Program, communication method, and communication system

Abstract

To reduce a possibility that a communication apparatus fails to connect with an access point if an information processing device has the communication apparatus connect with the access point.SOLUTION: An information processing device uses authentication information on an access point to execute a connection process for connecting with the access point. The information processing device transmits the authentication information to the communication apparatus on the basis that an authentication process using the authentication information is executed in the connection process and connection with the access point is made.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a program executed by an information processing device that wirelessly communicates with a communication device. [Background technology]

[0002] There is a technology that allows multiple information processing devices (hereinafter referred to as PCs) to share devices such as printers as communication devices via a LAN (local area network) connected to the Internet. In some cases, the LAN is constructed as a wireless network, which has the advantage that devices can be installed anywhere, as opposed to a wired network. However, it can be difficult for users to set up devices such as printers to join the wireless network.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes the following as a technique for easily allowing a printer to join an already constructed LAN: A PC and a printer are connected peer-to-peer via a Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable. It also describes that the PC sends information to the printer via the USB cable for connecting the printer to a specific access point. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4378323 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When a device such as a printer attempts to connect to a specific access point using connection information, the information may be invalid. In this case, as described above in Patent Document 1, even if an information processing device such as a PC transmits the information to a device such as a printer and attempts to connect the device to the access point, the device may fail to connect. In this case, the process of the device such as a printer attempting to connect to a specific access point may be wasted.

[0006] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to reduce cases in which a communication device fails to connect to an access point when an information processing device connects the communication device to an access point. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A program executed by an information processing device that performs wireless communication with a communication device, the program causing the information processing device to execute an execution step of executing a connection process for connecting to the access point using authentication information related to the access point, and a transmission step of transmitting the authentication information to the communication device based on the connection process in the execution step executing an authentication process using the authentication information and the establishment of a connection to the access point, wherein the communication device is connected to the access point using the authentication information based on the authentication information being transmitted in the transmission step. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, when an information processing device connects a communication device to an access point, it is possible to reduce cases in which the communication device fails to connect to the access point. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a system configuration in the present embodiment. [Diagram 2]FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a PC and a printer according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 3] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process in which a printer executes wireless settings instructed by a PC. [Figure 4] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for performing a connection check in advance from a PC. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for selecting an access point. [Figure 6] 11A to 11C are diagrams showing various message screens displayed on a PC. [Figure 7] 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for checking the existence of an SSID in a PC. [Figure 8] 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for checking SSID setting information in a PC. [Figure 9] 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for checking the specifications of a printer on a PC. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiment does not limit the present invention according to the claims, and not all of the combinations of features described in the present embodiment are necessarily essential to the solution of the present invention. Hereinafter, a printer that prints images will be described as an example of a communication device in the present embodiment. However, the present embodiment is not limited to this, and the processing in the present embodiment may be applied to various devices such as a PC, a smartphone, and a digital camera. In addition, a PC will be described as an example of an information processing device in the present embodiment. However, the present embodiment is not limited to this, and the processing in the present embodiment may be applied to various devices such as a smartphone and a digital camera.

[0011] In this embodiment, the PC transmits to the printer information about the access point to which the printer is to be connected, and the printer is connected to the access point. For example, the PC automatically identifies an access point to which the PC is connected among the access points to which the printer can be connected, and transmits information about the access point to the printer. The printer then uses the information to connect to the access point. The information about the access point includes specific information about the access point (SSID, etc.) and authentication information (password, etc.) used in the access point authentication process.

[0012] However, for example, suppose that the PC is connected to an access point that uses the 5 GHz frequency band, while the printer only supports wireless LAN communication in the 2.4 GHz frequency band. In this case, the wireless profile of the access point to which the printer is to be connected is not saved in the PC. Therefore, in this case, it is necessary for the user to specify the access point information such as the SSID and password for the access point desired by the user on the PC.

[0013] However, if the user makes a mistake when entering a password or other information, the printer that received the password will fail to connect to the access point, resulting in a connection error. Therefore, the user will have to wait until the printer experiences a connection error before realizing that they entered the wrong password. Also, when a printer encounters a connection error, the user must go to the printer and perform operations to resolve the error or prepare the printer for reconnection. Passwords are often complex to ensure security, and as mentioned above, it is easy for a user to make a mistake when entering a password.

[0014] Therefore, in this embodiment, before the PC transmits the SSID and password entered by the user to the printer, the PC attempts to connect to the access point using the SSID and password. Then, based on the success of the connection, the PC notifies the printer of the SSID and password. If the connection fails, the PC notifies the user of an error. This can prevent the printer from failing to connect to the access point due to a password input error or the like on the PC, resulting in a connection error. This can reduce the need for the user to perform operations such as clearing errors on the printer, and can notify the user of errors such as a password input error more quickly. This embodiment will be described in detail below.

[0015] 1 is a diagram for explaining the system configuration of this embodiment. The system of this embodiment includes devices such as a PC and a printer, and one or more access points.

[0016] In FIG. 1(a), PC 100 is connected to SSID1 of access point 102 via wireless LAN. Printer 101 is also connected to SSID1 of access point 102. In other words, PC 100 is in a state where it can communicate with printer 101 via access point 102. This method of connecting via an access point is called infrastructure connection (hereinafter referred to as infrastructure connection). Infrastructure connection makes it possible to build a network environment where a PC can communicate with two or more devices.

[0017] On the other hand, there is a connection method called wireless Ad-hoc connection that allows communication only between two devices. The PC 100 and the printer 101 can also make a Peer to Peer connection (hereinafter referred to as P2P connection) via a wireless Ad-hoc connection. However, while the wireless Ad-hoc connection is in effect, both the PC 100 and the printer 101 are using wireless LAN dongles for the wireless Ad-hoc connection, and therefore cannot communicate with any device other than the other device. For this reason, wireless Ad-hoc connections are often used as temporary connections.

[0018] The PC 100 performs processing for connecting the printer 101 to the access point 102 via a wireless LAN connection. To this end, the PC 100 connects the printer 101 to the access point 102 by transmitting network setting information to the printer 101 using a wireless Ad-hoc connection.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a communication system including a PC 100 and a printer 101. The PC 100 includes a CPU 201, a ROM 202, a RAM 206, a display device 207, and an input interface (I / F) 208. The PC 100 also includes a USB I / F 205, a wired LAN I / F 209, and a wireless LAN I / F 210. However, the PC 100 only needs to include at least one of the USB I / F 205, the wired LAN I / F 209, and the wireless LAN I / F 210. The ROM 202 stores a program 203 corresponding to various processes including a wireless network setting process program for instructing the printer to set a wireless network, and a wireless profile 204 (described later). The wireless network setting process will be described in detail later. The CPU 201 can execute various processes including the instruction process by reading the program 203 from the ROM 202 into the RAM 206 and executing it. Furthermore, when a network setting program (application, etc.) is installed in the PC 100, a unique SSID is also stored in the ROM 202. This unique SSID is uniquely determined for, for example, the printer manufacturer or printer model.

[0020] PC 100 can perform P2P communication with printer 101 via USB cable 220 or wireless Ad-hoc connection 223. PC 100 can also be connected to LAN 221 via Ethernet cable 224, and if printer 101 can also be connected to LAN 221, PC 100 and printer 101 can communicate with each other in the same LAN 221 environment. Furthermore, PC 100 can connect to access point 222 by wireless LAN (infrastructure connection), and access point 222 can connect to LAN 221 via Ethernet cable 225, thereby enabling PC 100 to connect to LAN 221.

[0021] Here, the wireless profile 204 is information including specific information (SSID, etc.) of the access point 222 connected via the wireless LAN I / F 210, authentication information (password, etc.) used in authentication processing, etc. The wireless profile 204 is stored and managed by the CPU 201 executing an OS (Operating System) (not shown) included in the ROM 202.

[0022] The printer 101 has a CPU 242, a ROM 243, a RAM 247, a display device 248, an input I / F 249, a printing unit 250, a USB I / F 241, and a wireless LAN I / F 246. The ROM 243 stores a program 244, a wireless profile 245, and the like. The CPU 242 reads the program 244 from the ROM 243 to the RAM 247 and executes it to perform various controls by the printer 101. Note that the printer 101 does not necessarily have to have the USB I / F 241.

[0023] The printer 101 is capable of P2P communication with the PC 100 via a USB cable 220 or a wireless Ad-hoc connection 223. The printer 101 is also connected to an access point 222 by a wireless LAN (infrastructure connection), and the access point 222 is connected to the LAN 221 via an Ethernet cable 225, thereby enabling the printer 101 to connect to the LAN 221. Here, the wireless profile 245 is information including settings such as the SSID and authentication information (password, etc.) of the access point 222 connected via the wireless LAN I / F 246. The wireless profile 245 is stored and managed by the CPU 242 executing a program 244 included in the ROM 243.

[0024] The ROM 243 also stores the unique SSID stored in the ROM 202 of the PC 100. The wireless LAN I / F 246 of the printer 101 can operate as an access point corresponding to this unique SSID.

[0025] The P2P communication by the wireless Ad-hoc connection 223 in this embodiment may be a communication method that does not use an access point, or may be a method in which the PC 100 or the printer 101 operates as an access point. For example, the wireless LAN I / F 246 operates as an access point corresponding to the above-mentioned unique SSID. In this case, the wireless LAN I / F 210 is connected to the wireless LAN I / F 246 as an access point corresponding to the unique SSID. According to this method, the PC 100 can directly connect to the printer 101 by a connection process similar to that of the external access point 222. Therefore, even if the PC 100 cannot execute a process for an Ad-hoc connection not via an access point, P2P communication with the printer 101 is possible.

[0026] In FIG. 2, the division of processing between the PC 100 and the printer 101 is shown as above as an example, but the division is not limited to this form and may be other forms.

[0027] In the printer 101 of this embodiment, the user can perform an operation to connect the printer 101 to a desired access point by following the display on the display device 248. For example, the user can connect the printer 101 to a desired access point by inputting an SSID and a password corresponding to the access point on the display device 248 of the printer 101.

[0028] However, the display device 248 of the printer 101 may take various forms depending on the type of printer 101, such as a small LCD display or segment display liquid crystal, or a blinking LED. For example, if the display device 248 of the printer 101 only uses a blinking LED, the operation to connect the printer 101 to a desired access point may be more difficult than if the display device 248 is an LCD display that is capable of sufficient display.

[0029] Therefore, in this embodiment, the PC 100 performs wireless network setting processing on the printer 101 to connect the printer 101 to a predetermined access point. This allows, for example, a user who is unfamiliar with the operation of the printer 101 to easily connect the printer 101 to a desired access point. In particular, when it is difficult to perform the operation to connect the printer 101 to a desired access point on the display device 248 as described above, the user can easily perform the operation by following the display on the display of the PC 100.

[0030] However, as a result of the wireless network setting process performed by the PC 100, the printer 101 may not be able to connect to the access point. For example, if the SSID of the specified access point uses a 5 GHz frequency band, but the printer 101 only supports a 2.4 GHz frequency band, the printer 101 may not be able to connect to the specified access point. In this case, the wireless network setting process performed by the PC 100 for the printer 101 and the process in which the printer 101 attempts to connect to the access point are wasted.

[0031] Therefore, in this embodiment, when the PC 100 connects the printer 101 to a predetermined access point, the PC 100 determines in advance whether the printer 101 can be connected to the predetermined access point. Then, after determining that the printer 101 can be connected, the PC 100 performs a wireless network setting process for connecting the printer 101 to the predetermined access point. This will be described in detail below.

[0032] 3 is a flow chart showing an example of processing in which the printer executes wireless settings instructed by the PC. Processing by the PC 100 is realized by CPU 201 executing program 203, and similarly processing by the printer 101 is realized by CPU 242 executing program 244. There is a method for instructing the wireless settings of the printer 101 from the PC 100, and FIG. 3 explains the processing flow of this method. Note that it is assumed here that the PC 100 is already connected to the external access point 102, and the SSID password of the access point 102 is stored in the wireless profile 204.

[0033] A predetermined screen is displayed on the display device 207 by a network setting processing program (application, etc.) included in the program 203 in the PC 100. When the user gives a predetermined instruction on the screen to connect the PC 100 to a printer, the PC 100 starts processing for wireless setting instruction (S300). First, the PC 100 disconnects the wireless connection with the access point 102 (S301). Next, the PC 100 searches for the printer 101 in a wireless setting mode (to be described later) (S302) and judges the detection result (S303). Specifically, the PC 100 searches for an access point corresponding to the above-mentioned unique SSID, and judges whether the search is successful. If it is judged in S303 that the printer in the wireless setting mode has been detected (an access point with a unique SSID has been detected), the PC 100 makes a wireless Ad-hoc connection with the printer 101 (S304). Specifically, the PC 100 connects the wireless LAN I / F 210 to the access point with the unique SSID.

[0034] Next, the PC 100 sends an information acquisition request to the printer 101, and receives an SSID list by getting a response from the printer 101 (S305). This SSID list indicates the access points searched for by the printer 101. Details will be described later. In S305, the PC 100 also receives the identification information (MAC address, etc.) of the printer 101 from the printer 101.

[0035] Next, PC 100 refers to wireless profile 204 (S306) and acquires a wireless profile including the SSID of access point 102 that was connected at the start of the processing shown in Fig. 3 and whose wireless connection was disconnected in S301. PC 100 checks whether the SSID of access point 102 acquired in S306 is included in the SSID list acquired in S305 (S307). In this embodiment, the processing in S307 is referred to as advance check processing 1.

[0036] As a result of the advance confirmation process 1 in S307, the PC 100 determines whether to connect the printer 101 to a predetermined access point (S308). In S308, if it is determined in S307 that the SSID of the access point 102 exists in the SSID list, it is determined that the printer 101 is to be connected to the predetermined access point. If it is determined in S308 that the printer 101 is to be connected to the predetermined access point, the PC 100 transmits information instructing the printer 101 to perform wireless settings (S309). Specifically, in S309, the PC 100 transmits the wireless profile (including the SSID and password) of the access point 102 to the printer 101. Next, the PC 100 disconnects the wireless Ad-hoc connection with the printer 101, and reconnects to the access point 102 (S310). Since the wireless profile 204 of the access point 102 is stored in the ROM 202 in the PC 100, the PC 100 can reconnect to the access point 102 in S310 without the user having to re-enter a password or the like.

[0037] Next, if there is a wireless profile that has temporarily remained in the wireless Ad-hoc connection, the PC 100 deletes it (S311). The process in S311 is performed to prevent a wireless profile of a connection unintended by the user from remaining. The PC 100 then searches for the printer 101 through an infrastructure connection via the access point 102 (S312), and determines whether the printer 101 has been detected (S313). Specifically, in S312, the PC 100 receives identification information (such as a MAC address) from a device connected to the access point 102. Then, it is determined whether the received identification information includes identification information that matches the identification information acquired from the printer 101 in S305.

[0038] If it is determined in S313 that the printer 101 has been detected, the PC 100 displays a setting success screen 600 as shown in Fig. 6(a) on the display device 207 (S314). When the user presses a "Next" button 601 on the setting success screen 600, the PC 100 ends the wireless setting instruction process (S315). Note that the PC 100 may connect to the printer 101 at the timing when it is determined in S313 that the printer 101 has been detected, or may connect to the printer 101 at the timing when the "Next" button 601 is pressed.

[0039] On the other hand, if it is determined that the wireless settings in the printer 101 have failed as a result of the processing in any of S303, S308, and S313, the PC 100 displays a setting failure screen 610 as an error indication, as shown in Fig. 6(b) (S316). When the user presses a "Next" button 611 on the setting failure screen 610, the PC 100 ends the wireless setting instruction processing (S315).

[0040] Next, the wireless setting process of the printer 101 will be described. The wireless setting process is started by the user giving a predetermined instruction on the display device 248 of the printer 101 (S350). When the wireless setting process is started, the printer 101 goes into wireless setting mode. In this wireless setting mode, the PC 100 operates the wireless LAN I / F 246 as an access point of the unique SSID. The wireless setting mode may be started on condition that an instruction to switch to the wireless setting mode is given by the user as the predetermined instruction, or may be started under other conditions. For example, the printer 101 may be configured to temporarily switch to the wireless setting mode under conditions such as when the printer 101 is not wirelessly connected when it is turned on or when it is turned on for the first time after purchase.

[0041] Before switching to the wireless setting mode, the printer 101 first searches for SSIDs in the vicinity (passive scan) and creates an SSID list including the detected SSIDs (S351). After that, the printer 101 switches to the wireless setting mode and completes preparations for wireless Ad-hoc connection (S352). Specifically, the wireless LAN I / F 246 operates as an access point for the unique SSID. When the PC 100 executes the processes of S302 to S304 in this state, the printer 101 starts P2P communication in response to a connection request from the PC 100. The printer 101 checks whether there is an information acquisition request from the PC 100 (S353), and if it is determined that there is a request (S354), it performs information transmission processing (S355), and the processing returns to S353. In S355, the printer 101 transmits the SSID list and the identification information of the printer 101 (MAC address, etc.) to the PC 100.

[0042] On the other hand, if it is determined in S354 that there is no information acquisition request, the printer 101 checks whether or not there is a wireless setting instruction from the PC 100 (S356), and if it is determined that there is no wireless setting instruction (No in S357), the process returns to S353. If it is determined in S357 that there is a wireless setting instruction, the printer 101 executes a connection process to the access point 102 specified by the PC 100 (S358). Specifically, in S358, the printer 101 executes a connection process to the access point 102 using the SSID and password included in the wireless profile received from the PC 100. Then, the printer 101 determines whether or not the connection process has been successful (S359), and if it is determined that the connection process has failed, a setting failure error (not shown) is displayed on the display device 248 of the printer 101 (S360). When the user performs an operation to clear the setting error (not shown) displayed on the display device 248 of the printer 101, the printer 101 ends the wireless setting process (S361). If it is determined in S359 that the connection process has been successful, the printer 101 ends the wireless setting process (S361).

[0043] In this way, by transmitting the wireless profile of the access point 102 to which the PC 100 is already connected to the printer 101, the printer 101 and the access point 102 can be connected without the need for input operations such as a password on the printer 101.

[0044] However, as a result of the determination (S308) in pre-check process 1 (S307), the wireless setting process shown in Fig. 3 may fail (S316). For example, there are cases where the PC 100 does not hold a wireless profile of the access point to which the printer 101 is to be connected. In this case, pre-check process 1 does not determine that the SSID list includes the SSID of the access point 112 (No in S308), so the setting process shown in Fig. 3 fails. Figs. 1(b) to 1(d) show cases in which the setting process shown in Fig. 3 fails for such reasons.

[0045] The case of FIG. 1B is an example in which the access point 112 and the PC 100 are connected via a wired LAN, and the access point 112 and the printer 101 are connected via a wireless LAN. As shown in the system configuration diagram of FIG. 1B, when the PC 100 and the access point 112 are connected to the infrastructure NW via a wired LAN and are in a state in which they can communicate with each other, the wireless profile of the access point 112 does not exist on the PC 100. In this case, in the advance confirmation process 1, since it is not determined that the SSID list includes the SSID of the access point 112 (No in S308), the setting process shown in FIG. 3 fails. Even in such a case, it is desirable to connect the printer 101 to the access point 112, and to establish a state in which the PC 100 can communicate with the printer 101 via the access point 112. The PC 100 also has a wireless LAN I / F 210, and is capable of P2P communication with the printer 101 via a wireless Ad-hoc connection.

[0046] 4, a process for connecting the access point 112 and the printer 101 via a wireless LAN will be described in the case where the access point 112 and the PC 100 are connected via wired LANs 221, 224, and 225. The pre-check process 2 of the PC 100 shown in the flowchart of FIG. 4 is performed in place of the pre-check process 1 (S307) in FIG.

[0047] When the PC 100 starts the pre-check process 2 (S400), it determines whether the wireless profile of the access point 112 to which the printer 101 is to be connected is stored in the PC 100 (S401). If the determination in S401 is Yes, it determines whether the SSID of the access point 112 exists in the SSID list obtained from the printer 101 (S402). If the SSID of the access point 112 exists in the SSID list, the PC 100 determines that the printer 101 should be connected to a specified access point (S409). In this case, the PC 100 ends the pre-check process 2 (S410) and instructs the printer 101 to make wireless settings (S309). The process in S402 is the same as the pre-check process 1 in S307.

[0048] On the other hand, if it is determined in S401 that the wireless profile of the access point 112 is not stored in the PC 100, an access point selection screen is displayed (S403). As described later, the process in S403 is also an input screen display process for displaying an input screen for inputting a password. A case in which the PC 100 does not have the wireless profile of the access point 112 is a case in which the PC 100 is connected to the infrastructure NW via a wired LAN as shown in FIG. 1B. FIG. 5A shows an access point selection screen 500 displayed in S403, which has an SSID list 501, a password setting section 503, a WEP key selection section 504, a manual addition button 505 (described later), and a "Next" button 506. FIG. 5A also shows a state in which SSID-A in the SSID list 501 is selected and a focus 502 is displayed. In the SSID list 501, a list of SSID lists created by the printer 101 in S351 and acquired by the PC 100 in S305 is displayed. The user selects the SSID of the desired access point 112 from the SSID list 501, and inputs the password (characters or numbers) of the access point 112 in the password setting section 503. That is, the screen shown in FIG. 5(a) is a selection screen for the access point (SSID) and also a password input screen. When the PC 100 obtains the SSID list (S305), it obtains the encryption method and channel (frequency band) information of each SSID from the printer 101. More specifically, the printer 101 stores the SSID, encryption method, and channel information from the information of the beacon transmitted from each access point during passive scanning. Then, in S305, the PC 100 obtains this information from the printer 101 together with the SSID list. If the SSID selected in the SSID list 501 is encrypted with WEP, the PC 100 enables the WEP key selection section 504 and causes the printer 101 to select a WEP key.

[0049] When the user presses the "Next" button 506 shown in FIG. 5A, the PC 100 closes the access point selection screen 500. At this time, the PC 100 determines the SSID selected in the SSID list 501 as the SSID of the access point to which the printer 101 will connect in response to the wireless setting instruction in S309. Then, the PC 100 determines whether the printer 101 can connect to the access point based on the information input by the user in S404, S405, and S406. If it is not determined that the printer 101 cannot connect to the access point, the process proceeds to S407. If it is not determined that the printer 101 should be instructed to make wireless settings in the processes in S404 to S407, various error screens shown in FIG. 6C to 6H are displayed. The processes in S404, S405, and S406 will be described later.

[0050] In S407, the PC 100 checks the connection before transmitting the SSID selected on the access point selection screen 500 to the printer 101. That is, the access point to which the printer 101 is to connect is selected on the access point selection screen 500, and in S407, the PC 100 performs a connection test on the access point (S407). In the connection test in S407, the PC executes a process for connecting to the access point using a password input by the user. This process causes the access point to execute an authentication process using this password. Then, the PC 100 judges whether the connection in S407 is successful (S408). If the password input by the user matches the password of the access point, the authentication process is successful and the PC 100 and the access point are connected. In S408, if the PC 100 and the access point are connected, the connection is judged to be successful. If it is determined in S408 that the connection has been successful, the PC 100 determines to connect the printer 101 to a predetermined access point (S409), and ends the advance check process 2 (S410).

[0051] Note that the wireless profile created by the connection established in S407 is deleted by the process in S311. This makes it possible to prevent a profile created by the PC 100 from being left in the ROM 202 unintentionally by the user.

[0052] Furthermore, if PC 100 succeeds in connecting to the access point in the connection test in S407, PC 100 may maintain the connection state as it is, not connect to the access point in S310, and perform a printer search in S312. Alternatively, PC 100 may disconnect from the access point when pre-check process 2 ends, and re-establish a connection to the access point in S310. In the latter case, even if the instruction to set the wireless settings to printer 101 in S309 cannot be given, PC 100 can be prevented from continuing to be connected to the access point specified by the user.

[0053] If it is determined in S408 that the connection has failed, the PC 100 displays an error screen indicating that the passwords do not match as an error display (S411). Fig. 6(c) shows an error screen 620 indicating that the passwords do not match, which is displayed in S411. By displaying the error screen 620, the PC 100 notifies the user that the connection to the access point 112 has failed and that the password entered by the user is incorrect. By pressing the "Back" button 621 on the error screen 620, the PC 100 closes the error screen 620 and displays the access point selection screen 500 again in S403, prompting the user to re-enter the password.

[0054] The processes shown in S407 and S408 allow the PC 100 to instruct the printer 101 to connect to an SSID for which the PC 100 does not have a wireless profile. Then, before transmitting the wireless profile of the access point, including the SSID and password, to the printer 101, the PC 100 can check whether or not it can connect to the access point.

[0055] This prevents the printer 101 from being notified of the password if the user makes a mistake in inputting the password. If the pre-check process 2 shown in FIG. 4 is not performed and only the pre-check process 1 (S307) is performed, the PC 100 will instruct the printer 101 to perform connection settings with the incorrect password (S309). As a result, the printer 101 fails to connect to the access point, and the printer 101 displays a connection failure error (S360). The PC 100 also displays a setting failure display (S316). In this case, since the printer 101 performs a connection process and the PC 100 performs a printer search process before these displays, it takes time for the user to recognize the connection failure. In addition, in order to retry the wireless settings of the printer 101, the user may need to clear the error of the printer 101 and switch to the wireless setting mode again. Therefore, by applying the pre-check process 2 shown in FIG. 4 to S307 in FIG. 3, the user can know that the password was input incorrectly before the printer 101 displays a connection failure error.

[0056] Another case where the PC 100 does not hold a wireless profile of an access point to be connected to the printer 101 will be described with reference to FIG. 1(c). In the case shown in FIG. 1(c), the access point 122 and the access point 123 are bridge-connected. Specifically, the access point 123 set to the bridge mode is relayed to the access point 122, and the access points 122 and 123 are connected to the same subnet. The bridge connection is used, for example, when constructing a wireless NW environment of the same subnet across multiple rooms. In the system configuration shown in FIG. 1(c), the PC 100 is connected to the access point 122 (SSID1) through the wireless LAN I / F 210, and the printer 101 is connected to the access point 123 (SSID2) through the wireless LAN I / F 246. The PC 100 and the printer 101 can mutually notify each other through the access points 122 and 123. In order to build such an infrastructure NW environment, the PC 100 transmits wireless settings to the printer 101 using wireless Ad-hoc communication so as to connect the printer 101 to the access point 123. For example, if the distance between the PC 100 and the printer 101 is not close enough for wireless Ad-hoc communication, it is assumed that the user will temporarily move the PC 100 closer to the printer 101 to perform wireless settings for the printer 101.

[0057] 1(c), PC 100 is not connected to access point 123, and has not saved SSID2 of access point 123 or other setting information as a wireless profile. Even in this case, according to the process shown in Fig. 4, the user can connect printer 101 to access point 123 by selecting SSID2 on access point selection screen 500. Also, by having PC 100 check the connection in advance in S407, it is possible to prevent an incorrect password from being sent to printer 101 even in a bridge connection environment.

[0058] Another case where the PC 100 does not have a wireless profile for the access point (SSID) to be connected to the printer 101 will be described with reference to FIG. 1(d) as an example. The access point 132 supports two or more SSIDs in different frequency bands. Access points that support the 5 GHz frequency band, such as the 802.11ac standard, are also commercially available for use in home environments. By connecting in the 5 GHz frequency band, it is possible to avoid interference with the 2.4 GHz band that has been widely used in the past.

[0059] In the system configuration diagram shown in FIG. 1(d), the PC 100 is connected to SSID1 of the access point 132, which is a standard that supports the 5 GHz frequency band, through the wireless LAN I / F 210. If the wireless LAN I / F 246 of the printer 101 does not support the 5 GHz frequency band, the printer 101 cannot connect to SSID1 even if a connection instruction to SSID1 to which the PC 100 is connected is issued. In addition, since the PC 100 is connected to SSID1 using the 5 GHz frequency band, the wireless profile of SSID1 may be saved, but a wireless profile for SSID2 may not be saved. Therefore, the access point selection screen 500 may be displayed in S403, and the user may select SSID2 that supports the 2.4 GHz frequency band to which the printer 101 can connect. In this case, the printer 101 can connect to the access point 132 by issuing a connection instruction (S309) from the PC 100 to the printer 101. Furthermore, since the process of S408 is performed before the connection instruction (S309) is issued, it is possible to prevent an incorrect password from being sent to the printer 101.

[0060] In the above description, the case where the PC 100 does not hold the wireless profile of the access point to be connected to the printer 101 has been described with reference to FIG. 1D. On the other hand, there are cases where the SSID2 of the desired access point 132 is not displayed on the access point selection screen 500. In other words, there are cases where the SSID2 is not detected in the SSID search process (S351) of the printer 101. Specifically, this is the case when the stealth mode is set for the access point 132. The stealth mode may be set in consideration of a more secure setting, and it is possible to set the access point so that the SSID name is not displayed on the beacon that it transmits to the surroundings, or to set the access point so that it does not transmit the beacon to the surroundings. Therefore, when the stealth mode is set, the SSID2 of the access point 132 is not detected in the SSID search process of the printer 101, and is not displayed in the SSID list 501.

[0061] In such a case, the user can manually add the SSID by pressing a manual addition button 505 included in the access point selection screen 500. The user manually adds SSID2 of the access point 132 using an access point manual addition screen 520 shown in FIG. 5(b) that is displayed by pressing the manual addition button 505. Even if stealth mode is set, the access point 132 responds if the search method is a method of specifying the SSID name (active scan). The access point manual addition screen 520 has an SSID input section 521, an encryption method selection section 522, an encryption method setting section 523, an OK button 524, and a Cancel button 525. The encryption method setting section 523 switches the selectable setting items depending on the encryption method selected in the encryption method selection section 522. For example, when WEP is selected in the encryption method selection section 522 and when WPA / WPA2 is selected, the items displayed in the encryption method setting section 523 are switched. When the OK button 524 or the Cancel button 525 is pressed, the advance confirmation process 2 of the PC 100 returns to the access point selection screen 500. When the OK button 524 is pressed, the advance confirmation process 2 of the PC 100 additionally displays the SSID name entered in the SSID input section 521 of the access point manual addition screen in the SSID list 501. If the SSID is found by the SSID search process (passive scan) S351, the PC 100 can obtain wireless setting information such as channel information for determining the encryption method and frequency band in advance. However, when the SSID is entered on the access point manual addition screen 520, this wireless setting information is not held, so it is necessary to prompt the user to enter various wireless setting information. However, it may happen that an SSID that supports an encryption method or a frequency band suitable for the printer 101 is not correctly selected and entered. In view of this, in FIG. 4, the existence of the SSID is confirmed in S404.

[0062] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the process of checking the existence of an SSID executed in S404.

[0063] 5(a) is pressed, the PC 100 starts the SSID existence confirmation process (S700). Here, it is assumed that the SSID2 (SSID-D) of the access point 132 entered on the access point manual addition screen 520 is selected on the access point selection screen 500, and then the "Next" button 506 is pressed.

[0064] PC100 performs a search process (active scan) (S701) to determine whether the specified SSID2 exists, and determines whether it has been detected (S702). If it is determined in S702 that SSID2 has been detected, PC100 ends the SSID existence confirmation process (S703) and proceeds to the next SSID information confirmation process (S405). If SSID2 is detected in S702, wireless setting information of the access point of SSID2 obtained by the search in S701 is stored in ROM202. This wireless setting information is used in the process in S405 (process shown in FIG. 8) and the process in S406 (process shown in FIG. 9), which will be described later.

[0065] On the other hand, if it is determined in S702 that SSID2 of the access point 132 has not been detected, the PC 100 displays an SSID not detected warning screen 670 in FIG. 6(h) as an error display (S704). This notifies the user that SSID2 has not been found. In the SSID not detected warning screen 670, the PC 100 displays a "Next" button 672 and a "Back" button 671, and asks the user whether or not to reselect using the access point selection screen 500. Then, the PC 100 determines which button the user pressed in the SSID not detected warning screen 670 (S705). If the user pressed the "Back" button 671, that is, if the user wishes to reselect the SSID, the PC 100 closes the SSID not detected warning screen 670. Then, the PC 100 ends the SSID existence confirmation process (S706), and the process returns to S403. If the user presses the "Next" button 672, the PC 100 closes the SSID not detected warning screen 670. Then, the PC 100 ends the SSID existence confirmation process (S707) and determines to connect the printer 101 to a specified access point (S409). Therefore, a wireless setting instruction is issued to the printer 101 using the wireless settings entered on the access point selection screen 500 or the access point manual addition screen 520.

[0066] In FIG. 6(h), a case where the user selects the "Back" button 671 is assumed to be a case where the user inputs a wrong SSID name. A case where the user selects the "Next" button 672 is assumed to be a case where the access point 132 is located in a position where it cannot be detected by the PC 100. In the latter case, it is assumed that the access point 132 is detectable by the printer 101 even if it cannot be detected by the PC 100. In this case, for example, it is assumed that the printer 101 moves the PC 100 closer to the access point 132 after connecting to the access point 132. Therefore, by displaying the screen shown in FIG. 6(h), it is possible to encourage the user to move the PC 100 closer to the access point 132. Alternatively, it is assumed that the PC 100 and the access point 132 are connected by wire, and the access point 132 is located in a position where it cannot be detected by the PC 100. In this case, since there is no need for a wireless connection between the PC 100 and the access point 132, the user may determine that there is no problem even if the SSID of the access point 132 is not detected by the PC 100. In this case, it is conceivable that the user will select the “Next” button 672 .

[0067] In this way, by selecting the “Next” button 672, the user can prevent the user from unintentionally encountering a setting failure error (S316) when the access point 132 is not detected by the PC 100, and can perform wireless settings on the printer 101.

[0068] In the above description, the case where the SSID2 of the desired access point 132 is not displayed on the access point selection screen 500 is described as a case where the stealth mode is set for the access point 132. As another example, there is a limit to the size of the SSID list that the printer 101 can hold. If the size of the ROM 243 of the printer 101 is small, it may happen that the SSID2 desired by the user is not stored in the list when the SSID list is created (S351). For example, if there are many access points in the vicinity of an apartment building or the like, and there are many SSIDs to be included in the SSID list, it may happen that the SSID desired by the user is not included in the SSID. In addition, for example, in a case where a large channel number is assigned, it may happen that the SSID desired by the user is not included in the SSID. The SSID list sequentially stores SSIDs detected in S351. Therefore, in these cases, the number of SSIDs that can be stored in the SSID list exceeds the number that can be stored before the user-desired SSID2 is detected, and SSID2 is omitted from the SSID list.

[0069] Next, the SSID information confirmation in S405 in Fig. 4 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. The process in Fig. 8 is executed when the SSID selected by the user from the list or manually inputted in the process in S404 shown in Fig. 7 is detected by PC 100 (Yes in S702 in Fig. 7).

[0070] When the PC 100 starts the SSID confirmation process (S800), it acquires wireless setting information of the access point of SSID2 that was stored in the ROM 202 when the SSID2 was specified and searched (S701) (S801). The wireless setting information includes, for example, the authentication method, encryption method, frequency band (channel), and wireless standard used by the access point. The following method, for example, is used as a method for acquiring the frequency band used by the access point. In S701, the PC 100 searches multiple frequency bands, and the frequency band used when SSID2 was detected is stored in the ROM 202 as the wireless setting information as the frequency band supported by the access point of SSID2. Other information in the wireless setting information is acquired, for example, from the access point of SSID2 in the search in S701.

[0071] Next, PC 100 compares the authentication method and encryption method set on access point manual addition screen 520 with the authentication method and encryption method included in the wireless setting information acquired in S801 (S802). Then, PC 100 determines whether the authentication method and encryption method match (S803).

[0072] If it is determined in S803 that they match, the SSID confirmation process ends (S804). On the other hand, if it is determined in S803 that they do not match, the PC 100 displays an authentication method / encryption method mismatch error (S805) as an error display shown in FIG. 6(d). The display shown in FIG. 6(d) notifies the user that at least one of the authentication method / encryption method set in SSID2 of the access point 132 does not match the one entered on the access point manual addition screen 520. When the "return" button 631 is pressed, the PC 100 closes the authentication method / encryption method mismatch error screen 630 and ends the SSID confirmation process (S806, S412). Then, the PC 100 displays the access point selection screen 500 again, making it possible to prompt the user to reset. This allows the user to know that the input of the authentication method / encryption method was incorrect before the printer 101 is instructed to perform wireless setting (S309). That is, it is possible to prevent the printer 101 from encountering a connection failure error (S360). Then, the user can press the "return" button 631 to re-enter the authentication method and encryption method.

[0073] On the other hand, if the SSID confirmation process is completed in S804, the PC 100 executes a printer specification confirmation process as the next confirmation process (S406). The process in S406 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0074] It should be noted that printer capability information is used in the process in Fig. 9. When PC 100 performs a process for acquiring information from the printer (S305), it obtains the capability information of printer 101 through the information transmission process of printer 101 (S355). The printer capability information includes various wireless information supported by printer 101, such as supported channel information for determining frequency bands, supported authentication and encryption method information, and supported wireless standard information.

[0075] When the PC 100 starts the printer specification confirmation process (S900), it confirms the specifications of the printer 101 (S901). In S902, it is determined whether the printer 101 supports the frequency band supported by SSID2 of the access point 132 (whether the frequency band can be used by the printer 101). In the determination in S902, the frequency band supported by the access point, which is stored in the ROM 202 in S701 and included in the wireless setting information acquired in S801, is compared with the frequency band included in the capability information of the printer 101.

[0076] If the determination in S902 is Yes, the PC 100 makes the next determination (S903). In S903, the PC 100 determines whether the authentication method and encryption method set in SSID2 of the access point 132 are supported by the printer 101 (whether they can be used by the printer 101) (S903). In the determination in S903, the authentication method and encryption method supported by the access point, which are included in the above wireless setting information, are compared with the authentication method and encryption method included in the printer 101's capability information.

[0077] If the determination in S903 is Yes, the PC 100 makes the next determination (S904). In S904, the PC 100 determines whether the printer 101 supports (can be used by the printer 101) the wireless standard (802.11b / g / n, etc.) with which SSID2 of the access point 132 operates (S904). In the determination in S904, the wireless standard supported by the access point, which is included in the wireless setting information, is compared with the wireless standard included in the capability information of the printer 101. If the determination in S904 is Yes, the PC 100 ends the spec confirmation process (S905).

[0078] On the other hand, if it is determined in any of S902, S903, and S904 that the printer 101 does not support the SSID, various error screens are displayed. If it is determined in S902 that the SSID is not supported, the PC 100 displays a frequency band unsupported error screen (640) shown in FIG. 6E as an error display (S906). This notifies the user to select another SSID. If it is determined in S903 that the SSID is not supported, the PC 100 displays an authentication method / encryption method unsupported error screen (650) shown in FIG. 6F as an error display (S907). By displaying the screen in S907, the PC 100 notifies the user to select another SSID or change the settings of SSID2 of the access point 132. If it is determined in S904 that the SSID is not supported, the PC 100 displays a wireless standard unsupported error screen (660) shown in FIG. 6G as an error display (S908). This notifies the user to select another SSID. By pressing the "Back" button (641, 651, 661) on each error screen, the PC 100 closes the error screen and ends the process (S909, S412). That is, it is possible to prevent the printer 101 from falling into a connection failure error (S360).

[0079] According to the above embodiment, the processes shown in S407 and S408 allow the PC 100 to check connection to the access point before transmitting a wireless profile of the access point including the SSID and password to the printer 101. Then, for example, if the user inputs an incorrect password, the user can be notified as shown in FIG. 6C before transmitting the wireless profile to the printer 101. Furthermore, the processes shown in S404 to S407 allow the user to be notified if the SSID, authentication method, or encryption method input by the user is incorrect, or if the desired access point and the wireless communication capability information of the printer 101 do not match.

[0080] Furthermore, when a notification is given to the user by confirmation processing prior to issuing a wireless setting instruction to the printer 101 (S309), the displayed contents differ depending on the cause of the notification (confirmation step), as shown in Figures 6(c) to 6(h). Therefore, when the user re-enters various information or re-selects an access point, the user can re-enter information for appropriate items and re-select an appropriate access point. Note that when the screen is re-displayed in S403 after S411, the letters and numbers entered by the user and the selected contents before the error screen shown in Figure 6(c) was displayed are displayed.

[0081] Furthermore, in the process shown in Fig. 4, after the SSID existence confirmation process in S404, a connection test to an AP is performed in S407. If it is determined in S404 that the SSID does not exist, an error message as shown in Fig. 6(h) is displayed without the process in S407 being performed. That is, if an error is determined in S404, an error message is displayed without waiting for the authentication process in the access point to be performed by the process in S407. This makes it possible to notify the user of the error more quickly.

[0082] In the above embodiment, a wireless Ad-hoc connection by wireless LAN has been described as an example of a technique for P2P connection between the printer 101 and the PC 100. Other than that, a USB connection, an Ethernet cable connection, or a short-distance wireless communication such as NFC (Near Field radio Communication) may be applied as the wireless Ad-hoc connection. Also, a P2P connection such as a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) connection may be applied as the wireless Ad-hoc connection of this embodiment.

[0083] [Other Examples] The functions of this embodiment can also be realized by the following configuration. That is, the functions can also be achieved by supplying a program code for performing the processing of this embodiment to a system or device, and having the computer (or CPU or MPU) of that system or device execute the program code. In this case, the program code itself read out from the storage medium realizes the functions of the above-mentioned embodiment, and the storage medium storing the program code also realizes the functions of this embodiment.

[0084] In addition, the program code for realizing the functions of this embodiment may be executed by one computer (CPU, MPU), or may be executed by multiple computers working together. Furthermore, the program code may be executed by a computer, or hardware such as a circuit for realizing the functions of the program code may be provided. Alternatively, part of the program code may be realized by hardware, and the remaining part may be executed by a computer. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 201 CPU 202 ROM 206 RAM

Claims

1. A predetermined application program, on a computer of an information processing apparatus, a receiving step of receiving a predetermined instruction from a user on a screen displayed by the predetermined application program; an execution step of executing display control processing for causing the information processing apparatus to display a selection screen on which a user can select any one of one or more access points, based on the fact that the predetermined instruction has been received on the screen displayed by the predetermined application program; a transmission step of transmitting information used for connection with the access point selected on the selection screen to a communication device via communication by Bluetooth Low Energy; a search step of searching for the communication device via the access point to which the information processing apparatus is connected after the information used for connection with the selected access point has been transmitted to the communication device; a processing step of executing processing based on the fact that the communication device has been detected by the search; to be executed, wherein the information processing apparatus executes connection processing using authentication information input by the user in the information processing apparatus, based on the fact that any access point has been selected on the displayed selection screen; the connection processing is processing for attempting to establish a connection between the access point selected on the selection screen and the information processing apparatus after the selection screen has been displayed and before the information processing apparatus transmits the information used for connection with the access point selected on the selection screen to the communication device; based on the fact that establishment of the connection between the access point selected on the selection screen and the information processing apparatus has been successful by the connection processing, the information used for connection with the selected access point is transmitted to the communication device by the predetermined application program; a program characterized by the above.

2. Further causing to execute a display step of displaying an input screen for receiving input of the authentication information, wherein the information used for connection with the selected access point includes the authentication information input on the input screen; the program according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

3. After any access point is selected on the displayed selection screen, the authentication information is input by the user in the information processing apparatus. The program according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that.

4. The information used for connection to the selected access point includes the SSID of the selected access point and the authentication information. The program according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that.

5. The information used for connection to the selected access point is transmitted to the communication device by a Peer to Peer connection between the information processing device and the communication device. The program according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that.

6. When the establishment of the connection between the access point selected on the selection screen and the information processing apparatus fails due to the connection process, a screen corresponding to the failure of the establishment of the connection between the access point selected on the selection screen and the information processing apparatus is displayed. The program according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that.

7. The display control process is executed as a process for transmitting to the communication device information used for connection to an access point different from the access point to which the information processing device is connected. The program according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that.

8. The display control process is executed in a state where a Peer to Peer connection between the information processing device and the communication device is established. The program according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that.

9. When the search for the communication device is successful, a display control step of displaying a screen corresponding to the success of the search for the communication device and, when the search for the communication device fails, displaying a screen corresponding to the failure of the search for the communication device is further executed. The program according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that.

10. When the establishment of the connection between the access point selected on the selection screen and the information processing apparatus fails due to the connection process, the information used for connection to the selected access point is not transmitted to the communication device by the predetermined application program. The program according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that.

11. Further execute a search step of executing a process of searching for the communication device, Information used for connection to the selected access point is transmitted to the communication device detected by the process of searching for the communication device, The program according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that.

12. The process of searching for the communication device is a process of searching for an access point corresponding to a predetermined SSID stored in the information processing device when the predetermined application program is installed, The program according to claim 11, characterized in that.

13. The process of searching for the communication device is a process of searching for an access point corresponding to a predetermined SSID uniquely determined for the manufacturer of the communication device or the model of the communication device, The program according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that.

14. The communication device is a printing device, The program according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that.

15. Further execute an acquisition step of acquiring a list indicating the access points searched by the communication device from the communication device, The selection screen is a screen displayed based on the list, The program according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that.

16. A control method for an information processing device having a predetermined application program, A reception step of receiving a predetermined instruction from a user on a screen displayed by the predetermined application program, An execution step of executing a display control process for displaying on the information processing device a selection screen on which a user can select any one of one or more access points, based on the fact that the predetermined instruction has been received on the screen displayed by the predetermined application program, A transmission step of transmitting, via communication by Bluetooth Low Energy, information used for connection to the access point selected on the selection screen to the communication device, After the information used for connection to the selected access point is transmitted to the communication device, a search step of searching for the communication device via the access point to which the information processing device is connected, A processing step of executing processing based on the fact that the communication device has been detected by the search, having Based on any access point being selected on the displayed selection screen, the information processing apparatus executes connection processing using authentication information input by the user in the information processing apparatus. The connection processing is a process of attempting to establish a connection between the access point selected on the selection screen and the information processing apparatus after the selection screen is displayed and before the information processing apparatus transmits information used for connection to the selected access point on the selection screen to the communication apparatus. Based on the connection between the access point selected on the selection screen and the information processing apparatus being successfully established by the connection processing, the information used for connection to the selected access point is transmitted to the communication apparatus by the predetermined application program. A control method characterized by the above.

17. An information processing apparatus having a predetermined application program, Receiving means for receiving a predetermined instruction from a user on a screen displayed by the predetermined application program, Execution means for executing display control processing for causing the information processing apparatus to display a selection screen on which the user can select any one of one or more access points based on the predetermined instruction being received on the screen displayed by the predetermined application program, Transmission means for transmitting information used for connection to the access point selected on the selection screen to a communication apparatus via communication by Bluetooth Low Energy, Search means for searching for the communication apparatus via the access point to which the information processing apparatus is connected after the information used for connection to the selected access point is transmitted to the communication apparatus, Processing means for executing processing based on the communication apparatus being detected by the search, To execute, Based on any access point being selected on the displayed selection screen, the information processing apparatus executes connection processing using authentication information input by the user in the information processing apparatus. The connection process is a process of attempting to establish a connection between the access point selected on the selection screen and the information processing device after the selection screen is displayed and before the information processing device transmits information used for connection to the access point selected on the selection screen to the communication device. Based on the successful establishment of the connection between the access point selected on the selection screen and the information processing device by the connection process, the information used for connection to the selected access point is transmitted to the communication device by the predetermined application program. An information processing device characterized by the above.

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