Communication apparatus, control method thereof, and storage medium

Abstract

When a terminal and a communication apparatus communicate with each other and the terminal performs processing for connecting to an AP of the communication apparatus, both communication security and usability are required.SOLUTION: A communication apparatus having a wireless direct function of performing direct wireless communication with a partner apparatus without going through an external access point, the communication apparatus comprising: an execution unit configured to perform the direct wireless communication with the partner apparatus using the wireless direct function corresponding to a method of exchanging communication parameters using bootstrapping; and a communication unit configured to communicate a connection parameter for connecting to the external access point via the direct wireless communication performed by the execution unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication device, a control method thereof, a program, and a storage medium. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, the increase in the amount of data being transmitted has led to the development of communication technologies such as wireless local area networks (WLANs). The IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) 802.11 standard series is known as the main communication standard for WLANs. The IEEE 802.11 standard series includes IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax standards. For example, the latest standard, IEEE 802.11ax, uses Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) to achieve a high peak throughput of up to 9.6 gigabits per second (Gbps) and improve communication speeds under congested conditions. OFDMA is an abbreviation for Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access.

[0003] Meanwhile, the Wi-Fi Alliance has developed a program for certifying wireless LAN devices. For example, it has developed the WFD standard, which defines procedures for establishing communication links between wireless LAN stations (STAs) by exchanging communication parameters between them without going through an access point (AP). WFD is an abbreviation for Wi-Fi Direct (registered trademark), and is a standard for direct communication between devices.

[0004] Furthermore, the Wi-Fi Aware standard has been established as a standard for searching for services provided by devices. For example, Patent Document 1 describes detecting communication terminals using the provisions of the Wi-Fi Aware standard.

[0005] When a communication device performs wireless communication via an access point (hereinafter, AP), it is necessary to configure the communication device for wireless communication with the AP. Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) is known as a method for performing this configuration. This method involves simultaneously pressing buttons on the communication device and AP, or entering a PIN code issued by the AP into the communication device to configure the device for wireless communication. However, when simultaneously pressing buttons, the communication device and AP must be positioned so that they can be operated simultaneously. When registering via a wired interface, a wired cable must be prepared and used to connect them, which is a cumbersome process. Therefore, Patent Document 2 describes a process in which a terminal and a communication device communicate, and the terminal connects the communication device to the AP. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-201427 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-23441 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] When a terminal and a communication device communicate with each other and the terminal connects to an AP of the communication device, both security and usability of the communication are required. The present invention aims to provide a method that can execute appropriate setting processing when the terminal connects to the AP of the communication device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A communication device having a wireless direct function for directly communicating wirelessly with a partner device without going through an external access point, characterized in that it has: an execution means for performing direct wireless communication with the partner device using the wireless direct function corresponding to a method for exchanging communication parameters using bootstrapping; and a communication means for communicating connection parameters for connecting to an external access point via the direct wireless communication performed by the execution means. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] When the terminal performs connection processing to the AP of the communication device, it is possible to perform appropriate setting processing. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a system configuration. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of the configuration of an MFP. [Figure 3] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating examples of displays on an operation display unit of an MFP. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a mobile terminal device. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an access point. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating a connection process according to the conventional WFD standard. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating the subsequent processing of the new WFD standard. [Figure 8] 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating a process of connecting the MFP and AP using a mobile terminal device and the MFP using CLS. FIG. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart illustrating processing of an MFP using the new WFD standard. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart illustrating processing of a mobile terminal device using the new WFD standard. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of a display of a wireless direct connection trigger on the operation display unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present embodiments are merely examples, and that specific examples of components, processing steps, display screens, etc. are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention unless otherwise specified.

[0012] (System Configuration) FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of a system according to this embodiment. In one example, this system is a wireless communication system in which a plurality of communication devices can communicate with each other wirelessly. In the example of FIG. 1, the communication devices include a mobile terminal device 104, an MFP 100, an AP 101 which is an access point, a DHCP server 103, and a network 110. The mobile terminal device 104 is a device having a wireless communication function such as a wireless LAN. Note that, hereinafter, wireless LAN may be referred to as WLAN. The mobile terminal device 104 may be a personal information terminal such as a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a mobile phone (smartphone), a digital camera, a personal computer, etc.

[0013] The MFP 100 is a printing device having a printing function, and may also have a reading function (scanner), a fax function, and a telephone function. The MFP 100 of this embodiment has a communication function that enables wireless communication with a mobile terminal device 104. Although the present embodiment describes a case in which the MFP 100 is used as an example, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a scanner device, a projector, a mobile terminal, a smartphone, a notebook PC, a tablet terminal, a PDA, a digital camera, a music playback device, a television, a smart speaker, and the like, each having a communication function, may be used instead of the MFP 100. Note that MFP is an acronym for Multi Function Peripheral.

[0014] The AP 101 is provided separately (externally) from the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100, and operates as a WLAN base station device. A communication device having a WLAN communication function can communicate in WLAN infrastructure mode via the AP 101. Note that hereinafter, an access point may be referred to as an "AP." Furthermore, infrastructure mode may be referred to as "wireless infrastructure mode." The AP 101 performs wireless communication with communication devices that have been authorized (authenticated) to connect to the AP 101, and relays wireless communication between the communication devices and other communication devices. The AP 101 may also be connected to, for example, a wired communication network, and relay communication between a communication device connected to the wired communication network and another communication device wirelessly connected to the AP 101.

[0015] DHCP server 103 connects to MFP 100 via AP 101 and network 110, and provides services to MFP 100 by responding to requests from MFP 100. Note that, although the configuration in FIG. 1 has been described in which DHCP server 103 is connected as a device separate from AP 101, a configuration in which AP 101 has a DHCP server function may also be used. DNS server 105 is connected to MFP 100 and mobile terminal device 104 via AP 101 and network 110, and provides name resolution services by responding to requests from MFP 100 and mobile terminal device 104. Here, network 110 may be the so-called Internet, or it may be a closed network within a company or a mobile phone network.

[0016] (MFP external configuration) FIG. 2(a) shows an example of the external configuration of MFP 100. MFP 100 has, for example, a platen 201, a platen cover 202, a print paper insertion slot 203, a print paper ejection slot 204, and an operation display unit 205. Platen 201 is a stand on which a document to be read is placed. Platen cover 202 is a cover that holds down the document placed on platen 201 and prevents light from a light source that illuminates the document during reading from leaking to the outside. Print paper insertion slot 203 is an insertion slot that can accept paper of various sizes. Print paper ejection slot 204 is an ejection slot through which paper that has been printed is ejected. Paper that has been placed in print paper insertion slot 203 is transported one sheet at a time to the printing unit, where it is printed and then ejected from print paper ejection slot 204. The operation display unit 205 includes keys such as character input keys, cursor keys, a confirm key, and a cancel key, as well as an LED and an LCD, and is configured to be able to accept user operations for activating various MFP functions and for various settings. The operation display unit 205 may also include a touch panel display. The MFP 100 has a wireless communication function using WLAN, and includes a wireless communication antenna 206 for this wireless communication, although this does not necessarily need to be visible from the exterior. Like the mobile terminal device 104, the MFP 100 can also perform wireless communication using WLAN in the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz frequency bands.

[0017] (MFP configuration) FIG. 2(b) shows an example configuration of MFP 100. MFP 100 includes a main board 211 that performs main control of the device itself and a wireless unit 226, which is a communication module that performs WLAN communication using at least one common antenna. MFP 100 also includes, for example, a modem 229 for performing wired communication. Main board 211 includes, for example, a CPU 212 (central processing unit), ROM 213, RAM 214, nonvolatile memory 215, image memory 216, read control unit 217, data conversion unit 218, reading unit 219, and encoding / decoding processing unit 221. Main board 211 also includes, for example, a printing unit 222, a paper feed unit 223, a print control unit 224, and an operation display unit 220. These functional units within main board 211 are connected to each other via a system bus 230 managed by CPU 212. The main board 211 and the wireless unit 226 are connected via, for example, a dedicated bus 225 , and the main board 211 and the modem 229 are connected via, for example, a bus 228 .

[0018] The CPU 212 is a system control unit including at least one processor, and controls the entire MFP 100. In one example, the processing of the MFP 100 described below is realized by the CPU 212 executing programs stored in the ROM 213. Note that dedicated hardware for each process may be provided. The ROM 213 stores control programs such as the control programs and embedded OS programs executed by the CPU 212. In this embodiment, the CPU 212 executes the control programs stored in the ROM 213 under the management of the embedded OS also stored in the ROM 213, thereby performing software control such as scheduling and task switching.

[0019] The RAM 214 is configured with an SRAM or the like. The RAM 214 stores data such as program control variables, setting values ​​registered by the user, and management data for the MFP 100. The RAM 214 can also be used as a buffer for various types of work. The non-volatile memory 215 is configured with a memory such as a flash memory, and continues to store data even when the power to the MFP 100 is turned off. The image memory 216 is configured with a memory such as a DRAM. The image memory 216 accumulates image data received via the wireless unit 226, image data processed by the encoding / decoding processing unit 221, and the like. Note that the memory configuration of the MFP 100 is not limited to the configuration described above. The data conversion unit 218 analyzes data in various formats and converts image data into print data, etc.

[0020] The reading control unit 217 controls the reading unit 219 (for example, a CIS (contact image sensor)) to optically read the document placed on the document table 201. The reading control unit 217 converts the image obtained by optically reading the document into electrical image data (image signals) and outputs the converted data. At this time, the reading control unit 217 may output the image data after performing various image processes such as binarization and halftoning.

[0021] The operation display unit 220 is the operation display unit 205 described with reference to FIG. 2(a), and performs display on a display based on display control by the CPU 212, generation of a signal in response to reception of a user operation, and the like.

[0022] The encoding / decoding processor 221 performs encoding and decoding processes on image data (JPEG, PNG, etc.) handled by the MFP 100, as well as scaling processes.

[0023] The paper feed unit 223 holds paper for printing. The paper feed unit 223 can supply the set paper under the control of the print control unit 224. The paper feed unit 223 may include multiple paper feed units in order to hold multiple types of paper in one device, and under the control of the print control unit 224, it can control which paper feed unit to use to feed paper.

[0024] The print control unit 224 performs various image processing such as smoothing, print density correction, and color correction on the image data to be printed, and outputs the processed image data to the print unit 222. The print unit 222 is configured to be able to perform, for example, inkjet printing, and ejects ink supplied from an ink tank from a print head to record an image on a recording medium such as paper. Note that the print unit 222 may also be configured to be able to perform other printing processes such as electrophotography. The print control unit 224 may also periodically read information from the print unit 222 and update status information stored in RAM 214, including the remaining amount of ink in the ink tank and the state of the print head.

[0025] The wireless unit 226 is a unit capable of providing WLAN communication functions, and can provide functions similar to those of a combination of the WLAN unit 401 of the mobile terminal device 104, for example. That is, the wireless unit 226 converts data into packets in accordance with the WLAN standard and transmits the packets to other devices, and also restores packets from other external devices to the original data and outputs the data to the CPU 212. The wireless unit 226 is capable of communication as a station conforming to the IEEE802.11 standard series. In particular, it is capable of communication as a station conforming to IEEE802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax. Hereinafter, the station may be referred to as an STA.

[0026] The wireless unit 226 is compatible with IEEE802.11ax, i.e., Wi-Fi 6 (trademark), and can perform processing compliant with IEEE802.11ax. In other words, the MFP 100 can operate (process) as either an STA compatible with (compliant with) OFDMA or as an STA compatible with (compliant with) TWT, or both. OFDMA stands for Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access. TWT stands for Target Wake Time. Support for TWT adjusts the timing of data communication from the master device to the STA. The wireless unit 226 (MFP 100) as an STA transitions its communication function to a sleep state when it does not need to wait for signal reception. This reduces power consumption. The wireless unit 226 also supports Wi-Fi 6E (trademark). In other words, communication in the 6 GHz band (5.925 GHz to 7.125 GHz) is also possible. The bands where Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) is performed, which exist in the 5 GHz band, do not exist in the 6 GHz band. Therefore, communication in the 6 GHz band does not experience communication interruptions due to DFS standby times, and smoother communication can be expected. Here, processing is performed in accordance with IEEE802.11ax, but the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 may operate in accordance with other standards in the IEEE802.11 series. For example, they may operate in accordance with IEEE802.11be or later standards.

[0027] The mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 are capable of P2P (WLAN) communication based on WFD. The wireless unit 226 has a software access point (soft AP) function or a group owner function. That is, the wireless unit 226 can build a P2P communication network and determine the channel to be used for P2P communication. The WFD here is based on the standard established by the Wi-Fi Alliance. The wireless unit 226 can also operate as a WFD client.

[0028] (MFP operation display section) FIG. 3 schematically shows an example of a screen display on a display (touch panel display) included in the operation display unit 220 of the MFP 100. FIG. 3(a) is an example of a home screen that is displayed when the MFP 100 is powered on and no operations such as printing or scanning are being performed (idle state, standby state). FIG. 3(a) displays display items (menu items) corresponding to copy, scan, and cloud, respectively. Cloud is a menu item related to cloud functions that use Internet communication. By selecting any of the menu items through key operations or touch panel operations, the MFP 100 can begin executing the corresponding settings or functions. The MFP 100 can seamlessly display a screen different from that shown in FIG. 3(a) by accepting key operations or touch panel operations on the home screen of FIG. 3(a).

[0029] Figure 3(b) is a display example of another part of the home screen, which transitions from the state of Figure 3(a) by performing an operation (such as sliding left or right) to display another page of the home screen. Figure 3(b) displays display items (menu items) corresponding to communication settings, print, and photo. When one of these menu items is selected, the function corresponding to the selected menu item, i.e., the print function, photo function, or communication settings, is executed.

[0030] Figure 3(c) is an example of a communication settings menu screen that is displayed when communication settings are selected on the screen in Figure 3(b). The communication settings menu screen displays the following menu items (options): "Wireless LAN," "Wired LAN," "Wireless Direct," "Bluetooth," and "Common." "Wireless LAN," "Wired LAN," and "Wireless Direct" are menu items for configuring LAN settings. These items allow users to configure wired connections, enable / disable wireless infrastructure mode, and enable / disable P2P modes such as WFD and soft AP mode. When the "Wireless LAN" item is selected and wireless LAN is enabled by user operation, wireless infrastructure mode is enabled. When the "Wireless Direct" item is selected and wireless Direct is enabled by user operation, P2P (WLAN) mode is enabled. This screen also displays a common settings menu for each connection type. Furthermore, the user can use this screen to configure settings such as the wireless LAN frequency band and frequency channel.

[0031] (External configuration of mobile terminal device) FIG. 4(a) is a diagram illustrating an example of the external configuration of the mobile terminal device 104. In this embodiment, as an example, the mobile terminal device 104 is a general-type smartphone. The mobile terminal device 104 includes, for example, a display unit 402, an operation unit 403, and a power key 404. The display unit 402 is, for example, a display including a liquid crystal display (LCD) type display mechanism. The display unit 402 may display information using, for example, an LED (light emitting diode). The mobile terminal device 104 may also have a function to output information by voice in addition to or instead of the display unit 402. The operation unit 403 includes hard keys such as keys and buttons, a touch panel, and the like for detecting user operations. In this example, the display unit 402 displays information and the operation unit 403 receives user operations using a common touch panel display, so the display unit 402 and the operation unit 403 are implemented by a single device. In this case, for example, button icons and a software keyboard are displayed using the display function of display unit 402, and the touch of the user on those locations is detected by the operation reception function of operation unit 403. Note that display unit 402 and operation unit 403 may be separated, and hardware for display and hardware for operation reception may be provided separately. Power key 404 is a hardware key for receiving a user operation to turn on or off the power of mobile terminal device 104.

[0032] The mobile terminal device 104 includes a WLAN unit 401 that provides WLAN communication functionality, although it does not necessarily need to be visible from the exterior. The WLAN unit 401 is configured to be able to perform data (packet) communication in a WLAN system that complies with, for example, the IEEE 802.11 standard series (IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax, etc.). It is also capable of communication as an AP compatible with Wi-Fi Agile Multiband (trademark). However, this is not a limitation, and the WLAN unit 401 may also be capable of communication in a WLAN system that complies with other standards. In this example, the WLAN unit 401 is capable of communication in the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz frequency bands. It is also assumed that the WLAN unit 401 is capable of communication based on WFD, communication in soft AP mode, communication in wireless infrastructure mode, etc. Operation in these modes will be described later.

[0033] (Configuration of mobile terminal device) FIG. 4(b) shows an example of the configuration of the mobile terminal device 104. In one example, the mobile terminal device 104 includes a main board 411 that performs main control of the device itself and a WLAN unit 429 that performs WLAN communication. The main board 411 includes, for example, a CPU 412, a ROM 413, a RAM 414, an image memory 415, a data conversion unit 416, a telephone unit 417, a GPS 419, a camera unit 421, a non-volatile memory 422, a data storage unit 423, a speaker unit 424, and a power supply unit 425. Here, CPU is an acronym for Central Processing Unit, ROM is an acronym for Read Only Memory, RAM is an acronym for Random Access Memory, and GPS is an acronym for Global Positioning System. The mobile terminal device 104 also includes a display unit 420 and an operation unit 418. These functional units within the main board 411 are connected to each other via a system bus 628 managed by the CPU 412. Furthermore, the main board 411 and the WLAN unit 429 (the above-mentioned WLAN unit 401) are connected via a dedicated bus 426, for example.

[0034] The CPU 412 is a system control unit including at least one processor, and controls the entire mobile terminal device 104. In one example, the processing of the mobile terminal device 104 described below is realized by the CPU 412 executing a program stored in the ROM 413. Note that dedicated hardware for each process may be provided. The ROM 413 stores control programs, such as a control program and an embedded operating system (OS) program, executed by the CPU 412. In this embodiment, the CPU 412 executes each control program stored in the ROM 413 under the management of an embedded OS also stored in the ROM 413, thereby performing software control such as scheduling and task switching.

[0035] The RAM 414 is configured with a static RAM (SRAM) or the like. The RAM 414 stores data such as program control variables, setting values ​​registered by the user, and management data for the mobile terminal device 104. The RAM 414 can also be used as a buffer for various types of work. The image memory 415 is configured with a memory such as a dynamic RAM (DRAM). The image memory 415 temporarily stores image data received via the WLAN unit 429 and image data read from the data storage unit 423 for processing by the CPU 412. The nonvolatile memory 422 is configured with a memory such as a flash memory, and continues to store data even when the mobile terminal device 104 is powered off. Note that the memory configuration of the mobile terminal device 104 is not limited to the above configuration. For example, the image memory 415 and the RAM 414 may be shared, or data may be backed up using the data storage unit 423. In this embodiment, although a DRAM is given as an example of the image memory 415, other storage media such as a hard disk or nonvolatile memory may also be used.

[0036] The data conversion unit 416 analyzes data in various formats and performs data conversion such as color conversion and image conversion. The telephone unit 417 controls telephone lines and realizes telephone communication by processing audio data input and output via a speaker unit 424. The GPS 419 receives radio waves transmitted from satellites and acquires location information such as the current latitude and longitude of the mobile terminal device 104.

[0037] The camera unit 421 has the function of electronically recording and encoding an image input through a lens. Image data obtained by capturing an image with the camera unit 421 is stored in a data storage unit 423. The speaker unit 424 controls the input and output of audio for telephone functions, as well as other functions such as alarm notification. The power supply unit 425 is, for example, a portable battery, and controls the supply of power to the device. Power supply states include, for example, a dead battery state in which there is no remaining battery power, a power-off state in which the power key 404 is not pressed, a running state in which the device is normally running, and a power-saving state in which the device is running but is in power-saving mode.

[0038] The display unit 420 is the display unit 402 described with reference to Fig. 4(a), and performs various input operations and displays the operating status and status of the MFP 100 based on the control of the CPU 412. The operation unit 418 is the operation unit 403 described with reference to Fig. 4(a), and upon receiving a user operation, performs control such as generating an electrical signal corresponding to the operation and outputting it to the CPU 412.

[0039] The mobile terminal device 104 performs wireless communication using a WLAN unit 429 to perform data communication with other devices such as the MFP 100. The WLAN unit 429 converts data into packets and transmits the packets to other devices. The WLAN unit 429 also restores packets from other external devices to the original data and outputs the data to the CPU 412. The WLAN unit 429 is a unit for realizing communication compliant with the WLAN standards. The WLAN unit 429 can operate in parallel in at least two communication modes, including a wireless infrastructure mode and a P2P (WLAN) mode. Note that the frequency bands used in these communication modes may be limited by the functionality and performance of the hardware.

[0040] (Access point configuration) 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the AP 101 having a wireless LAN access point function. The AP 101 is configured to include a main board 510 that controls the AP 101, a wireless LAN unit 516, a wired LAN unit 518, and an operation button 520.

[0041] A microprocessor-type CPU 511 disposed on a main board 510 operates in accordance with a control program stored in a ROM-type program memory 513 connected via an internal bus 512 and the contents of a RAM-type data memory 514. The CPU 511 controls a wireless LAN unit 516 via a wireless LAN communication control unit 515 to perform wireless LAN communication with other communication terminal devices. The CPU 511 also controls a wired LAN unit 518 via a wired LAN communication control unit 517 to perform wired LAN communication with other communication terminal devices. The CPU 511 controls an operation unit control circuit 519 to accept operations from a user via operation buttons 520. The CPU 511 includes at least one processor.

[0042] The AP 101 also includes an interference wave detection unit 521 and a channel change unit 522. The interference wave detection unit 521 performs processing to detect interference waves when wireless communication is being performed in a band where DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection) is implemented. If an interference wave is detected when wireless communication is being performed in a band where DFS is implemented, the channel change unit 522 performs processing to change the channel to be used when it is necessary to immediately change to an available channel.

[0043] (P2P communication method) Next, we will outline a P2P (WLAN) communication method in which devices communicate directly and wirelessly with each other without going through an external access point in WLAN communication. P2P (WLAN) communication can be achieved using multiple methods. For example, a communication device can support multiple modes for P2P (WLAN) communication and selectively use one of the multiple modes to perform P2P communication (WLAN). The MFP 100 and the mobile terminal device 104 are assumed to be able to perform direct wireless communication in P2P mode and infrastructure connection communication in infrastructure mode in parallel.

[0044] The following two P2P modes are envisioned: Soft AP mode Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) mode

[0045] A communication device capable of P2P communication may be configured to support at least one of these modes, but even a communication device capable of P2P communication does not have to support all of these modes and may be configured to support only some of them.

[0046] A communication device (e.g., the mobile terminal device 104) having a WFD communication function receives user operations via its operation unit, thereby invoking a (possibly dedicated) application for realizing the communication function. The communication device then displays a UI (user interface) screen provided by the application to prompt the user to perform an operation, and can execute WFD communication based on the received user operations.

[0047] ●Soft AP mode In the soft AP mode, a communication device (e.g., the mobile terminal device 104) operates as a client that requests various services. The other communication device (e.g., the MFP 100) operates as a soft AP that can execute the functions of a WLAN AP through software configuration. The commands and parameters exchanged when establishing a wireless connection between the client and the soft AP are sufficient if they are specified in the Wi-Fi (registered trademark) standard, and therefore will not be described here. The MFP 100 operating in the soft AP mode determines the frequency band and frequency channel as the master station. Therefore, the MFP 100 can select which frequency band to use (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, or 6 GHz) and which frequency channel to use within that frequency band. The soft AP mode does not require negotiation to determine roles, and does not necessarily comply with the Wi-Fi Alliance WFD standard.

[0048] WFD mode The MFP 100 may be configured to permanently start up as a master station in WFD mode (Autonomous Group Owner). In this case, GO negotiation processing to determine the role is not required. In addition, in this case, the MFP 100 determines the frequency band and frequency channel as the master station. Therefore, the MFP 100 can select which frequency band to use from 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, or 6 GHz, and which frequency channel to use within that frequency band. In addition, in WFD mode, a configuration may be adopted in which negotiation (GO Negotiation) is performed to determine which device will operate as the group owner and which device will operate as a client.

[0049] (Wireless infrastructure mode) In wireless infrastructure mode, communication devices (e.g., mobile terminal device 104 and MFP 100) that communicate with each other are connected to an external AP (e.g., AP 101) that manages the network, and communication between the communication devices is performed via that AP. In other words, communication between the communication devices is performed via a network established by the external AP. When mobile terminal device 104 and MFP 100 each discover AP 101 and send a connection request to AP 101 to connect, communication between these communication devices in wireless infrastructure mode via AP 101 is possible. Note that multiple communication devices may be connected to separate APs. In this case, data transfer between APs enables communication between the communication devices. Commands and parameters transmitted and received during communication between each communication device via an access point may be those specified in the Wi-Fi standard, and therefore will not be described here. In this case, AP 101 determines the frequency band and frequency channel. Therefore, the AP 101 can select which frequency band to use from 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, or 6 GHz, and which frequency channel to use within that frequency band.

[0050] Here, we assume that WFD has both the conventional standard method and the new standard method. In other words, we assume that the WFD standard has multiple methods with different standard versions. The conventional WFD method will be called WFD Release 1 (R1), and the new WFD method will be called WFD Release 2 (R2). The method that complies with the first version of the WFD standard will be called WFD R1, and the method that complies with the second version of the WFD standard will be called WFD R2. WFD R1 and WFD R2 have different methods for searching for devices and exchanging parameters.

[0051] (Connection processing of conventional WFD standards) The mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 support a function publicly known as Wi-Fi Direct. Wi-Fi Direct is a function that enables a Wi-Fi Direct-compatible device to establish its own Wi-Fi network without the need for an Internet connection. Specifically, Wi-Fi Direct-compatible devices such as the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 can connect directly to each other even in an environment without an AP 101 or the like.

[0052] 6 is a sequence diagram of the process of connecting the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 in accordance with the WFD standard. Here, the WFD R1 processing sequence is shown. The processes executed by each device in this sequence are realized by the CPU of each device reading various programs stored in memory such as ROM into RAM and executing them.

[0053] For example, the sequence processing starts when the mobile terminal device 104 and MFP 100 receive a WFD start instruction from the user. When the mobile terminal device 104 and MFP 100 receive a WFD start operation from the user, they search for a partner device by repeating the Listen state and the Search state. Before these states, there may be a period during which each channel is scanned. In the Listen state, for example, channel 1 in 2.4 GHz is selected and a Probe Request frame from another communication device is waited for. In the Search state, a Probe Request frame is sent while switching frequency channels (for example, channel 1, channel 6, channel 11) and a Probe Response frame is waited for.

[0054] In S601, the mobile terminal device 104 transmits a Probe Request frame to search for a WFD communication device. By transmitting the Probe Request frame, a partner device on the searched side is searched for. Here, it is assumed that the searching communication device is the mobile terminal device 104 and the partner device on the searched side is the MFP 100. The Probe Request frame has a WFD attribute (P2P IE), which identifies the target of the search as a WFD communication device.

[0055] In S602, upon receiving the Probe Request frame, the MFP 100 transmits a Probe Response frame. The mobile terminal device 104 detects the MFP 100, which is the WFD communication partner, by receiving the Probe Response frame transmitted by the MFP 100. The Probe Request frame and Probe Response frame include a P2P IE and may also include a Multi-Link element. The Multi-Link element may include communication parameters used for multi-link communication defined in the IEEE 802.11be standard. This makes it possible to establish multiple links between communication devices with a single connection procedure. In this way, the WFD R1 can detect the presence of other communication devices using a first search process that uses Probe Request / Response frames. The first search process described above is the search sequence for WFD R1.

[0056] In S603, the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 perform GO negotiation processing. In the GO negotiation, a channel to be used in direct wireless communication (wireless direct) may be determined. In the GO negotiation processing, the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 transmit or receive GO Negotiation Request / Response frames including an intent value indicating the degree to which they want to become the GO. The GO Negotiation Request / Response frames determine the roles of P2P group owner (GO) and P2P client. The MFP 100 may also be configured to permanently start up as a master station (GO) in WFD mode (Autonomous Group Owner). In this case, the GO negotiation processing to determine the role is unnecessary. The MFP 100 may set its own intent value to the maximum of 15, so that it executes the GO negotiation processing but always operates as the GO. In this case, the MFP 100, as the master station, determines the frequency band and frequency channel to be used in direct wireless communication. Therefore, the MFP 100 can select whether to use the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz frequency band, and which frequency channel to use within that frequency band.

[0057] In S604, the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 exchange communication parameters using Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) processing. The communication parameters may include parameters used in wireless communication, such as a Service Set Identifier (SSID), encryption method, encryption key, authentication method, AKM, BSSID, and MAC address. AKM is an abbreviation for Authentication and Key Management. AKM indicates an authentication protocol and key exchange algorithm used in wireless communication. For example, if the AKM is "SAE," the communication parameters may include a password for connecting to an AP or GO compatible with Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) 3. If the AKM is "psk," the communication parameters may include a Pre Shared Key (PSK) / passphrase for connecting to an AP or GO compatible with WPA2. If the AKM is "1X," the communication parameters may include an ID, password, public key, and the like for connecting to an AP compatible with WPA-Enterprise. The password and PSK / passphrase are encryption keys used in authentication and key exchange based on WPA or IEEE 802.11. The process by WPS in S604 is the communication parameter exchange sequence of WFD R1. In addition, from the process after S604, the channel used for communication may be changed from the channel used in S601 to S603.

[0058] In S605, when it is determined that the MFP 100 will operate as a GO, the MFP 100 starts transmitting a Beacon frame. The Beacon frame may include communication parameters for communicating with the MFP 100. The Beacon frame may also include information elements and attributes defined in the WFD standard. This allows communication devices other than the mobile terminal device 104 to detect the presence of the MFP 100 and establish a direct wireless communication connection with the MFP 100. For example, other communication devices may detect the presence of the MFP 100 by receiving a Beacon frame including information defined in the WFD standard.

[0059] In S606, the mobile terminal device 104 transmits a Probe Request frame to execute a connection procedure with the MFP 100. In S607, upon receiving the Probe Request frame, the MFP 100 transmits a Probe Response frame.

[0060] In S608, the mobile terminal device 104 transmits an authentication frame. In S609, upon receiving the authentication frame, the MFP 100 transmits the authentication frame.

[0061] In S610, upon receiving the Authentication frame, the mobile terminal device 104 transmits an Association Request frame. In S611, upon receiving the Association Request frame, the MFP 100 transmits an Association Response frame.

[0062] In S612, the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 execute a 4-way handshake. By executing such a connection procedure, a connection between the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 is established.

[0063] Although not shown in the above sequence, the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 may transmit or receive Provision Discovery Request / Response frames. The above-described processing of the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 may be reversed.

[0064] (Connection processing of the new WFD standard) 7 is a sequence diagram of the process of connecting the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 in accordance with the WFD standard. Here, the WFD R2 processing sequence is shown. The processes executed by each device in this sequence are realized by the CPU of each device reading various programs stored in memory such as ROM into RAM and executing them.

[0065] For example, the sequence processing starts when the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 receive a WFD start instruction from a user. In the WFD R2 search sequence, a second search process is performed. An example of a search procedure using the second search process is shown. In this search procedure, each of the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 performs processing based on whether the device is a service-providing communication device or a service-requesting communication device, and detects other communication devices. A service-providing communication device may be called a publisher, listener, advertiser, etc. A service-requesting communication device may be called a subscriber, searcher, seeker, etc. For example, a service-requesting communication device may transmit a frame to detect other communication devices. A service-providing communication device may receive and respond to frames transmitted by other communication devices. The role assigned to a communication device may be determined by a higher layer (such as a service layer). FIG. 7 illustrates an example in which the mobile terminal device 104 operates as a service-requesting communication device, and the MFP 100 operates as a service-providing communication device. For example, the mobile terminal device 104 performs intermittent detection operations and transmits frames for detecting other communication devices. The second search process may use, for example, the mechanism of the Wi-Fi Aware standard established by the Wi-Fi Alliance. That is, the frames communicated in the second search process may be frames defined in the Wi-Fi Aware standard. Furthermore, other service search protocols and methods may be used in the second search process, not limited to the Wi-Fi Aware standard.

[0066] In S701, the mobile terminal device 104 transmits a Service Discovery frame to search for a WFD communication device. Here, it is assumed that the Service Discovery is transmitted on channel 6 of 2.4 GHz. By transmitting the Service Discovery frame, it searches for a partner device on the searched side. Here, it is assumed that the searching communication device is the mobile terminal device 104, and the partner device on the searched side is the MFP 100. The Service Discovery frame has a WFD attribute, which identifies the target of the search as a WFD communication device.

[0067] In S702, upon receiving the Service Discovery frame, the MFP 100 transmits the Service Discovery frame. The Service Discovery frame transmitted here may be called an SDF Follow up. By receiving the Service Discovery frame, the mobile terminal device 104 detects the MFP 100, which is the WFD communication partner. The second search process described above is the search sequence for WFD R2. Because the first search process for WFD R1 and the second search process for WFD R2 use different methods, a communication device that supports only WFD R1 cannot be searched for using the WFD R2 method. Conversely, a communication device that supports only WFD R2 cannot be searched for using the WFD R1 method.

[0068] In S703, the mobile terminal device 104 transmits a request using a Bootstrapping Request frame. This request is for an exchange method for exchanging communication parameters. The mobile terminal device 104 can use this frame to notify the MFP 100 of an exchange method that the mobile terminal device 104 can execute, from among exchange methods for communication parameters that use, for example, a button press, a PIN code, a passphrase, a QR code (registered trademark), an NFC tag, or the like. For example, if the mobile terminal device 104 can execute an exchange method that uses a QR code, the mobile terminal device 104 can indicate at least one of whether the mobile terminal device 104 can display or read a QR code. Furthermore, if the mobile terminal device 104 can execute an exchange method that uses a passphrase, the mobile terminal device 104 can indicate whether it can use a character string, a numeric value, or both. Furthermore, if the mobile terminal device 104 can execute an exchange method that uses a passphrase, the mobile terminal device 104 can indicate at least one of whether it can display or input a passphrase. Furthermore, the mobile terminal device 104 can indicate whether it can use a button press to trigger the exchange of communication parameters. The information that the mobile terminal device 104 can notify is not limited to these.

[0069] In S704, in response to the request using the Bootstrapping Request frame, the MFP 100 transmits a response to the mobile terminal device 104 using a Bootstrapping Response frame. As an example, the MFP 100 may select an exchange method that the MFP 100 can execute from among the exchange methods included in the request from the mobile terminal device 104, and may send a response that includes information that can identify the exchange method. Furthermore, if there is no exchange method that the MFP 100 can execute from among the exchange methods included in the request, the MFP 100 may send a response that includes information indicating this.

[0070] In S705, a bootstrap process is performed using an exchange method for exchanging communication parameters determined between the communication devices, and the communication parameters are exchanged. For example, the MFP 100 displays a two-dimensional code (e.g., a QR code), and the mobile terminal device 104 reads the QR code to exchange the communication parameters. The bootstrap process in S705 is a communication parameter exchange sequence of WFD R2.

[0071] In S706, mutual authentication may be performed using PASN authentication. PASN is an abbreviation for Preassociation Security Negotiation. Communication parameters for using PASN may include the public keys of each communication device. Communication parameters for using PASN may be exchanged using a method not specified in the WFD standard, such as Bluetooth. Another exchange method may involve configuring a temporary network including an AP and connecting the communication device to that network to obtain communication parameters. In PASN, the mobile terminal device 104 and MFP 100 may perform GO Negotiation processing. The GO Negotiation may determine the channel to be used for direct wireless communication. The GO Negotiation processing may determine the roles of P2P group owner (GO) and P2P client. The MFP 100 may also be configured to permanently start up as a master station in WFD mode (Autonomous Group Owner). In this case, the GO Negotiation processing to determine the roles is unnecessary. The MFP 100 may perform GO Negotiation processing by setting its own intent value to the maximum of 15, but always operating as the MFP 100. In this case, the MFP 100 determines the frequency band and frequency channel to be used for direct wireless communication as the master station. Therefore, the MFP 100 can select which frequency band to use from 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, or 6 GHz, and which frequency channel to use within that frequency band. In the WFD R1, the frequency bands available for direct wireless communication were 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, but in the WFD R2, the frequency bands available for direct wireless communication are 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and also 6 GHz. Unlike the R1, the WFD R2 determines roles after exchanging communication parameters. From step S707 onward, the channel used in steps S701 to S706 may be changed to a new channel for communication.

[0072] In S707, when it is determined that the MFP 100 itself will operate as a GO, the MFP 100 starts transmitting a Beacon frame. The Beacon frame may include communication parameters for communicating with the MFP 100. The Beacon frame may also include information elements and attributes defined in the WFD standard. This allows communication devices other than the mobile terminal device 104 to detect the presence of the MFP 100 and connect to the MFP 100. For example, other communication devices may detect the presence of the MFP 100 by receiving a Beacon frame that includes information defined in the WFD standard.

[0073] In S708, the mobile terminal device 104 transmits a Probe Request frame to execute a connection procedure with the MFP 100. In S709, upon receiving the Probe Request frame, the MFP 100 transmits a Probe Response frame.

[0074] In S710, the mobile terminal device 104 transmits an authentication frame. In S711, upon receiving the authentication frame, the MFP 100 transmits the authentication frame.

[0075] In S712, upon receiving the Authentication frame, the mobile terminal device 104 transmits an Association Request frame. In S713, upon receiving the Association Request frame, the MFP 100 transmits an Association Response frame.

[0076] In S714, the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 execute a 4-way handshake. By executing such a connection procedure, a connection between the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 is established.

[0077] The above-described processing of the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 may be reversed. It is also assumed that compatibility with WFD R1 or WFD R2 can be indicated in the P2P IE. It is also assumed that WFD R1 and WFD R2 support different security methods.

[0078] (Example of display during wireless direct connection processing) 11(a) is an example of a screen displayed when the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 receive a WFD start instruction from the user. While this screen is displayed, the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 search for a WFD-compatible device. For example, in the case of a WFD R2 connection, the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 send a Service Discovery frame and wait for a Service Discovery frame. In the case of a WFD R1 connection, the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 send a Probe and wait for a Probe. While the configuration is such that a WFD-compatible device is searched for while the screen in FIG. 11(a) is displayed, if WFD is enabled, a configuration may also be such that a WFD-compatible device is always searched for regardless of which screen is displayed.

[0079] Figure 11(b) is an example of a screen displayed on the MFP100 when searching for a partner device using WFD R1. For example, this screen is displayed when a Probe is received from the partner device or when a GO Negotiation Request frame is received. If the user selects "Yes" on the screen in Figure 11(b), the subsequent WFD processing will proceed and a WFD connection will be established with the partner device.

[0080] 11(c) is an example of a screen displayed on the MFP 100 when a partner device is searched for using WFD R2. For example, this screen is displayed when a Service Discovery frame or a Bootstrapping Response frame is received from the partner device. When the partner device reads the QR code displayed on this screen, the Bootstrapping process starts, and subsequent WFD processing proceeds, establishing a WFD connection with the partner device.

[0081] (cableless setup) In this embodiment, the mobile terminal device 104 performs settings (connection settings) for operating the MFP 100 in at least one communication mode of the infrastructure connection mode and the direct connection mode, using wireless communication with the mobile terminal device 104. 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. A mode that can accept cableless setup is called cableless setup mode (hereinafter CLS mode).

[0082] In cableless setup mode, the MFP100 starts up in soft AP mode, which operates in the same way as an access point (parent device). This allows external devices such as PCs, smartphones, and tablets to easily connect to the MFP100 as clients (child devices) and communicate with it. In cableless setup mode, WFD mode can also be used, not just soft AP mode. A dedicated LAN setting application running on external devices such as PCs, smartphones, and tablets allows even users with little LAN knowledge to easily connect to the MFP100. The dedicated LAN setting application is configured to send information necessary to identify the access point and security information for connection to the MFP100, which functions as a soft AP, without the user needing to know the details of the settings.

[0083] In CLS, MFP 100 is configured to transition to a mode capable of accepting wireless LAN setting changes via a wireless connection by accepting a predetermined operation on operation / display unit 220. Note that MFP 100 may transition to the CLS mode by accepting a predetermined command, for example, via a beacon. Wireless LAN settings include, for example, enabling / disabling the WFD function, negotiation settings, settings for an access point to which MFP 100 is connected, TCP / IP address settings, and security settings. Mobile terminal device 104 can establish an infrastructure connection or P2P connection with MFP 100 by changing the LAN settings of MFP 100 using CLS. Specifically, mobile terminal device 104 can establish an infrastructure connection with MFP 100 via an access point to which mobile terminal device 104 is connected by setting the access point to which MFP 100 is connected as the connection destination of MFP 100. Furthermore, the mobile terminal device 104 can establish a P2P connection with the MFP 100 by enabling the WFD function of the MFP 100 and connecting to the MFP 100 operating as a soft AP, or by operating itself as a soft AP as a result of negotiation.

[0084] 8 is a sequence diagram illustrating the process in S801 in which the mobile terminal device 104 connected to the AP 101 and the MFP 100 not connected to the AP use CLS, and the MFP 100 connects to the AP 101. The processes executed by each device in this sequence are realized by the CPU of each device reading various programs stored in memory such as ROM of each device into RAM and executing them.

[0085] For example, in S802, the MFP 100 starts the sequence by receiving a CLS start instruction from the user 800. At this time, in S803, the CLS mode of the MFP 100 is assumed to be activated, but the CLS mode may be automatically activated when the MFP 100 is started. The MFP 100 activates (starts) the soft AP mode and the WFD R2 Wireless Direct function when CLS is activated. However, the soft AP activated here does not provide communication security. In other words, the user is not prompted to enter a password, but communication via the soft AP of the MFP 100 is not encrypted. Furthermore, when the MFP 100 transmits and receives data using one antenna, if the soft AP mode and the WFD R2 function are activated simultaneously, the respective communications are performed alternately in a time-sharing manner. Furthermore, the number of antennas on the MFP 100 may be increased to allow simultaneous communication in the soft AP mode and the WFD R2 function via multiple antennas.

[0086] In response to an instruction to start the LAN setting application from the user 800 in S804, the mobile terminal device 104 starts a wireless communication LAN setting application (an application for setting the AP when the communication partner device (such as the MFP 100) operates in wireless infrastructure mode) in S805.

[0087] In S806, if the mobile terminal device 104 supports and can use WFD R2, connection processing is performed according to the sequence of FIG. 7. At this time, a method that does not require manual operations such as pressing a button is adopted in the Boot Strapping processing of S705. This allows the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 to perform direct wireless communication without requiring user operations such as pressing a button or entering a password. In the negotiation of S706, communication after connection is encrypted without exchanging passwords. If a method that does not require manual operations such as pressing a button is adopted in the Boot Strapping processing, security information may be exchanged between the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 to encrypt direct wireless communication, or security information may not be exchanged and direct wireless communication may not be encrypted. Furthermore, a method that requires manual operations such as pressing a button or reading a QR code in the Boot Strapping processing may be adopted to perform secure communication. Furthermore, a method of exchanging communication parameters without performing Boot Strapping itself may be adopted.

[0088] When a connection is established between the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100, in S807 the mobile terminal device 104 requests the AP search results from the MFP 100. In S808, the MFP 100 transmits AP list information based on the APs it has detected to the mobile terminal device 104, and in S809 the mobile terminal device 104 displays the received AP list on the display unit 420. At this time, the mobile terminal device 104 may display the results of its own AP search on the display unit 420 without requesting the AP search results from the MFP 100.

[0089] In S810, the user selects the SSID of the AP 101 to connect to from the list of APs displayed on the display unit 420. Here, an AP other than the currently connected AP 101 may be selected. In S811, the mobile terminal device 104 transmits connection parameters of the selected AP 101 to the MFP 100. The connection parameters include, for example, an SSID and a security key for connecting to the AP 101. In S812, the MFP 100 registers the received connection parameters of the AP 101 in the RAM 214. This enables wireless communication via the registered AP 101 when operating in wireless infrastructure mode. Once the registration of the connection parameters of the AP 101 is complete, the MFP 100 determines that wireless communication setup is complete, and in S813, it stops CLS and disables the soft AP and WFD R2 functions. This prevents other terminal devices from detecting the MFP 100, and the MFP 100 cannot receive connection request or device discovery packets.

[0090] In S814, the wireless infrastructure mode of the MFP 100 is enabled to perform wireless communication using the connection parameters of the registered AP 101. This enables the MFP 100 to send and receive wireless packets to and from the registered AP 101 on the same frequency channel. As a result, the MFP 100 becomes connectable to the AP 101 using the connection parameters of the registered AP 101, and in S815, the MFP 100 becomes capable of wireless communication via the AP 101. This allows the mobile terminal device 104 to transmit print data to the MFP 100 via the AP 101, for example.

[0091] In the communication connection of S806, the MFP 100 may operate as an Autonomous Group Owner (Auto GO) that operates fixedly as a parent station. In this case, the MFP 100 transmits a Beacon while in CLS mode and waits for a connection request from the mobile terminal device 104. If the MFP 100 does not operate as Auto GO, it starts with processing to search for a partner device using the WFD search sequence.

[0092] Also, although an example has been shown in which the communication connection in S806 is made using WFD R2, if the mobile terminal device 104 does not support WFD R2, the communication connection may be made in soft AP mode. The MFP 100 operates a soft AP to perform direct wireless communication with the mobile terminal device 104. Direct wireless communication using soft AP does not require user operation such as password entry, but the communication path is not encrypted (no security). The communication in soft AP mode here may be based on the WFD R1 method.

[0093] Fig. 9 is a flowchart for explaining the processing performed by MFP 100 in Fig. 8. Each process in the flowchart is realized by the CPU reading various programs stored in a memory such as a ROM into the RAM and executing them.

[0094] In S901, the CPU 212 activates the CLS mode of the MFP 100, and in S902, it enables the soft AP without security, and in S903, it enables the WFD R2 function.

[0095] In S904, the CPU 212 waits for a connection request from the other device (mobile terminal device 104). At this time, if the MFP 100 is in soft AP mode, it transmits a Beacon frame. The Beacon frame may include information indicating that the MFP 100 is in CLS mode, the device name, etc. The soft AP Beacon frame does not comply with the WFD standard. Therefore, it does not include information elements and attributes specified in the WFD standard, and furthermore, it does not include WFD R2 compatibility information. Upon receiving the Probe Request, the MFP 100 transmits a Probe response to the mobile terminal device 104. This enables the mobile terminal device 104 to detect the soft AP of the MFP 100.

[0096] Furthermore, when the MFP 100 is in WFD R2 Auto GO mode, it transmits a WFD R2 Beacon frame. The Beacon frame may include information indicating that the MFP 100 is in CLS mode, the device name, and the like. The WFD R2 Beacon frame complies with the WFD standard. Therefore, it may include information elements and attributes defined in the WFD standard. It may also include WFD R2 compatibility information. When the MFP 100 receives a Probe Request, it transmits a Probe response to the mobile terminal device 104. This enables the mobile terminal device 104 to detect the WFD R2 Auto GO mode of the MFP 100. In the case of Auto GO, the role has already been determined, so GO Negotiation processing is not required.

[0097] If the MFP 100 does not operate in Auto GO mode for WFD R2, it waits for a Service Discovery frame. At this time, it may transmit a Service Discovery frame, or it may wait and transmit simultaneously. The transmitted Service Discovery frame may include information indicating that the MFP 100 is in CLS mode, the device name, and the like. After the MFP 100 receives a Service Discovery frame transmitted by the mobile terminal device 104 to search for the mobile terminal device 104, it transmits a Service Discovery frame to the mobile terminal device 104 in response. This enables the mobile terminal device 104 to detect the MFP 100 that is running WFD R2. If the MFP 100 does not operate as Auto GO, it executes GO Negotiation processing.

[0098] In S905, the CPU 212 determines whether a connection request using WFD R2 has been received, and if the MFP 100 receives a connection request using WFD R2 from the other device, it performs the connection processing of FIG. 7. For example, if the MFP 100 is Auto GO, it performs the processing from S709 onwards, and if the MFP 100 is not Auto GO, it performs the processing from S702 onwards. Once the connection is established, it disables the soft AP in S907. It also rejects connection requests from second and subsequent terminal devices that are WFD R2 compatible. When the MFP 100 and the mobile terminal device 104 connect using WFD R2, the user does not need to perform any operations such as entering a password, but communication between the MFP 100 and the mobile terminal device 104 is encrypted.

[0099] On the other hand, if a connection request from WFD R2 is not received in S905, the CPU 212 determines in S906 whether a connection request for a soft AP has been received. If a connection request for a soft AP is received, the CPU 212 performs the soft AP connection process shown in Figure 6. However, because the soft AP operates without security, the 4-way handshake in S612 is not performed, and the connection is established after sending the Association Response in S611. Once the connection is established, WFD R2 is disabled in S908. Furthermore, connection requests from the second or subsequent terminal devices that are compatible with the soft AP are rejected. If a connection is not established with both WFD R2 and the soft AP, the CPU 212 returns to the state of waiting for a connection request in S904.

[0100] As a means for preventing a connection from being established with the second or subsequent terminal device, it is possible to prevent the DHCP server from setting an IP address for the terminal device from MFP 100. Also, an IP filtering function may be used to reject communication with any IP address other than that set for mobile terminal device 104 with which a connection was first established.

[0101] In S909, the CPU 212 determines whether or not the mobile terminal device 104 has requested AP search list information. If so, the MFP 100 performs an AP search, and in S910, transmits the list information of the AP search results to the mobile terminal device 104. If the mobile terminal device 104 has not requested AP search list information, the MFP 100 does not perform an AP search. In S911, the CPU 212 receives AP connection parameters from the mobile terminal device 104, and the MFP 100 sets the AP information in the RAM 214 as the AP to be used in wireless infrastructure mode. Thereafter, in S912, the MFP 100 stops CLS, and the soft AP mode and WFD R2 functions are disabled. In S913, the CPU 212 enables the wireless infrastructure mode of the MFP 100 and sets it to a state where wireless communication is possible (sets the normal wireless infrastructure mode). If the above sequence is executed correctly, in S914, the MFP 100 becomes able to perform wireless communication via the set (registered) AP 101.

[0102] According to the above flowchart, when the mobile terminal device 104 connects the MFP 100 to an AP, by using the WFD R2 method, encrypted direct communication can be established between the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 without requiring user operation. In other words, communication can be performed while ensuring usability and security. Furthermore, according to the above flowchart, the MFP 100 supports both WFD R2 and soft AP connections, so a connection can be established even if the other device supports only one method. By executing both WFD R2 connection wait operations and soft AP connection wait operations in parallel, the number of other devices that can be connected can be increased. Furthermore, when a connection is made using one method, the other connection method is stopped, so it is possible to prevent resources from being allocated more than necessary to the connection.

[0103] Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing the processing performed by the mobile terminal device 104 in Fig. 8. Each process in the flowchart is realized by the CPU reading various programs stored in a memory such as a ROM into the RAM and executing them.

[0104] In S1001, the CPU 412 starts up a wireless LAN setting application in response to a user operation. This application is a program (software) stored in the nonvolatile memory 422 and is installed in advance by the user.

[0105] In S1002, the CPU 412 executes an AP search, and in S1003, determines whether the mobile terminal device 104 can use WFD R2. If the mobile terminal device 104 can use WFD R2, in S1004, the CPU 412 searches for a device that supports WFD R2 and determines whether it has been detected. If it has been detected, the process proceeds to S1006; if not, the process proceeds to S1005. Here, searching for a device that supports WFD R2 means sending or receiving a Service Discovery frame and detecting a Beacon that supports WFD R2. For example, if the CPU 412 receives a Service Discovery frame, it transmits a Service Discovery frame to the MFP 100, and becomes able to detect an MFP 100 that supports WFD R2. As a result, in S1006, the connection process shown in FIG. 7 is performed. At this time, if the MFP 100 is operating as a master station (Autonomous Group Owner), negotiation processing is not performed. If the mobile terminal device 104 cannot receive the Service Discovery frame of the MFP 100 for reasons such as not supporting WFD R2, the mobile terminal device 104 stops searching for WFD R2 devices and searches for soft APs in S1005. Here, a reception period for the Service Discovery frame may be set, and if the Service Discovery frame cannot be received within a certain time, the search for WFD R2 may be stopped and a search for soft APs may be switched to.

[0106] In S1005, the CPU 412 determines whether a soft AP was detected, and if a soft AP was detected, in S1007, connection processing is performed according to the sequence of FIG. 6. If the mobile terminal device 104 cannot detect an accessible soft AP, in S1002, an AP search is performed again. After a connection between the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 is established, in S1008, the CPU 412 requests the AP search results from the MFP 100. In S1009, the CPU 412 acquires the AP search results from the MFP 100. At this time, the mobile terminal device 104 may perform an AP search using its own functions in S1010, without requesting the AP search results from the MFP 100. In S1011, the CPU 412 displays the acquired AP search results on the display unit 402, and the user selects an AP to connect to. In S1012, the CPU 412 transmits connection parameters of the AP selected by the user to the MFP 100.

[0107] The various controls described above as being performed by CPU212 and CPU412 may be performed by a single piece of hardware, or the entire device may be controlled by multiple pieces of hardware (e.g., multiple processors or circuits) sharing the processing.

[0108] Furthermore, although the present invention has been described in detail based on preferred embodiments thereof, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various forms within the scope of the gist of the present invention are also included in the present invention. Furthermore, each of the above-described embodiments merely represents one embodiment of the present invention, and each embodiment can be combined as appropriate.

[0109] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the present invention has been described with reference to an MFP as an example. However, this is not limited to this example and can be applied to any wireless device capable of P2P (WLAN) communication based on WFD. Specifically, the present invention can be applied to personal computers, PDAs, tablet devices, mobile phones such as smartphones, music players, game consoles, e-book readers, smartwatches, and various measuring devices (sensor devices) such as thermometers and hygrometers. The present invention can also be applied to digital cameras (including still cameras, video cameras, network cameras, and security cameras), printers, scanners, and drones. The present invention can also be applied to video output devices, audio output devices (e.g., smart speakers), media streaming players, and wireless LAN adapters (adapters) that can be connected to USB or LAN cable terminals. Video output devices include devices such as set-top boxes, which acquire (download) videos and still images from the Internet identified by a URL specified by an electronic device and output them to a connected display device via a video output terminal such as HDMI (registered trademark). This enables streaming playback on the display device and mirroring display (displaying the content displayed on the electronic device on the display device). Furthermore, video output devices include media players such as televisions, hard disk recorders, Blu-ray recorders, and DVD recorders, head-mounted displays, projectors, televisions, display devices (monitors), signage devices, etc. The present invention is also applicable to Wi-Fi-connectable devices known as smart home appliances, such as air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, ovens, microwave ovens, lighting equipment, heating equipment, and cooling equipment.

[0110] (Other embodiments) The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program.The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0111] The disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configurations, methods, and programs.

[0112] (Configuration 1) A communication device having a wireless direct function for directly communicating wirelessly with a partner device without going through an external access point, an execution means for directly wirelessly communicating with a partner device using a Wireless Direct function corresponding to a method for exchanging communication parameters using Bootstrapping; a communication means for communicating connection parameters for connecting to an external access point via direct wireless communication performed by the execution means.

[0113] (Configuration 2) The communication device according to configuration 1, characterized in that the communication device connects to the external access point using the connection parameters received by the communication means and communicates with a partner device via the external access point.

[0114] (Configuration 3) a first execution means for operating the Wireless Direct function of a first method; the communication device according to configuration 1 or 2, further comprising: a second execution unit that operates the Wireless Direct Function of a second scheme, the second scheme being the Wireless Direct Function of a scheme that includes a connection process different from the Wireless Direct Function of the first scheme, and that exchanges communication parameters using the Bootstrapping.

[0115] (Configuration 4) The communication device according to configuration 3, wherein the Wireless Direct function of the first method is a Wireless Direct function conforming to a first version of the Wi-Fi Direct standard, and the Wireless Direct function of the second method is a Wireless Direct function conforming to a second version of the Wi-Fi Direct standard.

[0116] (Configuration 5) 5. The communication device according to any one of configurations 1 to 4, wherein the Wireless Direct function of the second method is a Wireless Direct function that searches for a partner device using a Service Discovery frame.

[0117] (Configuration 6) 6. The communication device according to any one of configurations 3 to 5, wherein the Wireless Direct function of the first method cannot perform connection processing with a device compatible with the Wireless Direct function of the second method, and the Wireless Direct function of the second method cannot perform connection processing with a device compatible with the Wireless Direct function of the first method.

[0118] (Configuration 7) The communication device according to any one of configurations 3 to 6, further comprising a display control means for performing control so as to display a first screen when a partner device makes a connection request using the Wireless Direct function of the first method, and to display a second screen when a partner device makes a connection request using the Wireless Direct function of the second method.

[0119] (Configuration 8) 8. The communication device according to configuration 7, wherein the first screen does not include a two-dimensional code, and the second screen includes a two-dimensional code.

[0120] (Configuration 9) 9. The communication device according to any one of configurations 1 to 8, wherein the communication of the Wireless Direct function and the communication with the partner device via the external access point are executed in parallel.

[0121] (Configuration 10) 10. The communication device according to any one of configurations 1 to 9, wherein the communication device is a printing device that prints an image received from a partner device using a Wireless Direct function.

[0122] (Configuration 11) 11. The communication device according to any one of configurations 3 to 10, wherein the Wireless Direct function of the first method is a function of a Soft AP mode in which the communication device operates as an access point.

[0123] (Configuration 12) 12. The communication device according to any one of configurations 3 to 11, wherein the communication device waits for a connection request using the Wireless Direct Function of the first method by transmitting a Beacon including information indicating that the communication device is in a predetermined state, and further waits for a connection request using the Wireless Direct Function of the second method in parallel, and when a connection request using the Wireless Direct Function of the second method is received from a partner device, the communication device disables the Wireless Direct Function of the first method.

[0124] (Configuration 13) 13. The communication device according to any one of configurations 1 to 12, wherein a Wireless Direct function corresponding to a method of exchanging communication parameters using Bootstrapping is a Wireless Direct function that performs secure communication with a partner device without accepting a user operation for parameter exchange.

[0125] (Method 1) A control method executed by a communication device having a Wireless Direct function for directly communicating wirelessly with a partner device without going through an external access point, comprising: an execution step of performing direct wireless communication with a partner device using a Wireless Direct function corresponding to a method of exchanging communication parameters using Bootstrapping; a communication step of communicating connection parameters for connecting to an external access point via direct wireless communication performed by the execution means.

[0126] (Program 1) A program for causing a computer to function as each means of the communication device according to any one of configurations 1 to 13. [Explanation of symbols]

[0127] 100 MFP 101 AP 103 DHCP Server 104 Portable terminal device 105 DNS Server

Claims

1. A communication device having a wireless direct function for directly communicating wirelessly with a partner device without going through an external access point, an execution means for performing direct wireless communication with a partner device using a wireless direct function corresponding to a method for exchanging communication parameters using bootstrapping; a communication means for communicating connection parameters for connecting to an external access point via direct wireless communication performed by the execution means.

2. 2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the communication device connects to the external access point using the connection parameters received by the communication means, and communicates with a partner device via the external access point.

3. a first execution means for operating the Wireless Direct function of a first method; the communication device according to claim 1, further comprising: a second execution unit that operates the Wireless Direct Function of a second scheme that includes a connection process different from the Wireless Direct Function of the first scheme, and that exchanges communication parameters using Bootstrapping.

4. 4. The communication device according to claim 3, wherein the Wireless Direct function of the first method is a Wireless Direct function that conforms to a first version of the Wi-Fi Direct standard, and the Wireless Direct function of the second method is a Wireless Direct function that conforms to a second version of the Wi-Fi Direct standard.

5. The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the Wireless Direct function of the second method is a Wireless Direct function that searches for a partner device using a Service Discovery frame.

6. 4. The communication device according to claim 3, wherein the Wireless Direct function of the first method cannot perform connection processing with a device compatible with the Wireless Direct function of the second method, and the Wireless Direct function of the second method cannot perform connection processing with a device compatible with the Wireless Direct function of the first method. Communication equipment.

7. 4. The communication device according to claim 3, further comprising a display control means for controlling to display a first screen when a partner device makes a connection request using the Wireless Direct function of the first method, and to display a second screen when a partner device makes a connection request using the Wireless Direct function of the second method.

8. 8. The communication device according to claim 7, wherein the first screen does not include a two-dimensional code, and the second screen includes a two-dimensional code.

9. The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the communication of the Wireless Direct function and the communication with the partner device via the external access point are executed in parallel.

10. 2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the communication device is a printing device that prints an image received from a partner device using a wireless direct function.

11. 4. The communication device according to claim 3, wherein the Wireless Direct function of the first method is a function of a soft AP mode in which the communication device operates as an access point.

12. 4. The communication device according to claim 3, wherein the communication device waits for a connection request using the Wireless Direct Function of the first method by transmitting a Beacon including information indicating that the communication device is in a predetermined state, and further waits for a connection request using the Wireless Direct Function of the second method in parallel, and when a connection request using the Wireless Direct Function of the second method is received from a partner device, the communication device disables the Wireless Direct Function of the first method.

13. The communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that the wireless direct function corresponding to the method of exchanging communication parameters using Bootstrapping is a wireless direct function that performs secure communication with a partner device without accepting user operations for parameter exchange.

14. A control method executed by a communication device having a Wireless Direct function for directly communicating wirelessly with a partner device without going through an external access point, comprising: an execution step of performing direct wireless communication with a partner device using a Wireless Direct function corresponding to a method of exchanging communication parameters using Bootstrapping; a communication step of communicating connection parameters for connecting to an external access point via direct wireless communication performed by the execution means.

15. A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

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