Electronic device, control method, program, and storage medium

Abstract

To provide a technique for enabling a user to easily connect an electronic device to an AP with a better communication environment.SOLUTION: An electronic device includes communication control means for controlling to change AP of a connection destination based on reception of a connection destination change request for requesting change of a connection destination from an access point (AP) under connection, detection means for detecting a service set identifier (SSID) of a nearby AP based on a wireless signal received from the nearby AP, and display control means for controlling to display a selection screen for selecting a first option for a user to specify which one of a plurality of APs is connected and a second option for enabling the communication control means to switch which one of the plurality of APs is connected in the case where a predetermined condition including that a plurality of APs having the same SSID have been detected by the detection means is satisfied when AP of a connection destination is set. The display control means makes a predetermined display on the selection screen to prompt the user to select the second option.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7B

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device capable of being connected via a wireless LAN, a control method, a program, and a storage medium. [Background technology]

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

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

[0004] Patent document 2 also discloses a method for displaying only one option when there is multiple connection information with different communication parameters but the same information about the other device, without repeatedly displaying the information about the other device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2021-175068 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2013-161250 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Patent Document 1 describes a process for changing the connection destination of an STA when an AP determines that the STA supports IEEE802.11v, but does not mention detailed operations on the STA side. For example, some users may not know the specifications for automatic connection destination change using IEEE802.11v, or may know the specifications but do not want the connection destination to be changed automatically, but the operation in such cases is not described.

[0007] Patent document 2 describes a screen display method when there are multiple connection information items with different communication parameters but the same information about the other device, but does not mention screen display when the other device supports IEEE802.11v.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a technique that enables a user to easily connect an electronic device to an AP with a better communication environment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The electronic device according to the present invention comprises: A communication control means for controlling to change a connection destination AP based on a connection destination change request received from a currently connected access point (AP), A detection means for detecting a service set identifier (SSID) of a nearby AP based on a wireless signal received from the nearby AP; a display control means for controlling to display a selection screen for selecting, when a predetermined condition including that a plurality of APs having the same SSID are detected by the detection means when setting a connection destination AP, a first option for a user to specify which of the plurality of APs to connect to, and a second option for enabling the communication control means to switch which of the plurality of APs to connect to; Equipped with The display control means performs a predetermined display on the selection screen to prompt the user to select the second option. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique that enables a user to easily connect to an AP with a better communication environment. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a system configuration. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an MFP. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an operation display unit of the MFP. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a mobile terminal device. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an access point. [Figure 6] 11 is a sequence diagram illustrating a process in response to a connection destination change request from an AP. [Figure 7A] FIG. 11 is a flow diagram explaining screen display switching when a plurality of APs having the same ESSID are detected. [Figure 7B]FIG. 11 is a flow diagram explaining screen display switching when a plurality of APs having the same ESSID are detected. [Figure 8A] 13(a) to 13(f) are diagrams showing examples of screen displays when multiple APs with the same ESSID are detected. [Figure 8B] 13(g) to 13(l) are diagrams showing examples of screen displays when a plurality of APs with the same ESSID are detected. [Figure 8C] 13(m) to 13(o) are diagrams showing examples of screen displays when a plurality of APs with the same ESSID are detected. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although the embodiments describe a number of features, not all of these features are essential to the invention, and the features may be combined in any manner. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

[0013] (System Configuration) FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of a system according to this embodiment. In one example, this system is a wireless communication system in which a plurality of communication devices can wirelessly communicate with each other. In the example of FIG. 1, the communication devices include a mobile terminal device 104, an electronic device (MFP) 100, access points AP101 and AP102, a server 103, and a network 110. Note that AP101 and AP102 may be illustrated as AP1 and AP2. The mobile terminal device 104 is an example of an information processing device having a wireless communication function using a wireless LAN or the like. Note that, hereinafter, the wireless LAN may be referred to as a WLAN. The mobile terminal device 104 may be a personal information terminal such as a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a mobile phone (smartphone), a digital camera, a personal computer, or the like.

[0014] The MFP100 is an example of an electronic device according to the present embodiment, and is a multifunction printer having a printing function, and may further have a reading function (scanner), a FAX function, and a telephone function. The MFP100 of the present embodiment has a communication function capable of wirelessly communicating with a mobile terminal device 104. Although the present embodiment will be described as an example in which the MFP100 is used, the present embodiment is not limited to this. For example, a scanner device, a projector, a mobile terminal, a smartphone, a notebook PC, a tablet terminal, a PDA, a digital camera, a music playback device, a television, a smart speaker, and the like, each having a communication function, may be used instead of the MFP100. Note that MFP is an acronym for Multi Function Peripheral.

[0015] The AP101 is provided separately (externally) from the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP100, and operates as a base station device of the WLAN. A communication device having a communication function of the WLAN can communicate in infrastructure mode of the WLAN via the AP101. In the following, an access point may be referred to as an "AP." Also, infrastructure mode may be referred to as a "wireless infrastructure mode." The AP101 performs wireless communication on a network with a communication device that has been authorized to connect to the AP101 (has been authenticated), and relays wireless communication between the communication device and other communication devices. Also, the AP101 may be connected to a wired communication network, for example, and relay communication between a communication device connected to the wired communication network and another communication device wirelessly connected to the AP101.

[0016] AP 102 has the same functions as AP 101, and MFP 100 switches connection from AP 101 to AP 102 as necessary. Server 103 connects to MFP 100 via AP 101 and network 110, and provides services to MFP 100 by responding to requests from MFP 100. Here, network 110 may be the so-called Internet, or it may be a closed network within a company or a mobile phone network.

[0017] (External configuration of MFP) FIG. 2A shows an example of the external configuration of the MFP 100. The MFP 100 has, for example, a document table 201, a document cover 202, a print paper insertion port 203, a print paper discharge port 204, and an operation display unit 205. The document table 201 is a table on which a document to be read is placed. The document cover 202 is a cover for holding the document placed on the document table 201 and preventing light from a light source that irradiates the document during reading from leaking to the outside. The print paper insertion port 203 is an insertion port that allows various sizes of paper to be set. The print paper discharge port 204 is a discharge port that discharges paper that has been printed. The paper set in the print paper insertion port 203 is transported one sheet at a time to the printing unit, and after printing is performed in the printing unit, it is discharged from the print paper discharge port 204. The operation display unit 205 includes keys such as character input keys, cursor keys, a decision key, and a cancel key, as well as an LED and an LCD, and is configured to be able to accept operations by the user to activate various functions as an MFP and to operate various settings. The operation display unit 205 may also be configured to include a touch panel display. The MFP 100 has a wireless communication function using WLAN, and includes a wireless communication antenna 206 for the wireless communication, although it does not necessarily need to be visible from the outside. Like the mobile terminal device 104, the MFP 100 can also perform wireless communication using WLAN in frequency bands of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz.

[0018] (MFP configuration) 2B shows an example of the configuration of the MFP 100. The MFP 100 includes a main board 211 that performs main control of the device itself, and a wireless unit 226 that is one communication module that performs WLAN communication using at least one common antenna. The MFP 100 also includes, for example, a modem 229 for performing wired communication. The main board 211 includes, for example, a CPU 212 (central processing unit), a ROM 213, a RAM 214, a non-volatile memory 215, an image memory 216, a read control unit 217, a data conversion unit 218, a reading unit 219, and an encoding / decoding processing unit 221. The main board 211 also includes, for example, a printing unit 222, a paper feed unit 223, a print control unit 224, and an operation display unit 220. These functional units in the main board 211 are connected to each other via a system bus 230 managed by the CPU 212. Furthermore, the main board 211 and the wireless unit 226 are connected via, for example, a dedicated bus 225 , and the main board 211 and the modem 229 are connected via, for example, a bus 228 .

[0019] The CPU 212 is a system control unit including at least one processor, and controls the entire MFP 100. In one example, the processing of the MFP 100 described below is realized by the CPU 212 executing a program stored in the ROM 213. Dedicated hardware for each process may be prepared. The ROM 213 is an example of a computer-readable storage medium that stores a control program executed by the CPU 212, an embedded OS program, and the like. In this embodiment, the CPU 212 executes each control program stored in the ROM 213 under the management of an embedded OS also stored in the ROM 213, thereby performing software control such as scheduling and task switching.

[0020] The RAM 214 is composed of an SRAM or the like. The RAM 214 stores data such as program control variables, settings registered by a user, and management data of the MFP 100. The RAM 214 can also be used as a buffer for various types of work. The non-volatile memory 215 is composed of a memory such as a flash memory, and continues to store data even when the power of the MFP 100 is turned off. The image memory 216 is composed of a memory such as a DRAM. The image memory 216 accumulates image data received via the wireless unit 226, image data processed by the encoding / decoding processing unit 221, and the like. Note that the memory configuration of the MFP 100 is not limited to the above configuration. The data conversion unit 218 analyzes data of various formats, converts image data into print data, and the like.

[0021] The reading control unit 217 controls the reading unit 219 (for example, a CIS (contact image sensor)) to optically read the document placed on the document table 201. The reading control unit 217 converts the image obtained by optically reading the document into electrical image data (image signals) and outputs the same. At this time, the reading control unit 217 may output the image data after performing various image processes such as binarization and halftoning.

[0022] The operation display unit 220 is the operation display unit 205 described with reference to FIG. 2(a), and performs display on a display based on display control by the CPU 212, generation of a signal in response to reception of a user operation, and the like.

[0023] The encoding / decoding processor 221 performs encoding and decoding processes and enlargement / reduction processes for image data (JPEG, PNG, etc.) handled by the MFP 100.

[0024] The paper feed unit 223 holds paper for printing. The paper feed unit 223 can supply the set paper under the control of the print control unit 224. The paper feed unit 223 may include multiple paper feed units in order to hold multiple types of paper in one device, and under the control of the print control unit 224, it can control which paper feed unit to use to feed paper.

[0025] The print control unit 224 performs various image processing such as smoothing, print density correction, and color correction on the image data to be printed, and outputs the processed image data to the print unit 222. The print unit 222 is configured to be able to execute a print process of an inkjet recording method, for example, and ejects ink supplied from an ink tank from a print head to record an image on a recording medium such as paper. Note that the print unit 222 may be configured to execute other print processes such as an electrophotographic method. The print control unit 224 may also periodically read out information from the print unit 222 and update status information stored in the RAM 214, including the remaining amount of ink in the ink tank and the state of the print head.

[0026] The wireless unit 226 is a unit capable of providing a communication function of WLAN, and can provide the same function as that of a combination of the WLAN unit 429 of the mobile terminal device 104, for example. That is, the wireless unit 226 converts data into packets according to the WLAN standard and transmits the packets to other devices, and also restores packets from other external devices to the original data and outputs them to the CPU 212. The wireless unit 226 can communicate as a station conforming to the IEEE802.11 standard series. In particular, it can communicate as a station conforming to IEEE802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax. Hereinafter, the station may be referred to as an STA. It can also communicate as an STA compatible with Wi-Fi Agile Multiband (trademark).

[0027] The wireless unit 226 supports IEEE802.11ax, i.e., Wi-Fi6 (trademark), and the MFP100 can also operate as an STA supporting at least one of OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access) and TWT (Target Wake Time). Supporting TWT adjusts the timing of data communication from the master to the STA. The wireless unit 226 (MFP100) that is an STA transitions its communication function to a sleep state when it is not necessary to wait for signal reception. This can reduce power consumption. The wireless unit 226 also supports Wi-Fi 6E (trademark). That is, communication in the 6 GHz band (5.925 GHz to 7.125 GHz) is also possible. The band that is in the 5 GHz band and is subject to Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) does not exist in the 6 GHz band. Therefore, communication in the 6 GHz band does not experience communication interruptions due to DFS standby time, and more comfortable communication can be expected.

[0028] The mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 are capable of P2P (WLAN) communication based on the WFD, and the wireless unit 226 has a software access point (soft AP) function or a group owner function. That is, the wireless unit 226 can build a network for P2P communication and determine a channel to be used for P2P communication.

[0029] (MFP operation display section) FIG. 3 shows an example of a screen display on a display (touch panel display) included in the operation display unit 220 of the MFP 100. FIG. 3(a) shows an example of a home screen displayed when the MFP 100 is powered on and an operation such as printing or scanning is not being performed (idle state, standby state). In FIG. 3(a), display items (menu items) corresponding to copy, scan, and cloud are displayed. Cloud is a menu item related to a cloud function using Internet communication. When any of the menu items is selected by key operation or touch panel operation, the MFP 100 can start executing the corresponding setting or function. The MFP 100 can seamlessly display a screen different from that shown in FIG. 3(a) by accepting key operation or touch panel operation on the home screen of FIG. 3(a).

[0030] Fig. 3(b) is a display example of another part of the home screen, which is a screen transitioned to by an operation (such as a sliding operation to the left or right) to display another page of the home screen from the state of Fig. 3(a). In Fig. 3(b), display items (menu items) corresponding to communication settings, print, and photo are displayed. When any of these menu items is selected, the function corresponding to the selected menu item, that is, the print function, photo function, or communication settings, is executed.

[0031] FIG. 3(c) is a display example of a communication setting menu screen that is displayed when communication setting is selected on the screen of FIG. 3(b). On the communication setting menu screen, "wireless LAN", "wired LAN", "wireless direct", "Bluetooth", and "common" are displayed as menu items (options). "Wireless LAN", "wired LAN", and "wireless direct" are menu items for performing LAN settings, and from these items, settings such as wired connection settings, enabling / disabling of wireless infrastructure mode, and enabling / disabling of P2P modes such as WFD and soft AP mode can be performed. When the "wireless LAN" item is selected and wireless LAN is enabled by a user operation, wireless infrastructure mode is enabled. When the "wireless direct" item is selected and wireless direct is enabled by a user operation, P2P (WLAN) mode is enabled. In addition, on this screen, a common setting menu for each connection form is also displayed. Furthermore, the user can set the frequency band and frequency channel of wireless LAN from this screen.

[0032] (External configuration of mobile terminal device) FIG. 4(a) is a diagram showing an example of the external configuration of the mobile terminal device 104. In this embodiment, as an example, the mobile terminal device 104 is a smartphone of a general type. The mobile terminal device 104 includes, for example, a display unit 402, an operation unit 403, and a power key 404. The display unit 402 is, for example, a display including a display mechanism of an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) type. The display unit 402 may display information using, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) or the like. The mobile terminal device 104 may have a function of outputting information by voice in addition to or instead of the display unit 402. The operation unit 403 includes hard keys such as keys and buttons, a touch panel, and the like for detecting user operations. In this example, the display unit 402 displays information and the operation unit 403 accepts user operations using a common touch panel display, so that the display unit 402 and the operation unit 403 are realized by one device. In this case, for example, button icons and a software keyboard are displayed using the display function of the display unit 402, and the touch of the user on those points is detected by the operation reception function of the operation unit 403. Note that the display unit 402 and the operation unit 403 may be separated, and hardware for display and hardware for operation reception may be prepared separately. The power key 404 is a hardware key for receiving a user operation for turning the power of the mobile terminal device 104 on or off.

[0033] The mobile terminal device 104 includes a WLAN unit 401 that provides a communication function of a WLAN, although it is not necessarily visible from the outside. The WLAN unit 401 is configured to be able to execute data (packet) communication in a WLAN system that complies with, for example, the IEEE802.11 standard series (IEEE802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax, etc.). In addition, it is capable of communication as an AP compatible with Wi-Fi Agile Multiband (trademark). However, it is not limited to this, and the WLAN unit 401 may be capable of executing communication in a WLAN system that complies with other standards. In this example, it is assumed that the WLAN unit 401 is capable of communication in both the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band. It is also assumed that the WLAN unit 401 is capable of communication based on WFD, communication in a soft AP mode, communication in a wireless infrastructure mode, etc. Operations in these modes will be described later.

[0034] (Configuration of mobile terminal device) FIG. 4(b) shows an example of the configuration of the mobile terminal device 104. In one example, the mobile terminal device 104 has a main board 411 that performs main control of the device itself, and a WLAN unit 429 that performs WLAN communication. The main board 411 includes, for example, a CPU 412, a ROM 413, a RAM 414, an image memory 415, a data conversion unit 416, a telephone unit 417, a GPS 419, a camera unit 421, a non-volatile memory 422, a data storage unit 423, a speaker unit 424, and a power supply unit 425. Here, CPU is an acronym for Central Processing Unit, ROM is an acronym for Read Only Memory, RAM is an acronym for Random Access Memory, and GPS is an acronym for Global Positioning System. The mobile terminal device 104 also includes a display unit 420 and an operation unit 418. These functional units in the main board 411 are connected to each other via a system bus 628 managed by the CPU 412. Furthermore, the main board 411 and the WLAN unit 429 are connected via, for example, a dedicated bus 426 .

[0035] The CPU 412 is a system control unit including at least one processor, and controls the entire mobile terminal device 104. In one example, the processing of the mobile terminal device 104 described below is realized by the CPU 412 executing a program stored in the ROM 413. Dedicated hardware for each process may be prepared. The ROM 413 stores a control program executed by the CPU 412, an embedded operating system (OS) program, and the like. In this embodiment, the CPU 412 executes each control program stored in the ROM 413 under the management of an embedded OS also stored in the ROM 413, thereby performing software control such as scheduling and task switching.

[0036] The RAM 414 is configured by a static RAM (SRAM) or the like. The RAM 414 stores data such as program control variables, setting values ​​registered by the user, and management data of the mobile terminal device 104. The RAM 414 can also be used as a buffer for various types of work. The image memory 415 is configured by a memory such as a dynamic RAM (DRAM). The image memory 415 temporarily stores image data received via the WLAN unit 429 and image data read from the data storage unit 423 for processing by the CPU 412. The non-volatile memory 422 is configured by a memory such as a flash memory, and continues to store data even when the power supply of the mobile terminal device 104 is turned off. Note that the memory configuration of the mobile terminal device 104 is not limited to the above configuration. For example, the image memory 415 and the RAM 414 may be shared, or data may be backed up using the data storage unit 423. In the present embodiment, a DRAM is given as an example of the image memory 415, but other storage media such as a hard disk or a non-volatile memory may also be used.

[0037] The data conversion unit 416 performs data conversion such as analysis of data in various formats, color conversion, image conversion, etc. The telephone unit 417 controls the telephone line and realizes telephone communication by processing audio data input and output via the speaker unit 424. The GPS 419 receives radio waves transmitted from satellites and acquires location information such as the current latitude and longitude of the mobile terminal device 104.

[0038] The camera unit 421 has a function of electronically recording and encoding an image input through a lens. Image data obtained by imaging with the camera unit 421 is stored in the data storage unit 423. The speaker unit 424 performs control to realize a function of inputting or outputting voice for a telephone function and other functions such as alarm notification. The power supply unit 425 is, for example, a portable battery, and controls the power supply to the device. The power supply state includes, for example, a dead battery state in which the battery has no remaining charge, a power-off state in which the power key 404 is not pressed, a running state in which the device is normally running, and a power-saving state in which the device is running but is in power-saving mode.

[0039] The display unit 420 is the display unit 402 described with reference to Fig. 4(a), and performs various input operations and displays the operating status and status of the MFP 100 based on the control of the CPU 412. The operation unit 418 is the operation unit 403 described with reference to Fig. 4(a), and upon receiving a user operation, executes control such as generating an electrical signal corresponding to the operation and outputting the electrical signal to the CPU 412.

[0040] The mobile terminal device 104 performs wireless communication using the WLAN unit 429, and performs data communication with other devices such as the MFP 100. The WLAN unit 429 converts data into packets and transmits the packets to other devices. The WLAN unit 429 also restores packets from other external devices to their original data and outputs the data to the CPU 412. The WLAN unit 429 is a unit for realizing communication compliant with the WLAN standards. The WLAN unit 429 can operate in parallel in at least two communication modes including a wireless infrastructure mode and a P2P (WLAN) mode. The frequency bands used in these communication modes may be limited by the functions and performance of the hardware.

[0041] (Access point configuration) 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an AP 101 having a wireless LAN access point function. The AP 101 includes a main board 510 that controls the AP 101, a wireless LAN unit 516, a wired LAN unit 518, and an operation button 520.

[0042] A microprocessor-type CPU 511 arranged on a main board 510 operates according to a control program stored in a ROM-type program memory 513 connected via an internal bus 512 and the contents of a RAM-type data memory 514. The CPU 511 performs wireless LAN communication with other communication terminal devices by controlling a wireless LAN unit 516 via a wireless LAN communication control unit 515. The CPU 511 also performs wired LAN communication with other communication terminal devices by controlling a wired LAN unit 518 via a wired LAN communication control unit 517. The CPU 511 can accept operations from a user via an operation button 520 by controlling an operation unit control circuit 519. The CPU 511 includes at least one processor.

[0043] The AP 101 also includes an interference wave detection unit 521 and a channel change unit 522. The interference wave detection unit 521 performs processing to detect interference waves when wireless communication is being performed in a band where DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection) is performed. If an interference wave is detected when wireless communication is being performed in a band where DFS is performed, the channel change unit 522 performs processing to change the channel to be used when it is necessary to immediately change to an available channel, etc.

[0044] The AP 102 has a similar configuration to the AP 101.

[0045] (P2P communication method) Next, we will outline a P2P (WLAN) communication method in which devices communicate directly with each other wirelessly without going through an external access point in WLAN communication. P2P (WLAN) communication can be realized using a number of methods, and for example, a communication device can support a number of modes for P2P (WLAN) communication and selectively use one of the multiple modes to execute P2P communication (WLAN).

[0046] The following two P2P modes are envisioned:

[0047] Soft AP mode Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) mode A communication device capable of P2P communication may be configured to support at least one of these modes, but a communication device capable of P2P communication does not necessarily have to support all of these modes and may be configured to support only some of them.

[0048] A communication device (e.g., the mobile terminal device 104) having a communication function based on WFD calls up a (possibly dedicated) application for implementing the communication function by accepting a user operation via the operation unit of the communication device. The communication device then displays a UI (user interface) screen provided by the application to prompt the user to operate the device, and can execute WFD communication based on the accepted user operation.

[0049] ●Soft AP mode In the soft AP mode, a communication device (e.g., the mobile terminal device 104) operates as a client that requests various services. The other communication device (e.g., the MFP 100) operates as a soft AP that can execute the functions of a WLAN AP by software settings. Note that commands and parameters transmitted and received when establishing a wireless connection between a client and a soft AP are not described here because those specified in the Wi-Fi (registered trademark) standard are sufficient. In addition, the MFP 100 operating in the soft AP mode determines a frequency band and a frequency channel as a parent station. Therefore, the MFP 100 can select which frequency band to use from 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz, and which frequency channel to use within that frequency band.

[0050] ●WFD mode The MFP 100 may be configured to start up as a fixed parent station in the WFD mode (Autonomous Group Owner). In this case, GO Negotiation processing for determining the role is not required. In addition, in this case, the MFP 100 determines the frequency band and frequency channel as the parent station. Therefore, the MFP 100 can select which frequency band to use from 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz, and which frequency channel to use within that frequency band.

[0051] (Wireless infrastructure mode) In the wireless infrastructure mode, communication devices (e.g., the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100) that communicate with each other are connected to an external AP (e.g., the AP 101) that manages the network, and communication between the communication devices is performed via the AP. In other words, communication between the communication devices is performed via a network built by the external AP. When the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 each find the AP 101 and transmit a connection request to the AP 101 to connect, communication between these communication devices in the wireless infrastructure mode via the AP 101 is possible. Note that multiple communication devices may be connected to separate APs. In this case, data transfer is performed between the APs, and communication between the communication devices is possible. Commands and parameters transmitted and received during communication between the communication devices via an access point may be those specified in the Wi-Fi standard, and therefore description thereof will be omitted here. In this case, the AP 101 determines the frequency band and frequency channel. Therefore, the AP 101 can select which frequency band to use from 5 GHz, 2.4 GHz, and 6 GHz, and which frequency channel to use within that frequency band.

[0052] (Processing in response to a request from the AP to change the connection destination of the STA) The mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 support a function disclosed as Wi-Fi Agile Multiband (registered trademark). Wi-Fi Agile Multiband is a function that enables the selection of an optimal environment according to the changing conditions of a Wi-Fi network. Specifically, STAs such as the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 and APs such as the AP 101 exchange information about the network environment using the IEEE802.11 series of communication standards. By such information exchange, when the network is congested, the AP can guide (change the connection destination) the STA to another AP, frequency band, channel, or even to another cellular service in some cases.

[0053] 6 is a sequence diagram when MFP 100 switches the AP of the connection destination from AP 101 to AP 102 in response to a connection destination change request from AP 101. In this sequence, the processes executed by each device are realized by the CPU of each device reading various programs stored in a memory such as a ROM of each device into a RAM and executing the programs.

[0054] 6, it is assumed that MFP 100 has established a connection in wireless infrastructure mode with AP 101. In addition, when MFP 100 and AP 101 connect in wireless infrastructure mode, AP 101 acquires information on whether MFP 100 supports IEEE802.11v, and performs the following processing if the information that MFP 100 supports IEEE802.11v has been acquired.

[0055] In S601, the AP 101 transmits to the MFP 100 an inquiry (measurement request) for a measurement result of the communication quality between the MFP 100 and an AP in the vicinity of the MFP 100. The measurement request can be transmitted including, for example, a beacon frame request or a beacon report request. That is, this request can use a mechanism defined in the IEEE 802.11k standard. In one example, the measurement request may be a measurement instruction that instructs the MFP 100 to measure the received signal strength or signal-to-noise ratio of a predetermined wireless signal, such as a beacon signal, transmitted from an AP in the vicinity of the MFP 100. In other words, the wireless unit 226 of the MFP 100 functions as a receiver capable of receiving a measurement request.

[0056] In S602, MFP100 receives frames transmitted by surrounding APs in response to the request received in S601 and measures the received signal strength. This measures the received signal strength of each of a plurality of APs including AP101 and AP102. In one example, MFP100 may store the measurement results of frames transmitted by surrounding APs in a storage device such as RAM214 or non-volatile memory 215. For this reason, CPU212 of MFP100 functions as a measurement unit that controls wireless unit 226 to measure the communication quality with surrounding access points.

[0057] In S603, the MFP 100 transmits a list of the received signal strengths of the APs in the vicinity of the MFP 100 measured in S602 as a response to the request received in S601. Note that the received signal strength to be responded to may be information stored in the RAM 214 and non-volatile memory 215 of the MFP 100 in addition to or instead of the information measured in S602. This response is transmitted including, for example, a beacon report or measurement reports.

[0058] In S604, the AP 101 determines whether or not it is necessary to switch the connection destination of the MFP 100 based on the congestion status in the network that the AP 101 is aware of and the received signal strength of the frame received in S603 from the MFP 100. Factors that the AP 101 uses to determine that a connection switch is necessary include a large number of connected STAs, a large amount of communication, other APs are less congested, the presence or absence of radio interference, and AP function stoppage. When it determines that a switch of the connection destination of the MFP 100 is necessary and determines the SSID, channel, and frequency band of another AP to be specified as the switching destination of the MFP 100, the process proceeds to S605.

[0059] In S605, the AP 101 transmits a connection destination AP switching request (change request) to the MFP 100. The connection destination change request includes information on the SSID, channel, and frequency band of another AP designated as a switching destination to the MFP 100, which was determined in S604. Note that a plurality of SSIDs may be designated. The connection destination change request is transmitted, for example, as a BTM Request. That is, a BTM (BSS Transition Management) Request frame defined in the IEEE802.11v standard is transmitted. In the example of FIG. 6, it is assumed that the AP 102 is designated as the switching destination included in the connection destination change request. For this reason, the wireless unit 226 of the MFP 100 functions as a receiver capable of receiving the connection destination change request.

[0060] In S606, if the MFP 100 complies with the connection destination change request received in S605, the MFP 100 transmits a response indicating switch approval to the AP 101. If the MFP 100 does not comply with the connection destination change request, the MFP 100 may transmit a switch refusal response. The response is transmitted as a BTM Response. In the example of FIG. 6, the response indicating switch approval is transmitted.

[0061] In S607, the AP 101 and the MFP 100 disconnect the connection in the wireless infrastructure mode.

[0062] In S608, the MFP 100 transmits a connection request to the AP 102 so as to connect to the AP 102 specified in the connection destination change request received in S605.

[0063] As a result, in S609, a connection between the MFP 100 and the AP 102 in the wireless infrastructure mode is established.

[0064] With this mechanism, the MFP100, which is an STA, can change the connection destination from AP101 to AP102 based on a change request from the AP101 to which it was originally connected. There are cases where AP101 and AP102 are APs installed in different locations. That is, by the process of FIG. 6, the MFP100 can switch to another AP installed in a location different from the AP to which it was originally connected. There are also cases where the APs correspond to different frequency bands among multiple frequency bands (any two or three of 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz) provided by the same device. That is, by the process of FIG. 6, the MFP100 can switch to another frequency band provided by the same device as the AP to which it was originally connected.

[0065] Here, there are situations where there is no problem if the connected AP is changed based on a change request transmitted from the connected AP 101, and situations where a problem occurs if the connected AP is changed.

[0066] For example, when the MFP 100 is receiving print data, a problem may occur if the connected AP is changed based on a connection destination switching request. While the MFP 100 is receiving print data, a part of the print data of the image to be printed has already been received from the mobile terminal device 104, which is the counterpart device, and the remaining part of the print data has not been completely received. The MFP 100 does not store all of the print data to be printed on one sheet of paper. Therefore, when the MFP 100 receives a part of the print data, it prints only the received part (for example, it receives and prints one line), and when it receives the subsequent data, it prints only that part again, and repeats this process to perform printing. If the connection destination AP is changed based on a connection destination switching request while receiving this print data, a time lag occurs due to the connection destination switching process, which may lead to a decrease in print quality, such as uneven printing. In addition, after the connection destination is switched, communication with the mobile terminal device 104, which is the counterpart device, may not go well, and the subsequent data may not be received, resulting in failure to print.

[0067] Another example is a case where communication is temporarily interrupted due to switching of the connected AP, such as during firmware update processing, and communication is resumed after the connected AP is switched, which causes the firmware update processing to take a long time.

[0068] In this way, in a situation where a problem occurs due to a change in the destination AP based on a change request for the destination, one or more of the following suppression processes can be combined as a process for suppressing a change in the destination in response to a change request (suppression process). The following suppression processes are respectively a process for not changing the destination AP based on a change request for the destination, and a process for suppressing the change.

[0069] (Suppression process 1) Even if the change request is received in S605, the MFP 100 may operate not to change the connection destination AP based on the received connection destination connection request, and not to return (ignore) a response to the change request. Alternatively, the MFP 100 can transmit a refusal response indicating that the change request is rejected (the connection destination AP is not changed) to the currently connected AP. When the refusal response is transmitted, the priority of the connection destination change of other STAs connected to the AP to which the MFP 100 is connected is increased, and the priority of the connection destination change of the MFP 100 is decreased, so that as a result, the connection with the previously connected AP may be maintained. Also, when no response is returned (when ignoring), the currently connected AP waits for a response until a predetermined waiting time (response waiting time) has elapsed after transmitting the change request, that is, until the response waiting time times out. Therefore, the currently connected AP may maintain the connection with the MFP 100 at least until the response waiting time times out. Therefore, if the situation were such that the connection would be immediately cut off in response to any response from the MFP 100 to the change request, not responding would enable the connection to the currently connected AP to be maintained for a longer period of time than returning any response. Therefore, for example, based on the information on the reason for change included in the change request, different processing could be performed depending on the reason, such as responding with refusal if the reason is weak and ignoring if the reason is strong.

[0070] The reason for the change can be determined based on information on which of several reasons is included in the Request Mode included in the BTM Request. For example, if the Disassociation Imminent bit or the BSS Termination Included bit in the Request Mode is 1, it can be determined that the reason for the change is a strong reason for the change request. If not, it can be determined that the reason for the change is a weak reason.

[0071] (Suppression process 2) In response to the measurement request described in S601, the MFP 100 responds with information indicating that the radio wave reception status (signal reception status) of the non-connected AP other than the connected AP is worse than the actual measured status (worse signal quality). In this case, the MFP 100 may respond by actually performing a measurement in response to the measurement request, or may respond without actually performing a measurement. Specifically, in the response (beacon report, etc.) described in S603, the MFP 100 responds with a value obtained by subtracting the received signal strength from the signal quality measured as the signal received from the non-connected AP, and / or with a value obtained by increasing the noise strength (signal-to-noise ratio). Alternatively, the MFP 100 may respond with content that does not include at least one of the non-connected APs. In this case, the MFP 100 interprets that at least one of the APs that the MFP 100 did not include in the report was not detected by the measurement. In addition, the MFP 100 may respond with a low value of the received signal strength or with a value that significantly increases the noise based on information previously measured regarding the non-connected AP. Also, even if a measurement request is received, the device may respond with a value indicating either a high received signal strength or a low noise strength only for the connected AP without actually measuring (searching for an AP) and without including information on the non-connected AP. This makes it possible to report to the AP that the communication environment with the connected AP is good, and reduces the possibility of receiving a connection destination switch request. Responding to a measurement request without including information on the non-connected AP corresponds to the content that no other non-connected AP is found even if an AP search is performed. In other words, responding without including information on the non-connected AP may be included in indicating that at least a part of the signal quality from the non-connected AP is worse than when an AP search is actually performed.

[0072] As described above, by responding to a measurement request with information indicating that the radio wave conditions (poor signal quality) are worse than the conditions actually measured, as in suppression process 2, it is expected that a request to change the connection destination to another AP from the currently connected AP will be suppressed. Therefore, a change in the connection destination in response to a change request will be suppressed.

[0073] (Suppression process 3) In the suppression process 3, the MFP 100 once disconnects from the currently connected AP, notifies the MFP 100 of the information that the change request is not supported, and reconnects to the same AP. Specifically, the wireless connection to the currently connected AP is once disconnected, and in preparation for reconnecting wirelessly, data of an Association Request frame including information that the MFP 100 is not compatible with IEEE802.11v is created. Then, a connection process with the AP is performed using the data of the created Association Request frame. As a result, if an Association Request frame including information that the MFP 100 is not compatible with IEEE802.11v is created, the MFP 100 is connected to the AP as an electronic device that does not support (is not compatible with) the Agile Multiband function. As a result, the currently connected AP recognizes that the MFP 100 is not compatible with IEEE802.11v, and therefore does not transmit a change request to the MFP 100 to change the connection destination. In this way, a change in the wireless connection to the MFP 100 is not requested, and therefore the wireless connection between the MFP 100 and the currently connected AP is easily maintained. Furthermore, when the connected AP recognizes that the MFP 100 is not IEEE802.11v compatible, the transmission of a measurement request (the request described in S601) from the connected AP to the MFP 100 is also suppressed. Therefore, the measurement (AP search) in response to the measurement request in the MFP 100 and the response to the measurement request (processing of S603) can also be suppressed. This reduces the processing load and power consumption, and when the MFP 100 is executing another process, processing resources can be allocated to the other process.

[0074] Therefore, when the MFP 100 is receiving print data, as a process for suppressing a change of the connection destination in response to a request to change the connection destination, at least one of the above-mentioned suppression process 1 and suppression process 2 can be performed. Also, the MFP 100 can suppress a change of the connection destination in response to a request to change the connection destination by executing the above-mentioned suppression process 3 before starting to receive print data.

[0075] <Wireless connection setting process> As described above, when the MFP 100 supports communication conforming to the IEEE 802.11v standard, the MFP 100 can perform communication by switching the AP to be connected to from among multiple APs having the same ESSID in response to a connection destination change request transmitted from the AP 101. This allows the MFP 100 to connect to an AP with a better communication environment. In the following description, the function of switching the AP to be connected to from among multiple APs having the same ESSID and performing communication may be referred to as a Wi-Fi Agile Multiband function or AMB (Agile Multiband) function. In the AMB function, the service set identifier (SSID) corresponds to the extended service set identifier (ESSID), and the media access control (MAC) address corresponds to the basic service set identifier (BSSID). The ESSID is an identifier that may overlap between multiple APs, and the BSSID is an identifier that does not overlap between APs.

[0076] Here, some users may execute a wireless connection setting process to set the AP of the connection destination without knowing the specifications of automatic change of the connection destination in communication conforming to the IEEE 802.11v standard. In such a case, the connection destination cannot be automatically switched by the AMB function, and communication with an AP with a poor communication environment may continue even if an AP with a better communication environment exists.

[0077] In this embodiment, when a predetermined condition is satisfied in the wireless connection setting process, the MFP 100 displays a predetermined message to prompt the user to use the AMB function.

[0078] For example, the predetermined condition includes that there are multiple APs with the same ESSID in the vicinity of the MFP 100. In the wireless connection setting process, the MFP 100 receives a beacon signal (wireless signal) transmitted by an AP present in the vicinity of the MFP 100, and detects the SSID and MAC address of the AP. In this case, when multiple APs with the same SSID are detected, the multiple APs may be APs that can control the connection destination of the MFP 100 in response to a connection destination switching request, such as AP 101 and AP 102. In such a case, a predetermined display can be performed to cause the MFP 100 to use the AMB function. Furthermore, the predetermined condition may include that the ESSID of the AP designated as the connection destination by the user in the wireless connection setting process is an ESSID that overlaps with another AP.

[0079] In another example, the predetermined condition includes that the AP designated as the connection destination by the user in the wireless connection setting process is an AP that supports the AMB function. When a beacon signal transmitted by an AP located in the vicinity includes a Capability field indicating the capability of the AP that transmitted the beacon signal, the MFP 100 can determine whether the AP supports the AMB function based on the beacon signal. When the AP supports the AMB function, the AP can transmit a connection destination switching request to an electronic device connected to the AP. In this case, when the AP designated as the connection destination by the user is an AP that supports the AMB function, by connecting to the AP using the AMB function, it is possible to connect to an AP with a better communication environment in response to receiving a connection destination switching request after connection. Note that if the AP does not support the AMB function, no display may be performed. Alternatively, even if the AP supports the AMB function but operates with the AMB function disabled, no display may be performed to prompt the user to use the AMB function. On the other hand, if the AP supports the AMB function but operates with the AMB function disabled, the user may configure the AP and enable the AMB function. Therefore, if the AP supports the AMB function but is operating with the AMB function disabled, a display may be displayed to prompt the user to use the AMB function.

[0080] In another example, the predetermined condition includes that the MFP 100 supports the AMB function but the AMB function is disabled. For example, the MFP 100 may have the AMB function disabled as an initial setting, or the user may have disabled the AMB function without understanding the specifications of the AMB function. In such a case, the MFP 100 may prompt the user to use the AMB function by prompting the user to enable the AMB function as a predetermined display in the wireless connection setting process.

[0081] In another example, the predetermined condition includes that the MFP 100 supports the AMB function and that the AMB function is enabled. In this case, the MFP 100 can perform communication using the AMB function by prompting the MFP 100 to connect to an AP that supports the AMB function.

[0082] The above conditions can be combined in any way. For example, if there are multiple APs with the same ESSID around the MFP 100 and the MFP 100 supports the AMB function but the AMB function is disabled, a predetermined display may be displayed to prompt the user to enable the AMB function.

[0083] Moreover, the predetermined display prompting the user to use the AMB function includes at least one of the following displays, which will be described later with reference to FIG. 8A(a) to FIG. 8C(o).

[0084] (1) When connecting to multiple APs with the same SSID, on a screen that prompts the user to select either the first option, which the user specifies as the AP to connect to, or the second option, which is made switchable by the AMB function, a display that prompts the user to select the second option (2) Display prompting you to enable the AMB function (3) When selecting an AP to connect to, a display that allows the selection of multiple APs with the same ESSID By displaying any of the above messages, it is possible to encourage the user to use the AMB function.

[0085] In the following description, an example of wireless connection setting processing will be described with reference to Figures 3, 7A, 7B, and 8A to 8C. The flowcharts in Figures 7A and 7B and the screen display examples in Figures 3, 8A to 8C are processing flows for displaying a screen when multiple APs with the same SSID are found when MFP100 searches for nearby APs. The flowcharts shown in Figures 7A and 7B are started when the user turns on the power of MFP100 and CPU212 reads and executes a computer program stored in ROM213.

[0086] In S701, the MFP 100 displays a home screen on a display included in the operation display unit 220. The MFP 100 displays, for example, the screen shown in Fig. 3A as the home screen, and waits for an operation input from the user.

[0087] Then, in S702, if a menu for establishing a connection in wireless infrastructure mode by MFP100 is not selected from the communication setting menu screen shown in FIG. 3(c) on the display included in operation display unit 220 of MFP100, processing proceeds to S703.

[0088] In S703, while the MFP 100 and the AP are connected, it is confirmed whether or not an inquiry (measurement request) about the radio wave strength of an AP in the vicinity of the MFP 100 has been received. If a measurement request has been received, in S704, beacon signals (wireless signals) transmitted from the surrounding APs are detected, and for each beacon signal, the ESSID, BSSID, and radio wave strength information of the beacon signal contained therein are responded to the request source.

[0089] In S705, while the MFP 100 and the AP are connected, it is confirmed whether or not a connection destination change request (BTM Request) has been received. If a connection destination change request has been received, in S706, it is determined whether or not to accept the change, and if it is accepted (Yes in S706), an acknowledgement response is sent in S707. Then, in S708, the current communication is disconnected, and in S709, connection processing to the new AP is started. If it is determined that the change is not accepted (No in S706), the MFP 100 proceeds to the process of S710, where the MFP 100 transmits a rejection response, or does not respond (ignores).

[0090] In S701, the MFP 100 connects to the AP, and in the standby state displaying the home screen, it is checked in S711 whether other processing has been selected or data has been received. If other processing has been selected or data has been received, the process transitions to S712, where the respective processing is executed. Examples of other processing include changing the print settings of the MFP 100 based on input from the user, or executing print head maintenance to maintain the print quality of the MFP 100.

[0091] In S701, the MFP 100 connects to the AP 101, and in the standby state in which the home screen is displayed, if powering off the MFP 100 is selected, the process transitions to S713, where power-off processing is executed.

[0092] In S702, when a menu for the MFP 100 to establish a connection in wireless infrastructure mode is selected from the menu screen of communication settings in FIG. 3(c) on the display included in the operation display unit 220 of the MFP 100, the process transitions to S714. In this embodiment, the menu screen for starting the connection establishment in wireless infrastructure mode is a display screen 801 shown in FIG. 8A(a). Areas 802 and 803 are displayed on the display screen 801, and when the user selects area 802, the MFP 100 starts searching for nearby APs. In the search for APs, the SSID and MAC address included in the beacon signal transmitted from the nearby AP are detected. Also, when the user selects area 803, the user presses the button of the AP designated as the connection destination to start processing for establishing a connection with the MFP 100.

[0093] In S714, the surrounding APs are searched, and a list of the found APs is displayed on the operation display unit 220 as a search result, and in S715, the selection of the AP to which the user wants to connect is accepted from the list of APs. In one example, a list of SSIDs of the detected APs is displayed as the list of APs. In this embodiment, when the MFP 100 starts searching for the surrounding APs, a display screen 804 of FIG. 8A(b) is displayed. Then, a display screen 805 of FIG. 8A(c) is displayed as a list of the found APs. Areas 806 and 807 are displayed on the display screen 805, and the AP identification name (ESSID) of the found AP is displayed in the area 806. At this time, if a plurality of identical ESSIDs having different basic service set identifiers (BSSIDs) are found, the area 806 displays only one ESSID, not multiple duplicated ESSIDs. Alternatively, the area 806 displays the duplicated ESSIDs for each channel used for communication. If the user selects the area 807, the search for the surrounding APs is executed again.

[0094] In S716, it is determined whether the selected ESSID is the same ESSID among multiple APs. For example, if beacon signals indicating the same ESSID are received from multiple APs having different BSSIDs within a predetermined time period during which an AP search is being performed, it can be determined that the same ESSID is used among the multiple APs. Here, if the ESSID to be selected is not the same ESSID among the multiple APs (No in S716), the MFP 100 transitions the process to S717.

[0095] In S717, MFP 100 displays a password entry screen used to connect to an AP having the selected ESSID on operation display unit 220, and waits for the user to enter a password. In this embodiment, MFP 100 displays display screen 829 in Fig. 8B(l) as the screen for waiting for the user to enter a password. Areas 830 and 831 are displayed on display screen 829, and when the user selects area 830, password entry begins, and when the user selects area 831, password entry is completed, and the process transitions to S718.

[0096] In S718, the MFP 100 stores the ESSID information selected by the user in S715 and the password information entered by the user in S717 in the non-volatile memory 215. Next, in S719, the MFP 100 attempts to connect to the AP corresponding to the ESSID selected by the user in S715, using the password entered by the user in S717.

[0097] In S716, if it is determined that the selected ESSID is the same among a plurality of APs, the CPU 212 transitions the process to S720.

[0098] In S720, it is determined whether or not at least one of the APs selected by the user in S715 supports Wi-Fi Agile Multiband. If it is determined that the selected AP does not support Wi-Fi Agile Multiband (No in S720), the MFP 100 advances the process to S721. Whether or not an AP supports Wi-Fi Agile Multiband can be determined from the capability information included in the beacon signal received when searching for nearby APs in S714.

[0099] In S721, a selection screen including an option to connect to an AP with a specific BSSID among multiple APs having the selected ESSID and an option to switchably connect to multiple APs having different BSSIDs is displayed on the operation display unit 220, and a user selection is awaited.

[0100] In this embodiment, the display screen 808 shown in Fig. 8A(d) is displayed as the above-mentioned screen. Areas 809 and 810 are displayed on the display screen 808, and when the user selects area 809, it means that the user has selected to connect only to a specific AP. In this case, the user inputs the BSSID in the processing from S721 onwards. In other words, area 809 is a first option that determines, by user designation, which of multiple APs with the same ESSID (SSID) to connect to. The first option is an option (first option) for instructing to connect to an AP without using Wi-Fi Agile Multiband.

[0101] On the other hand, when the user selects area 810, it means that a selection has been made to switchably connect multiple APs having the selected ESSID. When a switchably connect multiple APs having the selected ESSID, the connection destination AP is changed in accordance with a measurement request from the AP and a connection destination change request in a mechanism compliant with Wi-Fi Agile Multiband. On the other hand, when connecting only to a specific AP, a connection to the AP is made in a mechanism not compliant with Wi-Fi Agile Multiband. In other words, area 810 is an option (second option) for switchably connecting to one of multiple APs having the same ESSID using the Wi-Fi Agile Multiband function.

[0102] Note that, when the MFP 100 has set the AMB function to be disabled, the area 810 may be grayed out so as not to be selectable in S721. Alternatively, when the AMB function has been set to be disabled and the area 810 is selected in S721, a display may be displayed prompting the user to enable the AMB function. Alternatively, when the AMB function has been set to be disabled and the area 810 is selected in S721, the AMB function may be set to be enabled.

[0103] As a modified example, a display screen 824 in FIG. 8B(j) may be displayed. Areas 825 and 826 are displayed on the display screen 824, and when the user selects area 825, it means that the user has selected to connect only to an AP having a fixed BSSID. On the other hand, when the user selects area 826, it means that the user has selected to connect while automatically switching the connection between multiple APs having different BSSIDs using the Wi-Fi Agile Multiband function. That is, in FIG. 8B(j), area 825 corresponds to the above-mentioned first option, and area 826 corresponds to the above-mentioned second option.

[0104] In one example, a display may be displayed on the screens of Fig. 8A(d) and Fig. 8B(j) to prompt the user to select the second option. For example, a message may be displayed saying "If you want to use the agile multiband function, select 'Multiple Use'." Alternatively, the second option may be highlighted as a default option.

[0105] For example, there may be cases where the destination AP supports the AMB function but the AMB function is disabled and the Capability information indicates that the AMB function is not supported. In this case, by enabling the AMB function on the MFP 100 side in the second option, communication using the AMB function can be performed when the destination AP's AMB function is enabled.

[0106] In S722, if the user selects the second option to allow the AMB function to be used to switch which AP to connect to among the multiple APs (No in S722), the CPU 212 advances the process to S717. Then, in S722, if the user selects the first option to connect to an AP having a fixed BSSID (Yes in S722), the CPU 212 advances the process to S723. In S723, the MFP 100 displays a list of BSSIDs (MAC addresses) of multiple APs with the same ESSID on the operation display unit 220, and allows the user to select which AP to connect to. In this embodiment, if the user selects the fixed AP to connect to (Yes in S722), the display screen 811 shown in FIG. 8A(e) is displayed, and the user is instructed to select the BSSID of the AP to be connected to. An area 812 is displayed on the display screen 811, and when the user selects the area 812, the display screen 813 shown in FIG. 8A(f) is displayed. Display screen 813 displays area 814, which displays a list of the BSSIDs of the APs and allows the user to select the BSSID of the AP to which the user wishes to connect. In another example, the user may input the BSSID of the AP to be connected using an input interface such as a keypad.

[0107] After the user selects a BSSID in S723, the CPU 212 advances the process to S724, stores information about the selected BSSID in the non-volatile memory 215, and transitions the process to S717.

[0108] It should be noted that, if the first option is selected in S727, the MFP 100 may disable the AMB function.

[0109] As for the operation of connecting to a plurality of APs with different BSSIDs, for example, when the MFP100 is connected to an AP and the connection to the AP is cut off for some reason, a process for reconnection is executed. In the reconnection process, the MFP100 searches for surrounding APs, and if there are a plurality of APs having the same ESSID as the ESSID stored in the non-volatile memory 215, the MFP100 measures the radio wave intensity of each AP and connects to the AP with the strongest radio wave intensity. At this time, the connected AP may be the AP to which the MFP100 was originally connected, or may be a different AP. When connecting to an AP with a fixed BSSID, the MFP100 searches for surrounding APs, and even if there are a plurality of APs having the ESSID stored in the non-volatile memory 215, the MFP100 continues the connection to the AP regardless of the strength of the radio wave intensity. In the Wi-Fi Agile Multiband, the password for connecting to the AP is the same. Therefore, even when connecting to a different AP, the password used for connecting to the AP to which the MFP100 was connected before switching the connection can be used.

[0110] If it is determined in S720 that the AP selected by the user supports the AMB function, the CPU 212 advances the process to S725 and determines whether the AMB function of the MFP 100 is enabled. If the AMB function of the MFP 100 is enabled, the MFP 100 sets a flag of BSS Transition SUPPORT in the Association Request in the connection process with the AP and connects to the AP. In this case, the MFP 100 can receive an inquiry about the radio wave strength of the surrounding AP in S601 of FIG. 6 and a request to change the connection destination AP (BTM (BSS Transition Management) Request) in S605 from the AP. Also, if the Wi-Fi Agile Multiband function of the MFP 100 is disabled, the MFP 100 clears a flag of BSS (Basic Service Set) Transition SUPPORT in the Association Request in the connection process with the AP and connects to the AP. In this case, the MFP 100 cannot receive an inquiry about the radio wave strength of the surrounding AP in S601 of FIG. 6 and a request to change the connection destination AP in S605 (BTM Request).

[0111] If it is determined in S725 that the Wi-Fi Agile Multiband function of the MFP 100 is enabled, the CPU 212 transitions the process to S726.

[0112] In S726, in addition to the options described in S721, since the AP supports Wi-Fi Agile Multiband, a screen is displayed on the operation display unit 220, which recommends selecting to switchably connect one or more APs. In this embodiment, the display screen 818 in FIG. 8B(h) is displayed as the above-mentioned screen. Areas 819 and 820 are displayed on the display screen 818. When the user selects the area 819, the user selects to connect only to a specific AP. On the other hand, when the user selects the area 820, the user selects to switchably connect multiple APs having the same ESSID. That is, in the area 819, a first option is displayed for the user to specify which of the multiple APs to connect to, and in the area 820, a second option is displayed for making it possible to switch which of the multiple APs to connect to by the AMB function. In addition, the display screen 818 displays a message saying, "If you want to use the agile multiband function, please select "multiple use." By displaying this message, the user can be prompted to select which of the multiple APs having the same ESSID the MFP100 will connect to so that it will be switchable.

[0113] Also, as a modification of FIG. 8B(h), a display screen 821 of FIG. 8B(i) may be displayed. Areas 822 and 823 are displayed on the display screen 821, and when the user selects area 822, the user selects to connect only to an AP having a fixed BSSID. On the other hand, when the user selects area 823, the user selects to connect to multiple APs having the same ESSID but different BSSIDs. That is, in area 822, a first option is displayed for the user to specify which of the multiple APs to connect to, and in area 823, a second option is displayed for making it possible to switch which of the multiple APs to connect to by the AMB function. On the display screen 821, a message "If you want to use the agile multiband function, please select 'Automatic'" is displayed, so that the user can be prompted to select to switchably connect to multiple APs having the same ESSID.

[0114] In S727, if the user selects to connect to multiple APs with the same ESSID but different BSSIDs, the CPU 212 transitions the process to S717 and displays a password input screen on the operation display unit 220. The password input screen displayed in S717 is the same as the display screen 829 in FIG. 8B(l). The display screen 829 in FIG. 8B(l) has been described above, so the description will be omitted. In addition, as a different embodiment, if the user selects to connect to multiple APs, the display screen 827 in FIG. 8B(k) may be displayed before the display screen 829 in FIG. 8B(l) is displayed. In the display screen 827, it is explained to the user that the Wi-Fi Agile Multiband function is available. An area 828 is displayed on the display screen 827, and when the user selects the area 828, the display screen 829 in FIG. 8B(l), which is a password input screen, is displayed.

[0115] Then, in S727, if the user selects to connect to an AP with a specific BSSID, the process proceeds to S723, where a list of the BSSIDs of the APs is displayed, and the user is prompted to select the BSSID of the AP to connect to. In this embodiment, the display screen 811 in FIG. 8A(e) is displayed as the list of the BSSIDs of the APs. The display screen 811 in FIG. 8A(e) has been described above, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0116] When it is determined in S725 that the Wi-Fi Agile Multiband function of the MFP100 is set to disabled, the CPU212 transitions the process to S728. In S728, the CPU212 displays on the operation display unit 220 a screen for prompting the user to select whether to change the setting of the Wi-Fi Agile Multiband function of the MFP100 from disabled to enabled. In this embodiment, the display screen 815 of FIG. 8B(g) is displayed as a screen for confirming whether to enable the AMB function of the MFP100. Areas 816 and 817 are displayed on the display screen 815, and when the user selects the area 816, the user selects to enable the AMB function. Also, when the user selects the area 817, the user selects not to change the setting of the AMB function of the MFP100 from disabled. In one example, in FIG. 8B(g), a display may be displayed to prompt the user to select the setting of enabling the AMB function. For example, in FIG. 8B(g), a message such as "By enabling the agile multiband function, communication will be automatically switched to the AP with the best communication environment" is displayed, allowing the user to choose to enable the AMB function.

[0117] If the user selects in S729 to set the AMB function of the MFP 100 to be enabled, the setting is updated in S730, the setting value is stored in the non-volatile memory 215, and the process transitions to S726. Then, if the user selects in S729 not to change the setting to enable the Wi-Fi Agile Multiband function of the MFP 100, the CPU 212 transitions the process to S731.

[0118] In S731, a screen that allows the user to select whether to connect only to an AP having a specific BSSID, or to connect to multiple APs with the same ESSID but different BSSIDs, is displayed on the operation display unit 220. In this embodiment, the screen displayed in S731 is the same as the screen displayed in S721, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0119] In addition, since the AMB function is disabled on the screen displayed in S731, the option "multiple use" may be suppressed from being selected by, for example, graying out the option "multiple use." On the other hand, the option "multiple use" may be displayed as selectable, and if selected, the user may be prompted to enable the AMB function again as in S728.

[0120] In this embodiment, the screen 805 in FIG. 8A(c) is displayed as the screen displaying the search result of the AP in S714, but a different screen may be displayed. For example, in S714, before searching for the surrounding AP, it may be confirmed whether the AMB function of the MFP100 described with reference to S725 is enabled. Here, if the AMB function is enabled and multiple APs with the same ESSID are detected in the AP search, the screen 832 in FIG. 8C(m) may be displayed. Areas 833 and 834 are displayed on the screen 832, and the ESSIDs and frequency bands corresponding to multiple APs having different BSSIDs are displayed in the area 833. If the ESSID corresponding to multiple APs having different BSSIDs is not detected, only a single ESSID is displayed as in the area 834.

[0121] As a different screen display example when the AMB function of MFP 100 is enabled and the same ESSID is detected in an AP search for multiple APs with different BSSIDs, CPU 212 may display screen 835 in Fig. 8C(n). Areas 836, 837, 838, and 839 are displayed on screen 835. Areas 836 and 837 each display the same ESSID and frequency band for multiple APs. By selecting area 838, the user can collectively select multiple APs with the same ESSID. If the same ESSID is not detected in multiple APs in the AP search, CPU 212 displays only the ESSID corresponding to a single AP, as in area 839.

[0122] In this way, by making it possible to select multiple APs at once, when the user does not know which AP to connect to, the user can select multiple APs, which can encourage the use of the AMB function. Note that a display encouraging the selection of multiple APs may also be displayed on screen 835. For example, by displaying a message such as "If you want to use the agile multiband function, please select multiple channels at once" on screen 835, the user can be encouraged to select area 838.

[0123] When the same ESSID is detected in a plurality of APs in the AP search and the AMB function of the MFP100 is set to disabled, the CPU212 displays a screen 840 in Fig. 8C(o). The screen 840 includes areas 841 and 842, and the same ESSID and frequency band of a plurality of APs are displayed in the areas 841 and 842, respectively. Here, the screens in Fig. 8C(m), 8C(n), and 8C(o) are displayed according to the enable / disable setting of the Wi-Fi Agile Multiband function of the MFP100 and the fact that the same ESSID is detected in a plurality of APs in the AP search. However, in addition to the above conditions, the display screen may be switched according to whether the AP supports the AMB function or not, or the display may be switched according to another condition.

[0124] As described above, according to this embodiment, when the MFP 100 searches for nearby APs, it determines whether the MFP 100 supports the AMB function and performs appropriate screen display. As a result, if the MFP 100 supports the AMB function, the MFP 100 can recommend enabling the AMB function, which enables the user to connect to an AP with a good communication environment.

[0125] The above control has been described in which the BSSID (MAC address) is specified from operation / display unit 220 of MFP 100, but the BSSID (MAC address) may be specified by receiving it from an external device.

[0126] The various controls described above as being performed by MFP100 may be performed by a single piece of hardware, or the entire device may be controlled by multiple pieces of hardware (e.g., multiple processors or circuits) sharing the processing.

[0127] In addition, although the present invention has been described in detail based on the preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various forms within the scope of the gist of the present invention are also included in the present invention. Furthermore, each of the above-mentioned embodiments merely shows one embodiment of the present invention, and each embodiment can be appropriately combined.

[0128] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the present invention is applied to the MFP100 as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this example and can be applied to any wireless device that functions as a STA capable of processing in response to a request to change the connection destination from an AP. That is, the present invention can be applied to various measuring devices (sensor devices) such as personal computers, PDAs, tablet terminals, mobile phone terminals such as smartphones, music players, game consoles, electronic book readers, smart watches, thermometers, and hygrometers. The present invention can also be applied to digital cameras (including still cameras, video cameras, network cameras, and security cameras), printers, scanners, and drones. The present invention can also be applied to video output devices, audio output devices (e.g., smart speakers), media streaming players, and wireless LAN adapters (adapters) that can be connected to USB terminals or LAN cable terminals. The video output device includes, for example, a device that acquires (downloads) a video on the Internet specified by a URL instructed from an electronic device and outputs it to a display device connected via a video output terminal such as HDMI (registered trademark), thereby realizing streaming playback on the display device or realizing mirroring display (display in which the content displayed on the electronic device is also displayed on the display device). Furthermore, the video output device includes media players such as televisions, hard disk recorders, Blu-ray recorders, and DVD recorders, head-mounted displays, projectors, televisions, display devices (monitors), signage devices, etc. Furthermore, the present invention is also applicable to Wi-Fi-connectable devices known as smart home appliances, such as air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, ovens, microwave ovens, lighting equipment, heating equipment, and cooling equipment.

[0129] As described above, by changing the content of the measurement result sent in response to a measurement request from an AP according to the processing status of the MFP 100, it becomes possible to appropriately control the timing of switching the AP.

[0130] <Other embodiments> In the present embodiment, the user operates the MFP100 to connect to the AP. In one example, the user may connect the MFP100 to the AP via an information processing device such as the mobile terminal device 104. In such a case, the mobile terminal device 104 may establish a wireless direct connection with the MFP100, transmit a measurement request to the MFP100 to request measurement of a beacon signal transmitted from a nearby AP, and obtain a list of ESSIDs and BSSIDs of the nearby APs. In this case, the mobile terminal device 104 may control the display unit 420 to display the screens described with reference to Figs. 8A(a) to 8C(o) when displaying the list of ESSIDs and BSSIDs of the nearby APs. For example, the mobile terminal device 104 may display the first and second options described above when multiple APs with the same SSID are selected when selecting an AP to which the MFP100 is to be connected, or when multiple APs with the same SSID are included in the list. The mobile terminal device 104 may also display a display that prompts the user to select the second option. Furthermore, mobile terminal device 104 may display a plurality of APs with the same SSID together, or together by frequency band to be used, on a screen for selecting an AP to which MFP 100 is to be connected.

[0131] 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.

[0132] The disclosure of the present embodiment includes the following electronic device, its control method, program, and storage medium.

[0133] (Item 1) A communication control means for controlling to change a connection destination AP based on a connection destination change request received from a currently connected access point (AP), A detection means for detecting a service set identifier (SSID) of a nearby AP based on a wireless signal received from the nearby AP; a display control means for controlling to display a selection screen for selecting, when a predetermined condition including that a plurality of APs having the same SSID are detected by the detection means when setting a connection destination AP, a first option for a user to specify which of the plurality of APs to connect to, and a second option for enabling the communication control means to switch which of the plurality of APs to connect to; Equipped with The electronic device, wherein the display control means performs a predetermined display on the selection screen to prompt the user to select the second option.

[0134] (Item 2) The detection means further detects whether or not a neighboring AP is capable of transmitting the connection change request based on a wireless signal received from the neighboring AP; The electronic device described in item 1, characterized in that, when setting a connection destination AP, the display control means controls so as to display the specified display if the detection means detects an AP capable of sending a connection destination change request, and not to display the specified display if the detection means does not detect an AP capable of sending the connection destination change request.

[0135] (Item 3) The display control means receives a selection of an SSID of a destination AP when setting the destination AP; The electronic device described in item 1 or 2, characterized in that the display control means performs the specified display when multiple APs with the same SSID are selected as APs to connect to, and does not perform the specified display when multiple APs with the same SSID are not selected as APs to connect to.

[0136] (Item 4) The detection means further detects whether or not a neighboring AP is capable of transmitting the connection change request based on a wireless signal received from the neighboring AP; The electronic device described in item 3 is characterized in that, when setting a destination AP, if multiple APs with the same SSID are selected as destination APs and at least one of the multiple APs is an AP capable of sending the connection destination change request, the display control means performs the specified display, and when none of the multiple APs is an AP capable of sending the connection destination change request, the display is not performed.

[0137] (Item 5) The communication device further includes a setting unit that sets whether a function for changing a connection destination by the communication control unit is enabled, 5. The electronic device according to any one of items 1 to 4, wherein the predetermined condition includes that the function is set to be enabled by the setting means.

[0138] (Item 6) The detection means further detects whether or not a neighboring AP is capable of transmitting the connection change request based on a wireless signal received from the neighboring AP; The electronic device described in item 5 is characterized in that, when setting the AP to connect to, if the detection means detects multiple APs with the same SSID, at least one of the multiple APs is an AP capable of sending a request to change the connection destination, and the setting means sets the function to disabled, the display control means controls to display a display that suppresses the selection of the second option on the selection screen.

[0139] (Item 7) The electronic device described in item 5 is characterized in that, when setting the AP to connect to, if the detection means detects multiple APs with the same SSID, at least one of the multiple APs is an AP capable of sending a request to change the connection destination, and the setting means has set the function to disabled, the display control means controls to display a message prompting the user to enable the function.

[0140] (Item 8) The electronic device described in any one of items 5 to 7, characterized in that when the first option is selected on the selection screen, the display control means accepts designation of an identifier corresponding to one of the plurality of APs, and the setting means controls to disable the function.

[0141] (Item 9) a transmitting means for transmitting information including an SSID of the AP detected by the detecting means to an information processing device capable of communicating with the electronic device on the same network; the detection means detects the SSID of the nearby AP based on a wireless signal received from the nearby AP in response to receiving a measurement request from the information processing device requesting detection of the SSID of the nearby AP; The information processing device includes: a display control means for controlling to display a second selection screen for selecting from a third option for a user to specify which of the plurality of APs to connect to, when it is determined based on the information received from the electronic device that there are multiple APs with the same SSID, and a fourth option for enabling the communication control means to switch which of the plurality of APs to connect to; a second transmission means for transmitting information corresponding to an option selected on the second selection screen to the electronic device; having 9. The electronic device of any one of items 5 to 8, wherein the second selection screen includes a display prompting the selection of the fourth option.

[0142] (Item 10) 10. The electronic device according to item 9, wherein the setting means controls the function to be set to disabled when information corresponding to the third option is received from the information processing device.

[0143] (Item 11) The display control means receives a selection of an SSID of a destination AP when setting the destination AP; The electronic device described in any one of items 1 to 10, characterized in that when the specified condition is met, the display control means displays a selection screen for a destination AP so that the multiple APs having the same SSID can be selected collectively as destination APs.

[0144] (Item 12) A communication control means for controlling a connection with an access point (AP) based on a request for changing a connection destination from the currently connected AP; A detection means for detecting a service set identifier (SSID) of a nearby AP based on a wireless signal received from the nearby AP; a display control means for controlling to display a selection screen for a destination AP so that the destination AP can be selected collectively as a destination AP when a predetermined condition including that a plurality of APs having the same SSID have been detected by the detection means is satisfied when setting a destination AP; An electronic device comprising:

[0145] (Item 13) A communication control means for controlling to change a connection destination AP based on a connection destination change request received from a currently connected access point (AP), a setting means for setting whether a function for changing a connection destination AP by the communication control means is enabled or disabled; A detection means for detecting a service set identifier (SSID) of a nearby AP based on a wireless signal received from the nearby AP; a display control means for controlling to display a predetermined screen prompting the user to enable the function when a predetermined condition including the detection means has detected a plurality of APs having the same SSID is satisfied when setting a connection destination AP; An electronic device comprising:

[0146] (Item 14) The electronic device described in item 13, characterized in that the display control means controls to display the specified screen when the function is set to disabled by the setting means, and not to display the specified screen when the function is set to enabled by the setting means.

[0147] (Item 15) The detection means further detects whether or not a neighboring AP is capable of transmitting the connection change request based on a wireless signal received from the neighboring AP; The electronic device described in item 13 or 14, characterized in that when setting a destination AP, if the detection means detects multiple APs with the same SSID and if the detection means detects an AP capable of sending a request to change the destination, the display control means controls to display the specified screen.

[0148] (Item 16) the display control means, when the function is enabled by the setting means, displays a selection screen for selecting between a first option for a user to specify which of the plurality of APs to connect to and a second option for enabling the communication control means to switch which of the plurality of APs to connect to; 16. The electronic device according to item 15, wherein the display control means displays a message on the selection screen prompting the user to select the second option.

[0149] (Item 17) A control method executed by an electronic device, comprising: a communication control step of controlling to change the AP of a connection destination based on a request for changing the connection destination from a currently connected access point (AP); A detection step of detecting a service set identifier (SSID) of a surrounding AP based on a wireless signal received from the surrounding AP; a display control step of controlling to display a selection screen for selecting a first option for a user to specify which of the multiple APs to connect to when a predetermined condition including the detection of multiple APs with the same SSID is satisfied when setting an AP to connect to, and a second option for enabling the communication control step to switch which of the multiple APs to connect to; having A control method, characterized in that the selection screen includes a specific display that prompts the selection of a second option.

[0150] (Item 18) A control method executed by an electronic device, comprising: a communication control step of controlling to change the AP of a connection destination based on a request for changing the connection destination from a currently connected access point (AP); A detection step of detecting a service set identifier (SSID) of a surrounding AP based on a wireless signal received from the surrounding AP; a display control step of controlling to display a selection screen for a destination AP so that the destination AP can be selected collectively from the plurality of APs having the same SSID when a predetermined condition including the detection of a plurality of APs having the same SSID is satisfied when setting a destination AP; A control method comprising the steps of:

[0151] (Item 19) A control method executed by an electronic device, comprising: a communication control step of controlling a connection with an access point (AP) based on a request for changing a connection destination from the currently connected AP; a setting step of setting whether to enable or disable a function of changing the connection destination based on the request to change the connection destination; A detection step of detecting a service set identifier (SSID) of a surrounding AP based on a wireless signal received from the surrounding AP; a display control step of controlling to display a screen that prompts the user to enable the function when a predetermined condition including the detection of a plurality of APs having the same SSID is satisfied when setting a connection destination AP; A control method comprising the steps of:

[0152] (Item 20) A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the electronic device according to any one of items 1 to 16.

[0153] (Item 21) A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the electronic device described in any one of items 1 to 16.

[0154] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0155] 100 MFP: 101 AP1: 102 AP2: 103 Server: 104 Mobile terminal device: 212 CPU: 213 ROM: 214 RAM

Claims

1. a communication control means for controlling to change a connection destination access point (AP) based on a connection destination change request received from a currently connected AP; A detection means for detecting a service set identifier (SSID) of a surrounding AP based on a wireless signal received from the surrounding AP; a display control means for controlling to display a selection screen for selecting a first option for a user to specify which of the plurality of APs to connect to when a connection destination AP is set and a second option for enabling the communication control means to switch which of the plurality of APs to connect to when a predetermined condition including that a plurality of APs having the same SSID have been detected by the detection means is satisfied; and Equipped with The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the display control means performs a predetermined display on the selection screen to prompt the user to select the second option.

2. The detection means further detects whether or not a neighboring AP is capable of transmitting a request to change the connection destination based on a wireless signal received from the neighboring AP; The electronic device described in claim 1, characterized in that, when setting a connection destination AP, the display control means controls so that the specified display is displayed if the detection means detects an AP capable of sending a connection destination change request, and so that the specified display is not displayed if the detection means does not detect an AP capable of sending the connection destination change request.

3. The display control means receives a selection of an SSID of the AP to which the connection is to be made when the AP to which the connection is to be made is set, The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that the display control means performs the specified display when multiple APs with the same SSID are selected as APs to connect to, and does not perform the specified display when multiple APs with the same SSID are not selected as APs to connect to.

4. The detection means further detects whether or not a neighboring AP is capable of transmitting a request to change the connection destination based on a wireless signal received from the neighboring AP; The electronic device described in claim 3, characterized in that when setting a destination AP, if multiple APs with the same SSID are selected as destination APs and at least one of the multiple APs is an AP capable of sending the connection destination change request, the display control means controls so as to display the specified display when the multiple APs are selected as destination APs and at least one of the multiple APs is an AP capable of sending the connection destination change request, and not to display when none of the multiple APs is an AP capable of sending the connection destination change request.

5. The communication device further includes a setting unit that sets whether a function for changing a connection destination by the communication control unit is enabled, 2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition includes that the function is set to be enabled by the setting means.

6. The detection means further detects whether or not a neighboring AP is capable of transmitting a request to change the connection destination based on a wireless signal received from the neighboring AP; The electronic device described in claim 5, characterized in that, when setting a connection destination AP, the detection means detects multiple APs with the same SSID, at least one of the multiple APs is an AP capable of sending a connection destination change request, and the setting means sets the function to disabled, the display control means controls to display a display that suppresses the selection of the second option on the selection screen.

7. The electronic device described in claim 5, characterized in that, when setting a connection destination AP, the detection means detects multiple APs with the same SSID, at least one of the multiple APs is an AP capable of sending a connection destination change request, and the setting means sets the function to disabled, the display control means controls to display a message prompting the user to enable the function.

8. The electronic device according to claim 5, characterized in that when the first option is selected on the selection screen, the display control means accepts designation of an identifier corresponding to one of the plurality of APs, and the setting means controls to disable the function.

9. a transmitting means for transmitting information including an SSID of the AP detected by the detecting means to an information processing device capable of communicating with the electronic device on the same network; the detection means detects the SSID of the nearby AP based on a wireless signal received from the nearby AP in response to receiving a measurement request from the information processing device requesting detection of an SSID of the nearby AP; The information processing device includes: a display control means for controlling to display a second selection screen for selecting from a third option for a user to specify which of the plurality of APs to connect to, when it is determined based on the information received from the electronic device that there are multiple APs with the same SSID, and a fourth option for enabling the communication control means to switch which of the plurality of APs to connect to; a second transmission means for transmitting information corresponding to an option selected on the second selection screen to the electronic device; having The electronic device according to claim 5 , wherein the second selection screen includes a display prompting the user to select the fourth option.

10. 10. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein the setting unit performs control so as to set the function to be disabled when information corresponding to the third option is received from the information processing device.

11. The display control means receives a selection of an SSID of the AP to which the connection is to be made when the AP to which the connection is to be made is set, The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the specified condition is satisfied, the display control means displays a selection screen for a destination AP so that the plurality of APs having the same SSID can be selected collectively as a destination AP.

12. a communication control means for controlling to change a connection destination access point (AP) based on a connection destination change request received from a currently connected AP; A detection means for detecting a service set identifier (SSID) of a surrounding AP based on a wireless signal received from the surrounding AP; a display control means for controlling to display a selection screen for a destination AP so that the destination AP can be selected collectively as a destination AP when a predetermined condition including that a plurality of APs having the same SSID have been detected by the detection means is satisfied when setting a destination AP; An electronic device comprising:

13. a communication control means for controlling a change of a connection destination AP based on a request for change of a connection destination from a currently connected access point (AP); a setting means for setting whether a function for changing a connection destination AP by the communication control means is enabled or disabled; A detection means for detecting a service set identifier (SSID) of a surrounding AP based on a wireless signal received from the surrounding AP; a display control means for controlling to display a predetermined screen prompting the user to enable the function when a predetermined condition including a plurality of APs having the same SSID are detected by the detection means is satisfied when setting a connection destination AP; An electronic device comprising:

14. 14. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein the display control means controls to display the predetermined screen when the function is set to disabled by the setting means, and not to display the predetermined screen when the function is set to enabled by the setting means.

15. The detection means further detects whether or not a neighboring AP is capable of transmitting a request to change the connection destination based on a wireless signal received from the neighboring AP; The electronic device according to claim 13, characterized in that the display control means controls the display of the specified screen when the detection means detects multiple APs with the same SSID when setting the AP to connect to, and when the detection means detects an AP capable of sending a request to change the connection destination.

16. the display control means, when the function is enabled by the setting means, displays a selection screen for selecting between a first option for a user to specify which of the plurality of APs to connect to and a second option for enabling the communication control means to switch which of the plurality of APs to connect to; 16. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein the display control means performs a display on the selection screen prompting the user to select the second option.

17. A control method executed by an electronic device, comprising: a communication control step of controlling to change the AP of a connection destination based on a request for changing the connection destination from a currently connected access point (AP); A detection step of detecting a service set identifier (SSID) of a surrounding AP based on a wireless signal received from the surrounding AP; a display control step of controlling to display a selection screen for selecting a first option for a user to specify which of the plurality of APs to connect to when a predetermined condition including that a plurality of APs having the same SSID have been detected is satisfied when setting an AP to connect to, and a second option for enabling the communication control step to switch which of the plurality of APs to connect to; having A control method, wherein the selection screen includes a specific display that prompts the user to select a second option.

18. A control method executed by an electronic device, comprising: a communication control step of controlling to change the AP of a connection destination based on a request for changing the connection destination from a currently connected access point (AP); A detection step of detecting a service set identifier (SSID) of a surrounding AP based on a wireless signal received from the surrounding AP; a display control step of controlling to display a selection screen for a destination AP so that the destination AP can be selected collectively from the plurality of APs having the same SSID when a predetermined condition including the detection of a plurality of APs having the same SSID is satisfied when setting the destination AP; A control method comprising the steps of:

19. A control method executed by an electronic device, comprising: a communication control step of controlling a connection with an access point (AP) based on a request for changing a connection destination from the currently connected AP; a setting step of setting whether to enable or disable a function of changing the connection destination based on the request to change the connection destination; A detection step of detecting a service set identifier (SSID) of a surrounding AP based on a wireless signal received from the surrounding AP; a display control step of controlling to display a screen prompting the user to enable the function when a predetermined condition including a plurality of APs having the same SSID are satisfied when setting a connection destination AP; A control method comprising the steps of:

20. A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

21. 17. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the electronic device according to claim 1.

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