Electronic apparatus, method for controlling electronic apparatus, and program

Abstract

To provide an electronic apparatus that more appropriately changes an access point to be a connection destination.SOLUTION: An electronic apparatus comprises: at least one processor; receiving means that receives, from an access point in connection, a request for changing an access point to be a connection destination; and control means that, of a first mode and a second mode in which the clock frequency of the at least one processor is lower than that in the first mode, when the electronic apparatus is in the first mode, performs control so that processing of changing the connection destination based on the changing request is not performed, and when the electronic apparatus is in the second mode, performs control so that the processing of changing the connection destination based on the changing request is performed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device that can be connected via a wireless LAN, a control method for an electronic device, and a program. [Background technology]

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

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses the following process for a router with AP functionality to request a connected wireless slave device to change its connection destination: A mobile router (MR1) connectable to multiple wireless slave devices checks whether the wireless slave device terminal supports IEEE802.11v. Whether the wireless slave device terminal supports IEEE802.11v can be determined from an Association Request frame transmitted by the wireless slave device when wirelessly connecting to MR1. If the wireless slave device terminal supports IEEE802.11v, a BTM (BSS Transition Management) Request frame is transmitted to the corresponding wireless slave device. The BSS Transition Candidate List Entries field of the BTM Request frame specifies the BSSID of the master router RT2 as the connection destination. This prompts the wireless slave device terminal to switch its connection destination, and the wireless slave device terminal switches its connection destination from MR1 to RT2 in accordance with the received BTM Request frame. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-175068 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device, a control method for an electronic device, and a program that more appropriately change the access point to which the electronic device is connected. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, the electronic device of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises at least one processor, a receiving means for receiving a request to change the access point to be connected to from a currently connected access point, and a control means for controlling the electronic device to be in a first mode and a second mode in which the clock frequency of the at least one processor is lower than that of the first mode, so that when the electronic device is in the first mode, the connection destination change process based on the change request is not performed, and when the electronic device is in the second mode, the connection destination change process based on the change request is performed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to more appropriately change the access point to be connected to. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a system configuration. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an MFP. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an operation display unit of an MFP. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a mobile terminal device. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an access point. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating a process in response to a connection destination change request from an AP. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing a process executed in response to a request to change a destination AP. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing a process executed in response to a request to change a destination AP. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention claimed. Although multiple features are described in the embodiments, not all of these multiple features are necessarily essential to the invention, and multiple features may be combined arbitrarily. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar components, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0010] [First embodiment] (System Configuration) FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of a system according to this embodiment. In one example, this system is a wireless communication system in which a plurality of communication devices can communicate with each other wirelessly. In the example of FIG. 1, the communication devices include a mobile terminal device 104, an MFP 100, access points AP101 and AP102, a server 103, and a network 110. Note that AP101 and AP102 may be illustrated as AP1 and AP2. The mobile terminal device 104 is a device having a wireless communication function such as a wireless LAN. Note that hereinafter, wireless LAN may be referred to as WLAN. The mobile terminal device 104 may be a personal digital assistant such as a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a mobile phone (smartphone), a digital camera, a personal computer, etc.

[0011] The MFP 100 is a printing device having a printing function, and may also 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 a mobile terminal device 104. Although the present embodiment describes a case in which the MFP 100 is used as an example, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a scanner device, a projector, a mobile terminal, a smartphone, a notebook PC, a tablet terminal, a PDA, a digital camera, a music playback device, a television, a smart speaker, and the like, each having a communication function, may be used instead of the MFP 100. Note that MFP is an acronym for Multi Function Peripheral.

[0012] The AP 101 is provided separately (externally) from the mobile terminal device 104 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 AP 101. Note that hereinafter, an access point may be referred to as an "AP." Furthermore, infrastructure mode may be referred to as "wireless infrastructure mode." The AP 101 performs wireless communication with communication devices that have been authorized (authenticated) to connect to the AP 101, and relays wireless communication between the communication devices and other communication devices. The AP 101 may also be connected to, for example, a wired communication network, and relay communication between a communication device connected to the wired communication network and another communication device wirelessly connected to the AP 101.

[0013] AP 102 has the same functions as AP 101, and MFP 100 switches its connection from AP 101 to AP 102 as necessary. Server 103 connects to MFP 100 via AP 101 and network 110, and provides services to MFP 100 by responding to requests from MFP 100. Here, network 110 may be the so-called Internet, or it may be a closed network within a company or a mobile phone network. The system according to this embodiment is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 1 and may include, for example, an authentication server that performs the above authentication.

[0014] (MFP external configuration) FIG. 2(a) shows an example of the external configuration of MFP 100. MFP 100 has, for example, a platen 201, a platen cover 202, a print paper insertion slot 203, a print paper ejection slot 204, and an operation display unit 205. Platen 201 is a stand on which a document to be read is placed. Platen cover 202 is a cover that holds down the document placed on platen 201 and prevents light from a light source that illuminates the document during reading from leaking to the outside. Print paper insertion slot 203 is an insertion slot that can accept paper of various sizes. Print paper ejection slot 204 is an ejection slot through which paper that has been printed is ejected. Paper that has been placed in print paper insertion slot 203 is transported one sheet at a time to the printing unit, where it is printed and then ejected from print paper ejection slot 204. The operation display unit 205 includes keys such as character input keys, cursor keys, a confirm key, and a cancel key, as well as an LED and an LCD, and is configured to be able to accept user operations for activating various MFP functions and for various settings. The operation display unit 205 may also include a touch panel display. The MFP 100 has a wireless communication function using WLAN, and includes a wireless communication antenna 206 for this wireless communication, although this antenna does not necessarily need to be visible from the exterior. Like the mobile terminal device 104, the MFP 100 can also perform wireless communication using WLAN in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands.

[0015] (MFP configuration) FIG. 2(b) shows an example 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 (communication interface) 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 print control unit 224, and an operation display 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 .

[0016] 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 a control program and an embedded OS program executed by the CPU 212. In this embodiment, the CPU 212 executes each control program stored in the ROM 213 under the management of an embedded OS also stored in the ROM 213, thereby performing software control such as scheduling and task switching.

[0017] 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.

[0018] 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.

[0019] 2(a), and performs display on a display based on display control by the CPU 212, generation of a signal in response to reception of a user operation, etc. The encoding / decoding processing unit 221 performs encoding processing, decoding processing, and enlargement / reduction processing of image data (JPEG, PNG, etc.) handled by the MFP 100.

[0020] 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.

[0021] 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 printing processing using, for example, an inkjet recording method, 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 processing 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 status of the print head.

[0022] The wireless unit 226 is a unit capable of providing WLAN communication functions, and can provide functions similar to those of the WLAN unit 429 of the mobile terminal device 104. 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 conforming to the IEEE802.11 standard series. In particular, it is capable of communication as a station conforming to IEEE802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax. Hereinafter, the station may be referred to as an STA. It is also capable of communication as an STA compatible with Wi-Fi Agile Multiband (trademark).

[0023] The wireless unit 226 supports IEEE802.11ax, i.e., Wi-Fi 6™, and the MFP 100 can also operate as an STA supporting at least one of Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) and Target Wake Time (TWT). Support for TWT adjusts the timing of data communication from the master device to the STA. The wireless unit 226 (MFP 100) serving as an STA transitions its communication function to a sleep state when it does not need to wait for signal reception. This reduces power consumption. The wireless unit 226 also supports Wi-Fi 6E™. This means that communication in the 6 GHz band (5.925 GHz to 7.125 GHz) is also possible. The bands in the 5 GHz band where Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) is performed do not exist in the 6 GHz band. Therefore, communication in the 6 GHz band does not experience communication interruptions due to DFS standby times, enabling smoother communication.

[0024] The mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 are capable of P2P (WLAN) communication based on WFD, and the wireless unit 226 has a software access point (soft AP) function or a group owner function. That is, the wireless unit 226 can build a P2P communication network and determine the channel to be used for P2P communication.

[0025] (MFP operation display section) FIG. 3 schematically shows an example of a screen display on a display (touch panel display) included in the operation display unit 220 of the MFP 100. FIG. 3(a) is an example of a home screen that is displayed when the MFP 100 is powered on and no operations such as printing or scanning are being performed (idle state, standby state). FIG. 3(a) displays display items (menu items) corresponding to copy, scan, and cloud, respectively. Cloud is a menu item related to cloud functions that use Internet communication. By selecting any of the menu items through key operations or touch panel operations, the MFP 100 can begin executing the corresponding settings or functions. The MFP 100 can seamlessly display a screen different from that shown in FIG. 3(a) by accepting key operations or touch panel operations on the home screen of FIG. 3(a).

[0026] Figure 3(b) is a display example of another part of the home screen, which transitions from the state of Figure 3(a) by performing an operation (such as sliding left or right) to display another page of the home screen. Figure 3(b) displays display items (menu items) corresponding to communication settings, print, and photo. When one of these menu items is selected, the function corresponding to the selected menu item, i.e., the print function, photo function, or communication settings, is executed.

[0027] FIG. 3(c) is an example of a communication settings menu screen that is displayed when communication settings are selected on the screen in FIG. 3(b). The communication settings menu screen displays the following menu items (options): "Wireless LAN," "Wired LAN," "Wireless Direct," and "Bluetooth." "Wireless LAN," "Wired LAN," and "Wireless Direct" are menu items for configuring LAN settings. These items allow users to configure wired connections, enable / disable wireless infrastructure mode, and enable / disable P2P modes such as WFD and soft AP mode. When the "Wireless LAN" item is selected and wireless LAN is enabled by user operation, wireless infrastructure mode is enabled. When the "Wireless Direct" item is selected and wireless Direct is enabled by user operation, P2P (WLAN) mode is enabled. This screen also displays a common setting menu for each connection type. Furthermore, the user can configure settings such as the wireless LAN frequency band and frequency channel from this screen.

[0028] (External configuration of mobile terminal device) FIG. 4(a) is a diagram illustrating an example of the external configuration of the mobile terminal device 104. In this embodiment, as an example, the mobile terminal device 104 is a general-type smartphone. The mobile terminal device 104 includes, for example, a display unit 402, an operation unit 403, and a power key 404. The display unit 402 is, for example, a display including a liquid crystal display (LCD) type display mechanism. The display unit 402 may display information using, for example, an LED (light emitting diode). The mobile terminal device 104 may also have a function to output information by voice in addition to or instead of the display unit 402. The operation unit 403 includes hard keys such as keys and buttons, a touch panel, and the like for detecting user operations. In this example, the display unit 402 displays information and the operation unit 403 receives user operations using a common touch panel display, so the display unit 402 and the operation unit 403 are implemented by a single device. In this case, for example, button icons and a software keyboard are displayed using the display function of display unit 402, and the touch of the user on those locations is detected by the operation reception function of operation unit 403. Note that display unit 402 and operation unit 403 may be separated, and hardware for display and hardware for operation reception may be provided separately. Power key 404 is a hardware key for receiving a user operation to turn on or off the power of mobile terminal device 104.

[0029] The mobile terminal device 104 includes a WLAN unit 401 that provides WLAN communication functionality, although it does not necessarily need to be visible from the exterior. The WLAN unit 401 is configured to be able to perform data (packet) communication in a WLAN system that complies with, for example, the IEEE 802.11 standard series (IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax, etc.). It is also capable of communication as an AP compatible with Wi-Fi Agile Multiband (trademark). However, this is not a limitation, and the WLAN unit 401 may also be capable of communication in a WLAN system that complies with other standards. In this example, the WLAN unit 401 is capable of communication in both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands. It is also assumed that the WLAN unit 401 is capable of communication based on WFD, communication in soft AP mode, communication in wireless infrastructure mode, etc. Operation in these modes will be described later.

[0030] (Configuration of mobile terminal device) FIG. 4(b) shows an example of the configuration of the mobile terminal device 104. In one example, the mobile terminal device 104 includes a main board 411 that performs main control of the device itself and a WLAN unit 429 that performs WLAN communication. The main board 411 includes, for example, a CPU 412, a ROM 413, a RAM 414, an image memory 415, a data conversion unit 416, a telephone unit 417, a GPS 419, a camera unit 421, a non-volatile memory 422, a data storage unit 423, a speaker unit 424, and a power supply unit 425. Here, CPU is an acronym for Central Processing Unit, ROM is an acronym for Read Only Memory, RAM is an acronym for Random Access Memory, and GPS is an acronym for Global Positioning System. The mobile terminal device 104 also includes a display unit 420 and an operation unit 418. These functional units within the main board 411 are connected to each other via a system bus 628 managed by the CPU 412. The main board 411 and the WLAN unit 429 are connected via a dedicated bus 426, for example.

[0031] The CPU 412 is a system control unit including at least one processor, and controls the entire mobile terminal device 104. In one example, the processing of the mobile terminal device 104 described below is realized by the CPU 412 executing a program stored in the ROM 413. Note that dedicated hardware for each process may be provided. The ROM 413 stores control programs, such as a control program and an embedded operating system (OS) program, executed by the CPU 412. In this embodiment, the CPU 412 executes each control program stored in the ROM 413 under the management of an embedded OS also stored in the ROM 413, thereby performing software control such as scheduling and task switching.

[0032] The RAM 414 is configured with a static RAM (SRAM) or the like. The RAM 414 stores data such as program control variables, setting values registered by the user, and management data for the mobile terminal device 104. The RAM 414 can also be used as a buffer for various types of work. The image memory 415 is configured with a memory such as a dynamic RAM (DRAM). The image memory 415 temporarily stores image data received via the WLAN unit 429 and image data read from the data storage unit 423 for processing by the CPU 412. The nonvolatile memory 422 is configured with a memory such as a flash memory, and continues to store data even when the mobile terminal device 104 is powered off. Note that the memory configuration of the mobile terminal device 104 is not limited to the above configuration. For example, the image memory 415 and the RAM 414 may be shared, or data may be backed up using the data storage unit 423. In this embodiment, although a DRAM is given as an example of the image memory 415, other storage media such as a hard disk or nonvolatile memory may also be used.

[0033] The data conversion unit 416 analyzes data in various formats and performs data conversion such as color conversion and image conversion. The telephone unit 417 controls telephone lines and realizes telephone communication by processing audio data input and output via a speaker unit 424. The GPS 419 receives radio waves transmitted from satellites and acquires location information such as the current latitude and longitude of the mobile terminal device 104.

[0034] The camera unit 421 has the function of electronically recording and encoding an image input through a lens. Image data obtained by capturing an image with the camera unit 421 is stored in a data storage unit 423. The speaker unit 424 controls the input and output of audio for telephone functions, as well as other functions such as alarm notification. The power supply unit 425 is, for example, a portable battery, and controls the supply of power to the device. Power supply states include, for example, a dead battery state in which there is no remaining battery power, a power-off state in which the power key 404 is not pressed, a running state in which the device is normally running, and a power-saving state in which the device is running but is in power-saving mode.

[0035] The display unit 420 is the display unit 402 described with reference to Fig. 4(a), and performs various input operations and displays the operating status and status of the MFP 100 based on the control of the CPU 412. The operation unit 418 is the operation unit 403 described with reference to Fig. 4(a), and upon receiving a user operation, performs control such as generating an electrical signal corresponding to the operation and outputting it to the CPU 412.

[0036] The mobile terminal device 104 performs wireless communication using a WLAN unit 429 to perform data communication with other devices such as the MFP 100. The WLAN unit 429 converts data into packets and transmits the packets to other devices. The WLAN unit 429 also restores packets from other external devices to the original data and outputs the data to the CPU 412. The WLAN unit 429 is a unit for realizing communication compliant with the WLAN standards. The WLAN unit 429 can operate in parallel in at least two communication modes, including a wireless infrastructure mode and a P2P (WLAN) mode. Note that the frequency bands used in these communication modes may be limited by the functionality and performance of the hardware.

[0037] (Access point configuration) 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an AP 101 having a wireless LAN access point function. The AP 101 includes a main board 510 that controls the AP 101, a wireless LAN unit 516, a wired LAN unit 518, and an operation button 520.

[0038] A microprocessor-type CPU 511 disposed on a main board 510 operates in accordance with a control program stored in a ROM-type program memory 513 connected via an internal bus 512 and the contents of a RAM-type data memory 514. The CPU 511 controls a wireless LAN unit 516 via a wireless LAN communication control unit 515 to perform wireless LAN communication with other communication terminal devices. The CPU 511 also controls a wired LAN unit 518 via a wired LAN communication control unit 517 to perform wired LAN communication with other communication terminal devices. The CPU 511 controls an operation unit control circuit 519 to accept operations from a user via operation buttons 520. The CPU 511 includes at least one processor.

[0039] The AP 101 also includes an interference wave detection unit 521 and a channel change unit 522. The interference wave detection unit 521 performs processing to detect interference waves when wireless communication is being performed in a band where DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection) is implemented. If an interference wave is detected when wireless communication is being performed in a band where DFS is implemented, the channel change unit 522 performs processing to change the channel to be used when it is necessary to immediately change to an available channel. The AP 102 also has a configuration similar to that of the AP 101.

[0040] (P2P communication method) Next, we will outline the P2P (WLAN) communication method, which allows devices to communicate directly with each other wirelessly without going through an external access point. P2P (WLAN) communication can be realized using multiple methods. For example, a communication device can support multiple modes for P2P (WLAN) communication and selectively use one of the multiple modes to perform P2P communication (WLAN).

[0041] The following two P2P modes are envisioned:

[0042] Soft AP mode Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) mode A communication device capable of P2P communication may be configured to support at least one of these modes, but even a communication device capable of P2P communication does not have to support all of these modes and may be configured to support only some of them.

[0043] A communication device (e.g., the mobile terminal device 104) having a WFD communication function receives user operations via its operation unit, thereby invoking a (possibly dedicated) application for realizing the communication function. The communication device then displays a UI (user interface) screen provided by the application to prompt the user to perform an operation, and can execute WFD communication based on the received user operations.

[0044] ●Soft AP mode In the soft AP mode, a communication device (e.g., the mobile terminal device 104) operates as a client that requests various services. The other communication device (e.g., the MFP 100) operates as a soft AP that can execute the functions of a WLAN AP through software configuration. It is sufficient for the commands and parameters transmitted and received when establishing a wireless connection between the client and the soft AP to be those specified in the Wi-Fi (registered trademark) standard, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted here. Furthermore, the MFP 100 operating in the soft AP mode determines the frequency band and frequency channel as the master station. Therefore, the MFP 100 can select which frequency band to use, either 5 GHz or 2.4 GHz, and which frequency channel to use within that frequency band.

[0045] WFD mode The MFP 100 may be configured to be permanently activated as a master station in WFD mode (Autonomous Group Owner). In this case, GO negotiation processing to determine the role is not required. In addition, in this case, the MFP 100 determines the frequency band and frequency channel as the master station. Therefore, the MFP 100 can select which frequency band to use, 5 GHz or 2.4 GHz, and which frequency channel to use within that frequency band.

[0046] (Wireless infrastructure mode) In wireless infrastructure mode, communication devices (e.g., mobile terminal device 104 and MFP 100) that communicate with each other are connected to an external AP (e.g., AP 101) that manages the network, and communication between the communication devices is performed via that AP. In other words, communication between the communication devices is performed via a network established by the external AP. When mobile terminal device 104 and MFP 100 each discover AP 101 and connect to AP 101 by sending a connection request, communication between these communication devices is enabled via AP 101 in wireless infrastructure mode. Note that multiple communication devices may be connected to separate APs. In this case, data transfer between APs enables communication between the communication devices. Commands and parameters transmitted and received during communication between each communication device via an access point may be those specified in the Wi-Fi standard, and therefore will not be described here. In this case, AP 101 determines the frequency band and frequency channel. Therefore, the AP 101 can select which frequency band to use from 5 GHz, 2.4 GHz, and 6 GHz, and which frequency channel to use within that frequency band.

[0047] (Processing in response to a request from the AP to change the connection destination of the STA) The mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 support a function publicly known as Wi-Fi Agile Multiband (registered trademark). Wi-Fi Agile Multiband is a function that enables the selection of an optimal environment according to changing conditions in a Wi-Fi network. Specifically, STAs such as the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 and APs such as the AP 101 exchange information about the network environment using the IEEE 802.11 series of communication standards. Through this information exchange, when the network is congested, the AP can guide (change the connection destination) the STA to another AP, frequency band, channel, or even a different cellular service.

[0048] 6 is a sequence diagram in which MFP 100 switches the AP of the connection destination from AP 101 to AP 102 in response to a connection destination change request from AP 101. In this sequence, the processes executed by each device are realized by the CPU of each device reading various programs stored in memory such as ROM of each device into RAM and executing them.

[0049] 6, it is assumed that the MFP 100 has established a connection with the AP 101 in wireless infrastructure mode. Furthermore, when the MFP 100 and the AP 101 connect in wireless infrastructure mode, the AP 101 acquires information on whether the MFP 100 supports IEEE802.11v, and performs the following processing if the information indicating that the MFP 100 supports IEEE802.11v has been acquired. The AP 101 determines whether the MFP 100 supports IEEE802.11v from an Association Request frame transmitted by the MFP 100 when wirelessly connecting to the AP 101.

[0050] In S601, the AP 101 transmits to the MFP 100 an inquiry (measurement request) about the radio wave strength of APs around the MFP 100. This inquiry can be transmitted, for example, including a beacon frame request or a beacon report request. In other words, this request can use a mechanism defined in the IEEE 802.11k standard.

[0051] In S602, the MFP 100 receives frames transmitted by surrounding APs in response to the request received in S601 and measures the radio wave strength. As a result, the radio wave strength of each of the multiple APs, including AP 101 and AP 102, is measured.

[0052] In S603, the MFP 100 transmits a list of the radio wave intensities of the APs around the MFP 100 measured in S602 as a response to the request received in S601. Note that the radio wave intensity to be transmitted in response may be information stored in the RAM 214 and nonvolatile memory 215 of the MFP 100 in addition to or instead of the information measured in S602. This response is transmitted including, for example, a beacon report or measurement reports.

[0053] In S604, the AP 101 determines whether or not the MFP 100 needs to change its connection destination based on the network congestion status that the AP 101 is aware of and the radio wave strength received from the MFP 100 in S603. Factors that may cause the AP 101 to determine that a change in connection destination is necessary include a large number of STAs connected to the AP 101 (above a threshold), a large amount of communication traffic between the AP 101 and the STAs connected to the AP 101 (above a threshold), the presence or absence of radio interference determined based on the signal-to-noise ratio, or an AP function outage. The AP 101 may also determine whether or not a change in connection destination is necessary based on the degree of congestion of each AP (number of STAs connected, communication traffic) determined through communication between the APs. Once it determines that a change in the MFP 100's connection destination is necessary and determines the SSID, channel, and frequency band of another AP to be designated as the MFP 100's connection destination, the process proceeds to S605. For example, the SSID of the other AP designated as the connection destination is the same as the SSID of the original AP.

[0054] In S605, the AP 101 transmits an AP change request (connection destination switch request) to the MFP 100. The connection destination change request includes information on the SSID, channel, and frequency band of another AP to be designated as a switch destination for the MFP 100, as determined in S604. Note that multiple SSIDs may be designated. The connection destination change request is transmitted, for example, as a BTM Request. In other words, a BTM (BSS Transition Management) Request frame defined in the IEEE802.11v standard is transmitted. In the example of FIG. 6, it is assumed that the AP 102 is designated as the switch destination included in the connection destination change request.

[0055] In S606, if the MFP 100 complies with the connection destination change request received in S605, it transmits a response indicating acceptance of the switch to the AP 101. If the MFP 100 does not comply with the connection destination change request, it may transmit a response indicating rejection of the switch. The response is transmitted as a BTM Response. In the example of FIG. 6, it is assumed that the response indicating acceptance of the switch is transmitted.

[0056] In step S607, the connection in wireless infrastructure mode is disconnected between the AP 101 and the MFP 100. At this time, the MFP 100 still retains the connection information to the AP 101 and does not delete it.

[0057] In S608, the MFP 100 transmits a connection request to the AP 102 to connect to the AP 102 specified in the connection destination change request received in S605. As a result, in S609, a connection between the MFP 100 and the AP 102 in wireless infrastructure mode is established. When the connection between the MFP 100 and the AP 102 in wireless infrastructure mode is established, the connection information to the AP 101 is deleted.

[0058] With this mechanism, MFP100, which is an STA, can change its connection destination from AP101 to AP102 based on a connection destination change request from AP101 to which it was originally connected. AP101 and AP102 may be APs installed in different locations. That is, by the processing of FIG. 6, MFP100 can switch to another AP installed in a location different from the AP to which it was originally connected. Also, among multiple frequency bands (any two or three of 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz) provided by the same device, the APs may each support different frequency bands. That is, by the processing of FIG. 6, MFP100 can switch to another frequency band provided by the same device as the AP to which it was originally connected. For example, it is possible to change the connection destination to an AP in the 6 GHz band based on a connection destination change request.

[0059] In this embodiment, an example will be described in which an AP transmits a measurement request or a connection destination change request in a mechanism compliant with Wi-Fi Agile Multiband, and an STA responds to the request, but the present invention is not limited to this. This embodiment can also be applied to a case in which an STA responds to a measurement request or a connection destination change request transmitted from an AP using a mechanism different from the above example, or changes the connection destination AP (switches, deletes, or adds an AP to be connected to).

[0060] (Control of connection destination change requests from APs) There are two states for a STA: one in which AP switching does not cause problems, and another in which problems occur when the AP is switched or the STA is disconnected from the currently connected AP. When a problem occurs, if the STA receives an AP change request from the AP and switches the connected AP in response to the request, problems will occur in the STA. For example, if a BTM request from the AP is sent to a client device to switch the connection destination while the STA is printing, the STA may suspend reception of print data, causing unintended effects on the printed output (such as uneven printing). Also, if a BTM request from the AP is sent to a client device to switch the connection destination while the STA settings are being changed from another device on the same network, the STA may suspend reception of the setting change data, causing the STA setting change to fail.

[0061] Next, the control of MFP 100 in response to a connection destination AP change request from AP 101 will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 7. Each step shown in the flowchart in Fig. 7 is realized by CPU 212 loading a control program stored in a computer-readable memory such as ROM 213 into RAM 214 and executing the program.

[0062] In S701, the CPU 212 receives a connection destination AP change request from the AP 101. This corresponds to S605 in FIG.

[0063] In S702, the CPU 212 determines whether the MFP 100 is operating in power saving mode. In this embodiment, the power saving mode refers to a state in which the MFP 100 operates at a lower operating clock frequency than when operating in normal mode. The state in which the operating clock frequency is lower than when operating in normal mode is achieved by lowering the operating clock frequency of the processing CPU installed in the MFP 100. Furthermore, if the MFP 100 is equipped with multiple processing CPUs, such as a main CPU with a high operating clock frequency and a sub-CPU with a low operating clock frequency, this may be achieved by switching the processing CPU to the sub-CPU with the lower operating clock frequency.

[0064] In this embodiment, the power saving mode refers to a state in which fewer blocks are supplied with power than when operating in normal mode. For example, if the normal mode operation is when power is supplied to all blocks in MFP 100 in FIG. 2B, the power saving mode refers to a state in which power supply to the reading control unit 217, reading unit 219, printing unit 222, and printing control unit 224 is stopped.

[0065] If it is determined in S702 that the MFP 100 is operating in the power saving mode, the process proceeds to S703. However, if the MFP 100 is in a power saving mode (second power saving mode) that consumes even less power than the aforementioned power saving mode (first power saving mode), such as when power supply to the wireless unit 226 in the MFP 100 in FIG. 2(b) is stopped, the request to change the connection destination is not received. When the MFP 100 is in the second power saving mode, operation is more restricted than in the normal power saving mode so that communication with other devices is not possible, and therefore the request to change the connection destination cannot be received. Therefore, when the MFP 100 is in the second power saving mode, the process in FIG. 7 itself is not executed, and the connection destination AP is not changed.

[0066] In S703, the CPU 212 causes the MFP 100 to return from the power saving mode. Return from the power saving mode is achieved by changing the operating clock frequency of the processing CPU to the operating clock frequency used in normal mode, or by switching the processing CPU to the main CPU used in normal mode. The processing of S703 enables the MFP 100 to be in a state in which the connection destination AP can be switched. However, if the connection destination AP can be switched while in the power saving mode, the process may proceed to S704 without returning from the power saving mode. Furthermore, when a request to change the connection destination is received, the MFP 100 may not return from the power saving mode, but may proceed to the processing of S704 and subsequent steps when the MFP 100 returns from the power saving mode by accepting a separate user operation or the like.

[0067] In S704, the CPU 212 transmits a response indicating acceptance of the switch to the AP 101. The response indicating acceptance of the switch is, for example, a BTM Response. In S705, the CPU 212 switches the connection destination AP to the AP 102. Thereafter, the processing in FIG. 7 ends.

[0068] After S705 is executed, the CPU 212 transitions the MFP 100 to the power-saving mode. The transition to the power-saving mode is achieved by changing the operating clock frequency of the processing CPU to the operating clock frequency for operation in the power-saving mode or by switching the processing CPU to the sub-CPU used for operation in the power-saving mode. This changes the connected AP and returns the MFP 100 to the power-saving state. On the other hand, if it is determined in S702 that the MFP 100 is not operating in the power-saving mode, the process proceeds to S706. In S706, the CPU 212 transmits a response to the AP 101 indicating a refusal to switch the connected AP, and maintains the connection with the AP 101. After S706, the process of FIG. 7 ends. If a response indicating a refusal to switch the connected AP is transmitted, the priority of the change of connection destination of other STAs connected to the AP currently connected to the MFP 100 is increased, and the priority of the change of connection AP of the MFP 100 that returned the refusal response is decreased, resulting in an increased possibility of maintaining the connection with the AP that was previously connected.

[0069] In this embodiment, when MFP100 receives a request from AP101 to change the destination AP, if MFP100 is in power saving mode, it responds by acknowledging the change in the destination AP, and if MFP100 is not in power saving mode, it responds by refusing to change the destination AP.

[0070] As a result, when MFP 100 is in the power saving state, there is no possibility that the user will print or change settings on MFP 100, so no problems will occur even if the connection destination AP is switched. In this embodiment, MFP 100 operates to respond with an acknowledgement of switching the connection destination AP only when in power saving mode, so it is possible to avoid a situation in which a problem occurs when switching the connection destination AP, and to switch the connection destination AP.

[0071] In the present embodiment, it has been described that in S706 a response indicating a switch refusal is transmitted as a BTM Response to the AP 101. However, other processing may be performed as processing to suppress a change of connection destination.

[0072] For example, even if the change request described in S605 is received, a response to the change request may not be returned (ignored) so as not to change the connection destination AP based on the received change request. If a response is not returned, the currently connected AP maintains its connection with MFP 100 to wait for a response until the response wait time expires. Therefore, even if the configuration is such that the connection is immediately terminated in response to any response received from MFP 100 in response to the change request, the connection with the currently connected AP can be maintained by not responding rather than returning any response.

[0073] 7 may be performed before receiving a request to change the connection destination AP from AP 101. In this case, if it is determined in S702 that the AP is not operating in power saving mode, in S706, the AP responds to the measurement request from the connected AP with information indicating that the radio wave reception conditions (signal reception conditions) of non-connected APs other than the connected AP are different from the conditions actually measured (low signal quality) (a false response is sent). In this case, the AP may respond by actually performing measurements in response to the measurement request, or may respond without actually performing measurements. Specifically, in the response (beacon report, etc.) described in S603, the AP may respond with a value obtained by subtracting the received signal strength from the signal quality measured for the signal received from the non-connected AP and / or by increasing the noise (signal-to-noise ratio). Alternatively, the AP may respond without including at least one piece of information about the non-connected AP. Furthermore, based on information previously measured about the non-connected AP, the response may be one of two processes: a significantly lower received signal strength value or a significantly increased noise value. Furthermore, even if a measurement request is received, the response may not actually measure (perform an AP search), but may not include information about the non-connected AP, and may indicate that only the connected AP has good received signal strength and noise conditions. Responding to a measurement request without including information about the non-connected AP is equivalent to indicating that no other non-connected APs were found even after an AP search. This prevents the connected AP from sending a request to change the connection destination to another AP. Therefore, the connection destination is prevented from being changed in response to a request to change the connection destination AP.

[0074] Also, for example, if the determination process of S702 in FIG. 7 is performed before receiving a connection destination AP change request from AP 101, the currently connected AP may be temporarily disconnected, information indicating that the change request is not supported may be notified, and reconnection to the same AP may be performed. Specifically, the wireless connection with the currently connected AP is temporarily disconnected, and in preparation for reconnecting wirelessly, Association Request frame data including information indicating non-compliance with IEEE 802.11v is created. Then, connection processing with the AP is performed using the created Association Request frame data. As a result, if the Association Request frame including information indicating non-compliance with IEEE 802.11v is created, the MFP 100 will connect to the AP as an electronic device that does not support (is incompatible with) the Agile Multiband function. As a result, the currently connected AP recognizes that the MFP 100 is non-compliant with IEEE 802.11v and will no longer send a connection destination AP change request to the MFP 100. In this way, the MFP 100 will no longer be requested to change the connection destination AP, making it easier to maintain the wireless connection between the MFP 100 and the currently connected AP. Furthermore, if the connected AP recognizes that the MFP 100 is not IEEE802.11v-compatible, the transmission of the measurement request (the request described in S601) from the connected AP to the MFP 100 is also suppressed. Therefore, the measurement (AP search) in response to the measurement request in the MFP 100 and the response to the measurement request (processing in S603) can also be suppressed. This reduces the processing load and power consumption. Furthermore, resources can be allocated to other processes.

[0075] [Second embodiment] The second embodiment will be described below focusing on the differences from the first embodiment. If an AP change request is not complied with, the STA may be disconnected from the connected AP. For example, if the reason for the request included in the connection destination AP change request indicates that the connection with the AP will be disconnected, the connection between the STA and the AP will be disconnected if the STA does not comply with the AP change request. Therefore, in this embodiment, even if MFP100 is not in a power saving state, if the reason for the request included in the connection destination AP change request is a predetermined reason, for example, a reason corresponding to disconnection of the connection with AP 101, the connection destination AP is switched.

[0076] The control of MFP 100 in response to a connection destination AP change request from AP 101 in this embodiment will be described using the flowchart of Fig. 8. Each step shown in the flowchart of Fig. 8 is realized by CPU 212 loading a control program stored in a computer-readable memory such as ROM 213 into RAM 214 and executing it. Steps S801 to S805 are similar to steps S701 to S705 in Fig. 7, and therefore their description will be omitted.

[0077] If it is determined in S802 that the AP is not operating in the power saving mode, the process proceeds to S806. In S806, the CPU 212 refers to the reason for the request (Request Mode) included in the connection destination AP change request from the AP 101. For example, the CPU 212 refers to the reason for the request using the following bits included in the change request:

[0078] -Preferred Candidate List Included bit indicates whether the BTM Request frame includes a transition candidate list. Abridged Bit indicating whether the AP recommended by the STA is in the transition candidate list Disassociation Imminent Bit indicating whether the current AP will be disconnected BSS Termination Included Bit indicates whether the BSS (Basic Service Set) is shut down and the connection with the AP is terminated. The BTM Request frame contains a Session Information URL field, and the ESS Disassociation Imminent Bit indicates that the STA is disconnected from the ESS. In S807, the CPU 212 determines whether the request reason indicates that the connection with AP 101 will be disconnected. For example, if a Disassociation Imminent Bit indicating whether the connection with the current AP will be disconnected is set, or a BSS Termination Included Bit indicating whether the BSS will be shut down and the connection with the AP will be disconnected is set, the CPU 212 determines whether the request reason indicates that the connection with AP 101 will be disconnected. If it is determined that the request reason indicates that the connection between AP 101 and MFP 100 will be disconnected, the process proceeds to S804, where the CPU 212 transmits a switching acknowledgement to AP 101. Then, in S805, the CPU 212 switches the destination AP to AP 102. On the other hand, if it is determined in S807 that the request reason does not indicate that the connection with AP 101 will be disconnected, the process proceeds to S808.

[0079] In S808, the CPU 212 transmits a response indicating refusal to switch the connection destination AP to the AP 101, and maintains the connection with the AP 101. After S808, the processing in Fig. 8 ends. Also, in S808, it is possible not to return (ignore) a response to the change request.

[0080] In this manner, in this embodiment, even if MFP100 is not in a power saving state, if the reason for the request included in the request to change the destination AP is a predetermined reason, for example, a reason corresponding to the disconnection of the connection with AP101, the destination AP is switched.

[0081] When MFP 100 receives a connection destination AP change request from AP 101 to AP 102, if the reason included in the connection destination AP change request indicates that the connection with the AP will be disconnected, MFP 100 responds to the AP change request even if it is not in a power saving state. Therefore, by not responding to the AP change request, it is possible to prevent the connection with the AP from being disconnected.

[0082] In each of the above embodiments, the various controls described as being performed by MFP100 may be performed by a single piece of hardware, or the entire device may be controlled by multiple pieces of hardware (e.g., multiple processors or circuits) sharing the processing.

[0083] 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.

[0084] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the present invention has been described as being applied to an MFP 100. However, this is not limited to this example. The present invention can be applied to any wireless device that functions as an STA and has multiple operating modes and is capable of processing requests for changing the connection destination from an AP. Specifically, the present invention can be applied to personal computers, PDAs, tablet devices, mobile phone terminals such as smartphones, music players, game consoles, e-book readers, smartwatches, and various measuring devices (sensor devices) such as 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.

[0085] 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.The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0086] The disclosure of the present embodiment includes the following information processing device, method, and program. (Item 1) An electronic device, at least one processor; a receiving means for receiving a request to change the access point to be connected from a currently connected access point; a first mode and a second mode in which the clock frequency of the at least one processor is lower than that of the first mode; When the electronic device is in the first mode, the process of changing the connection destination based on the change request is not performed, a control means for controlling the electronic device to perform a process of changing the connection destination based on the change request when the electronic device is in the second mode; An electronic device comprising: (Item 2) Among the first mode, the second mode, and a third mode in which the clock frequency of the at least one processor is lower than that of the second mode, When the electronic device is in the third mode, the connection destination change process based on the change request is not performed. 2. The electronic device according to item 1. (Item 3) The electronic device described in item 2, characterized in that the second mode is a power-saving mode that consumes less power than the first mode, and the third mode is a power-saving mode that consumes less power than the second mode. (Item 4) Item 3. The electronic device according to item 3, wherein the third mode is a mode in which power is not supplied to a communication interface through which the electronic device communicates with the outside. (Item 5) The control means Even if the change request is received when the electronic device is in the first mode, the electronic device does not perform a process of changing the connection destination based on the change request; When the change request is received while the electronic device is in the second mode, the electronic device performs a process of changing the connection destination based on the change request. 5. The electronic device according to any one of items 1 to 4. (Item 6) The electronic device described in any one of items 1 to 5, characterized in that the control means controls the connection destination change process to be performed based on the change request when information indicating the reason for the change of the connection destination included in the change request indicates a predetermined reason, even when the electronic device is in the first mode. (Item 7) The electronic device described in item 6 is characterized in that the control means controls the connection destination change process based on the change request not to be performed if the information indicating the reason for the change of the connection destination does not indicate the specified reason. (Item 8) 8. The electronic device according to item 6 or 7, wherein the predetermined reason is a reason corresponding to disconnection of the connection between the electronic device and the currently connected access point. (Item 9) 9. The electronic device according to any one of items 6 to 8, wherein the predetermined reason is represented by a bit included in the change request. (Item 10) 10. The electronic device described in item 9, wherein the bits included in the change request include at least one of a Disassociation Imminent Bit and a BSS Termination Included Bit. (Item 11) The electronic device described in any one of items 1 to 10, characterized in that when the electronic device is in the first mode, the control means sends a response to the connection destination indicating a refusal to switch the connection destination as a control to prevent the connection destination change process based on the change request from being performed. (Item 12) The electronic device described in any one of items 1 to 11, characterized in that when the electronic device is in the second mode, the control means sends a response to the connection destination indicating approval of the change of the connection destination as control for performing the connection destination change process based on the change request. (Item 13) 13. The electronic device according to any one of items 1 to 12, further comprising a printing means for printing an image on a recording medium. (Item 14) The electronic device described in any one of items 1 to 13 is characterized in that the electronic device is capable of operating in accordance with at least one of OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access) and TWT (Target Wake Time). (Item 15) The electronic device described in any one of items 1 to 14, characterized in that the electronic device is an apparatus capable of operating in accordance with IEEE802.11ax. (Item 16) The electronic device described in any one of items 1 to 15, characterized in that when the control means controls to change the connection destination based on the change request, it controls to change to an access point with a frequency band of 6 GHz. (Item 17) 1. A control method executed in an electronic device having at least one processor, comprising: a receiving step of receiving a request to change the access point to be connected from the currently connected access point; a first mode and a second mode in which the clock frequency of the at least one processor is lower than that of the first mode; When the electronic device is in the first mode, the process of changing the connection destination based on the change request is not performed, a control step of controlling the electronic device so that a process of changing the connection destination based on the change request is performed when the electronic device is in the second mode; A control method comprising: (Item 18) A program for causing a computer to execute each means of the electronic device described in any one of items 1 to 16.

[0087] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 100 MFP: 101 AP1: 102 AP2: 103 Server: 104 Mobile terminal: 212 CPU: 213 ROM: 214 RAM

Claims

1. An electronic device, at least one processor; a receiving means for receiving a request to change the access point to be connected from a currently connected access point; a first mode and a second mode in which the clock frequency of the at least one processor is lower than that of the first mode; When the electronic device is in the first mode, the process of changing the connection destination based on the change request is not performed, a control means for controlling the electronic device so that a process for changing the connection destination based on the change request is performed when the electronic device is in the second mode; An electronic device comprising:

2. Among the first mode, the second mode, and a third mode in which the clock frequency of the at least one processor is lower than that of the second mode, When the electronic device is in the third mode, the connection destination change process based on the change request is not performed.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a semiconductor device.

3. 3. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the second mode is a power-saving mode that consumes less power than the first mode, and the third mode is a power-saving mode that consumes less power than the second mode.

4. 4. The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein the third mode is a mode in which power is not supplied to a communication interface for communicating with the outside of the electronic device.

5. The control means Even if the change request is received when the electronic device is in the first mode, the electronic device does not perform a process of changing the connection destination based on the change request; When the change request is received while the electronic device is in the second mode, the electronic device performs a process of changing the connection destination based on the change request.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a semiconductor device.

6. The electronic device described in claim 1, characterized in that the control means controls the connection destination change process to be performed based on the change request if the information indicating the reason for the change of the connection destination included in the change request indicates a predetermined reason, even when the electronic device is in the first mode.

7. 7. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the control means controls the connection destination change process based on the change request so that the change process is not performed if the information indicating the reason for the change of the connection destination does not indicate the specified reason.

8. 7. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined reason corresponds to a reason for disconnecting the connection between the electronic device and the currently connected access point.

9. 7. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined reason is represented by a bit included in the change request.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9 , wherein the bits included in the change request include at least one of a Disassociation Imminent Bit and a BSS Termination Included Bit.

11. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the electronic device is in the first mode, the control means sends a response to the connection destination indicating a refusal to switch the connection destination as a control to prevent the connection destination change process based on the change request from being performed.

12. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the electronic device is in the second mode, the control means sends a response to the connection destination indicating an acceptance of the change of the connection destination as control for performing a process of changing the connection destination based on the change request.

13. 2. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising a printing unit for printing an image on a recording medium.

14. 2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device is capable of operating in accordance with at least one of Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) and Target Wake Time (TWT).

15. 2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device is capable of operating in accordance with IEEE 802.11ax.

16. 2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the control means, when controlling the change of connection destination based on the change request, controls the change to an access point with a frequency band of 6 GHz.

17. 1. A control method executed in an electronic device having at least one processor, comprising: a receiving step of receiving a request to change the access point to be connected from the currently connected access point; a first mode and a second mode in which the clock frequency of the at least one processor is lower than that of the first mode; When the electronic device is in the first mode, the process of changing the connection destination based on the change request is not performed, a control step of controlling the electronic device so that a process of changing the connection destination based on the change request is performed when the electronic device is in the second mode; A control method comprising:

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

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