Printing device, user terminal, control method for printing device, and program

Abstract

To further improve convenience for users who use printing devices compatible with Wi-Fi.SOLUTION: In a printing device having first communication means for communicating via a first Wi-Fi and second communication means for communicating via a second Wi-Fi having a slower data transfer rate and a wider communication range than the first Wi-Fi, the printing device performs control so that the second communication means can be used to receive a print job when the first communication means becomes unavailable.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to controlling wireless communication functionality of a printing device. [Background technology]

[0002] The IEEE802.11 wireless LAN communication standard, commonly referred to as Wi-Fi, is becoming increasingly popular. There are various Wi-Fi standards, with "11n," "11ac," and "11ax" currently the most popular. Furthermore, a new standard called "11ah," which emphasizes communication range and efficient power consumption, is being put into practical use for IoT (Internet of Things) applications, which connect things to each other. While wireless communication standards for IoT already exist, such as Bluetooth, Wi-SUN, and Zigbee, "11ah" will enable faster, larger-capacity communications with lower power consumption over a wider area (approximately 1 km). Another advantage of "11ah," a member of the Wi-Fi family, is that it allows the use of existing Wi-Fi assets, such as security features. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-150177 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-137647 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, Wi-Fi-enabled printing devices have become the norm in the printing industry, and IEEE 802.11ac and other standards are primarily used to send print requests from user terminals. This is the use of Wi-Fi for so-called ICT (Information and Communication Technology) purposes, and many users have established printing environments using wireless Wi-Fi connections. However, when using wireless connections to send print requests, deterioration of the radio wave environment or equipment failure can result in significant downtime. In this regard, Patent Document 1 proposes a technology that minimizes downtime by determining whether the user needs to reconfigure the wireless LAN when a wireless LAN connection is lost, retrying if necessary, and attempting to reconnect after reconfiguration if necessary. Patent Document 2 also proposes a technology that switches to Bluetooth communication when a wireless LAN communication error occurs. The technologies proposed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 can improve usability to a certain extent when a communication error occurs in a wireless printing environment. However, while the technology proposed in Patent Document 1 can handle temporary connection failures, it cannot handle cases where the wireless LAN fails. Furthermore, the method of switching to Bluetooth proposed in Patent Document 2 is significantly insufficient in terms of communication range.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to improve convenience for users who use Wi-Fi-enabled printing devices. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The printing device of the present disclosure is a printing device that performs printing processing in accordance with a print job, and is characterized by having a first communication means that communicates via a first Wi-Fi, a second communication means that communicates via a second Wi-Fi that has a slower data transfer speed and a wider communication range than the first Wi-Fi, and a control means that controls the second communication means to be used to receive the print job when the first communication means becomes unavailable. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to further improve the convenience for users who use Wi-Fi compatible printing devices. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a system configuration using a Wi-Fi compatible printing device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of a printing apparatus. [Figure 3] A diagram showing the internal structure of a WLAN. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the operation flow of the printing device. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an operation flow of a user terminal. [Figure 6] 10A to 10C are diagrams showing examples of UI screens when an alternative connection is used. [Figure 7] (a) is a diagram explaining an alternative connection using an infrastructure connection, and (b) is a diagram explaining an alternative connection using a direct connection. [Figure 8] (a) to (e) are explanatory diagrams of WLAN status registers. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the drawings. Note that the configurations shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not limited to the configurations shown in the drawings.

[0010] <Example of building a printing system> Figure 1 illustrates an example system configuration using a Wi-Fi-enabled printing device. The printing device 101 supports two Wi-Fi standards compliant with IEEE 802.11 (for convenience, the following will refer only to the "11" and subsequent Wi-Fi standards, excluding the "IEEE 802."). One is the currently mainstream Wi-Fi standard, such as "11ac," "11ax," or the next-generation "11be," which offers high data transfer speeds but a narrow communication range and high power consumption. The other is a Wi-Fi standard, such as "11ah," which offers slower data transfer speeds but a wide communication range and low power consumption. Hereinafter, the former will be referred to as "high-speed Wi-Fi" and the latter as "low-speed Wi-Fi." During normal operation, the printing device 101 uses the high-speed Wi-Fi to receive print requests from user devices and the low-speed Wi-Fi to upload maintenance information and periodic status information to cloud services. In other words, high-speed Wi-Fi is used for so-called ICT applications, and low-speed Wi-Fi is used for IoT applications. Note that "low-speed Wi-Fi" is a convenient expression that focuses on data transfer speed; for example, it can also be expressed as "wide-area Wi-Fi" if the focus is on communication range, or "low-power Wi-Fi" if the focus is on power consumption. The printing device 101 of this embodiment is only required to be compatible with two Wi-Fi standards with different applications and characteristics.

[0011] The mobile terminals 102 / 108 are, for example, tablets or smartphones, and the information processing device 106 is, for example, a laptop PC with wireless LAN functionality. As shown in FIG. 1 , the printing device 101 has an infrastructure connection (hereinafter referred to as "infrastructure connection") function that enables wireless communication with these user terminals via an access point 105 and a network 100. To use this function, an administrator or the like sets the "infrastructure connection" setting to "enabled" on the UI screen of the printing device 101, selects the SSID of the access point 105 from the displayed list of SSIDs (Service Set Identifiers), and enters a network key. As a result, as shown in FIG. 1 , wireless LAN communication via an infrastructure connection is established between the printing device 101, the mobile terminals 102 / 108, and the information processing device 106. The printing device 101 also has a direct connection function that enables wireless communication with the user terminals without going through an access point. To use this function, an administrator or the like sets the "Direct Connection" setting to "Enabled" on the UI screen of the printing device 101, and then enters the SSID and its network key displayed on the UI screen into the Wi-Fi setting UI screen of the user terminal. This establishes wireless LAN communication via direct connection between the printing device 101 and the mobile terminals 102 / 108 and information processing device 106.

[0012] In FIG. 1, solid lightning bolts 111-113 represent high-speed Wi-Fi radio waves, and dashed lightning bolt 121 represents low-speed Wi-Fi radio waves. In FIG. 1, circles represent the ranges covered by Wi-Fi radio waves, and it can be seen that the high-speed Wi-Fi area indicated by the two-dot chain line is smaller than the low-speed Wi-Fi area indicated by the one-dot chain line. All user terminals shown in FIG. 1 are connected to the printing device 101 via an infrastructure connection, enabling communication via high-speed Wi-Fi. Currently, high-speed Wi-Fi radio waves from access point 105 reach mobile terminal 102, but not from access point 107. Therefore, the user of mobile terminal 102 sends a print request to printing device 101 via access point 105. Meanwhile, high-speed Wi-Fi radio waves from access point 107 reach mobile terminal 108, but not from access point 105. Therefore, a user of the mobile terminal 108 sends a print request to the printing device 101 via the access point 107, the network 100, and the access point 105. The access point 105 supports both high-speed and low-speed Wi-Fi, while the access point 107 supports only high-speed Wi-Fi and not low-speed Wi-Fi. The printing device 101 establishes an infrastructure connection via low-speed Wi-Fi radio waves, represented by a lightning bolt mark 121, at a predetermined timing, and provides, for example, SMART information about the device to the cloud service 109. SMART stands for "Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology." The cloud service 109 uses the provided SMART information to analyze the device's failure status and lifespan prediction. In this embodiment, the term "access point" is used synonymously with a wireless LAN router having router functionality; however, a router and a narrowly defined access point may be provided separately.

[0013] The above-described infrastructure connection and direct connection are mutually exclusive and are applied to multiple user terminals. Therefore, after installing the printing device 101, the system administrator or other person first selects either the infrastructure connection or the direct connection as described above and configures necessary information (hereinafter referred to as "connection information"), such as the SSID and network key of the access point to be used. This configuration can be performed manually or using an automatic setup function such as AOSS (AirStation One-Touch Secure System) or WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup). After completing the configuration, the administrator or other person launches the printer driver for the printing device 101 on each user terminal and sends a test printing request to confirm that the printing device 101 is operating normally. Once normal operation is confirmed, the configured connection information is stored in the flash memory 214 of the printing device 101. The connection information stored in the printing device 101 in this manner is also used when automatically switching to low-speed Wi-Fi (hereinafter referred to as "alternate connection") if high-speed Wi-Fi becomes unavailable. If the contents of the connection information are changed by an administrator or the like, the connection information is updated to reflect the changed contents, and will be used for normal connections and alternative connections in the same manner thereafter.

[0014] <Hardware configuration of the printing device> 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the printing device 101. The printing device 101 has a controller 201, a printer 202, a scanner 203, an operation unit 204, a FAX 205, a power supply 206, and a WLAN 207. The controller 201 has a CPU 211, a ROM 212, a RAM 213, a flash memory 214, an image processing unit 215, and a power supply control unit 216. The controller 201 also has a printer I / F 217, a scanner I / F 218, an operation unit I / F 219, a FAX I / F 220, a power supply I / F 221, a LAN I / F 222, a USB-HOST I / F 223, a USB-DEVICE I / F 224, a WLAN I / F 225, and a bus 226.

[0015] The CPU 211 controls the entire printing device 101 and transmits and receives various signals to and from the various units 211 to 225 within the controller via a bus 226. The ROM 212 is a non-volatile memory that stores programs used by the CPU 211 to start the system. The RAM 213 is a volatile memory in which the CPU 211 loads and executes various operating programs. The flash memory 214 is a non-volatile memory that stores various programs, various setting values, and status information used by the CPU 211 to operate the printing device 101. The image processing unit 215 converts scanned image data received from the scanner 203 and image data received from the outside via the various interfaces 222 to 225 described above into print image data. The power control unit 216 controls the power supplied to each unit depending on the operating mode of the printing device 101. The printing device 101 has two operating modes: a standby mode and a sleep mode. The standby mode is an operating mode in which power is supplied to all units that make up the printing device 101. Sleep mode is an operating mode in which power consumption is lower than in standby mode, and is a power state in which power supply to the printer 202, the backlight of the operation unit 204, etc. is stopped. The condition for transitioning to sleep mode is when the auto sleep time has elapsed or when the power saving key is pressed. The auto sleep time can be set by the user as desired based on the product specifications. The condition for transitioning to standby mode is when input is detected by the operation unit 114, a document is detected by the scanner 113, or a print request is received by the various interfaces 130, 132, 133, 134, and 225 described above. The printer I / F 217 is connected to the printer 202 and transmits and receives control signals related to the transmission of print image data and the printing operation. The scanner I / F 218 is connected to the scanner 203 and receives scanned image data and transmits and receives control signals related to the scanning operation. The operation unit I / F 219 is connected to the operation unit 204, and receives input signals such as the selection of various function keys accepted by the operation unit 204, the execution / stop of a job, and the turning on / off of the power key, and transmits display image data. The FAX I / F 220 is connected to the FAX 205, and transmits and receives control signals related to image data and FAX operations.The power supply I / F 221 is connected to the power supply 206 and transmits and receives control signals according to the operation mode of the printing apparatus 101. The LAN I / F 222 is connected to the network 100, either wired or wirelessly, and receives print requests from a plurality of external devices such as a PC connected to the network. The print request is composed of image data to be printed and print condition information such as paper type / size, color / monochrome, double-sided / single-sided, and is generally called a "print job". The USB-HOST I / F 223 is connected to an external device such as a USB memory and transmits and receives image data and the like. The USB-DEVICE I / F 224 is connected to an external device such as a PC and receives a print job from the external device. The WLAN I / F 225 is connected to the WLAN 207 and transmits and receives image data and control signals. The printer 202 performs print operations such as receiving print image data, transmitting and receiving control signals related to the print operation, charging the photosensitive drum, exposing the image data, developing with toner, transferring to a recording medium, and fixing. The scanner 203 reads a document, generates and transmits read image data, transmits and receives control signals related to the reading operation, and transmits a sleep return signal based on document detection. The operation unit 204 selects various function keys, transmits and receives input signals such as executing / stopping a job and turning on / off the power key, and receives and displays display image data for the UI screen. The FAX 205 performs modulation / demodulation and transmission of image data, transmits and receives to / from the telephone line, and detects an incoming signal from the telephone line to perform connection processing to the telephone or the modulation / demodulation unit. The power supply 206 performs A / D conversion of the input power supply and controls the output voltage according to the received control signal. The WLAN (Wireless LAN) 207 is a module that performs processing related to wireless LAN connection.

[0016] <Details of WLAN> FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the internal configuration of the WLAN 207. The WLAN 207 in this embodiment has a configuration that is compatible with the "11ac" standard for high-speed Wi-Fi and the "11ah" standard for low-speed Wi-Fi. Note that the high-speed Wi-Fi is not limited to "11ac" and may be "11a," "11b," "11g," "11n," "11ax," or "11be," which use gigahertz bands such as 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, or 6 GHz. The low-speed Wi-Fi is also not limited to "11ah" and may be any standard that uses the so-called sub-gigahertz band and has a wider communication range and lower power consumption, although it has a slower data transfer speed than high-speed Wi-Fi.

[0017] The host I / F unit 301 is an interface with a host system to which the WLAN 207 is connected. The host I / F unit 301 is generally configured using protocols such as USB, SDIO, and UART. In this embodiment, the host I / F unit 301 is connected to the CPU 211 via the WLAN I / F 225 of the controller 201.

[0018] The CPU 302 is a central processing unit for controlling the entire WLAN 207. The CPU 302 communicates with the host system (here, the CPU 211) via the host I / F unit 301, and controls each block of the WLAN 207 in response to requests from the host system. The ROM 303 is a non-volatile memory that stores program data for the CPU 302. The RAM 304 is a work memory for the operation of the CPU 302, and stores the control program, status information, etc. for the CPU 302.

[0019] The first wireless communication unit 305 is composed of a MAC unit 306, a baseband unit 307, and a 5 GHz RF unit 308 that comply with the "11ac" standard. The second wireless communication unit 310 is composed of a MAC unit 311, a baseband unit 312, and a 920 MHz RF unit 313 that comply with the "11ah" standard. The first and second wireless communication units 305 and 310 are controlled by a CPU 302. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the first wireless communication unit 305 and the second wireless communication unit are configured on independent chips, and are therefore separate blocks.

[0020] The MAC units 306 / 311 are MAC (Media Access Control) layers that conform to the specifications defined in the "11ac" and "11ah" standards, respectively. The MAC units 306 / 311 perform IP packet processing, such as adding and deleting MAC addresses related to the data link layer. The MAC layer also specifies CSMA / CA as a protocol for avoiding access collisions on the network. In addition, "11ah" adds RAW (Restricted Access Window) and TWT (Target Wake Time) functions to the MAC layer for power saving purposes.

[0021] The baseband unit 307 / 312 processes pre-modulated or demodulated signals in accordance with the specifications of the "11ac" and "11ah" standards. The baseband unit 307 / 312 has the function of modulating or demodulating between MAC-processed IP packet signals and baseband signals. The baseband unit 307 / 312 specifies OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) as the data modulation method. In addition, "11ah" allows you to select from multiple bandwidth levels (currently three levels: 1 MHz, 2 MHz, and 4 MHz), and is designed to have a lower clock frequency for the baseband unit than "11ac" to save power.

[0022] During reception, the 5 GHz RF unit 308 removes the carrier radio frequency from the radio signal received by the antenna 309, restores the signal to a baseband signal, and sends it to the baseband unit 307. During transmission, the baseband signal from the baseband unit 307 is superimposed on a carrier radio frequency, and the radio signal is sent from the antenna 309. The 5 GHz RF unit 308 generates and removes carrier waves in the 5 GHz band used in "11ac." The CPU 302 can turn the function of the 5 GHz RF unit 308 on or off in response to a request from the host system.

[0023] During reception, the 920 MHz RF unit 313 removes the carrier radio frequency from the radio signal received by the antenna 314, restores the signal to a baseband signal, and sends it to the baseband unit 312. During transmission, the baseband signal from the baseband unit 312 is superimposed on a carrier radio frequency, and the radio signal is sent from the antenna 314. The 920 MHz RF unit 313 generates and removes carrier waves in the 920 MHz band used by "11ah." The CPU 302 can turn the function of the 920 MHz RF unit 313 on or off in response to a request from the host system.

[0024] It goes without saying that when a standard other than "11ac" is applied as high-speed Wi-Fi, the MAC unit 306, baseband unit 307, and 5GHz RF unit 308 are designed and controlled in accordance with the standard.

[0025] <Printing device operation flow> Next, the flow of operations for realizing an alternative connection in the printing device 101 that allows printing processing to continue using low-speed Wi-Fi instead when high-speed Wi-Fi becomes unavailable will be described with reference to the flowchart in Figure 4. The series of processes shown in the flowchart in Figure 4 are realized by the CPU 211 executing a predetermined program in the printing device 101 operating in standby mode. In the following description, the symbol "S" means step.

[0026] In S401, status information is acquired by error interrupt processing from the WLAN 207, and the details of the wireless LAN communication error are analyzed. Then, in S402, the next process to be executed is determined based on the results of the error analysis. Specifically, if the cause of the error is a failure of the high-speed Wi-Fi, for example, an abnormality in the NIC (Network Interface Card) operating as the first wireless communication unit 305, S405 is executed next. On the other hand, if the cause of the error is not a failure of the high-speed Wi-Fi, but is thought to be, for example, a temporary deterioration in the radio wave environment, S403 is executed next.

[0027] In S403, a retry process is executed to retry a connection via high-speed Wi-Fi. Then, in S404, the next process to be executed is assigned based on the result of the retry process. If the retry process is successful, this process ends. As a result, the printing device 101 returns to a normal state, accepts a print request via high-speed Wi-Fi, and continues printing based on that print request. On the other hand, if the retry process fails, S405 is executed next.

[0028] In S405, the WLAN 207 turns off the 5 GHz RF unit 308 in the first wireless communication unit 305 in accordance with an instruction from the CPU 211. In the following S406, the WLAN 207 performs processing to expand the bandwidth of the 920 MHz RF unit 313 in the second wireless communication unit 310 in accordance with an instruction from the CPU 211. For example, if the default bandwidth setting is 1 MHz, processing to change it to 2 MHz or 4 MHz is performed. By expanding the bandwidth in this way, a decrease in throughput due to the use of low-speed Wi-Fi is minimized.

[0029] In S407, the connection information set at the time of initial startup (or updated thereafter) is read from flash memory 214. Note that the connection method and access point indicated in the connection information read here usually match the currently applied connection method and currently used access point.

[0030] In S408, the next process to be executed is determined according to the connection method specified by the connection information. Fig. 8(a) shows an example of a status code in the status register of WLAN 207 stored in RAM 304, and when an abnormal state (i.e., status code "01" or "10") occurs, CPU 302 notifies CPU 211. Fig. 8(b) shows an example of an instruction code indicating the connection method specified by the connection information, and CPU 211 determines whether the connection is a direct connection or an infrastructure connection based on this instruction code. If the connection method is an infrastructure connection, S409 is executed next, and if it is a direct connection, S411 is executed next.

[0031] In S409, the next process to be executed is determined based on whether the currently used access point specified by the connection information is normal. If the access point is operating normally, an alternative connection is possible using that access point, and S410 is executed next. On the other hand, if the access point is not operating normally, an alternative connection using an infrastructure connection is not possible, and the process ends.

[0032] In step S410, the second wireless communication unit 305 in the WLAN 207 initiates a low-speed Wi-Fi infrastructure connection using the currently used access point. Figure 7A shows the radio wave status after switching to the alternative low-speed Wi-Fi infrastructure connection. Compared to the normal state (high-speed Wi-Fi normal state) in Figure 1, the high-speed Wi-Fi radio wave (solid lightning symbol 111) between the printing device 101 and the access point 105 has disappeared, leaving only the low-speed Wi-Fi radio wave (dashed lightning symbol 121). Furthermore, the high-speed Wi-Fi radio wave (solid lightning symbol 113) between the mobile terminal 108 and the access point 107 has disappeared, leaving only the low-speed Wi-Fi radio wave (dashed lightning symbol 701). The high-speed Wi-Fi radio wave (solid lightning symbol 112) between the mobile terminal 102 and the access point 105 has disappeared, leaving only the low-speed Wi-Fi radio wave (dashed lightning symbol 702). This allows the user to send a print request from the mobile terminal or the like that he or she uses to the printing apparatus 101 via an infrastructure connection using low-speed Wi-Fi.

[0033] In step S411, the WLAN 207 starts broadcasting an SSID to achieve a direct connection via low-speed Wi-Fi in accordance with an instruction from the CPU 211. The user inputs the broadcasted SSID of the printing apparatus 101 and its network key into a mobile terminal or the like.

[0034] In S412, the second wireless communication unit 310 in the WLAN 207 initiates a direct connection via low-speed Wi-Fi. Figure 7(b) shows the radio wave state after switching to a direct connection via low-speed Wi-Fi as an alternative connection. All high-speed Wi-Fi radio waves (solid lightning bolt symbols 111, 112, and 113) connected to the access point have disappeared. The mobile terminals 102 / 108 and the information processing device 106 are each directly connected to the printing device 101 via low-speed Wi-Fi radio waves (dashed lightning bolt symbols 711-713). This allows the user to send a print request from their mobile terminal or other device to the printing device 101 via a direct connection via low-speed Wi-Fi.

[0035] In S413, a process is executed to notify the user of an error message. Specifically, a process is executed to display a message such as that shown in Fig. 6A on the UI screen of the operation unit 204, or to send a similar message by email to the administrator or user. The message shown in Fig. 6A notifies the user that the print processing speed has been degraded and that an alternative process is being performed, and urges the user to contact a service technician. However, the message may also urge the user to replace the access point, for example.

[0036] The above is the process for realizing an alternative connection using low-speed Wi-Fi when an error occurs in communication using high-speed Wi-Fi. Note that while the alternative connection is being established, further control may be performed, such as temporarily suspending the original IoT use of the low-speed Wi-Fi (such as providing SMART information). Also, as shown in FIGS. 8(c) to 8(e), the CPU 211 of the printing device 101 can grasp the status at the time of the previous startup by using the system status register recorded in the flash memory 214. After establishing an alternative connection, the printing device 101 may refer to this information upon next startup and start the WLAN 207 in the alternative connection state, or may start by trying the normal state using high-speed Wi-Fi.

[0037] <Modification> In the above-described embodiment, an alternative connection using an infrastructure connection is automatically initiated, but it may also be left to the user's discretion. That is, a UI screen (not shown) that allows the user to select whether or not to use an alternative connection using low-speed Wi-Fi may be displayed on the operation unit 204, and when the user selects that they wish to use an alternative connection, the alternative connection may be made using the stored connection information. In addition, at that time, a list of SSIDs of available access points may be displayed on the UI screen, and an alternative connection may be made using an access point other than the currently used access point.

[0038] In addition, in this embodiment, downtime is reduced by substituting low-speed Wi-Fi when high-speed Wi-Fi fails. However, for example, if low-speed Wi-Fi fails, high-speed Wi-Fi may be used to temporarily provide SMART information, etc.

[0039] <User device operation flow> Next, the flow of operations in a user terminal when sending a print request will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 5. The series of processes shown in the flowchart in Figure 5 are realized by the CPU (not shown) of each user terminal executing a specific program. In the following explanation, the symbol "S" means step.

[0040] In S501, a determination is made as to whether high-speed Wi-Fi communication is possible with the printing device 101. If the determination result shows that high-speed Wi-Fi communication is possible, S502 to S507 are skipped and S508 is executed next. On the other hand, if high-speed Wi-Fi communication is not possible, S502 is executed next.

[0041] In S502, the next process to be executed is determined according to the currently applied connection method. If the connection method is an infrastructure connection, S503 is executed next, and if it is a direct connection, S504 is executed next. Note that when executing S502, it is assumed that the CPU (not shown) in the device controls the WLAN unit (not shown) based on the printer driver specification to start the process automatically, but it may also be started based on a user instruction via a UI screen.

[0042] In S503, an infrastructure connection is established via low-speed Wi-Fi by a wireless LAN unit (not shown) in the user terminal. Meanwhile, in S504, the SSID and network key of the printing device 101 broadcast by the printing device 101 are set in the terminal via a predetermined UI screen (not shown). Then, in the following S505, a direct connection is established via low-speed Wi-Fi by a wireless LAN unit (not shown) in the user terminal. Note that when the alternative connection is established in S503 and S505, a preset fixed bandwidth (the bandwidth after expansion in S406 described above, for example, a 4 MHz bandwidth) is used.

[0043] In S506, the next process to be executed is determined based on whether communication via the alternative low-speed Wi-Fi connection was successful. If communication via the alternative connection was successful, S507 is executed. On the other hand, if communication via the alternative connection was unsuccessful, S509 is executed.

[0044] In S507, a message confirming the user's intention to use an alternative connection is displayed on the UI screen of the user terminal. FIG. 6(b) is an example of a UI screen for confirming the user's intention to use an alternative connection. If the user selects to use an alternative connection, S508 is then executed. On the other hand, if the user does not select to use an alternative connection, the process ends without sending a print request. In this case, for example, the UI screen shown in FIG. 6(c) is displayed, and if the user selects "Yes," the print request is canceled and the process ends immediately. However, if the user selects "No," the process may be controlled to return to S501 and try the flow of FIG. 5 again.

[0045] In S508, a print request is sent to the printing device 101 in accordance with the user's instructions. At this time, if there is no problem with communication over high-speed Wi-Fi and steps S502 to S507 are skipped, the print request is sent over high-speed Wi-Fi. On the other hand, if there is a problem with communication over high-speed Wi-Fi and steps S502 to S507 have been executed, the print request is sent over low-speed Wi-Fi. The printing device 101 executes print processing in accordance with the received print request. This is the flow of operations at the user terminal when sending a print request.

[0046] As described above, according to this embodiment, if high-speed Wi-Fi becomes unavailable, the user can continue to submit print jobs by switching to an alternative connection using low-speed Wi-Fi, thereby reducing downtime of the printing device and improving user convenience.

[0047] (Other embodiments) The present disclosure can also be realized by providing 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.

[0048] The present disclosure also includes the following configurations and methods.

[0049] [Configuration 1] A printing device that performs printing processing according to a print job, a first communication means for communicating via a first Wi-Fi; a second communication means for communicating by a second Wi-Fi having a slower data transfer rate and a wider communication range than the first Wi-Fi; a control means for controlling the second communication means to be used to receive the print job when the first communication means becomes unavailable; A printing device comprising:

[0050] [Configuration 2] The printing device according to configuration 1, wherein the control means, when using the second communication means to receive the print job, increases the bandwidth of the second communication means compared to when the second communication means is used for purposes other than receiving the print job.

[0051] [Configuration 3] 3. The printing device according to configuration 1 or 2, wherein the second Wi-Fi has lower power consumption than the first Wi-Fi.

[0052] [Configuration 4] 4. The printing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, wherein the second Wi-Fi is IEEE802.11ah.

[0053] [Configuration 5] 5. The printing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 4, wherein the control means automatically switches the second communication means to be used for receiving the print job when the first communication means becomes unavailable.

[0054] [Configuration 6] 6. The printing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 5, further comprising a notification unit that notifies a user when the second communication unit is used to receive the print job.

[0055] [Configuration 7] The printing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 6, wherein the control means controls the display means to display a UI screen that allows a user to select whether or not to use the second communication means to receive the print job when the first communication means becomes unavailable.

[0056] [Configuration 8] A user terminal that provides the print job to the printing device described in any one of configurations 1 to 7, wherein a UI screen is displayed on the user terminal to allow the user to select whether to continue sending the print job by communication using the second communication means when the first communication means of the printing device becomes unavailable.

[0057] [Method 1] A method for controlling a printing device that performs printing processing according to a print job, comprising: the printing device has a first communication means for performing communication via a first Wi-Fi, and a second communication means for performing communication via a second Wi-Fi that has a slower data transfer rate and a wider communication range than the first Wi-Fi, A control method comprising: controlling the second communication means to be used to receive the print job when the first communication means becomes unavailable.

[0058] [Configuration 9] A program for causing a computer to function as the printing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 7.

[0059] [Configuration 10] A program for causing a computer to function as the user terminal according to configuration 8.

Claims

1. A printing device that performs printing processing according to a print job, a first communication means for communicating via a first Wi-Fi; a second communication means for communicating by a second Wi-Fi having a slower data transfer rate and a wider communication range than the first Wi-Fi; a control means for controlling the second communication means to be used for receiving the print job when the first communication means becomes unavailable; A printing device comprising:

2. 2. The printing device according to claim 1, wherein the control means increases the bandwidth of the second communication means when the second communication means is used to receive the print job compared to when the second communication means is used for purposes other than receiving the print job.

3. 2. The printing device according to claim 1, wherein the second Wi-Fi has lower power consumption than the first Wi-Fi.

4. 2. The printing device according to claim 1, wherein the second Wi-Fi is IEEE 802.11ah.

5. 2. The printing device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit automatically switches over to the second communication unit so that the second communication unit can be used to receive the print job when the first communication unit becomes unavailable.

6. 2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a notification unit that notifies a user when the second communication unit is used to receive the print job.

7. 2. The printing device according to claim 1, wherein the control means controls the display means to display a UI screen that allows a user to select whether or not to use the second communication means to receive the print job when the first communication means becomes unavailable.

8. 8. A user terminal that provides the print job to a printing device described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a UI screen is displayed on the user terminal to allow the user to select whether to continue sending the print job by communication using the second communication means when the first communication means of the printing device becomes unavailable.

9. A method for controlling a printing device that performs printing processing according to a print job, comprising: the printing device has a first communication means for communicating via a first Wi-Fi and a second communication means for communicating via a second Wi-Fi that has a slower data transfer rate and a wider communication range than the first Wi-Fi; A control method comprising: controlling the second communication means to be used for receiving the print job when the first communication means becomes unavailable.

10. A program for causing a computer to execute the control method according to claim 9.

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