Information processing apparatus, method, and program

Abstract

To solve the problem in which it may be difficult for a user to find a desirable access point (AP) from a list of access point search results when there are many APs around a communication device.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus that communicates with an external apparatus includes: search means for searching for external access points; acquisition means for acquiring information indicating whether the access points retrieved by the search means are compatible with multi-Link communication; and transmission means for transmitting information about the access points retrieved by the search means to the external apparatus. The information transmitted by the transmission means includes the information indicating whether the access points are compatible with multi-Link communication acquired by the acquisition means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication-enabled information processing device, a method for the information processing device, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, wireless LAN (local area network) technology has been applied to various devices, and this wireless LAN technology allows various devices to be connected wirelessly. Connecting various devices wirelessly eliminates the need for cables and other inconvenient features, eliminating the need for specific device locations and the need for wired connections. From this perspective, wireless LAN access points (APs) are increasingly being installed in homes and offices to create wireless LAN environments. Wireless LAN access points can be configured with an SSID (Service Set ID) that identifies the access point and security settings to protect wireless communications. To connect a communication device to an access point, in addition to configuring the wireless LAN connection using the communication device's control panel, there is also a method of configuring the connection between the communication device and the access point from a terminal device separate from the communication device (see Patent Document 1). With this method, the terminal device transmits connection setting information for connecting to the access point to the communication device, and the communication device connects to the access point using the transmitted connection setting information. Using the method disclosed in Patent Document 1 minimizes the wireless LAN connection settings required for the communication device. Even for communication devices without a sophisticated control panel, the connection settings can be easily configured from a terminal device such as a smartphone.

[0003] Well-known wireless LAN technology standards include IEEE802.11b, 11g, 11n, 11ac, and 11ax. In addition to these, a task group called IEEE802.11be has been established in recent years as a successor standard aiming to further improve throughput, frequency utilization efficiency, and communication latency. The IEEE802.11be standard considers multi-link communication, in which, for example, a single AP establishes multiple links with a single station (STA) over multiple different frequency channels, enabling parallel communication. When using a multi-link AP in a high-quality environment, multi-link communication can improve communication throughput compared to communication over a single frequency channel. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-22027 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] For example, in a conventional method in which a terminal device performs connection settings between a communication device and an access point, there is a possibility that the communication device may not be able to connect to a suitable access point. The present invention aims to provide a method that enables a communication device to connect to a suitable access point. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An information processing device that communicates with an external device, comprising: a search means for searching for external access points; an acquisition means for acquiring information indicating whether the access points searched by the search means are compatible with Multi-Link communication; and a transmission means for transmitting information about the access points searched by the search means to the external device, wherein the information transmitted by the transmission means includes the information acquired by the acquisition means indicating whether the access points are compatible with Multi-Link communication. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, a communication device can be connected to a suitable access point. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a system configuration. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of the configuration of an MFP. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation display unit of an MFP. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a setting method for the Multi-Link function of the MFP 100. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an information processing device 500. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart of the processing of the information processing device 500 and the MFP 100. [Figure 7] This figure shows the screen transitions when connecting wirelessly. [Figure 8] 10 is a table showing AP attribute information of an AP group. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a display control process according to the present embodiment. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams of array data handled in the display control process according to the embodiment; [Figure 11] 10 is an AP selection screen on which the AP search results of the information processing device 500 are displayed. [Figure 12] This is a table showing the icon display and signal quality rank. [Figure 13]10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a display control process according to the present embodiment. [Figure 14] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a display control process according to the present embodiment. [Figure 15] 10 is a flowchart of the processing of the information processing device 500 and the MFP 100. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of an AP selection screen of the information processing device 500 according to the third embodiment. [Figure 17] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a display control process according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present embodiments are merely examples, and that specific examples of components, processing steps, display screens, etc. are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention unless otherwise specified.

[0010] (First Example) (System Configuration) FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of a system according to this embodiment. In one example, this system is a wireless communication system in which multiple communication devices can communicate with each other wirelessly. In the example of FIG. 1, the communication devices include an information processing device 500, an MFP 100, access points AP1 (101) and AP2 (102), a server 103, and a network 110. The information processing device 500 is an example of an external device, and is a device having a wireless communication function via a wireless LAN or the like. Note that, hereinafter, wireless LAN may be referred to as WLAN. The information processing device 500 may be a personal digital assistant such as a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a mobile phone (smartphone), a digital camera, a personal computer, or the like.

[0011] The MFP 100 is an example of an information processing device and is a printing device having a printing function. The MFP 100 may further have a reading function (scanner), a fax function, and a telephone function. The MFP 100 of this embodiment has a communication function that enables wireless communication with the information processing device 500. Although the present embodiment describes a case in which the MFP 100 is used as an example, this is not limiting. For example, a scanner device, a projector, a mobile terminal, a smartphone, a notebook PC, a tablet terminal, a PDA, a digital camera, a music playback device, a television, a smart speaker, and the like, each having a communication function, may be used instead of the MFP 100. Note that MFP is an acronym for Multi Function Peripheral.

[0012] The AP1 (101) is provided separately (externally) from the information processing device 500 and the MFP 100, and operates as a WLAN base station device. A communication device having a WLAN communication function can communicate in WLAN infrastructure mode via the AP1 (101). Note that, hereinafter, an access point may be referred to as an "AP." Furthermore, infrastructure mode may be referred to as a "wireless infrastructure mode." The AP1 (101) performs wireless communication with a communication device that has been authorized (authenticated) to connect to the AP, and relays wireless communication between the communication device and other communication devices. A device connected to the AP is called a station (STA). Furthermore, the AP1 (101) is connected to, for example, a wired communication network, and can relay communication between a communication device connected to the wired communication network and another communication device wirelessly connected to the AP1 (101).

[0013] AP2 (102) indicates an AP different from AP1 (101), and like AP1, is located within a range where wireless communication with the MFP 100 is possible. The MFP 100 can switch its connection from AP1 (101) to AP2 (102) by user operation. Note that there may be access points other than AP1 (101) and AP2 (102).

[0014] The server 103 connects to the MFP 100 via AP1 (101) or AP2 (102) and the network 110, and provides services to the MFP 100 by responding to requests from the MFP 100. Here, the network 110 may be the so-called Internet, or may be a closed network within a company or a mobile phone network.

[0015] (MFP external configuration) FIG. 2(a) is a perspective view showing an example of the external configuration of the MFP 100. The MFP 100 includes an operation display unit (operation panel) 202, a print paper insertion slot 203, a print paper ejection slot 204, a document table 205, and a document cover 206. The housing of the MFP 100 is provided with a power button 201, which is a hard key used to turn the power on and off. The operation display unit 202 includes a display and buttons used to operate the MFP 100. For example, the operation display unit 202 includes multiple keys such as character input keys, cursor keys, a confirm key, and a cancel key, and a light source such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode) or an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). The operation display unit 202 is configured to be able to accept user operation inputs when activating individual functions of the MFP 100, changing various settings, etc. Typically, a touch panel display can be used as the operation display unit 202 (see FIG. 4).

[0016] Print paper insertion slot 203 is an insertion slot for setting paper of any size. Paper set in print paper insertion slot 203 is transported one sheet at a time to the printing section and printed, and the printed paper is discharged from print paper exit 204. Document table 205 is a transparent glass table that is used when placing a document on it and reading an image using the scan function. Document table pressure plate 206 is a cover that presses the document against document table 205 to prevent the document from lifting off when reading an image using the scan function, and can also block light from entering the inside of MFP100 main body from outside.

[0017] Furthermore, MFP 100 has a communication function using WLAN or wired LAN. In this embodiment, MFP 100 has a built-in antenna for realizing wireless communication, and is also provided with a communication unit 321 for wired LAN. MFP 100 also has a USB communication unit 209 that can realize communication with an external information processing device 500 or the like via a USB connection.

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

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

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

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

[0022] The operation display control unit 220 is the operation display unit 202 described with reference to FIG. 2(a), and performs display on the display based on display control by the CPU 212, generation of signals in response to reception of user operations, and the like.

[0023] The encoding / decoding processor 221 performs encoding and decoding processes on image data (JPEG, PNG, etc.) handled by the MFP 100, as well as scaling processes.

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

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

[0026] The wireless unit 226 is a unit capable of providing WLAN communication functions, and can provide functions similar to those of a combination of the WLAN unit 401 of the information processing device 500, for example. That is, the wireless unit 226 converts data into packets in accordance with the WLAN standard and transmits the packets to other devices, and also restores packets from other external devices to the original data and outputs the data to the CPU 212. The wireless unit 226 is capable of communication as a station compliant with the IEEE 802.11 standard series. In particular, it is capable of communication as a station compliant with IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax / be. Hereinafter, the station may be referred to as an STA. The MFP 100 is also compatible with IEEE 802.11be, i.e., Wi-Fi 7, and is capable of communication as an STA compatible with Multi-Link.

[0027] The information processing device 500 and the MFP 100 are capable of P2P (WLAN) communication based on the Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) standard, and the wireless unit 226 has a software access point (soft AP) function or a group owner function. That is, the wireless unit 226 can build a P2P communication network and determine the channel to be used for P2P communication. In this way, the information processing device 500 and the MFP 100 are capable of direct communication using WFD without going through an external access point. The information processing device 500 and the MFP 100 can also operate as an access point (soft AP mode) and perform direct communication with a partner device.

[0028] (MFP operation display section) 3(a) to 3(c) schematically show examples of the configuration of the operation / display unit 202 of the MFP 100. FIG. 3(a) shows an example in which a touch panel display 301 is used as the operation / display unit 202.

[0029] A user can start up the MFP 100 by touching the power button 201. When the MFP 100 starts up, a home screen (typically the top level of the menu) is displayed on the touch panel display 301 as a screen on which the user can input operations.

[0030] The home screen includes a copy area 305, a scan area 306, and a print area 307. The copy area 305 accepts an instruction to execute a copy process. The scan area 306 accepts an instruction to execute a scan process. The print area 307 accepts an instruction to execute a print process.

[0031] The home screen may further include a status display area 302, a connection setting mode area 303, and a settings area 304. The status display area 302 indicates the settings and connection status of the MFP 100, such as infrastructure connection or direct connection. By operating the connection setting mode area 303, the user can start operation in the connection setting mode at any time. Furthermore, the user can change various settings using the settings area 304.

[0032] FIG. 3(b) shows an example in which a relatively small LCD display 308 and various hard keys 309 to 316 are used as the operation display unit 202. In FIG.

[0033] When the MFP 100 starts up, a home screen is displayed on the LCD display 308. The user can operate a cursor displayed on the LCD display 308 by pressing cursor movement buttons 311 and 312. The user can press OK button 314 to execute an operation or back button 313 to return to the previous menu screen. Pressing the QR button 309 can also display a QR code (registered trademark) containing information necessary for direct connection with the MFP 100. The displayed code is not limited to a QR code and can be any two-dimensional code. By reading this QR code with the information processing device 500, the information processing device 500 and the MFP 100 are directly connected and can communicate wirelessly with each other. Pressing the connection setting mode button 310 can start the connection setting mode, and the MFP 100 can be connected to the access point 700 by sending connection information to the MFP 100 using the information processing device 500. Pressing the stop button 315 while the MFP 100 is executing various processes cancels the various processes. The user can also scan an original document on the MFP 100 and print it by pressing the copy start button 316 .

[0034] As shown in Fig. 3(c), the layout of Fig. 3(b) may be changed as appropriate, for example, the cursor may be operated in the left and right direction. Note that the above-mentioned operation elements 308 to 316 may be realized as display items such as buttons on the display screen, and for example, the LCD display 308 may also be expressed as the screen 308.

[0035] (How to set up the Multi-Link communication function of the MFP) FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a method for setting the Multi-Link communication function of the MFP 100. In FIG.

[0036] An AP and a station (STA) establish links and communicate over multiple frequency channels to perform multi-link communication. Multi-link is defined in the IEEE 802.11 standard. An AP that performs multi-link communication is also called an AP MLD. In the IEEE 802.11 series of standards, the bandwidth of each frequency channel is defined as 20 MHz. Here, a frequency channel refers to a frequency channel defined in the IEEE 802.11 series of standards, which define multiple frequency channels in the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz, and 60 GHz frequency bands. Note that a single frequency channel may utilize a bandwidth of 40 MHz or more by bonding adjacent frequency channels. For example, an AP 101 can establish a link with a STA over a first frequency channel in the 5 GHz band and communicate with it. In parallel, the STA can establish a link with the AP 101 over a second frequency channel in the 6 GHz band and communicate with it. In this case, the STA performs Multi-Link communication by maintaining a second link via a second frequency channel in parallel with a link via a first frequency channel.

[0037] Traditionally, IEEE 802.11-compliant STAs connected to an access point and performed data communication with the access point via a single link. By connecting to an access point and performing data communication simultaneously via two or more links using Multi-Link communication, throughput can be improved. Support for the 6 GHz band is also being considered for 11be to expand the available frequency bands. Note that the two or more links may be selected from the same frequency band (sub-GHz, 2.4 GHz, 3.6 GHz, 4.9 and 5 GHz, 60 GHz, or 6 GHz), or they may each be selected from different frequency bands. APs and STAs that support Multi-Link communication are called AP MLDs (Multi-Link Devices) and STA MLDs. APs associated with an AP MLD and operating on different channels are called affiliated APs, and STAs associated with a STA MLD and operating on different channels are called affiliated STAs. Affiliated APs are represented by a number, such as AP1, AP2, etc., and affiliated STAs are represented by a number, such as STA1, STA2, etc. In this way, the AP 101 can improve the throughput of communication with the STA by establishing links with the STA via multiple frequency channels. Note that in multi-link communication, multiple links using different frequency bands may be established between communication devices. For example, the AP 101 and the STA may establish a third link in the 2.4 GHz band in addition to link 103 in the 5 GHz band and a link in the 6 GHz band. Alternatively, links may be established via multiple different channels within the same frequency band. For example, a first link may be established on channel 15 in the 6 GHz band, and a second link may be established on channel 207 in the 6 GHz band. Note that links using the same and different frequency bands may be mixed. For example, the AP 101 and the STA may establish a link on channel 36 in the 5 GHz band, as well as a link on channel 149 in the 5 GHz band and a link on channel 15 in the 6 GHz band.By establishing multiple connections with STAs on different frequencies, AP101 can establish communication with STA102 on another band even when one band is congested, thereby preventing a decrease in throughput and communication delays in communication with the STA.

[0038] Fig. 4(a) is a LAN setting screen that is displayed when, for example, "LAN settings" 331 is selected on the menu screen of Fig. 3. The LAN setting screen displays the menu items "Wireless LAN," "Wired LAN," "Wireless Direct," "Bluetooth," and "Common settings." Fig. 4(b) is a wireless LAN setting screen that is displayed when "Wireless LAN" 401 is selected on the menu screen of Fig. 4(a). The wireless LAN setting screen displays the menu items "Enable / Disable Wireless LAN," "Wireless LAN Setup," "Display Wireless LAN Settings," and "Advanced Settings" (402). When "Advanced Settings" (402) is selected here, the screen of Fig. 4(c) is displayed.

[0039] Figure 4(c) shows the wireless LAN advanced settings screen. The wireless LAN advanced settings screen displays the menu items "TCP / IP Settings" and "Multi-Link Settings" (403). When "Multi-Link Settings" (403) is selected, the screen shown in Figure 4(d) is displayed.

[0040] FIG. 4(d) shows the Multi-Link setting screen. The Multi-Link setting screen displays options "Enable" (404) and "Disable" (405), and selecting one of them allows the MFP 100 to enable or disable the Multi-Link function. The Multi-Link function enable / disable setting is stored in non-volatile memory 215. When displaying FIG. 4(d), the operation display control unit 220 reads this setting value from non-volatile memory 215 and displays a check mark 406 next to the current setting value. In FIG. 4(d), the check mark 406 indicates that the Multi-Link function is currently disabled. If "Enable" (404) is selected here, the screen state changes to that shown in FIG. 4(e), and the operation display control unit 220 stores "Enable" as the Multi-Link setting value in non-volatile memory 215. When the Multi-Link setting is enabled, the MFP 100 behaves as a Multi-Link-compatible STA. If a link is established with a Multi-Link-compatible AP in Multi-Link mode in this state, Multi-Link communication can be performed. When a link is established with a Multi-Link compatible AP in non-Multi-Link mode, it communicates on a single frequency channel. Also, if the Multi-Link setting is disabled, it behaves as a non-Multi-Link compatible STA and connects on a single frequency channel even with a Multi-Link compatible AP.

[0041] (External configuration of information processing device) FIG. 5(a) shows an example of the external configuration of an information processing device 500. In this embodiment, the information processing device 500 is a smartphone, and includes a display unit 502, an operation unit 503, and a power key 504. The power key 504 is provided as a hard key for turning the information processing device 500 on and off. In this embodiment, the display unit 502 is a display including an LCD-type display mechanism, but in other embodiments, information may be displayed using an LED or the like. Furthermore, the information processing device 500 may have a function for outputting information by voice, either in addition to or instead of the display unit 502. The operation unit 503 may include hard keys such as keys and buttons, or a touch panel, and may be configured to be able to detect user input operations.

[0042] In this embodiment, the functions of the display unit 502 and the operation unit 503 are realized by a touch panel display, i.e., the display unit 502 and the operation unit 503 are realized by a single device. In this case, for example, button icons and a software keyboard are displayed using the function of the display unit 502, and user operation inputs thereto are detected by the function of the operation unit 503. In another embodiment, the display unit 502 and the operation unit 503 may be provided as separate hardware.

[0043] The information processing device 500 may also include a built-in WLAN unit 501 capable of providing WLAN communication functions. The WLAN unit 501 is configured to be capable of performing data (packet) communication in a WLAN system conforming to, for example, the IEEE 802.11 standard series (IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax / be, etc.). The WLAN unit 501 may also be capable of performing communication in a WLAN system conforming to other standards. Here, the WLAN unit 501 is capable of communication in the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz frequency bands. Furthermore, although details will be described later, the WLAN unit 501 is capable of performing WFD-based communication, soft AP mode communication, wireless infrastructure mode communication, etc.

[0044] (Internal configuration of information processing device) 5(b) shows an example of the internal configuration of the information processing device 500. The information processing device 500 includes a main board 511 that performs main control of the device itself, a WLAN unit 501 that performs WLAN communication, and a BT (Bluetooth (registered trademark)) unit 505.

[0045] In this embodiment, main board 511 includes a CPU 512, a ROM 513, a RAM 514, an image memory 515, and a data conversion unit 516. Main board 511 also includes a telephone unit 517, a GPS (Global Positioning System) 519, a camera unit 521, a non-volatile memory 522, a data storage unit 523, a speaker unit 524, and a power supply unit 525. These individual functional units within main board 511 are interconnected via a system bus 528 and are managed by CPU 512. Furthermore, main board 511 and WLAN unit 501, and main board 511 and BT unit 505 are connected via a dedicated bus 526.

[0046] The CPU 512 functions as a system control unit that controls each element of the information processing device 500. The individual functions of the information processing device 500 illustrated here and the processes described below as processes executed by the information processing device 500 are realized by the CPU 512 executing programs stored in the ROM 513 while expanding them on the RAM 514. More specifically, the ROM 513 stores control programs and embedded operating system (OS) programs executed by the CPU 512. The CPU 512 executes corresponding programs under the embedded OS to perform software control such as scheduling and task switching. The RAM 514 is configured with a static RAM (SRAM) or the like. The RAM 514 stores various data such as variables for program control, setting values registered by the user, and management data for managing the information processing device 500. The RAM 514 can be used as a buffer for various work tasks. The image memory 515 is configured with a memory such as a dynamic RAM (DRAM). The image memory 515 temporarily stores image data received via the WLAN unit 501 and image data read from the data storage unit 523, making the data processable by the CPU 512. The non-volatile memory 522 is configured with a memory such as a flash memory, and retains the stored data even when the information processing device 500 is powered off. The memory configuration of the information processing device 500 is not limited to the example described above. For example, the image memory 515 and the RAM 514 may be provided in common, or data may be backed up using the data storage unit 523. Although a DRAM is given here as an example of the image memory 515, other storage media such as an HDD (hard disk drive) or a non-volatile memory may also be used.

[0047] The data conversion unit 516 performs data conversion such as color conversion and image conversion, and can also analyze data in various formats. The telephone unit 517 controls telephone lines and processes audio data input and output via the speaker unit 524, enabling telephone communication. The GPS 519 receives radio waves transmitted from satellites and acquires location information such as the current latitude and longitude of the information processing device 500. The camera unit 521 electronically records and encodes images captured through the lens. Image data obtained by capturing images with the camera unit 521 is stored in the data storage unit 523. The speaker unit 524 controls functions such as audio input and output for telephone functions and alarm notification. The power supply unit 525 includes a battery and controls the supply of power to individual elements within the device. Power states include, for example, a dead battery state in which the remaining battery power is below a certain level, a power-off state in which the power key 504 is not pressed, a power-on state (startup state) in which the power key 504 is pressed, and a power-saving state in which power consumption by individual elements is suppressed.

[0048] Display unit 502 electronically controls the display content and performs control to display operation inputs by the user, the operating status and status of MFP 100, etc. In response to receiving operation inputs from the user, operation unit 503 outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the operation input to CPU 512. As described in FIG. 5, touch panel displays can be used for display unit 502 and operation unit 503.

[0049] The information processing device 500 is capable of wireless communication using a WLAN unit 501, and performs data communication with other devices such as the MFP 100. For example, the information processing device 500 converts data into packets and transmits them to other external devices. The information processing device 500 also receives packets from other external devices via the WLAN unit 501, restores the packets to the original data, and outputs the restored data to the CPU 512.

[0050] The configuration of the main board 511 is not limited to the above example. For example, each function of the main board 511 implemented by the CPU 512 may be implemented by a processing circuit such as an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit), that is, may be implemented by either hardware or software.

[0051] (Wireless connection method) Next, a process for setting up a wireless access point connection for the MFP 100 from the information processing device 500 will be described. The wireless access point connection setting for the MFP 100 from the information processing device 500 is performed using a setup application executed on the information processing device 500. This setup application transmits access point connection information held by the information processing device 500 to the MFP 100 via wireless direct communication. The setup application also has a function for issuing print and scan instructions to the MFP. The MFP 100 performs wireless LAN connection settings using the received access point connection information, and by connecting to the same AP as the information processing device 500, wireless infrastructure mode communication between the information processing device 500 and the MFP 100 can be established. The information processing device 500 can then use the above-mentioned application to issue an image formation instruction to the MFP 100 via infrastructure communication.

[0052] Fig. 6 is a flowchart of internal processing from the information processing device 500 to the MFP 100 when wireless access point connection settings are made from the information processing device 500 to the MFP 100. Fig. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a screen display of the information processing device 500 when wireless connection settings are made from the information processing device 500 to the MFP 100. Note that in Fig. 7, the MFP 100 is represented as a "printer."

[0053] The processing in FIG. 6 begins when the information processing device 500 executes registration processing for the MFP 100 using a setup application. The screen displayed at this time is screen 700. When the "Register Printer" button is pressed on screen 700, the information processing device 500 displays operation guidance for starting collaboration with the MFP 100 in S601. Specifically, the information processing device 500 instructs the user to press and hold the WC (wireless connect) button on the operation unit of the MFP 100 for three seconds (screen 710 in FIG. 7). The WC button on the MFP 100 is the connection setting mode area 303 or the connection setting mode area 310 shown in FIG. 4. This operation causes the MFP 100 to transition to network setup mode, and the processing flow on the MFP 100 side in FIG. 6 begins. In network setup mode, the MFP 100 initiates soft AP mode communication, which realizes a simple access point, and waits for a connection from the information processing device 500.

[0054] In S602, if there is an access point to which the information processing device 500 is connected, the information processing device 500 acquires and stores the connection information. Next, in S603, the information processing device 500 disconnects communication with the currently connected wireless access point and attempts to connect to the access point function in soft AP mode provided by the MFP 100 (screen 710 in Figure 7). When the MFP 100 accepts the connection from the information processing device 500 in S620, direct communication between the two devices becomes possible.

[0055] Next, in S604, the information processing apparatus 500 acquires the Multi-Link settings from the MFP 100. In S605, if there is connected AP information acquired in S602, the process proceeds to S606, and if there is no connected AP information, the process proceeds to S608.

[0056] In S606, the information processing device 500 transmits an access point search request to the MFP 100. At this time, the information processing device 500 requests the MFP 100 to search for an access point by specifying the SSID information included in the currently connected AP information acquired in S602, in order to confirm whether the MFP 100 can also connect to the access point to which the information processing device 500 itself was connected. In response to this, the MFP 100 performs an AP search in S621 and returns the search results to the information processing device 500. At this time, the MFP 100 also transmits information indicating whether the searched AP supports Multi-Link to the information processing device 500. In S607, the information processing device 500 confirms whether the MFP 100 was able to search for the AP. If the MFP 100 was able to search for the AP, the process proceeds to S614; if the MFP 100 was not able to search for the AP, the process proceeds to S608.

[0057] In S608, the information processing device 500 transmits an AP search request to the MFP 100. Here, no SSID is specified, and a request is made to search all access points that the MFP 100 can detect. In response to this, the MFP 100 performs an AP search in S622 and returns the search results to the information processing device 500. In S609, the information processing device 500 acquires the AP search results of the MFP 100 and sets them as an AP list.

[0058] In S610, the information processing device 500 displays the AP list acquired in S609, and in S611, the user is prompted to select an AP. The display screen of the information processing device 500 at this time is screen 750 in Fig. 7. Screen 760 is a confirmation screen that is displayed after the user selects one of the APs. Details of the display process will be described later.

[0059] In S612, the information processing device 500 checks whether the AP selected by the user is Multi-Link compatible, and depending on the conditions, displays the screen 770. Details of this process will be described later.

[0060] Next, in S613, the information processing device 500 requests the user to enter the password for the AP selected in S611 (screen 780). In S614, the information processing device 500 checks the status of the Multi-Link setting of the MFP 100, and displays screen 790 depending on the conditions. If "Yes" is selected on screen 790, the information processing device 500 instructs the MFP 100 to enable the Multi-Link setting, and in response, the MFP 100 performs the setting to enable Multi-Link in S623.

[0061] In S615, the information processing device 500 transmits AP connection information for the MFP 100 to connect to the AP. After receiving the AP connection information, the MFP 100 connects to the AP in S624. If an AP was found in S607, this AP connection information is the SSID and password of the AP that the information processing device 500 acquired in S602. If an AP was not found in S607 or if there was no AP information acquired in S602, the AP connection information is the SSID of the AP selected by the user in S611 and the password entered in S613.

[0062] In S616, the information processing device 500 connects itself to the AP to which the MFP 100 has been instructed to connect, and displays screen 740 to complete the setup. In this way, the information processing device 500 and the MFP 100 establish wireless infrastructure communication via the AP.

[0063] (AP list display) Next, the AP list display described in S610 of FIG. 6 will be described in detail.

[0064] FIG. 8 is a table showing AP attribute information of an AP group in this embodiment.

[0065] FIG. 8(a) shows the information acquired by the MFP 100 searching for surrounding APs in S623 of FIG. 6, and shows the AP list acquired by the information processing device 500 from the MFP 100 in S609. The AP column in the table indicates the AP number for the explanation that will be described later. Assume that the MFP 100 performs an AP search and finds six APs, AP1 to AP6, and obtains this information from the beacon signals of each AP. The SSID column indicates the AP identifier. The security column indicates the security setting of the AP, and the types are WEP, WPA2, and WPA3. WPA3 is the strongest security strength, followed by WPA2 and WPA, and WEP is the weakest. The Multi-Link compatible column indicates whether the AP supports the Multi-Link function. In the table, "YES" means compatible, and "NO" means non-compatible. Whether an AP is Multi-Link compatible is determined based on, for example, the Basic Multi-Link element and the Reduced Neighbor Report element included in the Beacon and Probe transmitted from the AP. While the configuration described here is such that it determines whether an AP is Multi-Link compatible, this is not limiting. For example, it may be such that it determines whether an AP complies with IEEE 802.11be or later standards. Information indicating whether an AP complies with IEEE 802.11be or later standards may be included in the AP attribute information. The signal strength column indicates the strength of the radio signal reaching the MFP 100 from each AP. The unit is dBm (decibels relate to a milliwatt), and the smaller the value, the weaker the signal strength. That is, among the APs in the table, AP1 has the strongest signal strength and AP6 has the weakest. In steps S621 and S622, the MFP 100 obtains the AP attribute information shown in FIG. 8A by searching for surrounding APs and transmits the AP attribute information to the information processing device 500. That is, the MFP 100 transmits the information obtained by the search, in this case, information including information indicating whether the AP supports Multi-Link communication, to the information processing device 500. The present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the MFP 100 may transmit to the information processing device 500 only the SSIDs of the APs that have been found by searching for the surrounding APs in S622.The information processing device 500 may be configured to acquire the AP attribute information shown in FIG. 8A based on the AP attribute information acquired by searching for surrounding APs using the information processing device 500 itself and the SSID transmitted from the MFP 100.

[0066] Figure 8(b) is a correspondence table between signal strength and communication quality rank. The communication quality rank corresponds to a signal strength range depending on the reliability and desirability of communication. Generally, the desirable signal strength varies depending on the use and purpose of the communication device, so this table is merely an example. For the MFP100, when the signal strength is -66 dBm or higher, the communication quality rank is "very strong." When the signal strength is in the range of -67 dBm to -69 dBm, the communication quality rank is "very strong." When the signal strength is in the range of -70 dBm to -79 dBm, the communication quality rank is "strong." When the signal strength is in the range of -80 dBm to -89 dBm, the communication quality rank is "weak." When the signal strength is -90 dBm or lower, the communication quality rank is "unusable." The information shown in this table is stored by the information processing device 500, but it may also be stored by the MFP100.

[0067] FIG. 8(c) is a table showing the communication quality rank of each AP. The information processing device 500 or MFP100 determines the communication quality rank of each AP based on the signal strength of each AP shown in FIG. 8(a) and the correspondence table of signal strength and communication quality rank shown in FIG. 8(b). Because the signal strengths of AP1, AP2, and AP3 are in the range of -67 dBm to -69 dBm shown in FIG. 8(b), the MFP100 determines the communication quality rank to be "very strong." Because the signal strengths of AP4, AP5, and AP6 are in the range of -70 dBm to -79 dBm shown in FIG. 8(b), the MFP100 determines the communication quality rank to be "strong."

[0068] Next, a display control process for controlling the display of the AP search results executed by the information processing device 500 of this embodiment will be described.

[0069] (Display control process of mobile terminal device) Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of AP display control processing in the information processing device 500 according to this embodiment. Fig. 10 is an explanatory diagram of array data handled in the display control processing according to this embodiment.

[0070] The flowchart in FIG. 9 shows a detailed flow of S610 in FIG. 6, and is realized by the CPU 512 reading out a program stored in the ROM 513 into the RAM 514 and executing it.

[0071] In S901, the CPU 512 determines whether the MFP 100 has successfully searched for an AP. If there is no AP transmitting a Beacon signal within the search range of the MFP 100, the AP search result acquired from the MFP 100 is 0, and the CPU 512 displays a message to the operation display control unit 220 indicating that the AP search has failed (S914). The processing of this flowchart then ends.

[0072] On the other hand, if the CPU 512 determines in step S901 that the MFP 100 has succeeded in the AP search, the CPU 512 stores the AP attribute information of the APs searched for by the MFP 100 in array A stored in the RAM 514 (S902). An image of array A is shown in FIG. 10(a).

[0073] Next, in S903, the CPU 512 reads the Multi-Link setting information of the MFP 100 from the RAM 514 and determines whether or not the Multi-Link function of the MFP 100 is enabled. If the Multi-Link function is not enabled, the CPU 512 advances the process to S915.

[0074] In S915, the CPU 512 executes a process of sorting the APs stored in array A in descending order of signal strength. This process may be performed using, for example, a bubble sort. Next, in S916, the CPU 512 displays array A on the UI as the AP search result, and the process of this flowchart ends.

[0075] On the other hand, if the Multi-Link function is enabled in S903, the CPU 512 advances the process to S904 and rearranges the AP search results using the Multi-Link compatibility information included in the AP information.

[0076] In S904, the AP information stored in array A is divided into four communication quality ranks excluding the "unusable" rank, and the AP information is stored in arrays B, C, D, and E in descending order of quality. That is, array B stores AP information with a quality rank of "very strong," array C stores AP information with a "very strong" rank, array D stores AP information with a "strong" rank, and array E stores AP information with a "weak" rank. In the AP information for the six devices illustrated in this embodiment, only APs with "very strong" and "strong" ranks exist, as shown in FIG. 8(c), and therefore data is stored only in arrays C and D. An image of arrays A, C, and D up to this point is shown in FIG. 10(a).

[0077] S905 indicates that the CPU 512 repeats the processes from S906 to S910 for each of arrays B, C, D, and E. However, as described above, the AP information for the six machines exemplified in this embodiment is stored only in arrays C and D, and therefore S906 to S910 are not actually performed for arrays B and E.

[0078] In S906, the AP information of the array that is the target of this iteration is first stored in array F. Next, in S907, the AP information in array F is sorted in order of signal strength (in this example, it is already sorted in order of signal strength). This process also uses, for example, bubble sort. Next, in S908, the AP information of Multi-Link-compatible APs included in array F is copied to array G and deleted from array F. Next, in S909, array H is created by combining array F with the end of array G. As shown in FIG. 10(d), in S910, array H is overwritten on the original array, i.e., the array that is the target of this iteration. This completes the sorting process for APs of one quality rank. The CPU 512 then repeats the processes from S906 to S910 for the arrays of other quality ranks. An image of arrays C, D, E, F, G, and H up to this point is shown in FIG. 10(b). Once processing for all arrays has been completed, the process proceeds to S912.

[0079] In S912, the CPU 512 creates array I by combining arrays B, C, D, and E in that order. An image of arrays C, D, and I up to this point is shown in Figure 10(c). Finally, the CPU 512 displays array I on the UI as the AP search result, and the processing of this flowchart ends.

[0080] Fig. 11 shows an AP selection screen displaying the AP search results in the information processing device 500. Fig. 12 is a table showing the correspondence between icon displays and radio wave quality ranks.

[0081] FIG. 11(a) shows the AP selection screen of the operation display control unit 220 when the Multi-Link setting of the MFP 100 is disabled. This corresponds to the screen displayed in S915 of FIG. 9. 1101 to 1106 are AP information areas for each AP, with one line displayed for each. The configuration of the AP information area will be explained using 1103 as an example. 1107 is a radio wave icon area indicating the radio wave quality rank. A correspondence table between the radio wave icon display and the radio wave quality rank is shown in FIG. 12. 1108 is a Multi-Link compatibility information area indicating whether or not this AP supports the Multi-Link function. If the Multi-Link function is supported, "MLD" (short for Multi-Link Device) is displayed in this area. 1109 is an SSID area, which is the identification information of the AP. 1111 is a cancel button for canceling the selection of the access point. In Figure 11(a), the SSIDs in the AP information are arranged in the following order from top to bottom: "SSID_1," "SSID_2," "SSID_3," "SSID_4," "SSID_5," and "SSID_6." This corresponds to the order of AP1, AP2, AP3, AP4, AP5, and AP6 in the AP column shown in Figure 8(a), i.e., they are arranged in order of signal strength. If the signal strength is the same, they are arranged in the order in which they were found.

[0082] FIG. 11(b) shows an AP selection screen of the operation display control unit 220 when the Multi-Link setting of the MFP 100 is enabled. This corresponds to the screen displayed in S913 of FIG. 9. The configuration of the screen is the same as that of FIG. 11(a). In FIG. 11(b), the SSIDs in the AP information are listed in the following order from top to bottom: "SSID_3," "SSID_1," "SSID_2," "SSID_5," "SSID_4," and "SSID_6." This corresponds to the order of AP3, AP1, AP2, AP5, AP4, and AP6 in the AP column shown in FIG. 8(a). Among AP1, AP2, and AP3, which have a communication quality rank of "very strong," AP3, which is a Multi-Link-compatible AP, is displayed at the top. Furthermore, among AP4, AP5, and AP6, which have a communication quality rank of "strong," AP5, which is a Multi-Link-compatible AP, is displayed at the top.

[0083] By displaying in this manner, it is clearly indicated that the AP is Multi-Link compatible among the APs displayed adjacently with the same communication quality, and Multi-Link compatible APs are displayed preferentially over non-Multi-Link compatible APs. The Multi-Link compatible AP with the highest communication quality ranking is displayed at the top of the AP search results screen. Therefore, when there are many APs in the vicinity, it is easy for the user to find the AP with the best communication quality from the AP search results.

[0084] (Check AP Multi-Link compatibility) 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of the display control process of the information processing device 500 according to this embodiment. The flowchart in FIG. 9 is a detailed flow of S612 in FIG.

[0085] In S1301, the CPU 512 first determines the Multi-Link setting of the MFP 100. If the Multi-Link setting of the MFP 100 is enabled, the process proceeds to S1302, and if it is not enabled, the process ends.

[0086] Next, in S1302, the CPU 512 determines whether the AP selected by the user in S611 supports the Multi-Link function. If the AP does not support the Multi-Link function, the process proceeds to S1303; if the AP supports the Multi-Link function, the process ends.

[0087] In S1303, the CPU 512 notifies the user that the AP selected by the user does not support the Multi-Link function. The display screen at this time is screen 770 in FIG. 7. If the "Yes" button is pressed on screen 770, it is determined to continue in S1304, and this flow ends. If the "No" button is pressed on screen 770, the flow proceeds to S1305. The processing of S1305 is connected to S617 in FIG. 6, and the flow proceeds to S610, where the user can reselect an AP. As described above, if the user unintentionally selects an AP that does not support the Multi-Link function, the user can reselect it.

[0088] (Check AP Multi-Link compatibility) 14 is a flowchart showing the flow of the display control process of the information processing device 500 according to this embodiment. This process is a detailed flow of S614 and S623 in FIG.

[0089] In S1401, the CPU 512 first determines the Multi-Link setting of the MFP 100. If the Multi-Link setting of the MFP 100 is not enabled, the process proceeds to S1402, and if enabled, the process ends.

[0090] Next, in S1402, the CPU 512 determines whether the AP selected by the user in S611 supports the Multi-Link function. If the AP supports the Multi-Link function, the process proceeds to S1403; if the AP does not support the Multi-Link function, the process ends.

[0091] In S1403, CPU 512 confirms with the user whether or not to enable the Multi-Link setting of the AP selected by the user. The display screen at this time is screen 790 in FIG. 7. When the "Yes" button is pressed on screen 790, the process proceeds to S1405, where an instruction is issued to MFP 100 to enable the Multi-Link setting. In response to this, MFP 100 enables the Multi-Link setting in S1406. As described above, if the access point selected by information processing device 500 is Multi-Link compatible, the user can change the Multi-Link function setting of MFP 100 from information processing device 500.

[0092] (Second Example) In the first embodiment, the AP search is performed by the MFP 100, but in this embodiment, an example in which the AP search is performed on the information processing device 500 side will be described.

[0093] FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the processing of the information processing device 500 and the MFP 100 when the information processing device 500 performs wireless access point connection settings for the MFP 100 in the second embodiment.

[0094] The basic configuration of this flowchart is the same as that of Fig. 6, so only the differences are shown. The difference from Fig. 6 of the first embodiment is that the AP search is performed by the information processing device 500 instead of the MFP 100.

[0095] Regarding the processing of the information processing device 500, steps S1501 to S1504 are the same as steps S601 to S604 in Fig. 6. In S1505, the information processing device 500 performs an AP search, and in S1506, the search results are obtained as an AP list. That is, AP attribute information such as that shown in Fig. 8(a) is obtained here. Thereafter, steps S1507 to S1513 are the same as steps S610 to S616 in Fig. 6.

[0096] Regarding the processing of the MFP 100, the steps up to S1520 are the same as S620 in Fig. 6. However, the AP search by the MFP 100 performed in S621 and S622 in Fig. 6 is not executed. Thereafter, the steps from S1521 to S1522 are the same as S623 to S624 in Fig. 6.

[0097] The processing of this flowchart allows the information processing device 500 to search for APs, thereby reducing the load on the MFP 100. When the information processing device 500 displays the AP search results, it preferentially displays Multi-Link compatible APs, making it easier for the user to select an appropriate AP. Also, a configuration may be adopted in which AP attribute information such as that shown in FIG. 8(a) obtained by the information processing device 500 searching for APs is transmitted to the MFP 100. A configuration may be adopted in which the MFP 100 that receives the AP attribute information displays a list of APs, allowing the user to select an AP to connect to.

[0098] (Third Example) In the first and second embodiments, the APs in the AP list are displayed in a manner that prioritizes APs that support Multi-Link over APs that do not support Multi-Link among APs with the same communication quality. However, the method of determining the display order using the AP's Multi-Link compatibility information is not limited to this. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which APs are displayed in order of communication quality according to whether or not they support Multi-Link.

[0099] FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram of the AP selection screen of the information processing device 500 in the third embodiment.

[0100] The screen configuration is as shown in Fig. 11 in the first embodiment. The AP information of each AP is the same as that shown in Fig. 8 in the first embodiment. The correspondence between the radio wave icon display and the radio wave quality rank is also the same as that shown in Fig. 12 in the first embodiment.

[0101] 16A shows the AP selection screen of the operation display control unit 220 when the Multi-Link setting of the MFP 100 is disabled. This is the same as the one shown in FIG. 11A in the first embodiment.

[0102] 16(b) shows the AP selection screen of the operation display control unit 220 when the Multi-Link setting of the MFP 100 is enabled. Compared to FIG. 11(b), this differs in that a line 1601 for "SSID_5" is displayed as the second line from the top. The SSIDs in the AP information are listed in the following order from top to bottom: "SSID_3," "SSID_5," "SSID_1," "SSID_2," "SSID_4," and "SSID_6." This is the same order as AP3, AP5, AP1, AP2, AP4, and AP6 in the AP attribute information shown in FIG. 8(a). AP3 and AP5, which are Multi-Link compatible APs, are listed above AP1, AP2, AP4, and AP6, which are non-Multi-Link compatible APs. Among the Multi-Link compatible APs, AP3, which has a higher radio wave quality rank, is listed above AP5. Among the non-Multi-Link compatible APs, AP1 and AP2, which have a higher radio wave quality rank, are listed above AP4 and AP6. AP1 and AP2 with the same signal quality rank are displayed in order of signal strength, AP1 being stronger than AP2. Similarly, AP4 and AP6 with the same signal quality rank are displayed in order of signal strength, AP4 being stronger than AP6.

[0103] 17 is a flowchart showing the flow of display control processing in an information processing device 500 according to the third embodiment. The basic configuration of this flowchart is the same as that of FIG. 9, so only the differences are shown.

[0104] In S1701, CPU 512 determines whether MFP 100 has successfully searched for APs. If there are no APs transmitting Beacon signals in the vicinity, the AP search result acquired from MFP 100 will be 0, and CPU 512 displays on operation display control unit 220 a message indicating that the AP search has failed (S1709). The processing of this flowchart then ends. On the other hand, if CPU 512 determines in S1701 that the search has been successful, CPU 512 stores AP information of the searched APs in array A of FIG. 10 stored in RAM 514 (S1702).

[0105] Next, in S1703, the CPU 512 reads the Multi-Link setting information of the MFP 100 from the RAM 514 and determines whether the Multi-Link function of the MFP 100 is enabled. If the Multi-Link function is not enabled, the CPU 512 proceeds to S1710. The processes of S1710 and S1711 are the same as S915 and S916 in FIG. 9 in the first embodiment, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0106] On the other hand, if the Multi-Link function is enabled in S1703, CPU 512 proceeds to S1704 and sorts the AP search results using the Multi-Link compatibility information included in the AP information. In S1704, of the AP information stored in array A, Multi-Link compatible AP information is stored in array B, and Multi-Link incompatible AP information is stored in array C. Next, in S1705, the AP information in array B is sorted in order of signal strength. Next, in S1706, the AP information in array C is sorted in order of signal strength. Next, in S1707, array D is created by joining array C to the end of array B. Finally, in S1708, array I is displayed on the UI as the AP search result, and the processing of this flowchart ends.

[0107] The processing of this flowchart allows the user to recognize Multi-Link compatible APs at a glance, making it easier to select an appropriate AP.

[0108] (Other embodiments) In the above example, an example has been shown in which a Multi-Link compatible AP is preferentially displayed in the process of performing wireless access point connection settings for the MFP 100 from the information processing device 500. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a configuration may be adopted in which a Multi-Link compatible AP is preferentially displayed when the information processing device 500 searches for an AP to which the device itself will connect.

[0109] In each of the above embodiments, the various controls described as being performed by MFP 100 and information processing device 500 may be performed by a single piece of hardware, or the entire device may be controlled by multiple pieces of hardware (e.g., multiple processors or circuits) sharing the processing.

[0110] Furthermore, although the present invention has been described in detail based on preferred embodiments thereof, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various forms within the scope of the gist of the present invention are also included in the present invention. Furthermore, each of the above-described embodiments merely represents one embodiment of the present invention, and each embodiment can be combined as appropriate.

[0111] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the present invention has been described with reference to an example in which the present invention is applied to the MFP 100 and the information processing device 500. However, this is not limited to this example and the present invention can be applied to any wireless device. Specifically, the present invention can be applied to various measuring devices (sensor devices) such as personal computers, PDAs, tablet devices, mobile phones such as smartphones, music players, game consoles, e-book readers, smartwatches, and thermometers and hygrometers. The present invention can also be applied to digital cameras (including still cameras, video cameras, network cameras, and security cameras), printers, scanners, and drones. The present invention can also be applied to video output devices, audio output devices (e.g., smart speakers), media streaming players, and wireless LAN adapters (adapters) that can be connected to USB or LAN cable terminals. Examples of video output devices include devices that acquire (download) videos from the Internet identified by a URL specified by an electronic device and output them to a connected display device via a video output terminal such as HDMI (registered trademark), thereby enabling streaming playback on the display device or mirroring display (displaying the content displayed on the electronic device on the display device). Furthermore, video output devices include media players such as televisions, hard disk recorders, Blu-ray recorders, and DVD recorders, head-mounted displays, projectors, televisions, display devices (monitors), signage devices, etc. The present invention is also applicable to Wi-Fi-connectable devices known as smart home appliances, such as air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, ovens, microwave ovens, lighting equipment, heating equipment, and cooling equipment.

[0112] 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 device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0113] The disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configurations, methods, and programs.

[0114] (Configuration 1) An information processing device that communicates with an external device, a search means for searching for an external access point; an acquisition means for acquiring information indicating whether the access point searched by the search means supports Multi-Link communication; An information processing device having a transmitting means for transmitting information about the access point searched by the searching means to the external device, wherein the information transmitted by the transmitting means includes information obtained by the obtaining means indicating whether the access point is compatible with the Multi-Link communication.

[0115] (Configuration 2) The information processing device according to configuration 1 further comprises a receiving means for receiving from the external device connection information of an access point selected by the user from the list of access points displayed on the external device based on the access point information transmitted by the transmitting means.

[0116] (Configuration 3) 3. The information processing apparatus according to configuration 2, further comprising connection means for connecting to an access point using the connection information received by the receiving means.

[0117] (Configuration 4) 4. The information processing device according to configuration 2 or 3, wherein in the list, access points that support Multi-Link communication are displayed with priority over access points that do not support Multi-Link communication.

[0118] (Configuration 5) 5. The information processing device according to any one of configurations 2 to 4, wherein an access point in the list that supports Multi-Link communication is displayed together with information indicating that it supports Multi-Link communication.

[0119] (Configuration 6) 6. The information processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 5, further comprising a setting unit for setting whether or not a Multi-Link communication function of the information processing device is enabled.

[0120] (Configuration 7) 7. The information processing device according to configuration 6, wherein an instruction to enable a Multi-Link communication function of the information processing device is received from the external device, and the setting means enables the Multi-Link communication function.

[0121] (Configuration 8) The information processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 7, characterized in that, upon receiving a search request for an access point from the external device, the search means searches for an external access point, and in response to the search request, the transmission means transmits information about the access point to the external device.

[0122] (Configuration 9) An information processing device that communicates with an external device, a receiving means for receiving information on the access points searched for by the external device from the external device; a display control means for displaying the access point information received by the receiving means; wherein the information received by the receiving means includes information indicating whether an access point supports Multi-Link communication, and the display control means displays information about access points that support Multi-Link communication preferentially over information about access points that do not support Multi-Link communication.

[0123] (Configuration 10) 10. The information processing device according to configuration 9, wherein the display control means displays an access point that supports Multi-Link communication together with information indicating that the access point supports Multi-Link communication.

[0124] (Method 1) A control method executed by an information processing device that communicates with an external device, comprising: a searching step of searching for an external access point; an acquisition step of acquiring information indicating whether the access point searched for in the search step supports Multi-Link communication; A control method comprising a transmission step of transmitting information about the access point searched for in the search step to the external device, wherein the information transmitted in the transmission step includes information indicating whether the access point is compatible with the Multi-Link communication obtained in the acquisition step.

[0125] (Method 2) A control method executed by an information processing device that communicates with an external device, comprising: a receiving step of receiving, from the external device, information on the access points searched by the external device; a display control step of displaying the access point information received in the receiving step; wherein the information received in the receiving step includes information indicating whether the access point supports Multi-Link communication, and the display control step displays information about access points that support Multi-Link communication preferentially over information about access points that do not support Multi-Link communication.

[0126] (program) A program for causing a computer to function as each means of the information processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 10. [Explanation of symbols]

[0127] 500 Information processing equipment 100 MFP 101 AP1 102 AP2

Claims

1. An information processing device that communicates with an external device, a search means for searching for an external access point; an acquisition means for acquiring information indicating whether the access point searched by the search means is compatible with multi-link communication; An information processing device having a transmitting means for transmitting information about the access point searched by the searching means to the external device, wherein the information transmitted by the transmitting means includes information indicating whether the access point is compatible with the Multi-Link communication acquired by the acquiring means.

2. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, further comprising a receiving means for receiving from the external device connection information of an access point selected by the user from a list of access points displayed on the external device based on the access point information transmitted by the transmitting means.

3. 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising connection means for connecting to an access point using the connection information received by said receiving means.

4. 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein in the list, access points that support multi-link communication are displayed with priority over access points that do not support multi-link communication.

5. 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein an access point that supports multi-link communication in the list is displayed together with information indicating that the access point supports multi-link communication.

6. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a setting unit for setting whether or not a multi-link communication function of said information processing apparatus is enabled.

7. 7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein an instruction to enable a multi-link communication function of the information processing apparatus is received from the external device, and the setting means enables the multi-link communication function.

8. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein, upon receiving a search request for an access point from the external device, the search means searches for an external access point, and in response to the search request, the transmission means transmits information about the access point to the external device.

9. An information processing device that communicates with an external device, a receiving means for receiving information on the access points searched for by the external device from the external device; a display control means for displaying the access point information received by the receiving means; The information received by the receiving means includes information indicating whether the access point supports Multi-Link communication, and the display control means displays information about access points that support Multi-Link communication preferentially over information about access points that do not support Multi-Link communication.

10. 10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said display control means displays an access point compatible with Multi-Link communication together with information indicating that the access point is compatible with Multi-Link communication.

11. A control method executed by an information processing device that communicates with an external device, comprising: a searching step of searching for an external access point; an acquisition step of acquiring information indicating whether the access point searched for in the search step is compatible with multi-link communication; A control method comprising a transmission step of transmitting information about the access point searched for in the search step to the external device, wherein the information transmitted in the transmission step includes information indicating whether the access point is compatible with the Multi-Link communication acquired in the acquisition step.

12. A control method executed by an information processing device that communicates with an external device, comprising: a receiving step of receiving, from the external device, information on the access points searched by the external device; a display control step of displaying the access point information received in the receiving step; wherein the information received in the receiving step includes information indicating whether the access point is compatible with Multi-Link communication, and the display control step displays information about access points that are compatible with Multi-Link communication with priority over information about access points that are not compatible with Multi-Link communication.

13. A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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