Program, information processing apparatus, information processing system, and information processing method

Abstract

To provide an information processing apparatus, an information processing program, and an information processing system that, even when a plurality of image processing apparatuses are installed, acquire connection information from a desired image processing apparatus through radio communication.SOLUTION: In the method, a radio communication terminal measures the reception signal intensity of a device information advertising packet, and the radio communication terminal stores the name of a device included in the device information advertising packet and the reception signal intensity of the device information advertising packet, determines whether there is an image processing apparatus having an average value μ of the reception signal intensity of the device information advertising packet exceeding a threshold Rs, when there is not an image processing apparatus having an average value μ exceeding the threshold Rs, repeats measurement of the reception signal intensity of the device information advertising packet, and when there is an image processing apparatus having an average value μ exceeding the threshold Rs, sets the image processing apparatus to be a connection target, and requests connection information from the image processing apparatus set to be the connection target.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing program, and an information processing system. [Background technology]

[0002] When connecting to the image forming apparatus, an information processing apparatus such as a wireless communication terminal acquires connection information using a first wireless communication method, and then connects using the connection information using a second wireless communication method.

[0003] There is known a technology in which a mobile terminal that transmits print data waits without starting image formation based on the print data until it detects that the mobile terminal has entered a predetermined range, and then cancels the standby state when it detects that the mobile terminal has entered the predetermined range (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An information processing device such as a wireless communication terminal receives a signal transmitted by wireless communication from an image processing device, and when the received signal strength of the signal reaches or exceeds a predetermined threshold, connects to the image processing device based on the received signal.

[0005] However, when multiple image processing devices are installed, an information processing device may accidentally measure the strength of a received signal transmitted by wireless communication from a neighboring image processing device other than the image processing device in front of the information processing device. If the received signal strength is higher than a predetermined threshold, the information processing device may connect to a neighboring image processing device other than the image processing device to which the information processing device is to request a job.

[0006] Furthermore, if an information processing device such as a wireless communication terminal is left near an image processing device and accidentally measures a signal transmitted by wireless communication from the image processing device, and the received signal strength is higher than a predetermined threshold, it is possible that the information processing device will communicate with the image processing device against the user's will and request a job.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention aims to obtain connection information from a desired image processing device via wireless communication even in an information processing system in which, when connecting to an image processing device, the information processing device obtains connection information via wireless communication and connects using the connection information, even if multiple image processing devices are installed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] An information processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: An information processing device that can be connected to one or more devices via a network, a measuring means for measuring the tilt of the information processing device; a determination means for determining whether the tilt of the information processing device measured by the measurement means is a predetermined tilt according to the shape of the device; receiving means for receiving a plurality of radio waves output from one or more devices; an acquisition means for acquiring, from each of the plurality of radio waves received by the receiving means, identification information for identifying a device that has output the radio wave; a radio wave intensity measuring means for measuring the intensity of the radio wave received by the receiving means; a determination means for determining whether to connect to a device that has output the plurality of radio waves, based on the radio wave strength measured by the radio wave strength measurement means for a plurality of radio waves that match the identification information acquired by the acquisition means, among the plurality of radio waves received by the reception means; a connection means for connecting to a device determined by the determination means to be connected based on radio waves output from the device in response to the determination of the tilt of the information processing device by the determination means; It has. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the disclosed embodiment, in an information processing system in which, when connecting to an image processing device, the information processing device acquires connection information via wireless communication and connects via wireless communication using the connection information, even if multiple image processing devices are installed, connection information can be acquired from the desired image processing device via wireless communication. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an image processing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an image processing apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the appearance of an operation unit of an image processing apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of an operation unit of an image processing apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of an operation unit of an image processing apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a wireless communication terminal according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a wireless communication terminal according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] 10 is an example (part 1) of a change over time in the received signal strength of a device information disclosure packet received by a wireless communication terminal. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the wireless communication terminal according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a wireless communication terminal according to an embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of acceleration measured in the wireless communication terminal. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the tilt of a wireless communication terminal. [Figure 13] 10 shows an example (part 2) of a change over time in the received signal strength of a device information disclosure packet received by a wireless communication terminal. [Figure 14]10 shows an example (part 3) of a change over time in the received signal strength of a device information disclosure packet received by a wireless communication terminal. [Figure 15] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the wireless communication terminal according to an embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a wireless communication terminal according to an embodiment. [Figure 17] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the wireless communication terminal according to an embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a search screen displayed on a wireless communication terminal according to an embodiment. [Figure 19] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the wireless communication terminal according to an embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a search screen displayed on a wireless communication terminal according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Next, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described based on the following examples with reference to the drawings. The examples described below are merely examples, and the embodiments to which the present invention is applied are not limited to the following examples. In all the drawings for explaining the embodiments, the same reference numerals are used for components having the same functions, and repeated explanations will be omitted.

[0012] <Summary> <Image processing system> 1 shows an example of the configuration of an image processing system according to this embodiment. The image processing system includes an image processing device 100 and a wireless communication terminal 200.

[0013] Image processing device 100 can be an image forming device such as a multifunction peripheral or a printer, and executes image processing in response to a job requesting image processing such as printing or scanning from an external device such as wireless communication terminal 200. Image processing device 100 has a first wireless communication unit and a second wireless communication unit, and connects directly to wireless communication terminal 200 via the first wireless communication unit, and connects to wireless communication terminal 200 via wireless access point 300 via the second wireless communication unit.

[0014] A smartphone, a tablet terminal, or the like can be used as the wireless communication terminal 200. The wireless communication terminal 200 has a first wireless communication unit and a second wireless communication unit, and connects directly to the image processing device 100 via the first wireless communication unit, and connects to the image processing device 100 via the second wireless communication unit via a wireless access point 300. An NFC reader / writer can also be used instead of the first wireless communication unit.

[0015] The wireless access point 300 establishes a communication path between the image processing device 100 and the wireless communication terminal 200. The wireless access point 300 is connected to a LAN (Local Area Network) 50 such as Ethernet (registered trademark), and communicates with the wireless communication terminal 200 in accordance with a wireless LAN standard such as IEEE802.11. Here, instead of the wireless access point 300, the image processing device 100 may be provided with a Wi-Fi module that operates in infrastructure mode or a Wi-Fi Direct module that can directly connect to and communicate with the wireless communication terminal 200. In this case, the wireless communication terminal 200 can directly connect to and communicate with the image processing device 100 without going through the wireless access point 300, thereby eliminating the need for a wireless access point.

[0016] <Image processing device 100> FIG. 2 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the image processing device 100 according to this embodiment.

[0017] The image processing device 100 includes a controller 102, an operation unit 122, a facsimile control unit (FCU) 126, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) 128, an IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) 1394 interface 130, and an engine unit 132. In the image processing device 100, the parts other than the operation unit 122 are sometimes called a main body.

[0018] The controller 102 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 104, a northbridge (NB) 106, a system memory (MEM-P) 108, a southbridge (SB) 114, an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) 116, a local memory (MEM-C) 118, a HDD 120, and a network interface card (NIC) 121. The system memory 108 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) 110 and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 112.

[0019] The CPU 104 controls the entire image processing device 100 and constitutes a chipset together with the northbridge 106, system memory 108, and southbridge 114. The CPU 104 is connected to other devices via this chipset. The northbridge 106 is a bridge that connects the CPU 104 with the system memory 108, southbridge 114, and AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) bus 60. The northbridge 106 has a memory controller that controls reading and writing to the system memory 108, a PCI (Peripheral Component Interface) master, and an AGP target.

[0020] The AGP bus 60 is an interface proposed to speed up graphics processing, and provides high-throughput direct access to the system memory 108, thereby speeding up image processing.

[0021] The ROM 110 of the system memory 108 is a read-only memory that stores programs and data for the image processing device. The RAM 112 of the system memory 108 is a writable and readable memory that is used to expand the programs and data for the image processing device and is also used when the printer performs drawing processing. The southbridge 114 is a bridge that connects the northbridge 106 to peripheral devices such as PCI devices. The southbridge 114 is connected to the northbridge 106 via a PCI bus, to which a network interface (I / F) can also be connected.

[0022] The ASIC 116 is an integrated circuit (IC) for image processing applications that has hardware elements for image processing and acts as a bridge connecting the AGP bus 60, PCI bus 70, HDD 120, and local memory 118. The ASIC 116 includes a PCI target and AGP master, an arbiter (ARB) that forms the core of the ASIC 116, a memory controller that controls the local memory 118, multiple direct memory access controllers (DMACs) that perform image data rotation using hardware logic, and a PCI unit that transfers data between the ASIC 116 and the engine unit 132 via the PCI bus 70. The operation unit 122, facsimile control unit 126, USB 128, IEEE 1394 interface 130, and engine unit 132 are connected to the ASIC 116 via the PCI bus 70.

[0023] The local memory 118 is used as an image buffer for copying and a code buffer. The HDD 120 stores image data, programs, font data, and forms. The HDD 120 also stores license files for applications executed by the image processing device 100. The NIC 121 is an interface for connecting to a network such as the LAN 50.

[0024] The operation unit 122 is directly connected to the ASIC 116 and is an interface for users such as operators who operate the image processing device 100. By operating the operation unit 122, data can be input, jobs can be executed, and displays can be performed.

[0025] The facsimile control unit 126 is connected to the PCI bus 70 and controls communication with external devices such as fax machines or copying machines with modem functionality via public lines. The USB 128 and IEEE 1394 interface 130 are each connected to the PCI bus 70 and can connect peripheral devices. The engine unit 132 is connected to the PCI bus 70 and can accommodate printer engines such as black-and-white plotters, one-drum color plotters, four-drum color plotters, scanners, and fax units. The engine unit 132 can also be equipped with image processing functions such as error diffusion and gamma conversion.

[0026] <Operation unit 122> FIG. 3 shows an example of an external view of the operation unit 122 of the image processing device 100 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the operation unit 122 is provided with an area 1221 over which the wireless communication terminal 200 is held and a display area 1222. The user can start operating the image processing device 100 by holding the wireless communication terminal 200 over the holding area 1221. When the wireless communication terminal 200 is held over the holding area 1221, a message indicating that processing is in progress is displayed in the display area 1222. In this case, the wireless communication terminal 200 notifies the operation unit 122 of the functions to be used, such as copy and scan, that the user has set on the wireless communication terminal 200, and the settings associated with those functions. This allows the user to use the image processing device 100 without performing any operations on the display area 1222.

[0027] On the other hand, when the user performs normal operations, such as when using the image processing device 100 without using the wireless communication terminal 200, the user selects one of the multiple application icons displayed on the HOME screen displayed in the display area 1222. This allows the user to start the selected application.

[0028] 4 shows an example of the hardware configuration of operation unit 122 of image processing device 100 according to this embodiment. A general information processing terminal can be applied to operation unit 122, and operation unit 122 includes CPU 152, memory (MEM) 154, nonvolatile memory 160, I / F 162, first wireless communication unit 164, second wireless communication unit 166, USB 168, sensor 170, and touch panel 172. CPU 152, memory 154, nonvolatile memory 160, I / F 162, first wireless communication unit 164, second wireless communication unit 166, USB 168, sensor 170, and touch panel 172 are connected via bus 80.

[0029] The CPU 152 controls the overall operation of the operation unit 122. The memory 154 has a ROM 156 and a RAM 158. The ROM 156 is a read-only non-volatile storage medium that stores programs such as firmware. The RAM 158 is a volatile storage medium that allows high-speed reading and writing of information, and is used as a working area when the CPU 152 processes information.

[0030] The nonvolatile memory 160 is a nonvolatile storage medium such as a NAND type that can read and write information, and stores an OS (Operating System), various control programs, application programs, etc. The I / F 162 connects the bus 80 with various hardware, networks such as the LAN 50, etc.

[0031] The first wireless communication unit 164 performs wireless communication using a first wireless communication method that is slower than a second wireless communication method such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) 4.0 (Bluetooth Low Energy: BLE) or near field communication (NFC).

[0032] The second wireless communication unit 166 is connected to the wireless access point 300 via a network such as the LAN 50. The second wireless communication unit 166 performs processing for performing wireless communication via the wireless access point 300 in accordance with the standard of the second wireless communication method such as a wireless LAN, at a higher speed than the first wireless communication method.

[0033] Peripheral devices can be connected via USB 168. The sensor 170 is a sensor realized by hardware such as an acceleration sensor. The touch panel 172 is a visual user interface that enables the user to check the status of the image processing device 100, and is also used when operating the device.

[0034] The operation unit 122 and the ASIC 116 can be connected by an I / F 162 or via a USB 168 .

[0035] Furthermore, the first wireless communication unit 164 and the second wireless communication unit 166 may be provided in the main body unit instead of the operation unit 122, or may be provided in both the operation unit 122 and the main body unit.

[0036] <Functional configuration of the embodiment> 5 is a functional block diagram of the operation unit 122 that constitutes the image processing device 100. As shown in FIG.

[0037] The operation unit 122 has a first transmission / reception unit 402, a second transmission / reception unit 404, a device information disclosure packet creation unit 406, a connection information request processing unit 408, a connection processing unit 410, a job processing unit 412, and a storage / read processing unit 414. Each of these units is a function or means realized when any of the components shown in Fig. 4 operates in response to an instruction from the CPU 152 in accordance with an operation unit program stored in the nonvolatile memory 160. The operation unit 122 also has a storage unit 416 constructed by the nonvolatile memory 160 shown in Fig. 4.

[0038] (Device information disclosure packet management table) The storage unit 416 stores a device information disclosure packet management DB 418 that is configured by a device information disclosure packet management table such as that shown in Table 1.

[0039] [Table 1] The device information disclosure packet management table associates device names, operation modes, output power levels, received signal strengths, and the like by linking them together. The device names are used for plug-and-play of the image processing device 100. The operation modes indicate the standards supported by the first wireless communication unit 164. For example, if the first wireless communication unit 164 supports Bluetooth 4.0, either dual mode or single mode is stored. The output power level indicates the output strength of radio waves emitted by the image processing device 100. This output power level can be a fixed value or a variable value.

[0040] By setting the output power level to a fixed value, it is possible to estimate the distance between the image processing device 100 and the wireless communication terminal 200 based on the signal level of the device information disclosure packet received at the image processing device 100. Furthermore, by setting the output power level to a variable value, it is possible to calculate the path loss and estimate the distance between the image processing device 100 and the wireless communication terminal 200 based on the output power level and the signal level of the device information disclosure packet received at the image processing device 100. The received signal strength is observed by the antenna of the wireless communication terminal 200 when the device information disclosure packet is received by the wireless communication terminal 200.

[0041] (Connection information management table) In the storage unit 416, a connection information management DB 420 configured by a connection information management table such as that shown in Table 2 is constructed.

[0042] [Table 2] The connection information management table stores connection information used when connecting between the second wireless communication unit 166 and the wireless communication terminal 200 using the second wireless communication method. The connection information management table associates connection information such as network information such as an SSID (Service Set Identifier), security method, and password, and address information such as an IP address and port number. The SSID is identification information for a wireless LAN, and the security method is represented by an encryption method standard such as WEP, WPA, WPA2, WPA2-TKIP, or AES.

[0043] <Functional parts of the operation unit 122> Next, each section of the operation section 122 will be described in detail.

[0044] The first transmitting / receiving unit 402 of the operation unit 122 is realized by the first wireless communication unit 164 shown in Fig. 4 and instructions from the CPU 152. The first transmitting / receiving unit 402 transmits and receives various data (information) to and from the wireless communication terminal 200 in accordance with the standard of the first wireless communication system.

[0045] The second transmission / reception unit 404 of the operation unit 122 is realized by the second wireless communication unit 166 shown in Fig. 4 and instructions from the CPU 152. The second transmission / reception unit 404 performs processing for transmitting and receiving various data (information) to and from the wireless communication terminal 200 in accordance with the standard of the second wireless communication system.

[0046] 4 and an operation unit program stored in non-volatile memory 160. The storage / readout processing unit 414 stores various data in a storage unit 416 and reads out various data stored in the storage unit 416.

[0047] The device information disclosure packet creation unit 406 of the operation unit 122 is realized by an instruction from the CPU 152. The device information disclosure packet creation unit 406 creates a device information disclosure packet to which information stored in a device information disclosure packet management table of the device information disclosure packet management DB 418 is attached. The device information disclosure packet is a packet such as an advertisement packet that discloses the existence of the image processing device 100 to the wireless communication terminal 200. The device information disclosure packet creation unit 406 transmits the created device information disclosure packet from the first transceiver 402.

[0048] The connection information request processor 408 of the operation unit 122 is realized by an instruction from the CPU 152. The connection information request processor 408 receives a connection information request transmitted by the wireless communication terminal 200 that has received the device information disclosure packet from the first transceiver 402. When the connection information request processor 408 receives the connection information request, it creates connection information that includes information stored in the connection information management table of the connection information management DB 420 in accordance with the connection information request, and transmits the created connection information from the first transceiver 402.

[0049] The connection processing unit 410 of the operation unit 122 is realized by an instruction from the CPU 152. When a connection request transmitted by the wireless communication terminal 200 that has received the connection information is input from the second transmission / reception unit 404, the connection processing unit 410 performs connection processing with the wireless communication terminal 200 in accordance with the connection request.

[0050] The job processing unit 412 of the operation unit 122 is realized by an instruction from the CPU 152. When a job requested by the wireless communication terminal 200 is input from the second transmission / reception unit 404, the job processing unit 412 processes the job.

[0051] <Wireless communication terminal 200> 6 shows an example of the hardware configuration of wireless communication terminal 200 according to this embodiment. Wireless communication terminal 200 includes CPU 202, RAM 204, ROM 206, HDD 208, I / F 210, sensor 212, LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) 214, operation unit 216, first wireless communication unit 218, and second wireless communication unit 220. CPU 202, RAM 204, ROM 206, HDD 208, I / F 210, and sensor 212 are connected by bus 90.

[0052] The CPU 202 controls the entire wireless communication terminal 200. The ROM 206 is a read-only nonvolatile storage medium that stores programs such as firmware. The RAM 204 is a volatile storage medium that allows high-speed reading and writing of information, and is used as a work area when the CPU 202 processes information. The HDD 208 is a nonvolatile storage medium that allows information to be read and written, and stores an OS, various control programs, application programs, etc.

[0053] The I / F 210 connects the bus 90 to various hardware, networks, etc. The sensor 212 is a sensor realized by hardware such as an acceleration sensor. The LCD 214 is a visual user interface that allows the user to check the status of the wireless communication terminal 200. The operation unit 216 is a user interface that allows the user to input information to the wireless communication terminal 200, such as a keyboard or mouse. The LCD 214 and operation unit 216 can also be configured by a touch panel, and the keyboard can also be realized by software.

[0054] The first wireless communication unit 218 performs wireless communication using a first wireless communication method, such as Bluetooth 4.0 or short-range wireless communication, which is slower than the second wireless communication method.

[0055] The second wireless communication unit 220 performs wireless communication at a higher speed than the first wireless communication method in accordance with the standard of a second wireless communication method such as a wireless LAN.

[0056] <Functional configuration of the embodiment> Next, a functional configuration of wireless communication terminal 200 according to this embodiment will be described. FIG.

[0057] The wireless communication terminal 200 has a first transmitting / receiving unit 252, a second transmitting / receiving unit 254, a received signal strength measuring unit 256, a connection target identifying unit 258, a connection information acquiring unit 260, a connection processing unit 262, a job requesting unit 264, and a storage / reading processing unit 266. Each of these units is a function or means realized by any of the components shown in Fig. 6 operating in response to an instruction from the CPU 202 in accordance with a wireless communication terminal program stored in the HDD 208. The wireless communication terminal 200 also has a storage unit 268 constructed by the HDD 208 shown in Fig. 6.

[0058] (Received signal strength management table) In the storage unit 268, a received signal strength management DB 270 is created, which is configured by a received signal strength management table such as that shown in Table 3.

[0059] [Table 3] The received signal strength management table associates device names, received signal strengths, etc. by linking them together. The device name is used for plug-and-play of the image processing device 100, but can be changed later. The received signal strength is the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet transmitted by the image processing device 100. In the received signal strength management table, a queue of received signal strengths of device information disclosure packets is created for each device name. The example shown in Table 3 indicates that the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet transmitted by the image processing device 100 whose device name is "A" changes from -40 dB to -42 dB to -38 dB.

[0060] <Functional Units of Wireless Communication Terminal 200> Next, a detailed description will be given of each unit of the wireless communication terminal 200. The first transmission / reception unit 252 of the wireless communication terminal 200 is realized by the first wireless communication unit 218 shown in Fig. 6 and instructions from the CPU 202. The first transmission / reception unit 252 transmits and receives various data (information) to and from the image processing device 100 in accordance with the standard of the first wireless communication system.

[0061] The second transmission / reception unit 254 of the wireless communication terminal 200 is realized by the second wireless communication unit 220 shown in Fig. 6 and instructions from the CPU 202. The second transmission / reception unit 254 transmits and receives various data (information) to and from the image processing device 100 in accordance with the standard of the second wireless communication system.

[0062] 6 and a program for the wireless communication terminal stored in the HDD 208. The storage and readout processing unit 266 stores various data in the storage unit 268 and reads out various data stored in the storage unit 268.

[0063] The received signal strength measurement unit 256 of the wireless communication terminal 200 is implemented by instructions from the CPU 202 and a wireless communication terminal program stored in the HDD 208. The received signal strength measurement unit 256 measures the received signal strength of a device information disclosure packet received by the first transceiver 252 at a predetermined interval and inputs the measured signal strength to the storage / readout processing unit 266 along with the device name attached to the device information disclosure packet. The storage / readout processing unit 266 stores the device name and received signal strength input by the received signal strength measurement unit 256 in a received signal strength management DB 270 of the storage unit 268. When storing the device name and received signal strength in the received signal strength management DB 270 of the storage unit 268, the received signal strength can be stored for each device name in a FIFO (First In, First Out) order. A specific description will be given with reference to the received signal strength management table shown in Table 3. For example, suppose the received signal strength of a device information disclosure packet transmitted by an image processing device whose newly measured device name is "B" is to be stored. In this case, the storage / read processing unit 266 extracts and deletes the oldest value with the device name "B" from the received signal strength management table, and adds the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet as the newest value with the device name "B".

[0064] The connection target identification unit 258 of the wireless communication terminal 200 is realized by instructions from the CPU 202 and a wireless communication terminal program stored in the HDD 208. The connection target identification unit 258 causes the storage / read processing unit 266 to read out a received signal strength management table of the received signal strength management DB 270 in the storage unit 268, and identifies an image processing device to connect to based on the received signal strength stored in the received signal strength management table.

[0065] Fig. 8 shows an example (part 1) of the change over time in the received signal strength of a device information disclosure packet received by the wireless communication terminal 200 when a user holding the wireless communication terminal 200 approaches the image processing device 100. In Fig. 8, the horizontal axis represents time (t) and the vertical axis represents the received signal strength (RSSI) of the device information disclosure packet.

[0066] When the wireless communication terminal 200 is brought closer to the image processing device 100, the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet received by the wireless communication terminal 200 tends to increase. Furthermore, the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet received by the wireless communication terminal 200 converges to a certain value when the distance between the first wireless communication unit 164 of the image processing device 100 and the first wireless communication unit 218 of the wireless communication terminal 200 becomes as short as about several centimeters. Note that the certain value may vary slightly depending on the antenna characteristics of the wireless communication terminal 200.

[0067] The connection target identification unit 258 determines whether there is an image processing device whose average value μ [dB] of the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet exceeds a certain threshold Rs [dB] based on the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet stored in the received signal strength management table. The connection target identification unit 258 calculates the average value μ [dB] of an appropriate number of samples, such as three device information disclosure packets, and determines whether the average value μ exceeds the threshold Rs. The connection target identification unit 258 also determines that an image processing device whose average value μ of the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet exceeds the certain threshold Rs is located in front of the wireless communication terminal 200. The connection target identification unit 258 then identifies the image processing device determined to be located in front of the wireless communication terminal 200 as a connection target and notifies the connection information acquisition unit 260 of the device name of the image processing device.

[0068] Returning to FIG. 7 , the description will continue. The connection information acquisition unit 260 of the wireless communication terminal 200 is realized by instructions from the CPU 202 and a wireless communication terminal program stored in the HDD 208. Based on a device name input by the connection target identification unit 258, the connection information acquisition unit 260 creates a connection information request addressed to the image processing device corresponding to the device name, and transmits the connection information request from the first transmission / reception unit 252. Furthermore, when a job requested by a user is input to the job request unit 264, the connection information acquisition unit 260 may similarly create a connection information request addressed to the image processing device corresponding to the device name, and transmit the connection information request from the first transmission / reception unit 252. When connection information is input from the first transmission / reception unit 252 as a response to the connection information request, the connection information acquisition unit 260 inputs the connection information to the connection processing unit 262.

[0069] The connection processing unit 262 of the wireless communication terminal 200 is realized by instructions from the CPU 202 and a wireless communication terminal program stored in the HDD 208. The connection processing unit 262 switches from the first wireless communication method to the second wireless communication method by handover based on the connection information input by the connection information acquisition unit 260, and performs processing to connect the image processing device to be connected and the second transmission / reception unit 254.

[0070] Furthermore, there are cases in which wireless communication terminal 200 does not transmit a connection information request addressed to an image processing device corresponding to a device name input by connection target specifying unit 258 after a job requested by a user is input to job request unit 264. In this case, connection processing unit 262 may start processing to connect the image processing device to be connected to second transceiver 254 after the job requested by the user is input to job request unit 264. By sharing an encryption key between image processing device 100 and wireless communication terminal 200, image processing device 100 encrypts and transmits connection information, and wireless communication terminal 200 decrypts the encrypted connection information.

[0071] The job request unit 264 of the wireless communication terminal 200 is realized by instructions from the CPU 202 and a program for the wireless communication terminal stored in the HDD 208. The job request unit 264 transmits a job requested by a user from the second transmission / reception unit 254 to the connected image processing device 100.

[0072] <Image processing system operation> FIG. 9 shows the operation of mainly wireless communication terminal 200 in the image processing system according to this embodiment.

[0073] In step S 902 , the received signal strength measuring unit 256 of the wireless communication terminal 200 measures the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet received by the first transceiver 252 .

[0074] In step S904, received signal strength measurement unit 256 of wireless communication terminal 200 inputs the device name attached to the device information disclosure packet and the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet to storage / read processing unit 266. As a result, received signal strength measurement unit 256 stores the device name attached to the device information disclosure packet and the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet in received signal strength management DB 270 of storage unit 268.

[0075] In step S906, the connection target identification unit 258 of the wireless communication terminal 200 determines whether there is an image processing device whose average value μ of the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet exceeds the threshold value Rs. If there is no image processing device whose average value μ of the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet exceeds the threshold value Rs, the process returns to step S902.

[0076] In step S908, if there is an image processing device whose average value μ of the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet exceeds the threshold value Rs, the connection target specifying unit 258 of the wireless communication terminal 200 sets this image processing device as a connection target.

[0077] In step S910, the connection information acquisition unit 260 of the wireless communication terminal 200 requests connection information from the image processing device set as the connection target. When the connection processing unit 262 of the wireless communication terminal 200 acquires the connection information (for example, SSID, password, IP address, etc.) transmitted by the image processing device set as the connection target, the connection processing unit 262 uses the connection information to perform connection processing with the image processing device.

[0078] The connection process in step S910 may be performed in the following procedure.

[0079] For example, in step S910, the image processing device does not send information identifying the image processing device (such as an IP address) as connection information, but instead sends only information for connecting to the same network as the image forming device (such as an SSID or password) to the wireless communication terminal 200.

[0080] The wireless communication terminal 200 that receives connection information from the image processing device transmits information (such as an IP address) that identifies the wireless communication terminal 200 to the image processing device to which it is to connect, and connects to the same network as the image processing device using the connection information received from the image processing device.

[0081] The image processing device receives information (such as an IP address) that identifies the wireless communication terminal 200 from the wireless communication terminal 200, and connects to the wireless communication terminal 200 using the received information.

[0082] As another example, the connection process in step S910 may be performed in the following procedure.

[0083] For example, in step S910, the image processing device does not send information identifying the image processing device (such as an IP address) as connection information, but instead sends only information for connecting to the same network as the image forming device (such as an SSID or password) to the wireless communication terminal 200.

[0084] The wireless communication terminal 200, which has received connection information from the image processing device, uses the connection information received from the image processing device to build a server on the same network as the image processing device, and notifies the image processing device of address information (such as a URL) at which the wireless communication terminal 200 can accept information.

[0085] An image processing device that receives address information (such as a URL) from wireless communication terminal 200, from which wireless communication terminal 200 can accept information, uses the received address information to notify wireless communication terminal 200 of information (such as an IP address) that identifies the image processing device.

[0086] The wireless communication terminal 200 receives information (such as an IP address) that identifies the image processing device from the image processing device, and uses the received information to connect to the image processing device and request image processing such as printing.

[0087] In this way, the wireless communication terminal 200 may not receive all of the information for connecting to the image processing device via the first wireless communication method, but may receive part of the information for connecting to the image processing device via the wireless access point 300 and perform connection processing for performing image processing such as printing.

[0088] After the connection process is performed in step S910, the job request unit 264 of the wireless communication terminal 200 transmits a job such as printing or scanning requested by the user from the second transmitting / receiving unit 254 to the connected image processing device 100.

[0089] 9, the connection target identification unit 258 collectively determines whether there are any image processing devices for which the average value μ of the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet exceeds the threshold value Rs, but this determination may be made individually for each image processing device. For example, the connection target identification unit 258 may individually calculate the average value of the received signal strength of each image forming device each time it receives a device information disclosure packet from that image forming device, and if the calculated average value μ exceeds the threshold value Rs, execute the processing of step S908.

[0090] In the above embodiment, after acquiring the connection information by the first wireless communication method, the wireless communication terminal 200 may connect to the image processing device to be connected by the first wireless communication method without performing handover from the first wireless communication method to the second wireless communication method. After connecting, the wireless communication terminal 200 may transmit a job requested by a user from the first transceiver 252 to the connected image processing device 100.

[0091] According to the image processing system described above, the wireless communication terminal measures the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet sent by the image processing device multiple times, and when the average value of the measured signal strength reaches a certain threshold, transmits a connection information request to the image processing device. This allows a user to instruct a desired image processing device to execute a job simply by holding the wireless communication terminal over the image processing device, without operating the image processing device or the wireless communication terminal.

[0092] In the above example, the wireless communication terminal 200 measures the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet multiple times and transmits a connection information request to an image processing device whose average value reaches a certain threshold. However, this example is not limiting, and the wireless communication terminal 200 may transmit a connection information request to an image processing device whose average value falls within a certain range. Alternatively, the wireless communication terminal 200 may perform a predetermined calculation process on the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet and identify the image processing device to which to transmit the connection information request based on the result of the calculation process.

[0093] In the above example, the connection target identification unit 258 of the wireless communication terminal 200 determines whether there is an image processing device whose average value μ [dB] of the received signal strength exceeds a certain threshold value Rs [dB] based on the received signal strength stored in the received signal strength management table. The connection target identification unit 258 may also determine whether there is an image processing device whose average value μ exceeds a certain threshold value Rs and whose standard deviation σ falls within a certain range based on the standard deviation σ in addition to the average value μ. This makes it possible to identify an image processing device to connect to based on radio wave characteristics with higher accuracy.

[0094] First Embodiment 1 can be applied to the image processing system according to the first embodiment, and includes a wireless communication terminal 500 instead of the wireless communication terminal 200. The image processing system according to the first embodiment differs from the image processing system described in <Overview> in some of the functions of the wireless communication terminal.

[0095] <Functional configuration of this embodiment> Next, the functional configuration will be described. Fig. 10 is a functional block diagram of the wireless communication terminal 500. The wireless communication terminal 500 has a first transmitting / receiving unit 552, a second transmitting / receiving unit 554, a received signal strength measuring unit 556, a connection target identifying unit 558, a connection information acquiring unit 560, a connection processing unit 562, a job requesting unit 564, a storage / reading processing unit 566, and an inclination detecting unit 572. Each of these units is a function or means realized by any of the components shown in Fig. 6 operating in response to an instruction from the CPU 202 in accordance with a wireless communication terminal program stored in the HDD 208. The wireless communication terminal 500 also has a storage unit 568 constructed by the HDD 208 shown in Fig. 6.

[0096] <Functional Units of Wireless Communication Terminal 500> Next, a description will be given of each unit of the wireless communication terminal 500. The functions of each unit of the wireless communication terminal 200 shown in FIG. 7 can be applied to the first transmitting / receiving unit 552, the second transmitting / receiving unit 554, the received signal strength measuring unit 556, the connection information acquiring unit 560, the connection processing unit 562, the job requesting unit 564, and the storing / reading processing unit 566.

[0097] 6 and an instruction from CPU 202. Tilt detection unit 572 detects the tilt, such as the angle, of wireless communication terminal 500 based on measurement information such as acceleration measured by sensor 212.

[0098] FIG. 11 shows an example of acceleration measured by wireless communication terminal 500. When an acceleration sensor is used for sensor 212, sensor 212 measures the acceleration of an object when it moves. For example, the longitudinal direction of LCD 214 of wireless communication terminal 500 is defined as the Y axis, the left-right direction of LCD 214 is defined as the X axis, and the direction perpendicular to the plane formed by the X and Y axes is defined as the Z axis. In this case, wireless communication terminal 500 can determine the left-right acceleration of wireless communication terminal 500 by detecting acceleration in the X axis direction, and can determine the up-down acceleration of wireless communication terminal 500 by detecting acceleration in the Y axis direction. Wireless communication terminal 500 can also determine the acceleration in the front-to-back direction of wireless communication terminal 500 by detecting acceleration in the Z axis direction. Tilt detection unit 572 determines the tilt, such as the angle, of wireless communication terminal 500 by determining whether the acceleration measured by sensor 212 converges within a certain range.

[0099] FIG. 12 shows an example of the inclination of the wireless communication terminal 500, in which the wireless communication terminal 500 is tilted 45 degrees from the horizontal. In this case, the inclination detection unit 572 detects that the acceleration of the wireless communication terminal 500 in the Y-axis direction is sin 45°. If the inclination detection unit 572 detects that the inclination of the wireless communication terminal 500 falls within a predetermined range, it notifies the connection target identification unit 558 of this. Here, the predetermined range is set in advance based on the inclination of the operation unit 122 of the image processing device 100. For example, it is assumed that when connecting the wireless communication terminal 500 to the image processing device 100, the user often holds the wireless communication terminal 500 parallel to the display screen of the touch panel 172 of the operation unit 122. When the wireless communication terminal 500 and the display screen of the touch panel 172 are parallel, the inclinations of both are equal. Therefore, the inclination detection unit 572 determines whether the inclination of the wireless communication terminal 500 is within a predetermined range from the inclination of the display screen of the touch panel 172.

[0100] The value of the tilt of the operation unit 122 of the image processing device 100 (the tilt of the display screen of the touch panel 172) is stored in advance in the storage unit 568 by the wireless communication terminal 500, for example.

[0101] The connection target identification unit 558 of the wireless communication terminal 500 is realized by instructions from the CPU 202 and a wireless communication terminal program stored in the HDD 208. The connection target identification unit 558 causes the storage / readout processing unit 566 to read out a received signal strength management table from a received signal strength management DB 570 in the storage unit 568. The connection target identification unit 558 also identifies the image processing device to connect to based on the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet stored in the received signal strength management table and whether or not the tilt of the wireless communication terminal 500 is detected to fall within a predetermined range. Here, the predetermined range is set in advance according to the shape of the image processing device 100 and is stored in the storage unit 568, for example.

[0102] Here, we consider a case where a connection target is identified based on whether the average value μ of the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet exceeds a threshold value Rs. In addition to the average value μ, a connection target may also be identified based on the standard deviation σ, that is, whether the average value μ exceeds a certain threshold value Rs and the standard deviation σ falls within a certain range.

[0103] FIG. 13 shows an example (part 2) of the change over time in the received signal strength of a device information disclosure packet received by the wireless communication terminal 200. In FIG. 13, the horizontal axis represents time (t), and the vertical axis represents the received signal strength (RSSI) of the device information disclosure packet. As shown in FIG. 13, depending on the antenna characteristics of the wireless communication terminal 200, the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet transmitted by the image processing device 100 may be measured as a value greater than the threshold Rs by chance. In this case, the wireless communication terminal 200 may transmit a connection information request to the image processing device and perform connection processing based on the connection information transmitted by the image processing device, since the average value μ of the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet exceeds the threshold Rs. This connection processing is not a problem if it is an image processing device intended by the user, but it is a problem if it is not intended by the user, such as when the wireless communication terminal is left in a state where it can be connected to the image processing device.

[0104] FIG. 14 shows an example (part 3) of temporal changes in the received signal strength of a device information disclosure packet received by the wireless communication terminal 200. In FIG. 14, the horizontal axis represents time (t) and the vertical axis represents the received signal strength (RSSI) of the device information disclosure packet. In FIG. 14, the received signal strengths of the device information disclosure packets transmitted by two image processing devices, a first image processing device and a second image processing device, are measured. Of the first and second image processing devices, the first image processing device is the image processing device in front of you and is the one you want to connect to. However, there are cases where the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet transmitted by the second image processing device is accidentally measured as a value greater than the threshold value Rs. In this case, since the average value μ [dB] of the received signal strength exceeds the threshold value Rs [dB], the wireless communication terminal may transmit a connection information request to the second image processing device and perform connection processing based on the connection information transmitted by the image processing device.

[0105] As described above, the wireless communication terminal 500 according to the present embodiment identifies a connection target based on whether the tilt of the wireless communication terminal 500 is within a predetermined range from the tilt of the display screen of the operation unit 122 of the image processing device 100, in addition to the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet. This makes it possible to reduce the likelihood of the wireless communication terminal 500 being connected to an image processing device that is not intended by the user.

[0106] <Image processing system operation> 15 shows the operation of the image processing system according to this embodiment, mainly showing the operation of wireless communication terminal 500. Steps S1502 to S1506 can be applied to steps S902 to S906 in FIG.

[0107] In step S1508, if there is an image processing device whose average value μ of received signal strength exceeds threshold value Rs, connection target identifying unit 558 of wireless communication terminal 500 determines whether tilt detection unit 572 has detected that the tilt of wireless communication terminal 500 falls within a predetermined range. If it has not detected that the tilt of wireless communication terminal 500 falls within the predetermined range, the process returns to step S1502.

[0108] In step S1510, if the tilt detection unit 572 detects that the tilt of the wireless communication terminal 500 is within a predetermined range, the connection target identification unit 558 of the wireless communication terminal 500 sets the image processing device as a connection target.

[0109] In step S1512, connection information acquisition unit 560 of wireless communication terminal 500 requests connection information from the image processing device set as the connection target. When connection processing unit 562 of wireless communication terminal 500 acquires the connection information transmitted by the image processing device set as the connection target, connection processing unit 562 uses the connection information to perform connection processing with the image processing device.

[0110] After the connection process is performed in step S1512, the job request unit 564 of the wireless communication terminal 500 transmits a job such as printing or scanning requested by the user from the second transmitting / receiving unit 554 to the connected image processing device.

[0111] In the flowchart shown in FIG. 15, after the process of step S1508 is performed, the processes of steps S1502 to S1506 and S1510 may be performed.

[0112] 15, the connection target identification unit 558 collectively determines whether there are any image processing devices for which the average value μ of the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet exceeds the threshold value Rs, but this determination may be made individually for each image processing device. For example, the connection target identification unit 558 may individually calculate the average value of the received signal strength of each image forming device each time it receives a device information disclosure packet from that image forming device, and if the calculated average value μ exceeds the threshold value Rs, execute the processing of step S1508.

[0113] According to this embodiment, the image processing device to which the wireless communication terminal 500 is to be connected is identified based on whether the tilt of the wireless communication terminal 500 is within a predetermined range from the tilt of the display screen of the operation unit of the image processing device, in addition to the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet. This reduces the possibility of the wireless communication terminal 500 being erroneously connected to an image processing device other than the desired image processing device.

[0114] <Modification> In the image processing system according to this modification, the device information disclosure packet creation unit 406 of the operation unit 122 transmits the value of the tilt of the operation unit 122 of its own device (tilt of the display screen of the touch panel 172) attached to the device information disclosure packet.

[0115] For example, in the case of an image processing device 100 in which the angle of the operation unit 122 is fixed, the device information disclosure packet creation unit 406 pre-stores the tilt value of the operation unit 122 in the memory unit 416, and includes the stored tilt value of the operation unit 122 in the device information disclosure packet before transmitting it.

[0116] Furthermore, if the image processing device 100 is capable of changing the tilt of the operation unit 122, the image processing device 100 measures the value of the tilt of the operation unit 122 based on the acceleration measured by the sensor 170, similar to the wireless communication terminal 500. Furthermore, the device information disclosure packet creation unit 406 transmits the measured value of the tilt of the operation unit 122 by including it in the device information disclosure packet.

[0117] When the image processing device 100 measures the tilt value of the operation unit 122, it is desirable to measure the tilt value of the operation unit 122 at predetermined time intervals, for example, and update the tilt value of the operation unit 122 included in the device information disclosure packet.

[0118] The connection target identification unit 558 of the wireless communication terminal 500 identifies a connection target based on whether the difference between the tilt of the wireless communication terminal 500 and the tilt of the operation unit 122 included in the device information disclosure packet is within a predetermined range, in addition to the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet. This allows the wireless communication terminal 500 to identify the desired image processing device 100 even if the tilt of the operation unit 122 of the image processing device 100 is changed. Furthermore, even if the tilt, such as the angle of the operation unit 122, differs depending on the image processing device, the wireless communication terminal 500 can identify the desired image processing device.

[0119] <Second embodiment> 1 can be applied to the image processing system according to the second embodiment, and includes a wireless communication terminal 600 instead of the wireless communication terminal 200. The image processing system according to the first embodiment differs from the image processing system described in <Overview> in some of the functions of the wireless communication terminal.

[0120] <Functional configuration of this embodiment> Next, the functional configuration will be described. Fig. 16 is a functional block diagram of the wireless communication terminal 600. The wireless communication terminal 600 has a first transmitting / receiving unit 652, a second transmitting / receiving unit 654, a received signal strength measuring unit 656, a connection target identifying unit 658, a connection information acquiring unit 660, a connection processing unit 662, a job requesting unit 664, a storage / reading processing unit 666, a search screen display control unit 672, and a timer 674. Each of these units is a function or means realized by any of the components shown in Fig. 6 operating in response to an instruction from the CPU 202 in accordance with a wireless communication terminal program stored in the HDD 208. The wireless communication terminal 600 also has a storage unit 668 constructed by the HDD 208 shown in Fig. 6.

[0121] <Functional Units of Wireless Communication Terminal 600> Next, a description will be given of each unit of the wireless communication terminal 600. The functions of each unit of the wireless communication terminal 200 can be applied to the first transmitting / receiving unit 652, the second transmitting / receiving unit 654, the received signal strength measuring unit 656, the connection information acquiring unit 660, the connection processing unit 662, the job requesting unit 664, and the storage / reading processing unit 666.

[0122] 6 and by instructions from CPU 202. Search screen display control unit 672 controls the display of a search screen for informing the user of wireless communication terminal 600 that an image processing device is being searched for. This search screen also displays a search start item to be selected when starting a search for an image processing device and a cancel item to be selected when canceling the search.

[0123] Timer 674 of wireless communication terminal 600 is realized by an instruction from CPU 202 shown in Fig. 6. Timer 674 measures the lapse of a preset time, such as 30 seconds.

[0124] The connection target identification unit 658 of the wireless communication terminal 600 is realized by instructions from the CPU 202 and a wireless communication terminal program stored in the HDD 208. The connection target identification unit 658 causes the search screen display control unit 672 to display a screen indicating that an image processing device is being searched for, until a time preset by a timer 674 has elapsed. The connection target identification unit 658 also causes the storage / read processing unit 666 to read out a received signal strength management table from a received signal strength management DB 670 in the storage unit 668. The connection target identification unit 658 then identifies the image processing device to connect to based on the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet stored in the received signal strength management table and whether or not the tilt of the wireless communication terminal 600 is detected to be within a predetermined range.

[0125] If the connection target specifying unit 658 cannot identify an image processing device to connect to after a preset time has elapsed, it stops the search for image processing devices being executed by the first transmitting / receiving unit 652 and closes the search screen that has been displayed by the search screen display control unit 672. If the connection target specifying unit 658 cannot identify an image processing device to connect to after a preset time has elapsed, it can also cause the search screen display control unit 672 to display a message to stop the search, such as "Device not found."

[0126] <Image processing system operation (part 1)> The operation of the image processing system according to this embodiment, mainly of wireless communication terminal 600, will be described along with a search screen. Fig. 17 shows the operation of the image processing system according to this embodiment, mainly of wireless communication terminal 600, and Fig. 18 shows an example of a search screen displayed on wireless communication terminal 600 according to this embodiment. Here, a home screen is displayed on wireless communication terminal 600, followed by a search screen, and then a connection screen.

[0127] In step S1702, the search screen display control unit 672 of the wireless communication terminal 600 displays a search screen on the LCD 214. Here, the connection target identification unit 658 starts the timer 674. For example, when the user starts a connection app that connects the wireless communication terminal 600 to the image processing device 100, the home screen shown in FIG. 18(1) is displayed. The home screen can display job properties such as "document type," "resolution," "file format," "scanning size," and "document side," as well as a start item for starting a search for image processing devices. Here, when the user selects the start item, the search screen shown in FIG. 18(2) is displayed and a search for image processing devices is started.

[0128] In step S1704, the connection target identification unit 658 of the wireless communication terminal 600 determines whether or not the cancel item on the search screen displayed by the search screen display control unit 672 has been selected (e.g., pressed down). If the cancel item on the search screen has been selected, the process proceeds to step S1716, which will be described later. As shown in FIG. 18(2), the search screen displays a cancel item that can be selected to cancel the search. The user can cancel the search by selecting the cancel item.

[0129] In step S1706, if it is determined that the cancel item on the search screen has not been selected, the connection target identifying unit 658 of the wireless communication terminal 600 determines whether the search time has elapsed in the timer 674.

[0130] In step S1708, if it is determined that the search time has not elapsed, the received signal strength measuring unit 656 of the wireless communication terminal 600 measures the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet received by the first transmitting / receiving unit 652.

[0131] In step S1710, the connection target identification unit 658 of the wireless communication terminal 600 determines whether there is an image processing device whose average value μ of the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet exceeds the threshold value Rs. If there is no image processing device whose average value μ of the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet exceeds the threshold value Rs, the process returns to step S1704.

[0132] In step S1712, if there is an image processing device whose average value μ of the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet exceeds the threshold value Rs, the connection target specifying unit 658 of the wireless communication terminal 600 sets this image processing device as a connection target.

[0133] In step S1714, the connection information acquisition unit 660 of the wireless communication terminal 600 requests connection information from the image processing device set as the connection target. When the connection processing unit 662 of the wireless communication terminal 600 acquires the connection information transmitted by the image processing device set as the connection target, the connection processing unit 662 uses the connection information to perform connection processing with the image processing device. Here, the search screen display control unit 672 changes the search screen to the connection screen shown in FIG. 18(4). This connection screen displays a cancel option that can be selected to cancel the connection. The user can cancel the connection by selecting the cancel option.

[0134] In step S1716, search screen display control unit 672 of wireless communication terminal 600 closes the search screen that has been displayed on LCD 214.

[0135] In step S1718, search screen display control unit 672 of wireless communication terminal 600 determines whether or not an error message is set to be displayed when the search time has elapsed in step S1716. If an error message is not set to be displayed, the process proceeds to step S1716.

[0136] In step S1720, search screen display control unit 672 of wireless communication terminal 600 displays an error message if set to display such an error message. Here, search screen display control unit 672 changes the search screen to the error display screen shown in FIG. 18(3). This error display screen displays a message that no device was found within the search time. Then, the process proceeds to step S1716.

[0137] <Image Processing System Operation (Part 2)> The operation of the image processing system according to this embodiment, mainly of wireless communication terminal 600, will be described along with a search screen. Fig. 19 shows the operation of the image processing system according to this embodiment, mainly of wireless communication terminal 600, and Fig. 20 shows an example of a search screen displayed on wireless communication terminal 600 according to this embodiment. Here, after a home screen is displayed on wireless communication terminal 600, a connection screen is displayed without displaying a search screen.

[0138] In step S1902, the connection target identification unit 658 of the wireless communication terminal 600 determines whether the search time in the timer 674 has elapsed. For example, when the user launches a connection app that connects the wireless communication terminal 600 to the image processing device 100, the home screen shown in FIG. 20(1) is displayed. The home screen can display job properties such as "Document Type," "Resolution," "File Format," "Scanning Size," and "Document Side," as well as a start item for starting a search for image processing devices. When the user selects the start item, the search for image processing devices is started and a countdown of the search time preset in the timer 674 begins. A cancel item that can be selected to stop the search can also be displayed on the home screen. The user can stop the search by selecting the cancel item.

[0139] In step S1904, if the received signal strength measuring unit 656 of the wireless communication terminal 600 determines that the search time has not elapsed, it measures the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet received by the first transceiver unit 652.

[0140] In step S1906, the connection target identification unit 658 of the wireless communication terminal 600 determines whether there is an image processing device whose average value μ of the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet exceeds the threshold value Rs. If there is no image processing device whose average value μ of the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet exceeds the threshold value Rs, the process returns to step S1902.

[0141] In step S1908, if there is an image processing device whose average value μ of the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet exceeds the threshold value Rs, the connection target specifying unit 658 of the wireless communication terminal 600 sets this image processing device as a connection target.

[0142] In step S1910, the connection information acquisition unit 660 of the wireless communication terminal 600 requests connection information from the image processing device set as the connection target. When the connection processing unit 662 of the wireless communication terminal 600 acquires the connection information transmitted by the image processing device set as the connection target, the connection processing unit 662 uses the connection information to perform connection processing with the image processing device. Here, the search screen display control unit 672 changes the search screen to the connection screen shown in FIG. 20(3). This connection screen displays a cancel option that can be selected to cancel the connection. The user can cancel the connection by selecting the cancel option.

[0143] In step S1912, search screen display control unit 672 of wireless communication terminal 600 closes the search screen that has been displayed on LCD 214.

[0144] In step S1914, search screen display control unit 672 of wireless communication terminal 600 determines whether or not an error message is set to be displayed when the search time has elapsed in step S1902. If an error message is not set to be displayed, the process proceeds to step S1912.

[0145] In step S1916, search screen display control unit 672 of wireless communication terminal 600 displays an error message if it is set to display an error message. Here, search screen display control unit 672 changes the search screen to the error display screen shown in FIG. 20(2). This error display screen displays a message that no device was found within the search time. The error display screen displays an "OK" option that can be selected when the error is confirmed. When the user selects this "OK" option, the process proceeds to step S1912.

[0146] According to this embodiment, the wireless communication terminal measures the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet when a user instructs the terminal to search for an image processing device. Therefore, even if the wireless communication terminal is left near the image processing device in a connectable state, the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet is not measured by mistake. This prevents the remaining battery power of the wireless communication terminal from decreasing without the user's knowledge.

[0147] The above-described embodiments and modifications may be combined as appropriate. The above-described embodiments and modifications may be applied to image forming apparatuses such as multifunction peripherals that have functions such as printing, scanning, and copying, as well as to projection devices such as projectors and electronic whiteboards.

[0148] In the above-described embodiments, the image processing system is an example of an information processing system, and the wireless communication terminal is an example of an information processing device. The received signal strength measurement unit is an example of a radio wave strength measurement unit and an acquisition unit, the connection target identification unit is an example of a determination unit, and the job request unit is an example of an operation detection unit. The connection processing unit is an example of a determination unit and a connection unit, the tilt detection unit is an example of a measurement unit, and the timer is an example of a measurement unit.

[0149] The present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments and modifications, but these embodiments and modifications are merely examples, and those skilled in the art will recognize various modifications, alterations, substitutions, and the like. For convenience of explanation, devices according to the embodiments of the present invention have been described using functional block diagrams, but such devices may be realized in hardware, software, or a combination thereof. The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications, alterations, substitutions, and the like are encompassed without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0150] 50 LAN 100 Image processing device 122 Operation section 200, 500, 600 wireless communication terminal 300 Wireless Access Points 252, 552, 652 First transceiver 254, 554, 654 Second transceiver 256, 556, 656 Received signal strength measurement section 258, 558, 658 Connection target identification part 260, 560, 660 Connection information acquisition section 262, 562, 662 connection processing unit 264, 564, 664 Job Request Department 266, 566, 666 Storage and readout processing section 268, 568, 668 storage section 270, 570, 670 Received signal strength management DB 572 Tilt detection unit 672 Search screen display control unit 674 Timer [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0151] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-17381

Claims

1. An information processing device connectable to one or more devices via a network, a measuring means for measuring the tilt of the information processing device; a determination means for determining whether the tilt of the information processing device measured by the measurement means is a predetermined tilt according to the shape of the device; receiving means for receiving a plurality of radio waves output from one or more devices; an acquisition means for acquiring, from each of the plurality of radio waves received by the receiving means, identification information for identifying a device that has output the radio wave; a radio wave intensity measuring means for measuring the intensity of the radio wave received by the receiving means; a determination means for determining whether to connect to a device that has output the plurality of radio waves, based on the radio wave strength measured by the radio wave strength measurement means for a plurality of radio waves that match the identification information acquired by the acquisition means, among the plurality of radio waves received by the reception means; a connection means for connecting to a device determined by the determination means to be connected based on radio waves output from the device in response to the determination of the tilt of the information processing device by the determination means; An information processing device having the above.

2. An information processing device connectable to one or more devices via a network, an operation detection means for detecting a predetermined operation on the information processing device; receiving means for receiving a plurality of radio waves output from one or more devices; an acquisition means for acquiring, from each of the plurality of radio waves received by the receiving means, identification information for identifying a device that has output the radio wave; a radio wave intensity measuring means for measuring the intensity of the radio wave received by the receiving means; a determination means for determining whether the information processing device, in which the predetermined operation has been detected by the operation detection means, will connect to a device that has output the plurality of radio waves, based on the radio wave strength measured by the radio wave strength measurement means for a plurality of radio waves having matching identification information acquired by the acquisition means, among the plurality of radio waves received by the reception means; a connection means for connecting to a device determined by the determination means to be connected based on radio waves output by the device; An information processing device having the above.

3. 3. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the connection means, when performing a process of connecting with a device that is determined by the determination means to perform a connection, acquires at least a portion of the connection information for connecting with the device using a wireless communication method different from the wireless communication method of the radio waves received by the receiving means.

4. A measuring means for measuring the passage of a predetermined time period. and 4. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the determination means cancels the determination if the measurement means is unable to determine whether or not to connect to each of the sources of the one or more radio waves even after the predetermined time has elapsed.

5. 5. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein when a predetermined operation is performed by a user, the radio wave intensity measurement means starts measuring the intensity of radio waves transmitted by the one or more devices identified by the acquisition means.

6. An information processing device connectable to one or more devices via a network, measuring the tilt of the information processing device; determining whether the tilt of the information processing device is a predetermined tilt according to the shape of the device; Receive multiple radio waves output from one or more devices, acquiring, from each of the plurality of radio waves, identification information for identifying a device that has output the radio wave; measuring the strength of the received radio waves; determining whether to connect to a device that has output the plurality of radio waves based on the measured radio wave strengths of the plurality of radio waves that match the acquired identification information among the plurality of received radio waves; In response to the determination of the tilt of the information processing device, a connection is made to the device determined to be connected based on radio waves output from the device. Information processing program.

7. An information processing device connectable to one or more devices via a network, Detecting a predetermined operation on the information processing device; Receive multiple radio waves output from one or more devices, acquiring, from each of the plurality of received radio waves, identification information for identifying a device that has output the radio waves; measuring the strength of the received radio waves; determining whether to connect to a device that has output the plurality of radio waves, based on the measured radio wave intensities of the plurality of radio waves that match the acquired identification information, among the plurality of received radio waves; causing the device determined to be connected to establish a connection to the device based on radio waves output by the device; Information processing program.

8. An information processing system having a device and an information processing device connectable to the device, The device comprises: a notification means for notifying the information processing device of information representing a first tilt of an operation unit for operating the device; and The information processing device includes: a measuring means for measuring a second tilt of the information processing device; a determination means for determining whether a difference between the second tilt of the information processing device measured by the measurement means and the first tilt satisfies a predetermined condition; receiving means for receiving a plurality of radio waves output from one or more devices; an acquisition means for acquiring, from each of the plurality of radio waves received by the receiving means, identification information for identifying a device that has output the radio wave; a radio wave intensity measuring means for measuring the intensity of the radio wave received by the receiving means; a determination means for determining whether to connect to a device that has output the plurality of radio waves, based on the radio wave strength measured by the radio wave strength measurement means for a plurality of radio waves that match the identification information acquired by the acquisition means, among the plurality of radio waves received by the reception means; a connection means for connecting to a device determined by the determination means to be connected based on radio waves output from the device in response to the determination of the second tilt of the information processing device by the determination means; An information processing device system having the above.

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