Electronic device, control method thereof, program, and storage medium

Abstract

In the case of weak wireless chips or systems, it may be difficult to operate the three functions of wireless infrastructure / WFD R1 and R2 simultaneously. [Solution] The MFP100 has a communication unit and a control unit that are capable of communicating with a terminal104 via an external access point using a first communication method and wirelessly communicating with the terminal directly using a second communication method without using an external access point.When the MFP100 enables communication using the second communication method while the first communication method is disabled, the MFP100 enables both the first and second versions of the second communication method.When the MFP100 enables communication using the second communication method while the first communication method is enabled, the MFP100 enables either the first or second version of the second communication method.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic 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 a communication link between wireless LAN stations (STAs) by exchanging communication parameters without going through an access point (AP). WFD is an abbreviation for Wi-Fi Direct (registered trademark).

[0004] Furthermore, the Wi-Fi Aware standard has also been established, which is 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. There is also technology for stopping one of multiple functions under certain conditions when multiple functions are operating simultaneously. For example, Patent Document 2 describes stopping Wireless Direct mode when the wireless infrastructure mode and Wireless Direct mode are operating simultaneously and the channels they use match. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-201427 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-173887 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the case of a weak wireless chip, when the wireless infrastructure, WFD R1, and WFD R2 are operated in parallel, it may be difficult to operate all three functions simultaneously, or each function may not be able to perform at its full potential. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, an electronic device of the present invention includes: a communication means capable of communication with an external device using a first communication method via an external access point, and communication with an external device using a second communication method directly without using an external access point; a control means for controlling, when the first communication method is disabled and communication using the second communication method is to be enabled, to enable both the first version and the second version of the second communication method, and, when the first communication method is enabled and communication using the second communication method is to be enabled, to enable one of the first version and the second version of the second communication method; The present invention is characterized by having the following. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, even in an electronic device that employs a wireless chip with a weak processing capability, by limiting the number of functions that can be activated simultaneously to two, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the performance of each function. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [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 a connection process according to the new WFD standard. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of a guide screen displayed to notify the user when the WFD of the MFP is enabled. [Figure 9A] 10 is a flowchart showing the processing when the MFP operates two functions simultaneously. [Figure 9B] 10 is a flowchart showing the processing when the MFP operates two functions simultaneously. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] 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.

[0011] (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.

[0012] 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.

[0013] 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.

[0014] The DHCP server 103 is connected to the MFP 100 via the AP 101 and the network 110, and provides services to the MFP 100 by responding to requests from the MFP 100. Note that, although the configuration in FIG. 1 has been described in which the DHCP server 103 is connected as a device separate from the AP 101, the AP 101 may also have a DHCP server function. The DNS server 105 is connected to the MFP 100 and the mobile terminal device 104 via the AP 101 and the network 110, and provides name resolution services by responding to requests from the MFP 100 and the mobile terminal device 104. Here, the network 110 may be the so-called Internet, or it may be a closed network within a company or a mobile phone network.

[0015] (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.

[0016] (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 .

[0017] 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.

[0018] 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.

[0019] 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.

[0020] 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.

[0021] 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.

[0022] 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.

[0023] 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.

[0024] 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.

[0025] 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.

[0026] The mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 are capable of P2P (WLAN) communication based on WFD, and 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.

[0027] (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).

[0028] 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.

[0029] 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.

[0030] (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.

[0031] 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.

[0032] (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.

[0033] 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.

[0034] 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.

[0035] 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.

[0036] 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.

[0037] 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.

[0038] 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.

[0039] (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.

[0040] 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.

[0041] 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.

[0042] (P2P communication method) Next, we will outline the P2P (WLAN) communication method, which allows devices to communicate directly with each other wirelessly without going through an external access point. P2P (WLAN) communication can be realized using multiple methods. For example, a communication device can support multiple modes for P2P (WLAN) communication and selectively use one of the multiple modes to perform P2P communication (WLAN).

[0043] The following two P2P modes are envisioned: Soft AP mode Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) mode A communication device capable of P2P communication may be configured to support at least one of these modes, but even a communication device capable of P2P communication does not have to support all of these modes and may be configured to support only some of them.

[0044] 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.

[0045] ●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.

[0046] 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.

[0047] (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.

[0048] 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. We will call the conventional WFD method WFD R1 and the new WFD method WFD R2. WFD R1 and WFD R2 have different methods for device discovery and parameter exchange.

[0049] (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.

[0050] 6 is a sequence diagram of the process for connecting the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 in accordance with the WFD standard. Here, the processing sequence for WFD R1 (Release 1) 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.

[0051] 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.

[0052] 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.

[0053] 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.

[0054] In S603, the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 perform GO negotiation processing. In the GO negotiation, the channel to be used in direct wireless communication 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.

[0055] 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.

[0056] 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.

[0057] 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.

[0058] 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.

[0059] 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.

[0060] 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. 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.

[0061] (Connection processing of the new WFD standard) 7 is a sequence diagram of the process for connecting the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 in accordance with the WFD standard. Here, the processing sequence for WFD R2 (Release 2) 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.

[0062] 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.

[0063] 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.

[0064] 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.

[0065] 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.

[0066] 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.

[0067] In S705, a bootstrap process is performed using the exchange method for exchanging communication parameters decided between the communication devices, and the communication parameters are exchanged. For example, the MFP 100 displays a QR code, and the mobile terminal device 104 reads the QR code to exchange the communication parameters. The bootstrap process in S705 is the communication parameter exchange sequence of WFD R2.

[0068] 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.

[0069] 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.

[0070] 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.

[0071] 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.

[0072] 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.

[0073] 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.

[0074] The above-described processing of the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 may be reversed. Also, it is assumed that whether the device is WFD R1 or WFD R2 compliant can be indicated in the P2P IE.

[0075] Description of the embodiment Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 8 and subsequent figures. 8 is a diagram showing a guide screen displayed on the operation display unit 220 of the MFP 100 to notify the user when the Wireless Direct mode is enabled. The guide screen displays messages and display items for receiving user instructions and selections. The Wireless Direct mode is a wireless communication mode in which communication is performed via Wireless Direct. A communication device operating in the Wireless Direct mode, such as an electronic device that communicates with the MFP 100 via Wireless Direct, such as the mobile terminal 104, may be referred to as a direct device. The wireless communication mode may be referred to as a communication method. For example, the wireless infrastructure mode may be referred to as a first communication method, and the Wireless Direct mode as a second communication method. A device compatible with the Wireless Direct mode, such as the MFP 100, may be referred to as an electronic device, and a device, such as a mobile terminal device, that is the communication partner (or communication destination) of the electronic device may be referred to as an external device.

[0076] 8(a) shows a version switching guide screen 801 that is displayed when the wireless direct mode in which the MFP 100 directly communicates wirelessly with an external device is enabled in the MFP 100. For example, when the wireless direct mode is enabled during operation in the wireless infrastructure mode, the version of the wireless direct mode with which the last connection was established can be started.

[0077] However, when WFD R2 is activated on the MFP 100, if a Direct device such as the mobile terminal device 104 does not support WFD R2, the MFP 100 cannot be detected. Therefore, this guide screen is displayed to inform the user of what to do if the device does not support WFD R2. When the user selects switching the version of the Wireless Direct connection by, for example, tapping Direct Connection Version Switch 8011, the user selects either WFD R1 8021 or WFD R2 8022 on the version selection screen 802 of FIG. 8(b). At this time, the currently enabled version may be displayed as selected. That is, FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b) are screens (or user interfaces) that display specific display content related to switching from one version of Wireless Direct mode to the other version to be enabled.

[0078] FIG. 8C shows a guide screen 803 displayed on the operation display unit 220 when wireless infrastructure mode and wireless direct mode are simultaneously active and wireless infrastructure mode is disabled. When wireless infrastructure mode and wireless direct mode are simultaneously active, either WFD R1 or WFD R2 is active in wireless direct mode. In this case, if wireless infrastructure mode is disabled, the other version of wireless direct mode that is not active can be started. If [Yes] 8031 ​​is selected, WFD R1 and R2 will operate simultaneously, making it easier for direct devices to discover the MFP 100. However, simultaneous operation may affect throughput. Therefore, if you want to prioritize the communication speed of an already connected direct device, you can select [No] 8032 to operate the currently active WFD version alone.

[0079] Settings, including disabling wireless infrastructure mode, can be made on the communication settings menu screen (also called the communication settings screen) in FIG. 3(c). The guide screen 803 in FIG. 8(c) may be displayed after the operation to disable wireless infrastructure mode is performed on the communication settings screen. On the other hand, when the operation to enable wireless infrastructure mode is performed on the communication settings screen, if both WFD R1 and WFD R2 are running at that time, the version selection screen 802 in FIG. 8(b) may be displayed to allow the user to select a preferred version for continued operation. However, because the preferred version may change depending on the version supported by the direct device, it does not necessarily have to be set on the communication settings screen in FIG. 3.

[0080] The communication mode setting set on the communication setting screen of FIG. 3(c) is stored in the nonvolatile memory 215. The stored communication mode setting is referenced in the processing shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B (described later) or is changed in response to the screen operation of FIG. 8 during the processing. The stored communication mode settings include a wireless infrastructure mode setting indicating whether the wireless infrastructure mode is enabled or disabled. The stored communication mode settings further include a wireless direct mode setting indicating whether the wireless direct mode is enabled or disabled. Since the MFP 100 of this embodiment supports versions R1 and R2 of the wireless direct mode, when the wireless direct mode setting is “enabled,” either or both versions of the wireless direct mode are enabled. When either version of the wireless direct mode is enabled, the enabled version is called the preferred version. In this embodiment, information indicating the preferred version is stored in, for example, the nonvolatile memory 215. The information indicating the wireless infrastructure mode setting, the wireless direct mode setting, and the preferred version is stored in predetermined memory locations and is accessible from a program.

[0081] 9A and 9B are flowcharts showing the processing by MFP 100 when two functions, namely the wireless infrastructure mode, the WFD R1 function of the conventional standard, and the WFD R2 function of the new standard, are operated simultaneously. This flowchart is implemented by CPU 212 loading a program stored in a nonvolatile memory such as ROM 213 or nonvolatile memory 215 into RAM 214 and executing the instructions.

[0082] First, in S901, the MFP 100 is started up by a user operation or the like. In S902, the CPU 212 determines whether or not the wireless infrastructure mode has been set to be enabled. This determination can be made, for example, by referring to the wireless infrastructure mode setting stored in the nonvolatile memory 215. If the wireless infrastructure mode is set to be enabled, that is, if it is determined that the wireless infrastructure mode has been set to be enabled, the CPU 212 enables the wireless infrastructure mode in S903. At this time, by inputting connection parameters for the AP 101 from the operation / display unit 220, the MFP 100 becomes able to receive Beacon frames from the AP 101 in the enabled wireless infrastructure mode. Upon receiving the Beacon frame, the MFP 100 transmits a connection request to the AP 101. When a connection with the AP 101 is established, the MFP 100 is ready for wireless communication via the AP 101.

[0083] In S904, the CPU 212 determines whether the wireless direct mode is enabled by referring to the wireless direct mode setting stored in the nonvolatile memory 215. If it is determined that the wireless direct mode is enabled, the process proceeds to S905. On the other hand, if it is determined that the wireless direct mode is not enabled (i.e., disabled), the process proceeds to S910.

[0084] In S905, the CPU 212 determines whether the wireless infrastructure mode is enabled by referring to the wireless infrastructure mode setting. If it is determined that the wireless infrastructure mode is enabled, the process proceeds to S906. On the other hand, if it is determined that the wireless infrastructure mode is disabled, the process proceeds to S911.

[0085] In S906, the CPU 212 activates the Wireless Direct mode of the preferred version of either WFD R1 or WFD R2. Here, of WFD R1 and WFD R2, the preferred version that last established a connection with the mobile terminal device 104 may be activated. In this case, the preferred version stored in S915, S909, S919, etc., described below, may be referenced to activate the Wireless Direct mode of the stored preferred version. Alternatively, WFD R2 may be set as the preferred version by default, i.e., activated.

[0086] If WFD R2, i.e., version R2 of the Wireless Direct mode, is started in S906, there is a possibility that the mobile terminal device 104 used by the user does not support WFD R2. If the mobile terminal device 104 does not support WFD R2, the MFP 100 cannot be detected from the mobile terminal device 104. Therefore, in S907, the CPU 212 displays the version switching guide screen 801 of FIG. 8(a) on the operation display unit 220. The user determines whether to switch the WFD version, and if so, taps [Switch Direct Connection Version] 8011 of FIG. 8(a) to select the switch, for example, by pressing the switch button. If not, the user can simply press [Go to Home Screen].

[0087] 8(a) has been pressed, i.e., whether or not switching the preferred version has been selected. If it is determined that switching the preferred version has been selected, the process proceeds to S909; if not, the process proceeds to S910. Note that cases in which switching the preferred version has not been selected may include, for example, when [Go to Home screen] 8011 is selected, or when a predetermined time has passed since the version switching guide screen 801 was displayed without any version switching operation being performed.

[0088] In S909, the CPU 212 first displays the version selection screen 802 of FIG. 8(b) and enables the Wireless Direct mode of the version selected on the version selection screen 802, either WFD R1 or WFD R2. At the same time, the preferred version stored in the non-volatile memory 215 is updated with the selected version. When WFD R1 is enabled, the MFP 100 transmits a Beacon frame that complies with the R1 standard. When the mobile terminal device 104 receives this Beacon frame, it transmits a Probe Request to the MFP 100. This corresponds to S601 in FIG. 6. When the MFP 100 receives the Probe Request, the MFP 100 transmits a Probe Response. This corresponds to S602 in FIG. 6. This enables the MFP 100 to detect the mobile terminal device 104.

[0089] Furthermore, when WFD R2 is enabled in S909, the MFP 100 transmits a Beacon frame that complies with the version R2 standard. WFD R2 Beacon frames comply with the WFD standard. Therefore, they may include information elements, attributes, and the like defined in the WFD standard. Furthermore, they may also include WFD R2 compatibility information. The MFP 100 waits for a Service Discovery frame, transmits a Service Discovery frame, or performs both the wait and transmission simultaneously. Here, after receiving a Service Discovery frame transmitted by the mobile terminal device 104 to search for the mobile terminal device 104, the MFP 100 transmits a Service Discovery frame to the mobile terminal device 104 in response. This corresponds to S701 and S702 in FIG. 7. This enables the mobile terminal device 104 to detect the WFD R2 of the MFP 100.

[0090] The subsequent connection processes for WFD R1 and WFD R2 follow the procedures shown in Figures 6 and 7. However, if the MFP 100 is permanently activated as a parent station (Autonomous Group Owner), the role has already been determined and GO Negotiation processing is not required. On the other hand, if the MFP 100 does not activate as a GO, GO Negotiation processing is performed.

[0091] After switching the WFD version, the CPU 212 returns to S906 and displays the version switching guide screen 801 of Fig. 8(a) again. The processes of S906 to S909 are repeated as long as the WFD version is being switched, and if it is determined in S908 that switching the WFD version has not been selected, the process proceeds to S910.

[0092] On the other hand, if it is determined in S905 that the wireless infrastructure mode setting is disabled, the CPU 212 enables WFD R1 in S911, and subsequently enables WFD R2 in S912. Additionally, the setting value of the wireless direct mode setting may be rewritten to "enabled" in either S911 or S912. However, if the setting value of the wireless direct mode setting has already been set to "enabled" by a setting change operation, this rewriting process may not be performed.

[0093] In S913, the CPU 212 determines whether a connection request for WFD R1 has been received while WFD R1 was enabled. The WFD R1 connection request is the Probe Request described in FIG. 6, and in S913 it is determined whether it has been received. If a connection request for WFD R1 has been received, the process proceeds to S914; otherwise, the process proceeds to S917 (FIG. 9B). Note that in S913, if WFD R1 is not enabled (disabled), the determination is No (i.e., not received).

[0094] In S914, the CPU 212 performs connection processing for Wireless Direct mode version R1. This processing is the processing described with reference to FIG. 6. Since reception of the Probe Request is confirmed in S913, processing from S602 onward can be performed. When a connection with the connection partner (or connection destination), in this case a WFD R1 connection with the mobile terminal device 104, is established, in S915 the CPU 212 sets R1 as the WFD version to be preferentially enabled when the WFD is started (stores R1 as the preferred version). In S916, the CPU 212 disables WFD R2. As a result, Beacon frames for WFD R2 are no longer transmitted. As a result, the mobile terminal device 104 no longer transmits a connection request. Even if a connection request is received, the MFP 100 rejects it, and therefore no connection processing is performed.

[0095] In S917 of Fig. 9B, the CPU 212 determines whether or not a WFD R2 connection request has been received while WFD R2 is enabled. Receiving a WFD R2 connection request corresponds to receiving Service Discovery in S701 described in Fig. 7. If a WFD R2 connection request has been received, the process proceeds to S918; otherwise, the process proceeds to S922. In S917, if WFD R2 is not enabled (disabled), the determination is No.

[0096] In S918, the CPU 212 performs connection processing for WFD R2. This processing is the processing shown in FIG. 7 described above. Here, if bootstrapping is to be performed by displaying and reading a QR code, the CPU 212 displays the QR code on the operation display unit 220. The mobile terminal device 104 starts up the camera to capture and read the QR code, and then bootstraps. This corresponds to S703 to S705 in FIG. 7. As a result, a connection is established between the MFP 100 and the mobile terminal device 104 in Wireless Direct mode (WFD R2) of version R2.

[0097] Once a connection using WFD R2 is established, in S919 the CPU 212 stores version R2 as the preferred version. Thereafter, in S920 the CPU 212 disables WFD R1. As a result, Beacon frames for WFD R1 are no longer transmitted, and connection requests from the mobile terminal device 104 are no longer received. The process then proceeds to S910.

[0098] In S910, the CPU 212 determines whether an operation to switch the wireless direct mode from disabled to enabled has been performed on the operation display unit 220. If it is determined that a switching operation has been performed, the process proceeds to S905; if not, the process proceeds to S921. The determination in S910 may be made by determining whether the communication setting screen of FIG. 3(c) has been opened by a user operation and the corresponding operation has been performed on that screen. Alternatively, if the wireless direct mode is currently disabled and the current setting value of the wireless direct mode setting is "enabled," it may be determined that an operation to switch the wireless direct mode from disabled to enabled has been performed. This is also true for S922, although enabled and disabled are reversed. In S905, which branches from S910, the CPU 212 performs the process of determining whether the wireless infrastructure mode is enabled or disabled, as already described.

[0099] On the other hand, in S921, the CPU 212 determines whether or not the Wireless Direct mode is enabled. This determination may be made by referring to the Wireless Direct setting stored in the nonvolatile memory 215. If it is determined that the Wireless Direct mode is enabled, the process proceeds to S913, and if it is determined that the Wireless Direct mode is not enabled, the process proceeds to S922 shown in Fig. 9B.

[0100] In S922, the CPU 212 determines whether or not an operation to switch the Wireless Direct mode from enabled to disabled has been performed on the operation display unit 220. This setting change is performed on the communication setting screen shown in FIG. 3(c). If a switching operation to switch the Wireless Direct mode to disabled has been performed, the process proceeds to S923; if a switching operation has not been performed, the Wireless Direct mode remains enabled and the process proceeds to S924. In S923, the CPU 212 disables the Wireless Direct mode. As a result, Beacon frames of WFD R1 and WFD R2 are no longer transmitted. Furthermore, connection requests from the mobile terminal device 104 are no longer received. At the same time, in S923, the CPU 212 rewrites the setting value of the Wireless Direct setting in the non-volatile memory 215 from "enabled" to "disabled." However, if the setting value of the Wireless Direct mode setting has already been changed to "disabled" by a setting change operation, this rewrite process does not have to be performed.

[0101] In S924, the CPU 212 determines whether an operation to switch the wireless infrastructure mode from disabled to enabled has been performed on the operation display unit 220. Note that the determination in S924 may be based on whether the communication setting screen of FIG. 3(c) has been opened by a user operation and the corresponding operation has been performed on that screen. Alternatively, if the current wireless infrastructure mode is disabled and the current wireless infrastructure mode setting value is enabled, it may be determined that an operation to switch the wireless infrastructure mode from disabled to enabled has been performed. This is also true for S928, although the operations are reversed between enabled and disabled. If an operation to switch the wireless infrastructure mode from disabled to enabled has been performed, the process proceeds to S925; if no operation has been performed, the process proceeds to S928.

[0102] In S925, the CPU 212 determines whether both WFD R1 and WFD R2 are valid or whether at least one of them is invalid. If both WFD R1 and WFD R2 are valid, the process proceeds to S926, and if at least one of them is invalid, the process proceeds to S927.

[0103] In S926, the CPU 212 disables the wireless direct mode of the version that is not the priority version. At this time, the disabled version may be displayed on the operation display unit 220. Furthermore, if only one of WFD R1 or WFD R2 is enabled, or if both are disabled, the CPU 212 enables the wireless infrastructure mode in S927. At the same time, the setting value of the wireless infrastructure mode setting in the nonvolatile memory 215 is rewritten to "enabled." However, if the setting value of the wireless infrastructure mode setting has already been set to "enabled" by a setting change operation, this rewriting process does not have to be performed. As a result, if either version of the wireless direct mode is enabled, the MFP 100 will be in a state in which the wireless infrastructure mode and the wireless direct mode are operating simultaneously.

[0104] On the other hand, if the operation to switch the Wireless Direct mode from enabled to disabled has not been performed in S924, the process proceeds to S928.

[0105] In S928, the CPU 212 determines whether or not an operation to disable the wireless infrastructure mode has been performed on the operation display unit 220. If an operation to disable the wireless infrastructure mode has been performed, the process proceeds to S929; if not, the process proceeds to S932.

[0106] In step S929, the CPU 212 disables the wireless infrastructure mode. At the same time, the setting value of the wireless infrastructure mode setting is rewritten to "disabled." However, if the setting value of the wireless infrastructure mode setting has already been changed to "disabled" by a setting change operation, this rewriting process does not need to be performed.

[0107] In S930, the CPU 212 determines whether the Wireless Direct mode setting is enabled. If the Wireless Direct mode setting is enabled, the process proceeds to S931. If the Wireless Direct mode setting is disabled, the process proceeds to S932. In S931, the CPU 212 enables a non-priority version of the Wireless Direct mode. At this time, the guide screen 803 of FIG. 8C may be displayed, and the user may input whether to enable the non-priority version of the WFD. In this case, if "Yes" 8031 ​​on the guide screen 803 is selected, the CPU 212 enables a version of the Wireless Direct mode that is not the preferred version in S931. If "No" 8032 is selected, the process may proceed to S932 without doing anything. Simultaneous operation of the WFD R1 and WFD R2 makes it easier for the mobile terminal device 104 to discover the MFP 100. This allows the MFP 100 to be detected even if the Direct device does not support WFD R2. On the other hand, if priority is given to the communication speed of the connected Direct device, the preferred version of the Wireless Direct mode may be operated alone.

[0108] In S932, the CPU 212 determines whether to turn off the power to the MFP 100. If the power is to be turned off, this flowchart ends. If the power is not to be turned off, the process returns to S910 and the subsequent processes are performed. Note that turning off the power can be determined by an operation to turn off the power to the power switch. However, this assumes that the power switch is not a hardware switch that mechanically cuts off the power supply. When the power is turned off, all wireless communication is stopped and other necessary processes are performed to stop the power supply to the MFP 100.

[0109] 9A, S907 is executed unconditionally after S906, but S907-S909 may be executed only if the version of the Wireless Direct mode enabled in S906 is WFD R2. This is because it is assumed that the mobile terminal device 104 supports WFD R1, but may or may not support WFD R2. When a version of the Wireless Direct mode that the mobile terminal device 104 may not support is enabled, it is sufficient to be able to switch the enabled version, so S907-S909 may be executed conditionally as described above.

[0110] Also, if connections to both WFD R1 and WFD R2 are established while the wireless infrastructure mode setting is disabled, WFD R1 and WFD R2 may continue to operate simultaneously without disabling either one in S916 or S920.

[0111] Effects of the above embodiment If the wireless chip, i.e., the wireless unit 226, is weak, i.e., has low processing and communication performance, it may be difficult to operate the three modes simultaneously when operating the wireless infrastructure mode and the two versions of the wireless direct mode, R1 and R2, in parallel. Even if the three modes can be operated, they may not be able to demonstrate their respective performance.

[0112] Here, a weak wireless chip does not only mean a chip with low processing performance of the wireless unit, but also a chip with limited communication capabilities due to a small number of antennas, such as a single antenna. In such cases, communication in multiple communication modes is performed in a time-sharing manner, shortening the communication time for each mode. Therefore, operating multiple communication modes simultaneously reduces performance. If the processing power of the wireless chip is insufficient, attempting to operate multiple functions simultaneously often does not work well.

[0113] In this way, when resources for communication are limited, especially when the wireless chip is weak, the number of wireless communication modes that can be executed simultaneously is limited to two to prevent degradation of wireless communication performance.

[0114] More specifically, in this embodiment, when the Wireless Direct function is enabled while the wireless infrastructure mode is disabled, both the WFD R1 and WFD R2 wireless communication modes are enabled. When the Wireless Direct mode is enabled while the wireless infrastructure mode is enabled, either the WFD R1 or WFD R2 is enabled. In this way, even if there are limitations on the wireless chip, performance degradation can be prevented by limiting the number of communication modes that are activated simultaneously to two.

[0115] Furthermore, when wireless infrastructure mode and WFD R2 are operated simultaneously, WFD R1 is disabled, and when wireless infrastructure mode and WFD R1 are operated simultaneously, WFD R2 is disabled. The user can select which mode to disable. If wireless infrastructure mode is subsequently disabled, the disabled wireless direct mode (WFD R1 or WFD R2) is enabled. At this time, a guide screen may be displayed to present the user with the option of whether to enable wireless direct mode or not. In this way, by enabling the maximum number of communication modes available, it is possible to effectively use the given communication capacity and increase the opportunities for connection with external devices.

[0116] Furthermore, in Wireless Direct mode, if the MFP cannot be detected by an external device such as a mobile terminal device with which it communicates, the enabled Wireless Direct mode version is switched (from WFD R1 to WFD R2, or from WFD R2 to WFD R1). A guide screen for switching may also be displayed, allowing the user to switch by operating the displayed switch button. In this way, by switching from one version of Wireless Direct mode that cannot be detected by an external device to another version, it is possible to increase the chances of detecting an external device even with limited communication capabilities.

[0117] Furthermore, when operating simultaneously in the wireless direct mode of version R1 and version R2, if a connection is established in the wireless direct mode of one version, the wireless direct mode of the other version is turned off. This wireless direct mode of the other version can also be turned off by displaying a screen for this purpose and operating it in response to a user operation. As a result, after a connection is established, disabling the wireless direct mode of the unused version allows communication resources to be used for communication through the established connection, thereby further improving communication performance.

[0118] Furthermore, a priority order is set to prioritize one of the two versions of Wireless Direct mode over the other, and when the wireless infrastructure mode is enabled or has been enabled, the version of Wireless Direct mode with the lower priority order is disabled. The user can select the prioritized version through a user interface. This allows the selected version of Wireless Direct mode to be enabled preferentially, thereby increasing the chances of connecting to an external device.

[0119] As described above, depending on the operation of enabling and disabling the wireless communication mode, including the selection by the user, it is possible to execute a more appropriate wireless communication mode in a restricted environment.

[0120] Note that limitations on wireless communication resources, such as the power of a wireless chip, can be determined based on the implementation, such as the type of wireless chip and the number of antennas. Therefore, in this embodiment, whether a wireless chip is powerless is not dynamically determined during the processing of, for example, Figures 9A and 9B, but rather the wireless chip is assumed to be powerless based on the implementation of the MFP 100. Alternatively, communication resources such as processing power and the number of antennas may be used as index values ​​and compared with thresholds to identify the range of communication performance. If the identified performance is low, control such as that shown in Figures 9A and 9B may be performed, and if it is high, the number of wireless communication modes may not be limited. This allows systems with different communication performance to be controlled by the same program.

[0121] Furthermore, by storing the preferred version in non-volatile memory in Wireless Direct mode, the version that was compatible with the last usage environment of an electronic device such as an MFP can be continued to be used even after the electronic device is restarted. This allows for more efficient use of communication modes without causing any hassle to the user in specifications where the usage environment remains unchanged.

[0122] The above description of the process during reception of print data can be applied to the reception of data other than print data or the transmission of other data. For example, the same process can be applied when scanning an original with the reading unit 219 and transmitting the scanned image (image data) to the mobile terminal device (104) via the AP.

[0123] The various controls described above as being performed by CPU 212 may be performed by a single piece of hardware, or the entire device may be controlled by multiple pieces of hardware (e.g., multiple processors or circuits) sharing the processing.

[0124] Although the present invention has been described in detail based on its preferred embodiments, 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 shows one embodiment of the present invention, and each embodiment can be combined as appropriate. be.

[0125] 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 that functions as an STA and is capable of processing a connection change request from an AP. Specifically, the present invention can be applied to personal computers, PDAs, tablet devices, mobile phone terminals such as smartphones, music players, game consoles, e-book readers, smartwatches, and various measuring devices (sensor devices) such as thermometers and hygrometers. The present invention can also be applied to digital cameras (including still cameras, video cameras, network cameras, and security cameras), printers, scanners, and drones. The present invention can also be applied to video output devices, audio output devices (e.g., smart speakers), media streaming players, and wireless LAN adapters (adapters) that can be connected via USB or LAN cable terminals. 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.

[0126] (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.

[0127] Summary of embodiments The above embodiments can be summarized as follows: (Item 1) communication using a first communication method for wirelessly communicating with an external device via an external access point; A second communication method is used to communicate wirelessly with an external device directly without going through an external access point. and a means of communication that allows When the communication using the second communication method is enabled while the first communication method is disabled, both the first version and the second version of the second communication method are enabled; When the communication in the second communication method is enabled while the first communication method is enabled, one of the first version and the second version of the second communication method is enabled. and a control means for controlling the An electronic device comprising: (Item 2) The electronic device according to item 1, The control means does not accept a connection request from a connection destination using the second communication method of an inactive version of the first version or the second version. An electronic device characterized by: (Item 3) Item 1 or 2, the electronic device according to The first communication method and the second communication method are both communication methods based on wireless LAN. An electronic device characterized by: (Item 4) The electronic device according to any one of items 1 to 3, Both the first version and the second version of the second communication method are Wi-Fi Direct compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standards. An electronic device characterized by: (Item 5) The electronic device according to any one of items 1 to 4, When the first communication method is disabled from an enabled state, the control means enables the disabled version of the first version and the second version of the second communication method. An electronic device characterized by: (Item 6) Item 5. The electronic device according to any one of items 1 to 5, When the first communication method is disabled from an enabled state, the control means displays a display item that allows a user to select whether or not to enable the disabled version of the first version or the second version of the second communication method. An electronic device characterized by: (Item 7) The electronic device according to any one of items 1 to 6, When enabling communication in the second communication method while the first communication method is enabled, the control means enables one of the first version and the second version of the second communication method, and displays specific display content related to switching from the one version to the other version to be enabled. An electronic device characterized by: (Item 8) Item 7: The electronic device according to item 7, The specific display content includes a guide indicating that the switching should be performed when the device cannot connect to the external device that the device desires to communicate with using the second communication method. An electronic device characterized by: (Item 9) Item 7: The electronic device according to item 7, The control means disables the one version and enables the other version in response to receiving the instruction to switch. An electronic device characterized by: (Item 10) The electronic device according to any one of items 1 to 9, The control means enables both the first version and the second version of the second communication method while the first communication method is disabled, and then, when connecting to a communication partner using one of the first version and the second version, disables the other version. An electronic device characterized by: (Item 11) The electronic device according to any one of items 1 to 10, When the control means connects to a communication partner using one of the first and second versions after enabling both the first and second versions of the second communication method while the first communication method is disabled, the control means stores the version of the second communication method used for the connection as a preferred version, and thereafter, when the second communication method switches from a disabled state to a enabled state while the first communication method is enabled, the control means controls to enable the preferred version of the first and second versions of the second communication method and not enable the other version. An electronic device characterized by: (Item 12) Item 11: The electronic device according to item 11, The control means updates the preferred version so that the version that last established a connection with the destination, either the first version or the second version, becomes the preferred version. An electronic device characterized by: (Item 13) The electronic device according to any one of items 1 to 12, In a connection process for establishing a connection with a communication destination in the first version, the control means transmits parameters used in the second communication method to the communication destination or receives parameters from the communication destination after processing to determine which of the electronic device and the communication destination will be a parent device; In a connection process for establishing a connection with a communication destination in the second version, before a process for determining which of the electronic device and the communication destination is to be a parent device, parameters used in the second communication method are transmitted to the communication destination or received from the communication destination. An electronic device characterized by: (Item 14) The electronic device according to any one of items 1 to 13, The first version does not allow communication using the 6 GHz band, while the second version allows communication using the 6 GHz band. An electronic device characterized by: (Item 15) The electronic device according to any one of items 1 to 14, When the second communication method is enabled, if the first communication method is disabled, the control means enables both the first version and the second version of the second communication method, and when both the first version and the second version of the second communication method are enabled, the control means connects to an external device by prioritizing the first version. An electronic device characterized by: (Item 16) A program for causing a computer to function as each means of the electronic device described in any one of items 1 to 15. (Item 17) A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the electronic device described in any one of items 1 to 15. (Item 18) A control method for an electronic device having a communication means and a control means that are capable of communicating with an external device by wireless communication using a first communication method via an external access point and communicating with an external device by wireless communication directly without using an external access point, The control means When the communication using the second communication method is enabled while the first communication method is disabled, both the first version and the second version of the second communication method are enabled; When the communication in the second communication method is enabled while the first communication method is enabled, control is performed so that one of the first version and the second version of the second communication method is enabled. 10. A method for controlling an electronic device comprising:

[0128] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0129] 100 MFP, 101 AP, 103 DHCP server, 104 mobile terminal device, 105 DNS server

Claims

1. communication using a first communication method for wirelessly communicating with an external device via an external access point; A second communication method in which wireless communication is performed directly with an external device without going through an external access point. and a means of communication that allows When the communication using the second communication method is enabled while the first communication method is disabled, both the first version and the second version of the second communication method are enabled; When the communication in the second communication method is enabled while the first communication method is enabled, one of the first version and the second version of the second communication method is enabled. and a control means for controlling the An electronic device comprising:

2. 10. The electronic device according to claim 1, The control means does not accept a connection request from a connection destination using the second communication method of an inactive version of the first version or the second version. An electronic device characterized by:

3. 10. The electronic device according to claim 1, The first communication method and the second communication method are both communication methods using wireless LAN. An electronic device characterized by:

4. 10. The electronic device according to claim 1, Both the first version and the second version of the second communication method are Wi-Fi Direct compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standards. An electronic device characterized by:

5. 10. The electronic device according to claim 1, When the first communication method is disabled from an enabled state, the control means enables the disabled version of the first version and the second version of the second communication method. An electronic device characterized by:

6. 10. The electronic device according to claim 1, When the first communication method is disabled from an enabled state, the control means displays a display item that allows a user to select whether or not to enable the disabled version of the first version or the second version of the second communication method. An electronic device characterized by:

7. 10. The electronic device according to claim 1, When enabling communication in the second communication method while the first communication method is enabled, the control means enables one of the first version and the second version of the second communication method, and displays specific display content related to switching from the one version to the other version to be enabled. An electronic device characterized by:

8. 8. The electronic device according to claim 7, The specific display content includes a guide indicating that the switching should be performed when the external device desired as the communication destination in the second communication method cannot be connected. An electronic device characterized by:

9. 8. The electronic device according to claim 7, The control means disables the one version and enables the other version in response to receiving the instruction to switch. An electronic device characterized by:

10. 10. The electronic device according to claim 1, The control means enables both the first version and the second version of the second communication method while the first communication method is disabled, and then, when connecting to a communication partner using one of the first version and the second version, disables the other version. An electronic device characterized by:

11. 10. The electronic device according to claim 1, When the control means connects to a communication partner using one of the first and second versions of the second communication method after enabling both the first and second versions of the second communication method while the first communication method is disabled, the control means stores the version of the second communication method used for the connection as a preferred version, and thereafter, when the second communication method switches from a disabled state to a enabled state while the first communication method is enabled, the control means controls to enable the preferred version of the first and second versions of the second communication method and not enable the other version. An electronic device characterized by:

12. The electronic device according to claim 11, The control means updates the preferred version so that the version that last established a connection with the destination, either the first version or the second version, becomes the preferred version. An electronic device characterized by:

13. 10. The electronic device according to claim 1, the control means, in a connection process for establishing a connection with a communication destination in the first version, transmits parameters used in the second communication method to the communication destination or receives parameters from the communication destination after a process for determining which of the electronic device and the communication destination will be a parent device; In a connection process for establishing a connection with a communication destination in the second version, before a process for determining which of the electronic device and the communication destination is to be a parent device, parameters used in the second communication method are transmitted to the communication destination or received from the communication destination. An electronic device characterized by:

14. 10. The electronic device according to claim 1, The first version of the communication cannot use the 6 GHz band, whereas the second version of the communication can use the 6 GHz band. An electronic device characterized by:

15. 10. The electronic device according to claim 1, When the second communication method is enabled, if the first communication method is disabled, the control means enables both the first version and the second version of the second communication method, and when both the first version and the second version of the second communication method are enabled, the control means connects to an external device by prioritizing the first version. An electronic device characterized by:

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

17. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

18. A control method for an electronic device having a communication means and a control means capable of communicating with an external device by a first communication method via an external access point and a second communication method via a direct wireless communication method without using an external access point, the method comprising: The control means When the communication using the second communication method is enabled while the first communication method is disabled, both the first version and the second version of the second communication method are enabled; When the communication in the second communication method is enabled in a state where the first communication method is enabled, control is performed so that one of the first version and the second version of the second communication method is enabled. A method for controlling an electronic device.

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