Program, control method, information processing device

Abstract

To provide a program that simplifies a process of connecting a communication device and an access point.SOLUTION: An information processing device obtains a two-dimensional code corresponding to a password for connecting to an access point, analyzes the two-dimensional code displayed on a display unit, and obtains the password for connecting to the access point. The information processing device then uses the obtained password to perform a process of connecting a communication device and the access point.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a program and a method capable of executing connection processing via wireless communication. [Background technology]

[0002] One method for connecting an information processing device such as a smartphone to a network-compatible communication device such as a printer using a communication method such as wireless LAN communication is to connect via an access point outside the communication device, such as a wireless LAN router. This connection method is called an infrastructure connection. By establishing an infrastructure connection, the information processing device and the communication device can, for example, perform two-way communication or connect to the Internet to use services on the Internet.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a method of using Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy (BLE) to obtain from a communication device a list of access points to which the communication device can connect. Patent Document 1 also describes a method of having a user select one access point from the list, and establishing an infrastructure connection with the communication device using the selected access point. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-188869 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Although the method described in Patent Document 1 can connect a communication device to an access point, it is desirable to make it possible to more easily perform the process of connecting a communication device to an access point.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a program and method that further simplifies the process of connecting a communication device to an access point. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, the program of the present invention causes a computer of an information processing device capable of communicating with a communication device to function as a first acquisition means for acquiring a two-dimensional code corresponding to a password for connecting to an access point, a second acquisition means for analyzing the two-dimensional code displayed on a display unit and acquiring the password for connecting to the access point, and a processing means for executing a process to connect the communication device to the access point using the password acquired by the second acquisition means. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, communication connections using access points can be made more convenient. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a system configuration including an information processing device and a communication device. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a user interface screen. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a user interface screen. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing a process in the information processing device. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing a process in the information processing device. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing a process in the information processing device. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a user interface screen. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing a process in the communication device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention claimed. Although multiple features are described in the embodiments, not all of these multiple features are necessarily essential to the invention, and multiple features may be combined arbitrarily. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar components, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0011] An information processing device and a communication device included in the communication system of this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, a smartphone is used as an example of the information processing device, but this is not limited thereto. Various devices, such as a mobile terminal, a notebook PC, a tablet terminal, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), and a digital camera, can be used. In this embodiment, a printer is used as an example of the communication device, but this is not limited thereto. Various devices capable of wireless communication with the information processing device can be used. For example, inkjet printers, full-color laser beam printers, monochrome printers, and the like can be used as printers. In addition to printers, copiers, facsimile machines, mobile terminals, smartphones, notebook PCs, tablet terminals, PDAs, digital cameras, music playback devices, televisions, and the like can be used. In addition, multifunction peripherals having multiple functions, such as a copying function, a fax function, and a printing function, can be used.

[0012] First, a system configuration including an information processing device of this embodiment and a communication device capable of communicating with the information processing device will be described with reference to the block diagram of Fig. 1. In addition, this embodiment will be described using the following configuration as an example, but this embodiment is not limited to the block configuration of Fig. 1 as long as the device is capable of communicating with the communication device.

[0013] The information processing device 101 includes an input interface 102, a CPU 103, a ROM 104, a RAM 105, an external storage device 106, an output interface 107, a display unit 108, a communication unit 111, a short-range wireless communication unit 112, and the like.

[0014] The input interface 102 is an interface for receiving data input and operational instructions from a user by operating the mouse 110 and keyboard 109. The CPU 103 is a system control unit, and controls the entire information processing device 101. The ROM 104 stores fixed data such as control programs and data tables executed by the CPU 103, and an embedded operating system (OS) program. In this embodiment, each control program stored in the ROM 104 controls software execution such as scheduling, task switching, and interrupt processing under the management of the embedded OS stored in the ROM 104.

[0015] The RAM 105 is configured with an SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) or the like that requires a backup power source. Note that the RAM 105 holds data using a primary battery (not shown) for data backup, so it is possible to store important data such as program control variables without volatilizing it. The RAM 105 also has a memory area for storing setting information for the information processing device 101, management data for the information processing device 101, and the like. The RAM 105 is also used as the main memory and work memory for the CPU 103.

[0016] The external storage device 106 stores an application that provides a print execution function, a print information generation program that generates print information that can be interpreted by the communication device 151, and the like. The external storage device 106 also stores various programs, such as an information transmission / reception control program that is transmitted and received between the external storage device 106 and the communication device 151 connected via the communication unit 111, and various information used by these programs.

[0017] The output interface 107 is an interface that controls the display unit 108 to display data and notify the status of the information processing device 101. The display unit 108 is composed of an LED (light emitting diode), an LCD (liquid crystal display), etc., and displays data and notifies the status of the information processing device 101. Note that by providing operation units such as numeric input keys, a mode setting key, a decision key, a cancel key, and a power key on the display unit 108, input from the user may be accepted via the display unit 108.

[0018] The communication unit 111 is configured to connect to devices such as the communication device 151 and the access point 131 to perform data communication. For example, the communication unit 111 can connect to an access point (not shown) in the communication device 151. When the communication unit 111 connects to the access point in the communication device 151, the information processing device 101 and the communication device 151 can communicate with each other. The communication unit 111 may communicate directly with the communication device 151 via wireless communication, or may communicate via an external device located outside the information processing device 101 or the communication device 151. The external device includes an external access point (such as the access point 131) located outside the information processing device 101 and the communication device 151, and a device other than an access point that can relay communication. Examples of wireless communication methods include the 802.11 series (i.e., Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) (registered trademark)) and Bluetooth (registered trademark). Examples of the access point 131 include a device such as a wireless LAN router. In this embodiment, a method in which the information processing device 101 and the communication device 151 are directly connected without going through an external access point is called a direct connection method, and a method in which the information processing device 101 and the communication device 151 are connected through an external access point is called an infrastructure connection method.

[0019] The short-range wireless communication unit 112 is configured to perform data communication by wirelessly connecting to a device such as the communication device 151 at a short distance, and performs communication using a communication method different from that of the communication unit 111. The short-range wireless communication unit 112 can be connected to, for example, a short-range wireless communication unit 157 in the communication device 151. Examples of communication methods include Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy (BLE) and WiFi Aware. In this embodiment, the communication unit 111 is configured to perform communication at a higher speed than the short-range wireless communication unit 112. For example, the short-range wireless communication unit 112 is used to transmit and receive communication information for communication by the communication unit 111 to and from a device such as the communication device 151.

[0020] The communication device 151 includes a ROM 152, a RAM 153, a CPU 154, a print engine 155, a communication unit 156, a short-range wireless communication unit 157, and the like.

[0021] The communication unit 156 has an access point for connecting to devices such as the information processing device 101 as an access point inside the communication device 151. The access point can be connected to the communication unit 111 of the information processing device 101. The communication unit 156 may communicate directly with the information processing device 101 by wireless communication, or may communicate via the access point 131. Examples of communication methods include Wi-Fi (registered trademark) and Bluetooth (registered trademark). The communication unit 156 may be provided with hardware that functions as an access point, or may operate as an access point using software that causes the communication unit 156 to function as an access point.

[0022] The short-range wireless communication unit 157 is configured to establish a short-range wireless connection with a device such as the information processing device 101, and can be connected to the short-range wireless communication unit 112 in the information processing device 101, for example. Examples of communication methods include BLE and WiFi Aware. In this embodiment, the communication unit 156 is configured to be able to perform communication at a higher speed than the short-range wireless communication unit 157. For example, the short-range wireless communication unit 157 is used to transmit and receive communication information for communication by the communication unit 156 to and from a device such as the information processing device 101.

[0023] The RAM 153 is composed of an SRAM or the like that requires a backup power source. Since the RAM 153 holds data using a primary battery (not shown) for data backup, it is possible to store important data such as program control variables without volatilizing it. The RAM 153 also has a memory area for storing setting information for the communication device 151, management data for the communication device 151, and the like. The RAM 153 is also used as the main memory and work memory of the CPU 154, and temporarily stores print information received from the information processing device 101 or the like as a receive buffer, and stores various types of information.

[0024] The ROM 152 stores fixed data such as control programs, data tables, and OS programs executed by the CPU 154. In this embodiment, each control program stored in the ROM 152 controls software execution such as scheduling, task switching, and interrupt processing under the management of an embedded OS stored in the ROM 152. The CPU 154 is a system control unit and controls the entire communication device 151.

[0025] Based on information stored in the print engine 155 and RAM 153 and a print job received from the information processing device 101 or the like, an image is formed on a recording medium such as paper by applying a recording agent such as ink to the recording medium, and the print result is output. At this time, the print job sent from the information processing device 101 or the like has a large amount of transmission data and requires high-speed communication, so it is received via a communication unit 156 that can communicate faster than the short-range wireless communication unit 157. Note that a memory such as an external HDD or SD card may be attached to the communication device 151 as an optional device, and the information stored in the communication device 151 may be stored in that memory.

[0026] Here, the division of processing between the information processing device 101 and the communication device 151 is shown as above as an example, but the division is not limited to this and other divisions may be used.

[0027] The communication device 151 has a connection mode set by a connection setting process described below, and communicates with the information processing device 101 in a connection form based on the set connection mode. When communication is performed by infrastructure connection, the communication device 151 is set to infrastructure connection mode as the connection mode by the connection setting process. When communication is performed by direct connection, the communication device 151 is set to direct connection mode as the connection mode by the connection setting process.

[0028] The following describes a process (connection setting process) in which the information processing device 101 registers an access point to be used for the infrastructure connection in the communication device 151 when the information processing device 101 and the communication device 151 establish an infrastructure connection. In this embodiment, the information processing device 101 is connected to the access point 131, and the access point 131 is registered in the communication device 151 as the access point to be used for the infrastructure connection. In this embodiment, the description is based on the assumption that the short-range wireless communication unit 112 and the short-range wireless communication unit 157 communicate using BLE. In this embodiment, the short-range wireless communication unit 157 functions as an advertiser (or slave) that broadcasts advertising information (described later), and the short-range wireless communication unit 112 functions as a scanner (or master) that receives the advertising information. In this embodiment, the description is based on the assumption that the communication unit 111 and the communication unit 156 communicate using wireless LAN (Wi-Fi). The connection setup process will be described assuming that it is started in a state where the information processing device 101 is connected to the access point 131 and the communication device 151 is not connected to the access point 131 .

[0029] In the present embodiment, authentication is performed between the information processing device 101 and the communication device 151, and pairing processing is performed to read and write data between the devices through GATT (Generic Attribute Profile) communication. GATT is a profile that governs reading and writing (transmission and reception) of information in the BLE standard. GATT communication is communication in which the information processing device 101 serves as a GATT client, the communication device 151 serves as a GATT server, and information is read and written from the information processing device 101 to the communication device 151 using a GATT-based profile. When pairing is not performed between the information processing device 101 and the communication device 151, the communication device 151 is configured not to permit reading and writing of information through GATT communication. This prevents communication between the information processing device 101 and the communication device 151 that are not paired, and prevents, for example, information held by the communication device 151 from being inadvertently acquired by the information processing device 101 that is not paired.

[0030] The pairing process will be described in detail. First, when a print application (print app) is launched and an initial screen (home screen) displayed by the print app is displayed on the display unit 108, the information processing device 101 starts searching for advertising information having specific device information. Note that the specific device information is, for example, a UUID or a MAC address of a device (such as a printer) corresponding to the print app. Then, when the information processing device 101 receives the advertising information having the specific device information, it transmits a BLE connection request (CONNECT_REQ) to the device (here, the communication device 151) that transmitted the advertising information, and establishes a BLE connection between the devices. Then, if pairing with the communication device 151 has not been completed, the information processing device 101 displays a screen on the display unit 108 to prompt the user to perform pairing. Then, when the user instructs the information processing device 101 to perform pairing, it transmits a pairing request to the communication device 151 by communication using the security manager protocol. Note that communication between the devices is performed using the security manager protocol until pairing is completed.

[0031] When the communication device 151 receives a pairing request, it displays a PIN code display screen 200 as shown in FIG. 2(a) on a display unit (not shown) of the communication device 151. A PIN code 201 and a Cancel button 202 for canceling the pairing process are displayed on the PIN code display screen 200. When the information processing device 101 transmits the pairing request, it displays a PIN code input screen 210 as shown in FIG. 2(b) on the display unit 108. A PIN code input area 211, an OK button 213, and a Cancel button 212 are displayed on the PIN code input screen 210. The PIN code input area 211 is an area for accepting input of the PIN code 201 by the user. The OK button 213 is a button for transmitting the input PIN code 201 to the communication device 151. The Cancel button 212 is a button for canceling the pairing process. When the OK button 213 is pressed with the PIN code 201 entered in the PIN code entry area 211 , the information processing device 101 transmits information including the entered PIN code 201 to the communication device 151 .

[0032] The communication device 151 determines whether the PIN code 201 included in the received information matches the PIN code 201 displayed on the PIN code display screen 200, and if it determines that they match, permits pairing with the information processing device 101. Specifically, the communication device 151 transmits a link key created by a predetermined method based on the PIN code 201 to the information processing device 101 using the Security Manager Protocol (SMP) of the BLE standard. In this way, the link key is stored in a storage area (such as the ROM 104) of the information processing device 101 and a storage area (such as the ROM 152) of the communication device 151, respectively. This completes pairing, and thereafter, BLE communication is permitted between the devices. Note that, when pairing is complete, the information processing device 101 hides the PIN code display screen 200 and displays the original screen again.

[0033] After pairing is complete, when the information processing device 101 transmits a GATT communication request to the communication device 151, it notifies the communication device 151 of the link key stored in the storage area during the pairing process. When the communication device 151 receives a GATT communication request, it compares the notified link key with the link key stored in the storage area during the pairing process to confirm whether the device transmitting the GATT communication request is a paired device. If the communication device 151 confirms that the device is a paired device, it starts reading and writing information through GATT communication with the information processing device 101. As a result, once the information processing device 101 has completed the pairing process with the communication device 151, it can thereafter perform GATT communication with the communication device 151 without the user having to input a PIN code.

[0034] In the above description, the PIN code 201 displayed on the PIN code display screen 200 is input into the PIN code input area 211 by the user. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the PIN code 201 may be fixed information (which the user cannot change arbitrarily) and stored in the information processing device 101 when the print app is installed. This allows the PIN code 201 to be notified to the communication device 151 without user input. Alternatively, the PIN code or fixed information may be acquired from the communication device 151 via GATT communication for a certain period of time after the detection of the pressing of a physical key, without the user having to input the PIN code or fixed information, and may be stored in the information processing device 101. The timing at which the pairing process is started is also not limited to the above. For example, the timing may be when the user issues a print instruction via the print app, or before a BLE connection is established in the connection setting process described below.

[0035] Here, a process (connection setting process) for registering an access point to which the communication device 151 is to connect will be described. The information processing device 101 performs the connection setting process when a predetermined application stored in the ROM 104, the external storage device 106, or the like is running. Here, the predetermined application is a print application. The print application, for example, sets an access point to which the communication device 151 is to connect, and causes the communication device 151 to print image data (photo data, etc.) and document data stored in the information processing device 101. Note that the print application may have other functions in addition to the function of setting an access point to which the communication device 151 is to connect and the print function. For example, if the communication device 151 has a scan function, the print application may have a function of scanning a document set in the communication device 151, a function of making other settings for the communication device 151, a function of checking the status of the communication device 151, and the like.

[0036] 3 is a diagram showing an example of a user interface screen displayed on the display unit 108 when the print application is launched. Via a launch screen 300, the user can use functions of the communication device 151, such as printing a desired image and configuring the communication device 151. When the information processing device 101 detects that a print button 301 has been pressed, it causes the communication device 151 to execute printing. Furthermore, when the information processing device 101 detects that a scan button 302 has been pressed, it causes the communication device 151 to execute scanning. Furthermore, when the information processing device 101 detects that a printer setup button 303 has been pressed, it starts a connection setup process for the communication device 151. In this embodiment, in order to execute the connection setup process for the communication device 151, the communication device 151 is first transitioned to a connection setup mode.

[0037] The connection setting mode is a mode that is set in the communication device 151 when a connection mode is set for the communication device 151, and is set in the communication device 151 when, for example, a predetermined input is made by the user to an input interface (not shown) that the communication device 151 has. When the communication device 151 is in the connection setting mode, the communication device 151 starts transmitting advertising information via the short-range wireless communication unit 157. Note that the timing at which the communication device 151 starts transmitting advertising information is not limited to the above-described form, and may be, for example, the timing at which the communication device 151 is powered on or the timing at which a predetermined operation is performed to enable the BLE function. In this case, in order to perform a connection setting process for the communication device 151, it is not necessary for the information processing device 101 to set the connection setting mode for the communication device 151.

[0038] Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing a connection setting process executed by the information processing device 101. The flowchart shown in Fig. 4 is realized, for example, by the CPU 103 reading a program stored in the ROM 104, the external storage device 106, or the like into the RAM 105 and executing it. The process shown in the flowchart in Fig. 4 is started when the printer setup button 303 is pressed after pairing between the information processing device 101 and the communication device 151 has been completed. At this time, the communication device 151 is assumed to have transitioned to a connection setting mode.

[0039] First, in S401, the CPU 103 detects that a user has instructed the execution of connection setting processing, and enters a scanning state in which advertising information can be received. Next, in S402, the CPU 103 determines whether the short-range wireless communication unit 112 has received advertising information transmitted from the short-range wireless communication unit 157 of the communication device 151. Specifically, the CPU 103 determines whether the short-range wireless communication unit 112 has received the advertising information and whether the received advertising information includes identification information indicating the communication device 151. In this embodiment, the information processing device 101 communicates with the communication device 151 of a model or vendor that is compatible with the print application. Therefore, the CPU 103 determines that the received advertising information includes identification information indicating the communication device 151 when the information indicating that a print service can be provided or information about a model or vendor that is compatible with the print application is included in the advertising information.

[0040] If CPU 103 determines that short-range wireless communication unit 112 has received the advertising information, it performs the process of S403. On the other hand, if CPU 103 determines that short-range wireless communication unit 112 has not received the advertising information, it performs the process of S435, and determines whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the connection setup process (whether or not a timeout has occurred). If CPU 103 determines that a timeout has not occurred, it performs the process of S402 again. On the other hand, if CPU 103 determines that a timeout has occurred, it ends the process of FIG. 4. At this time, CPU 103 may display a screen on display unit 108 to notify the user that a timeout has occurred.

[0041] In S403, the CPU 103 establishes a BLE connection based on the received advertising information, and requests a list of external access points discovered by the communication unit 156 through a search from the communication device 151, by GATT communication via the short-range wireless communication unit 112. The list requested at this time is a list of information for identifying external access points to which the communication unit 156 can connect, and the information for identifying the external access points is, for example, an SSID.

[0042] The process of S403 will now be described with reference to FIG.

[0043] Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing of S403. The flowchart shown in Fig. 5 is implemented, for example, by the CPU 103 reading a program stored in the ROM 104, the external storage device 106, etc. into the RAM 105 and executing it.

[0044] In S501, based on the received advertising information, the CPU 103 transmits a request to start GATT communication to the communication device 151. When the request to start GATT communication is accepted by the communication device 151, GATT communication is started between the communication device 151 and the information processing device 101.

[0045] In S502, the CPU 103 transmits an instruction to update the list of external access points found by the communication unit 156 through a search to the communication device 151 by GATT communication via the short-range wireless communication unit 112. Next, in S503, the CPU 103 releases (disconnects) the BLE connection between the communication device 151 and the information processing device 101, and terminates the GATT communication. When the BLE connection between the communication device 151 and the information processing device 101 is released, the short-range wireless communication unit 112 enters a scanning state in which advertising information can be received.

[0046] In the communication device 151, when the communication unit 156 has successfully (completed) updating the list of external access points discovered by a search, advertising information (signal) indicating that fact is transmitted from the short-range wireless communication unit 157. Therefore, in S504, the CPU 103 determines whether or not the short-range wireless communication unit 112 has received advertising information (signal) indicating that the communication unit 156 has successfully (completed) updating the list of external access points discovered by a search. Specifically, the CPU 103 determines whether or not the short-range wireless communication unit 112 has received advertising information, and whether or not the received advertising information includes identification information indicating the communication device 151 and information indicating that the list has been successfully updated. When the CPU 103 determines that the short-range wireless communication unit 112 has received advertising information indicating that the communication unit 156 has successfully updated the list of external access points discovered by a search, the CPU 103 performs the process of S506, and then ends the process of FIG. 5.

[0047] On the other hand, if the CPU 103 determines that the short-range wireless communication unit 112 has not received advertising information indicating that the list of external access points found by the communication unit 156 has been successfully updated, the CPU 103 performs the process of S505. In S505, the CPU 103 determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the instruction to update the list of access points was transmitted (whether a timeout has occurred). If the CPU 103 determines that a timeout has not occurred, the CPU 103 performs the process of S504 again. On the other hand, if the CPU 103 determines that a timeout has occurred, the CPU 103 performs the process of S507 and then ends the process of FIG. 5. At this time, the CPU 103 may display a screen on the display unit 108 to notify the user that a timeout has occurred.

[0048] In S506, CPU 103 stores determination information indicating that the list of external access points found by communication unit 156 through a search has been successfully updated in RAM 105. In addition, in S507, CPU 103 stores determination information indicating that the list of external access points connectable to communication unit 156 has failed to be updated in RAM 105. These pieces of determination information are used in the determination process in S404.

[0049] After S506 and S507, the process returns to the processing of the flowchart shown in Fig. 4. In S404, the CPU 103 determines whether the request for a list of external access points found by the communication unit 156 through a search has been successful. At this time, the CPU 103 reads out the determination information stored in the RAM 105 in S403 and makes the determination. If the CPU 103 determines that the update has been successful, it performs processing of S405. At this time, the BLE connection between the communication device 151 and the information processing device 101 has been released (disconnected), so the CPU 103 re-establishes the BLE connection in S405. On the other hand, if the CPU 103 determines that the update has failed, it ends the processing of Fig. 4.

[0050] In S405, the CPU 103 establishes a BLE connection based on the received advertising information and transmits a request to start GATT communication to the communication device 151. When the request to start GATT communication is accepted by the communication device 151, GATT communication is started between the communication device 151 and the information processing device 101. Here, in GATT communication under the BLE standard, one device acts as a master and the other device acts as a slave, enabling bidirectional communication between the devices, but in this embodiment, the communication device 151 acts as the slave side and the information processing device 101 acts as the master side.

[0051] In S406, the CPU 103 discovers candidate communication devices to be subjected to the connection setup process and displays a list of discovered devices on the display unit 108. Specifically, in S405, the CPU 103 first adds to the list communication devices with which a BLE connection has been established. Furthermore, the CPU 103 adds to the list communication devices in a connection setup mode using a known discovery process. For example, there may be communication devices capable of performing a connection setup process via Wi-Fi rather than via BLE. When such a communication device is in the connection setup mode, for example, an internal access point that is valid only in the connection setup mode is enabled. Therefore, the CPU 103 can discover communication devices in the connection setup mode by detecting beacons transmitted by the internal access points in accordance with the Wi-Fi standard. Furthermore, the internal access points have, for example, fixed SSIDs that cannot be changed by the user. Therefore, the CPU 103 identifies beacons with fixed SSIDs from the detected beacons and adds communication devices equipped with the internal access points transmitting the identified beacons to the list. That is, in this embodiment, the communication devices to be subjected to the connection setting process are displayed in a list of communication devices to which the information processing device 101 is connected via BLE and communication devices that are in connection setting mode and have enabled specific internal access points.

[0052] Note that the communication devices added to the list are not limited to these modes. For example, a communication device that is in connection setup mode and transmitting specific advertising information may be added to the list. Furthermore, if the communication device to which the information processing device 101 is connected via BLE and the communication device that is in connection setup mode and has enabled a specific internal access point are the same, only one of them may be displayed in the list. Furthermore, the timing at which the process of S406 is executed is not limited to this mode. For example, the process of S406 may be executed immediately after S402. In this case, the communication device transmitting the advertising information received in S402 is added to the list. Furthermore, for example, if only one communication device is added to the list after performing communication device discovery for a certain period of time, the CPU 103 may proceed to S407 without displaying the list and identify the one communication device as the target device. Furthermore, for example, if no communication device is added to the list after performing communication device discovery for a certain period of time, the CPU 103 may display an error screen on the display unit 108 and terminate the connection setup process. Furthermore, information corresponding to the communication devices added to the list is included in the list displayed on display unit 108. For example, the information corresponding to the communication devices may be the MAC address or IP address of the communication devices, or the SSID of the internal access point provided in the communication devices.

[0053] In S407, CPU 103 accepts the user's selection and identifies a communication device (target device) that will be the target of the connection setup process from among the communication devices added to the list. Note that, for example, if only one communication device is added to the list as a result of performing communication device discovery for a certain period of time, CPU 103 may automatically identify that one communication device without accepting the user's selection. When CPU 103 identifies the target device, it executes the subsequent connection setup process on the identified target device. As a result, for example, if there are multiple candidate devices that can be the target of the connection setup process in the vicinity of information processing device 101, the user can be prompted to select the device that will be the target of the connection setup process.

[0054] As described above, the timing for displaying the list of candidate communication devices to be the target of the connection setup process and the timing for discovering candidate communication devices to be the target of the connection setup process are not limited to the above-described embodiment. Other examples will be described below.

[0055] For example, before starting GATT communication with a communication device, the CPU 103 may display a list of candidate communication devices that are targets of the connection setup process or may discover candidate communication devices that are targets of the connection setup process. In this case, the list displays communication devices that are in connection setup mode and that are source communication devices of advertising information received by the information processing device 101, which are searched for by a known discovery process. When a communication device is selected from the list, the CPU 103 starts GATT communication with the selected communication device and then executes the processing from step S408 onward. Note that at this time, the CPU 103 does not need to display all communication devices that are source communication devices of advertising information received by the information processing device 101.

[0056] For example, the advertising information may contain information about services that the communication device that sent the advertising information can provide, or information about the model and vendor of the communication device. In this case, for example, if the received advertising information contains information indicating that a print service can be provided, CPU 103 displays the communication device that sent the advertising information in a list, but if the information is not contained, CPU 103 does not display the communication device in the list. Also, for example, if the received advertising information contains information about the model and vendor that are compatible with the print app, CPU 103 displays the communication device that sent the advertising information in a list, but if the information is not contained, CPU 103 does not display the communication device in the list.

[0057] Furthermore, for example, advertising information may contain information regarding the status of the communication device that transmitted the advertising information. In this case, if the received advertising information does not contain information indicating that the communication device is busy or in an error state, CPU 103 displays the communication device that transmitted the advertising information in a list. On the other hand, if the information is contained, CPU 103 does not display the communication device that transmitted the advertising information in a list. This is because the communication device cannot execute a connection setup process when the communication device is busy or in an error state. Note that a busy state refers to, for example, a state in which the communication device is executing a printing or scanning process, or a state in which an operation is being performed on an operation unit provided in the communication device.

[0058] Also, for example, if the communication device that sent the received advertising information is a paired communication device, CPU 103 displays the communication device that sent the advertising information in the list, and if it is not a paired communication device, it does not display it in the list.

[0059] Furthermore, for example, a communication device in a connection setup mode searched for by a known discovery process may transmit advertising information via BLE. Therefore, if a communication device in a connection setup mode is added to the list and then a communication device that has transmitted advertising information is added to the list, the same communication device may be displayed multiple times in the list. Therefore, CPU 103 may perform control so that the same communication device is not displayed multiple times in the list. For example, the advertising information may contain identification information of the communication device that transmitted the advertising information. Furthermore, when CPU 103 discovers a communication device by a known discovery process, it is possible to acquire the identification information of the discovered communication device. Therefore, when the identification information of the communication device that has transmitted the advertising information matches the identification information of a communication device discovered by a known discovery process, CPU 103 performs control so that the same communication device is not displayed multiple times in the list.

[0060] Furthermore, when a communication device that has enabled a specific internal access point is selected from the communication devices displayed in the list, the CPU 103 may execute connection setup processing via WiFi instead of connection setup processing via BLE. In this case, the CPU 103 transmits connection information for connecting to the specific internal access point to the selected communication device. The connection information includes, for example, the SSID of the specific internal access point and a password for connecting to the specific internal access point. The CPU 103 may obtain the password for connecting to the specific internal access point by receiving input from a user, or may obtain it from a print application without receiving input from a user. When the connection information is transmitted, the information processing device 101 and the selected communication device are connected via the specific internal access point using the WiFi communication method. The CPU 103 then transmits connection setting information for registering the access point 131 as a connection destination for the selected communication device to the selected communication device via WiFi communication. This sets the selected communication device to infrastructure connection mode. In this way, the CPU 103 may switch between performing the connection setup process via BLE and performing the connection setup process via WiFi, depending on which communication device is selected by the user via the list. That is, when a communication device that is the sender of advertising information received by the information processing device 101 or a communication device to which the information processing device 101 is connected via BLE is selected, the CPU 103 performs the connection setup process via BLE (via GATT communication). Then, when a communication device that has enabled a specific internal access point is selected, the CPU 103 performs the connection setup process via WiFi.

[0061] In S408, the CPU 103 transmits a connection setup start instruction to the communication device 151 through the GATT communication started in S405. In S409, the CPU 103 acquires network information from the communication device 151 that is the target of the connection setup process through the GATT communication established in S405. Here, the network information includes identification information (such as the MAC address of the communication device 151) for detecting the communication device 151 via the access point 131. Note that, although the network information acquired in S409 is configured to include the identification information, the advertising information acquired in S402 may also be configured to include the identification information. Furthermore, the identification information may also be included in response data or the like transmitted by the communication device 151 in response to the GATT communication start request transmitted in S405.

[0062] Next, in S410, the CPU 103 acquires the SSID (Service Set Identifier) ​​of the access point 131 to which the communication unit 111 is connected from the OS installed in the information processing device 101. Note that the information on the access point 131 to which the communication unit 111 is connected is acquired by the OS from the access point 131 before the GATT communication is started. The information on the access point 131 to which the communication unit 111 is connected may be acquired, for example, from a beacon of the Wi-Fi standard emitted by the access point 131. Alternatively, the information may be acquired by inquiring of the access point 131 after the beacon is acquired and a Wi-Fi connection is established. Note that the information on the access point 131 to which the communication unit 111 is connected is not limited to being acquired from the OS, and may be acquired, for example, by the CPU 103 inquiring of the access point 131 in S410.

[0063] In S411, the CPU 103 acquires from the communication device 151, via the GATT communication established in S405, a list (list information) of access points discovered by the communication unit 156 through a search. In S412, the CPU 103 determines whether or not the access point to which the communication unit 111 is connected, acquired in S410, is included in the list of access points discovered by the communication unit 156 through a search, acquired in S411. If the CPU 103 determines that an access point to which the communication unit 111 is connected is included, then in S413 the CPU 103 transmits information about the access point to which the communication unit 111 is connected to the communication device 151. On the other hand, if the CPU 103 determines that no access point to which the communication unit 111 is connected is included, the CPU 103 performs the process of S423.

[0064] In S413, the CPU 103 displays the SSID acquired from the OS in S410. In S414, input of a password for using the access point corresponding to the SSID (here, the access point 131) is accepted.

[0065] The process of S414 will now be described with reference to FIG.

[0066] The flowchart shown in FIG. 6 is implemented by the CPU 103, for example, by a program stored in the ROM 104 or the external storage device 106, such as a print application program.

[0067] In S601, CPU 103 determines whether or not access point 131, to which information processing device 101 is connected, requires password authentication. If it is determined that access point 131 does not require password authentication, CPU 103 ends the processing of FIG. 6 without receiving a password input from the user to use access point 131 or performing processing for obtaining a password using a two-dimensional code, and executes processing of S415. On the other hand, if it is determined that access point 131 requires password authentication, CPU 103 executes processing of S602. In S602, CPU 103 determines whether or not information processing device 101 supports a function for generating a two-dimensional code including connection setting information of access point 131 (hereinafter, referred to as a two-dimensional code generation function). Specifically, CPU 103 checks the version of the OS of information processing device 101 and determines whether or not the confirmed version supports the two-dimensional code generation function. More specifically, for example, if the version of the Android OS of the information processing device 101 is version 10 or later, the CPU 103 determines that the information processing device 101 supports the two-dimensional code generation function. If the version of the Android OS of the information processing device 101 is earlier than version 10, the CPU 103 determines that the information processing device 101 does not support the two-dimensional code generation function. Note that the determination method is not limited to this. For example, this determination may be performed by determining whether an application program having a two-dimensional code generation function is installed in the information processing device 101. If the information processing device 101 determines that the two-dimensional code generation function is not supported, the CPU 103 executes the process of S603 without executing the process for obtaining a password using a two-dimensional code. That is, the process of S603 is executed when the information processing device does not satisfy the predetermined conditions defined in S601 and S602. In S603, the CPU 103 displays a password entry screen on the display unit 108 and accepts a password entry for using the access point 131 from the user. At this time, for example, a screen 700 shown in FIG. 7 is displayed as the password entry screen. The CPU 103 acquires password information entered by the user into the input unit 701.6 ends, and the process of S415 is executed. The connection setting information stores the SSID of the access point 131 acquired in S410, the password acquired in S414, and a command for setting the connection mode of the communication device 151.

[0068] If it is determined that the information processing device 101 supports the two-dimensional code generation function, the CPU 103 executes the process for obtaining a password using a two-dimensional code as shown in S604 to S608.

[0069] In S604, the CPU 103 starts monitoring the display unit 108 of the information processing device 101. Monitoring the display unit 108 involves, for example, capturing the screen. Note that since monitoring of the display unit 108 is performed by a print application, the print application acquires the captured image as appropriate. Next, in S605, the CPU 103 displays a notification screen requesting the user to display a two-dimensional code including a password (corresponding to the password) for connecting to the access point 131 to which the information processing device 101 is currently connected. The user operates the information processing device 101 in response to the request. The user operation at this time is, for example, an operation to execute a two-dimensional code generation function. More specifically, the execution operation is an operation to launch an OS-standard setting application program (hereinafter referred to as a setting application) having a two-dimensional code generation function, and an operation to display the two-dimensional code on a screen displayed by the setting application. In response to a user operation, the CPU 103 causes the setting app to generate and display on the display unit 108 a two-dimensional code including a password for connecting to the access point 131 to which the information processing device 101 is currently connected, the two-dimensional code being stored in a storage area of ​​the information processing device 101. At this time, the print app monitors the display unit 108, so the print app can acquire the two-dimensional code generated and displayed by the setting app. Note that the two-dimensional code may include information other than the password. For example, the two-dimensional code may include information such as the SSID and encryption method of the access point. Furthermore, the setting app may be capable of generating not only two-dimensional codes including a password for connecting to the access point 131 to which the information processing device 101 is currently connected, but also two-dimensional codes including a password for connecting to an access point to which the information processing device 101 has previously connected but is not currently connected. Therefore, when a two-dimensional code including a password for connecting to an access point to which the information processing device 101 has previously connected but is not currently connected is displayed, the print app may acquire the two-dimensional code.The storage area in which the password for connecting to the access point 131 to which the information processing device 101 is currently connected is stored may be provided in the RAM 153, or in memory such as an external HDD or SD card.

[0070] In S606, CPU 103 determines whether a two-dimensional code has been detected while monitoring display unit 108 of information processing device 101. If it is determined that a two-dimensional code has not been detected, CPU 103 executes the process of S607. The process of S607 is the same as the process of S603, and after S607, the process of FIG. 6 ends and the process of S415 is executed. If it is determined that a two-dimensional code has been detected, CPU 103 executes the process of S608.

[0071] In S608, the CPU 103 analyzes the detected two-dimensional code and acquires a password for connecting to the access point 131 to which the information processing device 101 is currently connected. If a two-dimensional code including a password for connecting to an access point to which the information processing device 101 is not currently connected but has previously connected is acquired in S606, the password for connecting to the access point is acquired. After S608, the CPU 103 ends monitoring the display unit 108 of the information processing device 101. If a password is not acquired in S608 because, for example, the two-dimensional code acquired in S606 does not include a password or is an incomplete two-dimensional code, the CPU 103 may continue monitoring the display unit 108 of the information processing device 101. After the end of monitoring, the process of FIG. 6 ends, and the process of S409 is executed. The analysis of the detected two-dimensional code may involve, for example, analyzing pixel values ​​of a captured screen image. That is, in this embodiment, an image of the two-dimensional code displayed on the screen of the display unit 108 is captured, and the connection setting information of the access point 131 included in the two-dimensional code is obtained from the pixel values ​​of the captured image. With such a configuration, the user does not need to input a password, thereby improving convenience.

[0072] Although the above describes a case where the setting app is started by a user operation and a two-dimensional code is displayed, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the setting app may be started automatically and a two-dimensional code may be displayed without user operation in response to an instruction from a print app to start the setting app or an instruction to display the two-dimensional code.

[0073] Next, in S415, the CPU 103 transmits connection setting information to the communication device 151 via GATT communication for registering the access point 131 as a connection destination for the communication device 151. Here, the connection setting information stores the SSID of the access point 131 acquired in S410, the password acquired in S414, a command for setting the connection mode of the communication device 151, and the like. Note that in this embodiment, the command for setting the connection mode of the communication device 151 is a command for setting the communication device 151 to infrastructure connection mode. Upon receiving the connection setting information, the communication device 151 connects to the access point 131. In this manner, by connecting the information processing device 101 and the communication device 151 to the same access point, the information processing device 101 and the communication device 151 establish an infrastructure connection, enabling high-speed communication via wireless LAN. Therefore, thereafter, for example, when the information processing device 101 receives an instruction from a user to transmit a print job, wireless LAN communication is performed between the information processing device 101 and the communication device 151.

[0074] After transmitting the connection setting information in S415, CPU 103 determines in S416 whether the connection setting of communication device 151 has been successful or not based on the transmitted connection setting information. Specifically, at this time, CPU 103 waits to receive a notification regarding the success or failure of the connection setting from communication device 151. Then, when CPU 103 receives the notification, it analyzes the content of the notification and determines whether the connection setting of communication device 151 has been successful or not.

[0075] If the connection setup of communication device 151 has failed, in S421 CPU 103 displays on display unit 108 a screen for prompting the user to decide whether or not to retry the connection setup of communication device 151. Then, in S422 CPU 103 determines whether or not to retry the connection setup of communication device 151 based on the user's input on the screen. If CPU 103 decides to retry the connection setup of communication device 151, it performs the processes from S413 onwards again, and if it decides not to retry the connection setup of communication device 151, it ends the processing of FIG. 4.

[0076] Furthermore, if the connection setting for the communication device 151 is successful, the CPU 103 displays, on the display unit 108, a screen (registration screen) for registering one of the communication devices as a communication destination of the information processing device 101 in S417. The registration screen displays a list of communication devices operating as access points and communication devices connected to the access point to which the information processing device 101 is connected, which are detected by executing a known discovery process. By selecting one of the communication devices from the list (list of registrable communication devices) displayed on the registration screen, the selected communication device is registered as a communication destination of the information processing device 101. Here, in this embodiment, the communication device for which the connection setting is to be performed is registered as a communication destination of the information processing device 101 without user input. To this end, first, in S418, the CPU 103 identifies the communication device for which the connection setting is to be performed from the list of registrable communication devices based on the identification information included in the network information acquired in S409. Then, in S419, the CPU 103 registers the identified communication device (here, the communication device 151) as a communication destination of the information processing device 101.

[0077] Next, in S420, the CPU 103 ends the GATT communication between the communication device 151 and the information processing device 101, and ends the connection setting process. At this time, if the communication device 151 is already connected to the access point 131, the communication device 151 does not need to execute the process of connecting to the access point 131 again. In other words, if the communication device 151 is not connected to any access point or if the communication device 151 is connected to an access point other than the access point 131, the communication device 151 may execute the process of connecting to the access point 131.

[0078] Refer again to S412. If it is determined in S412 that there is no access point to which the communication unit 111 is connected, the process proceeds to S423.

[0079] In S423, the CPU 103 displays on the display unit 108 a list of access points that the communication unit 156 found through the search and that were obtained from the communication device 151 in S411, and accepts selection of one of the access points from the list from the user. In S424, the CPU 103 displays the SSID of the access point selected in S423 and displays on the display unit 108 a screen for entering a password for using the access point corresponding to the SSID. At this time, for example, screen 700 shown in FIG. 7 is displayed as the password entry screen. In S425, input of a password for using the access point selected in S423 is accepted from the user. At this time, the CPU 103 acquires password information entered by the user into the input unit 701. Note that if the access point selected in S423 is an access point to which the information processing device 101 has previously connected, the CPU 103 may acquire the password by having the print application monitor the display unit 108 and the setting application generate a two-dimensional code, as described in S414.

[0080] In S426, the CPU 103 transmits connection setting information for registering the access point selected in S423 as a connection destination of the communication device 151 to the communication device 151 by GATT communication.

[0081] The processes of S427, S434, and S433 are the same as those of S416, S421, and S422. After the determination of S433, if connection setup is to be retried, the processes from S423 may be executed again, or the processes from S424 may be executed again. If it is determined in S427 that the connection setup of communication device 151 was successful based on the transmitted connection setting information, in S428 CPU 103 switches the connection destination of communication unit 111 to the access point selected in S423. The processes of S429, S430, S431, and S432 are the same as those of S417, S418, S419, and S420. After S432, the process of FIG. 4 ends.

[0082] As described above, in this embodiment, the information processing device 101 acquires and analyzes a two-dimensional code including a password for connecting to the currently connected access point 131 from the display screen, and acquires the password for connecting to the currently connected access point 131. With such a configuration, it is possible to establish an infrastructure connection with the communication device 151 without requiring the user to input a password for using the currently connected access point of the information processing device 101.

[0083] Next, processing executed in communication device 151 that is the target of the connection setup processing shown in Fig. 4 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing executed by communication device 151 when connection setup processing is accepted from information processing device 101. That is, the processing shown in the flowchart in Fig. 8 is started when pairing between information processing device 101 and communication device 151 is complete and the state has shifted to connection setup mode. The flowchart shown in Fig. 8 is realized, for example, by CPU 154 reading a program stored in ROM 152 or an external storage device (not shown) included in communication device 151 into RAM 153 and executing the program.

[0084] In S801, the CPU 154 enters an advertising state in which it broadcasts advertising information at regular intervals via the short-range wireless communication unit 157. Here, broadcasting refers to transmitting information within a certain range without specifying a destination. At this time, the CPU 154 broadcasts the advertising information at a predetermined intensity to limit the reach of the advertising information. The BLE standard is a technology for transmitting small-sized information to surrounding wireless devices, but the maximum reach of the information is a range of approximately 30 to 100 meters centered around the communication device 151. Therefore, if the communication device 151 does not limit the radio wave intensity when transmitting the advertising information, the information processing device 101 may detect advertising information not only from nearby communication devices but also from distant communication devices (which the user is unlikely to use). Furthermore, the communication device 151 may allow the advertising information to reach, for example, an information processing device for which the communication device 151 does not want to permit connection setup processing. Therefore, the CPU 154 transmits the advertising information at a predetermined intensity in order to limit the reachable range, so that only communication information processing devices in the vicinity of the communication device 151 can detect the advertising information.

[0085] Next, in S802, the CPU 154 determines whether the short-range wireless communication unit 157 has received a request to start GATT communication from the information processing device 101. If the CPU 154 determines that the short-range wireless communication unit 157 has received a request to start GATT communication, the CPU 154 performs processing of S804. On the other hand, if the CPU 154 determines that the short-range wireless communication unit 157 has not received a request to start GATT communication, the CPU 154 performs processing of S803 to determine whether the power of the communication device 151 will be turned off. At this time, specifically, the CPU 154 determines whether the power button provided in the communication device 151 has been pressed and an instruction to start power-off processing has been issued. If the CPU 154 determines that the power of the communication device 151 will not be turned off, the CPU 154 performs processing of S802 again. On the other hand, if the CPU 154 determines that the power of the communication device 151 will be turned off, the CPU 154 stops advertising and then ends the processing of FIG. 8. In step S803, the CPU 154 may determine whether or not a command to cancel the connection setting mode has been received, and if a command to cancel the connection setting mode has been received, may stop advertising and end the processing of FIG.

[0086] In S804, the CPU 154 temporarily stops transmitting advertising information to perform GATT communication. Subsequently, in S805, the CPU 154 starts GATT communication with the information processing device 101 via the short-range wireless communication unit 157. Here, unlike when transmitting advertising information, the CPU 154 does not limit the reach of radio waves when performing GATT communication. Therefore, the communication range of GATT communication is larger than the reach of advertising information. This is because GATT communication is initiated only with information processing devices that are accessible within the reach of advertising information and that are permitted to accept connection setup processing. Therefore, a state in which GATT communication has started is a state in which security is ensured. As a result, the information processing device 101 that has approached the communication device 151 and received advertising information to start connection setup processing can continue the connection setup processing even if it moves away from the communication device 151 as long as it is within the reach of radio waves.

[0087] In S806, the CPU 154 determines the content of the instruction received from the information processing device 101 through the GATT communication started in S805. Here, the CPU 154 determines whether the received instruction is an instruction to update the list of access points or an instruction to start connection setup. The instruction to update the list of access points corresponds to the instruction transmitted in S403 of FIG. 4. The instruction to start connection setup corresponds to the instruction transmitted in S408 of FIG. 4. If it is determined that an instruction to start connection setup has been received, the process proceeds to S807. If it is determined that an instruction to update the list of access points has been received, the process proceeds to S816.

[0088] In S807, the CPU 154 transmits a list of access points discovered by the search performed by the communication unit 156 to the information processing device 101 via the GATT communication established in S805. The list of access points discovered by the search performed by the communication unit 156 can be obtained by making an inquiry to the OS in the communication device 151.

[0089] Next, in S808, the CPU 154 determines whether or not connection setting information for registering an access point to which the communication device 151 is to connect has been received via GATT communication. As described above, the connection setting information includes a command for setting infrastructure connection mode, etc. The processing of S808 corresponds to the processing of S415 in FIG. 4. If the CPU 154 determines that the connection setting information has been received, it performs the processing of S809. On the other hand, if the CPU 154 determines that the connection setting information has not been received, it performs the processing of S810 to determine whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of GATT communication (whether or not a timeout has occurred). If the CPU 154 determines that a timeout has not occurred, it performs the processing of S808 again. On the other hand, if the CPU 154 determines that a timeout has occurred, it performs the processing of S811.

[0090] In S809, CPU 154 applies a command for setting infrastructure connection mode, which is included in the received connection setting information, to transition to infrastructure connection mode. At this time, CPU 154 performs processing to register the access point (here, access point 131) indicated by the SSID stored in the connection setting information as a connection destination of communication device 151. Specifically, CPU 154 sets access point 131 in RAM 153 as an access point to be used for infrastructure connection via communication unit 156. CPU 154 also registers a password for using access point 131. When access point registration has been properly completed, CPU 154 connects to access point 131 via communication unit 156 and sets the state to enable communication via wireless LAN (Wi-Fi). As a result, an infrastructure connection is established between information processing device 101 and communication device 151 via access point 131.

[0091] In S811, the CPU 154 determines whether or not the command for setting the infrastructure connection mode, which is included in the received connection setting information, was successfully applied in S809. Specifically, the CPU 154 determines whether or not the connection to the access point indicated by the SSID stored in the connection setting information was successful.

[0092] If the connection to the access point has failed, the CPU 154 proceeds to S812. In S812, the CPU 154 transmits a notification indicating that the connection setting of the communication device 151 has failed (that the connection between the communication device 151 and the access point has failed) to the information processing device 101 by GATT communication. Note that the connection to the access point fails if, for example, the password stored in the connection setting information is incorrect. Thereafter, the CPU 154 performs the processes from S808 onwards again and waits to receive the connection setting information again.

[0093] On the other hand, if the connection to the access point is successful, the CPU 154 proceeds to S813. In S813, the CPU 154 transmits a notification indicating that the connection setting of the communication device 151 has been successful (that the connection between the communication device 151 and the access point has been successful) to the information processing device 101 by GATT communication. Thereafter, the CPU 154 performs processing from S814 onwards. Note that the CPU 154 may be configured to omit the processing from S814 onwards and continue the BLE connection with the information processing device 101.

[0094] Next, in S814, the CPU 154 ends the GATT communication between the information processing device 101 and the communication device 151, and resumes transmission of advertising information in S815. After that, the processing from S802 is repeated.

[0095] If it is determined in S806 that an instruction to update the list of access points has been received, in S816, the CPU 154 releases the BLE connection between the communication device 151 and the information processing device 101 and terminates the GATT communication. When the BLE connection between the communication device 151 and the information processing device 101 is released, the short-range wireless communication unit 157 resumes advertising. As a result, the short-range wireless communication unit 157 can cause devices other than the information processing device 101 to detect advertising information while the list of access points discovered by the communication unit 156 through a search is being updated. Note that a configuration may be adopted in which the advertising information transmitted at this time prevents a BLE connection from being established with devices other than the information processing device 101, so as to prevent processing interrupts from being received from devices other than the information processing device 101. Specifically, only transmission of advertising information may be enabled, and reception of connection requests may be disabled. Furthermore, a configuration may be adopted in which advertising is not resumed even when the BLE connection between the communication device 151 and the information processing device 101 is released. In this case, while the list of access points is being updated, devices other than the information processing device 101 will not be able to detect the advertising information, but the power consumption of the short-range wireless communication unit 157 can be reduced.

[0096] In S817, CPU 154 detects an access point to which communication unit 156 can connect. Specifically, at this time, CPU 154 detects a beacon emitted from the access point using communication unit 156. When CPU 154 detects a beacon, it sequentially stores information included in the beacon that can identify the access point, such as the device name and SSID of the access point, in RAM 153. In this way, CPU 154 updates the list of access points that communication unit 156 has found through a search.

[0097] In S818, the CPU 154 determines whether the update of the access point list in S817 was successful. For example, if there are no connectable access points in the vicinity and no beacons were detected, the CPU 154 determines that the update failed, and proceeds to S815. Note that in S815, the communication unit 156 may resume transmission of advertising information that stores information indicating that the update of the list of external access points discovered by the search failed.

[0098] On the other hand, if the CPU 154 determines that the update was successful, in S819, the CPU 154 sets the content of advertising information to be transmitted subsequently to a state of update success. Specifically, the CPU 154 stores information indicating that the update of the list of external access points found by the communication unit 156 through a search has been successful in the advertising information to be transmitted subsequently. Then, in S815, the CPU 154 resumes transmission of advertising information in the state of update success.

[0099] As described above, according to this embodiment, the information processing device 101 acquires and analyzes a two-dimensional code including a password for connecting to the currently connected access point 131 from the display screen, and acquires the password for connecting to the currently connected access point 131. With such a configuration, it is possible to establish an infrastructure connection with the communication device 151 without requiring the user to input a password for using the currently connected access point of the information processing device 101.

[0100] Although the above describes a configuration in which the information processing device 101 transmits connection setting information to the communication device 151 via BLE, the configuration is not limited to this, and the information processing device 101 may transmit the connection setting information to the communication device 151 using another communication method. For example, the connection setting information may be transmitted via Wi-Fi. In this case, the information processing device 101 connects to the communication device 151 operating as an access point via Wi-Fi and transmits the connection setting information via this connection. In this case, the Wi-Fi connection destination of the information processing device 101 is the communication device 151 operating as an access point, and therefore the two-dimensional code generated by the setting app becomes a password for connecting to the communication device 151 operating as an access point. Therefore, in this configuration, the user uses the setting app to generate and display a two-dimensional code including a password for connecting to an access point to which the information processing device 101 is not currently connected but has connected in the past. Then, the print app acquires the two-dimensional code. Alternatively, before the information processing device 101 connects to the communication device 151 and while it is connected to the access point 131, the print application monitors the display unit 108 and the setting application generates a two-dimensional code to obtain a password.

[0101] In the above description, the printing app acquires the two-dimensional code by monitoring the screen displayed on display unit 108, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the printing app may acquire the two-dimensional code by taking a screenshot of the screen displayed on display unit 108 while the two-dimensional code is displayed. The timing of taking the screenshot may be automatically managed by the printing app, or may be instructed by the user.

[0102] The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program.The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0103] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0104] 101 Information processing device: 103, 154 CPU: 104, 152 ROM: 105, 153 RAM: 151 Communication device

Claims

1. A predetermined application program, In the computer of the information processing device, A display control step that controls the display of a second screen which provides notification regarding the display of a first screen containing a two-dimensional code based on a password for connecting to an access point that the information processing device has previously connected to, A step to obtain the password for the communication device to connect to the access point, A transmission step in which the password obtained in the acquisition step is transmitted to the communication device via the connection between the information processing device and the communication device, Make it run, The first screen is a screen provided by an application program that is different from the predetermined application program and is a standard application program of the information processing device's OS. The second screen is a screen provided by the predetermined application program, The password transmitted in the transmission step is used to connect the communication device and the access point. A program characterized by the following features.

2. The program according to claim 1, characterized in that the notification is a notification causing the user to perform an operation to display the first screen.

3. The program according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the operation for displaying the first screen includes at least one of the operation for starting the OS standard application program and the operation for displaying the first screen in the OS standard application program.

4. The program according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the two-dimensional code includes a password for connecting to an access point to which the information processing device has previously connected.

5. The program according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the access point to which the information processing device has previously connected is at least one of the access point to which the information processing device is currently connected and the access point to which the information processing device is not currently connected but has connected in the past.

6. The program according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the predetermined application program is a program compatible with the Android OS.

7. The connection between the information processing device and the communication device is a Bluetooth connection, The password obtained in the acquisition step is transmitted to the communication device via a Bluetooth connection between the information processing device and the communication device. The program according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The connection between the information processing device and the communication device is a Bluetooth Low Energy connection, The password obtained in the acquisition step is transmitted to the communication device via a Bluetooth Low Energy connection between the information processing device and the communication device. The program according to feature 7.

9. The connection between the information processing device and the communication device is a direct Wi-Fi connection without going through an external access point. The password obtained in the acquisition step is transmitted to the communication device via the direct connection. The program according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

10. The program according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the version of the OS of the information processing device is Android OS version 10 or later.

11. The predetermined application program, wherein the computer of the information processing device, A detection step of detecting the two-dimensional code displayed on the display unit of the information processing device, Let's execute it further, By analyzing the two-dimensional code detected in the above detection step, the password contained in the two-dimensional code is obtained. The program according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. Based on the fact that the two-dimensional code was not detected in the detection step, an input screen is displayed to receive input from the user for the password of the access point to which the communication device is connected. The password for the access point to which the communication device will connect, entered on the input screen, is obtained and transmitted to the communication device. The program according to feature 11.

13. The predetermined application program, wherein the computer of the information processing device, A job transmission step of sending a print job to the communication device to cause the communication device to perform printing, Let's execute it further, The communication device has means for forming an image on a recording medium based on the print job and outputting the print result. The program according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. The program according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the transmission step transmits the password obtained in the acquisition step and the SSID (Service Set Identifier) ​​of the access point to the communication device via the connection between the information processing device and the communication device.

15. A control method for an information processing device on which a predetermined application program can be operated, A display control step that controls the display of a second screen which provides notification regarding the display of a first screen containing a two-dimensional code based on a password for connecting to an access point that the information processing device has previously connected to, A step to obtain the password for the communication device to connect to the access point, A transmission step in which the password obtained in the acquisition step is transmitted to the communication device via the connection between the information processing device and the communication device, It has, The first screen is a screen provided by an application program that is different from the predetermined application program and is a standard application program of the information processing device's OS. The second screen is a screen provided by the predetermined application program, The password transmitted in the transmission step is used to connect the communication device and the access point. A control method characterized by the following:

16. An information processing device capable of running a predetermined application program, Display control means that controls the display of a second screen which provides notification regarding the display of a first screen containing a two-dimensional code based on a password for connecting to an access point that the information processing device has previously connected to, A means for obtaining a password for a communication device to connect to an access point, A transmission means for transmitting the password obtained by the acquisition means to the communication device via the connection between the information processing device and the communication device, It has, The first screen is a screen provided by an application program that is different from the predetermined application program and is a standard application program of the information processing device's OS. The second screen is a screen provided by the predetermined application program, The password transmitted by the transmission means is used to connect the communication device and the access point. An information processing device characterized by the following:

17. A predetermined application program, The computer of the information processing device, A means for obtaining a password for a communication device to connect to an access point, A transmission means for transmitting the password obtained by the acquisition means to the communication device via the connection between the information processing device and the communication device, Display control means that controls the display of a second screen which provides notification regarding the display of a first screen containing a two-dimensional code based on the password of an access point to which the information processing device has been connected, To make it function as, The first screen is a screen provided by an application program that is different from the predetermined application program and is a standard application program of the information processing device's OS. The second screen is a screen provided by the predetermined application program, The password transmitted to the communication device by the transmission means is used to connect the communication device and the access point. A program characterized by the following features.

18. The program according to claim 17, characterized in that the notification is a notification causing the user to perform an operation to display the first screen.

19. The program according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that the operation for displaying the first screen includes at least one of the operation for starting the OS standard application program and the operation for displaying the first screen in the OS standard application program.

20. The program according to any one of claims 17 to 19, characterized in that the two-dimensional code includes the password of an access point to which the information processing device has previously connected.

21. The program according to any one of claims 17 to 20, characterized in that the access point to which the information processing device has previously connected is at least one of the access point to which the information processing device is currently connected and the access point to which the information processing device is not currently connected but has connected in the past.

22. The program according to any one of claims 17 to 21, characterized in that the predetermined application program is a program compatible with the Android OS.

23. The connection between the information processing device and the communication device is a Bluetooth connection, The program according to any one of claims 17 to 22, characterized in that the password obtained by the acquisition means is transmitted to the communication device via a Bluetooth connection between the information processing device and the communication device.

24. The connection between the information processing device and the communication device is a Bluetooth Low Energy connection, The password obtained by the acquisition means is transmitted to the communication device via a Bluetooth Low Energy connection between the information processing device and the communication device. The program according to feature 23.

25. The connection between the information processing device and the communication device is a direct Wi-Fi connection without going through an external access point. The password obtained by the acquisition means is transmitted to the communication device via the direct connection. The program according to any one of claims 17 to 22.

26. The program according to any one of claims 17 to 25, characterized in that the version of the OS of the information processing device is Android OS version 10 or later.

27. ​​The predetermined application program, wherein the computer of the information processing device Detection means for detecting the two-dimensional code displayed on the display unit of the information processing device, To make it function even better, By analyzing the two-dimensional code detected by the detection means, the password for the communication device to connect to the access point is obtained. The program according to any one of claims 17 to 26.

28. Based on the fact that the two-dimensional code was not detected by the detection means, an input screen is displayed for receiving input from the user for the password of the access point to which the communication device is connected. The password for the access point to which the communication device will connect, entered on the input screen, is obtained and transmitted to the communication device. The program according to feature 27.

29. The predetermined application program, wherein the computer of the information processing device Job transmission means for sending a print job to the communication device to cause the communication device to perform printing, To make it function even better, The communication device has means for forming an image on a recording medium based on the print job and outputting the print result. The program according to any one of claims 17 to 28.

30. The program according to any one of claims 17 to 29, characterized in that the transmission means transmits the password obtained by the acquisition means and the SSID (Service Set Identifier) ​​of the access point to the communication device via the connection between the information processing device and the communication device.

31. A control method for an information processing device on which a predetermined application program can be operated, A step to obtain the password for the communication device to connect to the access point, A transmission step in which the password obtained in the acquisition step is transmitted to the communication device via the connection between the information processing device and the communication device, A display control step that controls the display of a second screen which provides notification regarding the display of a first screen which includes a two-dimensional code based on the password of an access point to which the information processing device has been connected, It has, The first screen is a screen provided by an application program that is different from the predetermined application program and is a standard application program of the information processing device's OS. The second screen is a screen provided by the predetermined application program, The password transmitted to the communication device in the transmission step is used to connect the communication device and the access point. A control method characterized by the following:

32. An information processing device capable of running a predetermined application program, A means for obtaining a password for a communication device to connect to an access point, A transmission means for transmitting the password obtained by the acquisition means to the communication device via the connection between the information processing device and the communication device, Display control means that controls the display of a second screen which provides notification regarding the display of a first screen containing a two-dimensional code based on the password of an access point to which the information processing device has been connected, It has, The first screen is a screen provided by an application program that is different from the predetermined application program and is a standard application program of the information processing device's OS. The second screen is a screen provided by the predetermined application program, The password transmitted to the communication device by the transmission means is used to connect the communication device and the access point. An information processing device characterized by the following:

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