Electronic device and control method for the same, program, and medium

Abstract

To enable appropriate changes to an access point to which a device connects.SOLUTION: An electronic device includes a first communication unit capable of communication in a first communication mode via a wireless connection with an access point, a second communication unit capable of communication with an external device via a second communication mode different from the first communication mode, and a control unit that controls changing the access point to be connected in the first communication mode to another access point on the basis of a change request received from the access point. The control unit controls to suppress changing the destination access point based on the change request when a connection in the first communication mode is established and the second communication mode is activated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

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

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

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

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

[0005] There are two states for STAs: one where no problems occur when switching APs, and another where problems occur when switching APs or when disconnecting from the currently connected AP. When a problem occurs, the STA may experience problems if it receives an AP change request from the AP and switches the connected AP in response to the request.

[0006] For example, when a communication device connects to an AP as a STA in wireless infrastructure mode and simultaneously operates in P2P mode, in which the communication device itself acts as a master station for wireless communication and connects to a wireless client device such as a mobile terminal device, it may be desirable to suppress the operation of switching the connection destination AP. Hereinafter, a configuration in which wireless communication via an AP in wireless infrastructure mode and wireless communication in P2P mode are performed simultaneously is also referred to as simultaneous operation. In the case of simultaneous operation, it is desirable for the communication device to fix the combination of wireless channel configurations to avoid degradation of communication performance due to interference between the wireless infrastructure mode and P2P mode. Another issue is that the operation of switching the connection destination AP can delay the operation of wireless communication in P2P mode. Furthermore, when connections via other communication media (or communication modes), not limited to P2P mode, exist simultaneously with wireless infrastructure mode, the communication and processing procedures associated with changing the AP in wireless infrastructure mode may delay the processing for communication via the other communication medium.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional examples, and has as its object to suppress the influence on other communication modes caused by a change in the access point to which a wireless infrastructure mode is connected. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a device including: a first communication means capable of communicating in a first communication mode via a wireless connection with an access point; a second communication means capable of communicating with an external device via a connection in a second communication mode different from the first communication mode; a control means for controlling the change of the access point to be connected in the first communication mode to another access point based on a change request received from the access point; The control means controls to suppress a change of the access point of the connection destination based on the change request when the connection in the first communication mode is established and the second communication mode is activated. An electronic device is provided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the influence on other communication modes caused by changing the access point to which the wireless infrastructure mode is connected. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a system configuration. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of the configuration of an MFP. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation display unit of an MFP. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a mobile terminal device. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an access point. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating a process in response to a connection destination change request from an AP. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a process performed when the MFP is started up. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating operations between the MFP, AP1, and portable terminal in the second embodiment. [Figure 9]10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the MFP in the second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram illustrating operations between the MFP, AP1, and portable terminal in the third embodiment. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the MFP in the third embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a sequence diagram illustrating operations between the MFP, AP1, and portable terminal in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a sequence diagram illustrating operations between the MFP, AP1, and portable terminal in the fifth embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the data structure of an Association Request frame. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an MFP according to a sixth embodiment. [Figure 16] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the MFP when the wireless infrastructure mode and the USB are simultaneously connected. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] 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.

[0012] Furthermore, please note that this embodiment is merely an example, and specific examples of components, processing steps, display screens, etc. are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention unless otherwise specified.

[0013] (System Configuration) Fig. 1 shows an example of the configuration of a system according to this embodiment. In one example, this system is a wireless communication system in which multiple communication devices can communicate with each other wirelessly. In the example of Fig. 1, the communication devices include a mobile terminal device 104, an MFP 100, access points AP1 (101) and AP2 (102), a server 103, and a network 110.

[0014] The mobile terminal device 104 is a device having a wireless communication function such as a wireless local area network (LAN). Note that hereinafter, a wireless LAN may be referred to as a WLAN. The mobile terminal device 104 may be a personal information terminal such as a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a mobile phone (smartphone), a digital camera, a personal computer, etc.

[0015] The MFP 100 is a printing device having a printing function, and may also have a reading function (scanner), a fax function, and a telephone function. The MFP 100 of this embodiment is an electronic device having a communication function capable of wirelessly communicating with a mobile terminal device 104. While the present embodiment describes a case in which the MFP 100 is used as an example, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a scanner device, a projector, a mobile terminal, a smartphone, a laptop PC, a tablet terminal, a PDA, a digital camera, a music playback device, a television, a smart speaker, and the like, each having a communication function, may be used instead of the MFP 100. The term "MFP" stands for "Multi Function Peripheral."

[0016] The AP1 (101) is provided separately (externally) from the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100, and operates as a WLAN base station device. A communication device having a WLAN communication function can communicate in WLAN infrastructure mode via the AP1 (101). Note that, hereinafter, an access point may be referred to as an "AP." Also, infrastructure mode may be referred to as a "wireless infrastructure mode." The AP1 (101) performs wireless communication with a communication device that has been authorized (authenticated) to connect to the AP1 (101), and relays wireless communication between the communication device and other communication devices. Also, the AP1 (101) may be connected to, for example, a wired communication network, and may relay communication between a communication device connected to the wired communication network and another communication device wirelessly connected to the AP1 (101).

[0017] AP2 (102) has the same functions as AP1 (101), and the MFP 100 switches its connection from AP1 (101) to AP2 (102) as necessary. The server 103 connects to the MFP 100 via AP1 (101) and a network 110, and provides services to the MFP 100 by responding to requests from the MFP 100. Here, the network 110 may be the so-called Internet, or it may be a closed network within a company or a mobile phone network.

[0018] (MFP external configuration) FIG. 2(a) shows an example of the external configuration of MFP 100. MFP 100 has, for example, a platen 201, a platen cover 202, a print paper insertion slot 203, a print paper ejection slot 204, and an operation display unit 205. Platen 201 is a stand on which a document to be read is placed. Platen cover 202 is a cover that holds down the document placed on platen 201 and prevents light from a light source that illuminates the document during reading from leaking to the outside. Print paper insertion slot 203 is an insertion slot into which paper sheets of various sizes, which are print media, can be set. Print paper ejection slot 204 is an ejection slot through which paper sheets that have been printed are ejected. Paper sheets set in print paper insertion slot 203 are transported one sheet at a time to the printing unit, where they are printed and then ejected from print paper ejection slot 204. The operation display unit 205 includes keys such as character input keys, cursor keys, a confirm key, and a cancel key, as well as an LED and an LCD, and is configured to be able to accept user operations for activating various MFP functions and for various settings. The operation display unit 205 may also include a touch panel display. The MFP 100 has a wireless communication function using WLAN, and includes a wireless communication antenna 206 for this wireless communication, although this antenna does not necessarily need to be visible from the exterior. Like the mobile terminal device 104, the MFP 100 can also perform wireless communication using WLAN in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands.

[0019] (MFP configuration) FIG. 2(b) shows an example configuration of MFP 100. MFP 100 includes a main board 211 that performs main control of the device itself and a wireless unit 226, which is a communication module that performs WLAN communication using at least one common antenna. MFP 100 also includes, for example, a modem 229 for performing wired communication. Main board 211 includes, for example, a CPU 212 (central processing unit), ROM 213, RAM 214, nonvolatile memory 215, image memory 216, read control unit 217, data conversion unit 218, reading unit 219, and encoding / decoding processing unit 221. Main board 211 also includes, for example, a printing unit 222, a paper feed unit 223, a print control unit 224, and an operation display unit 220. These functional units within main board 211 are connected to each other via a system bus 230 managed by CPU 212. The main board 211 and the wireless unit 226 are connected via, for example, a dedicated bus 225 , and the main board 211 and the modem 229 are connected via, for example, a bus 228 .

[0020] The CPU 212 is a system control unit including at least one processor, and controls the entire MFP 100. In one example, the processing of the MFP 100 described below is realized by the CPU 212 executing programs stored in the ROM 213. Note that dedicated hardware for each process may be provided. The ROM 213 stores control programs, embedded OS programs, and the like, executed by the CPU 212. In this embodiment, the CPU 212 executes each control program stored in the ROM 213 under the management of the embedded OS also stored in the ROM 213, thereby performing software control such as scheduling and task switching. Note that the CPU 212 may load programs stored in a storage medium such as the ROM 213 or the nonvolatile memory 215 into the RAM 214 and execute the programs.

[0021] The RAM 214 is configured with an SRAM or the like. The RAM 214 stores data such as program control variables, setting values ​​registered by the user, and management data for the MFP 100. The RAM 214 can also be used as a buffer for various types of work. The non-volatile memory 215 is configured with a memory such as a flash memory, and continues to store data even when the power to the MFP 100 is turned off. The image memory 216 is configured with a memory such as a DRAM. The image memory 216 accumulates image data received via a wireless unit, image data processed by the encoding / decoding processing unit 221, and the like. Note that the memory configuration of the MFP 100 is not limited to the configuration described above. The data conversion unit 218 analyzes data in various formats and converts image data into print data, etc.

[0022] The reading control unit 217 controls the reading unit 219 (for example, a CIS (contact image sensor)) to optically read the document placed on the document table 201. The reading control unit 217 converts the image obtained by optically reading the document into electrical image data (image signals) and outputs the converted data. At this time, the reading control unit 217 may output the image data after performing various image processes such as binarization and halftoning.

[0023] The operation display unit 220 is the operation display unit 205 described with reference to FIG. 2(a), and performs display on a display based on display control by the CPU 212, generation of a signal in response to reception of a user operation, and the like.

[0024] The encoding / decoding processor 221 performs encoding and decoding processes on image data (JPEG, PNG, etc.) handled by the MFP 100, as well as scaling processes.

[0025] The paper feed unit 223 holds paper for printing. The paper feed unit 223 can supply the set paper under the control of the print control unit 224. The paper feed unit 223 may include multiple paper feed units in order to hold multiple types of paper in one device, and under the control of the print control unit 224, it can control which paper feed unit to use to feed paper.

[0026] The print control unit 224 performs various image processing such as smoothing, print density correction, and color correction on the image data to be printed, and outputs the processed image data to the print unit 222. The print unit 222 is configured to be able to perform, for example, inkjet printing, and ejects ink supplied from an ink tank from a print head to record an image on a recording medium such as paper. Note that the print unit 222 may also be configured to be able to perform other printing processes such as electrophotography. The print control unit 224 may also periodically read information from the print unit 222 and update status information stored in RAM 214, including the remaining amount of ink in the ink tank and the state of the print head.

[0027] The wireless unit 226 is a unit capable of providing WLAN communication functions, and can provide functions similar to those of a combination of the WLAN unit 401 of the mobile terminal device 104, for example. That is, the wireless unit 226 converts data into packets in accordance with the WLAN standard and transmits the packets to other devices, and also restores packets from other external devices to the original data and outputs the data to the CPU 212. The wireless unit 226 is capable of communication as a station conforming to the IEEE802.11 standard series. In particular, it is capable of communication as a station conforming to IEEE802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax. Hereinafter, the station may be referred to as an STA. It is also capable of communication as an STA compatible with Wi-Fi Agile Multiband (trademark).

[0028] The wireless unit 226 supports IEEE802.11ax, i.e., Wi-Fi 6 (trademark). The MFP 100 can also operate as an STA supporting Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) and Target Wake Time (TWT). Supporting TWT adjusts the timing of data communication from the master device to the STA. The wireless unit 226 (MFP 100) serving as an STA transitions its communication function to a sleep state when it does not need to wait for signal reception. This reduces power consumption. The wireless unit 226 also supports Wi-Fi 6E (trademark). This means that communication in the 6 GHz band (5.925 GHz to 7.125 GHz) is also possible. The bands in the 5 GHz band where Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) is performed do not exist in the 6 GHz band. Therefore, communication in the 6 GHz band does not experience interruptions due to DFS standby times, enabling smoother communication.

[0029] The mobile terminal device 104 and MFP 100 are capable of P2P (WLAN) communication based on Wi-Fi DIRECT (registered trademark, abbreviated as WFD), and the wireless unit 226 has a software access point (soft AP) function or a group owner function. In other words, the wireless unit 226 can build a P2P communication network and determine the channel to be used for P2P communication. The MFP 100 also has a FAX control unit 227 that controls facsimile transmission and reception. Note that P2P communication here refers to communication between slave units (STAs) connected by WFD, for example, without going through an AP.

[0030] (MFP operation display section) FIG. 3 schematically shows an example of a screen display on a display (touch panel display) included in the operation display unit 220 of the MFP 100. FIG. 3(a) is an example of a home screen that is displayed when the MFP 100 is powered on and no operations such as printing or scanning are being performed (idle state, standby state). FIG. 3(a) displays display items (menu items) corresponding to copy, scan, and cloud, respectively. Cloud is a menu item related to cloud functions that use Internet communication. By selecting any of the menu items through key operations or touch panel operations, the MFP 100 can begin executing the corresponding settings or functions. The MFP 100 can seamlessly display a screen different from that shown in FIG. 3(a) by accepting key operations or touch panel operations on the home screen of FIG. 3(a).

[0031] Figure 3(b) is an example of a display of another part of the home screen, which transitions from the state of Figure 3(a) by performing an operation (such as sliding left or right) to display another page of the home screen. Figure 3(b) displays display items (menu items) corresponding to communication settings, print, and photos. When one of these menu items is selected, the function corresponding to the selected menu item, i.e., the print function, photo function, or communication settings, is executed.

[0032] FIG. 3(c) is an example of a communication setting menu screen that is displayed when communication settings are selected on the screen of FIG. 3(b). The communication setting menu screen displays menu items (options): “Wireless LAN,” “Wired LAN,” “Wireless Direct,” “Bluetooth (registered trademark),” and “Common.” “Wireless LAN,” “Wired LAN,” and “Wireless Direct” are menu items for configuring LAN settings. These items allow for settings such as wired connection configuration, enabling / disabling wireless infrastructure mode, and enabling / disabling P2P modes such as WFD and soft AP mode. When the “Wireless LAN” item is selected and wireless LAN is enabled by a user operation, wireless infrastructure mode is enabled. When the “Wireless Direct” item is selected and Wireless Direct is enabled by a user operation, P2P (WLAN) mode is enabled. In Wireless Direct, P2P (WLAN) mode, or WFD, the MFP 100 serves as a parent station and connects to a child station via P2P. This screen also displays a common setting menu for each connection type. Furthermore, the user can set the frequency band and frequency channel of the wireless LAN from this screen.

[0033] (External configuration of mobile terminal device) FIG. 4(a) is a diagram illustrating an example of the external configuration of the mobile terminal device 104. In this embodiment, as an example, the mobile terminal device 104 is a general-type smartphone. The mobile terminal device 104 includes, for example, a display unit 402, an operation unit 403, and a power key 404. The display unit 402 is, for example, a display including a liquid crystal display (LCD) type display mechanism. The display unit 402 may display information using, for example, an LED (light emitting diode). The mobile terminal device 104 may also have a function to output information by voice in addition to or instead of the display unit 402. The operation unit 403 includes hard keys such as keys and buttons, a touch panel, and the like for detecting user operations. In this example, the display unit 402 displays information and the operation unit 403 receives user operations using a common touch panel display, so the display unit 402 and the operation unit 403 are implemented by a single device. In this case, for example, button icons and a software keyboard are displayed using the display function of display unit 402, and the touch of the user on those locations is detected by the operation reception function of operation unit 403. Note that display unit 402 and operation unit 403 may be separated, and hardware for display and hardware for operation reception may be provided separately. Power key 404 is a hardware key for receiving a user operation to turn on or off the power of mobile terminal device 104.

[0034] The mobile terminal device 104 includes a WLAN unit 429 that provides WLAN communication functionality, although it does not necessarily need to be visible from the exterior (see FIG. 4(b)). The WLAN unit 429 is configured to be able to perform data (packet) communication in a WLAN system that complies with, for example, the IEEE 802.11 standard series (IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax, etc.). It is also capable of communication as an AP compatible with Wi-Fi Agile Multiband. However, this is not a limitation, and the WLAN unit 429 may also be capable of communication in a WLAN system that complies with other standards. In this example, it is assumed that the WLAN unit 429 is capable of communication in both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands. It is also assumed that the WLAN unit 429 is capable of communication based on WFD, communication in soft AP mode, communication in wireless infrastructure mode, etc. Operation in these modes will be described later.

[0035] (Configuration of mobile terminal device) FIG. 4(b) shows an example of the configuration of the mobile terminal device 104. In one example, the mobile terminal device 104 includes a main board 411 that performs main control of the device itself and a WLAN unit 429 that performs WLAN communication. The main board 411 includes, for example, a CPU 412, a ROM 413, a RAM 414, an image memory 415, a data conversion unit 416, a telephone unit 417, a GPS 419, a camera unit 421, a non-volatile memory 422, a data storage unit 423, a speaker unit 424, and a power supply unit 425. Here, CPU is an acronym for Central Processing Unit, ROM is an acronym for Read Only Memory, RAM is an acronym for Random Access Memory, and GPS is an acronym for Global Positioning System. The mobile terminal device 104 also includes a display unit 420 and an operation unit 418. These functional units within the main board 411 are connected to each other via a system bus 428 managed by the CPU 412. The main board 411 and the WLAN unit 401 are connected via a dedicated bus 426, for example.

[0036] The CPU 412 is a system control unit including at least one processor, and controls the entire mobile terminal device 104. In one example, the processing of the mobile terminal device 104 described below is realized by the CPU 412 executing a program stored in the ROM 413. Note that dedicated hardware for each process may be provided. The ROM 413 stores control programs, such as a control program and an embedded operating system (OS) program, executed by the CPU 412. In this embodiment, the CPU 412 executes each control program stored in the ROM 413 under the management of an embedded OS also stored in the ROM 413, thereby performing software control such as scheduling and task switching.

[0037] The RAM 414 is configured with a static RAM (SRAM) or the like. The RAM 414 stores data such as program control variables, setting values ​​registered by the user, and management data for the mobile terminal device 104. The RAM 414 can also be used as a buffer for various types of work. The image memory 415 is configured with a memory such as a dynamic RAM (DRAM). The image memory 415 temporarily stores image data received via the WLAN unit 429 and image data read from the data storage unit 423 for processing by the CPU 412. The nonvolatile memory 422 is configured with a memory such as a flash memory, and continues to store data even when the mobile terminal device 104 is powered off. Note that the memory configuration of the mobile terminal device 104 is not limited to the above configuration. For example, the image memory 415 and the RAM 414 may be shared, or data may be backed up using the data storage unit 423. In this embodiment, although a DRAM is given as an example of the image memory 415, other storage media such as a hard disk or nonvolatile memory may also be used.

[0038] The data conversion unit 416 analyzes data in various formats and performs data conversion such as color conversion and image conversion. The telephone unit 417 controls telephone lines and realizes telephone communication by processing audio data input and output via a speaker unit 424. The GPS 419 receives radio waves transmitted from satellites and acquires location information such as the current latitude and longitude of the mobile terminal device 104.

[0039] The camera unit 421 has the function of electronically recording and encoding an image input through a lens. Image data obtained by capturing an image with the camera unit 421 is stored in a data storage unit 423. The speaker unit 424 controls the input and output of audio for telephone functions, as well as other functions such as alarm notification. The power supply unit 425 is, for example, a portable battery, and controls the supply of power to the device. Power supply states include, for example, a dead battery state in which there is no remaining battery power, a power-off state in which the power key 404 is not pressed, a running state in which the device is normally running, and a power-saving state in which the device is running but is in power-saving mode.

[0040] The display unit 420 is the display unit 402 described with reference to Fig. 4(a), and performs various input operations and displays the operating status and status of the MFP 100 based on the control of the CPU 412. The operation unit 418 is the operation unit 403 described with reference to Fig. 4(a), and upon receiving a user operation, performs control such as generating an electrical signal corresponding to the operation and outputting it to the CPU 412.

[0041] The mobile terminal device 104 performs wireless communication using a WLAN unit 429 to perform data communication with other devices such as the MFP 100. The WLAN unit 429 converts data into packets and transmits the packets to other devices. The WLAN unit 429 also restores packets from other external devices to the original data and outputs the data to the CPU 412. The WLAN unit 429 is a unit for realizing communication compliant with the WLAN standards. The WLAN unit 429 can operate in parallel in at least two communication modes, including a wireless infrastructure mode and a P2P (WLAN) mode. Note that the frequency bands used in these communication modes may be limited by the functionality and performance of the hardware.

[0042] (Access point configuration) 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of AP1 (101) having a wireless LAN access point function. It consists of a main board 510 that controls AP1 (101), a wireless LAN unit 516, a wired LAN unit 518, and an operation button 520.

[0043] A microprocessor-type CPU 511 disposed on a main board 510 operates in accordance with a control program stored in a ROM-type program memory 513 connected via an internal bus 512 and the contents of a RAM-type data memory 514. The CPU 511 controls a wireless LAN unit 516 via a wireless LAN communication control unit 515 to perform wireless LAN communication with other communication terminal devices. The CPU 511 also controls a wired LAN unit 518 via a wired LAN communication control unit 517 to perform wired LAN communication with other communication terminal devices. The CPU 511 controls an operation unit control circuit 519 to accept operations from a user via operation buttons 520. The CPU 511 includes at least one processor.

[0044] The AP1 (101) also includes an interference wave detection unit 521 and a channel change unit 522. The interference wave detection unit 521 performs processing to detect interference waves when wireless communication is being performed in a band where DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection) is implemented. If an interference wave is detected when wireless communication is being performed in a band where DFS is implemented, the channel change unit 522 performs processing to change the channel to be used when it is necessary to immediately change to an available channel. The AP2 (102) also has a configuration similar to that of the AP1 (101).

[0045] (P2P communication method) Next, we will outline the P2P (WLAN) communication method, which allows devices to communicate directly with each other wirelessly without going through an external access point. P2P (WLAN) communication can be realized using multiple methods. For example, a communication device can support multiple modes for P2P (WLAN) communication and selectively use one of the multiple modes to perform P2P (WLAN) communication.

[0046] The following two P2P modes are envisioned: Soft AP mode Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) mode A communication device capable of P2P communication may be configured to support at least one of these modes, but even a communication device capable of P2P communication does not have to support all of these modes and may be configured to support only some of them.

[0047] A communication device (e.g., the mobile terminal device 104) having a WFD communication function receives user operations via its operation unit, thereby invoking a (possibly dedicated) application for realizing the communication function. The communication device then displays a UI (user interface) screen provided by the application to prompt the user to perform an operation, and can execute WFD communication based on the received user operations.

[0048] ●Soft AP mode In the soft AP mode, a communication device (e.g., the mobile terminal device 104) operates as a client that requests various services. The other communication device (e.g., the MFP 100) operates as a soft AP that can execute the functions of a WLAN AP through software configuration. It is sufficient for the commands and parameters transmitted and received when establishing a wireless connection between the client and the soft AP to be those specified in the Wi-Fi (registered trademark) standard, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted here. Furthermore, the MFP 100 operating in the soft AP mode determines the frequency band and frequency channel as the master station. Therefore, the MFP 100 can select which frequency band to use, either 5 GHz or 2.4 GHz, and which frequency channel to use within that frequency band.

[0049] WFD mode The MFP 100 may be configured to be permanently activated as a master station in WFD mode (Autonomous Group Owner). In this case, GO negotiation processing to determine the role is not required. In addition, in this case, the MFP 100 determines the frequency band and frequency channel as the master station. Therefore, the MFP 100 can select which frequency band to use, 5 GHz or 2.4 GHz, and which frequency channel to use within that frequency band.

[0050] (Wireless infrastructure mode) In the wireless infrastructure mode, communication devices (e.g., the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100) that communicate with each other are connected to an external AP (e.g., AP1 (101)) that controls the network, and communication between the communication devices is performed via that AP. In other words, communication between the communication devices is performed via a network established by the external AP. The mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 each discover AP1 (101) and send a connection request to and connect to AP1 (101), thereby enabling communication between these communication devices in the wireless infrastructure mode via AP1 (101). Note that multiple communication devices may be connected to different APs. In this case, data transfer between the APs enables communication between the communication devices. Commands and parameters transmitted and received during communication between each communication device via an access point may be those specified in the Wi-Fi standard, and therefore will not be described here. In this case, AP1 (101) determines the frequency band and frequency channel. Therefore, the AP1 (101) can select which frequency band to use from 5 GHz, 2.4 GHz, and 6 GHz, and which frequency channel to use within that frequency band.

[0051] (Processing in response to a request from the AP to change the connection destination of the STA) The mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 support a function publicly known as Wi-Fi Agile Multiband (registered trademark). Wi-Fi Agile Multiband is a function that enables the selection of an optimal environment according to changing conditions in a Wi-Fi network. Specifically, STAs such as the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 and APs such as AP1 (101) exchange information about the network environment using the IEEE 802.11 series of communication standards. Through this information exchange, if the network is congested, the AP can guide the STA (change its connection destination) to another AP, frequency band, channel, or even a different cellular service. Agile Multiband can also be described as a function that changes the connection destination access point based on a change request from the AP.

[0052] 6 is a sequence diagram in which the MFP 100 switches the AP of the connection destination from AP1 (101) to AP2 (102) in response to a request to change the connection destination from AP1 (101). In this sequence, the processes executed by each device are realized by the CPU of each device reading various programs stored in a memory such as a ROM of each device into a RAM and executing the programs.

[0053] 6, it is assumed that the MFP 100 has established a connection with the AP1 (101) in wireless infrastructure mode. When the MFP 100 and the AP1 (101) connect in wireless infrastructure mode, the AP1 (101) acquires information on whether the MFP 100 supports IEEE802.11v. If the information indicating that the MFP 100 supports IEEE802.11v has been acquired, the following processing is performed.

[0054] In S601, the AP1 (101) transmits to the MFP 100 an inquiry (measurement request) about the radio wave strength of APs around the MFP 100. This inquiry can be transmitted, for example, including a beacon frame request or a beacon report request. In other words, this request can use the mechanism defined in the IEEE 802.11k standard.

[0055] In S602, the MFP 100 receives frames transmitted by surrounding APs in response to the request received in S601 and measures the radio wave strength, thereby measuring the radio wave strength of each of the multiple APs, including AP1 (101) and AP2 (102).

[0056] In S603, the MFP 100 transmits a list of the radio wave intensities of the APs around the MFP 100 measured in S602 as a response to the request received in S601. Note that the radio wave intensity to be responded to may be information stored in the RAM 214 and nonvolatile memory 215 of the MFP 100 in addition to or instead of the information measured in S602. This response is transmitted including, for example, a beacon report or measurement reports.

[0057] In S604, the AP1 (101) determines whether or not it is necessary to switch the connection destination of the MFP 100 based on the congestion status in the network that the AP1 (101) is aware of and the radio wave strength received in S603 from the MFP 100. Factors that the AP1 (101) uses to determine that a connection switch is necessary include a large number of connected STAs, a large amount of communication traffic, other APs that are less congested, the presence or absence of radio interference, and AP function outages. After determining that a switch of the connection destination of the MFP 100 is necessary and determining the SSID, channel, and frequency band of another AP to be designated as the switch destination of the MFP 100, the process proceeds to S605.

[0058] In S605, AP1 (101) transmits an AP change request (connection destination switch request or switch request) to the MFP 100. The connection destination change request includes information on the SSID, channel, and frequency band of another AP to be designated as a switch destination for the MFP 100, as determined in S604. Note that multiple SSIDs may be designated. The connection destination change request is transmitted, for example, as a BTM Request. In other words, a BTM (BSS Transition Management) Request frame defined in the IEEE802.11v standard is transmitted. In the example of FIG. 6, it is assumed that AP2 (102) is designated as the switch destination included in the connection destination change request.

[0059] In S606, if the MFP 100 complies with the connection destination change request received in S605, it transmits a response indicating acceptance of the switch to AP1 (101). If the MFP 100 does not comply with the connection destination change request, it may transmit a response indicating rejection of the switch. The response is transmitted as a BTM Response. In the example of FIG. 6, it is assumed that a response indicating acceptance is transmitted.

[0060] In S607, the AP1 (101) and the MFP 100 disconnect the connection in the wireless infrastructure mode, that is, release the connection.

[0061] In S608, the MFP 100 transmits a connection request to the AP2 (102) to connect to the AP2 (102) specified in the connection destination change request received in S605.

[0062] As a result, in S609, a connection between the MFP 100 and AP2 (102) is established in the wireless infrastructure mode.

[0063] With this mechanism, the MFP100, which is an STA, can change its connection destination from AP1 (101) to AP2 (102) based on a connection destination change request from the originally connected AP1 (101). AP1 (101) and AP2 (102) may be APs installed in different locations. That is, by the processing of FIG. 6, the MFP100 can switch to another AP installed in a location different from the AP to which it was originally connected. Also, the APs may support different frequency bands among multiple frequency bands (any two or three of 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz) provided by the same device. That is, by the processing of FIG. 6, the MFP100 can switch to another frequency band provided by the same device as the AP to which it was originally connected.

[0064] ● AP startup control by MFP Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 7 and subsequent figures. In this description, Wi-Fi Agile Multiband will be referred to as Agile Multiband. Even if the MFP 100 of this embodiment is set to accept a connection destination change request from AP1 (101), if the connection form or state of the MFP 100 satisfies predetermined conditions, the MFP 100 performs an operation to not accept the connection destination change request from AP1 (101). In this embodiment, the MFP 100 is set to accept a connection destination change request when the MFP 100 supports IEEE802.11v and the AP1 (101) recognizes that the Agile Multiband function is enabled.

[0065] (Startup process when wireless infrastructure mode and P2P mode are running simultaneously) 7 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of MFP 100 in this embodiment for preventing the reception of a connection destination change request from AP1 (101) when the settings satisfy a predetermined condition upon startup of MFP 100. Specifically, in this embodiment, MFP 100 operates so as not to receive a connection destination change request when simultaneous operation of wireless infrastructure mode and P2P mode such as WFD is enabled. Note that the processing shown in this flowchart can be implemented by CPU 212 reading various programs stored in memory such as ROM 213 of MFP 100 into RAM 214 and executing them. Note that a description of processing related to initialization other than communication settings at startup that is not related to the present invention will be omitted.

[0066] First, in S701, the CPU 212 acquires setting values ​​related to the wireless communication operation mode stored in the nonvolatile memory 215. The setting values ​​correspond to the communication setting menu items shown in Fig. 3(c), and values ​​indicating the enabled / disabled state of the communication mode can be stored by the CPU 212 in response to a user operation on the operation display unit 220. Furthermore, the nonvolatile memory 215 also stores wireless parameters such as a passkey used for wireless connection when the device has previously connected to an AP.

[0067] In S702, the CPU 212 determines whether the communication setting "Wireless LAN" is enabled, and if it is determined that the communication setting is enabled (YES in S702), it determines whether "Wireless Direct" is enabled in S703. Note that, in this embodiment, "Wireless Direct" is described as operating in WFD mode, but this is not limited to this.

[0068] If it is determined that both the "Wireless LAN" and "Wireless Direct" settings are valid (YES in S703), the condition for simultaneous operation is met. Therefore, the MFP 100 operates as a parent station in WFD mode, and at the same time, disables Agile Multiband and performs connection processing with AP1 (101). Therefore, in S704, the CPU 212 controls the wireless unit 226 to perform startup processing for operating as a parent station in P2P mode, particularly in WFD mode. In the WFD mode in this embodiment, the 2.4 GHz wireless frequency band and 6ch as the frequency channel are used.

[0069] Next, the CPU 212 determines whether a connection setting with an AP in wireless infrastructure mode exists based on the setting value related to the wireless communication operation mode read in S701 (S705). If it determines that a connection setting with an AP exists (YES in S705), the CPU 212 causes the AP1 (101) to recognize that the MFP 100 does not support Agile Multiband through the processes of S706 to S707. An IEEE 802.11v-compatible AP sets whether the STA supports IEEE 802.11v (Agile Multiband) based on a notification from the STA when starting a wireless connection with the STA, and does not change the setting after the wireless connection is established. Therefore, in the processes of S706 and S707, the MFP 100 connects to the AP1 (101) as a device that does not support Agile Multiband. In S706, the CPU 212 creates data for an Association Request frame including information indicating that the MFP 100 does not support IEEE 802.11v, in preparation for the wireless connection. The Association Request frame will be described later with reference to Fig. 14. Thereafter, in S707, the CPU 212 performs wireless connection processing with AP1 (101) using the data of the created Association Request frame (S707). "Using the data of the created Association Request frame" may mean, for example, that the CPU 212 transmits the Association Request frame to AP1 (101). Therefore, the AP 101 determines that Agile Multiband is disabled for the connection with the MFP 100, and does not perform AP switching processing according to the situation as described in Fig. 6, and the connection with AP1 (101) is maintained.

[0070] On the other hand, if it is determined that no connection setting with the AP exists (NO in S705), the CPU 212 ends the processing related to the wireless setting at power-on without performing the connection processing with the AP, and goes into a standby state.

[0071] Furthermore, if it is determined that the "Wireless LAN" setting is enabled and the "Wireless Direct" setting is disabled (NO in S703), the MFP 100 operates only in wireless infrastructure mode. Therefore, by the processing from S708 onwards, connection processing with AP1 (101) is performed with Agile Multiband enabled. The MFP 100 started up under these conditions operates as an STA with Agile Multiband enabled, based on the sequence shown in FIG. 6. First, the processing of determining whether a connection history with the AP exists in S708 may be the same as that in S705, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted. If it is determined that a connection setting with the AP exists (YES in S708), the CPU 212 creates data of an Association Request frame including information indicating that the MFP 100 is compatible with IEEE802.11v in preparation for wireless connection in S709. Thereafter, the CPU 212 performs wireless connection processing with AP1 (101) using the data of the Association Request frame created in S709 (S710). Therefore, the AP 101 determines that Agile Multiband is valid for the connection with the MFP 100, and performs AP switching processing as described with reference to FIG. 6 depending on the situation.

[0072] Finally, if it is determined in S702 that the "wireless LAN" communication setting is disabled, the CPU 212 determines whether the WFD mode is enabled in S711. If it is determined that the WFD mode is enabled (YES in S711), the CPU 212 performs startup processing as a WFD parent station in S712. S711 and S712 may be the same processing as S703 and S704, respectively.

[0073] As described above, according to the present embodiment, when an electronic device such as the MFP 100 is activated with a setting that allows simultaneous operation of wireless infrastructure mode and wireless direct (P2P mode, particularly WFD mode), the electronic device notifies the MFP 100 that it is not IEEE802.11v-compatible and connects to an AP. As a result, the AP 1 (101) recognizes that the MFP 100 is not IEEE802.11v-compatible and does not send a request to change the wireless connection destination to the MFP 100. In this way, a request to change the wireless connection to the MFP 100 is no longer made, so that it is possible to suppress the impact on communication via wireless direct connection caused by disconnection of the wireless infrastructure connection with the AP 1 (101) using Agile Multiband and reconnection processing with another AP. According to the present embodiment, such AP switching is prevented, and stable communication operation is guaranteed even for wireless direct connections that are operating simultaneously. Furthermore, when AP1 (101) recognizes that the MFP 100 is not IEEE802.11v-compatible, it also suppresses transmission of the measurement request (the request described in S601) from AP1 (101) to the MFP 100. Therefore, it is possible to suppress measurement (AP search) in response to the measurement request in the MFP 100 and response to the measurement request (processing in S603). This has the effect of reducing the processing load and power consumption, and allocating resources to other processes.

[0074] (Second embodiment) In the first embodiment, the operation of Agile Multiband is suppressed when the MFP 100 is started up with both the wireless LAN and Wireless Direct settings, which are the communication settings of the MFP 100, enabled. Not only at the time of start-up, but also during operation of the MFP 100, particularly when the communication settings are changed while there is a connection in wireless infrastructure mode, the operation of Agile Multiband can be suppressed according to the settings.

[0075] 8 and 9, a method in which the MFP 100 suppresses Agile Multiband operation when a P2P mode, for example, Wireless Direct (WFD mode), is enabled while connected to the AP1 (101) via wireless LAN will be described. Note that the processing shown in both figures can be realized by the CPU 212 reading various programs stored in a memory such as the ROM 213 of the MFP 100 into the RAM 214 and executing them.

[0076] Fig. 8 is a sequence diagram showing the processing when Wireless Direct (WFD mode) is enabled while the MFP 100 is started and connected to AP1 (101) via wireless LAN, and starts from the connection state when YES is determined in S708 of Fig. 7. That is, in S801, the MFP 100 is connected to AP1 (101) via wireless LAN with Agile Multiband enabled, and Wireless Direct of the MFP 100 is disabled. The same diagram also shows the processing when Wireless Direct of the MFP 100 is enabled and then disabled again.

[0077] First, the operation display unit 220 of the MFP 100 accepts a user operation, and Wireless Direct, which is a menu item of the communication settings shown in FIG. 3C, is set to an enabled state (S802). In response to this setting, the CPU 212 activates the WFD mode (S803). The WFD mode activation process is the same as S704 in FIG. 7. Then, the process from S804 onward causes the AP1 (101) to recognize that the MFP 100 does not support Agile Multiband. When starting a wireless connection with a STA, an AP that supports IEEE802.11v sets whether the STA supports IEEE802.11v (Agile Multiband) based on a notification from the STA, and does not change this setting after the wireless connection is established. Therefore, in the processes of S804 to S806, the MFP 100 temporarily disconnects the wireless connection with the AP1 (101) and reconnects to the AP1 (101) as a device that does not support Agile Multiband. As a result, the AP1 (101) recognizes the MFP 100 as an STA that does not support Agile Multiband, and Agile Multiband is disabled in the MFP 100. First, in S804, the CPU 212 disconnects the wireless connection with the AP1 (101). For example, the disconnection is performed by transmitting a De-authentication frame. Next, in S805, the CPU 212 transmits a connection request to the AP1 (101) using an Association Request frame that includes information indicating that IEEE802.11v is not supported. At this time, the CPU 212 notifies the AP1 (101) that IEEE802.11v is not supported. As a result, the AP1 (101) and the MFP 100 are reconnected (S806). Details are the same as in S706 to S707 of FIG. 7.

[0078] As described above, according to this embodiment, if the MFP 100 enables Wireless Direct (WFD mode) while connected to an AP in Wireless Infrastructure mode with Wireless Direct disabled, the MFP 100 temporarily disconnects wireless communication with AP1 (101). The MFP 100 then notifies AP1 (101) that it is not IEEE802.11v-compliant and reconnects. As a result, AP1 (101) recognizes that the MFP 100 is not IEEE802.11v-compliant and no longer transmits a request to change the wireless connection destination to the MFP 100 (S807). In this state, the MFP 100 can communicate with, for example, the mobile terminal device 104 as a WFD master device and perform processing such as printing, in parallel with wireless infrastructure communication. Therefore, even if the communication settings of the MFP 100 are dynamically changed during startup, the wireless connection between the MFP 100 and AP1 (101) is not disconnected as long as they are operating simultaneously, ensuring stable printing operations.

[0079] The following steps from S808 onward show the procedure in which the MFP 100 reconnects to AP1 (101) with Agile Multiband enabled again when Wireless Direct is changed from enabled to disabled. The operation / display unit 220 of the MFP 100 accepts a user operation, and Wireless Direct, which is a menu item in the communication settings shown in FIG. 3C, is set to disabled (S808). In response to this setting, the CPU 212 terminates the WFD mode (S809). After stopping operation as a parent station in WFD mode in S809, the CPU 212 temporarily disconnects the currently connected AP1 (101) (S810). Next, the CPU 212 performs a reconnection process with AP1 (101) with Agile Multiband enabled (S811). This resumes the connection with AP1 (101) (S812). The process from S811 onward may be the same as steps S709 to S710 in FIG. 7, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted. Then, as after starting up via S710 in FIG. 7, when the WFD mode of the MFP 100 is disabled and the MFP 100 operates with only the wireless LAN enabled, Agile Multiband is enabled (S813).

[0080] Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure performed by MFP 100 shown in the sequence diagram of Fig. 8, and similarly to Fig. 8, shows the processing procedure when Wireless Direct is enabled while MFP 100 is connected to AP1 (101) via wireless LAN. Note that the processing shown in the flowchart of Fig. 9 can be realized by CPU 212 reading various programs stored in memory such as ROM 213 included in MFP 100 into RAM 214 and executing them.

[0081] 9 corresponds to the startup state after the determination in S708 in FIG. 7 is YES and startup processing is performed, and the MFP 100 has established a wireless connection with AP1 (101) in wireless infrastructure mode. At this time, Agile Multiband is enabled and Wireless Direct is disabled (S901).

[0082] Then, the CPU 212 waits for a setting change instruction input to the operation display unit 220 by a user operation, and checks whether the Wireless Direct (WFD) setting has changed. Specifically, in S902, the CPU 212 tests whether the Wireless Direct (WFD) setting has changed from off to on, i.e., from a disabled state to an enabled state. If this is not the case, in S909, the CPU 212 tests whether the Wireless Direct (WFD) setting has changed from on to off, i.e., from an enabled state to a disabled state. If it is determined that the Wireless Direct (WFD) has changed from disabled to enabled (YES in S902), the CPU 212 activates the WFD mode in S903 and thereafter, and temporarily disconnects the wireless infrastructure with AP1 (101). Thereafter, the CPU 212 performs processing to reconnect to AP1 (101) with Agile Multiband set to disabled. The processing performed in each of these steps corresponds to the processing performed by the CPU 212 in S803 to S806 of FIG. 8. The details are as follows.

[0083] The CPU 212 activates the WFD mode in S903. Then, in S904, the CPU 212 determines whether the device is currently connected to AP1 (101) via WLAN with IEEE802.11v enabled. That is, the CPU 212 determines whether Agile Multiband is enabled in the WLAN connection with AP1 (101). This determination may be made, for example, based on the enabled / disabled (compatible / incompatible) status of IEEE802.11v stored in association with the SSID at the time of connection. Note that, as will be described later, S904 may not be performed, and in that case, it is not necessary to specifically store the enabled / disabled status of IEEE802.11v.

[0084] If it is determined in S904 that the AP is connected to AP1 (101) with IEEE802.11v enabled, the CPU 212 disconnects the WLAN connection with AP1 (101) in S905. Thereafter, in S906, the CPU 212 creates Association Request data including information indicating non-compliance with IEEE802.11v, and transmits this to the AP (AP1 (101)) whose connection was disconnected in S905, thereby performing reconnection processing (S907).

[0085] If the CPU 212 determines that the connection with AP1 (101) has been temporarily disconnected for some reason in the WFS 904 (NO in S904), the CPU 212 proceeds to the processing of S906 and thereafter without performing the WLAN disconnection processing in S905.

[0086] Finally, CPU 212 determines whether a predetermined termination condition, such as a transition to a power saving mode or pressing of the power button, is met, and if not met (NO in S908), returns to S902 to wait for a user operation again. That is, the processing shown in FIG. 9 can be repeatedly executed while MFP 100 is in operation.

[0087] On the other hand, if the Wireless Direct (WFD) setting has not been changed from disabled to enabled in S902 (NO in S902), the CPU 212 checks whether WFD has been changed from enabled to disabled (S909). If it is determined that WFD has been changed from enabled to disabled, the CPU 212 terminates WFD in S910. Then, in S911, the CPU 212 determines whether the device is currently connected to AP1 (101) via WLAN with IEEE802.11v disabled. That is, the CPU 212 determines whether Agile Multiband is disabled in the WLAN connection with AP1 (101). This determination may be made, for example, based on the enabled / disabled (supported / incompatible) status of IEEE802.11v associated with the SSID that is stored at the time of connection. Note that, as will be described later, S911 may not be performed, and in that case, the enabled / disabled status of IEEE802.11v may not be stored.

[0088] If it is determined in S911 that the device is connected to AP1 (101) with IEEE802.11v disabled, the CPU 212 disconnects the WLAN connection with AP1 (101) in S912. Thereafter, in S913, the CPU 212 creates Association Request data including information indicating IEEE802.11v compatibility (S913), and transmits this data to the AP (AP1 (101)) whose connection was disconnected in S912, thereby performing reconnection processing (S914).

[0089] In this way, in S910 and thereafter, the CPU 212 ends the WFD mode, temporarily disconnects (also referred to as terminating or releasing) the wireless infrastructure mode connection with the AP1 (101), and then performs processing to reconnect to the AP1 (101) with Agile Multiband enabled. The processing performed in each of these steps corresponds to the processing performed by the CPU 212 in each of steps S808 to S812 in FIG. 8.

[0090] As described above, according to this embodiment, even in a configuration in which the operation settings of Wireless Direct can be dynamically changed while an electronic device such as an MFP is connected to an AP in wireless infrastructure mode, Agile Multiband in wireless infrastructure mode can be disabled only when simultaneous operation is in progress. This prevents AP switching due to Agile Multiband and ensures stable communication even for simultaneous operation of Wireless Direct connections. Furthermore, if the AP recognizes that the electronic device of the slave station is not IEEE802.11v-compliant, it also suppresses transmission of a measurement request from the AP to the electronic device of the slave station. Therefore, it is possible to suppress measurements in response to measurement requests (AP searches) and responses to measurement requests in the electronic device of the slave station. This reduces the processing load, reduces power consumption, and allows resources to be allocated to other processes.

[0091] Note that if disconnecting a non-existent connection does not result in any particular error, steps S904 and S911 in Figure 9 do not need to be performed. In this case, the steps before and after each step are directly connected. Also, if the determination results in S904 and SD911 are negative (NO), the process may branch to S908. In this way, if the determination results in S904 and SD911 are negative (NO), the connection with the current AP is maintained.

[0092] (Third embodiment) In the second embodiment, a method for disabling the switching of the connection destination using Agile Multiband is to temporarily disconnect the wireless infrastructure mode connection and then reconnect while the wireless infrastructure mode and Wireless Direct (WFD) mode are simultaneously operating. In contrast, in this embodiment, the AP1 (101) recognizes the MFP100 as an STA that supports Agile Multiband and remains connected, but changes the method of responding to frames specified in the IEEE802.11v standard. This disables the request to switch the connection destination.

[0093] The control of the MFP 100 in this embodiment in response to a connection destination change request from AP1 (101) will be described below with reference to the sequence diagram of Fig. 10 and the flowchart of Fig. 11. The processes shown in both figures can be realized by the CPU 212 reading various programs stored in a memory such as the ROM 213 of the MFP 100 into the RAM 214 and executing them.

[0094] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram of an operation in which, when the Wireless Direct setting is enabled while the MFP 100 in this embodiment is connected to the AP1 (101) via wireless LAN, the MFP 100 does not receive a connection destination change request from the AP1 (101) or rejects the change request even if it is received.

[0095] In the initial state of Fig. 10, the MFP 100 has established a connection with AP1 (101) in wireless infrastructure mode, and AP1 (101) has determined that the MFP 100 is compatible with IEEE802.11v (S1001). This state is similar to S601 in Fig. 6 or S801 in Fig. 8. Then, similar to S802 to S803 in Fig. 8, when the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 detects that the Wireless Direct (WFD) setting has been enabled on the operation display unit 220 (S1002), it activates the WFD mode (S1003).

[0096] Next, in S1004, when the CPU 212 receives a measurement request from AP1 (101) (corresponding to S601 in FIG. 6), the CPU 212 responds to the measurement request with a beacon report indicating that no APs exist other than the currently connected AP1 (101) (S1005). Specifically, the CPU 212 transmits to AP1 (101) a beacon report that does not include measurement results of signal quality for APs other than the currently connected AP1 (101). Alternatively, in S1005, the CPU 212 may create a beacon report that does not include information on measurement results of signal quality from the currently connected AP1 (101) and other APs and transmit it to AP1 (101). In other words, in this case, the response transmitted in S1005 does not include information on other APs, regardless of the signal quality that would be measurable if an actual AP search were performed for the other APs. This corresponds to the content indicating that no other APs were found even after an AP search. In other words, the content indicates that at least some of the signal quality from other APs is worse than what would be obtained if an actual AP search were performed. Or, in response to a signal strength measurement request received from an AP, it indicates that there is no access point with a better communication condition than the currently connected access point. Hereinafter, a response to a measurement request that differs from the actual AP search result will be referred to as a pseudo response. Note that signal quality can also be referred to as communication condition, and good signal quality can be said to be good communication condition.

[0097] As in S1005, by sending a pseudo beacon report that does not include the signal quality measurement results from APs other than the currently connected AP1 (101), AP1 (101) can be made to recognize that there is no other AP to connect to when the connection is disconnected. Therefore, it is expected that AP1 (101) will be strongly suppressed from sending a connection change request, and that AP1 (101) will also be suppressed from forcibly disconnecting the connection.

[0098] On the other hand, before the pseudo response to the measurement request from AP1, or even after the pseudo response has been sent, AP1 (101) may send a connection destination change request (BTM Request, also referred to as a switching request) to the MFP 100 (S1006). This is a request corresponding to S605 in Fig. 6. In this embodiment, when the CPU 212 receives a connection destination change request (BTM Request) from AP1 (101), it sends a rejection response to the connection destination change request or ignores it (does not return a response to the connection destination change request) in S1007.

[0099] Finally, when it is detected that the Wireless Direct (WFD) setting has been changed from enabled to disabled (S1008), the CPU 212 terminates operation as the master station in the WFD mode (S1009). That is, the WFD mode is terminated. Thereafter, the CPU 212 performs the same operations as those shown in S601 and subsequent steps in FIG. 6 to respond to a request to switch the connection destination compatible with Agile Multiband.

[0100] In this way, in a situation where the wireless infrastructure mode and the wireless direct (WFD) mode are operating simultaneously, it is possible to prevent a change of the connection destination based on a request to change the connection destination.

[0101] 11 is a flowchart of an operation in which, when Wireless Direct is enabled while the MFP 100 is connected to AP1 (101) via wireless LAN, the MFP 100 does not receive a connection destination change request from AP1 (101) or rejects the change request even if it is received. The processing of this flowchart is realized by the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 loading a program stored in a storage medium into RAM and executing it, or by executing a program stored in ROM. First, at the start of the processing of FIG. 11, similar to S901 in FIG. 9, it is assumed that the MFP 100 has established a wireless connection with AP1 (101) in wireless infrastructure mode. This corresponds to the startup state after determining YES in S708 in FIG. 7, where Agile Multiband is enabled and Wireless Direct (WFD) settings are disabled.

[0102] Next, in S1102, the CPU 212 checks whether the Wireless Direct (WFD) setting has changed from disabled to enabled, similar to S902 in Fig. 9. If it is determined that the Wireless Direct (WFD) setting has changed from disabled to enabled (YES in S1102), the CPU 212 starts up the WFD mode in S1109 (corresponding to S903).

[0103] In the second embodiment shown in FIG. 9, after starting the WFD mode, the wireless infrastructure mode connection with AP1 (101) is temporarily disconnected, but in this embodiment, the response from S1110 onwards is made while Agile Multiband remains enabled.

[0104] In S1110, the CPU 212 receives a measurement request (S601 in FIG. 6) from the AP1 (101). Here, the measurement request corresponds to the measurement request received from AP1 (101) in S1004 of Fig. 10. When the CPU 212 receives the measurement request from AP1 (101) (YES in S1110), it performs the pseudo response shown in S1005 (S1111).

[0105] Next, in S1112, the CPU 212 determines whether a connection destination change request (BTM Request) has been received from the AP1 (101). Here, the connection destination change request corresponds to the switching request received from the AP1 (101) in S1006 of FIG. 10. If the connection destination change request has been received (YES in S1112), the CPU 212 either sends a rejection response to the connection destination change request or ignores it (S1115: corresponding to S1007 in FIG. 10). In this embodiment, since it is sufficient that switching of the connection destination by Agile Multiband does not occur during simultaneous operation, the response to the connection destination change request may be either an ignore or a rejection response. However, if a change rejection response is sent in S1115 in response to the connection destination change request, there is a possibility that the AP1 (101) will thereafter not send measurement requests or connection destination change requests to the MFP 100 that once sent a rejection response. Therefore, even if the Wireless Direct setting is enabled and then disabled, neither a measurement request nor a connection destination change request is sent from the AP, and Agile Multiband operation remains disabled. Therefore, if a change rejection response is sent to the connection destination change request in S1115 and the Wireless Direct setting is subsequently disabled, the Wireless Direct (WFD) mode is terminated and disabled as shown in FIG. 9 of the second embodiment. After that, the connection in wireless infrastructure mode may be temporarily disconnected and reconnected. In this case, information indicating that Agile Multiband is enabled is sent to the AP to be reconnected, so that Agile Multiband can function effectively.

[0106] 9 , the CPU 212 checks whether the Wireless Direct (WFD) setting has changed from enabled to disabled in S1113. If it determines that the WFD setting has not changed (NO in S1113), the CPU 212 returns to S1110. As a result, the CPU 212 continues to issue pseudo responses to measurement requests and ignore or reject responses to switching requests. On the other hand, if it determines that the Wireless Direct (WFD) setting has changed from disabled to enabled (YES in S1113), the CPU 212 ends the WFD mode in S1114 (corresponding to S910) and proceeds to S1108. In S1108, the CPU 212 determines whether an end condition, such as a transition to a power saving mode or being turned off, is met, as in S908 in FIG. 9 . If the end condition is not met (NO in S1108), the MFP 100 returns the process to S1102 and issues a response compatible with Agile Multiband, assuming that only the wireless infrastructure mode is active. On the other hand, if the termination condition is met (YES in S1108), the flow chart shown in FIG. 11 is terminated.

[0107] The following describes responses to the measurement request and the switching request when it is determined in S1102 that the Wireless Direct (WFD) settings have not been changed.

[0108] In S1103, the CPU 212 determines whether or not a measurement request has been received from AP1 (101). If a measurement request has been received, since the device is operating only in wireless infrastructure mode, the CPU 212 searches for surrounding APs or creates measurement results using searched information and transmits the results to AP1 (101) in S1104. This process corresponds to S603 in FIG. 6. In this way, when the wireless infrastructure mode and wireless direct (WFD) mode are not operating simultaneously (when the determination in S1102 is NO), the device responds to the measurement request with the content that was actually measured (the content that is the measurement result) (a correct response).

[0109] In S1105, CPU 212 determines whether or not a connection destination change request (switching request) has been received. If it has been received, the process proceeds to S1106, and if it has not been received, the process proceeds to S1108. In S1106, CPU 212 responds to the connection destination change request by acknowledging its acceptance. In S1107, CPU 212 switches the connection by transmitting a connection request to the AP specified in the connection destination change request. The processing of S1106 to S1107 corresponds to S606 to S608 in FIG. 6 described above. Finally, in S1108, CPU 212 determines whether or not the termination condition is met, and if not, performs the processing from S1102, and if satisfied, terminates the processing.

[0110] As described above, according to this embodiment, when the wireless infrastructure mode and the wireless direct mode are operating simultaneously, a pseudo response is sent to a measurement request received from the currently connected AP, with content indicating a worse condition than the condition actually measured for the surrounding APs. This makes it possible to prevent the currently connected AP from sending a connection destination change request requesting a change of connection destination to another AP. In other words, it is possible to prevent an inappropriate change of the connection destination AP and to perform stable and appropriate communication processing during simultaneous operation.

[0111] Furthermore, the MFP ignores or rejects a connection destination change request from the AP. By doing so, even if an AP connection destination change request is sent, the MFP can prevent the connection destination AP from being changed while the WFD mode is activated, i.e., enabled, and can stably and appropriately process communication in the WFD mode that is currently operating.

[0112] (Modification of the third embodiment) 11, in response to the enabling of the Wireless Direct (WFD) setting, unless the Wireless Direct (WFD) setting is disabled, the measurement request and the connection destination change request from the AP are handled by a loop of S1110-S1113. However, the measurement request and the connection destination change request from the AP may be handled asynchronously with the operation of enabling or disabling the Wireless Direct (WFD) setting.

[0113] For this purpose, for example, when the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 receives a message from the AP, it determines whether the message is a measurement request. If it is a measurement request, it determines whether the current WFD mode is enabled or disabled. This determination may be made based on the Wireless Direct setting in the setting of FIG. 3(c), and it may determine whether the WFD mode is enabled or disabled by referring to this setting. If the WFD mode is enabled, the CPU 212 performs the process of S1111, and if it is disabled, it may perform the process of S1104.

[0114] If the message received from the AP is not a measurement request, the CPU 212 determines whether the message is a connection destination change request. If it is a connection destination change request, the CPU 212 determines whether the WFD mode is currently enabled or disabled. If the WFD mode is enabled, the CPU 212 performs the process of S1115, and if it is disabled, the CPU 212 performs the processes of S1106 and S1107.

[0115] If the received message is neither a measurement request nor a connection destination change request, the CPU 212 may execute a process according to the message.

[0116] 10, the MFP 100 receives an inquiry about radio wave strength from AP1 in S1004. If the Wireless Direct (WFD) setting is enabled at that time, the MFP 100 transmits to AP1 (101) a beacon report that does not include measurement results of signal quality from APs other than the currently connected AP1 (101) in S1005. Alternatively, the MFP 100 may create a beacon report that does not include information about measurement results of signal quality from any AP and transmit it to AP1 (101) in S1005. Furthermore, if the WFD mode is activated when the MFP 100 receives a connection destination change request from AP1 (101) in S1008, the MFP 100 will either reject or ignore the connection destination change request in S1009.

[0117] Also in this modification, when an operation to disable the Wireless Direct (WFD) setting is performed, in addition to terminating the WFD mode, the connection with the AP currently connected via wireless infrastructure communication may be temporarily disconnected and then reconnected. When reconnecting, by transmitting information indicating that MFP 100 supports Agile Multiband to the AP via a connection request or the like, it is possible to resume operation according to Agile Multiband between MFP 100 and the AP.

[0118] Processing in this manner also produces the same effect as in the third embodiment. Note that in this modification, an operation to enable or disable the Wireless Direct (WFD) setting may be performed between the measurement request and the connection destination change request, and the WFD mode may be started or ended accordingly. However, by determining whether the Wireless Direct (WFD) setting is enabled or disabled for each message when it is received and responding according to the determination result, it is possible to suppress operation in accordance with Agile Multiband if the WFD mode is enabled.

[0119] (Fourth embodiment) In the second and third embodiments, the control when the Wireless Direct (WFD) setting is enabled and simultaneous operation is performed while the MFP 100 and AP1 (101) are connected in wireless infrastructure mode has been described. The present invention is also applicable to the case where the wireless infrastructure mode setting is changed. In the MFP 100 shown in this embodiment, when the wireless infrastructure mode is enabled from the operation panel, if the MFP 100 is operating as a master station in Wireless Direct mode (WFD mode), Agile Multiband is disabled. In this way, processing according to Agile Multiband can be suppressed as long as Wireless Direct mode is enabled, regardless of the order in which each mode is enabled.

[0120] Fig. 12 is a sequence diagram showing the processing when the MFP 100 is started up and configured to connect to AP1 (101) in wireless infrastructure mode while operating in wireless direct mode, and starts from the startup state when YES is determined in S711 of Fig. 7. That is, in S1201, the MFP 100 is operating as a parent station in WFD mode, and wireless infrastructure mode is disabled.

[0121] In this embodiment, the processing shown in FIG. 12 can be realized by the CPU 212 reading out various programs stored in a memory such as the ROM 213 of the MFP 100 into the RAM 214 and executing the programs.

[0122] First, when the operation display unit 220 accepts a user's operation and the wireless infrastructure setting, which is a menu item of the communication setting shown in FIG. 3C, is set to an enabled state (S1202), the CPU 212 activates the wireless infrastructure mode (S1203). In the activation process of the wireless infrastructure mode, an initialization process of the wireless unit 226, including the setting of the communication channel, is performed. Then, the CPU 212 makes the AP1 (101) recognize that the MFP 100 does not support Agile Multiband. To achieve this, in this embodiment, the CPU 212 transmits a connection request to the AP1 (101) that the MFP 100 is a device that does not support Agile Multiband (S1204), and establishes a connection with the AP (S1205). As a result, the AP1 (101) recognizes the MFP 100 as an STA that does not support Agile Multiband (S1206), and measurement requests and connection destination switching requests to the MFP 100 are suppressed.

[0123] 12 is not transmitted from AP1 (100) to MFP100. As a result, even if a connection by wireless infrastructure communication is established during a WFD connection, processing associated with switching of APs for AgileMultiband is suppressed, and communication in WFD mode is not interrupted.

[0124] (Fifth embodiment) In the MFP 100 shown in the fourth embodiment, when the wireless infrastructure setting is enabled from the operation panel, if the MFP 100 is operating as a parent station of Wireless Direct (WFD), it connects to the AP as not compatible with IEEE802.11v. By applying the same method as in the third embodiment while keeping compatibility with IEEE802.11v in accordance with the specifications of the MFP 100, it is possible to suppress processing for Agile Multiband.

[0125] The MFP100 shown in this embodiment connects to an AP as a SAT compatible with IEEE802.11v, and then makes pseudo responses to measurement requests and switching requests, causing the AP to recognize the MFP100 as an STA that does not support Agile Multiband.

[0126] Fig. 13 is a sequence diagram showing the processing when the MFP 100 is started and configured to connect to AP1 (101) in wireless infrastructure mode while Wireless Direct is operating, and starts from the start-up state when YES is determined in S711 of Fig. 7. That is, in S1201, the MFP 100 is operating as a parent station in WFD mode, and the wireless infrastructure mode is disabled.

[0127] In this embodiment as well, the processing shown in FIG. 13 can be realized by the CPU 212 reading out various programs stored in a memory such as the ROM 213 of the MFP 100 into the RAM 214 and executing them.

[0128] The processes of S1302 and S1303 are the same as S1202 and S1203 in Fig. 12, respectively. Since the wireless infrastructure mode in the communication settings is enabled (S1302), the CPU 212 activates the wireless infrastructure mode (S1303). Then, in S1304, the MFP 100 transmits a connection request to the AP using an Association Request frame indicating that the MFP 100 supports IEEE802.11v, and connects to the AP in S1305. This is the same process as S709 to S710 in Fig. 7.

[0129] Next, while the WFD mode is activated (or enabled), the CPU 212 sends a pseudo response to a measurement request and a switch request from the AP, as specified in IEEE802.11v. Specifically, when the CPU 212 receives a radio wave strength inquiry (measurement request) from the AP in S1306, it sends a pseudo response to the AP in S1307. Furthermore, when the CPU 212 receives a connection destination change request (switch request) from the AP in S1308, it sends a switch rejection response to the AP in S1309 or ignores the switch request. This disables the switch of the connection destination. These processes may be the same as S1004 to S1007 in FIG. 10.

[0130] Furthermore, while the WFD mode is not enabled, an appropriate response is returned to a measurement request or a switching request from an AP, and the AP switches. Furthermore, if a rejection response is returned to a switching request while the WFD mode is enabled, the AP may reconnect to the AP that returned the rejection response when the WFD mode is disabled. In this case, the AP may request a connection by sending information indicating that it supports IEEE802.11v.

[0131] As described above, when the MFP100 is operating as a Wireless Direct master station and the wireless infrastructure is enabled to connect to AP1 (101), it responds pseudo-responses to measurement requests and connection destination switching requests to the MFP100. This process allows the AP to recognize the MFP100 as an STA that does not support Agile Multiband. This prevents AP switching and ensures stable communication even for Wireless Direct connections that are operating simultaneously.

[0132] (Example of Association Request frame data configuration) FIG. 14 shows an example of the body portion of Association Request frame data that is created and transmitted when wirelessly connecting to an AP in each embodiment. The value of BSS Transition included in Extended Capability is set depending on whether IEEE802.11v is supported. In addition to this parameter, this frame data also includes various other parameters for starting wireless communication. (a) of FIG. 14 is an example of Association Request frame data when IEEE802.11v is not supported. The frame includes data in which the BSS Transition value is 0 as an IEEE802.11 communication parameter, indicating that IEEE802.11v is not supported. (b) of FIG. 14 is an example of Association Request frame data when IEEE802.11v is supported. The frame includes data in which the BSS Transition value is 1 as an IEEE802.11 communication parameter, indicating that IEEE802.11v is supported.

[0133] The configuration example of the Association Request frame data shown in FIG. 14 is used not only in the first to fifth embodiments already described, but also in a sixth embodiment to be described later when connecting to an AP in wireless infrastructure mode.

[0134] (Sixth embodiment) In the configurations shown in the first to fifth examples, the condition for disabling Agile Multiband is when a connection to an AP is made in wireless infrastructure mode and wireless communication in P2P (WLAN) mode (WFD or Wireless Direct) is enabled at the same time. In contrast, in this embodiment, a case will be described in which the second communication interface that operates simultaneously with the wireless infrastructure mode, which is the first communication interface (IF) provided in MFP 100, is not limited to wireless communication in P2P (WLAN) mode.

[0135] For example, this embodiment can be applied to a case where, when MFP 100 is connected to an external device via a wired IF such as USB (Universal Serial Bus) as the second communication IF, AP switching in the wireless infrastructure is suppressed and communication via the USB connection is given priority. When MFP 100 and the external device are connected via a wired connection, it is assumed that the user is operating MFP 100 and the external device (such as a PC) to execute a job such as print output or scan on the spot, so AP switching in the wireless infrastructure can be suppressed. According to this embodiment, even when the second communication IF is a wired IF such as USB, AP switching is prevented, and stable communication operation is guaranteed even for USB connections that are operating simultaneously.

[0136] In particular, when the MFP 100 has the functionality of a mobile printer that can be operated on battery power, it is desirable to reduce the processing load and power consumption by disabling Agile Multiband processing in order to reduce battery power consumption.

[0137] 15 shows an example of the configuration of MFP 100 in this embodiment, and components that may be the same as those in FIG. 2 are assigned the same reference numerals and will not be described again. One difference from the configuration shown in FIG. 2 is that MFP 100 in this embodiment includes a USB unit 232 connected via a dedicated bus 231. USB unit 232 is a USB device controller that controls data transmission and reception with an external device connected via a cable in accordance with the USB standard, and is generally configured by hardware. CPU 212 controls data transmission and reception with the external device by detecting hardware interrupts generated by USB unit 226.

[0138] The MFP 100 of this embodiment can simultaneously process wireless LAN communication via AP1 (101) using the wireless unit 226 and USB communication via the USB unit 232. Note that although the external device is illustrated as a mobile terminal device 104 in Fig. 15, it is not limited to this and may be a PC, tablet terminal, or the like as long as it functions as a host in accordance with the protocol defined by the USB standard.

[0139] Furthermore, MFP100 in this embodiment is equipped with a power supply unit (not shown) that can be connected to an external power source via an outlet, as well as a battery-powered power supply unit 233. Power supply unit 233 includes a detachable rechargeable battery, and when the power supply unit is not connected to an outlet, power is supplied to the device from the rechargeable battery. In other words, MFP100 is a printing device that is portable as a mobile printer.

[0140] The power supply state can be, for example, a dead battery state in which there is no remaining battery power, a power-off state in which the power key is not pressed, an active state in which the device is normally running on an external power source, a power-saving state in which the device is in a standby state, a power-supply state in which the device is operating on power supplied from a rechargeable battery, or a charging state in which the device is charging. Note that in the case of a mobile printer, due to hardware restrictions on the power supply unit 233, the active state and the charging state are mutually exclusive, and the charging state is a form of the power-off state. Therefore, when the device is operating on battery power from the power supply unit 233, it is desirable to reduce power consumption as much as possible.

[0141] 16 shows a processing procedure when a USB cable is inserted and the MFP 100 is connected to the mobile terminal 104 while the MFP 100 is connected to the AP1 (101) via wireless LAN, or when the USB cable is removed and communication with the mobile terminal 104 is cut off. Note that the processing shown in FIG. 16 can be realized by the CPU 212 reading various programs stored in a memory such as the ROM 213 provided in the MFP 100 into the RAM 214 and executing the programs.

[0142] 16, it is assumed that the MFP 100 has established a wireless connection with the AP1 (101) in wireless infrastructure mode, and that the connection destination switching operation using Agile Multiband is enabled (S1601).

[0143] In S1602, CPU 212 checks whether a USB cable has been connected by a user operation. In a typical USB device, when USB unit 232 detects as an electrical signal the voltage on the VBUS line generated by connecting a USB cable, a VBUSON interrupt occurs, and CPU 212 detects the interrupt and determines that a USB cable has been connected. When a USB cable is connected (YES in S1602), CPU 212 performs enumeration processing in S1603 to operate as a USB device. Thereafter, MFP 100 is able to communicate with mobile terminal 104, which is a USB host device. That is, this activates and enables the second communication IF (or second communication mode).

[0144] Next, in S1604, CPU 212 checks whether the system is being driven by a battery from power supply unit 232. In this embodiment, an API for checking the power supply state is provided by the embedded OS that controls the entire system of MFP 100, and whether the system is being driven by a battery can be determined by a program executed by CPU 212. In addition to determining whether the system is being driven by a battery, if the system is being driven by a battery, the charge level can also be determined.

[0145] If the MFP 100 is in a battery-powered state (YES in S1604), the CPU 212, in S1605 and thereafter, temporarily disconnects the wireless infrastructure with AP1 (101), and then performs reconnection processing with AP1 (101) with Agile Multiband disabled. Specifically, if it is determined in S1604 that the MFP 100 is in a battery-powered state, the CPU 212, in S1605, disconnects the WLAN connection with AP1 (101). Thereafter, in S1606, the CPU 212 creates Association Request data including information indicating non-compliance with IEEE802.11v, and transmits this data to the AP (AP1 (101)) whose connection was disconnected in S1605, thereby performing reconnection processing (S1607).

[0146] Finally, CPU 212 determines whether a predetermined termination condition, such as transitioning to power saving mode or pressing the power button, is met, and if not met (NO in S1608), returns to S1602 to again detect a change in the USB connection status due to user operation.

[0147] The above process detects the connection of a USB cable while connected to AP1 (101) via the wireless infrastructure, i.e., the activation or activation of the USB communication function, and disables Agile Multiband. This makes it possible to suppress processing associated with AP switching requests, which are likely to be unnecessary. This reduces the processing load and power consumption, allowing resources to be allocated to other processes, such as printing via USB.

[0148] On the other hand, if it is determined in S1602 that the USB cable is not connected, the CPU 212 determines in S1609 whether the USB cable has been unplugged. In this case as well, when the USB unit 232 detects as an electrical signal a voltage change on the VBUS line caused by the unplugging of the USB cable, a VBUSOFF interrupt occurs, and the CPU 212 detects the VBUSOFF interrupt and determines that the USB cable has been unplugged. Then, if it is determined that the USB cable has been unplugged, that is, the USB communication function has been terminated or disabled (YES in S1609), the CPU 212 performs disconnection processing such as disabling the NAK interrupt and suspending the USB device task in S1610.

[0149] Next, in S1611 and thereafter, the CPU 212 temporarily disconnects the wireless infrastructure connection with AP1 (101) if it is currently connected, and then performs processing to reconnect to AP1 (101) with Agile Multiband enabled. Specifically, in S1611, the CPU 212 determines whether the AP 1 (101) is currently connected via WLAN with IEEE802.11v disabled. In other words, the CPU 212 determines whether Agile Multiband is disabled in the WLAN connection with AP1 (101). This determination may be made, for example, based on the enabled / disabled (compatible / incompatible) status of IEEE802.11v stored in association with the SSID at the time of connection.

[0150] If it is determined in S1611 that the device is connected to AP1 (101) with IEEE802.11v disabled, the CPU 212 disconnects the WLAN connection with AP1 (101) in S1612. Thereafter, in S1613, the CPU 212 creates Association Request data including information indicating IEEE802.11v compatibility, and transmits this data to the AP (AP1 (101)) whose connection was disconnected in S912, thereby performing reconnection processing (S1614).

[0151] With the above process, when the removal of the USB cable is detected while connected to AP1 (101) in the wireless infrastructure, Agile Multiband can be re-enabled, allowing measurements (AP search) according to measurement requests and responses to measurement requests.

[0152] As a modified example, in S1604, the CPU 212 may branch to S1605 only if the remaining battery power is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and may disable Agile Multiband through the processing up to S1607. If the remaining battery power exceeds the predetermined value, the CPU 212 may branch to S1608.

[0153] Furthermore, the second communication interface is not limited to a wireless direct connection or a USB connection, but may be a wireless infrastructure mode that connects to an AP2 different from AP1, or may be a wired LAN.

[0154] As described above, according to this embodiment, even in a configuration in which an electronic device such as an MFP is connected to an AP in wireless infrastructure mode and a USB connection to a host device is possible, Agile Multiband in wireless infrastructure mode can be disabled only when simultaneous operation is in progress. This prevents AP switching due to Agile Multiband and ensures stable communication even with simultaneous USB connections. Furthermore, if the AP recognizes that the slave station electronic device is not IEEE802.11v-compliant, it also suppresses transmission of a measurement request from the AP to the slave station electronic device. Therefore, measurements in response to measurement requests (AP searches) and responses to measurement requests in the slave station electronic device can also be suppressed. This reduces the processing load, reduces power consumption, and allows resources to be allocated to other processes.

[0155] In this embodiment, an example has been shown in which the second communication interface (also referred to as a communication mode or a communication medium) in the second embodiment is replaced from WFD to USB. This is not limiting, and the WFD, which is the second communication interface described in the first embodiment and the third to fifth embodiments, may be replaced with USB in the same manner as in the sixth embodiment. In this replacement, the Agile Multiband setting of the wireless infrastructure mode, which is the first communication interface, can be substantially disabled during connection via the USB, which is the second communication interface. Substantially disabling includes not only disabling the setting, but also rejecting or ignoring a pseudo response to a measurement request based on the Agile Multiband setting and a switching request.

[0156] The second communication interface is not limited to WFD or USB, and may be other communication media. For example, the second communication interface may be Bluetooth (registered trademark), LTE, NR, wireless LAN, wired LAN, short-range wireless communication, or other communication media.

[0157] The various controls in the first to sixth embodiments described above as being performed by CPU 212 may be performed by a single piece of hardware, or the entire device may be controlled by multiple pieces of hardware (e.g., multiple processors or circuits) sharing the processing.

[0158] Furthermore, although the present invention has been described in detail based on preferred embodiments thereof, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various forms within the scope of the gist of the present invention are also included in the present invention. Furthermore, each of the above-described embodiments merely represents one embodiment of the present invention, and each embodiment can be combined as appropriate.

[0159] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the present invention has been described with reference to an example in which it is applied to an MFP. However, this is not limited to this example. The present invention can be applied to any communication device that can connect to an AP in wireless infrastructure mode and simultaneously connect to an external device via a different communication interface. Specifically, the present invention can be applied to personal computers, PDAs, tablet devices, mobile phones such as smartphones, music players, game consoles, e-book readers, smartwatches, and various measuring devices (sensor devices) such as thermometers and hygrometers. The present invention can also be applied to digital cameras (including still cameras, video cameras, network cameras, and security cameras), printers, scanners, and drones. The present invention can also be applied to video output devices, audio output devices (e.g., smart speakers), media streaming players, and wireless LAN adapters (adapters) that can be connected via USB or LAN cable terminals. Examples of video output devices include devices that acquire (download) videos from the Internet identified by a URL specified by an electronic device and output them to a connected display device via a video output terminal such as HDMI (registered trademark), thereby enabling streaming playback on the display device or mirroring display (displaying the content displayed on the electronic device on the display device). Furthermore, video output devices include media players such as televisions, hard disk recorders, Blu-ray recorders, and DVD recorders, head-mounted displays, projectors, televisions, display devices (monitors), signage devices, etc. The present invention is also applicable to Wi-Fi-connectable devices known as smart home appliances, such as air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, ovens, microwave ovens, lighting equipment, heating equipment, and cooling equipment.

[0160] (Other embodiments) 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.

[0161] Summary of embodiments The above embodiments can be summarized as follows: (Item 1) a first communication means capable of communicating in a first communication mode via a wireless connection with an access point; a second communication means capable of communicating with an external device via a connection in a second communication mode different from the first communication mode; a control means for controlling the change of the access point to be connected in the first communication mode to another access point based on a change request received from the access point; The control means controls to suppress a change of the access point of the connection destination based on the change request when the connection in the first communication mode is established and the second communication mode is activated. An electronic device characterized by: (Item 2) When the second communication mode is activated while the connection in the first communication mode is established, the control means releases the connection with the access point that is the connection destination of the first communication means, disables a function for changing the connection destination access point based on the change request, and connects to the access point. 2. The electronic device according to item 1. (Item 3) When the connection in the first communication mode is established and the second communication mode is activated, and the second communication mode is terminated, the control means releases the connection to the access point that is the connection destination of the first communication means, enables a function for changing the connection destination access point based on the change request, and connects to the access point. 3. The electronic device according to item 2. (Item 4) When the connection in the first communication mode is established and the second communication mode is activated, the control means does not respond to the change request received from the access point or responds with a rejection. 4. The electronic device according to any one of items 1 to 3. (Item 5) When the second communication mode is terminated after the first communication means does not respond to the change request or responds negatively, the control means releases the connection with the access point that is the connection destination of the first communication means, enables a function for changing the connection destination access point based on the change request, and connects to the access point. 5. The electronic device according to item 4. (Item 6) When the connection in the first communication mode is established and the second communication mode is activated, the control means responds to a request for measuring radio wave intensity received from the access point by making a pseudo response indicating that there is no access point with a better communication condition than the currently connected access point. 6. The electronic device according to any one of items 1 to 5. (Item 7) The control means activates the second communication mode when the second communication mode is set, and when the first communication mode is set, disables a function for changing the connection destination access point based on the change request and connects to the access point. 7. The electronic device according to any one of items 1 to 6. (Item 8) When the second communication mode is not set and the first communication mode is set, the control means enables a function of changing the connection destination access point based on the change request and connects to the access point. 8. The electronic device according to item 7. (Item 9) The second communication mode includes wireless direct, wired LAN, USB, and short-range wireless communication in which the electronic device is a master station. 9. The electronic device according to any one of items 1 to 8. (Item 10) Further comprising a power supply unit powered by a battery, The control means controls the device to suppress the change of the access point of the connection destination based on the change request when the device is powered by the battery, and does not suppress the change of the access point of the connection destination based on the change request when the device is not powered by the battery. 10. The electronic device according to any one of items 1 to 9. (Item 11) an acquisition means for acquiring a remaining amount of the battery; The control means controls so as to suppress a change of the access point of the connection destination based on the change request when the remaining amount of the battery is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and does not suppress a change of the access point of the connection destination based on the change request when the remaining amount of the battery is greater than the predetermined value. Item 11. The electronic device according to item 10. (Item 12) When the control means receives the change request while a connection in the first communication mode is established and a connection in the second communication mode is not established, the control means changes the access point to be connected in the first communication mode to the access point corresponding to the change request based on the change request. 12. The electronic device according to any one of items 1 to 11. (Item 13) The change request is based on the protocol defined by IEEE802.11v. Item 13. The electronic device according to item 12. (Item 14) The communication in the first communication mode and the communication in the second communication mode are both wireless LAN communication. 9. The electronic device according to any one of items 1 to 8. (Item 15) The electronic device performs connection and processing with an access point in accordance with the IEEE 802.11ax standard. 15. The electronic device according to any one of items 1 to 14. (Item 16) The electronic device can perform at least one of processing conforming to Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) and processing conforming to Target Wake Time (TWT). 16. The electronic device according to any one of items 1 to 15. (Item 17) The electronic device can change the connection destination to an access point in the 6 GHz band by changing the connection destination based on the change request. 17. The electronic device according to any one of items 1 to 16. (Item 18) Further provided is a printing means for printing an image on a printing medium. 18. The electronic device according to any one of items 1 to 17.

[0162] The present 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. Therefore, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0163] 104: portable terminal device, 100: MFP, 101: AP1, 102: AP2

Claims

1. a first communication means capable of communicating in a first communication mode via a wireless connection with an access point; a second communication means capable of communicating with an external device via a connection in a second communication mode different from the first communication mode; a control means for controlling the change of the access point to be connected in the first communication mode to another access point based on a change request received from the access point; The control means controls to suppress a change of the access point of the connection destination based on the change request when the connection in the first communication mode is established and the second communication mode is activated. An electronic device characterized by:

2. When the second communication mode is activated while the connection in the first communication mode is established, the control means releases the connection with the access point that is the connection destination of the first communication means, disables a function for changing the connection destination access point based on the change request, and connects to the access point.

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

3. When the connection in the first communication mode is established and the second communication mode is activated, and the second communication mode is terminated, the control means releases the connection to the access point that is the connection destination of the first communication means, enables a function for changing the connection destination access point based on the change request, and connects to the access point.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2.

4. When the connection in the first communication mode is established and the second communication mode is activated, the control means does not respond to the change request received from the access point or responds with a rejection.

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

5. When the second communication mode is terminated after the first communication means does not respond to the change request or responds negatively, the control means releases the connection with the access point that is the connection destination by the first communication means, enables a function for changing the connection destination access point based on the change request, and connects to the access point.

5. The electronic device according to claim 4.

6. When the connection in the first communication mode is established and the second communication mode is activated, the control means responds to a request for measuring radio wave intensity received from the access point by making a pseudo response indicating that there is no access point with a better communication condition than the currently connected access point.

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

7. The control means activates the second communication mode when the second communication mode is set, and when the first communication mode is set, disables a function for changing the connection destination access point based on the change request and connects to the access point.

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

8. When the second communication mode is not set and the first communication mode is set, the control means enables a function of changing the connection destination access point based on the change request and connects to the access point.

8. The electronic device according to claim 7,

9. The second communication mode includes wireless direct, wired LAN, USB, and short-range wireless communication in which the electronic device serves as a master station.

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

10. Further comprising a power supply unit powered by a battery, The control means controls the device to suppress the change of the access point of the connection destination based on the change request when the device is powered by the battery, and does not suppress the change of the access point of the connection destination based on the change request when the device is not powered by the battery.

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

11. an acquisition means for acquiring a remaining amount of the battery; The control means controls so as to suppress a change of the access point of the connection destination based on the change request when the remaining amount of the battery is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and does not suppress a change of the access point of the connection destination based on the change request when the remaining amount of the battery is greater than the predetermined value.

11. The electronic device according to claim 10.

12. When the control means receives the change request while a connection in the first communication mode is established and a connection in the second communication mode is not established, the control means changes the access point to be connected in the first communication mode to the access point corresponding to the change request based on the change request.

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

13. The change request is based on the protocol defined by IEEE 802.11v.

13. The electronic device according to claim 12.

14. The communication in the first communication mode and the communication in the second communication mode are both wireless LAN communication.

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

15. The electronic device performs connection and processing with the access point in accordance with the IEEE 802.11ax standard.

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

16. The electronic device can perform at least one of processing conforming to Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) and processing conforming to Target Wake Time (TWT).

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

17. The electronic device can change the connection destination to a 6 GHz band access point by changing the connection destination based on the change request.

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

18. Further provided is a printing means for printing an image on a printing medium.

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

19. a first communication means capable of communicating in a first communication mode via a wireless connection with an access point; a second communication means capable of communicating with an external device via a connection in a second communication mode different from the first communication mode; A control method for an electronic device having a control means, the control means changes the access point to be connected to in the first communication mode to another access point based on a change request received from the access point; When the connection in the first communication mode is established and the second communication mode is activated, control is performed to suppress the change of the access point of the connection destination based on the change request.

10. A method for controlling an electronic device comprising:

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

21. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

Images