Information processing apparatus, system, program and information processing method

Abstract

To provide an information processing apparatus that can transmit a request to a device without causing a user to designate a network when the request is transmitted to the device being connectable to a plurality of networks.SOLUTION: A technique is provided that causes an information processing apparatus to function as: acquisition means 12 that acquires first communication information for connecting with a device through a first network and second communication information for connecting with the device through a second network being different from the first network; determination means 13 that determines whether or not it is possible to request processing from the device through the first network based on the acquired first communication information; connection means 15 that connects with the device in which it is determined not to be able to request processing through the first network, through the second network based on the second communication information; and request means that requests processing from the device in which it is determined to be able to request processing through the first network or the device connected by the connection means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] It would be convenient if a user of a terminal could wirelessly communicate with other devices, such as an image forming apparatus, to use the device's functions, eliminating the need for a wired connection. However, in many cases, parameters for wireless communication are required for the terminal to communicate with the device wirelessly, and setting the wireless communication parameters in the device is not always easy.

[0003] Therefore, techniques have been devised for setting wireless communication parameters in a terminal without user settings or with minimal user settings (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses a management device that reads information stored in a user's NFC (Near Field Communication) chip and sets wireless communication parameters for home use or wireless communication parameters for away from home in a wireless communication device according to the information, so that wireless communication devices can connect to the same device using different wireless communication parameters. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the method of setting wireless communication parameters disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that it is difficult for the user to determine which of a plurality of wireless communication parameters to select.

[0005] A specific example will be described. For example, consider a case where an image forming device is connected to an employee network exclusively for employees and a guest network exclusively for visitors. In this case, if wireless communication parameters for each network are stored in the NFC chip, the terminal carried by the user can read the wireless communication parameters from the NFC chip and set them on the terminal. However, visitors should generally not be connected to the employee network; employees should communicate with the device via the employee network, which is more shielded from the outside than the guest network. In other words, the user should connect to the image forming device via the appropriate network, but even if the wireless communication parameters can be obtained, it is often difficult for the user to determine which wireless communication parameters to select.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to provide an information processing device that enables a user to send a request to a device that can connect to multiple networks without having to specify a network. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, an embodiment of the present invention is an information processing device that requests a predetermined process via one of a first network and a second network different from the first network from a device that can communicate via the first network and a second network different from the first network, the information processing device comprising: an acquisition means that acquires first communication information for connecting with the device via the first network and second communication information for connecting with the device via the second network; an attempt to acquire information from the device via a network to which the information processing device is connected using the first communication information acquired by the acquisition means; a determination of whether the information has been received; and a processing step of determining if the information has been received. In this case, the information processing device has a determination means for determining whether the device is a specific device based on the information, and a request means for receiving the information and, if the determination means determines that the device is the specific device, requesting the device to perform the specified processing via the first network based on the first communication information, if it is not determined that the information has been received, requesting the device to perform the specified processing via the second network based on the second communication information, if it is determined that the information has been received and the device is not determined to be the specific device, and requesting the device to perform the specified processing via the second network based on the second communication information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique that enables a request to be sent to a device that can connect to multiple networks without requiring a user to specify a network. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a main use case assumed by the printing system of the present embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 illustrates a configuration of an example of a printing system. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an example of a mobile terminal. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an image forming apparatus and an information medium. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an example of a printing system. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of communication information. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram of an example of a printing process. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a connection availability determination process. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a display device of a mobile terminal. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a display device of a mobile terminal. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining another example of communication information. [Figure 12] 8 is an example of a flowchart illustrating the connection availability determination process in step S608 in the printing process described with reference to FIG. 7. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram of an example of a printing system (embodiment 2). [Figure 14] 10 is a sequence diagram of an example of a printing process (embodiment 2); DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0011] <Use cases of the printing system according to this embodiment> First, the main use cases assumed by the printing system 1 of this embodiment will be described using Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is an example of a diagram for explaining the main use cases assumed by the printing system 1 of this embodiment. The image forming device 20 is connected to a network N1 equivalent to an in-house LAN or the like, and an access point 7 is connected to the network N1. The image forming device 20 is also capable of communication via a network N2 that communicates via P2P (Peer to Peer).

[0012] Use Case 1 Use case 1 is a case in which a visitor 9 uses his / her mobile terminal 10 to wirelessly communicate with an image forming apparatus 20 for printing or the like. This will be explained using FIG. (1) First, the visitor 9 brings the mobile terminal 10 close to the short-range wireless communication device 301 of the image forming apparatus 20. As a result, the mobile terminal 10 acquires first communication information 1100 for communicating with the image forming apparatus 20 via the network N1 and second communication information 1300 for communicating with the image forming apparatus 20 via the network N2. (2) Next, the mobile terminal 10 attempts communication using the first communication information 1100, but the mobile terminal 10 of the visitor 9 cannot connect to the company LAN (network N1) using the first communication information 1100. (3) Next, the mobile terminal 10 attempts to communicate using the second communication information 1300 and is able to communicate, so starts communication with the image forming apparatus 20 via the network N2.

[0013] Therefore, the mobile terminal 10 of the visitor 9 can communicate with the image forming device 20 without going through the network N1, which is an in-house LAN.

[0014] Use Case 2 Use case 2 is a case in which an employee 8 uses his / her own mobile terminal 10 to wirelessly communicate with an image forming apparatus 20 in another department that is not normally used for printing or the like. This will be explained using FIG. (1) First, employee 8 brings mobile terminal 10 close to short-range wireless communication device 301 of image forming apparatus 20. As a result, mobile terminal 10 acquires first communication information 1100 for communication via network N1 and second communication information 1300 for communication via network N2. (2) Next, the mobile terminal 10 attempts to communicate using the first communication information 1100. However, the mobile terminal 10 of employee 8, who has the authority to connect to the company's internal LAN, has wireless communication parameters set for connecting to the access point 7. Therefore, it is possible to connect to the internal LAN and communicate with the image forming device 20 by using the first communication information 1100. The mobile terminal 10 of employee 8 starts communication with the image forming device 20 via the network N1.

[0015] Therefore, the mobile terminal 10 of employee 8 can communicate with the image forming device 20 via network N1, which is an internal LAN. Even if the mobile terminal 10 of employee 8 cannot connect to the image forming device 20 via network N1, the mobile terminal 10 of employee 8 can still communicate with the image forming device 20 via network N2, so that temporary printing is possible even if network N1 cannot be used for some reason.

[0016] In this way, the printing system 1 of this embodiment reduces the effort required by the user to set communication information, and also enables users such as the visitor 9 and the employee 8 to automatically select an appropriate network.

[0017] <Terminology> Employee: A specific example of a user of the mobile terminal 10 and the image forming device 20, who has the authority to connect to the company LAN (wireless communication parameters for connecting to the company LAN are set in the mobile terminal 10). This user does not have to be called an employee 8, and may be called any name such as employee, employee, or staff. Visitor: A specific example of a user of the mobile terminal 10 and the image forming device 20, who does not have the authority to connect to the company LAN. All users other than employees are included in the visitors 9. Note that the visitors 9 may be called in any other way. [Example]

[0018] <System configuration> The system configuration of a printing system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of an example of a printing system according to this embodiment. The printing system 1 of FIG. 2 includes a mobile terminal 10 and one or more image forming devices 20. The mobile terminal 10 and the image forming device 20 are configured to be connectable via networks N1 and N2, either wired or wirelessly. Note that, since the mobile terminal 10 is an information processing device that can be carried by a user, as will be described later, it is preferable that the mobile terminal 10 and the image forming device 20 are configured to be connectable wirelessly via networks N1 and N2. Being connectable means having a function for connection, and whether or not connection is actually possible depends on the determination described in FIGS. 7 and 8, etc.

[0019] Furthermore, when the mobile terminal 10 is carried by the visitor 9, the mobile terminal 10 is not connected to the network N1, but connects to the network N2 on demand. The employee 8 already has the authority to connect to the network N1. Therefore, when the mobile terminal 10 is carried by the employee 8, the mobile terminal 10 is set with the above-mentioned wireless communication parameters, such as an SSID and a password (encryption key), and therefore can connect to the network N1. Therefore, the mobile terminal 10 carried by the employee 8 can communicate with the image forming device 20 if the IP address of the image forming device 20 is known.

[0020] In the following description, as an example, network N1 is a network such as an in-house LAN for connecting mobile terminal 10 to image forming apparatus 20 via a wireless LAN (Local Area Network), while network N2 is a network for directly connecting to image forming apparatus 20 via P2P using Wi-Fi Direct. However, networks N1 and N2 are not limited to these. For example, network N1 may include a WAN or the Internet in addition to a network such as an in-house LAN, or may partially include a mobile phone network. Network N2 may also be a network for connecting to image forming apparatus 20 via, for example, an ad hoc mode wireless LAN, a mobile phone network, infrared communication, Bluetooth (registered trademark), or the like. In other words, it may be any network that does not enter a company, such as an in-house LAN. Network N2 may also be, for example, an in-house LAN for connecting to image forming apparatus 20 via a wireless LAN (e.g., a network with a different network address from network N1) as long as it is appropriately configured, such as to be isolated from network N1.

[0021] Furthermore, an information medium 30 is attached to the housing of the image forming apparatus 20, and the portable terminal 10 and the information medium 30 are configured to be able to communicate with each other via short-range wireless communication.

[0022] The mobile terminal 10 is a portable information processing device such as a smartphone operated by a user. The mobile terminal 10 may be a smartphone, a mobile phone, a tablet terminal, a game console, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a digital camera, a wearable PC, a notebook PC, or the like. The mobile terminal 10 is equipped (installed) with an application that can request the image forming device 20 to provide functions (for example, issuing a print instruction for print target data, scanning a document, sending a fax, copying, etc.), and the mobile terminal 10 generates a print job, a scan job, a fax sending job, a copy job, etc., including the print target data related to the print instruction, and sends them to the image forming device 20.

[0023] Furthermore, the mobile terminal 10 is equipped with a short-range wireless communication device such as an NFC chip, as will be described later. The user obtains a plurality of pieces of communication information, including an IP address for communicating with the image forming apparatus 20, by holding the mobile terminal 10 over an information medium 30 attached at a predetermined position on the housing of the image forming apparatus 20. The mobile terminal 10 then transmits a print job generated based on the obtained communication information to the image forming apparatus 20, thereby causing the image forming apparatus 20 to execute the print job and print the data to be printed.

[0024] The application may be software such as a browser, word processing software, or viewer that communicates with the image forming apparatus 20 and requests the image forming apparatus 20 to execute a job.

[0025] The image forming device 20 is a device such as a printer that receives a print job or the like from the mobile terminal 10 and prints the data to be printed. Note that the image forming device 20 may be a multifunction peripheral such as an MFP that has multiple functions such as a copy function, a scanner function, and a fax function in addition to a print function.

[0026] Furthermore, the image forming apparatus 20 may be, for example, an output device such as a scanner, a facsimile machine, an image projection device (projector), a rear projection device, a HUD (Head Up Display), an electronic whiteboard, or digital signage, or an audio output device such as a speaker. Therefore, in this embodiment, a printing system 1 is described as an example of an information processing system, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention may be an image output system using an image output device instead of the image forming apparatus 20, or an audio output system using a speaker instead of the image forming apparatus 20. That is, this embodiment can be applied to various systems using a mobile terminal 10 that generates various jobs, images, or data that can be converted into images, and a device (in this embodiment, the image forming apparatus 20) that outputs various jobs, images, or data that can be converted into images received from the mobile terminal 10. Furthermore, the mobile terminal 10 and the device may simply communicate wirelessly without outputting data.

[0027] The information medium 30 is a near-field communication device such as an NFC chip that is attached to a predetermined position on the housing of the image forming apparatus 20. That is, the information medium 30 is an NFC tag or the like. The information medium 30 stores communication information including the IP address of the image forming apparatus 20 to which the information medium 30 is attached. More specifically, the information medium 30 stores communication information for the mobile terminal 10 to communicate with the image forming apparatus 20 via the network N1 and communication information for the mobile terminal 10 to communicate with the image forming apparatus 20 via the network N2. That is, the information medium 30 stores communication information corresponding to the number of networks to which the mobile terminal 10 and the image forming apparatus 20 can be connected.

[0028] The mobile terminal 10 can acquire, via short-range wireless communication, the communication information stored in the information medium 30. Then, as described above, the mobile terminal 10 can execute the print job in the image forming device 20 by transmitting the print job to the image forming device 20 based on the communication information acquired from the information medium 30.

[0029] The medium for storing and transmitting communication information to the mobile terminal 10 is not limited to the information medium 30 such as an NFC tag. For example, if the image forming apparatus stores communication information, it may transmit the communication information to the mobile terminal 10 using other communication methods that can directly communicate with the mobile terminal 10 without requiring a pre-defined address, such as Bluetooth or infrared. In this case, the mobile terminal 10 must also have a compatible function (Bluetooth or infrared).

[0030] In the printing system 1 described above, the mobile terminal 10 and the image forming device 20 are configured to be connectable via two networks, network N1 and network N2, but the number of connectable networks may be any number greater than or equal to one (three or more).

[0031] The printing system 1 described above may also have, for example, a configuration including a print server that stores print jobs sent from the mobile terminal 10. Furthermore, the printing system 1 may have any number of mobile terminals 10, including one or more.

[0032] <Hardware configuration> Mobile devices A mobile terminal 10 according to this embodiment is realized by, for example, a hardware configuration as shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a hardware configuration diagram of an example of a mobile terminal according to this embodiment. The mobile terminal 10 shown in Fig. 3 includes an input device 101, a display device 102, an external I / F 103, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 104, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 105, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 106, a communication I / F 107, an SSD (Solid State Drive) 108, and a near field communication device 109, which are all interconnected by a bus B.

[0033] The input device 101 is, for example, a touch panel, and is used to input various operation signals to the mobile terminal 10. The input device 101 may also be a keyboard, a mouse, etc. The display device 102 is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), and displays the processing results of the mobile terminal 10.

[0034] The external I / F 103 is an interface with an external device. The external device may be a recording medium 103a. The recording medium 103a can store a program that realizes the embodiment. The mobile terminal 10 can read and / or write data from and / or to the recording medium 103a via the external I / F 103.

[0035] The recording medium 103a is, for example, a recording medium such as an SD memory card, etc. The recording medium 103a may also be a recording medium such as a USB memory (Universal Serial Bus memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), a CD (Compact Disk), or a flexible disk.

[0036] The RAM 104 is a volatile semiconductor memory (storage device) that temporarily stores programs and data. The ROM 105 is a non-volatile semiconductor memory (storage device) that can store programs and data even when the power is turned off. The ROM 105 stores programs and data such as a BIOS (Basic Input / Output System) that is executed when the mobile terminal 10 is started up, OS settings, and network settings.

[0037] The CPU 106 is a computing device that controls the entire mobile terminal 10 and realizes its functions by reading programs and data from storage devices such as the ROM 105 and SSD 108 onto the RAM 104 and executing the processes.

[0038] The communication I / F 107 is an interface for performing communication via the network N1 and the network N2. For example, the communication I / F 107 is an interface for connecting the mobile terminal 10 to an in-house LAN or the like via a wireless LAN. The communication I / F 107 is also an interface for connecting to the image forming apparatus 20 via Wi-Fi Direct. This allows the mobile terminal 10 to perform data communication via the communication I / F 107. The communication I / F 107 may also be an interface for connecting to a mobile phone network, the Internet, or the like.

[0039] The SSD 108 is a non-volatile storage device that stores programs 108a and data. The stored programs 108a and data include, for example, an OS (Operating System), which is basic software that controls the entire mobile terminal 10, and application software (hereinafter simply referred to as applications) that provides various functions on the OS. The SSD 108 manages the stored programs and data using a predetermined file system and / or DB (database). The mobile terminal 10 may be provided with an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or the like instead of or in addition to the SSD 108.

[0040] The short-range wireless communication device 109 is, for example, an NFC chip, etc. This allows the mobile terminal 10 to perform data communication via the short-range wireless communication device 109.

[0041] The mobile terminal 10 according to this embodiment can realize various processes, which will be described later, by using the above-described hardware configuration.

[0042] <<Image forming apparatus and information medium>> The image forming apparatus 20 and information medium 30 according to this embodiment are realized by, for example, a hardware configuration as shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a hardware configuration diagram of an example of the image forming apparatus and information medium according to this embodiment. The image forming apparatus 20 shown in Fig. 4 includes a controller 201, an operation panel 202, an external I / F 203, a communication I / F 204, and a printer 205. In addition, a near-field communication device 301 is attached to the exterior (housing) of the image forming apparatus 20 as a component for realizing the information medium 30.

[0043] The controller 201 has a CPU 211, a RAM 212, a ROM 213, an NVRAM 214, and an HDD 215. The ROM 213 stores various programs and data. The RAM 212 temporarily holds programs and data. The NVRAM 214 stores, for example, setting information. The HDD 215 stores various programs 215a and data.

[0044] The CPU 211 reads out a program 215a, data, setting information, etc. from the ROM 213, NVRAM 214, HDD 215, etc. onto the RAM 212 and executes the processes, thereby realizing the overall control and functions of the image forming apparatus 20.

[0045] The operation panel 202 includes an input unit that accepts input from the user and a display unit that displays information. The external I / F 203 is an interface with an external device. The external device may include a recording medium 203a. This allows the image forming apparatus 20 to read from and / or write to the recording medium 203a via the external I / F 203. The recording medium 203a may include a flexible disk, a CD, a DVD, an SD memory card, a USB memory, etc.

[0046] The communication I / F 204 is an interface for communicating via the network N1 and the network N2, which allows the image forming device 20 to perform data communication via the communication I / F 204. The printer 205 is a printing device for printing and outputting data to be printed.

[0047] The near field communication device 301 is, for example, an NFC chip. The information medium 30 is configured in a non-volatile memory of the near field communication device 301. When the near field communication device 301 detects the approach of the near field communication device 109 of the mobile terminal 10, the near field communication device 301 communicates with the near field communication device 109 to read information from the information medium 30 and transmit the information from the information medium 30 to the mobile terminal 10. The near field communication device 301 is configured outside the image forming apparatus 20, for example, by having an NFC chip attached to a predetermined position on the housing of the image forming apparatus 20. In this case, it is preferable that the NFC chip be attached to a position that facilitates near field communication with the mobile terminal 10. The information on the information medium 30 can be rewritten by a user using a reader / writer or the like.

[0048] The short-range wireless communication device 301 may not be configured outside the image forming device 20, but may be configured inside the image forming device 20 within a range where short-range wireless communication is possible with the mobile terminal 10. The short-range wireless communication device 301 does not need to be integrated with the image forming device 20, and may be placed near the image forming device 20 or on a guide board installed on the route to the image forming device 20.

[0049] The image forming apparatus 20 and information medium 30 according to this embodiment can realize various processes, which will be described later, by using the above-described hardware configuration.

[0050] <Software configuration> The printing system 1 according to this embodiment can be represented by, for example, functional blocks as shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a functional block diagram of an example of the printing system according to this embodiment.

[0051] The mobile terminal 10 of the printing system 1 has an information acquisition unit 12, a connection possibility determination unit 13, a UI display unit 14, a communication unit 15, and an information storage unit 16. The communication unit 15 has a first communication unit 151 and a second communication unit 152. On the other hand, the image forming device 20 of the printing system 1 has a print function unit 21. The image forming device 20 can receive processing requests from multiple networks N1 and N2.

[0052] The information acquisition unit 12 is realized by the CPU 106, the short-range wireless communication device 109, etc., and acquires a plurality of pieces of communication information for communicating with the image forming apparatus 20 from the information medium 30 via short-range wireless communication.

[0053] The connection possibility determination unit 13 is realized by the CPU 106 or the like, and selects which of a plurality of networks connectable to the image forming apparatus 20 to communicate with based on a plurality of pieces of communication information acquired from the information medium 30. Specifically, in this embodiment, based on the plurality of pieces of communication information acquired from the information medium 30, it selects which of the network N1 and the network N2 to communicate with the image forming apparatus 20 to use.

[0054] The UI display unit 14 is realized by the CPU 106, the display device 102, etc., and generates and displays a UI (user interface) screen.

[0055] The communication unit 15 is realized by the communication I / F 107 and the like, and communicates with the image forming apparatus 20. More specifically, depending on the selection result of the connection possibility determination unit 13, the first communication unit 151 communicates with the image forming apparatus 20 via the network N1, and the second communication unit 152 communicates with the image forming apparatus 20 via the network N2.

[0056] The information storage unit 16 is realized by the CPU 106, the ROM 105, the SSD 108, etc., and stores the communication information 1000 acquired by the information acquisition unit 12, and also reads out the stored information.

[0057] The print function unit 21 is realized by the printer 205 or the like, and prints the data to be printed that is included in a print job whose execution is requested by the mobile terminal 10. In addition to the print function unit 21, the image forming device 20 may also have a scan function unit for generating image data (electronic data) from a scanned document, a copy function unit for duplicating the scanned document, a fax function unit for faxing the scanned document or electronic data via a telephone line network or the like, and the like.

[0058] Information medium 30 is realized by short-range wireless communication device 301, and stores communication information 1000 for communicating with image forming apparatus 20 to which information medium 30 is attached. Furthermore, in response to a request from information acquisition unit 12 of mobile terminal 10, information medium 30 transmits communication information 1000 stored in information medium 30 to mobile terminal 10 via short-range wireless communication.

[0059] <Communication information 1000 stored in information medium 30> The communication information 1000 stored in the information medium 30 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. The communication information 1000 stored in the information storage unit 16 of the mobile terminal 10 has a similar configuration. Fig. 6 is a diagram for explaining an example of communication information.

[0060] 6 includes first communication information 1100 for communicating with the image forming apparatus 20 via the network N1, availability information 1200 indicating availability of communication via the network N2, and second communication information 1300 for communicating with the image forming apparatus 20 via the network N2. That is, the communication information 1000 includes multiple pieces of communication information such as the first communication information 1100 and the second communication information 1300.

[0061] The first communication information 1100 is information necessary for the mobile terminal 10 to communicate with the image forming apparatus 20 via a network N1 (for example, an internal company LAN connected via a wireless LAN). The first communication information 1100 includes information such as a first IP address, which is the IP address of the image forming apparatus 20 in the network N1, and information about Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) communication, which indicates whether SSL communication is being used in the network N1. The first communication information 1100 does not include an SSID or password for connecting to the internal company LAN from the access point 7. This is because, as described above, the network N1 is expected to be accessed by employees 8, and the SSID and password are set in advance in the mobile terminal 10 of the employee 8. In other words, if an SSID and password for the internal company LAN are set in the first communication information 1100, even visitors 9 and others would be able to connect to the internal company LAN. In this embodiment, by using the premise that an SSID and password are set in advance in the mobile terminal 10 of the employee 8, and by storing minimum information (including an IP address) in the first communication information 1100, it is possible to connect only the employee 8 to the internal LAN, while not connecting the visitor 9 to the internal LAN. In other words, only the mobile terminal 10 currently connected to the internal LAN can connect to the image forming device 20 using the first communication information 1100.

[0062] The availability information 1200 is information indicating whether or not to communicate with the image forming device 20 via network N2 when the connection availability determination unit 13 determines that communication with the image forming device 20 via network N1 is not possible. For example, in the communication information 1000 of FIG. 6, the availability information 1200 is set to "Yes." Therefore, in this case, as will be described in detail later, when the connection availability determination unit 13 determines that communication with the image forming device 20 via network N1 is not possible, the mobile terminal 10 performs processing to attempt communication with the image forming device 20 via network N2. On the other hand, when the availability information 1200 is set to "No," the mobile terminal 10 cannot communicate with the image forming device 20 via network N2.

[0063] The usage permission information 1200 is used, for example, for billing control. The usage fee for the image forming device 20 may be charged on a pay-per-use basis, such as the number of pages printed. For example, if the image forming device 20 is located in company A, the usage fee will be charged to company A regardless of whether an employee 8 of company A or a visitor 9 to company A prints. Therefore, for an image forming device 20 installed in a location with many visitors 9, company A may not want to allow visitors 9 to print at all.

[0064] On the other hand, for example, city halls and libraries need to respond to requests for printing from visitors 9. For this reason, coin machines are installed along with image forming devices 20 in highly public places, and visitors 9 are allowed to print up to the amount of money inserted by the user.

[0065] Therefore, the image forming device 20 installed in a location where charges can be charged or where the number of prints made by the visitor 9 is small may allow the visitor 9 to print. In this way, the usage permission information 1200 can control whether the visitor 9 can use the image forming device 20.

[0066] Note that availability information may also be set for the first communication information 1100. For example, if there is a security problem with the network N1, the employee 8 can be prevented from communicating with the image forming device 20 via the network N1.

[0067] The second communication information 1300 is information necessary for the mobile terminal 10 to communicate with the image forming apparatus 20 via the network N2 (for example, P2P using Wi-Fi Direct). The second communication information 1300 includes information such as a second IP address which is the IP address of the image forming apparatus 20 in the network N2, an SSID (Service Set Identifier) ​​for identifying the network N2, an encryption method for the network N2, a password, and an HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) port number or HTTPS (HTTP over SSL / TLS) port number of the image forming apparatus 20 when communicating via the network N2. Note that if the image forming apparatus 20 does not encrypt data for communication, communication itself is possible even without a password.

[0068] The information included in the above first communication information 1100 and second communication information 1300 is an example, and may include various information necessary for communication via network N1 and network N2, respectively. Also, in the above communication information 1000, the first IP address and the second IP address are different, but these may be the same IP address.

[0069] For example, if the mobile terminal 10 and the image forming device 20 are configured to be further connectable via a network N3, the communication information 1000 may include availability information indicating whether communication via the network N3 is available, and third communication information for communicating with the image forming device 20 via the network N3.

[0070] <Processing details> Next, the details of the processing of the printing system 1 will be described.

[0071] <<Printing process>> First, a description will be given of the flow of printing processing in the printing system 1 according to this embodiment. Fig. 7 shows an example sequence of printing processing according to this embodiment.

[0072] In step S601, the user selects desired print data from an application installed in the mobile terminal 10 and issues a print instruction via the UI display unit 14. As a result, a print job including the print data selected by the user is generated.

[0073] In step S602, upon receiving the print job execution notification, the UI display unit 14 of the mobile terminal 10 requests the information acquisition unit 12 to acquire communication information 1000. Then, the mobile terminal 10 enters a standby state until it detects the start of short-range wireless communication by the short-range wireless communication device 109. During this time, a screen may be displayed on the display device 102 to prompt the user to hold the mobile terminal 10 over the position of the NFC chip (information medium 30) of the image forming apparatus 20.

[0074] In step S603, when the user holds the mobile terminal 10 over the information medium 30, the information acquisition unit 12 detects the start of short-range wireless communication with the information medium 30 and acquires communication information 1000 from the information medium 30.

[0075] In step S604, the information acquisition unit 12 of the mobile terminal 10 acquires the communication information 1000 from the information medium 30 and stores the communication information 1000 in the information storage unit 16.

[0076] In step S605, the information storage unit 16 of the mobile terminal 10 transmits to the connection permission determination unit 13 a request to determine which of the multiple pieces of communication information included in the communication information 1000 is used to communicate with the image forming apparatus 20.

[0077] In step S606, the connection permission determination unit 13 of the mobile terminal 10 performs a connection permission determination process. In this embodiment, in the connection permission determination process, the connection permission determination unit 13 generates one of the following results. The connection permission determination process will be described in detail later. (1) The mobile terminal 10 cannot communicate with the image forming apparatus 20 via either the network N1 or the network N2 (the selection result is communication not possible). (2) The mobile terminal 10 communicates with the image forming apparatus 20 via the network N1 (the selection result is communicated via the first communication unit). (3) The mobile terminal 10 communicates with the image forming apparatus 20 via the network N2 (the selection result is communicated via the second communication unit).

[0078] In the subsequent processing, if the selection result by the connection determination unit 13 is the above (1), the UI display unit 14 performs the processing of step S608. If the selection result by the connection determination unit 13 is the above (2), the communication unit 15 performs the processing of step S610. If the selection result by the connection determination unit 13 is the above (3), the communication unit 15 performs the processing of step S613.

[0079] In step S607, the connection possibility determination unit 13 of the mobile terminal 10 sends a display request to the UI display unit 14 for a screen indicating that the mobile terminal 10 cannot communicate with the image forming apparatus 20 (the communication impossible screen of FIG. 10(b)).

[0080] In step S608, upon receiving the request to display the communication impossible screen, the UI display unit 14 of the mobile terminal 10 generates a notification impossible screen and displays it on the display device 102. This notifies the user that the mobile terminal 10 operated by the user cannot communicate with the desired image forming apparatus 20.

[0081] In step S609, the connection permission determination unit 13 of the mobile terminal 10 transmits to the first communication unit 151 a request to execute the print job.

[0082] In step S610, upon receiving the request to execute the print job, the first communication unit 151 of the mobile terminal 10 transmits the request to execute the print job to the image forming device 20. That is, the mobile terminal 10 transmits the print job to the image forming device 20 via the network N1 (for example, an in-house LAN connected via a wireless LAN).

[0083] In step S611, upon receiving the print job from the mobile terminal 10, the print function unit 21 of the image forming device 20 executes the print job and prints the data to be printed. This allows the user to print the desired data to be printed on the image forming device 20.

[0084] In step S612, the connection permission determination unit 13 of the mobile terminal 10 transmits to the second communication unit 152 a request to execute the print job.

[0085] In step S613, upon receiving the request to execute the print job, the second communication unit 152 of the mobile terminal 10 transmits the request to execute the print job to the image forming apparatus 20. That is, the mobile terminal 10 transmits the print job to the image forming apparatus 20 via the network N2 (for example, P2P using Wi-Fi Direct).

[0086] In step S614, upon receiving the print job from the mobile terminal 10, the print function unit 21 of the image forming device 20 executes the print job and prints the data to be printed. This allows the user to print the desired data to be printed on the image forming device 20.

[0087] As described above, in the printing system 1 according to this embodiment, the mobile terminal 10 acquires multiple pieces of communication information for communicating with the image forming apparatus 20 from the information medium 30. Then, the mobile terminal 10 can communicate with the image forming apparatus 20 and perform printing based on any one of the multiple pieces of communication information. That is, the mobile terminal 10 can perform printing by selecting any one of the multiple networks connected to the image forming apparatus 20 and transmitting a print job to the image forming apparatus 20 via the selected network.

[0088] <<Connection availability determination process>> 8 to 10, the connection feasibility determination process of step S608 in the printing process described above will be described. The connection feasibility determination process is a process for selecting whether to communicate with the image forming device 20 based on the first communication information 1100 or the second communication information 1300 included in the communication information 1000 acquired by the information acquisition unit 12. In other words, it is a process for selecting which of the multiple networks connected to the image forming device 20 to use for communication.

[0089] Fig. 8 is a flowchart of an example of a connection permission determination process according to this embodiment. Figs. 9 and 10 are diagrams showing example application screens displayed on the display device 102 of the mobile terminal 10. The processing flow of Fig. 8 will be described below with reference to Figs. 9 and 10.

[0090] First, the user selects data to be printed from a list of data to be printed displayed by the application on the display device 102. Then, as shown in FIG. 9(a), a printing condition screen 901 is displayed on the display device 102 of the mobile terminal 10. The printing condition screen 901 displays data to be printed 902, an icon 903 of the image forming device 20, the number of copies to be printed 904, color / black and white 905, and paper size 906. The number of copies to be printed 904, color / black and white 905, and paper size 906 display initial setting values ​​preset in the application, and also retain the setting values ​​last set by the user. Therefore, when the user uses the mobile terminal 10 to cause the image forming device 20 to print, the user can print with the setting values ​​(printing conditions) he or she desires while minimizing changes to the settings.

[0091] The usage advice 907 includes, for example, an icon 907a and a message 907b saying "Touch the MFP to start printing," and prompts the user to hold the mobile terminal 10 over the position of the near field communication device 301 (NFC chip) of the image forming apparatus 20. By holding the mobile terminal 10 over the position, the information acquisition unit 12 of the mobile terminal 10 acquires communication information 1000 from the information medium 30. The acquisition of the communication information 1000 starts the processing of FIG. 8.

[0092] In step S701 of FIG. 8 , the connection permission determination unit 13 of the mobile terminal 10 requests the first communication unit 151 to communicate with the image forming apparatus 20 via the network N1 based on the first communication information 1100 included in the communication information 1000. Then, the first communication unit 151 attempts to communicate with the image forming apparatus 20 using the first communication information 1100. Here, the mobile terminal 10 prioritizes the currently connected network and attempts to connect to the IP address indicated in the communication information 1100. Even if the user is an employee and the mobile terminal has information for connecting to the in-house LAN, if the mobile terminal is currently connected to another network (e.g., LTE, 3G, public wireless LAN, etc.), the acquired communication information 1100 does not contain information that can identify the network, such as an SSID, and therefore the mobile terminal 10 cannot determine which network to switch the connection to. Therefore, the mobile terminal 10 attempts to communicate via the other network without switching to the in-house LAN. First communication unit 151 attempts to communicate with a device (here, image forming device 20) indicated by a first IP address included in first communication information 1100 via the currently connected network. Therefore, mobile terminal 10 connected to 3G or LTE may attempt to communicate with a device indicated by the first IP address via a carrier's base station.

[0093] While the first communication unit 151 is attempting to communicate with the image forming apparatus 20, a connecting screen 911 shown in Fig. 9(b) is displayed on the display device 102 of the mobile terminal 10. The connecting screen 911 displays an icon 912, text 913, and the like to indicate that a connection is in progress. Also displayed is a cancel button 914 that allows the user to cancel the connection or the print job.

[0094] 8, in step S702, the connection possibility determination unit 13 of the mobile terminal 10 determines whether or not communication with the image forming device 20 via the network N1 was possible based on the communication result by the first communication unit 151. If communication with the image forming device 20 via the network N1 was possible, the process proceeds to step S703, whereas if communication was not possible, the process proceeds to step S704.

[0095] Here, the connection availability determination unit 13 determines whether or not communication with the image forming apparatus 20 has been established using the first communication information 1100 as follows: For ease of explanation, the following will be explained by dividing it into use cases.

[0096] Use Case 1 Whether the mobile terminal 10 is not connected to any network or is connected to some network, it attempts to connect to the image forming apparatus 20 and performs one of the following processes (1) to (3). (1) The first communication unit 151 attempts to acquire MIB (Management Information Base) information of the image forming device 20 via the currently connected network. If the MIB information is acquired, it is determined that communication with the image forming device 20 has been established. However, if the MIB information is not acquired, it is determined that communication with the image forming device 20 has not been established. The MIB information may be a standard MIB or an extended MIB. If the standard MIB can be acquired, it is determined that data communication with at least some device (including the image forming device 20) is possible. If the extended MIB can be acquired, it is determined that data communication with the image forming device 20 assumed by the application on the mobile terminal 10 (the application is created assuming a specific manufacturer or model of image forming device 20) is possible. Furthermore, even if the MIB information is acquired, it may be determined that communication has not been established if the device information included in the acquired MIB information differs from the device information of the image forming device 20 with which communication is to be established (for example, this information is included in the communication information 1000 acquired from the information medium 30). This allows the connection possibility determination unit 13 to reliably determine that communication has been established with the image forming device 20 having the information medium 30 from which the communication information 1000 has been read. Here, the device information is information that uniquely identifies the image forming device, such as the manufacturing specific number (serial number) or MAC (Media Access Control) address of the image forming device 20. (2) The first communication unit 151 attempts to acquire device information using a Web Application Programming Interface (WebAPI) provided by the image forming device 20 via the currently connected network. The WebAPI refers to the agreement (e.g., the method of requesting processing and the method of specifying data) between devices A and B when performing processing via a network. The WebAPI is stored in advance in the information storage unit 16 of the mobile terminal 10. If the device information is acquired, it is determined that communication with the image forming device 20 is successful. On the other hand, if the device information is not acquired, it is determined that communication with the image forming device 20 is not successful. In other words, if the WebAPI is not specific to the manufacturer of the image forming device 20, it is determined that data communication with at least some device (including the image forming device 20) is possible. If the WebAPI is specific to the manufacturer of the image forming device 20, it is determined that data communication with the image forming device 20 assumed by the application of the mobile terminal 10 is possible by acquiring the device information. Furthermore, even if the device information is acquired, it may be determined that communication is not successful if the acquired device information differs from the device information of the desired image forming device 20. This allows the connection availability determination unit 13 to reliably determine whether communication with the image forming apparatus 20 having the information medium 30 from which the communication information 1000 was read has been established. (3) The first communication unit 151 attempts to acquire the MAC address of the image forming device 20 using ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) via the currently connected network. If the MAC address is acquired, it is determined that communication with the image forming device 20 has been established. On the other hand, if the MAC address is not acquired, it is determined that communication with the image forming device 20 has not been established. If the MAC address is acquired, it is possible to determine with a high degree of certainty that a device (including the possibility that it is the image forming device 20) with the IP address stored in the information medium 30 exists and that data communication with the image forming device 20 having the information medium 30 has been established. Furthermore, even if the MAC address is acquired, it may be determined that communication has not been established if the acquired MAC address is different from the MAC address of the image forming device 20 (assumed to be acquired from the information medium 30). This allows the connection availability determination unit 13 to reliably determine that communication with the image forming device 20 in which the information medium 30 is located has been established.

[0097] If a communication error occurs when performing any of the processes (1) to (3), a retry may be performed. If it is determined that communication is not possible based on the determination of any of the processes (1) to (3), it may be determined that communication is not possible in one attempt.

[0098] By performing any one of the processes (1) to (3), it can be detected that the mobile terminal 10 is not connected to any network, or that the mobile terminal 10 is connected to another wireless LAN (such as a public wireless LAN) or is connected to LTE or 3G. This allows the mobile terminal 10 to determine that it cannot communicate with the image forming apparatus 20 using the first communication information 1100.

[0099] Furthermore, when the mobile terminal 10 is not connected to any network, the transmission terminal 10 may detect via an OS or the like that it is not connected to a wireless LAN, or that it is not connected to any other network, and may determine that it cannot communicate with the image forming apparatus 20 using the first communication information 1100. A similar determination can be made when it is detected that the mobile terminal 10 is connected to LTE or 3G.

[0100] Furthermore, if the mobile terminal 10 is not connected to any network, the mobile terminal 10 is not currently connected to the in-house LAN either, and therefore it can be determined that communication using the first communication information 1100 is not possible, and therefore it can be determined that communication with the image forming device 20 using the first communication information 1100 is not possible without performing (1) to (3).

[0101] Use Case 2 First, if the mobile terminal 10 of the employee 8 is connected to the company LAN, it is likely that communication with the image forming device 20 will be possible using the first communication information 1100.

[0102] On the other hand, as described above, even if the user is an employee, if the user is not connected to the company's internal LAN, the user cannot connect to the image forming device 20 using the first communication information 1100. Furthermore, if the user attempts to communicate via a network other than the company's internal LAN, such as LTE or 3G, the following situations may occur. (i) By chance, there is some kind of device (which may or may not be the image forming device 20) at the IP address indicated by the first communication information of the connected network. Therefore, although it is possible to connect to the device, it is meaningless to make a processing request because it is not connected to the image forming device 20 that is the connection target. (ii) There is no device at the IP address indicated by the first communication information 1100 in the network to which the device happened to be connected.

[0103] Therefore, the device performs one of the above processes (1) to (3) to confirm that it is not in the state of (i) or (ii) above and is definitely communicating with the image forming device 20. This makes it possible to determine whether the connected device is the image forming device 20 that can request processing (whether the device is connected to the image forming device 20 via the network N1).

[0104] In use case 2, even if the mobile terminal 10 is connected to the in-house LAN (network N1), there may be cases where packets sent by the mobile terminal 10 of employee 8 cannot reach the image forming device 20. Such a situation may occur when the power to a router on the route from the access point 7 nearest to the mobile terminal 10 to the image forming device 20 is turned off, or when the IP address of the image forming device 20 has been changed but has not been reflected in the information medium 30.

[0105] In these cases, the connection possibility determination unit 13 detects a timeout or communication error (for example, a 400 status code is returned in HTTP) when performing any of the processes (1) to (3), and determines that communication with the image forming device 20 is not possible using the first communication information 1100.

[0106] In step S703, if communication with the image forming device 20 is possible via the network N1, the connection feasibility determination unit 13 of the mobile terminal 10 determines that communication with the image forming device 20 will be performed via the network N1 based on the first communication information 1100 included in the communication information 1000.

[0107] In this case, as shown in Fig. 10(a), a transmission completion screen 921 is displayed on the display device 102 of the mobile terminal 10. The transmission completion screen 921 is a screen indicating that transmission of the print job from the mobile terminal 10 to the image forming apparatus 20 has been completed. The transmission completion screen 921 displays a message 922 saying "Transmission Completed" and an icon 923 indicating that transmission has been completed. After being displayed for a certain period of time, the transmission completion screen 921 is automatically erased and the printing conditions screen 901 of Fig. 9(a) is displayed. Note that the printing conditions screen 901 of Fig. 9(a) may also be displayed by the user pressing (touching) the icon 923, for example.

[0108] 8, in step S704, the connection availability determination unit 13 of the mobile terminal 10 determines whether or not the network N2 is available by referring to the availability information 1200 included in the communication information 1000. If the network N2 is available, the process proceeds to step S705, and if the network N2 is not available, the process proceeds to step S708.

[0109] As a result, even if network N2 allows connection between mobile terminal 10 and image forming device 20 via P2P such as Wi-Fi Direct, it can be determined whether a P2P connection is permitted. This is because, in addition to the above-mentioned billing reasons, P2P connections generally tend to have lower security than connections via an internal company LAN using a wireless LAN. In other words, if employee 8's mobile terminal 10 cannot connect to network N1, employee 8 will not attempt a P2P connection, even if it is temporary. In this way, the determination in step S704 can improve security.

[0110] In step S705, the connection permission determination unit 13 of the mobile terminal 10 requests the second communication unit 152 to communicate with the image forming device 20 via the network N2 based on the second communication information 1300 included in the communication information 1000. Then, the second communication unit 152 attempts to communicate with the image forming device 20 via the network N2 based on the second communication information 1300. That is, the second communication unit 152 attempts to communicate with the image forming device 20 indicated by the second IP address included in the second communication information 1300.

[0111] In step S706, the connection possibility determination unit 13 of the mobile terminal 10 determines whether communication with the image forming apparatus 20 via the network N2 was possible based on the communication result from the second communication unit 152. If communication with the image forming apparatus 20 via the network N2 was possible, the process proceeds to step S707, whereas if communication was not possible, the process proceeds to step S708. The connection screen in FIG. 9(b) continues to be displayed during the determination in step S706.

[0112] Here, the connection availability determination unit 13 determines whether communication with the image forming apparatus 20 was possible using the second communication information 1300 as follows: In the determination in step S706, the determination is made in the same way for both use cases 1 and 2.

[0113] That is, it is considered that the mobile terminal 10 of the visitor 9 and the mobile terminal 10 of the employee 8 can use the second communication information 1300 to send and receive packets to and from the image forming apparatus 20. Therefore, for example, it becomes possible to make a determination based on the criteria (1) to (3) of step S702.

[0114] Although rare, it may happen that the mobile terminal 10 is unable to send or receive packets to or from the image forming device 20 via the network N2 because power is not supplied to the communication I / F 204 of the image forming device 20 or the communication I / F 204 has a communication failure. In this case, the connection availability determination unit 13 determines that it is unable to communicate with the image forming device 20 based on the first communication information 1100 because it is unable to receive any response from the image forming device 20, or because it detects a timeout or a communication error.

[0115] In step S707, if communication with the image forming device 20 is possible via the network N2, the connection feasibility determination unit 13 of the mobile terminal 10 determines that communication with the image forming device 20 will be performed via the network N2 based on the second communication information 1300 included in the communication information 1000.

[0116] In this case, the display device 102 of the mobile terminal 10 displays the transmission completion screen 921 shown in FIG. 10(a). That is, the same screen is displayed regardless of whether the print job is sent via network N1 or network N2, so the user does not need to be aware of the difference between networks. The mobile terminal 10 may also display on the display device 102 whether the print job was sent via network N1 or network N2. This allows the user as employee 8 to confirm whether the highly secure in-house LAN was used. Furthermore, the user as visitor 9 can understand that his or her print job was sent via the P2P network.

[0117] Returning to FIG. 8, in step S708, if communication with the image forming device 20 is not possible on either network N1 or network N2, the connection feasibility determination unit 13 of the mobile terminal 10 determines that communication with the image forming device 20 is not possible.

[0118] In this case, as shown in Fig. 10(b), a communication impossible screen 931 is displayed on the display device 102 of the mobile terminal 10. On the communication impossible screen 931, a message 932 saying "Cannot connect to device" and an OK button 933 are displayed. When the user presses (touches) the OK button 933, the print conditions screen 901 of Fig. 9(a) is displayed on the display device 102.

[0119] As explained in the processing of Figure 8, the printing system 1 of this embodiment reduces the effort required for a user to set the first communication information 1100 and the second communication information 1300 for an image forming device 20 connected to multiple networks, and allows each user to automatically select the appropriate network.

[0120] <<About other forms of communication information>> In the above step S701, the connection possibility determination unit 13 attempted to communicate with the image forming device 20 using the first communication information 1100, and in step S705 attempted to communicate with the image forming device 20 using the second communication information 1300. That is, the order in which the first communication information 1100 and the second communication information 1300 were attempted to communicate was fixed by the order (e.g., address order) of the first communication information 1100 and the second communication information 1300 recorded in the communication information 1000 in FIG.

[0121] However, the order in which the connection permission determination unit 13 attempts communication is not limited to this. That is, the connection permission determination unit 13 may attempt communication using the second communication information 1300 in step S701, and then attempt communication using the first communication information 1100 in step S705.

[0122] Furthermore, which of the multiple networks is used to attempt communication with the image forming apparatus 20 may be determined according to a predetermined priority.

[0123] 11 is a diagram illustrating another example of communication information. In Fig. 11, of the multiple networks, first communication information 1100 for network N1 has priority 1, second communication information 1300 for network N2 has priority 3, and third communication information 1500 for network N3 has priority 2. When the priority of each network (each piece of communication information) is registered in communication information 1000 in this manner, connection availability determination unit 13 attempts to communicate with image forming apparatus 20 using first communication information 1100 (network N1), third communication information 1500 (network N3), and second communication information 1300 (network N2) in that order.

[0124] FIG. 12 is an example of a flowchart illustrating the connection availability determination process in step S608 in FIG. 7 when the communication information 1000 in FIG. 11 is used.

[0125] In step S801, the connection permission determination unit 13 of the mobile terminal 10 reads all of the priorities of the first communication information 1100 to the third communication information 1500 included in the communication information 1000, and assigns control priorities 1 to N in descending order of priority. This is to accommodate cases where the priorities of the first communication information 1100 to the third communication information included in the communication information 1000 do not start from 1 or are not consecutive. By the processing of step S801, consecutive control priorities 1 to N are assigned to the first communication information 1100 to the third communication information. Note that if the same priority is assigned to two or more pieces of the first communication information 1100 to the third communication information, the control priorities are assigned in the order in which they are stored (in address order).

[0126] In step S802, the connection permission determination unit 13 of the mobile terminal 10 sets the control variable n to "1." That is, the control variable n is initialized.

[0127] In step S803, the connection permission determination unit 13 of the mobile terminal 10 determines whether or not there is communication information with control priority n (here, any of the first communication information 1100 to the third communication information). If there is communication information with control priority n, the process proceeds to step S804, and if there is no communication information with control priority n, the process proceeds to step S809. In step S809, communication is attempted using the first communication information 1100 to the third communication information 1500, but communication is not possible, so it is determined that communication is not possible.

[0128] In step S804, the connection availability determination unit 13 of the mobile terminal 10 refers to the availability information 1200, 1400 of the control priority n, and determines whether the communication information of the control priority n (here, any of the first communication information 1100, the second communication information 1300, and the third communication information 1500) is available. Note that if there is no availability information, such as for the first communication information 1100, it is determined that the communication information is available. Alternatively, the communication information 1000 may be configured so that the first communication information 1100 to the third communication information 1500 include availability information. If the communication information of the control priority n is available, the process proceeds to step S805, and if the communication information of the control priority n is not available, the process proceeds to step S808.

[0129] In step S805, the connection permission determination unit 13 of the mobile terminal 10 attempts communication using communication information with control priority n.

[0130] In step S806, the connection possibility determination unit 13 of the mobile terminal 10 determines whether communication was possible using the communication information of the control priority n. The method for determining whether communication was possible differs depending on the situation that may arise in use cases 1 and 2, but the determination can be made based on whether connection to the access point 7 is possible, and if so, based on the determination methods (1) to (3) in steps S702 and S706 in Fig. 8. If communication was possible, the process proceeds to step S807, and if communication was not possible, the process proceeds to step S808.

[0131] In step S807, the connection availability determination unit 13 of the mobile terminal 10 determines that communication is to be performed using the communication unit 15 corresponding to the communication information with control priority n.

[0132] In step S808, the connection availability determination unit 13 of the mobile terminal 10 increases the control variable n by one. Thereafter, the processes after step S803 are repeated.

[0133] In step S809, since communication cannot be performed with the image forming apparatus 20 using the first communication information 1100 to the third communication information 1500 for which communication has been attempted, the connection availability determination unit 13 of the mobile terminal 10 determines that communication with the image forming apparatus 20 cannot be performed.

[0134] Thus, by registering the priority in the communication information 1000, it is possible to communicate with the user using the communication information to be preferentially used.

[0135] When performing control based on such a priority, it is preferable that the priority of the communication information for connecting to the in-company LAN is higher than all the communication information for connecting to the P2P network. Thereby, the employee 8 can be preferentially connected to the in-company LAN, and the visitor 9 can also be connected to the P2P network. However, even when the priority of the communication information for connecting to the P2P network is higher than the communication information for connecting to the in-company LAN, it is possible for both the employee 8 and the visitor 9 to communicate via the P2P network.

[0136] Also, such a priority may be determined according to, for example, the communication bandwidth of each network.

[0137] <<Priority Control of Connection Attempts Based on IP Address>> Furthermore, it may be possible to determine which of a plurality of networks to attempt communication with the image forming apparatus 20 via, based on the IP address of the mobile terminal 10 and the IP address of the image forming apparatus 20 included in the communication information 1000. For example, assume that the IP address of the mobile terminal 10 is "192.160.0.3," the first IP address of the image forming apparatus 20 in network N1 is "192.168.20.1," and the second IP address of the image forming apparatus 20 in network N2 is "192.160.0.4." In this case, it may be determined that communication is attempted via network N2, which has the same subnetwork address portion "192.160.0.0," before attempting communication via network N1 (in this case, it is preferable that network N2 is an employee network).

[0138] In this way, when communication with the image forming apparatus 20 is performed via the network N2, the communication is performed within the same subnetwork, and therefore an increase in network traffic can be prevented.

[0139] <Summary> As described above, in the printing system 1 according to this embodiment, the mobile terminal 10 acquires multiple pieces of communication information for communicating with the image forming apparatus 20 from the information medium 30. Then, the mobile terminal 10 can communicate with the image forming apparatus 20 and perform printing based on any of the multiple pieces of communication information. That is, the mobile terminal 10 can perform printing by selecting any one of the multiple networks connected to the image forming apparatus 20 and transmitting a print job to the image forming apparatus 20 via the selected network. Therefore, even if the user is unable to communicate with the image forming apparatus 20 via one of the multiple networks, the user does not need to set communication information for communicating with the image forming apparatus 20 via another network in the mobile terminal 10. This reduces the burden on the user and management of the printing system 1.

[0140] The information acquisition unit 12 is an example of an acquisition means, the connection availability determination unit 13 is an example of a selection means, and the communication unit 15 is an example of a communication means.

[0141] The invention is not limited to the specifically disclosed embodiments above, but various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the claims. [Example]

[0142] Although it has been explained in the first embodiment that the image forming apparatus 20 may be an apparatus such as an image projection apparatus (projector), in this embodiment, a case will be explained in which the image forming apparatus 20 is an image projection apparatus (projector).

[0143] In this specification, components with the same reference numerals perform similar functions, and therefore, the description of components that have already been described may be omitted or only differences may be described.

[0144] Fig. 13 is a functional block diagram of an example of a printing system 1 according to the present embodiment. In Fig. 13, the configuration of the mobile terminal 10 is the same as that in Fig. 5. In contrast, in Fig. 13, the mobile terminal 10 communicates with an image projection device 22 instead of an image forming device 20. An information medium 30 is disposed in the image projection device 22, and the image projection device 22 has an image projection unit 23. The information medium 30 is the same as that in the first embodiment.

[0145] The image projection device 22 modulates image data using a DLP (Digital Right Processing) system or a liquid crystal system, and projects the image onto a screen, a wall, etc. The image data is transmitted from the mobile terminal 10 via the network N1 or N2. The image projection unit 23 generates a projection image based on the image data and a DLP or liquid crystal projection engine.

[0146] Fig. 14 shows an example sequence of print processing according to this embodiment. The processing in Fig. 14 differs from Fig. 7 of the first embodiment in steps S609 to S614, so only steps S609 to S614 will be described.

[0147] In step S609, the connection permission determination unit 13 of the mobile terminal 10 transmits a request for image projection to the first communication unit 151.

[0148] In step S610, upon receiving the request for image projection, the first communication unit 151 of the mobile terminal 10 transmits this request for image projection to the image projection device 22. That is, the mobile terminal 10 transmits image data to the image projection device 22 via the network N1 (for example, an in-house LAN connected via a wireless LAN). This image data is generated, for example, from an image currently displayed on the display device 102 of the mobile terminal 10 or an image selected by the user.

[0149] In step S611, the image projection unit 23 of the image projection device 22 projects the image upon receiving the image projection request from the mobile terminal 10. This allows the user to use the image projection device 22 to project a desired image.

[0150] In step S612, the connection permission determination unit 13 of the mobile terminal 10 transmits a request for image projection to the second communication unit 152.

[0151] In step S613, upon receiving the request for image projection, the second communication unit 152 of the mobile terminal 10 transmits the request for image projection to the image projection device 22. That is, the mobile terminal 10 transmits image data to the image projection device 22 via the network N2 (for example, P2P by Wi-Fi Direct).

[0152] In step S614, upon receiving the request for image projection from the mobile terminal 10, the image projection unit 23 of the image projection device 22 projects the image. This allows the user to project a desired image with the image projection device 22.

[0153] When the mobile terminal 10 causes the image forming device 20 to print, the mobile terminal 10 only needs to send a print job to the image forming device 20 and wait until printing is completed. In contrast, when the mobile terminal 10 causes the image projection device 22 to project an image, the mobile terminal 10 needs to project the image multiple times.

[0154] For example, the mobile terminal 10 transmits image data when it updates a still image displayed on the display device 102 (including switching images, zooming in / out, and changing the display range) or when the user reselects the image to be projected. When the mobile terminal 10 is displaying a moving image on the display device 102, it periodically captures images, creates image data, and transmits it. The image data may be in any format supported by the image projection device 22, such as JPEG, TIFF, GIF, or PNG.

[0155] Alternatively, the mobile terminal 10 may transmit a file containing an image as is. For example, a PDF file, an MPEG file, etc. In this case, the image projection device 22 opens the file, converts it into an image, and then projects it.

[0156] As described above, the printing system of this embodiment has the effect of the first embodiment, and in addition, can communicate with the mobile terminal 10 over an appropriate network for wireless communication and transmit necessary data such as image data. [Explanation of symbols]

[0157] 1 Printing System 10 Mobile devices 12 Information acquisition department 13 Connection availability determination unit 14 UI display area 15 Communications Department 151 First Communications Department 152 Second Communications Department 16 Information storage section 20 Image forming device 21 Print function section 30 Information media [Prior art documents]

Charter Documents

[0158] [Patent Document 1] Patent Gazette No. 5121212

Claims

1. An information processing device that requests a predetermined process from a device that can communicate via a first network and a second network different from the first network, via one of the first and second networks, an acquisition unit that acquires first communication information for connecting to the device via the first network and second communication information for connecting to the device via the second network; a determination means for attempting to obtain information from the device via a network to which the information processing device is connected, using the first communication information obtained by the acquisition means, determining whether or not the information has been received, and, if the information has been received, determining whether or not the device is a specific device based on the information; when the determination means receives the information and determines that the information is the specific device, it requests the device to perform the predetermined process via the first network based on the first communication information; If it is determined that the information has not been received, a request is made to the device via the second network based on the second communication information to perform the predetermined process; and a request means for requesting the device to perform the specified processing via the second network based on the second communication information when it is determined that the information has been received and the device is not determined to be the specific device.

2. when the determination means does not request the device to perform the predetermined process via the first network, the determination means attempts to communicate with the device via the second network based on the second communication information, and determines whether communication with the device is possible; The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the determination means determines that communication with the device is possible, the request means requests the device to perform the specified processing via the second network based on the second communication information.

3. the determination means determines whether device information uniquely identifying the device included in the first communication information or the second communication information is included in the received information; An information processing device as described in any one of claims 1 or 2, which, when it is determined that the device information is included in the received information, selects to communicate with the device via a network corresponding to the communication information based on the communication information used to acquire the information.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined processing includes at least image processing.

5. 5. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the information includes at least one of MIB (Management Information Base) information possessed by the device, information acquired via a Web API (Web Application Programming Interface), or a MAC (Media Access Control) address.

6. An information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the acquisition means acquires first communication information for connecting to the device via the first network, the first communication information not including information already stored in the information processing device, and second communication information necessary for connecting to the device via the second network.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the acquisition unit acquires, from the device via short-range wireless communication, a plurality of pieces of communication information corresponding to a plurality of networks for communicating with the device.

8. an information processing device that requests a predetermined process via one of a first network and a second network different from the first network to a device that can communicate via the first network and a second network different from the first network; an acquisition unit that acquires first communication information for connecting to the device via the first network and second communication information for connecting to the device via the second network; a determination means for attempting to obtain information from the device via a network to which the information processing device is connected, using the first communication information obtained by the acquisition means, determining whether or not the information has been received, and, if the information has been received, determining whether or not the information is a specific device based on the information; when the determination means receives the information and determines that the information is the specific device, it requests the device to perform the predetermined process via the first network based on the first communication information; If it is determined that the information has not been received, a request is made to the device via the second network based on the second communication information to perform the predetermined process; a program that functions as a requesting means that requests the device to perform the predetermined processing via the second network based on the second communication information when it is determined that the information has been received and the device is not determined to be the specific device; and the device that executes the predetermined process requested by the information processing device.

9. an information processing device that requests a predetermined process via one of a first network and a second network different from the first network to a device that can communicate via the first network and a second network different from the first network; an acquisition unit that acquires first communication information for connecting to the device via the first network and second communication information for connecting to the device via the second network; a determination means for attempting to obtain information from the device via a network to which the information processing device is connected, using the first communication information obtained by the acquisition means, determining whether or not the information has been received, and, if the information has been received, determining whether or not the information is a specific device based on the information; when the determination means receives the information and determines that the information is the specific device, it requests the device to perform the predetermined process via the first network based on the first communication information; If it is determined that the information has not been received, a request is made to the device via the second network based on the second communication information to perform the predetermined process; a requesting means for requesting the device to perform the predetermined processing via the second network based on the second communication information when it is determined that the information has been received and the device is not determined to be the specific device; A program that functions as a

10. 1. An information processing method performed by an information processing device that requests a predetermined process via one of a first network and a second network different from the first network to a device that can communicate via the first network and a second network, the method comprising: an acquiring means acquiring first communication information for connecting to the device via the first network and second communication information for connecting to the device via the second network; a step of attempting to acquire information from the device via a network to which the information processing device is connected, using the first communication information acquired by the acquisition means, and a step of determining whether or not the information has been received by a determination means, and if the information has been received, determining whether or not the device is a specific device based on the information; when the determination means receives the information and determines that the information is the specific device, it requests the device to perform the predetermined process via the first network based on the first communication information; If it is determined that the information has not been received, a request is made to the device via the second network based on the second communication information to perform the predetermined process; a step of requesting the device to perform the predetermined process via the second network based on the second communication information when it is determined that the information has been received and the device is not determined to be the specific device; An information processing method comprising:

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