Communication device, method for controlling the same, and program

Abstract

To provide a communication device that is designed for a new standard, and that allows a user to suitably recognize a communication state, and a method for controlling the same.SOLUTION: A method using a communication device that can execute communication conforming to the IEEE802.11 standard, includes: establishing multi-link communication defined by the IEEE802.11 standard with an access point (AP) (S102); and when a multi-link is established with an external device (YES in S102), outputting information indicating the multi-link (S103).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication device, a control method thereof, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] With the recent increase in the amount of data to be communicated, the development of communication technologies such as wireless LAN (Local Area Network) has been promoted. As the main communication standards for wireless LAN, the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11 standard series is known. The IEEE 802.11 standard series includes standards such as IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax. For example, in IEEE 802.11ax, in addition to a high peak throughput of up to 9.6 gigabits per second (Gbps) using OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access), a technique for improving the communication speed under congested conditions has been standardized (see Patent Document 1). Note that OFDMA is an abbreviation for Orthogonal frequency-division multiple access.

[0003] The formulation of the IEEE 802.11 standard series is progressing. For example, as a successor standard aiming for further throughput improvement, improvement in frequency utilization efficiency, and improvement in communication latency, a task group called IEEE 802.11be has been established. In the IEEE 802.11be standard, for example, Multi-Link communication is being considered in which one AP (Access Point) establishes a plurality of links with one STA (Station) via a plurality of different frequency channels and communicates in parallel.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Generally, in a communication device, the communication state is output on a screen or the like so that the user can grasp the communication state. However, when the communication device supports a new communication standard, how to output the communication state has not been considered.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for suitably allowing a user to recognize a communication state in a communication device compatible with a new standard.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] A communication device capable of performing communication compliant with the IEEE802.11 standard, comprising: communication means for performing Multi-Link communication defined by the IEEE802.11 standard with an external device; and output means for outputting information indicating Multi-Link when the communication means has established Multi-Link with the external device.

Effects of the Invention

[0008] It becomes possible to suitably allow a user to recognize the communication state.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

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

[0011] FIG. 1 shows a configuration example of a network composed of communication devices including an access point (AP) and a station (STA) according to the present embodiment. FIG. 1 shows a configuration example of a network including one access point (AP101) and one station (STA102). As shown in FIG. 1, the network formed by AP101 is indicated by a circle 100. STA102 can transmit and receive signals transmitted and received by AP101. In addition to the function as a station, STA102 may have the function as an access point, and it is also possible to execute the function as a station and the function as an access point simultaneously.

[0012] STA102 participates in the network formed by AP101, and AP101 and STA102 can perform wireless communication compliant with the IEEE802.11be (EHT) standard. Note that IEEE is an abbreviation for Institute of Electrial and Electronics Engineers. Also, EHT is an abbreviation for Extremely High Throughput. Note that EHT may also be interpreted as an abbreviation for Extreme High Throughput. Also, IEEE802.11be is also referred to as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) 7. Each communication device can communicate at frequencies in the 2.4 GHz band, 5 GHz band, and 6 GHz band. The frequency band used by each communication device is not limited to this, and for example, a different frequency band such as the 60 GHz band may be used. Also, AP101 and STA102 can communicate using bandwidths of 20 GHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 160 MHz, and 320 MHz. The bandwidth used by each communication device is not limited to this, and for example, different bandwidths such as 240 MHz and 4 MHz may be used.

[0013] Although AP101 and STA102 are assumed to be compliant with the IEEE802.11be standard, in addition to this, they may also be compliant with legacy standards that are older than the IEEE802.11be standard, or they may be compliant with successor standards to IEEE802.11be. Specifically, AP101 and STA102 may be compliant with at least any one of the IEEE802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax standards. Also, in addition to the IEEE802.11 series of standards, they may be compliant with other communication standards such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), NFC, UWB, ZigBee, and MBOA. Note that UWB is an abbreviation for Ultra Wide Band, and MBOA is an abbreviation for Multi Band OFDM Alliance. Also, NFC is an abbreviation for Near Field Communication. UWB includes wireless USB, wireless 1394, WiNET, etc. Also, they may be compliant with communication standards for wired communications such as wired LAN (Local Area Network). Specific examples of AP101 include, but are not limited to, wireless LAN routers, personal computers (PCs), smartphones, tablets, etc. Also, AP101 may be an information processing device such as a wireless chip that can execute wireless communication compliant with the IEEE802.11be standard. Also, specific examples of STA102 include, but are not limited to, cameras, tablets, smartphones, PCs, mobile phones, video cameras, headsets, printing devices, multifunction printers, etc. Also, STA102 may be an information processing device such as a wireless chip that can execute wireless communication compliant with the IEEE802.11be standard.

[0014] AP101 and STA102 perform Multi-Link communication that establishes and communicates a link via a plurality of frequency channels. Multi-Link is defined in the IEEE802.11 standard. An AP that performs Multi-Link communication is also called an AP MLD. In the IEEE802.11 series of standards, the bandwidth of each frequency channel is defined as 20MHz. Here, the frequency channel is a frequency channel defined in the IEEE802.11 series of standards. In the IEEE802.11 series of standards, a plurality of frequency channels are defined in each frequency band of the 2.4GHz band, 5GHz band, 6GHz band, and 60GHz band. By bonding with adjacent frequency channels, a bandwidth of 40MHz or more may be used in one frequency channel. For example, AP101 can establish and communicate a link 103 with STA102 via a first frequency channel in the 5GHz band. In parallel with this, STA102 can establish and communicate a link 104 with AP101 via a second frequency channel in the 6GHz band. In this case, STA102 performs Multi-Link communication that maintains a second link 104 via the second frequency channel in parallel with the link 103 via the first frequency channel.

[0015] Conventionally, an STA compliant with the IEEE802.11 standard connected to an access point and performed data communication with the access point via a single link. By connecting to the access point and performing data communication simultaneously via two or more links using Multi-Link communication, throughput improvement can be achieved. Also, in 11be, support for the 6GHz band is also being considered in order to expand the available frequency bands. Note that two or more links may be selected from two or more of the same frequency bands (any of the sub-GHz band, 2.4GHz band, 3.6GHz band, 4.9 and 5GHz band, 60GHz band, and 6GHz band), or may be selected from different frequency bands respectively. An AP or STA that supports Multi-Link communication is called an AP MLD (Multi-Link Device) or STA MLD. Also, an AP associated with an AP MLD and operating on different channels from each other is called an affiliated AP, and an STA associated with an STA MLD and operating on different channels from each other is called an affiliated STA. Affiliated APs are represented by adding numbers at the end such as AP1, AP2···, and affiliated STAs are represented by adding numbers at the end such as STA1, STA2···.

[0016] An example of a sequence diagram for performing Multi-Link communication is shown in FIG. 2. The setup of Multi-Link communication is performed based on a Basic Multi-Link element, a Reduced Neighbor Report element, etc. An AP associated with each frequency band capable of performing data communication is called an affiliated AP, and a STA associated with each frequency band capable of performing data communication is called an affiliated STA. The determination of whether to connect via Multi-Link is made based on the Basic Multi-Link element. The Basic Multi-Link element contains information used for Multi-Link such as an MLD ID and a link ID. The AP MLD includes the Basic Multi-Link element in a Beacon or Probe Response and transmits it. The STA MLD checks whether the Basic Multi-Link element is included in a Beacon or Probe Response sent by any affiliated AP and determines whether it is an AP MLD or not. If the opposing AP is an AP MLD, the frequency band and channel information of other affiliated APs belonging to the same AP MLD are obtained from the RNR (Reduced Neighbor Report) element in the obtained Beacon or Probe Response. Whether it is the same AP or not is determined by the fact that the MLD ID included in the RNR element is 0. The content of the RNR element is shown in FIG. 3. The STA MLD switches to the obtained channel, obtains detailed information of each affiliated AP, and connects with the affiliated AP to be connected via Multi-Link based on this information. That is, for Multi-Link, the Probe frame and Authentication frame are exchanged, and the STA and AP establish a connection on multiple links through a 4-way handshake, that is, establish a Multi-Link connection. If the opposing AP is not an AP MLD, it connects on a single frequency channel.

[0017] In this way, by establishing a link with STA102 via multiple frequency channels, AP101 can improve the throughput in communication with STA102. Note that in Multi-Link communication, multiple links with different frequency bands may be established between communication devices. For example, in addition to link 103 in the 5 GHz band and link 104 in the 6 GHz band between AP101 and STA102, a third link in the 2.4 GHz band may be established. Alternatively, a link may be established via a plurality of different channels included in the same frequency band. For example, 15ch in the 6 GHz band may be used as the first link, and in addition, 207ch in the 6 GHz band may be established as the second link. Note that links with the same frequency band and different frequency bands may be mixed. For example, in addition to the link 103 of 36ch in the 5 GHz band between AP101 and STA102, a link of 149ch in the 5 GHz band and a link of 15ch in the 6 GHz band may be established. By establishing a plurality of connections with different frequencies with STA102, even when a certain band is congested, communication can be established with STA102 in the other band, so that a decrease in throughput and communication delay in communication with STA102 can be prevented.

[0018] Fig. 4 shows a hardware configuration example of AP101 in this embodiment. AP101 includes a storage unit 401, a control unit 402, a functional unit 403, an input unit 404, an output unit 405, a communication unit 406, and an antenna 407. Note that there may be a plurality of antennas.

[0019] The storage unit 401 is composed of one or more memories such as ROM and RAM, and stores computer programs for performing various operations described later, as well as various information such as communication parameters for wireless communication. ROM is the abbreviation of Read Only Memory, and RAM is the abbreviation of Random Access Memory. In addition to memories such as ROM and RAM, storage media such as flexible disks, hard disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, magnetic tapes, non-volatile memory cards, and DVDs may be used as the storage unit 401. Also, the storage unit 401 may include a plurality of memories and the like.

[0020] The control unit 402 is composed of one or more processors such as a CPU or an MPU, for example, and controls the entire AP101 by executing the computer program stored in the storage unit 401. Note that the control unit 402 may control the entire AP101 by cooperating with the computer program stored in the storage unit 401 and the OS (Operating System). Also, the control unit 402 generates data and signals (wireless frames) to be transmitted in communication with other communication devices. Note that CPU is the abbreviation of Central Processing Unit, and MPU is the abbreviation of Micro Processing Unit. Also, the control unit 402 may include a plurality of processors such as a multi-core processor, and control the entire AP101 by the plurality of processors.

[0021] Also, the control unit 402 controls the functional unit 403 to execute predetermined processes such as wireless communication, imaging, printing, and projection. The functional unit 403 is hardware for the AP101 to execute predetermined processes.

[0022] The input unit 404 receives various operations from the user. The output unit 405 performs various outputs to the user via a monitor screen or a speaker. Here, the output by the output unit 405 may be a display on the monitor screen, an audio output by the speaker, a vibration output, etc. Note that both the input unit 404 and the output unit 405 may be realized by one module such as a touch panel. Also, the input unit 404 and the output unit 405 may be integrated with the AP101 respectively, or may be separate entities.

[0023] The communication unit 406 controls wireless communication compliant with the IEEE802.11be standard. In addition to the IEEE802.11be standard, the communication unit 406 may also control wireless communication compliant with other IEEE802.11 series standards or control wired communication such as a wired LAN. The communication unit 406 controls the antenna 407 to transmit and receive signals for wireless communication generated by the control unit 402.

[0024] Note that when the AP101 supports other communication standards such as the NFC standard or the Bluetooth standard in addition to the IEEE802.11be standard, it may control wireless communication compliant with these communication standards. Also, when the AP101 can execute wireless communication compliant with multiple communication standards, it may have a configuration with separate communication units and antennas corresponding to each communication standard. The AP101 communicates data such as image data, document data, and video data with a counterpart device via the communication unit 406. Note that the antenna 407 may be configured separately from the communication unit 406 or may be configured as one module together with the communication unit 406.

[0025] Antenna 407 is an antenna capable of communication in the 2.4 GHz band, 5 GHz band, and 6 GHz band. In this embodiment, AP102 is assumed to have two antennas, but it may also have three antennas. Or it may have different antennas for each frequency band. Also, when AP101 has a plurality of antennas, it may have a communication unit 406 corresponding to each antenna. Note that STA102 is assumed to have the same hardware configuration as AP101, but STA102 may also have at least one of a printing unit that prints image data on a medium and a scanner unit that reads a document. Also, STA102 may have a camera unit for imaging. That is, STA102 may be an image processing device such as a printer, scanner, MFP, etc., or a portable terminal such as a smartphone or tablet, a camera, or a personal computer (PC).

[0026] FIG. 5 shows a block diagram of the functional configuration of AP101 in this embodiment. Note that STA102 has the same configuration, but in the case of STA, the affiliated AP setting unit 504 becomes an affiliated STA setting unit.

[0027] AP101 is composed of a Multi-Link control unit 501, an affiliated AP setting unit 502, a frame generation unit 503, a frame transmission / reception unit 504, a communication quality measurement unit 505, and an output control unit 506.

[0028] The Multi-Link control unit 501 is a block that controls communication start processing for establishing one or more links used by AP101 for wireless communication with STA102, link addition / removal processing after communication starts, and communication end processing for deleting all links. The connection processing is specifically composed of Authentication processing, Association processing, and 4-Way-Hand-Shake (4WHS) processing.

[0029] The affiliated AP setting unit 502 selects and determines the affiliated AP in the Multi-Link communication set in each UI unit. Further, it notifies the frame transmission / reception unit 504 of the affiliated AP to be used.

[0030] The frame generation unit 503 is a block that generates a frame to be transmitted according to the setting of the affiliated AP setting unit 502.

[0031] The frame transmission / reception unit 504 transmits and receives a wireless frame including a Beacon / Probe Response frame and a data frame generated by the frame generation unit 503 according to the affiliated AP information received from the affiliated AP setting unit 502, and receives a wireless frame from the counterpart device.

[0032] The communication quality measurement unit 505 measures and calculates the communication quality of the Beacon / Probe Response frame received from the frame transmission / reception unit 504. Note that the communication quality information includes, but is not limited to, RSSI, SNR, etc.

[0033] The output control unit 506 controls outputs such as screen output, voice output, and printing output for providing information to the user. For example, it displays the communication state of the STA102 on the screen.

[0034] (Example 1) Example 1 according to the present invention will be described. In Example 1, an example is shown in which when the communication device has established Multi-Link, a display indicating Multi-Link is performed using an icon or the like.

[0035] FIG. 6 is an example of a screen displayed by the STA102 on the output unit 405 when the wireless LAN link with the AP101 is established. Here, the STA102 will be described as an image processing device having a printer and a scanner, but it is not limited to this.

[0036] Screen 600 is an example of a screen displayed on the output unit 405 when STA102 has established wireless LAN communication with AP101 via a single link. That is, it is an example of a screen displayed by STA102 when it has established wireless communication compliant with the IEEE802.11 series standard with AP101 via a single link. Screen 600 is, for example, the home screen displayed immediately after STA102 is started up, and is a screen for the user to select the functions to execute. For example, by selecting the copy icon 681, the user can cause STA102 to execute the copy process. Screen 600 further includes display items such as a login button 682 for the user to log in to STA102 and a settings button 683 for performing various settings of STA102. Icon 601 is an example of a wireless LAN icon indicating that STA102 has established communication with AP101 via a single link. Here, it is assumed to be a display when a single link is established, but it may also be a display when communication is performed only via a single link. In the following description, the display and output when Multi-Link is established will be described, but the present embodiment is also applicable to a configuration in which "establishment of Multi-Link" is regarded as "communicating via Multi-Link". The establishment of Multi-Link is, for example, a state in which the STA and the AP have performed the setup of Multi-Link or a state in which the 4-way handshake has been performed after the setup of Multi-Link. Communicating via Multi-Link is, for example, a state in which TIDs are assigned to a plurality of links and a state in which data is actually being communicated via each link. The wireless LAN icon 601 is composed of a plurality of semi-circular arc-shaped objects, and the display manner of the objects may indicate the radio wave intensity in the communication with AP101. For example, by making the semi-circular arc-shaped object displayed at the top white like icon 602, it is shown that the radio wave is weaker than when it is icon 601. As the radio wave intensity weakens, the user can grasp the radio wave intensity at a glance by displaying the semi-circular arc-shaped objects white in order from the top. Although icons 601 and 602 are examples of wireless LAN icons, the shape of the icon is not limited to this. For example, a display in which a plurality of lines with different heights are arranged as in 603 may be used.In this case, as the radio wave intensity weakens, it is displayed in white in order from the right line to let the user grasp the radio wave intensity. Not limited to this, as long as it indicates the communication state of STA102, the shape of the icon does not matter, and it may be indicated by a character string or the like instead of the form of the icon.

[0037] The screen 610 is an example of a screen that STA102 displays on the output unit 405 when STA102 has established a link with AP101 via a plurality of frequency channels, that is, when Multi-Link communication has been established.

[0038] Icon 611 is an example of a Multi-Link icon indicating that STA102 has established a link with AP101 via multiple frequency channels. Here, it is assumed that multiple links are established, but as described above, it may also be the display when communicating via multiple links. Icon 611 includes a display object similar to Icon 601, and here too, the radio wave intensity may be indicated by the display method, and the shape of the icon is not limited to this. For example, Icon 611 may include a linear object like Icon 603 instead of a semi-circular arc object. The radio wave intensity shown here may indicate the radio wave intensity of any one of the multiple established links (for example, the link with the strongest radio wave intensity or the link with the weakest radio wave intensity), or it may calculate and show the average value of the radio wave intensities of the multiple established links. Icon 611 further has a display item 612 indicating that a Multi-Link is established. Here, assuming that STA102 and AP101 have established two links, two display items 612 are shown. If STA102 and AP101 have established three links, three display items 612 will be shown. Here, the display item 612 is shown as an icon imitating a two-way arrow, but the display is not limited to this. Furthermore, the display indicating that a Multi-Link is established can be realized without separately providing a display item. For example, when the communication device has established one link (single link), Icon 611 is lit, and when the communication device has established a Multi-Link, the display method of the icon is changed, such as changing Icon 611 to a blinking display, to indicate that a Multi-Link is established. Icon 611 further has a display item 613 indicating the frequency band of each established link. Here, it shows that a Multi-Link is established in two frequency bands of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. It is also possible to display channel information, etc., not limited to the frequency band of each established link.

[0039] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the process of displaying the screen of FIG. 6 in this embodiment. The process of the flowchart starts when the communication device (STA102) receives an instruction to display a screen from the user. Each process of the flowchart is realized, for example, by the control unit 402 reading and executing a program stored in the storage unit 401. It should be noted that this flowchart is repeatedly executed at regular intervals while STA102 is displaying the screen.

[0040] In S101, the control unit 402 determines whether STA102 is connected to the AP. If it is determined that STA102 is not connected to the AP, in S105, the control unit 402 displays a home screen with the icons indicating the communication state (for example, icons 601 and 611) hidden and ends the process. If it is determined in S101 that STA102 is connected to the AP, the process proceeds to S102.

[0041] In S102, the control unit 402 determines whether STA102 has established two or more links. If it is determined that two or more links have not been established, in S104, the control unit 402 displays a Wi-Fi icon (for example, icons 601, 602, 603) indicating a single link and ends the process. If it is determined in S102 that two or more links have been established, in S103, the control unit 402 displays icon 611 indicating Multi-Link and ends the process.

[0042] Through the above flowchart process, when the communication device has established Multi-Link, the user can grasp at a glance that the communication device has established Multi-Link. Also, although an example of displaying the icon 611 etc. indicating the communication state on the home screen has been shown, the display indicating the communication state is not limited to the home screen and is also performed when transitioning to the screen of an application etc. That is, the icon 611 etc. indicating the communication state is displayed in a fixed area of the screen so that the user can always check it.

[0043] The display indicating that the communication device has established a Multi-Link is not limited to the display in FIG. 6. Another example of the screen displayed by the STA102 when it has established a multi-link with the AP101 is shown using FIG. 11. Although the STA102 has established a Multi-Link with the AP101, any one of the established multiple links may become unusable due to radio wave interference or the like, and actual data communication may be performed using only the available links. For example, when the STA102 has established multiple links with the AP101 but is actually communicating using only one link, the icon 1101 in FIG. 11(a) may be displayed. The icon 1101 includes one display item 612. That is, when the communication device has established multiple links but is performing data communication using only a predetermined link among the multiple links, the icon 1101 is displayed. On the other hand, when the communication device has established multiple links and is performing data communication using the multiple links, the icon 611 is displayed. By making such a display, the user can identify whether the communication device has established a Multi-Link and whether it is performing data communication using multiple links. When the STA102 has established multiple links with the AP101 but is actually communicating using only one link, the icon 1111 in FIG. 11(b) may be used for the display. The icon 1111 includes a display item 1121 indicating that data communication is not being performed on the established predetermined link. The display item 1121 is shown above the display item 612 indicating the link, but is not limited to this, and may be configured to be displayed from above the entire icon 1111. Also, the display item 1121 may be a display item such as "×" or "!". By displaying the display item 1121, the user can grasp that the STA102 is not communicating using Multi-Link. Even if the connected AP supports Multi-Link, the display item 1121 may be displayed when the Multi-Link has not been established or when the Multi-Link communication is not being performed.In this case, if the connected AP does not support Multi-Link, the display item 1121 is not displayed even when Multi-Link is not established or Multi-Link communication is not being performed. Also, when the icon 1111 is selected by the user, the screen may transition to the screen for performing the communication settings of STA102.

[0044] Here, the icons 1101 and 1111 are shown as an example of the case where STA102 has established a plurality of links but is actually communicating using only one link. However, the configuration may be such that the icons 1101 and 1111 are displayed when STA102 has established one link. In this case, when STA102 has established a plurality of links, the display of the icons 1101 and 1111 is changed to the display of the icon 611.

[0045] When STA102 establishes Multi-Link with AP101 in a plurality of bands and the radio wave intensity of a predetermined band is weak, a display indicating that the radio wave intensity has become weak may be performed as in the icon 1102 of FIG. 11(c). The icon 1102 includes the band with weak radio wave intensity and the display item 1112 indicating that the radio wave intensity is weak. Here, for example, the display in the case where the radio wave intensity of the 2.4 GHz band has fallen below a predetermined threshold value while STA102 has established one link each in the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band is shown. Also, when communication in a certain band among the plurality of links established by STA102 is in a congested state (busy state), a display indicating the busy state may be performed as in the icon 1103 of FIG. 11(d). The icon 1103 includes the congested band and the display icon 1113 indicating that it is congested.

[0046] Figure 11(e) shows variations of the icon indicating Multi-Link. Icons 1104, 1105, 1106, and 1107 are all icons indicating that STA102 has established Multi-Link or is performing Multi-Link communication. Icon 1104 includes a right arrow 1114 and a left arrow 1124. It may be shown that arrow 1114 indicates data transmission to the AP, that is, uplink communication, and arrow 1115 indicates data reception from the AP, that is, downlink communication. Icon 1105 includes an upward triangle 1115 and a downward triangle 1125. It may be shown that the upward triangle 1115 indicates uplink communication and the downward triangle 1125 indicates downlink communication. That is, when STA102 performs uplink communication on one link of Multi-Link and downlink communication on the other link, icons 1104 and 1105 are displayed.

[0047] Icon 1106 includes a right arrow 1116 and a right arrow 1126. It may be shown that both the right arrow 1116 and the right arrow 1126 indicate uplink communication. Icon 1107 includes an upward triangle 1117 and an upward triangle 1127. It may be shown that both the upward triangle 1117 and the upward triangle 1127 indicate uplink communication. That is, when STA102 performs uplink communication on each link of Multi-Link, icons 1106 and 1107 are displayed. Also, the display of the triangles shown here may indicate the communication speed of each link and whether the communication speed is increasing or not. For example, in the case of icon 1105, STA102 is performing Multi-Link communication on two links. One link indicates a fast communication speed or an increasing communication speed by the display of the upward triangle 1115. The other link indicates a slow communication speed or a decreasing communication speed by the display of the downward triangle 1125.

[0048] FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the process of displaying the screen of FIG. 11 in the present embodiment. The process of the flowchart starts when the communication device receives a screen display request. The basic configuration of this flowchart is the same as that of FIG. 12. For the same processes, the same reference numerals are assigned and the description is omitted, and only the differences are shown. This flowchart is assumed to be repeatedly executed at regular intervals while STA102 is displaying the screen.

[0049] In S501, the control unit 402 checks the communication state of each of the multiple established links.

[0050] In S502, the control unit 402 displays an icon according to the communication state checked in S501 and ends the process. For example, when STA102 has established communication with AP101 through two links and is performing data communication using only one link, the icon 1101 is displayed on the home screen.

[0051] According to the process of the flowchart described above, it becomes possible to know the communication state when STA102 and AP101 have established multiple links by icon display, improving usability.

[0052] Another configuration showing the state of Multi-Link communication will be described. Multi-Link communication has two operating modes: the STR (Simultaneous Transmit and Receive) mode and the NSTR (Nonsimultaneous Transmit and Receive) mode. Figure 9 shows the two operating modes of the STR mode and the NSTR mode in Multi-Link communication. The STR mode is an operating mode in which two or more links function completely independently and do not interfere with each other. Figure 9(a) shows the communication state of each link in the STR mode. AP101 and STA102 have established two links (103, 104). Link 103 is performing uplink (UL) communication, and link 104 is performing downlink (DL) communication. The operating mode in which one link is performing reception processing while the other link is performing transmission processing is called the STR mode.

[0053] The NSTR (Nonsimultaneous Transmit and Receive) mode is an operating mode in which two or more links do not perform simultaneous reception and transmission operations, and all links perform either reception processing or transmission processing of data at one time. Figures 9(b) and 9(c) show the communication state of each link in the NSTR mode. Figure 9(b) shows that all links are performing downlink communication processing, and Figure 9(c) shows that all links are performing uplink communication processing. The operating mode in which all links perform either reception processing or transmission processing of data at one time is called the NSTR mode.

[0054] Figure 10 is an example of a screen displayed by STA102 on the output unit 405 in each operating mode of Multi-Link.

[0055] The screen 610 in Fig. 10(a) is the screen displayed when STA102 is operating in the STR mode. The icon 1001 is an icon displayed when STA102 has established Multi-Link communication and is operating in the STR mode. The icon 1001 includes an STR mode icon 1011 which is a display item indicating operation in the STR mode.

[0056] The screen 610 in Fig. 10(b) is the screen displayed when STA102 is operating in the NSTR mode. The icon 1002 is an icon displayed when STA102 has established Multi-Link communication and is operating in the NSTR mode. The icon 1002 includes an NSTR mode icon 1012 which is a display item indicating operation in the NSTR mode. Here, examples of indicating the operation mode with the character strings "STR" and "NSTR" are shown, but it is not limited to this, and it may be indicated by an icon or the like.

[0057] Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing the process of displaying the screen of Fig. 10 in the present embodiment. The process of the flowchart starts when the communication device receives a screen display request. The basic configuration of this flowchart is the same as that of Fig. 12. For the same processes, the same reference numerals are given and the description is omitted, and only the differences are shown. It is assumed that this flowchart is repeatedly executed at regular intervals while STA102 is displaying the screen.

[0058] In S401, the control unit 402 determines whether the operation mode in the Multi-Link communication with the AP is the STR mode. If the control unit 402 determines that it is the STR mode, in S402, the control unit 402 displays the STR mode icon 1001 and ends the process. If the control unit 402 determines in S401 that it is not the STR mode, in S403, the NSTR mode icon 1002 is displayed and the process ends.

[0059] According to the processing of the flowchart described above, when STA102 is executing Multi-Link communication, the user can easily recognize the operation mode of STA102. Here, when STA102 is executing Multi-Link communication, it is characterized by changing the display according to the operation mode (STR mode, NSTR mode), and the shape of the icon is not limited to the above-described configuration.

[0060] (Example 2) In Example 1, a configuration for displaying the communication state when the STA has established a communication connection with the AP was shown. In this example, a configuration for displaying whether the AP to be connected to by the STA supports Multi-Link communication in a manner that can be identified by the user when searching for the AP will be described. Since the basic configuration of this example is the same as that of Example 1, only the differences will be shown.

[0061] FIG. 7 is a screen displayed when STA102 searches for the AP to which it is connected, and is an example of an access point search result screen displayed on the output unit 405 to select the destination AP. When the user's selection is received on this screen, a connection is made to the selected AP via the control unit 402 and the functional unit 403. Then, STA102 prints the print data received via the selected AP, or transmits the image data generated by imaging or scanning to an external device via the selected AP.

[0062] Screen 700 is an example of an access point search result screen that STA102 displays on output unit 405. Information on a plurality of APs searched by STA102 is displayed for each row. 701 is an icon indicating the radio wave intensity of the signal transmitted from the AP. 701 is merely an example, and the shape of the icon to be displayed is not limited to this. 702 indicates the SSID of the AP. 703 is a detail button. When the user presses it, pop-out 705 is displayed, and detailed information about the AP can be displayed. Frequency band information, channel information, etc. of the corresponding AP are displayed in pop-out 705. 704 is security information, which is information regarding the security of the AP. Screen 700 is merely an example, and the content to be displayed is not limited to these. For example, frequency band information and channel information used by the AP may be displayed.

[0063] Screen 710 is an example of an access point search result screen that is displayed when STA102 detects an AP that supports Multi-Link communication, that is, an AP MLD, when searching for an AP. The SSID "APMLD1" is the SSID of the AP MLD. Icon 711 is a Multi-Link icon that indicates the radio wave intensity of the AP and at the same time indicates that it is an AP MLD capable of executing Multi-Link communication. In addition to the icon indicating the radio wave intensity, icon 711 is provided with a display item 721 indicating that it supports Multi-Link communication. Display item 721 may be displayed according to the number of links that the corresponding AP can establish. On the other hand, display item 721 is not provided for APs that do not support Multi-Link communication. Icon 711 is merely an example, and the shape of the icon to be displayed is not limited to this. 713 is an AP MLD detail screen that is displayed when detail button 712 of the AP MLD is pressed, and shows the link information that can be established. Here, the frequency band information and channel information of the links that the AP MLD can establish are displayed.

[0064] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the process of displaying the screen of FIG. 7 in this embodiment. When the search for an access point is started in STA102 in response to a request from the user, the process of the flowchart starts. Note that this flowchart is repeatedly executed at regular intervals while STA102 is displaying the screen.

[0065] In S201, the control unit 402 starts the search for an AP.

[0066] In S202, the control unit 402 determines whether the detected AP is an AP compatible with Multi-Link. If the detected AP is an AP compatible with Multi-Link, the process proceeds to S203. If the detected access point is not an AP compatible with Multi-Link, the process proceeds to S204. The determination of whether it is an AP compatible with Multi-Link is made based on, for example, the Basic Multi-Link element, Reduced Neighbor Report element, etc. included in the Beacon or Probe transmitted from the AP. Here, a configuration for determining whether it is an AP compatible with Multi-Link is adopted, but it is not limited to this. For example, a configuration for determining whether the AP is an AP compatible with a standard after IEEE802.11be may be used.

[0067] In S203, the control unit 402 displays a Multi-Link icon 711 indicating that the AP is compatible with Multi-Link in the access point search result.

[0068] In S204, the control unit 402 displays a radio wave intensity icon 701 in the access point search result. The above process is repeated for the number of APs detected by STA102, and when the display of all the APs detected by STA102 is completed, the process proceeds to S205.

[0069] In S205, the control unit 402 determines whether the detailed button 712 of the AP MLD has been pressed. If it is determined that the detailed button 712 has been pressed, in S206, the control unit 402 displays the AP MLD detailed screen 713 and ends the process. If it is determined in S205 that the detailed button 712 has not been pressed, the process proceeds to S207.

[0070] In S207, the control unit 402 determines whether the detailed button 703 of the AP has been pressed. If it is determined that the detailed button 703 has been pressed, in S208, the control unit 402 displays the AP detailed screen 705 and ends the process. If it is determined in S207 that the detailed button 703 has not been pressed, the process ends.

[0071] Through the processing of the above flowchart, when the user searches for an AP, it is possible to easily identify whether it is a Multi-Link compatible AP or not, thus improving the usability for the user. For example, a user who prioritizes communication speed can achieve high-speed communication by selecting a Multi-Link compatible AP. Here, when STA102 detects an AP MLD during an access point search, on the access point search screen, a different Multi-Link icon from the icon of an AP that is not an AP MLD is displayed, and the shape of the icon is not limited.

[0072] Also, the display method of the Multi-Link compatible AP is not limited to the method described above. For example, it may be indicated that the AP is Multi-Link compatible like icons 731 and 732. For example, when AP MLD1 is capable of Multi-Link communication in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, an icon 731 including a display item indicating 5 GHz and the radio wave intensity at 5 GHz and an icon 732 including a display item indicating 2.4 GHz and the radio wave intensity at 2.4 GHz are displayed. Here, as an example, an example where "APMLD1" is an AP MLD corresponding to 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz is shown, but if the AP MLD also supports 6 GHz, the radio wave intensity at 6 GHz may be displayed. That is, icons indicating the radio wave intensity may be displayed according to the number of bands supported by the AP.

[0073] (Example 3) In Examples 1 and 2, examples of displaying the communication state of a communication device on a home screen or the like were shown. The method of outputting the communication state of the communication device so that the user can grasp it is not limited to this. For example, the user may check the communication state from the communication setting screen of the communication device. Further, if the communication device is an image processing device such as a printer, it also has a function of printing a report indicating the communication state and the like. In this example, an example of outputting the communication state in such a case will be described. Since the basic configuration of this example is the same as that of Example 1, only the differences are shown.

[0074] FIG. 8 is an example of the wireless LAN information displayed on the output unit 405 when the STA 102 has established a communication link with the AP 101. For example, it is a screen that is displayed when the user selects the setting button 683 and then selects a button for checking the communication state from the screen for performing communication settings.

[0075] Screen 800 is an example of the wireless LAN information displayed on the output unit 405 when the STA 102 has established one link with the AP 101. The STA 102 displays the screen 800 on the output unit 405 when it receives a display request from the user or when it establishes a link with the AP 101. For example, the Multi-Link state 801 indicates the Multi-Link communication state of the connected STA 102. Here, the state is "×", indicating that the STA 102 and the AP 101 have not established Multi-Link communication. The screen 800 also includes other information such as the SSID of the AP, the MAC address, the wireless LAN state indicating the radio wave intensity and congestion, error information indicating whether a communication error has occurred, the frequency band used for communication, the channel, and the security settings. Further, the screen 800 includes an icon 601 indicating that communication is established with one link, similar to the screen 600. The wireless LAN information included in the screen 800 is merely an example and is not limited thereto.

[0076] Screen 810 is an example of the wireless LAN information displayed by STA102 on the output unit 405 when STA102 has established a link with AP101 via a plurality of frequency channels. The Multi-Link state 811 indicates the frequency bands and channel information of the multiple links established by STA102. For example, when STA102 has established a link with AP101 on channel 20 in the 5 GHz band, a link on channel 24 in the 5 GHz band, and a link on channel 12 in the 2.4 GHz band, it is displayed as the Multi-Link state 811. That is, the Multi-Link state 811 displays link information for the number of links established by STA102 with AP101. For example, when establishing links for two or more channels for one frequency band, for example, when establishing two links on channels 20 and 24 in the 5 GHz band, it may be displayed as the Multi-Link state 821. For example, when establishing links for one channel each for two or more bands, for example, when establishing a link on channel 24 in the 5 GHz band and a link on channel 12 in the 2.4 GHz band, it may be displayed as the Multi-Link state 831. Here, the method of indicating the Multi-Link state is not limited to this. For example, the frequency band information and channel information of each link may be displayed in the corresponding display areas of the band information 812 and channel information 813 on the screen 810. Here, in the corresponding display areas of the band information 812 and channel information 813, a display indicating that a link has been established via a plurality of frequency channels is performed as shown by 814. The screen 810 further includes an icon 611 indicating Multi-Link in a fixed area at the edge of the screen. When STA102 has established Multi-Link and is operating in the STR mode, a display indicating STR is shown as the Multi-Link operation mode 841. The Multi-Link states 810, 820, and 830 are merely examples of the display method for the frequency channel information of multiple links and are not limited thereto.For example, the band information of 812 can be divided into "Band 1" and "Band 2", and displayed as "Band 1: 5 GHz" and "Band 2: 2.4 GHz" respectively. The channel information 813 can also be associated with the band information and displayed separately as "Channel 1: 20ch, 24ch" and "Channel 2: 12ch".

[0077] Also, for example, for the error information on the screen 810, it may be configured to display the presence or absence of an error for each established link. The channel information of the link where an error has occurred may be displayed so as to be distinguishable from the channel information of the link where no error has occurred. Furthermore, the radio wave intensity for each established link may be displayed in the display column corresponding to the wireless LAN state. The display of the Multi-Link state here is assumed to obtain and display the information and status of each link established between the STA102 and the AP as in Example 1. Since the method for the STA102 to obtain and display the communication state is the same as in Examples 1 and 2, the description is omitted here. The screen 620 in FIG. 6 is an example of the screen displayed by the output unit 405 of the STA102 when the STA102 has established Multi-Link communication with the AP101. The screen 620 includes an icon 621 indicating that Multi-Link is established. For example, when the user selects the icon 621 by a touch operation or the like, a pop-out 622 is displayed. The pop-out 622 includes information indicating the current communication status of the STA102, here the state of the Multi-Link. Here, the information indicating the state of the Multi-Link is assumed to be information indicating the frequency band, channel information, and operation modes such as STR and NSTR, but is not limited thereto. When the user selects the detail button 623 in the pop-out 622, the screen 810 is displayed.

[0078] Next, a configuration for reporting the communication state when STA102 is an image processing apparatus such as a printer will be described. STA102 stores a report in the storage unit 401. The report includes information such as the operation history information and setting information of STA102. The operation history information refers to, for example, the history information of printing processing, wireless communication, etc. executed by the control unit 402 and the function unit 403 if STA102 is an image processing apparatus. The setting information refers to various setting information set when STA102 operates. The report has information such as toner remaining amount, number of printed pages, address filter, IPSec, security setting status, communication state, etc. The function of STA102 to output a report via the function unit 403 or the output unit 405 is called a report output function. STA102 may print the report via the function unit 403, may display it on the monitor screen via the output unit 405, or may transmit the report via the function unit 403 by communication to an external device such as a PC so that it can be displayed on the external device. The output method of the report is not limited to this. Hereinafter, an example of printing and outputting the report will be shown, but a configuration for outputting by other methods may also be used.

[0079] FIG. 16 is an example of a report. Report 1600 is an example of a report output sheet printed by STA102 via the function unit 403 when one link is established between STA102 and AP101. Report 1600 is a report of the wireless LAN setting information of STA102 and shows the information of AP101 to which STA102 is connected and the communication state. For example, 1601 shows the SSID of the connected AP101. The report 1600 of the wireless LAN setting information may display the band and channel information of the connected AP101, or may display the radio wave information of the wireless LAN. The report 1600 of the wireless LAN setting information is merely an example and is not limited thereto.

[0080] Report 1610 is an example of a report output sheet printed by STA102 via functional unit 403 when STA102 establishes a link with AP101 via a plurality of frequency channels and executes Multi-Link communication. 1611 is the frequency band and channel information of the plurality of links established by STA102. For example, when STA102 has established a link of channel 20 in the 5 GHz band, a link of channel 24 in the 5 GHz band, and a link of channel 12 in the 2.4 GHz band with AP101, it is output as in Multi-Link state 1611. The Multi-Link state shall be output like Multi-Link states 821 and 831 as many as the number of links established by STA102 with AP101. Here, the method of indicating the Multi-Link state is not limited to this. For example, the frequency band information and channel information of each link may be output to the corresponding display areas of the band information 1612 and channel information 1613 on screen 1610. Here, an output indicating that links via a plurality of frequency channels are established is performed in the corresponding display areas of the band information 1612 and channel information 1613 as in 1614. When STA102 has established Multi-Link and is operating in STR mode, an output indicating STR may be made like the Multi-Link operation mode 1621 of report 1620. Reports 1610 and 1620 are merely examples of the output method of the frequency channel information of a plurality of links and are not limited thereto. For example, the band information of 1612 may be divided as "Band 1" and "Band 2", and output as "Band 1: 5 GHz" and "Band 2: 2.4 GHz" respectively, and the channel information 1613 may also be divided and output in association with the band information as "Channel 1: 20ch, 24ch" and "Channel 2: 12ch". Also, for example, in the error information on screen 1610, the presence or absence of an error may be displayed for each established link. The channel information of the link where an error has occurred may be displayed so as to be distinguishable from the channel information of the link where no error has occurred. The output of the Multi-Link state here is, for example, as in Example 1, to obtain the information and status of each link established by STA102 with the AP and perform the output.When STA102 receives a print instruction for a report from a user, it prints and outputs the above-mentioned report.

[0081] According to the configuration described above, the user can know that STA102 has established Multi-Link and the information of each link of Multi-Link, improving the usability for the user.

[0082] (Other Embodiments) A configuration combining Embodiments 1 to 3 shown above may also be used. Also, in the examples shown above, the display and output indicating Multi-Link in the STA connected to the AP were used as examples, but a configuration for the display and output of Multi-Link in the AP may also be used. Further, the AP may be a device having both the functions of an STA and an AP. Additionally, the configuration of the display and output indicating Multi-Link of the present invention is also applicable to a device that performs direct wireless communication without going through an external AP. Also, in the examples shown above, examples of displaying and outputting to indicate multi-link were shown, but it is not limited to this, and a configuration for displaying and outputting to indicate whether it is compatible with IEEE802.11be (hereinafter) may also be used. In this case, the output is performed using a character string such as "be".

[0083] Note that a recording medium recording the program code of software for realizing the above functions may be supplied to a system or device, and the computer (CPU, MPU) of the system or device may read and execute the program code stored in the recording medium. In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the above-described device.

[0084] As the storage medium for supplying the program code, for example, a flexible disk, a hard disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a CD-R, a magnetic tape, a non-volatile memory card, a ROM, a DVD, etc. can be used.

[0085] In addition, by executing the program code read by the computer, not only the above-described functions are realized, but also based on the instructions of the program code, the OS running on the computer performs part or all of the actual processing to realize the above-described functions. The OS is an abbreviation for Operating System.

[0086] Furthermore, the program code read from the storage medium is written into the memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer. Then, based on the instructions of the program code, the CPU provided in the function expansion board or the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing to realize the above-described functions.

[0087] The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or apparatus via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or apparatus read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (for example, ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0088] The disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configurations, methods, and programs.

[0089] (Configuration 1) A communication device capable of performing communication conforming to the IEEE802.11 standard, communication means for performing Multi-Link communication defined by the IEEE802.11 standard with an external device, and output means for outputting information indicating Multi-Link when the communication means has established Multi-Link with the external device. The communication device is characterized by having these.

[0090] (Configuration 2) The communication device according to Configuration 1, wherein the communication device includes a display unit, and the output means displays information indicating Multi-Link on the display unit.

[0091] (Configuration 3) The communication device includes a printing unit, and the output means prints and outputs information indicating Multi-Link. The communication device according to Configuration 1 or 2, wherein the output means prints and outputs information indicating Multi-Link.

[0092] (Configuration 4) The output means further outputs information on the frequency band and channel of each established link. The communication device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 3, wherein the output means further outputs information on the frequency band and channel of each established link.

[0093] (Configuration 5) The output means outputs information indicating Multi-Link based on the fact that Multi-Link communication is being performed with the external device. The communication device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 4, wherein the output means outputs information indicating Multi-Link based on the fact that Multi-Link communication is being performed with the external device.

[0094] (Configuration 6) The output means displays a first display item indicating Multi-Link on the screen, and the display item includes a second display item indicating radio field intensity. The communication device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 5, wherein the output means displays a first display item indicating Multi-Link on the screen, and the display item includes a second display item indicating radio field intensity.

[0095] (Configuration 7) The first display item includes a third display item indicating the number of established Multi-Links. The communication device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 6, wherein the first display item includes a third display item indicating the number of established Multi-Links.

[0096] (Configuration 8) The first display item is displayed in a fixed area of the screen. The communication device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 7, wherein the first display item is displayed in a fixed area of the screen.

[0097] (Configuration 9) The output means changes the output information depending on whether or not Multi-Link is established. The communication device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 8, wherein the output means changes the output information depending on whether or not Multi-Link is established.

[0098] (Configuration 10) The communication device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 9, wherein the output means further outputs information indicating the radio wave intensity for each established Multi-Link.

[0099] (Configuration 11) The communication device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 10, wherein the output means further outputs information indicating whether it is operating in either the STR (Simultaneous Transmit and Receive) mode or the NSTR (Non-simultaneous Transmit and Receive) mode.

[0100] (Configuration 12) The communication device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 11, wherein the output means outputs in such a manner that the user can identify whether communication is being performed with the external device on one link, whether communication is being performed with the external device on a predetermined link among a plurality of established links, or whether communication is being performed with the external device on a plurality of links.

[0101] (Configuration 13) The communication device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 12, wherein the output means displays an icon indicating Multi-Link in a fixed area of the screen.

[0102] (Method 1) A control method for a communication device capable of performing communication compliant with the IEEE802.11 standard, A communication step of performing Multi-Link communication with an external device according to the IEEE802.11 standard, An output step of outputting information indicating Multi-Link when Multi-Link is established with the external device in the communication step, characterized by having the above.

[0103] (Program 1) A program for causing a computer to function as each means of the communication device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 14.

Explanation of Signs

[0104] 401 Memory unit 402 Control unit 403 Functional unit 404 Input unit 405 Output unit 406 Communication unit

Claims

1. A communication device capable of performing communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 standard, comprising: communication means for performing Multi-Link communication defined by the IEEE 802.11 standard with an external device; output means for outputting information indicating Multi-Link when the communication means has established Multi-Link with the external device. The communication device is characterized by the above.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit, wherein the output means displays information indicating Multi-Link on the display unit.

3. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising a printing unit, wherein the output means outputs information indicating Multi-Link in a printed form.

4. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the output means further outputs information on the frequency band and channel of each established link.

5. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the output means outputs information indicating Multi-Link based on the fact that Multi-Link communication is being performed with the external device.

6. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the output means displays a first display item indicating Multi-Link on the screen, and the display item includes a second display item indicating radio wave intensity.

7. The communication device according to claim 6, wherein the first display item includes a third display item indicating the number of established Multi-Links.

8. The communication device according to claim 6, wherein the first display item is displayed in a fixed area of the screen.

9. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the output means changes the information output depending on whether Multi-Link is established or not.

10. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the output means further outputs information indicating the radio wave intensity for each link of the established Multi-Link.

11. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the output means further outputs information indicating whether it is operating in either the STR (Simultaneous Transmit and Receive) mode or the NSTR (Non-simultaneous Transmit and Receive) mode.

12. The output means outputs in such a manner that a user can identify whether communication is being performed with the external device via one link, whether communication is being performed with the external device via a predetermined link among a plurality of established links, or whether communication is being performed with the external device via a plurality of links. The communication device according to claim 1.

13. The output means displays an icon indicating Multi-Link in a fixed area of the screen. The communication device according to claim 1.

14. A control method for a communication device capable of executing communication conforming to the IEEE 802.11 standard, A communication step of executing Multi-Link communication with an external device according to the IEEE 802.11 standard, When Multi-Link is established with the external device in the communication step, an output step of outputting information indicating Multi-Link. A control method characterized by comprising.

15. A program for causing a computer to function as each means of the communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

Images