption key is an item for setting a pre-shared key when WPA or WPA2 is selected as the authentication method. When WPA3 is selected as the authentication method, the encryption key is also an item for setting a WPA3 password. The user can input any character string or a combination of letters and numbers. When WPA or WPA2 is set as the authentication method, the communication device 103, which is an STA, cannot participate in the network established by the communication device 102 unless it knows the pre-shared key set in the communication device 102. Similarly, when WPA3 is set as the authentication method, the communication device 103 cannot participate in the network established by the communication device 102 unless it knows the WPA3 password set in the communication device 102. The pre-shared key or the WPA3 password may be shared between the communication devices 102 and 103 by being manually input by the user into the communication device 103, or may be shared by wireless communication such as NFC or Bluetooth.

[0070] The communication device 102 supports all authentication and encryption methods for communication in the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band, and therefore displays all combinations of encryption and authentication methods as options for this item, as shown in FIG. 5. On the other hand, the communication device 102 supports only some authentication and encryption methods for communication in the 6 GHz band, and therefore displays only some of the combinations of encryption and authentication methods as options for this item, as shown in FIG. 6. Specifically, only options indicating the combination of WPA3 and Open by OWE, which are supported as authentication methods for the 6 GHz band, and AES, which is supported as an encryption method for the 6 GHz band, are displayed. The communication device 102 switches from the display shown in FIG. 5 to the display shown in FIG. 6 in S407 of FIG. 4.

[0071] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a communication parameter setting screen when the 6 GHz band is selected as the frequency band to be used in the first display mode. In 6 GHz band communication, the communication device 102 supports WPA3 as an authentication method and Open using OWE as a key sharing method, and supports AES as an encryption method, and therefore these combinations are displayed as encryption options. Specifically, only OWE (AES), WPA3-SAE (AES), and WPA3-EAP (AES) are displayed. Note that when switching from the screen in Fig. 5 to the screen in Fig. 6, if the value set in the encryption key is not used as the WPA3 password (if No is determined in S408 in Fig. 4), this item is left blank.

[0072] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, by switching the authentication method (and encryption method) to be displayed depending on the frequency band selected by the user, the user can easily recognize the authentication methods available in the selected frequency band. Also, by displaying only the authentication methods supported in the communication of the selected frequency band, it is possible to prevent the user from mistakenly selecting an authentication method that cannot be used, which would result in the user being unable to communicate. This allows the user to easily select an authentication method supported in the selected frequency band.

[0073] In the first display method, the authentication method and the encryption method are combined into one setting item, but this is not limiting and each may be displayed as a separate setting item. Also, in the first display method, "encryption" is used as the name of the setting item that combines the authentication method and the encryption method, but this is not limiting and other names such as authentication method, security method, encryption mode, etc. may be used.

[0074] 7 and 8 show an example of a graphical user interface that the communication device 102 displays as a setting screen in the second display method. In the second display method, a different setting screen is displayed for each frequency band. FIG. 7 shows an example of a display of a setting screen for communication parameters in the 2.4 GHz band. FIG. 8 shows an example of a display of a setting screen for communication parameters in the 6 GHz band. FIGS. 7 and 8 are displayed when the user selects "wireless detailed settings (2.4 GHz)" or "wireless detailed settings (6 GHz)" from the menu on the left side of the figure. The communication device 102 determines "Yes" in S402 of FIG. 4 in response to the selection of "wireless detailed settings (6 GHz)" and the setting that the wireless function is to be used. In addition, the communication device 102 switches the display from the setting screen shown in FIG. 7 to the setting screen shown in FIG. 8 in S407 of FIG. 4. Note that when "wireless detailed settings (5 GHz)" is selected, the communication device 102 may display the setting screen shown in FIG. 7 in the same manner as when "wireless detailed settings (2.4 GHz)" is selected.

[0075] 7 and 8, the setting screen displays, as items that can be set as communication parameters, whether or not to use the wireless function of the communication device 102, the network name of the network to be constructed, and whether or not to use auto channel. In addition to these items, the encryption mode, encryption strength, and encryption key are also displayed as items that can be set as communication parameters.

[0076] The use or non-use of the wireless function is an item for setting whether or not to use the wireless function in the selected frequency band. For example, when the 2.4 GHz band is selected in the left menu and the wireless function is set to be used in the displayed setting screen, the 2.4 GHz band is selected as the frequency band to be used by the communication device 102. The communication device 102 determines Yes in S402 in response to the setting that the wireless function is set to be used in the displayed setting screen in which the 6 GHz band is selected in the left menu. Note that the communication device 102 may automatically set the wireless function of the other frequency bands not to be used in response to the setting that the wireless function is set to be used for a certain frequency band by the user.

[0077] The network name and whether or not auto channel is used are the same as in Figures 5 and 6.

[0078] The encryption mode is a setting item that allows the authentication method and encryption method to be set together, and is similar to the "encryption" setting item shown in Fig. 5. As shown in Fig. 7, when "wireless detailed settings (2.4 GHz)" is selected, the communication device 102 displays all supported combinations of authentication and encryption methods, as in Fig. 5. On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 8, when "wireless detailed settings (6 GHz)" is selected, the communication device 102 displays only the combinations of authentication and encryption methods supported in 6 GHz band communication, as in Fig. 6.

[0079] The encryption strength and encryption key are the same as those in FIGS.

[0080] In the second display method, when the setting screen of Fig. 8 is displayed, the contents of the corresponding setting items of the setting screen of Fig. 8 may be determined according to the contents set in the setting items of the setting screen of Fig. 7. For example, if WPA2-PSK is selected as the encryption mode of Fig. 7, the communication device 102 may display WPA3-SAE as the default encryption mode when switching to the setting screen of Fig. 8. Alternatively, if WPA2-EAP is selected as the encryption mode of Fig. 7, the communication device 102 may display WPA3-EAP as the default encryption mode when switching to the setting screen of Fig. 8.

[0081] Alternatively, when the communication apparatus 102 displays the setting screen of FIG. 8, it may display WPA3-EAP as the default encryption mode, regardless of the setting content of the encryption mode of FIG.

[0082] 7 and 8, the communication device 102 switches the options of the authentication method and encryption method that can be set depending on which frequency band the user sets the communication parameters for. This allows the user to easily select the authentication method and encryption method that are supported in the frequency band in which the settings are being made.

[0083] In the second display method, the setting screen of Fig. 7 or the setting screen of Fig. 8 is switched depending on whether the user selects a frequency band for setting communication parameters, but this is not limited to the above. The communication device 102 may prepare setting screens corresponding to the respective frequency bands as tabs, or may prepare separate screens that are displayed when a link corresponding to a frequency band is selected. Alternatively, a free entry field in which the user can freely enter information may be provided on the setting screen, and the screen of Fig. 8 may be displayed when the user enters "6GHz" in the free entry field.

[0084] 9 to 12 show an example of a graphical user interface that the communication device 102 displays as a setting screen in the third display method. In the third display method, a different setting screen is displayed for each frequency band, and the authentication method and the encryption method are displayed as separate setting items. FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 show an example of a display of a setting screen for communication parameters in the 2.4 GHz band, where FIG. 9 shows an example of a display of an authentication method option, and FIG. 10 shows an example of a display of an encryption method option. Also, FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 show an example of a display of a setting screen for communication parameters in the 6 GHz band, where FIG. 11 shows an example of a display of an authentication method option, and FIG. 12 shows an example of a display of an encryption method option. FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 are displayed when "Basic (2.4 GHz)" is selected by the user from the tab menu in the figure. Also, FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 are displayed when "Basic (6 GHz)" is selected by the user from the tab menu in the figure. Note that the communication device 102 determines "Yes" in S402 of FIG. 4 in response to the selection of "Basic (6 GHz)" and the setting of using the wireless function. Also, in S407 of Fig. 4, the communication device 102 switches the display from the setting screen shown in Fig. 9 and Fig. 10 to the setting screen shown in Fig. 11 and Fig. 12. Note that when "Basic (5 GHz)" is selected, the communication device 102 may display the setting screen shown in Fig. 9 and Fig. 10 in the same way as when "Basic (2.4 GHz)" is selected.

[0085] As shown in Figures 9 to 12, the setting screen displays items that can be set as communication parameters, such as whether or not to use the wireless function of the communication device 102, the wireless channel, the double speed mode band, the SSID, wireless authentication, wireless encryption, and the encryption key.

[0086] The use or non-use of the wireless function is the same as in FIG. 7 and FIG.

[0087] The wireless channel is a setting item for setting the frequency channel to be used in communication in the selected frequency band. When "Automatic" is selected in this setting item, the communication device 102 selects a relatively less congested frequency channel as the frequency channel to be used based on the number of received probe requests. The user can also specify a specific frequency channel. This setting item displays frequency channels according to the selected frequency band as selectable options.

[0088] The double speed mode is an item for setting the bandwidth to be used in communication of the selected frequency band. The user can select one of 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 160 MHz, and 320 MHz as the bandwidth to be used. Note that instead of 20 MHz, the options may include an option indicating that the double speed mode is not used.

[0089] The SSID is a setting item similar to the network name shown in FIGS.

[0090] The wireless authentication is an item for setting an authentication method of the network that the communication device 102 establishes. The wireless encryption is an item for setting an encryption method of the network that the communication device 102 establishes. In the first and second display methods, the authentication method and the encryption method are set together as one setting item, but in the third display method, they are set as different setting items. As shown in FIG. 9, when setting communication parameters for the 2.4 GHz band, the communication device 102 displays all supported authentication methods as options. Specifically, the communication device 102 displays Open, OWE, WPA2-PSK, WPA / WPA2-PSK, WPA2-EAP, WPA2-PSK / WPA3-SAE, WPA3-SAE, WPA3-EAP, and WPA2 / WPA3-EAP as options for the authentication method. Furthermore, when setting communication parameters for the 2.4 GHz band, the communication device 102 displays all supported encryption methods as options as shown in FIG. 10. Specifically, the options for encryption methods are displayed as TKIP, AES, and TKIP / AES. Note that TKIP / AES may also be expressed as MIX.

[0091] On the other hand, when setting communication parameters for the 6 GHz band, the communication device 102 displays only authentication methods supported in 6 GHz band communication, as shown in Fig. 11. Specifically, OWE, WPA3-SAE, and WPA3-EAP are displayed as authentication method options. Similarly, when setting communication parameters for the 6 GHz band, the communication device 102 displays only encryption methods supported in 6 GHz band communication, as shown in Fig. 12. Specifically, AES is displayed as an encryption method option. In this embodiment, since the communication device 102 supports only AES as an encryption method for the 6 GHz band, AES may be fixed as the setting item for the encryption method for the 6 GHz band.

[0092] The encryption key is the same as in FIGS.

[0093] Even when the authentication method and encryption method are set separately as in Figures 9 to 12, the communication device 102 switches the display of each method according to the selected frequency band, allowing the user to easily select the appropriate authentication method and encryption method.

[0094] 13 and 14 show an example of a graphical user interface that the communication device 102 displays as a setting screen in the fourth display method. In the fourth display method, the setting of the frequency band to be used and the authentication method and encryption method to be used are set by different setting screens. FIG. 13 shows an example of a display of a setting screen for setting the frequency band to be used. FIG. 14 shows an example of a display of a setting screen for setting the authentication method and encryption method to be used. FIG. 13 is displayed when the user selects "WIRELESS" from the menu at the top of the figure. FIG. 14 is displayed when the user selects "SECURITY" from the menu at the top of the figure. In the display screen where "WIRELESS" is selected, "802.11ax (6GHz)" is further selected from the menu at the left side of the figure, and the wireless function is selected as "Used." In addition, the communication device 102 switches the setting screen displayed when "SECURITY" is selected by the user in S407 of FIG. 4 to a setting screen as shown in FIG. 14.

[0095] FIG. 13 shows an example of a setting screen that is displayed when "WIRELESS" is selected from the menu at the top. On the left side of the setting screen, a menu for transitioning to a setting screen corresponding to each frequency band is displayed. Each frequency band is displayed as "802.11a / n / ac (5GHz)", "802.11b / g / n (2.4GHz)", and "802.11ax (6GHz)". It may be displayed simply as 5GHz, 2.4GHz, and 6GHz. When any of these menus is selected, a setting screen for setting whether or not to use the wireless function, the network name, and whether or not to use the auto channel as communication parameters, as shown in FIG. 13, is displayed. In this case, for example, when the 2.4GHz band is selected from the menu on the left and the setting screen is displayed, it is possible to set whether or not to use the wireless function of the 2.4GHz band.

[0096] The use or non-use of wireless function is an item for setting whether or not to use the wireless function in the selected frequency band. For example, when the 2.4 GHz band is selected in the left menu and the wireless function is set to be used in the displayed setting screen, the 2.4 GHz band is selected as the frequency band to be used by the communication device 102. The communication device 102 determines Yes in S402 in response to the setting that the wireless function is set to be used in the displayed setting screen in which the 6 GHz band is selected in the left menu. Note that the communication device 102 may automatically set the wireless function of other frequency bands not to be used in response to the setting that the wireless function is set to be used for a certain frequency band by the user.

[0097] The network name and whether or not auto channel is used are the same as in Figures 5 and 6.

[0098] An example of a setting screen that is displayed when "SECURITY" is selected from the menu at the top is shown in Fig. 14. As shown in Fig. 14, the setting screen displays the encryption, encryption strength, and encryption key of the communication device 102 as items that can be set as communication parameters.

[0099] Encryption is an item for collectively setting the authentication method and encryption method used by the communication device 102 for communication, similarly to Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. In this embodiment, since the 6 GHz band is set as the frequency band to be used in the setting screen shown in Fig. 13, only combinations of authentication method and encryption method supported in the 6 GHz band are displayed in the setting screen shown in Fig. 14. When the 2.4 GHz band or the 5 GHz band is set as the frequency band to be used, all combinations of supported authentication method and encryption method are displayed as options in the encryption setting item, similarly to Fig. 5. In S407 in Fig. 4, the setting screen shown in Fig. 14 is displayed.

[0100] As shown in Figures 13 and 14, even when the frequency band and the authentication method are set on different setting screens, the user can easily set an appropriate authentication method by switching the display of the setting screen for setting the authentication method according to the set frequency band. Similarly, the user can easily set an appropriate encryption method by switching the display of the encryption method according to the set frequency band.

[0101] In the fourth display method, a common setting screen is used to set the combination of authentication and encryption methods for all frequency bands, but this is not limiting. The communication device 102 may set each authentication and encryption method using a different setting screen for each frequency band. Specifically, the communication device 102 may display a setting screen for the authentication and encryption method for the 2.4 GHz band, a setting screen for the authentication and encryption method for the 5 GHz band, and a setting screen for the authentication and encryption method for the 6 GHz band separately.

[0102] In the fourth display method, the frequency band and the authentication method are set on different setting screens, but the present invention is not limited to this. Setting items for setting the authentication method and the encryption method may be displayed on the setting screen following each item displayed on the frequency band setting screen. In this case, each item shown in FIG. 14 may be displayed in the form of a foldable menu that is expanded and displayed when a link is selected. For example, a link called "Advanced Settings" may be displayed following the setting items shown in FIG. 13. In response to the user selecting the "Advanced Settings" link, each item shown in FIG. 14 is expanded and displayed.

[0103] Alternatively, a link to the setting screen in Fig. 14 may be provided below the setting items shown in Fig. 13. By providing links to setting screens for the authentication method and encryption method on the frequency band setting screen, the user can easily transition to the setting screen for the authentication method and encryption method after setting the frequency band.

[0104] 15 and 16 show an example of a graphical user interface that the communication device 102 displays as a setting screen in the fifth display mode. In the fifth display mode, the authentication method and the encryption method are set by a setting screen different from the setting screen for the frequency band. Also, the authentication method and the encryption method are set by different setting items. FIG. 15 shows an example of a display of a setting screen for setting the frequency band to be used. Also, FIG. 16 shows an example of a display of a setting screen for setting the authentication method and the encryption method when the 2.4 GHz band or the 5 GHz band is selected as the frequency band to be used. FIG. 17 shows an example of a display of a setting screen for setting the authentication method and the encryption method when the 6 GHz band is selected as the frequency band to be used. When the user instructs the communication device 102 to display a setting screen for setting the frequency band or the frequency channel, the communication device 102 displays the setting screen shown in FIG. 15. Also, when the user instructs the communication device 102 to display a setting screen for setting at least one of the authentication method and the encryption method, the communication device 102 displays the setting screen shown in FIG. 16 or FIG. 17. If the 2.4 GHz band or the 5 GHz band is set as the frequency band to be used, the communication device 102 displays the setting screen of Fig. 16, and if the 6 GHz band is set as the frequency band to be used, the communication device 102 displays the setting screen of Fig. 17. In addition, the communication device 102 determines Yes in S402 of Fig. 4 in response to the selection of the 6 GHz band as the frequency band to be used on the setting screen shown in Fig. 15. In addition, in S407 of Fig. 4, the communication device 102 switches the setting screen for the setting method and encryption method from the setting screen shown in Fig. 16 to the setting screen displayed in Fig. 17.

[0105] An example of a setting screen that is displayed when a user instructs to display a setting screen for setting a frequency band or a frequency channel is shown in Fig. 15. As shown in Fig. 15, the setting screen displays the band and frequency used by the communication device 102 as items that can be set as communication parameters.

[0106] The band is a setting item for setting the frequency band used by the communication device 102. Specifically, as options for this setting item, 2.4 GHz band only, 5 GHz band only, 6 GHz band only, 2.4 GHz band priority, 5 GHz band priority, and 6 GHz band priority are displayed. In addition to this, Dual-band (2.4 GHz band, 5 GHz band), Dual-band (5 GHz band, 6 GHz band), and Dual-band (2.4 GHz band, 6 GHz band) are displayed as options. Furthermore, Triple-band (2.4 GHz band, 5 GHz band, 6 GHz band) is displayed as an option. In addition to these, 2.4 GHz band priority (excluding 5 GHz band), 2.4 GHz band priority (excluding 6 GHz band), 5 GHz band priority (excluding 2.4 GHz band), and 5 GHz band priority (excluding 6 GHz band) are displayed as options. In addition to this, 6 GHz band priority (excluding 2.4 GHz band) and 6 GHz band priority (excluding 5 GHz band) are displayed as options.

[0107] The options of 2.4 GHz band only, 5 GHz band only, and 6 GHz band only indicate the use of only the designated frequency band, and when these options are selected, other frequency bands are not used. The options of 2.4 GHz band preferred, 5 GHz band preferred, and 6 GHz band preferred are options that give priority to the use of the designated frequency band, but allow other frequency bands to be used when the designated frequency band is not suitable for use due to congestion or the like. Note that when 2.4 GHz band preferred and 5 GHz band preferred are selected, if the authentication method and encryption method that are set are not supported in 6 GHz band communication, the 6 GHz band is not used. Alternatively, when 2.4 GHz band preferred and 5 GHz band preferred are selected, the communication device 102 may display only authentication methods and encryption methods that are supported in the 6 GHz band as options. In this case, the communication device 102 may use the 6 GHz band even when 2.4 GHz band preferred and 5 GHz band preferred are selected. Dual-band and Triple-band are options that allow a network to be established in each of the designated frequency bands and to be maintained in parallel. For example, when dual-band (2.4 GHz band, 5 GHz band) is selected, the communication device 102 establishes a network in each of the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band. In this case, the communication device 102 simultaneously maintains two networks in different frequency bands. When triple-band is selected, the communication device 102 simultaneously maintains three networks in different frequency bands. An option that prioritizes a specific frequency band and excludes another frequency band, such as 2.4 GHz band priority (excluding 5 GHz band), is an option that prioritizes the use of a specific frequency band but does not use a frequency band designated as excluded. In this case, the communication device 102 does not use a frequency band designated as excluded, regardless of the authentication method and encryption method that are set.

[0108] In this item, if an option including the 6 GHz band as a frequency band to be used is selected, the result of S403 in Fig. 4 is determined as Yes. Note that, in the case where Dual-band including the 6 GHz band is selected in this item, the communication device 102 can maintain communication in at least one of the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band in parallel with communication in the 6 GHz band, and therefore the processing of S404 to S406 may be skipped. In the case where Triple-band is selected in this item, the communication device 102 may also skip the processing of S404 to S406.

[0109] The frequency to be used is a setting item for setting the frequency channel or type to be used in the specified frequency band. Type is a general term for multiple frequency channels, and in the 5 GHz band, three types can be selected: W52 (36ch-48ch), W53 (52ch-62ch), and W56 (100ch-140ch). In this setting item, the user can select one or more frequency channels or types. In addition, in the selection of the frequency band to be used, multiple frequency bands can be used. If selected, the frequency channel or type to be used can be specified for each frequency band.

[0110] When the user presses the OK button on the setting screen shown in FIG. 15 to instruct completion of the setting, the frequency band and frequency channel that the communication device 102 uses for communication are set.

[0111] Next, a setting screen that is displayed when a user instructs to display a setting screen for setting at least one of an authentication method and an encryption method will be described with reference to FIGS. 16 and 17. FIG.

[0112] In FIG. 15, when an option that does not include the 6 GHz band is selected as the frequency band to be used, a setting screen as shown in FIG. 16 is displayed as a setting screen for selecting at least one of an authentication method or an encryption method. In the setting screen of FIG. 16, setting items for setting the authentication method and the encryption method are displayed separately. In the case of FIG. 16, the communication device 102 displays all authentication methods supported by the communication device 102 as selectable authentication method options. Specifically, the same options as those in FIG. 9 are displayed. Furthermore, the communication device 102 displays all encryption methods supported by the communication device 102 as selectable encryption method options. Specifically, the same options as those in FIG. 10 are displayed.

[0113] On the other hand, in FIG. 15, when an option including the 6 GHz band is selected as the frequency band to be used, a setting screen as shown in FIG. 17 is displayed as a setting screen for selecting at least one of the authentication method or the encryption method. In the setting screen of FIG. 17, setting items for setting the authentication method and the encryption method are displayed separately. In the case of FIG. 17, the communication device 102 displays the authentication methods supported by the communication device 102 in the communication of the 6 GHz band as options for the authentication method in a selectable manner. Specifically, the same options as those in FIG. 11 are displayed as selectable, and the other options are displayed by being grayed out so as not to be selectable. In addition, the communication device 102 displays the encryption methods supported by the communication device 102 in the communication of the 6 GHz band as options for the encryption method in a selectable manner. Specifically, the same options as those in FIG. 10 are displayed as selectable, and the other options are displayed by being grayed out so as not to be selectable. Note that in FIG. 17, the communication device 102 may not display the options that cannot be selected, and may display only the options that can be selected.

[0114] As shown in Figures 15 to 17, the authentication and encryption methods displayed as selectable are switched depending on whether the options selected as the frequency band to be used include the 6 GHz band, allowing the user to easily select the appropriate authentication and encryption method.

[0115] 18 and 19 show an example of a graphical user interface that the communication device 102 displays as a setting screen in the sixth display mode. When the sixth display mode is used, the display of the authentication method and encryption method is switched depending on the selected frequency band. In the sixth display mode, communication parameters can be set for each frequency band. FIG. 18 shows an example of a display of a setting screen for setting communication parameters for communication in the 6 GHz band, which is displayed when "Basic (6 GHz)" is selected from the tab menu at the top.

[0116] Fig. 19 shows an example of a pop-up menu displayed when setting the authentication method in Fig. 18. When "Basic (6GHz)" is selected from the tab menu at the top and the wireless function is set to be used, the communication device 102 determines "Yes" in S402 in Fig. 4.

[0117] An example of a setting screen display for setting communication parameters for communication in the 6 GHz band is shown in Fig. 18. As shown in Fig. 18, the setting screen displays, as items that can be set as communication parameters, whether or not to use the wireless function of the communication device 102, the wireless channel, the double-speed mode band, the SSID, wireless authentication, wireless encryption, and the encryption key.

[0118] A link "Edit" is provided for each setting item, and when the user selects the link, the corresponding item becomes editable. Specifically, the corresponding item becomes available for input, and options for the corresponding item are displayed. In this embodiment, the input field and options are displayed as a pop-up menu, but this is not limited thereto. Input may be made directly to each item displayed in FIG. 18, or a pull-down menu may be displayed. Note that instead of a link, the corresponding item may become editable in response to reception of a voice input from the user instructing editing of the corresponding item.

[0119] The use or non-use of the wireless function is the same as in FIG. 7 and FIG.

[0120] The wireless channel and double speed mode are the same as those in FIGS.

[0121] The SSID is the same as the network name shown in Figures 5 and 6.

[0122] Wireless authentication is a setting item for setting an authentication method to be used by the communication device 102. When the 6 GHz band is selected as the frequency band to be used, authentication methods supported by the communication device 102 in 6 GHz band communication are displayed as options, as shown in Fig. 19. Specifically, options similar to those in Fig. 11 are displayed. Note that when the 2.4 GHz band or the 5 GHz band is selected as the frequency band to be used, all authentication methods supported by the communication device 102 are displayed as options; specifically, options similar to those in Fig. 9 are displayed.

[0123] The wireless encryption is a setting item for selecting an encryption method to be used by the communication device 102. When the 6 GHz band is selected as the frequency band to be used, the encryption methods supported by the communication device 102 in the 6 GHz band communication are displayed as options. Specifically, the same options as those in FIG. 12 are displayed. In this embodiment, since the encryption method supported by the communication device 102 in the 6 GHz band communication is only AES, in this case, AES may be set as a fixed value in this item. On the other hand, when the 2.4 GHz band or the 5 GHz band is selected as the frequency band to be used, all encryption methods supported by the communication device 102 are displayed as options; specifically, the same options as those in FIG. 10 are displayed.

[0124] The encryption key is the same as in FIGS.

[0125] In S407 of Fig. 4, the communication device 102 switches the options of the pop-up menu displayed when the user instructs editing of the authentication method and the encryption method to, for example, those shown in Fig. 19. This allows the user to select an appropriate authentication method and encryption method depending on the frequency band to be used.

[0126] As described above, as shown in the first to sixth display methods, by switching between options displayed as authentication methods or selectable options depending on the frequency band used, the user can easily set an appropriate authentication method. In addition to or instead of this, by switching between options displayed as encryption methods or selectable options depending on the frequency band used, the user can easily set an appropriate encryption method.

[0127] In addition, in the setting screens shown as the first to sixth display methods, items for setting other communication parameters may be added to the setting screen. Alternatively, any of the setting items may not be displayed. Furthermore, at least one setting item included in the setting screen of any of the first to sixth display methods may be included in the setting screen of the other display method.

[0128] In this embodiment, the communication device 102 switches the display of at least one of the authentication method and the encryption method to only supported methods according to the frequency band selected for use, but this is not limited to this. The communication device 102 may control to restrict a combination of a specific frequency band and a specific authentication method or a specific encryption method. Specifically, it may restrict an authentication method or encryption method that is not supported in the frequency band selected for use from being selected and set as a communication parameter. For example, the communication device 102 may display all options for at least one of the authentication method and the encryption method regardless of which frequency band is selected. In this case, the communication device 102 notifies the user of an error when an authentication method or encryption method that is not supported in the frequency band selected for use is selected. Alternatively, the communication device 102 may notify the user of an error when an instruction to complete the setting is given in a state in which an authentication method or encryption method that is not supported in the frequency band selected for use is selected. Specifically, the notification of the error to the user is to display a screen indicating an error on the display unit (notification unit) of the communication device 102. Alternatively, the communication device 102 may notify the user by reproducing an error sound indicating an error and outputting it from a speaker (notification unit). In this case, the communication device 102 may notify the user that there is no problem with the settings when at least one of the authentication method or encryption method supported in the frequency band selected for use is selected. Specifically, the communication device 102 displays a screen indicating that there is no problem with the settings on a display unit (notification unit). Alternatively, the communication device 102 may notify the user by reproducing a sound indicating that there is no problem with the settings and outputting it from an output unit (notification unit). Alternatively, the communication device 102 may notify the user of the completion of the settings when at least one of the authentication method or encryption method supported in the frequency band selected for use is selected and completion of the settings is instructed. Specifically, the communication device 102 displays a screen indicating the completion of the settings on a display unit (notification unit). Alternatively, the communication device 102 may notify the user by reproducing a sound indicating the completion of the settings and outputting it from an output unit (notification unit).

[0129] Alternatively, the communication device 102 may switch the frequency band displayed as selectable according to at least one of the authentication method or encryption method selected when it is used. Specifically, when WPA3 or OWE open is selected as the authentication method, the communication device 102 displays the 6 GHz band as a selectable frequency band. In this case, the communication device 102 may also display the 5 GHz band and the 2.4 GHz band as selectable frequency bands. On the other hand, when WPA, WPA2, or open other than the OWE method is selected as the authentication method, the communication device 102 displays the 5 GHz band and the 2.4 GHz band as selectable frequency bands. In this case, the communication device 102 does not display the 6 GHz band, or displays it but grays it out so that it cannot be selected. Similarly, when AES is selected as the encryption method, the communication device 102 displays the 6 GHz band as a selectable frequency band. In this case, the communication device 102 may also display the 5 GHz band and the 2.4 GHz band as selectable frequency bands. On the other hand, when TKIP is selected as the encryption method, the 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz frequency bands are displayed as selectable bands, and the 6 GHz band is not displayed, or is displayed but grayed out so that it cannot be selected.

[0130] In the present embodiment, at least a part of the authentication methods available for communication using the 2.4 GHz band or the 5 GHz band as a frequency band is different from that available for communication using the 6 GHz band, but this is not limited thereto. For example, at least one of the authentication method or encryption method supported for each of the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band, and the 6 GHz band may be different. In this case, the communication device 102 may display only one of the authentication method and encryption method supported by each of the communication devices 102 and 103 on the communication parameter setting screen according to which frequency band is selected. Also, when the communication devices 102 and 103 are capable of communication in another frequency band in addition to or instead of the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band, and the 6 GHz band, a similar screen display may be performed. Specifically, when another frequency band with a different authentication method supported from the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band, and the 6 GHz band is selected, only the authentication method supported in communication in the other frequency band may be displayed on the setting screen. Similarly, when the encryption methods supported are different for the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band, and the 6 GHz band, only the encryption methods supported for communication in the different frequency bands may be displayed on the settings screen.

[0131] In the present embodiment, the communication device 102 supports all authentication methods, Open, WPA, WPA2, and WPA3, in the 2.4 GHz band and 5 GHz band communication, but this is not limited thereto. The communication device 102 may not support at least one of these authentication methods in the 2.4 GHz band and 5 GHz band communication. In this case, the unsupported authentication method may not be displayed as a selectable option on the setting screen when the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band are selected among the setting screens shown in the first to sixth display methods. For example, if the communication device 102 does not support WPA3 as an authentication method in the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band communication, the options including WPA3 may not be displayed or may not be displayed as selectable options on the setting screens shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 7.

[0132] In the present embodiment, the communication device 102 supports TKIP and AES as encryption methods in 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz band communications, but this is not limited thereto. The communication device 102 does not need to support AES in 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz band communications. In this case, unsupported encryption methods may not be displayed as selectable options on the setting screen when the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands are selected from among the setting screens shown in the first to sixth display formats.

[0133] In the present embodiment, the communication device 102 performs communication in accordance with the IEEE802.11ax standard in the 2.4 GHz band, 5 GHz band, and 6 GHz band, but is not limited thereto. The communication device 102 may perform communication in accordance with different IEEE802.11 series standards depending on the frequency band. For example, the communication device 102 may perform communication in accordance with the IEEE802.11ax standard as the 6 GHz band communication, and communication in accordance with the IEEE802.11b standard as the 2.4 GHz band communication. Note that instead of communication in accordance with the IEEE802.11b standard, communication in accordance with the IEEE802.11g standard or the IEEE802.11n standard may be performed. In this case, the communication device 102 may perform communication in accordance with the IEEE802.11a standard, the IEEE802.11n standard, or the IEEE802.11ac standard as the 5 GHz band communication. Note that the communication device 102 may perform communication in accordance with the same communication standard in any two frequency bands.

[0134] In the present embodiment, the communication parameters of the communication device 102 are set via a setting screen, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be set via a system console. Specifically, the communication parameters may be set via a system console displayed on the display unit of the communication device 102 or on the display unit of another communication device connected via wired or wireless communication. The setting of the communication parameters of the communication device 102 is started when the user inputs a command to the system console to instruct the setting of wireless settings or communication parameters. The command is a character string including numbers and letters. First, the frequency band to be used is set to 6 GHz by inputting a command specifying the 6 GHz band as the frequency band to be used by the user. The command at this time is, for example, a character string such as "set band ax6". Next, when the user inputs a command specifying an authentication method that is not supported in 6 GHz band communication as the authentication method to be used, the system console returns a response indicating that the setting is not possible. For example, when the user inputs "set wpa_key_mgmt WPA-PSK", which is a command specifying WPA-PSK as the authentication method, the system console outputs "NG". On the other hand, when a command is input specifying an authentication method supported by the 6 GHz band as the authentication method, the system console returns "OK" as a response indicating that the method can be set. The same applies to the encryption method. When a user inputs a command specifying an encryption method not supported by the 6 GHz band, the system console outputs a response indicating that the method cannot be set. When a user inputs a command specifying an encryption method supported by the 6 GHz band, the system console outputs a response indicating that the method can be set. Note that the authentication method or encryption method may be specified by the user first, rather than the frequency band. When a command specifying the 6 GHz band as the frequency band to be used is input in a state in which an authentication method or encryption method not supported by the 6 GHz band is specified by the user, the system console outputs a response indicating that the method cannot be set.Furthermore, when a command is input to specify the 6 GHz band as the frequency band to be used in a state where an authentication method or encryption method supported in the 6 GHz band has been specified by the user, the system console outputs a response indicating that the setting is possible. Note that, instead of or in addition to outputting a response indicating that the setting is impossible, the system console may prevent the communication device 102 from starting to operate as an AP when a command to start operating as an AP is input from the user. The command to start operating as an AP is, for example, "AP enable." Note that, when the communication device 102 does not operate as an AP, the user may be notified of the reason.

[0135] At least a part or all of the flowchart of the communication device 102 shown in Fig. 4 may be realized by hardware. When realizing by hardware, for example, a specific compiler may be used to generate a dedicated circuit on an FPGA from a computer program for realizing each step, and this may be used. FPGA is an abbreviation for Field Programmable Gate Array. Also, a gate array circuit may be formed in the same manner as an FPGA, and realized as hardware. Also, it may be realized by an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit).

[0136] 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. [Explanation of symbols]

[0137] 101 Network 102, 103 Communication equipment

Claims

1. 1. A communication device, comprising: a first selection means for selecting a frequency band to be used when performing wireless communication conforming to the IEEE 802.11 series standard; a second selection means for selecting an authentication method to be used when wireless communication conforming to the IEEE 802.11 series standard is performed; a control unit that controls a notification unit that notifies a user so as to limit a combination of a selection of a predetermined frequency band by the first selection unit and a selection of a predetermined authentication method by the second selection unit; A communication device comprising:

2. when the predetermined frequency band is selected by the first selection means, the control means controls the display unit serving as the notification unit not to display the predetermined authentication method as selectable, but to display another authentication method different from the predetermined authentication method as selectable; 2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein when a frequency band different from the predetermined frequency band is selected by the first selection means, the communication device controls the display unit to display the predetermined authentication method in a selectable manner.

3. 3. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein the control means controls the display unit to display the other authentication method as selectable even when the first selection means selects a frequency band different from the predetermined frequency band.

4. 4. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein the control means controls the display unit to display the predetermined authentication method in a grayed-out manner when the predetermined frequency band is selected by the first selection means.

5. 4. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein the control means controls the display unit not to display the predetermined authentication method when the predetermined frequency band is selected by the first selection means.

6. when the predetermined frequency band is selected by the first selection means, the control means controls the display unit not to display the predetermined encryption method as selectable, but to display another encryption method different from the predetermined encryption method as selectable, The communication device according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that, when a frequency band different from the predetermined frequency band is selected by the first selection means, the display unit is controlled to display the predetermined encryption method in a selectable manner.

7. The communication device according to claim 6, characterized in that the control means controls the display unit to display the other encryption method as selectable even when a frequency band different from the predetermined frequency band is selected by the first selection means.

8. 8. The communication device according to claim 6, wherein the other encryption method is AES (Advanced Encryption Standard).

9. 9. The communication device according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined encryption method is Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP).

10. 10. The communication device according to claim 6, wherein the control means controls the display unit to display the predetermined encryption method in a grayed-out manner when the predetermined frequency band is selected by the first selection means.

11. 10. The communication device according to claim 6, wherein the control means controls the display unit not to display the predetermined encryption method when the predetermined frequency band is selected by the selection means.

12. when the predetermined authentication method is selected by the second selection means, the control means controls the display unit serving as the notification unit not to display the predetermined frequency band as selectable, but to display a frequency band different from the predetermined frequency band as selectable, The communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that when an authentication method different from the predetermined authentication method is selected by the second selection means, the communication device controls the display unit to display the predetermined frequency band in a selectable manner.

13. The communication device according to claim 12, characterized in that the control means controls the display unit to display a frequency band different from the predetermined frequency band in a selectable manner even when the different authentication method is selected by the second selection means.

14. The communication device according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, when the predetermined authentication method is selected by the second selection means, the control means controls the display unit to display the predetermined frequency band in a grayed-out manner.

15. 14. The communication device according to claim 12, wherein the control means controls the display unit not to display the predetermined frequency band when the predetermined authentication method is selected by the second selection means.

16. a third selection means for selecting an encryption method to be used when wireless communication conforming to the IEEE 802.11 series standard is performed; when a predetermined encryption method is selected by the third selection means, the control means controls the display unit not to display a predetermined frequency band as selectable, but to display a frequency band different from the predetermined frequency band as selectable, The communication device according to any one of claims 12 to 15, characterized in that when the third selection means selects an encryption method different from the specified encryption method, the communication device controls the display unit to display the specified frequency band in a selectable manner.

17. The communication device according to claim 16, characterized in that the control means controls the display unit to display a frequency band different from the specified frequency band as selectable, even if the different encryption method is selected by the third selection means.

18. 18. The communication device according to claim 16, wherein the other encryption method is AES (Advanced Encryption Standard).

19. 19. The communication device according to claim 16, wherein the predetermined encryption method is Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP).

20. 20. The communication device according to claim 16, wherein the control means controls the display unit to gray out the specified frequency band when the specified encryption method is selected by the third selection means.

21. 20. The communication device according to claim 16, wherein the control means controls the display unit not to display the predetermined frequency band when the predetermined encryption method is selected by the third selection means.

22. The communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control means controls the notification unit to notify a user of an error when a predetermined frequency band is selected by the first selection means and a predetermined authentication method is selected by the second selection means.

23. The communication device according to claim 22, characterized in that the control means controls the notification unit to notify a user that there is no problem with the settings when the specified frequency band is selected by the first selection means and another authentication method different from the specified authentication method is selected by the second selection means, or when a frequency band different from the specified frequency band is selected by the first selection means and the specified authentication method or the other authentication method is selected by the second selection means.

24. a third selection means for selecting an encryption method to be used when wireless communication conforming to the IEEE 802.11 series standard is performed; The communication device according to claim 22 or 23, characterized in that the control means controls the notification unit to notify a user of an error when the specified frequency band is selected by the first selection means and a specified encryption method is selected by the third selection means.

25. The communication device according to claim 24, characterized in that the control means controls the notification unit to notify a user that there is no problem with the settings when the specified frequency band is selected by the first selection means and another encryption method different from the specified encryption method is selected by the third selection means, or when a frequency band different from the specified frequency band is selected by the first selection means and the specified encryption method or the other encryption method is selected by the third selection means.

26. 26. The communication device according to claim 25, wherein the other encryption method is AES (Advanced Encryption Standard).

27. 27. The communication device according to claim 24, wherein the predetermined encryption method is TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol).

28. 28. The communication device according to claim 22, wherein the control means controls the notification unit to notify a user of an error by outputting an error sound notifying the user of the error.

29. 28. The communication device according to claim 22, wherein the control means controls a display unit serving as the notification unit to notify a user of an error by displaying a screen notifying the user of the error.

30. The communication device according to any one of claims 2 to 29, characterized in that the other authentication method is at least one of WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) 3 and Open using an OWE (Opportunistic Wireless Encryption) method as a key sharing method.

31. 31. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein the frequency band different from the predetermined frequency band is a 2.4 GHz band or a 5 GHz band.

32. 32. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined authentication method is at least one of Open, WPA, and WPA2, which do not use the OWE method as a key sharing method.

33. 33. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined frequency band is a 6 GHz band.

34. 34. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit is a notification unit provided in the communication device.

35. 34. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit is a display unit provided in another communication device that communicates with the communication device in a wired or wireless manner.

36. A method for controlling a communication device, comprising: a first selection step of selecting a frequency band to be used when performing wireless communication conforming to the IEEE 802.11 series standard; a second selection step of selecting an authentication method to be used when performing wireless communication conforming to the IEEE 802.11 series standard; a control step of controlling a notification unit that notifies a user so as to limit a combination of a selection of a predetermined frequency band in the first selection step and a selection of a predetermined authentication method in the second selection step; A control method comprising the steps of:

37. 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 35.

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