Information processing apparatus, control method, and storage medium

Abstract

To improve usability of an application program for executing processing for transmitting information for connecting to an access point to a communication device.SOLUTION: And a first display control step of displaying a password input screen including a first area for accepting, from a user, an input of a password for connecting to an access point outside the information processing apparatus, and a second area for indicating, to the user, a confirmation method for the user to confirm the password on a screen displayed by another application program different from the predetermined application program.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] A known mode is that an information processing device such as a smartphone transmits information for connecting to an access point to a communication device such as a printer, and the communication device connects to the access point using the information. Patent Document 1 describes that the information processing device transmits information to the communication device, thereby setting a connection mode in the communication device to determine the connection mode between the information processing device and the communication device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2016-127545 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, as the practice of transmitting information to a communication device for connecting to an access point becomes more widespread, there is a demand for improving the usability of application programs that execute processes for transmitting information to a communication device for connecting to an access point.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to improve the usability of an application program that executes a process for transmitting information for connecting a communication device to an access point. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention is a predetermined application program that causes a computer of an information processing device to execute a first display control step of displaying a password input screen including a first area for accepting input of a password from a user for connecting to an access point external to the information processing device, and a second area for showing the user a confirmation method for the user to confirm the password on a screen displayed by an application program other than the predetermined application program, and a first transmission step of transmitting setting information including at least the password input by the user on the password input screen to the communication device via a connection between the information processing device and a communication device, wherein when the setting information is received by the communication device, the communication device connects to the access point using the setting information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the usability of an application program that executes a process for transmitting information for connecting a communication device to an access point. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a communication system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a terminal device and a communication device. [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing executed by a terminal device using a first application. [Figure 4] 10 is an example of a screen for a direct connection. [Figure 5] 10 is an example of a password entry screen. [Figure 6] 10 is an example of a screen for confirming a password. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing executed by a terminal device using a first application. [Figure 8] 10 is an example of a confirmation screen. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] First Embodiment An information processing device and a communication device included in the communication system of this embodiment will be described. The information processing device is also referred to as a terminal device. In this embodiment, a smartphone is used as an example of the information processing device, but this is not limiting. Various devices, such as a personal computer (PC), a tablet device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a digital camera, can be used as the information processing device. In this embodiment, a printer is used as the communication device. The printer may be an inkjet printer that prints using ink or a laser beam printer that prints using toner. The printer may be a full-color printer that can print in color, or a monochrome printer that can print in monochrome. In this embodiment, the communication device is not limited to a printer, and any device capable of wireless communication with the information processing device can be used as the communication device. Examples of communication devices that can be used include copiers, facsimile machines, scanners, smartphones, PCs, tablet devices, PDAs, digital cameras, music playback devices, televisions, smart speakers, robot vacuum cleaners, automatic cooking pots, refrigerators, and the like. In addition, the communication device may also be a multifunction peripheral that has multiple functions, such as a copying function, a fax function, and a printing function.

[0010] First, a system configuration for realizing this embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a communication system according to this embodiment. This system includes a communication device 151, a terminal device 101, an access point (AP) 131, and an external server 171.

[0011] The terminal device 101 is an information processing device of this embodiment. The communication device 151 is a communication device of this embodiment. The AP 131 is an access point activated by an external device that exists outside the terminal device 101 and outside the communication device 151. The external device is, for example, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) router. The external server 171 is a server that can provide services to devices connected to the AP 131 via the Internet.

[0012] In a situation where the communication device 151 and the terminal device 101 are connected to the AP 131, the LAN formed by the AP 131 includes the AP 131, the communication device 151, and the terminal device 101. On the other hand, the WAN (Wide Area Network) includes the AP 131 and an external server 171.

[0013] In this embodiment, when an infrastructure connection (described later) is established, the terminal device 101 can communicate with the communication device 151 via the AP 131. Furthermore, when a direct connection (described later) is established, the terminal device 101 can communicate directly with the communication device 151 without going through the AP 131. Note that, in the following, a connection with an AP corresponds to a connection with a network formed by the AP. Note that one external device may activate multiple APs, and one external device may be able to form multiple networks simultaneously.

[0014] In this embodiment, the connection 141 between the terminal device 101 and the AP 131 and the connection 142 between the communication device 151 and the AP 131 are assumed to be connections using a communication method based on the IEEE 802.11 series of standards. Specifically, the communication method based on the IEEE 802.11 series of standards is Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) (registered trademark). Furthermore, the connection 143 between the terminal device 101 and the communication device 151 is assumed to be connections using a communication method based on the IEEE 802.11 series of standards. However, the communication method used for the connection 143 is not limited to this form and may be, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy (BLE), Bluetooth Classic, Wi-Fi Aware, Near Field Communication (NFC), etc. The AP 131 and the external server 171 can communicate via the Internet. When the AP 131 is connected to the Internet, devices connected to the AP 131 (the terminal device 101 and the communication device 151) can also use the Internet. The connection 141 between the terminal device 101 and the AP 131 and the connection 142 between the communication device 151 and the AP 131 may be a connection by wired LAN.

[0015] Next, the configuration of an information processing device of this embodiment and a communication device capable of communicating with the information processing device of this embodiment will be described with reference to the block diagram of Fig. 2. In addition, the following configuration will be described as an example in this embodiment, but this embodiment is applicable to devices capable of communicating with the communication device, and the functions are not particularly limited to those shown in this diagram.

[0016] The terminal device 101 includes an input interface 102, a CPU 103, a ROM 104, a RAM 105, an external storage device 106, an output interface 107, a display unit 108, a wireless communication unit 109, a short-range wireless communication unit 110, an image capturing device 111, and a wired communication unit 112. The CPU 103, the ROM 104, the RAM 105, etc. form a computer of the terminal device 101.

[0017] The input interface 102 is an interface for receiving data input and operation instructions from the user, and is composed of a physical keyboard, buttons, a touch panel, etc. Note that the output interface 107 described below and the input interface 102 may have the same configuration, and the screen output and the reception of operations from the user may be performed by the same configuration.

[0018] The CPU 103 is a system control unit, and controls the entire terminal device 101. In this embodiment, the CPU 103 controls the display content on the display unit 108 (display control), and the like.

[0019] The ROM 104 stores fixed data such as control programs and data tables executed by the CPU 103, and an operating system (hereinafter referred to as OS) program. In this embodiment, each control program stored in the ROM 104 performs software execution control such as scheduling, task switching, and interrupt processing under the management of an embedded OS stored in the ROM 104. In this embodiment, the ROM 104 stores a predetermined application program (app) for controlling the communication device 151. In other words, the application program is application software. The predetermined app is installed in the terminal device 101 from outside, for example, by a store app for installing various apps. The predetermined app is also an app provided by a vendor of the communication device 151. In this embodiment, the predetermined app is an app for communicating with the communication device 151 and performing connection settings for the communication device 151. Hereinafter, the predetermined app will be referred to as a first app. Note that the first app may have functions other than the function of performing connection settings for the communication device 151. Specifically, the other functions include, for example, a function of transmitting a print job to cause communication device 151 to execute printing (print job transmission function) and a function of transmitting a scan job to cause communication device 151 to execute scanning (scan job transmission function). Note that in this embodiment, the processes described as processes executed by the OS are, more precisely, processes executed by CPU 103 in accordance with a program in the OS. Similarly, the processes described as processes executed by an app are, more precisely, processes executed by CPU 103 in accordance with a program in the app.

[0020] The RAM 105 is configured with an SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) or the like that requires a backup power source. Since the RAM 105 holds data using a primary battery (not shown) for data backup, it can store important data such as program control variables without volatilizing it. The RAM 105 also has a memory area for storing setting information for the terminal device 101, management data for the terminal device 101, and the like. The RAM 105 is also used as the main memory and work memory for the CPU 103.

[0021] The external storage device 106 includes various programs such as a print information generation program that generates print information that can be interpreted by the communication device 151, and an information transmission / reception control program that transmits and receives information to and from the communication device 151 connected via the wireless communication unit 109. The external storage device 106 also stores various information used by these programs, as well as image data obtained from other information processing devices and the Internet.

[0022] The output interface 107 is an interface that controls the display unit 108 to display data and notify the status of the terminal device 101 .

[0023] The display unit 108 is configured with an LED (light emitting diode) or an LCD (liquid crystal display), and displays data and notifies the status of the terminal device 101. Note that a soft keyboard equipped with keys such as numeric input keys, a mode setting key, a decision key, a cancel key, and a power key may be provided on the display unit 108 to accept input from the user via the display unit 108. In this embodiment, the display unit 108 is a touch panel that can accept operations from the user using an operator such as a finger or a pen.

[0024] The wireless communication unit 109 is configured to wirelessly connect to devices such as the communication device 151 and the AP 131 to perform data communication. For example, the wireless communication unit 109 may communicate directly with the communication device 151 via wireless communication, or may communicate via the AP 131 that is external to the terminal device 101 or the communication device 151. In this embodiment, the wireless communication method used by the wireless communication unit 109 is Wi-Fi, which is a communication method based on the IEEE802.11 standard, but Bluetooth Classic, etc., may also be used. In this embodiment, the wireless LAN is a network based on Wi-Fi. In this embodiment, a connection between the terminal device 101 and the communication device 151 directly without an external AP is referred to as a direct connection. In addition, a connection between the terminal device 101 and the communication device 151 via an external AP is referred to as an infrastructure connection.

[0025] The short-range wireless communication unit 110 is configured to perform data communication with devices such as the communication device 151 by a short-range wireless communication method, and performs communication by a communication method different from that of the wireless communication unit 109. The short-range wireless communication unit 110 is connectable to a short-range wireless communication unit 157 in the communication device 151. Note that examples of the communication method of the short-range wireless communication unit 110 include BLE, Bluetooth Classic, Wi-Fi Aware, and NFC.

[0026] The photographing device 111 is a device that converts an image photographed by a photographing element into digital data. The digital data is temporarily stored in the RAM 105. Thereafter, the digital data is converted into a predetermined image format by a program executed by the CPU 103, and is saved in the external storage device 106 as image data.

[0027] The wired communication unit 112 is configured to connect to devices such as the communication device 151 and the AP 131 via a wire and perform data communication. For example, the wired communication unit 112 communicates via a wired LAN. In this embodiment, the wired LAN communicates according to the Ethernet standard. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the wired communication unit 112 may communicate via, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable. Furthermore, for example, if the terminal device 101 is a smartphone, the terminal device 101 may not have the wired communication unit 112.

[0028] The communication device 151 includes a ROM 152, a RAM 153, a CPU 154, a print engine 155, a wireless communication unit 156, a short-range wireless communication unit 157, an input interface 158, an output interface 159, a function control unit 160, a display unit 161, and a wired communication unit 162. The ROM 152, RAM 153, CPU 154, etc. form a computer of the communication device 151.

[0029] The wireless communication unit 156 is configured to wirelessly connect to devices such as the terminal device 101 and the AP 131 to perform data communication. In this embodiment, the wireless communication unit 156 uses Wi-Fi, a communication method based on the IEEE 802.11 standard, as a wireless communication method. However, Bluetooth Classic or the like may also be used. The wireless communication unit 156 includes an AP 156-a as an AP within the communication device 151 for connecting to devices such as the terminal device 101. The AP is connectable to the wireless communication unit 109 of the terminal device 101. The wireless communication unit 156 may communicate directly with the terminal device 101 via the AP 156-a, or may communicate with the terminal device 101 via the AP 131. The AP 156-a may be hardware that functions as an AP, or the wireless communication unit 156 may operate as the AP 156-a using software that functions as an AP. The communication device 151 may be capable of internally activating multiple APs with different SSIDs (Service Set Identifiers) and passwords.

[0030] The RAM 153 is composed of a DRAM or the like that requires a backup power supply. Note that the RAM 153 retains data by being supplied with a data backup power supply (not shown), so it can store important data such as program control variables without volatilizing it. The RAM 153 is also used as the main memory and work memory of the CPU 154, and stores a receive buffer for temporarily storing print information received from the terminal device 101, etc., as well as various other information.

[0031] The ROM 152 stores fixed data such as control programs, data tables, and OS programs executed by the CPU 154. In this embodiment, each control program stored in the ROM 152 performs software execution control such as scheduling, task switching, and interrupt processing under the management of an embedded OS stored in the ROM 152. The ROM 152 also has a memory area for storing data that needs to be retained even when power is not supplied, such as setting information for the communication device 151 and management data for the communication device 151.

[0032] The CPU 154 is a system control unit that controls the entire communication device 151 .

[0033] Based on the information stored in the print engine 155 and RAM 153 and the print job received from the terminal device 101, etc., an image is formed on a recording medium such as paper using a recording agent such as ink, and the print result is output. At this time, the print job sent from the terminal device 101, etc., has a large amount of data to be transmitted and requires high-speed communication, so it is received via the wireless communication unit 156, which can communicate at a higher speed than the short-range wireless communication unit 157.

[0034] The short-range wireless communication unit 157 is configured to communicate with devices such as the terminal device 101 by a short-range wireless communication method. Note that examples of the communication method of the short-range wireless communication unit 157 include BLE, Bluetooth Classic, and Wi-Fi Aware.

[0035] The input interface 158 is an interface for receiving data input and operation instructions from the user, and is composed of a physical keyboard, buttons, a touch panel, etc. Note that the output interface 159 described below and the input interface 158 may have the same configuration, and the same configuration may be used for screen output and reception of operations from the user. The output interface 159 is an interface that controls the display unit 161 to display data and notify the status of the communication device 151.

[0036] The function control unit 160 manages the function operations of the communication device 151, determining whether or not the functions of the communication device 151 are to be operated simultaneously.

[0037] Display unit 161 is configured with an LED (light emitting diode), an LCD (liquid crystal display), etc., and displays data and notifies the status of communication device 151. Note that a soft keyboard equipped with keys such as numeric input keys, a mode setting key, a decision key, a cancel key, and a power key may be provided on display unit 161 to accept input from the user via display unit 161.

[0038] The wired communication unit 162 is configured to perform data communication by connecting to devices such as the terminal device 101 and the AP 131 via a wire. For example, the wired communication unit 162 communicates via a wired LAN. However, the communication is not limited to this, and may be performed via a USB cable, for example.

[0039] <Direct connection method> A direct connection refers to a wireless connection between devices directly (i.e., peer-to-peer) without going through an external device such as the AP 131. A direct connection is also called a peer-to-peer connection (P2P connection). The communication device 151 can operate in a mode for communicating via a direct connection (direct connection mode) as one of the connection modes. In Wi-Fi communication, there are multiple modes for communicating via a direct connection, such as a software AP mode and a Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) mode.

[0040] The mode in which a direct connection is established using WFD is called WFD mode. WFD is a standard established by the Wi-Fi Alliance and is included in the IEEE 802.11 series of communication standards. In WFD mode, after a device to be a communication partner is discovered using a device discovery command, the roles of P2P group owner (GO) and P2P client are determined, and the remaining wireless connection processing is carried out. The group owner corresponds to a Wi-Fi parent station (parent device), and the client corresponds to a Wi-Fi child station (child device). This role determination corresponds, for example, to GO Negotiation in P2P. Note that in WFD mode, before the role determination is made, the communication device 151 is neither a parent station nor a child station. Specifically, one device first issues a device discovery command to search for a device to connect to in WFD mode with another device to communicate with. Once the other device to be a communication partner is discovered, the two devices confirm information about the services and functions that each device can provide. Note that this device provisioning information confirmation is optional and not required. This device provisioning information confirmation phase corresponds to, for example, P2P Provision Discovery. Next, by mutually confirming this device provisioning information, it is determined which one will be the P2P client and which one will be the P2P group owner. Next, once the client and group owner are determined, they exchange parameters for communication via WFD. Based on the exchanged parameters, the remaining wireless connection processing and IP connection processing are performed between the P2P client and group owner. Note that in WFD mode, the communication device 151 may always operate as the GO without performing the above-mentioned GO Negotiation. In other words, the communication device 151 may operate in WFD mode, which is an autonomous GO mode. Furthermore, the state in which the communication device 151 operates in WFD mode refers to, for example, a state in which a WFD connection is not established but the communication device 151 operates as the GO, or a state in which a WFD connection is established and the communication device 151 operates as the GO.

[0041] In the software AP mode, between devices communicating (for example, the terminal device 101 and the communication device 151), one device (for example, the terminal device 101) acts as a client that requests various services. The other device realizes the functions of an AP in Wi-Fi through software settings. The software AP corresponds to a Wi-Fi parent station, and the client corresponds to a Wi-Fi child station. In the software AP mode, the client searches for a device that will become the software AP using a device search command. Once the software AP is found, the remaining wireless connection processing (establishing a wireless connection, etc.) between the client and the software AP is performed, and then IP connection processing (assigning an IP address, etc.) is performed. Note that commands and parameters transmitted and received when establishing a wireless connection between the client and the software AP may be those specified in the Wi-Fi standard, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0042] In this embodiment, when the communication device 151 establishes and maintains a direct connection, it operates as a master station in the network to which the communication device 151 belongs. The master station is a device that builds a wireless network and provides parameters used for connecting to the wireless network to the slave stations. The parameters used for connecting to the wireless network are, for example, parameters related to the channel used by the master station. By receiving the parameters, the slave stations connect to the wireless network built by the master station using the channel used by the master station. In the direct connection mode, the communication device 151 operates as a master station, and therefore can determine which frequency band and which channel to use for communication in the direct connection mode. In this embodiment, the communication device 151 is assumed to be able to use a channel corresponding to the 2.4 GHz frequency band and a channel corresponding to the 5 GHz frequency band for communication in the direct connection mode.

[0043] <About infrastructure connection methods> The infrastructure connection is a connection mode in which devices (for example, the terminal device 101 and the communication device 151) are connected to an AP (for example, the AP 131) that manages a network of devices that communicate with each other, and the devices communicate with each other via the AP. The communication device 151 can also operate in a mode for communicating via an infrastructure connection (infrastructure connection mode) as one of the connection modes.

[0044] In an infrastructure connection, each device searches for an AP using a device discovery command. Once an AP is discovered, the remaining wireless connection processing (establishing a wireless connection, etc.) is carried out between the device and the AP, and then the IP connection processing (assigning an IP address, etc.) is carried out. Note that the commands and parameters sent and received when establishing a wireless connection between a device and an AP can be those specified in the Wi-Fi standard, and so a description of them will be omitted here.

[0045] In this embodiment, when the communication device 151 operates in an infrastructure connection, the AP 131 operates as a master station, and the communication device 151 operates as a slave station. That is, in this embodiment, the infrastructure connection refers to a connection between the communication device 151 operating as a slave station and a device operating as a master station. When the communication device 151 has established an infrastructure connection and the terminal device 101 has also established an infrastructure connection with the AP 131, communication between the communication device 151 and the terminal device 101 is possible via the AP 131. The channel used for communication in the infrastructure connection is determined by the AP 131, and the communication device 151 performs communication in the infrastructure connection using the channel determined by the AP 131. In this embodiment, the communication device 151 is assumed to be able to use a channel corresponding to the 2.4 GHz frequency band and a channel corresponding to the 5 GHz frequency band for communication in the infrastructure connection. Note that the communication device 151 can also use a channel corresponding to the DFS band in the 5 GHz frequency band for communication in the infrastructure connection. In addition, since the terminal device 101 communicates with the communication device 151 via the AP 131, the terminal device 101 recognizes and identifies that the communication device 151 belongs to the network formed by the AP 131 and to which the terminal device 101 belongs.

[0046] <Connection setup process> In this embodiment, the terminal device 101 performs connection settings (network settings) for operating the communication device 151 using at least one of an infrastructure connection and a direct connection, using wireless communication with the communication device 151. The connection setting process in this embodiment is also called cableless setup (CLS) because it is performed by wireless communication. Note that the connection setting process may also be performed by wired communication. The terminal device 101 performs connection setting processing for the communication device 151 when a first application stored in the external storage device 103 or the like is running. The communication device 151 is operable in a connection setting mode (connection setting state) that is a mode for performing the connection setting process, and performs the connection setting process while operating in the connection setting mode described below. The connection setting mode will be described in detail later.

[0047] When the terminal device 101 operates the communication device 151 in the infrastructure connection mode, the terminal device 101 wirelessly transmits infrastructure setting information, which is setting information for operating the communication device 151 in the infrastructure connection mode, to the communication device 151. The infrastructure setting information includes information about the AP 131. The information about the AP 131 includes, for example, an SSID (Service Set Identifier), a password, and information about a frequency band.

[0048] On the other hand, when the terminal device 101 operates the communication device 151 in the direct connection mode, the terminal device 101 wirelessly transmits direct setting information, which is setting information for operating the communication device 151 in the direct connection mode, to the communication device 151. The direct setting information includes instructions for enabling the WFD function to operate the communication device 151 as a Group Owner and for enabling the access point setting of the communication device 151. Furthermore, the terminal device 101 acquires connection information required for directly connecting to the communication device 151 from the communication device 151. The connection information for directly connecting to the communication device 151 includes, for example, information such as the SSID and password of the communication device 151 operating in the direct connection mode.

[0049] In this embodiment, a direct connection for connection setting between the terminal device 101 and the communication device 151 is used to transmit infrastructure setting information and direct setting information and to obtain information for directly connecting to the communication device 151 in the connection setting process. In this embodiment, the connection setting process is performed using Wi-Fi as the direct connection for connection setting, but a wireless communication standard other than Wi-Fi, such as Bluetooth, may also be used. Furthermore, a wired communication standard such as a wired LAN or USB (Universal Serial Bus) may also be used as the direct connection for connection setting.

[0050] After a Wi-Fi infrastructure connection or a direct connection is established between the terminal device 101 and the communication device 151 through the connection setting process, communication between the terminal device 101 and the communication device 151 becomes possible via the established connection. Specifically, for example, the terminal device 101 can transmit, to the communication device 151, a print job for causing the communication device 151 to execute printing or a scan job for causing the communication device 151 to execute scanning, via the established connection. Note that in this embodiment, the connection setting process can cause the communication device 151 to operate in either the infrastructure connection mode or the direct connection mode, but is not limited to this. For example, the connection setting process may be configured to only cause the communication device 151 to operate in the infrastructure connection mode (i.e., the communication device 151 cannot operate in the direct connection mode).

[0051] <About connection setting mode> Communication device 151 can operate in a connection setting mode. A trigger for communication device 151 to start operation in the connection setting mode may be, for example, a user pressing a connection setting mode button, or communication device 151 being started up (powered on) for the first time after arrival. The connection setting mode button may be a hard button provided in communication device 151, or may be a soft button displayed on display unit 132 by communication device 151.

[0052] When the communication device 151 starts operating in the connection setting mode, it enables both Wi-Fi communication and BLE communication. Specifically, as a process for enabling Wi-Fi communication, the communication device 151 enables an internal AP (connection setting AP) of the communication device 151 that is dedicated to the connection setting mode. This puts the communication device 151 in a state where it can establish a direct connection via Wi-Fi with the terminal device 101. Connection information (SSID and password) for connecting to the connection setting AP is stored in advance in a first application installed in the terminal device 101. That is, it is assumed that the terminal device 101 recognizes the connection information for connecting to the connection setting AP in advance. Therefore, unlike the connection information of the AP enabled in the direct connection mode, it is assumed that the connection information for connecting to the connection setting AP cannot be arbitrarily changed by the user. Note that an encryption method may not be set in the connection setting AP, and a password may not be required for connecting to the AP. Note that in the connection setting mode, the communication device 151 may connect to the terminal device 101 via Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) instead of normal Wi-Fi. That is, the communication device 151 may act as a group owner and receive a setting command from the terminal device 101 through WFD communication.

[0053] <Registering communication devices to the app> In this embodiment, the first application can register the communication device 151 with the first application by acquiring information about the communication device 151 from the communication device 151. The information about the communication device 151 includes, for example, capability information about the communication device 151, identification information (such as a MAC address) about the communication device 151, and model information about the communication device 151. The capability information about the communication device 151 specifically includes a list of information about functions supported by the communication device 151, information about consumables (ink, paper) that can be used by the communication device 151, and information indicating the printing method of the communication device 151. The first application then selects one device from one or more communication devices 151 registered in the first application as a device with which the first application will communicate. Hereinafter, the communication device 151 currently selected as a device with which the first application will communicate will be referred to as the selected communication device 151. The selection of a device to be a communication partner by the first application may be performed by accepting a selection from one or more communication devices 151 registered in the first application from the user, or may be performed automatically by the first application according to predetermined criteria. Furthermore, a change of a device to be a communication partner by the first application may be performed by, for example, accepting a selection from one or more communication devices 151 registered in the first application from the user. In this embodiment, the first application transmits various jobs, such as a print job or a scan job, to the selected communication device 151. That is, the selected communication device 151 is a device to which various jobs are transmitted.

[0054] <Problems to be solved by this embodiment> In order to connect the communication device 151 to the AP through the connection setup process, the terminal device 101 transmits to the communication device 151 a password used to connect to the AP. The communication device 151 then connects to the AP using the received password. In this process, the password transmitted from the terminal device 101 to the communication device 151 may be a password input by the user into the terminal device 101. In this case, the user needs to recognize the correct password and input it into the terminal device 101. However, in the past, the user may recognize an incorrect (incorrect) password or may make an input error even though they recognize the correct password, resulting in the incorrect password being input into the terminal device 101. As a result, the incorrect password may be transmitted to the communication device 151, and the communication device 151 may not be able to connect to the AP.

[0055] In order to solve this problem, in this embodiment, the terminal device 101 executes a process for preventing an incorrect password from being input into the terminal device 101. Specifically, a first app of the terminal device 101 displays a screen presenting a method for confirming a correct password on a screen displayed by a specific app of the terminal device 101. The specific app is an app different from a predetermined app and is an app that is pre-installed in the terminal device 101 without being installed in the terminal device 101 by a store app. The specific app is a setting app for making various settings of the terminal device 101, and is capable of executing various settings including settings related to the Wi-Fi connection of the terminal device 101. Hereinafter, a screen for making settings related to the Wi-Fi connection of the terminal device 101, among the various settings that can be executed by a second app, is referred to as a Wi-Fi setting screen. Hereinafter, the specific app is referred to as a second app. The second app is capable of displaying a list of access points present around the terminal device 101 on the Wi-Fi setting screen. Furthermore, if a password is required to connect to an access point selected from the list, the second application can accept password input from the user on the Wi-Fi setting screen. If the connection using the password is successful, the second application stores and manages various information about the access point to which the terminal device 101 connected using the password. Specifically, the various information includes, for example, passwords, SSIDs, and security information. That is, the second application has a management function for storing and managing information about the access point to which the terminal device 101 is currently connected and information about access points to which the terminal device 101 has previously connected. In terms of the management function, the second application can display, on the Wi-Fi setting screen, the password of the access point to which the terminal device 101 is currently connected and the passwords of access points to which the terminal device 101 has previously connected. The user can confirm the correct password of the access point by checking the password displayed by the second application. However, in order for the second application to display the password, several operations are required on the screen displayed by the second application.Furthermore, since the terminal device 101 has a second app that differs depending on the OS and model of the terminal device 101, the operation for displaying the password using the second app may differ depending on the OS and model of the terminal device 101. If the user does not correctly recognize the operation, the user will not be able to display the password using the second app, and therefore, in this embodiment, a screen presenting the operation for displaying the password using the second app is displayed.

[0056] Furthermore, when the OS of the terminal device 101 is iOS (registered trademark) or iPadOS (registered trademark), the connection of the terminal device 101 established by an instruction from the first app includes a connection that is terminated when the first app transitions to the background (hereinafter referred to as a first type of connection) and a connection that is not terminated even when the first app transitions to the background (hereinafter referred to as a second type of connection). Specifically, the first type of connection is terminated by the OS when a predetermined time (e.g., 15 seconds) has elapsed while the first app has transitioned to the background. The second type of connection is maintained without being terminated by the OS even when a predetermined time has elapsed while the first app has transitioned to the background. As described above, in this embodiment, the first app displays a screen that prompts the user to confirm the password on a Wi-Fi setting screen displayed by the second app. When the user launches the second app in accordance with the screen, the first app transitions to the background. If the connection between the communication device 151 operating in the connection setting mode and the terminal device 101 is a first-type connection, when the user launches the second app and checks the password, the connection between the communication device 151 operating in the connection setting mode and the terminal device 101 is disconnected. Once the connection is disconnected, even if the user checks the password on the Wi-Fi setting screen displayed by the second app and enters it into the first app, the first app will not be able to transmit the entered password to the communication device 151. In order to transmit the entered password to the communication device 151, the connection needs to be re-established, which requires an operation to re-establish the connection, which is troublesome for the user. Therefore, in this embodiment, the connection between the communication device 151 operating in the connection setting mode and the terminal device 101 is controlled to be a second-type connection. As a result, even if the first app transitions to the background when the user launches the second app, the connection can be controlled to be maintained without being disconnected.

[0057] As described above, the first application confirms the connection between the communication device 151 and the AP by transmitting setting information including the password entered by the user on the first application to the communication device 151. However, the user may abandon the method of the first application transmitting the setting information to the communication device 151 even though the first application has displayed a password entry screen, for reasons such as being unable to confirm the password. Note that there are methods (other connection methods) other than the method in which the first application transmits the setting information to the communication device 151 as a method for establishing a connection between the communication device 151 and another device. However, if the user is unaware of the existence of other connection methods or the details of the other connection methods, the user may be unable to establish a connection of the communication device 151 by either the method in which the first application transmits the setting information to the communication device 151 or the other connection method. Therefore, in this embodiment, a button for displaying a manual regarding the other connection method is displayed on the password entry screen. This makes it possible to guide a user who has abandoned the method of the first application transmitting the setting information to the communication device 151 even though the first application has displayed a password entry screen to the other connection method, thereby improving usability.

[0058] The present invention does not necessarily have to solve all of the above-mentioned problems, but it is sufficient to solve any one of the above-mentioned problems. In other words, the present invention does not necessarily have to execute all of the processes that solve the above-mentioned problems, but it is sufficient to execute any one of the processes that solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0059] <Processing Executed by the First App in the Present Embodiment> Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed by the terminal device 101 using the first application in this embodiment. Each process in the flowchart in Fig. 3 is realized, for example, by the CPU 103 expanding the first application stored in a memory such as the ROM 104 into the RAM 105 and executing it. The flowchart in Fig. 3 is started when an operation for executing connection setting processing is performed on a screen displayed by the first application. Note that the flowchart in Fig. 3 may also be started in response to the launch of the first application.

[0060] In S301, the first application acquires and saves information about the AP to which the selected communication device 151 is currently connected via Wi-Fi from the selected communication device 151. Hereinafter, the AP to which the selected communication device 151 is currently connected via Wi-Fi is referred to as a specific AP. The acquired information about the specific AP includes an SSID and a password. The information about the specific AP is acquired, for example, via an infrastructure connection or a direct connection between the terminal device 101 and the communication device 151. The information about the specific AP is not acquired if the terminal device 101 is not currently able to communicate with the selected communication device 151 or if the selected communication device 151 is not currently connected to an AP via Wi-Fi. The timing at which the information about the specific AP is acquired is not limited to this. For example, the information about the specific AP may be acquired before the flowchart of FIG. 3 starts based on the launch of the first application, and in this case, the processing of S301 is skipped.

[0061] In S302, the first application acquires and saves information about the AP to which the terminal device 101 is currently connected via Wi-Fi from the OS. The AP to which the terminal device 101 is currently connected via Wi-Fi is, in other words, the AP to which the terminal device 101 was connected when the process that triggered the start of the flowchart in FIG. 3 was executed. The process that triggered the start of the flowchart in FIG. 3 is the reception of an operation for executing a connection setup process or the launch of the first application. Hereinafter, the AP to which the terminal device 101 is connected via Wi-Fi at the timing of S301 is referred to as a "predetermined AP." The acquired AP information is information that the first application can acquire from the OS, among various types of information related to the AP, such as the SSID. Note that if the terminal device 101 is not currently connected to an AP via Wi-Fi, the information about the predetermined AP is not acquired.

[0062] In S303, the first application executes processing for establishing a connection between the communication device 151 operating in the connection setting mode and the terminal device 101. Specifically, the first application instructs the OS to establish a connection between the communication device 151 operating in the connection setting mode and the terminal device 101. More specifically, the first application executes a predetermined API (Application Programming Interface) for establishing a connection with the terminal device 101 while setting, as an argument, at least a partial character string of the SSID of the communication device 151 operating in the connection setting mode. The OS then searches for a device having an SSID that includes the character string, and establishes a connection between the discovered device (i.e., the communication device 151 operating in the connection setting mode) and the terminal device 101. Note that the communication device 151 to which the terminal device 101 connects through this processing is assumed to be the communication device 151 that was discovered first in the search executed in the processing of S303. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the first application may display multiple communication devices 151 found by the search executed by the processing of S303, and accept the user's selection of one of the displayed communication devices 151. The communication device 151 to which the terminal device 101 connects by this processing may be the communication device 151 selected by the user. While a connection is established between the communication device 151 operating in the connection setting mode and the terminal device 101, communication between the communication device 151 and the terminal device 101 is assumed to be performed via that connection.

[0063] In this embodiment, the first application for iOS controls the connection between the communication device 151 operating in the connection setting mode and the terminal device 101 so that the connection becomes the second type connection described above. Specifically, in S303, the first application for iOS executes a predetermined API while setting a flag for instructing the OS to establish a second type connection. As a result, the OS establishes a connection between the communication device 151 operating in the connection setting mode and the terminal device 101 as the second type connection. As a result, even if a predetermined time has elapsed since the first application started operating in the background, the connection between the communication device 151 operating in the connection setting mode and the terminal device 101 is not disconnected. Note that if the OS of the terminal device 101 is Android OS (registered trademark), all connections of the terminal device 101 established by instructions from the first application are second type connections. Therefore, if the first application is an application for Android OS, it is not necessary to set a flag for instructing the OS to establish a second type connection.

[0064] In S304, the first application acquires, from the communication device 151, information on a list of APs discovered by a search executed by the communication device 151. APs discovered by a search executed by the communication device 151 are APs to which the communication device 151 can connect. APs to which the communication device 151 can connect are APs located within a range in which the communication device 151 can communicate and are APs that are compatible with the capabilities of the communication device 151. For example, if the communication device 151 is capable of communication at 2.4 GHz but is not capable of communication at 5 GHz, the list of APs indicated by the acquired information includes APs that are compatible with communication at 2.4 GHz but does not include APs that are compatible with communication at 5 GHz.

[0065] In S305, the first application determines whether the list of APs indicated by the information acquired in S304 includes the AP (predetermined AP) indicated by the information saved in S302. If the first application determines YES, it proceeds to S306, and if the first application determines NO, it proceeds to S309.

[0066] In S306, the first application displays information about the predetermined AP and displays a confirmation screen for confirming with the user whether to connect the communication device 151 to the predetermined AP. The information displayed here is the information saved in S302, such as the SSID of the predetermined AP.

[0067] In S307, the first application determines whether to transmit information about the predetermined AP to the communication device 151. In other words, this determination is a determination as to whether the user has confirmed that the connection target of the communication device 151 is to be the predetermined AP. Therefore, if an input indicating that the connection target of the communication device 151 is to be the predetermined AP is made on the confirmation screen, the determination is YES, and the predetermined AP is identified as the connection target of the communication device 151. If an input indicating that the connection target of the communication device 151 is not to be the predetermined AP is made on the confirmation screen, the determination is NO. If the first application determines YES, the process proceeds to S308, and if the first application determines NO, the process proceeds to S313.

[0068] In S308, the first application determines whether the predetermined AP matches the specific AP. If the predetermined AP matches the specific AP, the first application holds the password for the predetermined AP. Therefore, this determination is a determination of whether the first application holds the password for the predetermined AP. In other words, this determination is a determination of whether the password for the predetermined AP is held in a storage area that the first application can refer to. If the first application determines YES, the process proceeds to S312 and transmits information about the predetermined AP to the communication device 151. If the first application determines NO, the process proceeds to S319 and displays a password entry screen.

[0069] Note that in S308, it does not have to be determined whether the predetermined AP matches a specific AP. The determination performed in S308 may be processing to determine whether the predetermined AP is an AP corresponding to information stored in a storage area accessible by the first application. In this embodiment, a case in which a determination is made as YES is, for example, a case in which a password for connecting to the predetermined AP was input by the user to the first application and transmitted to the communication device 151 in a connection setup process previously performed by the first application. In this embodiment, a case in which a determination is made as NO is, for example, a case in which a password for connecting to the predetermined AP was not input by the user to the first application in a connection setup process previously performed by the first application.

[0070] In S309, which is executed if the determination result in S305 is NO, the first application determines whether the AP indicated by the information saved in S301 (specific AP) is included in the list of APs indicated by the information acquired in S304. If the first application determines YES, it proceeds to S310, and if the first application determines NO, it proceeds to S313.

[0071] In S310, the first application displays information about the specific AP and displays a confirmation screen for confirming with the user whether to connect the communication device 151 to the specific AP. The information displayed here is the information saved in S301, such as the SSID of the specific AP.

[0072] In S311, the first application determines whether to transmit information about a specific AP to communication device 151. In other words, this determination is a determination as to whether the user has confirmed that communication device 151 will connect to a specific AP. Therefore, if an input indicating that communication device 151 will connect to a specific AP is made on the confirmation screen, the determination is YES, and the specific AP is identified as the connection target of communication device 151. If an input indicating that communication device 151 will not connect to a specific AP is made on the confirmation screen, the determination is NO. If the first application determines YES, the process proceeds to S312, and if the first application determines NO, the process proceeds to S313.

[0073] In S312, the first application transmits, to the communication device 151, information for connecting to the AP identified as the connection target of the communication device 151. The transmitted information includes the SSID of the AP identified as the connection target of the communication device 151 and a password for connecting to the AP identified as the connection target of the communication device 151. Note that in this process, the AP identified as the connection target of the communication device 151 is a predetermined AP that matches the specific AP or the specific AP. That is, the password transmitted here is the password of the specific AP, which is the password acquired from the communication device 151 in S301. In other words, the password transmitted here is the password held by the first application (a password held in a storage area accessible by the first application). Therefore, after the connection target of the communication device 151 is identified, the first application transmits the password to the communication device 151 without receiving a password input from the user. Note that after the information for connecting to the AP identified as the connection target of the communication device 151 is transmitted to the communication device 151, the communication device 151 terminates the connection setting mode and connects to the AP identified as the connection target of the communication device 151 using the received information. Note that the termination of the connection setting mode also disconnects the connection between the communication device 151 and the terminal device 101. The terminal device 101 reconnects to a predetermined AP, which is the AP that the terminal device 101 was connected to before connecting to the communication device 151, using a reconnection function of the OS. Thereafter, the first application proceeds to S327. Note that the process is not limited to proceeding to S327, and may proceed to a process of displaying a screen for searching for the communication device 151 on the Wi-Fi network to which the terminal device 101 is connected, as in S710 described below.

[0074] S313 is executed if the determination result in S301 is NO, if the determination result in S307 is NO, if the determination result in S309 is NO, or if the determination result in S311 is NO. Then, in S313, the first application displays a list of APs indicated by the information acquired in S304. In this embodiment, the screen including the list includes a direct connection button. If the list does not include an AP that the user desires to connect the communication device 151 to, the user operates the direct connection button.

[0075] In S314, the first application determines whether the direct connection button has been operated. If the first application determines YES, the process proceeds to S315, and if the first application determines NO, the process proceeds to S318.

[0076] In S315, the first application executes processing for establishing a direct connection between the communication device 151 and the terminal device 101. Specifically, the first application first transmits direct setting information to the communication device 151. Then, the first application acquires connection information for a direct connection with the communication device 151 from the communication device 151. The first application then instructs the OS to establish a connection between the terminal device 101 and the communication device 151 operating in the direct connection mode. More specifically, the first application identifies the SSID of the communication device 151 operating in the direct connection mode from the received connection information. The first application then executes a predetermined API for establishing a connection with the terminal device 101, while setting at least a partial character string of the identified SSID as an argument. The OS then searches for devices having an SSID that includes the character string, and displays a confirmation screen for confirming whether to establish a direct connection between the discovered device (communication device 151 operating in the direct connection mode) and the terminal device 101. Note that if the first application is an application for iOS, in this process the first application may execute a predetermined API while setting a flag for instructing the OS to establish a connection that will not be disconnected even if the first application transitions to the background. That is, a direct connection between the communication device 151 and the terminal device 101 may be established as a second-type connection. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and in this process the first application may execute a predetermined API without setting the flag, and a direct connection between the communication device 151 and the terminal device 101 may be established as a first-type connection.

[0077] In k16, the first application determines whether a user operation indicating establishment of a direct connection has been performed on the confirmation screen displayed by the OS in S315. This determination is made by the first application receiving a notification from the OS indicating which operation has been performed on the confirmation screen displayed by the OS. Note that if a user operation indicating establishment of a direct connection has been performed, the OS establishes the direct connection, but if a user operation indicating not to establish a direct connection has been performed, the OS does not establish the direct connection. If the first application determines YES, the process proceeds to S327, and if the first application determines NO, the process proceeds to S317.

[0078] In S317, the first application displays a screen for direct connection. An example of the screen displayed in this process is shown in FIG. 4. Screen 400 includes an SSID display area 401, a password display area 402, an area 403 for copying the password, and a done button 404. SSID display area 401 is an area for displaying the SSID of communication device 151 operating in direct connection mode. Password display area 402 is an area for displaying the password of communication device 151 operating in direct connection mode. When area 403 is operated, the first application copies the password of communication device 151 operating in direct connection mode and saves it on the clipboard of terminal device 101. By copying the password of communication device 151 operating in direct connection mode, the user can easily enter the password in the second application, and a direct connection can be established by the second application. Note that screen 400 may include a message prompting the user to establish a direct connection using a Wi-Fi setting screen displayed by the second application, or a message prompting the user to operate complete button 404 when establishment of the direct connection is complete. When complete button 404 is operated, the first application proceeds to S327. Note that the process is not limited to proceeding to S327, and may proceed to processing that displays a screen for searching for communication device 151 on the Wi-Fi network to which terminal device 101 is connected, as in S710 described below.

[0079] In S318, which is executed if the determination result in S314 is NO, the first application determines whether any AP has been selected by the user from the list of APs displayed. If the first application determines YES, it specifies the selected AP as the connection target for the communication device 151 and proceeds to S319. If the first application determines NO, it returns to S314 and waits for any operation to be accepted.

[0080] In S319, the first application displays a password entry screen for accepting entry of a password for connecting to the AP identified as a connection target for the communication device 151 (first display control). The password entry screen may be displayed as a pop-up on top of the list of APs. An example of a screen displayed in this process is shown in FIG. 5. The password entry screen 500 includes an SSID display area 501, a password entry box 502 (first area), a password confirmation button 503, a button 504 for another connection method, an OK button 505, and a cancel button 506. The SSID display area 501 is an area for displaying the SSID of the AP identified as a connection target for the communication device 151. The password entry box 502 is an area for accepting, from the user, entry of the password for the AP identified as a connection target for the communication device 151. The password confirmation button 503 is a button related to a function for displaying the password on the Wi-Fi setting screen by the second application. The other connection method button 504 is a button for displaying manuals for other connection methods. In this embodiment, the other connection method refers to a connection method other than a method of establishing a connection between communication device 151 and another device by having the first application transmit setting information to communication device 151. In other words, the other connection method is a method of establishing a connection between communication device 151 and another device without having the first application transmit setting information to communication device 151.

[0081] Depending on the version of the OS of the terminal device 101, the second app may not be able to display, on the Wi-Fi setting screen, the password of the access point to which the terminal device 101 is currently connected or the password of an access point to which the terminal device 101 has previously connected. Specifically, for example, if the OS of the terminal device 101 is a version earlier than Android 10, iOS 16, or iPadOS 16, the second app may not be able to display the password on the Wi-Fi setting screen. Therefore, in S319, the first app may identify the version of the OS of the terminal device 101 and determine whether the identified version is a version that does not allow the second app to display the password on the Wi-Fi setting screen. If the determination result is YES, the first app may display a password entry screen that does not include a button 503 for confirming the password. If the determination result is NO, the first app may display a password entry screen that includes the button 503 for confirming the password. The password entry screen that does not include the button 503 for confirming the password includes other buttons and areas on the screen 500. That is, button 504 for other connection methods is displayed regardless of the OS version. For example, if the first application is compatible only with OS versions that allow the second application to display the password on the Wi-Fi setting screen, it is not necessary to determine the version or to switch the display screen based on the version determination result.

[0082] In S320, the first application determines whether or not it has accepted a user operation on the cancel button 506. If the first application determines YES, it proceeds to S313 and displays the list of APs, and if the first application determines NO, it proceeds to S321.

[0083] In S321, the first application determines whether or not it has accepted a user operation on the password confirmation button 503. If the first application determines YES, it proceeds to S322, and if it determines NO, it proceeds to S323.

[0084] In S322, the first application displays a screen for password confirmation. In this embodiment, the password confirmation screen is a predetermined screen that indicates a method for confirming the AP password on the Wi-Fi setting screen displayed by the second application. Examples of screens displayed in this process are shown in FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b). In this embodiment, the password confirmation screen is not a web page displayed by a web browser via Internet communication. In other words, it is a screen displayed on the first application based on information previously stored in the first application. The web browser is, for example, an internal browser included in the first application or a browser included in a browser application different from the first application. However, this is not limited to this form, and the password confirmation screen may be a web page displayed by a web browser. Furthermore, the password confirmation screen may be displayed as a pop-up above the list of APs.

[0085] FIG. 6(a) illustrates a password confirmation screen displayed when the OS of the terminal device 101 is the Android OS and the first application is an application for the Android OS. The screen 600 includes an area 601 indicating a method for confirming the password of an AP on a Wi-Fi setting screen displayed by a second application compatible with the Android OS (hereinafter, referred to as a first password confirmation method), a button 602 for displaying the Wi-Fi setting screen by the second application, a button 603 for other connection methods, and an OK button 604. The area 601 displays text indicating the operation for confirming the password on a Wi-Fi setting screen compatible with the Android OS as the first password confirmation method. Specifically, for example, text indicating opening the Wi-Fi setting screen, selecting a wireless LAN router (Wi-Fi router) running an AP identified as a connection target for the communication device 151, and tapping a share button to display the password of the selected router on the Wi-Fi setting screen may be displayed. The area 601 may also display the SSID of the AP identified as a connection target for the communication device 151. The SSID of the AP identified as the connection target of the communication device 151 is, in other words, the SSID of the AP corresponding to the password to be confirmed on the Wi-Fi setting screen. Furthermore, area 601 displays a message instructing the user to copy the password displayed on the Wi-Fi setting screen and to return to the first app and paste the copied password. Area 601 may also display a message urging the user to return to the first app (to bring the first app back to the foreground) after confirming the password. Note that, depending on the type of terminal device 101 (such as the type of Android device), a function for confirming the password on the Wi-Fi setting screen or a function for copying the password displayed on the Wi-Fi setting screen may not be provided. Therefore, screen 600 may include a message indicating this. Furthermore, screen 600 may also include a message urging the user to try another connection method if the password cannot be confirmed on the Wi-Fi setting screen.When the button 602 is operated, the second application is launched and a process for displaying a Wi-Fi setting screen in the second application is executed. When the Wi-Fi setting screen is displayed, the first application transitions to the background. When the back button of the terminal device 101 is operated on the screen displayed by the second application, the first application transitions to the foreground again. When the button 603 is operated, the first application proceeds to S324. When the OK button 604 is operated, the first application proceeds to S319.

[0086] FIG. 6(b) illustrates a password confirmation screen that is displayed when the OS of the terminal device 101 is iOS or iPadOS and the first app is an iOS app or iPadOS app. The screen 610 includes an area 611 indicating a method for confirming the password of an AP on a Wi-Fi setting screen displayed by a second app compatible with iOS or iPadOS (hereinafter, a second password confirmation method), and an OK button 612. The area 601 displays a message indicating the operation for confirming the password on a Wi-Fi setting screen compatible with iOS or iPadOS as a message indicating the second password confirmation method. The screen 610 may also display the SSID of the AP identified as the connection target of the communication device 151. The area 601 may also display a message urging the user to return to the first app (bring the first app to the foreground again) after confirming the password. After confirming the message, the user launches the second app from the home screen of the terminal device 101 or the like and performs the operation indicated by the message to confirm the password. After confirming the password, the user runs the first app in the foreground again and operates button 612 to enter the password in the first app. Note that all terminal devices running a predetermined version or higher of iOS or iPadOS include a function for confirming the password on a Wi-Fi settings screen. Therefore, unlike screen 600, screen 610 does not include buttons for other connection methods. However, this is not limited to this, and screen 610 may also include buttons for other connection methods. Furthermore, in terminal devices running iOS or iPadOS, a second app cannot be launched in response to a command from the first app. Therefore, unlike screen 600, screen 610 does not include a button for displaying the Wi-Fi settings screen. However, this is not limited to this, and even in terminal devices running iOS or iPadOS, if a second app can be launched in response to a command from the first app, screen 610 may also include a button for displaying the Wi-Fi settings screen. If button 612 is operated, the first app proceeds to S319.In this embodiment, the text indicating the first password confirmation method and the text indicating the second password confirmation method are different, but this is not limited to this form, and the text indicating the first password confirmation method and the text indicating the second password confirmation method may be the same.

[0087] In S323, which is executed when the determination result in S321 is NO, the first application determines whether or not a user operation on a button for another connection method has been accepted. If the first application determines YES, the process proceeds to S324, and if the first application determines NO, the process proceeds to S325. The process of S324 will be described in detail later.

[0088] In S325, the first application determines whether a user operation on OK button 505 has been accepted with a password entered in password input box 502. The user operates password confirmation button 503, and can enter the password in password input box 502 after confirming the password on the Wi-Fi setting screen according to the text displayed on the screen shown in FIG. 6 . If the user has copied the password on the Wi-Fi setting screen and saved it on the clipboard, the user can enter the password by pasting the saved password into password input box 502. If the first application determines YES, the process proceeds to S326; if the first application determines NO, the process returns to S320 and waits for any operation to be accepted from the user on password input screen 500.

[0089] In S326, the first application transmits to the communication device 151 information for connecting to the AP identified as the connection target for the communication device 151. Specifically, the transmitted information includes the password entered in the password input box 502 and the SSID of the AP identified as the connection target for the communication device 151. After the information for connecting to the AP identified as the connection target for the communication device 151 is transmitted to the communication device 151, the communication device 151 terminates the connection setting mode and connects to the AP identified as the connection target for the communication device 151 using the received information. The termination of the connection setting mode also disconnects the connection between the communication device 151 and the terminal device 101. The terminal device 101 reconnects to the specified AP, which is the AP that the terminal device 101 was connected to before connecting to the communication device 151, using a reconnection function of the OS. Thereafter, the first application proceeds to S327.

[0090] In S327, the first application searches for the communication device 151 on the Wi-Fi network to which the terminal device 101 is connected. For example, if the AP identified as the connection target for the communication device 151 is a predetermined AP, both the communication device 151 and the terminal device 101 are connected to the predetermined AP, and therefore the communication device 151 is discovered by this search. If the AP identified as the connection target for the communication device 151 is an AP other than the predetermined AP and the communication device 151 connects to an AP other than the predetermined AP, or if the communication device 151 fails to connect to the AP because an incorrect password was entered, the communication device 151 is not discovered by this search. If the communication device 151 is discovered by this search, information about the communication device 151 is obtained from the communication device 151 via the Wi-Fi network to which the terminal device 101 is connected, and the communication device 151 is registered in the first application. At this time, the first application may automatically set the newly registered communication device 151 as the selected communication device 151. After that, the first application ends the processing and displays the home screen of the first application.

[0091] Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed by the terminal device 101 using the first application in this embodiment. Each process in the flowchart in Fig. 7 is realized, for example, by the CPU 103 expanding the first application stored in a memory such as the ROM 104 into the RAM 105 and executing it. The processing in this flowchart corresponds to the processing of S324.

[0092] In S701, the first application transmits information to the communication device 151 to instruct it to end operation in the connection setting mode. As a result, the communication device 151 ends the connection setting mode and resumes operation in the mode before operating in the connection setting mode. Note that the termination of the connection setting mode also disconnects the connection between the communication device 151 and the terminal device 101. The terminal device 101 reconnects to a specific AP that was connected to the terminal device 101 before connecting to the communication device 151, using a reconnection function of the OS.

[0093] In S702, the first application displays a confirmation screen for confirming with the user whether or not the initial setting operation for the communication device 151 has been completed. The initial setting operation for the communication device 151 is an operation that is executed when the communication device 151 is first powered on (when it arrives). In this embodiment, the initial setting operation includes, for example, removing the orange tape from the communication device 151, attaching a print head to the communication device 151, refilling the communication device 151 with recording material (ink or toner), refilling the communication device 151 with paper, and setting the date and time for the communication device 151. Furthermore, the initial setting process that is executed by the communication device 151 in association with the initial setting operation includes, for example, cleaning the print head, detecting paper, registration process (registration adjustment process) that adjusts the ink landing position on paper during printing, and starting operation in connection setting mode. Therefore, the confirmation screen can also be said to be a screen for confirming with the user whether or not the initial setting process by the communication device 151 has been completed. Note that the operations included in the initial setting operation and the processes included in the initial setting process are not limited to this form and may differ depending on the type of communication device 151, the printing method, etc. An example of a screen displayed in this process is shown in Fig. 8. Screen 800 includes a message 801, a No button 802, and a Yes button 803. Message 801 includes a message notifying the user that the initial setting operation for communication device 151 must be completed in order to try another connection method, and a message confirming whether the initial setting operation for communication device 151 has been completed. If the initial setting operation for communication device 151 has been completed, the user operates Yes button 803, and if the initial setting operation for communication device 151 has not been completed, the user operates No button 802.

[0094] In S703, the first application determines whether or not it has accepted a user operation on the Yes button 803. If a user operation on the No button 802 has been accepted, the result of this determination is NO. If the first application determines YES, it proceeds to S707, and if it determines NO, it proceeds to S704.

[0095] In S704, the first application determines whether the terminal device 101 is connected to the Internet. As described above, when the connection between the communication device 151 and the terminal device 101 is terminated in S701, the OS of the terminal device 101 executes a reconnection process. However, an operation may be performed on the confirmation screen before the reconnection to the Wi-Fi AP is completed. That is, an operation may be performed on the confirmation screen when the terminal device 101 is not connected to the Internet via a Wi-Fi AP connection. In this case, the web page cannot be displayed in the process of S706. In the process of S705, the first application executes this determination to correctly display the web page. Specifically, in this process, the first application executes an API for determining whether the terminal device 101 is connected to the Internet and receives a notification from the OS indicating whether the terminal device 101 is connected to the Internet. The first application then executes this determination based on the content of the received notification. Note that the notification from the OS indicates that the terminal device 101 is connected to the Internet when the terminal device 101 is connected to the Internet via a Wi-Fi AP connection. The notification from the OS may also indicate that the terminal device 101 is connected to the Internet even when the terminal device 101 is not connected to the Internet via a Wi-Fi connection to an AP but is connected to the Internet via mobile data communication. The process for this determination is not limited to the above-described form. For example, depending on the OS of the terminal device 101, the first app may not be able to receive a notification from the OS indicating whether the terminal device 101 is connected to the Internet. Specifically, for example, if the OS of the terminal device 101 is iOS or iPadOS, the first app can receive the notification, but if the OS of the terminal device 101 is Android OS, the first app cannot receive the notification. Therefore, if the first app is an app for Android OS, the first app may execute an API for checking the SSID of the AP to which the terminal device 101 is currently connected, and may receive a notification from the OS indicating the SSID of the AP to which the terminal device 101 is currently connected.The first app may determine this determination as YES if the received notification indicates an SSID different from the SSID of the AP enabled by the communication device 151 operating in the connection setting mode, and may determine this determination as NO if the received notification indicates an SSID of the AP enabled by the communication device 151 operating in the connection setting mode. That is, this determination may be a determination of whether the terminal device 101 is currently connected to an AP different from the AP enabled by the communication device 151 operating in the connection setting mode. Note that this determination may be performed even if the first app is an iOS app or an iPadOS app. Furthermore, the first app may determine this determination as YES if the received notification indicates the SSID of a specific AP, and may determine this determination as NO if the received notification indicates a different SSID. If the first app determines this as YES, the first app proceeds to S706, and if the first app determines this as NO, the first app proceeds to S705.

[0096] In S705, the first application determines whether the time that has elapsed since the operation on the confirmation screen displayed in S702 was accepted exceeds a predetermined threshold. That is, the first application determines whether the time that has elapsed since the operation on the confirmation screen displayed in S702 was accepted has timed out. The predetermined threshold is, for example, 10 seconds. If the first application determines YES, it proceeds to S706, and if the first application determines NO, it returns to S704.

[0097] In S706, the first application executes processing for displaying a manual regarding the initial setup operation for the communication device 151. Specifically, the first application uses an internal browser (in-app browser) of the first application to display a web page displaying a manual regarding the initial setup operation for the communication device 151. Note that information for displaying the web page is acquired from a predetermined server via an Internet connection. Therefore, if the communication device 151 is connected to the Internet, the web page is successfully displayed. If the communication device 151 is not connected to the Internet, the web page is not successfully displayed, and the browser displays a screen notifying the user that the communication device 151 is not connected to the Internet. Note that in this embodiment, displaying the web page using the internal browser of the first application allows the first application to continue operating in the foreground. The manual regarding the initial setup operation for the communication device 151 includes content that sequentially explains to the user specific operation methods for each operation to be performed as the initial setup operation for the communication device 151. Note that the first application may also display a web page for selecting the model of the communication device 151 before displaying the web page displaying the manual regarding the initial setup operation for the communication device 151. Then, when a model is selected on the page, a manual regarding the initial setup operation corresponding to the selected model may be displayed. Note that the manual regarding the initial setup operation for communication device 151 may be displayed by an external browser of the first app, rather than by an internal browser of the first app. In that case, the external browser displaying the manual transitions to the foreground, and the first app transitions to the background. Also, the manual regarding the initial setup operation for communication device 151 may be displayed by the first app as content that the first app has in advance, without using a browser, rather than being displayed as a web page obtained via the Internet. Note that the screen displayed by the internal browser of the first app is closed by the user operating a close button on the screen.Furthermore, the screen displayed by the internal browser of the first application is displayed on the confirmation screen displayed in S702. Therefore, by closing the screen displayed by the internal browser of the first application, the terminal device 101 becomes able to accept operations on the confirmation screen again. Therefore, after this processing, the process returns to S703.

[0098] In the above description, the process proceeds to S706 if the determination result in S705 is YES, but this is not a limitation. If the determination result in S705 is YES, the first application may display a message or the like on the screen of the first application, notifying the user that communication device 151 is not connected to the Internet, without attempting to display a web page using a browser.

[0099] In S707, which is executed if the determination result in S703 is YES, the first application determines whether the terminal device 101 is connected to the Internet. This process is the same as S704. If the first application determines YES, it proceeds to S709, and if the first application determines NO, it proceeds to S708.

[0100] In S708, the first application determines whether the time that has elapsed since the operation on the confirmation screen displayed in S702 was accepted exceeds a predetermined threshold. This process is the same as S705. If the first application determines YES, it proceeds to S709, and if the first application determines NO, it returns to S707.

[0101] In S709, the first application executes processing for displaying a manual regarding the other connection method. Specifically, the first application displays a web page displaying a manual regarding the other connection method using the first application's internal browser (in-app browser). Note that information for displaying the web page is obtained from a predetermined server via an Internet connection. Therefore, if the communication device 151 is connected to the Internet, the web page is successfully displayed. If the communication device 151 is not connected to the Internet, the web page is not successfully displayed, and the browser displays a screen notifying the user that the communication device 151 is not connected to the Internet. Note that in this embodiment, displaying the web page using the first application's internal browser allows the first application to continue running in the foreground. The manual regarding the other connection method includes content that explains a specific operation method for establishing a connection between the communication device 151 and an AP using the other connection method. Specifically, the other connection method includes, for example, a method of displaying a list of APs found by the communication device 151 through a search on the screen of the communication device 151 and establishing a Wi-Fi connection between the communication device 151 and an AP selected by the user from the displayed list. Further, other connection methods specifically include, for example, a method of establishing a Wi-Fi connection between an AP and communication device 151 using WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Stup). Further, other connection methods specifically include, for example, a method of establishing a wired LAN connection between an AP and communication device 151 using a wired LAN cable. Note that the first application may display a web page for selecting the model of communication device 151 before displaying a web page displaying a manual regarding the initial setup operation for communication device 151. Then, once a model is selected on the page, a manual regarding another connection method corresponding to the selected model may be displayed. Note that the manual regarding another connection method for communication device 151 may be displayed by an external browser of the first application, rather than by an internal browser of the first application.In this case, the external browser displaying the manual will transition to the foreground, and the first application will transition to the background. Also, the manual regarding the other connection method may be displayed by the first application as pre-installed content without using a browser, rather than being displayed as a web page obtained via the Internet.

[0102] In S710, the first application displays a search screen for searching for communication devices 151 on the Wi-Fi network to which the terminal device 101 is connected. The search screen is displayed under the internal browser while a web page is being displayed by the internal browser. Therefore, when the internal browser is closed by operating the close button, the search screen is displayed. The search screen includes a button for instructing the start of a search for communication devices 151 on the Wi-Fi network to which the terminal device 101 is connected. When the button is pressed, the first application searches for communication devices 151 on the Wi-Fi network to which the terminal device 101 is connected. Then, a list of communication devices 151 found by the search is displayed. Note that the first application displays only the communication devices 151 that correspond to the first application among the multiple communication devices 151 found by the search. The communication devices 151 that correspond to the first application are communication devices 151 provided by the vendor that provides the first application. Note that the search may be performed in a manner that discovers only communication devices 151 provided by the vendor that provides the first application, and does not discover communication devices 151 provided by other vendors. When any communication device 151 is selected from the displayed list, the first application acquires information about the selected communication device 151 from the selected communication device 151 via the Wi-Fi network to which the terminal device 101 is connected, and registers the selected communication device 151 in the first application. Thereafter, the processing of this flowchart ends.

[0103] In this manner, the first application can improve the usability in checking the password of the AP, and can also improve the usability in checking other connection methods.

[0104] <Other embodiments> In the above-described embodiment, the connection between the communication device 151 operating in the connection setting mode and the terminal device 101 is Wi-Fi. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The connection between the communication device 151 operating in the connection setting mode and the terminal device 101 may be established using a communication method other than Wi-Fi, such as Bluetooth Classic or Bluetooth Low Energy. In this case, the terminal device 101 may maintain a Wi-Fi connection with a predetermined AP even while establishing the connection between the communication device 151 operating in the connection setting mode and the terminal device 101. That is, in a configuration in which the connection between the communication device 151 operating in the connection setting mode and the terminal device 101 is a Wi-Fi connection, the predetermined AP is an AP to which the terminal device 101 was connected when the process that triggered the start of the flowchart in FIG. 3 was executed, but to which the terminal device 101 was not connected when information about the predetermined AP was transmitted to the communication device 151. On the other hand, in a configuration in which the connection between the communication device 151 operating in the connection setting mode and the terminal device 101 is a connection using a communication method other than Wi-Fi, the predetermined AP is the AP to which the terminal device 101 is connected both when the process that triggered the start of the flowchart in Fig. 3 is executed and when information about the predetermined AP is transmitted to the communication device 151. Therefore, it can be said that the predetermined AP is at least the AP to which the terminal device 101 was connected when the process that triggered the start of the flowchart in Fig. 3 was executed.

[0105] In the above-described embodiment, the process of referencing a specific AP may not be executed. Specifically, for example, the processes of S301 and S308 to S312 may be omitted. In this embodiment, if the determination result of S305 is NO, S313 is executed. Also, if the determination result of S307 is YES, S319 is executed.

[0106] In the above-described embodiment, it is not necessary to execute both the process of referring to a predetermined AP and the process of referring to a specific AP. Specifically, for example, the processes of S301, S302, and S305 to S312 may be omitted. In this embodiment, S313 is executed after S304.

[0107] In the above-described embodiment, the direct connection button does not have to be displayed on the screen displayed in S313. Specifically, for example, the processes of S314 to S317 may be omitted. In this embodiment, S318 is executed after S313.

[0108] In the above-described embodiment, even if the OS of the terminal device 101 is a version that allows the second application to display the password on the Wi-Fi setting screen, the password entry screen displayed in S319 does not necessarily display both the password confirmation button 503 and the button 504 for another connection method. That is, the password entry screen displayed in S319 may display one of the password confirmation button 503 and the button 504 for another connection method, but not the other. If the password entry screen displayed in S319 does not display the password confirmation button 503, steps S321 and S322 are omitted, and if the determination result in S320 is NO, S323 is executed. If the password entry screen displayed in S319 does not display the button 504 for another connection method, steps S323 and S324 are omitted, and if the determination result in S321 is NO, S325 is executed.

[0109] In the above-described embodiment, a password confirmation button 503 is displayed on the password input screen as an area for password confirmation, and when the button is operated, a new screen for password confirmation is displayed. However, this is not a limitation. An area for password confirmation, in which text explaining a specific password confirmation method is written, may be displayed on the password input screen. That is, the content that was displayed on the password confirmation screen in the above-described embodiment may be displayed on the password input screen. Furthermore, this content may be displayed on a new screen that is displayed separately before the password input screen is displayed. In this embodiment, the password confirmation button 503 does not need to be displayed on the password input screen 500.

[0110] In the above-described embodiment, a button 504 for another connection method is displayed on the password entry screen as an area for another connection method, and when the button is operated, a new screen for the other connection method is displayed. However, this is not a limitation. An area containing text explaining the other connection method may be displayed on the password entry screen as an area for the other connection method. That is, the content displayed on the screen for the other connection method in the above-described embodiment may be displayed on the password entry screen. Furthermore, the content may be displayed on a new screen that is displayed separately before the password entry screen is displayed. In this embodiment, the button 504 for another connection method does not need to be displayed on the password entry screen 500.

[0111] In the above-described embodiment, the order of the determinations in S320 to S325 is not particularly limited, and the determinations in S320 to S325 may be performed in any order.

[0112] In the above embodiment, a form has been described in which the list of APs used in the determinations of S305 and S309 and displayed in S313 is a list of APs discovered by a search executed by the communication device 151, but this form is not limiting. The list of APs used in the determinations of S305 and S309 and displayed in S313 may also be a list of APs discovered by a search executed by the terminal device 101. In this form, the processing of S304 may be omitted.

[0113] In the above-described embodiment, the process of checking whether the initial setting operation for the communication device 151 has been completed may not be executed. Specifically, for example, the processes of S702 to S706 may be omitted. In this embodiment, S707 is executed after S701.

[0114] The object of the present invention can also be achieved by providing a system or device with a recording medium on which program code for software that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments is recorded. That is, the object of the present invention can also be achieved by having a computer (or CPU or MPU) of the system or device read and execute the program code stored on the recording medium. In this case, the program code read from the recording medium itself realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments, and the recording medium on which the program code is stored constitutes the present invention.

[0115] Examples of storage media that can be used to supply the program code include flexible disks, hard disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, magnetic tapes, non-volatile memory cards, ROMs, and DVDs.

[0116] It goes without saying that this also includes cases where the OS running on the computer performs some or all of the actual processing based on the instructions of the program code read by the computer, and the functions of the above-mentioned embodiments are realized through this processing.

[0117] The disclosure of this embodiment also includes the following configuration.

[0118] (Item 1) A predetermined application program, The computer of the information processing device a first display control step of displaying a password entry screen including a first area for accepting, from a user, an entry of a password for connecting to an external access point of the information processing device, and a second area for showing the user a confirmation method for the user to confirm the password on a screen displayed by an application program other than the predetermined application program; a first transmission step of transmitting setting information including at least the password input by the user on the password input screen to the communication device via a connection between the information processing device and the communication device; Execute When the setting information is received by the communication device, the communication device connects to the access point using the setting information. A program characterized by:

[0119] (Item 2) the second area is a button for displaying a predetermined screen including a sentence explaining the confirmation method, The predetermined screen is newly displayed based on the operation of the button. 2. The program according to item 1,

[0120] (Item 3) the predetermined screen is displayed by the predetermined application program without using a web browser; 3. The program according to item 2,

[0121] (Item 4) the predetermined screen includes an area for displaying an SSID (Service Set Identifier) ​​of an access point corresponding to the password to be confirmed on the screen displayed by the other application program; 4. The program according to item 2 or 3,

[0122] (Item 5) a control is performed so that a connection between the information processing device and a communication device is established based on a predetermined operation being accepted on a screen displayed by the predetermined application program; the access point corresponding to the password to be confirmed on the screen displayed by the other application program is at least the access point to which the information processing device was connected when the predetermined operation was accepted; 5. The program according to item 4,

[0123] (Item 6) the predetermined screen includes an area prompting the user to return to the predetermined application program after confirming the password. 6. The program according to any one of items 2 to 5,

[0124] (Item 7) the predetermined screen includes, as an area indicating the confirmation method, an area indicating that a screen displayed by the predetermined application program is to be opened. 7. The program according to any one of items 2 to 6,

[0125] (Item 8) When the OS of the information processing device is an OS of a version lower than a predetermined version, the predetermined screen is controlled not to be displayed, and when the OS of the information processing device is an OS of the predetermined version or higher, the predetermined screen is controlled to be displayed. 8. The program according to any one of items 2 to 7,

[0126] (Item 9) When the OS of the information processing device is an OS of a version lower than the predetermined version, the second area is controlled not to be displayed on the password input screen, and when the OS of the information processing device is an OS of the predetermined version or higher, the second area is controlled to be displayed on the password input screen. 9. The program according to item 8,

[0127] (Item 10) the predetermined application program is any one of an application program for iOS (registered trademark), an application program for iPadOS (registered trademark), and an application program for AndroidOS (registered trademark), The predetermined version is one of iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and Android 10. 10. The program according to item 9,

[0128] (Item 11) The second area is an area including a sentence explaining the verification method. 2. The program according to item 1,

[0129] (Item 12) the other application program is an application program for configuring the information processing device and is an application program pre-installed in the information processing device; 12. The program according to any one of items 1 to 11,

[0130] (Item 13) The computer, and further executing a second display control step of displaying a specific screen relating to an operation method for establishing a connection between the communication device and the access point by a method other than the method of transmitting the setting information to the communication device by the predetermined application program. 13. The program according to any one of items 1 to 12,

[0131] (Item 14) The specific screen is displayed based on the operation of a button included in the password input screen. Item 14. The program according to item 13.

[0132] (Item 15) the information processing device is capable of establishing a first type of connection that is disconnected when a predetermined time has elapsed since the predetermined application program has transitioned to the background, and a second type of connection that is not disconnected even when the predetermined time has elapsed since the predetermined application program has transitioned to the background, 15. The program according to any one of items 1 to 14, characterized in that the program is controlled by the predetermined application program so that the connection between the information processing device and the communication device is established as the second type connection.

[0133] (Item 16) the predetermined application program sets a predetermined flag for instructing establishment of the second type connection, and executes a predetermined API (Application Programming Interface) for establishing a connection between the information processing device and the communication device, thereby controlling so that the connection between the information processing device and the communication device is established as the second type connection; 16. The program according to item 15,

[0134] (Item 17) the password input screen is displayed in a state where the connection between the information processing device and the communication device is established as the second type connection. 17. The program according to item 15 or 16,

[0135] (Item 18) further executing a second transmission step of transmitting at least one of a print job for causing the communication device to execute printing and a scan job for causing the communication device to execute scanning; 18. The program according to any one of items 1 to 17,

[0136] (Item 19) the connection between the information processing device and the communication device used for transmitting the setting information is based on a communication method conforming to the IEEE 802.11 series of standards; 19. The program according to any one of items 1 to 18,

[0137] (Item 20) A method for controlling an information processing device having a predetermined application program, comprising: a first display control step of displaying a password entry screen including a first area for accepting, from a user, an entry of a password for connecting to an external access point of the information processing device, and a second area for showing the user a confirmation method for the user to confirm the password on a screen displayed by an application program other than the predetermined application program; a first transmission step of transmitting setting information including at least the password input by the user on the password input screen to the communication device via a connection between the information processing device and the communication device; and When the setting information is received by the communication device, the communication device connects to the access point using the setting information. A control method comprising:

[0138] (Item 21) An information processing device having a predetermined application program, a first display control means for displaying a password entry screen including a first area for receiving from a user a password for connecting to an external access point of the information processing device, and a second area for showing the user a confirmation method for the user to confirm the password on a screen displayed by an application program other than the predetermined application program; a first transmission means for transmitting setting information including at least the password input by the user on the password input screen to the communication device via a connection between the information processing device and the communication device; and When the setting information is received by the communication device, the communication device connects to the access point using the setting information. A control method comprising: [Explanation of symbols]

[0139] 101 Terminal equipment 151 Communication equipment

Claims

1. A predetermined application program, The computer of the information processing device a first display control step of displaying a password entry screen including a first area for accepting, from a user, an entry of a password for connecting to an external access point of the information processing device, and a second area for showing the user a confirmation method for the user to confirm the password on a screen displayed by an application program other than the predetermined application program; a first transmission step of transmitting setting information including at least the password input by the user on the password input screen to the communication device via a connection between the information processing device and the communication device; Execute When the setting information is received by the communication device, the communication device connects to the access point using the setting information. A program characterized by:

2. the second area is a button for displaying a predetermined screen including a sentence explaining the confirmation method, The predetermined screen is newly displayed based on the operation of the button.

2. The program according to claim 1 .

3. the predetermined screen is displayed by the predetermined application program without using a web browser; 3. The program according to claim 2.

4. the predetermined screen includes an area for displaying an SSID (Service Set Identifier) ​​of an access point corresponding to the password to be checked on the screen displayed by the other application program; 3. The program according to claim 2.

5. a control is performed so that a connection between the information processing device and a communication device is established based on a predetermined operation being accepted on a screen displayed by the predetermined application program; the access point corresponding to the password to be confirmed on the screen displayed by the other application program is at least the access point to which the information processing device was connected when the predetermined operation was accepted; 5. The program according to claim 4.

6. the predetermined screen includes an area prompting the user to return to the predetermined application program after confirming the password.

3. The program according to claim 2.

7. the predetermined screen includes, as an area indicating the confirmation method, an area indicating that a screen displayed by the predetermined application program is to be opened.

3. The program according to claim 2.

8. When the OS of the information processing device is an OS of a version lower than a predetermined version, the predetermined screen is controlled not to be displayed, and when the OS of the information processing device is an OS of the predetermined version or higher, the predetermined screen is controlled to be displayed.

3. The program according to claim 2.

9. When the OS of the information processing device is an OS of a version lower than the predetermined version, the second area is controlled not to be displayed on the password input screen, and when the OS of the information processing device is an OS of the predetermined version or higher, the second area is controlled to be displayed on the password input screen.

9. The program according to claim 8.

10. the predetermined application program is any one of an application program for iOS (registered trademark), an application program for iPad OS (registered trademark), and an application program for Android OS (registered trademark), The predetermined version is one of iOS 16, iPad OS 16, and Android 10.

10. The program according to claim 9.

11. the second area is an area including a sentence explaining the verification method; 2. The program according to claim 1 .

12. the other application program is an application program for configuring the information processing device and is an application program pre-installed in the information processing device; 2. The program according to claim 1 .

13. The computer, a second display control step of displaying a specific screen relating to an operation method for establishing a connection between the communication device and the access point by a method other than the method of transmitting the setting information to the communication device by the predetermined application program; 2. The program according to claim 1 .

14. The specific screen is displayed based on the operation of a button included in the password input screen.

14. The program according to claim 13 .

15. the information processing device is capable of establishing a first type of connection that is disconnected when a predetermined time has elapsed since the predetermined application program has transitioned to the background, and a second type of connection that is not disconnected even when the predetermined time has elapsed since the predetermined application program has transitioned to the background, 2. The program according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined application program controls the connection between the information processing device and the communication device to be established as the second type connection.

16. the predetermined application program sets a predetermined flag for instructing establishment of the second type connection, and executes a predetermined API (Application Programming Interface) for establishing the connection between the information processing device and the communication device, thereby controlling so that the connection between the information processing device and the communication device is established as the second type connection; 16. The program according to claim 15.

17. the password entry screen is displayed in a state where the connection between the information processing device and the communication device is established as the second type connection.

16. The program according to claim 15.

18. a second transmission step of transmitting at least one of a print job for causing the communication device to execute printing and a scan job for causing the communication device to execute scanning; 2. The program according to claim 1 .

19. the connection between the information processing device and the communication device used for transmitting the setting information is based on a communication method conforming to the IEEE 802.11 series standards; 2. The program according to claim 1 .

20. A method for controlling an information processing device having a predetermined application program, comprising: a first display control step of displaying a password entry screen including a first area for accepting, from a user, an entry of a password for connecting to an external access point of the information processing device, and a second area for showing the user a confirmation method for the user to confirm the password on a screen displayed by an application program other than the predetermined application program; a first transmission step of transmitting setting information including at least the password input by the user on the password input screen to the communication device via a connection between the information processing device and the communication device; and When the setting information is received by the communication device, the communication device connects to the access point using the setting information. A control method comprising:

21. An information processing device having a predetermined application program, a first display control means for displaying a password entry screen including a first area for accepting, from a user, an entry of a password for connecting to an external access point of the information processing device, and a second area for showing a user a confirmation method for the user to confirm the password on a screen displayed by an application program other than the predetermined application program; a first transmission means for transmitting setting information including at least the password input by the user on the password input screen to the communication device via a connection between the information processing device and the communication device; and When the setting information is received by the communication device, the communication device connects to the access point using the setting information. A control method comprising:

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