Electronic devices, control methods, programs

Abstract

To provide electronic equipment that improves connectivity between devices via wireless direct connection. [Solution] The electronic device includes communication means for performing wireless communication between the electronic device and the external device without going through an external access point that is different from the electronic device and different from the external device; designation means for receiving a designation of the operating mode of the wireless communication performed by the communication means; and control means for controlling the communication means to perform the wireless communication in the operating mode designated by the designation means.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device capable of wireless direct communication, a control method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, with the increase in the amount of data to be communicated, the development of communication technologies such as wireless LAN (Local Area Network) has been promoted. As the main communication standards for wireless LAN, the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) 802.11 standard series is known. The IEEE 802.11 standard series includes IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax standards, etc. For example, in the latest IEEE 802.11ax standard, by using OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access), technologies for achieving a high peak throughput of up to 9.6 gigabits per second (Gbps) and improving the communication speed under congested conditions have been standardized. OFDMA is an abbreviation for Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access.

[0003] On the other hand, the Wi-Fi Alliance has formulated a program for certifying wireless LAN devices. For example, the WFD standard, which defines a procedure for establishing a communication link between wireless LAN stations (STAs) by exchanging communication parameters between the STAs without going through an access point (AP), has been formulated. WFD is an abbreviation for Wi-Fi Direct (registered trademark).

[0004] In addition, the Wi-Fi Aware standard, which is a standard for discovering services provided by devices, has also been formulated. Patent Document 1 describes detecting a communication terminal using the provisions of the Wi-Fi Aware standard. Patent Document 2 describes matching the channels used in the wireless infrastructure and wireless direct. Patent Document 3 describes disabling wireless direct when a specific frequency band is used in the wireless infrastructure. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-201427 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-157943 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-115316 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] Even within the specified standards for wireless direct connections, multiple methods may exist, and these may not be compatible with each other. If the methods supported by the electronic device and the external device differ, it may not be possible to connect the two devices via wireless direct.

[0007] The present invention aims to provide electronic devices, control methods, and programs that improve wireless connectivity between devices. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The electronic device according to the present invention is an electronic device capable of communicating with an external device, and is characterized by comprising: communication means for performing wireless communication between the electronic device and the external device without going through an external access point that is different from the electronic device and different from the external device; designation means for receiving a designation of an operating mode for the wireless communication performed by the communication means; and control means for controlling the communication means to perform the wireless communication in the operating mode designated by the designation means. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve connectivity between devices via wireless direct. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This diagram shows the system configuration. [Figure 2] This diagram shows the configuration of the MFP (Multi-Functional Processor). [Figure 3] This is a diagram showing the operation display section of an MFP (Multifunction Printer). [Figure 4] This diagram shows the configuration of a mobile terminal device. [Figure 5] This diagram shows the configuration of the access point. [Figure 6] This is a sequence diagram illustrating the connection process for the WFD standard. [Figure 7] This is a sequence diagram illustrating the connection process for the WFD standard. [Figure 8] This is a diagram showing the user interface screen. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart showing the processing in the MFP. [Figure 10] This is a flowchart showing the processing in the MFP. [Figure 11] This is a flowchart showing the processing in the MFP. [Figure 12] This is a flowchart showing the processing in the MFP. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention as defined in the claims. While the embodiments describe multiple features, not all of these features are essential to the invention, and the features may be combined in any way. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, identical or similar configurations are given the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0012] (System Configuration) Fig. 1 shows a configuration example of the 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, as communication devices, it includes a mobile terminal device 104, an MFP 100, an AP 101 which is an access point, a DHCP server 103, a DNS server 105, and a network 110. The mobile terminal device 104 is a device having a wireless communication function such as a wireless LAN. Hereinafter, the wireless LAN may be referred to as WLAN. The mobile terminal device 104 can be a personal information terminal such as a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a mobile phone (smartphone), a digital camera, a personal computer, etc.

[0013] The MFP 100 is a printing device having a printing function, and may further have a reading function (scanner), a FAX function, and a telephone function. Also, the MFP 100 of this embodiment has a communication function capable of wireless communication with the mobile terminal device 104. In this embodiment, the case where the MFP 100 is used as an example is described, but it is not limited thereto. 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 TV, a smart speaker, etc., each having a communication function, may be used instead of the MFP 100. Note that MFP is an acronym for Multi Function Peripheral (multifunctional peripheral device).

[0014] AP101 is provided separately (externally) from the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP100 and operates as a WLAN base station device. A communication device having a WLAN communication function can communicate in the infrastructure mode of the WLAN via AP101. Hereinafter, the access point may sometimes be referred to as "AP". Also, the infrastructure mode may sometimes be referred to as the "wireless infrastructure mode". AP101 performs wireless communication with a communication device that has been permitted to connect to the self-device (authenticated), and relays wireless communication between that communication device and other communication devices. Further, AP101 can 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 AP101.

[0015] The DHCP server 103 is connected to the MFP100 and the mobile terminal device 104 via AP101 and the network 110, and provides a service by responding to requests from the MFP100 and the mobile terminal device 104. In FIG. 1, the DHCP server 103 has been described as being connected as a device separate from AP101, but the configuration may also be such that AP101 has a DHCP server function. The DNS server 105 is connected to the MFP100 and the mobile terminal device 104 via AP101 and the network 110, and provides a service for name resolution by responding to requests from the MFP100 and the mobile terminal device 104. Here, the network 110 may be the so-called Internet, or may be a network closed within a company or a mobile phone network.

[0016] (Appearance configuration of MFP) Figure 2(a) shows an example of the external configuration of the MFP100. The MFP100 includes, for example, a document tray 201, a document cover 202, a paper input slot 203, a paper output slot 204, and an operation display unit 205. The document tray 201 is a platform on which the document to be scanned is placed. The document cover 202 is a cover that holds down the document placed on the document tray 201 and prevents light from the light source that illuminates the document during scanning from leaking to the outside. The paper input slot 203 is an input slot that can accommodate paper of various sizes. The paper output slot 204 is an output slot for discharging paper after printing is complete. Paper set in the paper input slot 203 is transported to the printing unit one sheet at a time, and after printing is performed in the printing unit, it is discharged from the paper output slot 204. The operation display unit 205 is configured to include keys such as character input keys, cursor keys, select keys, and cancel keys, as well as LEDs and LCDs, and is configured to accept user input for activating various functions and setting various settings as an MFP. The operation display unit 205 may also be configured to include a touch panel display. The MFP 100 has a wireless communication function via WLAN, and although it does not necessarily need to be visible from the outside, it is configured to include a wireless communication antenna 206 for this wireless communication. Like the mobile terminal device 104, the MFP 100 can also perform wireless communication via WLAN in frequency bands such as the 2.4GHz band, 5GHz band, and 6GHz band.

[0017] (MFP configuration) Figure 2(b) shows an example configuration of the MFP100. The MFP100 consists of a main board 211 that performs the 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. The MFP100 also includes a modem 229 for wired communication, for example. The main board 211 consists of, for example, a CPU 212 (central processing unit), ROM 213, RAM 214, non-volatile memory 215, image memory 216, read control unit 217, data conversion unit 218, read unit 219, and code decoding unit 221. The main board 211 also includes, for example, a printing unit 222, a paper feeding unit 223, a print control unit 224, and an operation display unit 220. These functional units within the main board 211 are interconnected via a system bus 230 managed by the CPU 212. Furthermore, the main board 211 and the wireless unit 226 are connected, for example, via a dedicated bus 225, and the main board 211 and the modem 229 are connected, for example, via a bus 228.

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

[0019] RAM214 is composed of SRAM or the like. RAM214 stores data such as program control variables, user-registered settings, and MFP100 management data. RAM214 can also be used as a buffer for various work. Non-volatile memory 215 is composed of memory such as flash memory and continues to store data even when the MFP100 is powered off. Image memory 216 is composed of memory such as DRAM. Image memory 216 stores image data received via the wireless unit 226 and image data processed by the code decoding processing unit 221. Note that the memory configuration of MFP100 is not limited to the above configuration. The data conversion unit 218 performs analysis of various data formats and conversion from image data to print data.

[0020] The reading control unit 217 controls the reading unit 219 (for example, a CIS (contact image sensor)) to optically read the document placed on the document table 201. The reading control unit 217 converts the image obtained by optically reading the document into electrical image data (image signal) and outputs it. At this time, the reading control unit 217 may perform various image processing such as binarization and halftone processing before outputting the image data.

[0021] The operation display unit 220 corresponds to the operation display unit 205 described with reference to Figure 2(a), and performs tasks such as displaying information on the display based on display control by the CPU 212, and generating signals in response to user operations.

[0022] The encoding and decoding processing unit 221 performs encoding and decoding processing, as well as scaling processing, for image data (JPEG, PNG, etc.) handled by the MFP100.

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

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

[0025] The wireless unit 226 is a unit capable of providing WLAN communication functionality, and can provide similar functionality to, for example, the WLAN unit 429 of the mobile terminal device 104. That is, the wireless unit 226 converts data into packets according to the WLAN standard and transmits the packets to other devices, and also restores packets from external devices to their original data and outputs it to the CPU 212. The wireless unit 226 is capable of communication as a station compliant with the IEEE 802.11 standard series. In particular, it is capable of communication as a station compliant with IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax. Hereafter, a station may be referred to as an STA.

[0026] The wireless unit 226 supports IEEE 802.11ax, i.e., Wi-Fi 6 (trademark), and can perform processing compliant with IEEE 802.11ax. In other words, the MFP100 can perform processing as an STA that supports (complies with) OFDMA, or as an STA that supports (complies with) TWT, or both. OFDMA stands for Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access. TWT stands for Target Wake Time. Because it supports TWT, the timing of data communication from the base station to the STA is adjusted. The wireless unit 226, acting as an STA, switches its communication function to sleep mode when there is no need to wait for signal reception. This reduces power consumption. In addition, the wireless unit 226 also supports Wi-Fi 6E (trademark). That is, it can communicate in the 6GHz band (5.925GHz~7.125GHz). The 6GHz band does not have a band where Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS), which exists in the 5GHz band, is performed. Therefore, communication in the 6GHz band does not experience communication interruptions due to DFS waiting time, and a more comfortable communication experience can be expected. Although processing compliant with IEEE802.11ax is performed here, the mobile terminal device 104 and MFP100 may operate in compliance with other standards in the IEEE802.11 series. For example, they may be compliant with standards later than IEEE802.11be.

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

[0028] (MFP operation display) Figure 3 schematically shows an example of the screen display on the display (touch panel display) included in the operation display unit 220 of the MFP100. Figure 3(a) is an example of the home screen displayed when the MFP100 is powered on and no operations such as printing or scanning are being performed (idle state, standby state). In Figure 3(a), display items (menu items) corresponding to copy, scan, and cloud are displayed. By selecting any of the menu items through key operations or touch panel operations, the MFP100 can start executing the corresponding settings or functions. The MFP100 can seamlessly display a screen different from Figure 3(a) by accepting key operations or touch panel operations on the home screen of Figure 3(a).

[0029] Figure 3(b) shows an example of another part of the home screen, which is a screen that can be accessed by performing an operation to display other pages of the home screen (such as sliding left or right) from the state shown in Figure 3(a). In Figure 3(b), display items (menu items) corresponding to communication settings, print, and mobile portal are shown. The mobile portal is a menu item related to the mobile portal function for communicating with mobile devices. A mobile device is, for example, a mobile terminal device 104. By selecting any of the menu items through key operations or touch panel operations, the MFP100 can start executing the corresponding settings or functions. When any of these menu items are selected, the function corresponding to the selected menu item is executed. An example of the screen displayed when the mobile portal is selected in the screen of Figure 3(b) will be described later in Figure 8.

[0030] Figure 3(c) shows an example of the communication settings menu screen displayed when communication settings are selected in the screen shown in Figure 3(b). The communication settings menu screen is a network settings screen that displays "Wireless LAN," "Wired LAN," "Wireless Direct," "Bluetooth," and "Common Settings" as menu items (options). "Wireless LAN," "Wired LAN," and "Wireless Direct" are menu items for LAN settings, and from these items, users can configure settings such as wired connection settings, enabling / disabling wireless infrastructure mode, and enabling / disabling wireless direct modes (P2P (WLAN) modes) such as WFD and soft AP mode. If the "Wireless LAN" item is selected and wireless LAN is enabled by the user, wireless infrastructure mode will be enabled. If the "Wireless Direct" item is selected and wireless direct is enabled by the user, P2P (WLAN) mode will be enabled. In addition, a common settings menu for each connection type is also displayed on this screen. Furthermore, the user can configure settings such as the wireless LAN frequency band and frequency channel from this screen.

[0031] (External configuration of a mobile terminal device) Figure 4(a) shows an example of the external configuration of the mobile terminal device 104. In this embodiment, as an example, the case where the mobile terminal device 104 is a general-purpose smartphone is shown. The mobile terminal device 104 is composed of, for example, a display unit 402, an operation unit 403, and a power key 404. The display unit 402 is a display that includes, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) type display mechanism. The display unit 402 may also display information using, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode). In addition to or instead of the display unit 402, the mobile terminal device 104 may also have a function to output information by voice. The operation unit 403 is composed of hard keys such as keys and buttons, a touch panel, etc., for detecting user operations. In this example, since the information display on the display unit 402 and the reception of user operations by the operation unit 403 are performed using a common touch panel display, the display unit 402 and the operation unit 403 are realized by a single device. In this case, for example, button icons or a software keyboard are displayed using the display function of the display unit 402, and the operation reception function of the operation unit 403 detects when the user touches these areas. Alternatively, the display unit 402 and the operation unit 403 may be separated, with separate hardware for display and hardware for operation reception. The power key 404 is a hard key for receiving user input to turn the power of the mobile terminal device 104 on or off.

[0032] The mobile terminal device 104 does not necessarily need to be visible from its external appearance, but it has a WLAN unit 401 that provides WLAN communication functionality. The WLAN unit 401 is configured to perform data (packet) communication in a WLAN system compliant 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, it is not limited to this, and the WLAN unit 401 may be capable of performing communication in WLAN systems compliant with other standards. In this example, the WLAN unit 401 is capable of communicating in frequency bands such as 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz. Furthermore, the WLAN unit 401 is capable of performing communication in wireless direct mode, i.e., WFD-based communication, communication in soft AP mode, and communication in wireless infrastructure mode. The operation of these modes will be described later.

[0033] (Configuration of mobile terminal devices) Figure 4(b) shows an example of the configuration of a mobile terminal device 104. In one example, the mobile terminal device 104 has a main board 411 that performs the 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, ROM 413, RAM 414, image memory 415, data conversion unit 416, telephone unit 417, GPS 419, camera unit 421, non-volatile memory 422, data storage unit 423, speaker unit 424, and power supply unit 425. Here, CPU is an acronym for Central Processing Unit, ROM for Read Only Memory, RAM for Random Access Memory, and GPS 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 interconnected via a system bus 628 managed by the CPU 412. Furthermore, the main board 411 and the WLAN unit 429 (the aforementioned WLAN unit 401) are connected, for example, via a dedicated bus 426.

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

[0035] RAM 414 is composed of SRAM (Static RAM) or the like. RAM 414 stores data such as program control variables, user-registered settings, and management data for the mobile terminal device 104. RAM 414 can also be used as a buffer for various tasks. Image memory 415 is composed of memory such as DRAM (Dynamic RAM). 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. Non-volatile memory 422 is composed of memory such as flash memory, and continues to store data even when the power to the mobile terminal device 104 is turned off. Note that the memory configuration of the mobile terminal device 104 is not limited to the above configuration. For example, image memory 415 and RAM 414 may be shared, or data backup may be performed using the data storage unit 423. In this embodiment, DRAM is given as an example of image memory 415, but other storage media such as hard disks or non-volatile memory may be used.

[0036] The data conversion unit 416 performs data analysis of various formats and data conversions such as color conversion and image conversion. The telephone unit 417 controls the telephone line and processes the voice data input and output via the speaker unit 424 to enable telephone communication. The GPS 419 receives radio waves transmitted from satellites and acquires location information such as the current latitude and longitude of the mobile terminal device 104.

[0037] The camera unit 421 has the function of electronically recording and encoding images input through the lens. Image data obtained by imaging with the camera unit 421 is stored in the data storage unit 423. The speaker unit 424 has the function of inputting or outputting sound for telephone functions, and also controls functions such as alarm notifications. The power supply unit 425 is, for example, a portable battery and controls the power supply to the device. Power states include, for example, a battery-dead state where there is no remaining battery power, a power-off state where the power key 404 is not pressed, a normal startup state, and a power-saving state where the device is running but power-saving.

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

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

[0040] (Access point configuration) Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of AP101, which has wireless LAN access point functionality. It consists of a main board 510 that controls AP101, a wireless LAN unit 516, a wired LAN unit 518, and operation buttons 520.

[0041] The microprocessor-type CPU 511 located on the main board 510 operates according to 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 performs wireless LAN communication with other communication devices by controlling a wireless LAN unit 516 via a wireless LAN communication control unit 515. The CPU 511 also performs wired LAN communication with other communication devices by controlling a wired LAN unit 518 via a wired LAN communication control unit 517. The CPU 511 can accept user input via operation buttons 520 by controlling an operation control circuit 519. The CPU 511 includes at least one processor.

[0042] The AP101 also includes an interference wave detection unit 521 and a channel changing unit 522. The interference wave detection unit 521 performs interference wave detection processing when wireless communication is being performed in a band where DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection) is implemented. The channel changing unit 522 performs channel changing processing when an interference wave is detected while wireless communication is being performed in a band where DFS is implemented, and when it is necessary to immediately switch to an available channel.

[0043] (P2P communication method) Next, we will outline wireless direct communication (P2P (WLAN) communication, hereinafter referred to as P2P communication) between devices in WLAN communication without going through an external access point. P2P communication can be implemented using multiple modes; for example, a communication device can support multiple modes for P2P communication and can selectively use any of these modes to perform P2P communication.

[0044] Two modes of P2P communication are assumed:

[0045] • Soft AP mode • Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) mode A communication device capable of performing P2P communication may be configured to support at least one of these modes. On the other hand, a communication device capable of performing P2P communication is not required to support all of these modes, but may be configured to support only some of them.

[0046] ● Soft AP mode In soft AP mode, a communication device (e.g., mobile terminal device 104) acts as a client requesting various services. The other communication device (e.g., MFP100) acts as a soft AP capable of performing WLAN AP functions through software configuration. The commands and parameters transmitted and received when establishing a wireless connection between the client and the soft AP only need to be those specified in the Wi-Fi® standard, so their explanation is omitted here. In addition, the MFP100 operating in soft AP mode determines the frequency band and frequency channel as the master station. Therefore, the MFP100 can select, for example, which frequency band to use from 2.4GHz, 5GHz, or 6GHz, and which frequency channel to use within that frequency band. In soft AP mode, there is no negotiation to determine roles, and compliance with the WFD standard established by the Wi-Fi Alliance is not required.

[0047] ●WFD mode In this embodiment, the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 are compatible with the Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) standard. Wi-Fi Direct is a function that enables Wi-Fi Direct-compatible devices to establish their 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 environments without an AP 101 or similar. A communication device with WFD communication capabilities (for example, the mobile terminal device 104) receives user input through its control panel, thereby calling a (possibly dedicated) application to implement that communication function. This communication device then displays a UI (user interface) screen provided by the application to prompt user input, and can execute WFD communication based on the received user input. In WFD mode, a negotiation (GO Negotiation) takes place to determine which device will act as the group owner and which as the client. An MFP100 operating as a group owner can select, for example, which frequency band to use from 2.4GHz, 5GHz, or 6GHz, and which frequency channel to use within that frequency band. Alternatively, the MFP100 can be configured to start permanently as the master station in WFD mode (Autonomous Group Owner). In this case, the GO Negotiation process for determining the role is unnecessary.

[0048] (Wireless infrastructure mode) In wireless infrastructure mode, communication devices that communicate with each other (for example, the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100) are connected to an external access point (AP) that manages the network (for example, AP 101), and communication between communication devices takes place via that AP. In other words, communication between communication devices is performed via the network established by the external AP. When the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 each discover AP 101, send connection requests to AP 101, and connect, communication between these communication devices in wireless infrastructure mode via AP 101 becomes possible. Note that multiple communication devices may be connected to separate APs. In this case, data transfer between APs enables communication between communication devices. The commands and parameters sent and received during communication between each communication device via the access point can be those specified in the Wi-Fi standard, so an explanation is omitted here. Also, in this case, AP 101 determines the frequency band and frequency channel. Therefore, the AP101 can select, for example, which frequency band to use from 2.4GHz, 5GHz, or 6GHz, and which frequency channel to use within that frequency band.

[0049] The following explains that the WFD standard has two methods: a first standard method and a second standard method that differs from the first standard method. In other words, the WFD standard has multiple methods with different standard versions. Here, the first standard method will be called WFD R1 (Release 1), and the second standard method will be called WFD R2 (Release 2). WFD R1 and WFD R2 differ in their methods of device discovery and parameter sharing. In this embodiment, parameter sharing includes sending and receiving (exchanging) parameters through communication between devices without user operation, and recognizing parameter information in each device through user operation such as reading a QR code (registered trademark).

[0050] (First connection process according to the first standard method) The mobile terminal device 104 and MFP100 are compatible with the Wi-Fi Direct standard. Wi-Fi Direct is a standard that enables Wi-Fi Direct-compatible devices to establish their 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 MFP100 can connect directly to each other even in environments where AP101 or similar devices are not available.

[0051] Figure 6 is a sequence diagram of the process by which the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 connect in accordance with the WFD standard. Here, the connection process sequence for WFD R1 is shown. In this sequence, the processing performed by each device is realized by the CPU of each device reading various programs stored in the memory such as ROM into RAM and executing them.

[0052] For example, the mobile terminal device 104 and MFP 100 begin processing a sequence when they receive a WFD start command from the user. Upon receiving the WFD start command from the user, the mobile terminal device 104 and MFP 100 search for the other device by repeatedly switching between the Listen state and the Search state. There may be a period before these states in which each channel is scanned. In the Listen state, for example, channel 1 in 2.4 GHz is selected and awaits ProbeRequest frames from other communication devices. In the Search state, ProbeRequest frames are sent while switching between frequency channels (e.g., channel 1, channel 6, channel 11) and awaits ProbeResponse frames.

[0053] In S601, the mobile terminal device 104 sends a ProbeRequest frame to search for WFD-compatible devices. By sending a ProbeRequest frame, it searches for the other device being searched. Here, the searching communication device is the mobile terminal device 104, and the other device being searched is the MFP 100. The ProbeRequest frame has the WFD attribute (P2P IE), which identifies the target of the search as a WFD-compatible device.

[0054] In S602, when MFP100 receives a ProbeRequest frame, it transmits a ProbeResponse frame. The mobile terminal device 104 detects MFP100, which is a WFD-compatible device, by receiving the ProbeResponse frame transmitted by MFP100. Note that the ProbeRequest frame and ProbeResponse frame include P2P IE and may also include Multi-Link elements. Multi-Link elements may include communication parameters used for multi-link communication as defined in the IEEE 802.11be standard. This allows multiple links to be established between communication devices with a single connection procedure. Thus, WFD R1 can detect the presence of other WFD-compatible devices using a first search process that utilizes ProbeRequest frames / ProbeResponse frames. The first search process described above is the search sequence of WFD R1.

[0055] In S603, the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 perform GO Negotiation processing. In GO Negotiation, the channel to be used for wireless direct communication may be determined. In GO Negotiation processing, the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 transmit or receive a GO NegotiationRequest frame / GO NegotiationResponse frame that contains an intent value indicating the degree to which they want to become a GO. The roles of group owner (GO) and client are determined by the GO NegotiationRequest frame / GO NegotiationResponse frame. Alternatively, the MFP 100 may be configured to start permanently as a master station (GO) in WFD mode (Autonomous Group Owner). In this case, GO Negotiation processing to determine the roles is unnecessary. The MFP 100 may also be configured to execute GO Negotiation processing but always operate as a GO by setting its intent value to the maximum of 15. In this case, the MFP 100 determines the frequency band and frequency channel to be used for wireless direct communication as a master station. In this case, the MFP100 can select, for example, whether to use the 2.4GHz or 5GHz frequency band, and which frequency channel to use within that frequency band.

[0056] In S604, the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 share communication parameters through WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) processing. These communication parameters may include parameters used for wireless communication, such as SSID (Service Set Identifier), encryption method, encryption key, authentication method, AKM, BSSID, and MAC Address. AKM stands for Authentication and Key Management. AKM indicates the authentication protocol and key exchange algorithm used for wireless communication. For example, if AKM is "SAE," the communication parameters may include a password for connecting to an AP or GO compatible with WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) 3. If AKM is "psk," the communication parameters may include a PSK (Pre-Shared Key) / passphrase for connecting to an AP or GO compatible with WPA2. If AKM is "1X," the communication parameters may include an ID, password, public key, etc., for connecting to an AP compatible with WPA-Enterprise. The password and PSK / passphrase are encryption keys used when performing authentication and key exchange based on WPA or IEEE 802.11. The WPS processing in S604 is the sequence for sharing communication parameters in WFD R1. Furthermore, from processing S604 onwards, the channel used for communication may be changed from the channel used in S601-603.

[0057] In S605, when the MFP100 determines that it will operate as a GO, it begins transmitting a Beacon frame. The Beacon frame may contain communication parameters for communicating with the MFP100. The Beacon frame may also contain information elements (IE) and attributes as defined in the WFD standard. This allows WFD-compatible devices other than the mobile terminal device 104 to detect the presence of the MFP100 and establish a wireless direct communication connection with it. For example, other WFD-compatible devices can detect the presence of the MFP100 by receiving a Beacon frame containing information defined in the WFD standard.

[0058] In S606, the mobile terminal device 104 sends a ProbeRequest frame to perform the connection procedure with the MFP 100. In S607, when the MFP 100 receives the ProbeRequest frame, it sends a ProbeResponse frame.

[0059] In S608, the mobile terminal device 104 transmits an Authentication frame. In S609, when the MFP 100 receives an Authentication frame, it transmits an Authentication frame.

[0060] In S610, when the mobile terminal device 104 receives an Authentication frame, it sends an AssociationRequest frame. In S611, when the MFP 100 receives an AssociationRequest frame, it sends an AssociationResponse frame.

[0061] In S612, the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 perform a 4-way handshake.

[0062] In the first standard's method, the connection (WFD connection) between the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 is established by performing the connection procedure described above. Although not shown in the sequence above, the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 may also send or receive ProvisionDiscoveryRequest frames / ProvisionDiscoveryResponse frames. Furthermore, in the sequence in Figure 6, the roles of the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 may be reversed.

[0063] (Second connection process according to the second standard) Figure 7 is a sequence diagram of the process by which the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 connect in accordance with the WFD standard. Here, the connection process sequence for WFD R2 is shown. In this sequence, the processing performed by each device is realized by the CPU of each device reading various programs stored in the memory such as ROM into RAM and executing them.

[0064] For example, the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 begin processing the sequence when they receive a WFD start command from the user. In the WFD R2 discovery sequence, a second discovery process is performed. An example of the discovery procedure by the second discovery process is shown below. In this discovery procedure, each mobile terminal device 104 and MFP 100 performs processing based on whether it is a communication device on the service provider side or a communication device on the service request side, and detects other communication devices. Communication devices on the service provider side may be called Publisher, Listener, Advertiser, etc. Communication devices on the service request side may be called Subscriber, Searcher, Seeker, etc. For example, a communication device on the service request side may transmit a frame to detect other WFD-compatible devices. Also, a communication device on the service provider side may receive and respond to frames transmitted by other WFD-compatible devices. The role assigned to a communication device may be determined by a higher layer (service layer, etc.).

[0065] Figure 7 illustrates an example in which the mobile terminal device 104 operates as the communication device on the service requesting side, and the MFP 100 operates as the communication device on the service providing side. For example, the mobile terminal device 104 intermittently performs detection operations and transmits frames to detect other WFD-compatible devices. In the second discovery process, for example, the mechanism of the Wi-Fi Aware standard developed by the Wi-Fi Alliance may be used. That is, the frames communicated in the second discovery process may be frames specified in the Wi-Fi Aware standard. Furthermore, other service discovery protocols and methods may be used in the second discovery process, not limited to the Wi-Fi Aware standard.

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

[0067] In S702, when MFP100 receives a ServiceDiscovery frame, it transmits a ServiceDiscovery frame. The ServiceDiscovery frame transmitted here is called SDF Follow-up. Upon receiving the ServiceDiscovery frame, the mobile terminal device 104 detects MFP100, which is a WFD-compatible device. The second discovery process described above is the WFD R2 discovery sequence. Since the first discovery process of WFD R1 and the second discovery process of WFD R2 use different methods, a communication device that only supports WFD R1 cannot be discovered using the WFD R2 method. Conversely, a communication device that only supports WFD R2 cannot be discovered using the WFD R1 method.

[0068] In S703, the mobile terminal device 104 sends a request using a BootstrapappingRequest frame. This request concerns a method for sharing communication parameters. Using this frame, the mobile terminal device 104 can notify the MFP 100 of the sharing methods it can implement from among, for example, a button method (authorization operation method), a PIN code, a passphrase, a QR code, an NFC (Near Field Communication) tag, etc. In this embodiment, a QR code is described as an example of a two-dimensional code image. For example, if the mobile terminal device 104 can implement a sharing method using a QR code, it can indicate at least whether it can display or read a QR code. Also, if the mobile terminal device 104 can implement a sharing method using a passphrase, it can indicate whether it can use either a string or a number, or both. Also, if the mobile terminal device 104 can implement a sharing method using a passphrase, it can indicate at least whether it can display or input a passphrase. Furthermore, the mobile terminal device 104 may indicate whether the method of sharing communication parameters by pressing a button is available. The information that the mobile terminal device 104 can notify is not limited to these.

[0069] In S704, when the MFP100 receives a BootstrubbingRequest frame, it sends a BootstrubbingResponse frame to the mobile terminal device 104. For example, the MFP100 selects a sharing method that it can implement from among the sharing methods included in the request from the mobile terminal device 104 and sends a response containing information that identifies that sharing method. If there is no sharing method that the MFP100 can implement among the sharing methods included in the request, it sends a response containing information indicating that fact.

[0070] In S705, bootstrapping is performed using a sharing method for sharing communication parameters determined between communication devices, and the sharing of communication parameters is executed. For example, MFP100 displays a QR code, and the mobile terminal device 104 reads the QR code to share communication parameters. The bootstrapping process in S705 is the WFD R2 communication parameter sharing sequence. The communication parameters shared here include at least one (or more) parameters used for wireless communication from among the encryption method, encryption key, authentication method, AKM, and BSSID (MAC address). In the case of parameter sharing via QR code, a passphrase is also included. The parameters obtained here are used in PASN authentication in S706, Authentication in S710, and Association Request in S712, which are described later.

[0071] In S706, mutual authentication is performed using PASN authentication. PASN is an abbreviation for Preassociation Security Negotiation. Communication parameters for using PASN may include the public key of each communication device. Communication parameters for using PASN may be shared using methods not specified in the WFD standard, such as Bluetooth or Bluetooth Low Energy. Alternatively, as another sharing method, a temporary network including APs may be configured, and the communication parameters may be obtained by the communication device connecting to that network. In PASN, the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 may perform GO Negotiation processing. The channel to be used for wireless direct communication may be determined during GO Negotiation processing. The roles of P2P group owner (GO) and P2P client are determined during GO Negotiation processing. The MFP 100 may also be configured to start permanently as the master station in WFD mode (Autonomous Group Owner). In this case, GO Negotiation processing to determine roles is unnecessary. The MFP100 can perform the GO Negotiation process by setting its intent value to the maximum of 15, but it may also be configured to always operate as the MFP100. In this case, the MFP100, as the master station, determines the frequency band and frequency channel to be used for wireless direct communication. In this case, the MFP100 can select, for example, which frequency band to use from 2.4GHz, 5GHz, or 6GHz, and which frequency channel to use within that frequency band.

[0072] In WFD R1, the frequency bands available for wireless direct communication were 2.4GHz and 5GHz. In WFD R2, in addition to 2.4GHz and 5GHz, 6GHz will also be available for wireless direct communication. Furthermore, unlike WFD R1, in WFD R2, role determination is performed after the communication parameters are shared. From processing S707 onward, the channel used for communication may be changed from the channel used in S701-706.

[0073] In S707, when the MFP100 determines that it will operate as a GO, it begins transmitting a Beacon frame. The Beacon frame may contain communication parameters for communicating with the MFP100. The Beacon frame may also contain information elements (IE) and attributes as defined in the WFD standard. This allows WFD-compatible devices other than the mobile terminal device 104 to detect the presence of the MFP100 and establish a connection with it. For example, other WFD-compatible devices can detect the presence of the MFP100 by receiving a Beacon frame containing information defined in the WFD standard.

[0074] In S708, the mobile terminal device 104 sends a ProbeRequest frame to perform the connection procedure with the MFP 100. In S709, when the MFP 100 receives the ProbeRequest frame, it sends a ProbeResponse frame.

[0075] In S710, the mobile terminal device 104 transmits an Authentication frame. In S711, when the MFP 100 receives an Authentication frame, it transmits an Authentication frame.

[0076] In S712, when the mobile terminal device 104 receives an Authentication frame, it sends an AssociationRequest frame. In S713, when the MFP 100 receives an AssociationRequest frame, it sends an AssociationResponse frame.

[0077] In S714, the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 perform a 4-way handshake.

[0078] In the second standard's method, the connection (WFD connection) between the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 is established by performing the connection procedure described above. In the sequence shown in Figure 7, the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 may be reversed. Furthermore, whether it is WFD R1 compliant or WFD R2 compliant may be indicated in the P2P IE.

[0079] In an environment where devices supporting both the first and second standards exist, there may be cases where WFD connection between the two devices is not possible. For example, if a printer and a mobile terminal device owned by a general user are used as WFD-compatible devices, and the administrator configures the printer to use WFD R2, then if the mobile terminal device operates using WFD R1, the mobile terminal device will not be able to establish a WFD connection to the printer, and the user will not be able to use the printer.

[0080] Therefore, in this embodiment, the user is first able to select whether to use at least one of WFD R1 or WFD R2 to search for WFD-compatible devices. Then, a list screen of searched devices is displayed, associating the searched devices with the methods used to search for those devices, and the user can select from this list. This allows the user to specify the WFD method on which the printer will operate, according to the WFD methods supported by the devices they own, thereby improving the likelihood of a successful WFD connection.

[0081] Hereafter, the operating mode of the MFP100 when executing WFD with WFD R1 will be referred to as R1 mode, and the operating mode of the MFP100 when executing WFD with WFD R2 will be referred to as R2 mode. In other words, the search process in R1 mode is the first search process described above, and the devices found by the first search process operate in R1 mode, just like the MFP100. Similarly, the search process in R2 mode is the second search process described above, and the devices found by the second search process operate in R2 mode, just like the MFP100.

[0082] Before explaining the process for specifying the WFD method in the MFP100, we will describe the user interface screen related to the mobile portal displayed on the MFP100.

[0083] Figure 8(a) is an example of the menu screen displayed when "Mobile Portal" is selected in the screen shown in Figure 3(b). The Mobile Portal menu screen displays the following buttons as menu items (options): "Automatic," "R2," "R1," "Do not search," "Info," and "Exit." The "Automatic," "R2," and "R1" buttons represent search modes for nearby WFD-compatible devices that can connect to WFD, respectively. When the "R2" button is selected (pressed), the MFP100 searches for nearby WFD-compatible devices in R2 mode. As mentioned above, R2 mode is one of the operating modes of the MFP100, but in other words, it can also be said to be one of the search modes for nearby WFD-compatible devices.

[0084] When the "R1" button is selected, the MFP100 searches for nearby WFD-compatible devices in R1 mode. When the "R1" button is selected, the MFP100 searches for nearby WFD-compatible devices in R1 mode. As mentioned above, R1 mode is one of the operating modes of the MFP100, but in other words, it can also be said to be one of the modes for searching for nearby WFD-compatible devices.

[0085] When the "Auto" button is selected, the MFP100 sequentially performs both the R1 mode search for surrounding WFD-compatible devices and the R2 mode search for surrounding WFD-compatible devices. The order in which these searches are performed may vary; either the R1 mode search for surrounding WFD-compatible devices may be performed first, or the R2 mode search for surrounding WFD-compatible devices may be performed first. In this embodiment, the mode used to search for surrounding WFD-compatible devices when the "Auto" button is selected is also referred to as the "Auto mode."

[0086] Thus, in this embodiment, the user can select on the user interface screen which WFD method to use to search for surrounding WFD-compatible devices. This allows the user to select according to the WFD method supported by, for example, the portable terminal device 104 they are carrying, thereby increasing the likelihood of a successful WFD connection between the MFP 100 and the portable terminal device 104.

[0087] The "Do not search" button puts the MFP100 into a waiting state, waiting for WFD connection requests from external devices without performing a search for surrounding devices. When the "Do not search" button is selected, the MFP100 is controlled to enter a waiting state that waits for WFD connection requests using a more secure method, for example. Specifically, the MFP100 is controlled to enter a waiting state that waits for WFD connection requests in R2 mode. A WFD connection request is, for example, a ServiceDiscoevery request frame or a ProbeRequest frame. As mentioned above, the first search process of WFD R1 and the second search process of WFD R2 use different methods, so a communication device that only supports WFD R1 cannot be searched using the WFD R2 method. Conversely, a communication device that only supports WFD R2 cannot be searched using the WFD R1 method. Therefore, when the MFP100 enters a waiting state that waits for WFD connection requests in R2 mode, even if a ProbeRequest frame is received, no response will be made to that frame.

[0088] The "Info" button displays a description of each exploration mode in Figure 8(a). When selected, it opens a window containing a description of each exploration mode. The "Exit" button accepts the command to exit the "Mobile Portal" screen.

[0089] Figure 8(b) is an example of a screen displayed when "Automatic" is selected in the screen shown in Figure 8(a). As shown in Figure 8(b), it is indicated that the system is searching for WFD-compatible devices in automatic mode. In this embodiment, when automatic mode is selected, both the search for WFD-compatible devices using R2 mode and the search for WFD-compatible devices using R1 mode are performed sequentially.

[0090] Figure 8(c) is an example of a screen showing the search results in automatic mode and the standby status of the MFP100. In Figure 8(c), as an example of the search results, "1234567890" and "1111111111" are displayed, indicating devices found in R2 mode, and "abc" is displayed, indicating a device found in R1 mode. "1234567890", "1111111111", and "abc" are the identification information such as the SSID of each device. In Figure 8(c), a "Connect" button is provided corresponding to the identification information of each device, and it is possible to receive instructions for WFD connection requests to each device. In this embodiment, an example in which three devices were found as a result of the search is shown, but if more devices are found, they may be displayed to the extent possible given the limitations of the screen display, and all found devices may be displayed by scrolling the screen. Also, if multiple devices are found, the display order may be determined based on the signal strength and security robustness of the found devices. Furthermore, users may be allowed to set criteria for determining the display order. The screen in Figure 8(c) has a "Run Search" button, which can be used to initiate another search. The "End" button is used to initiate the display of the "Mobile Portal" screen.

[0091] The screen in Figure 8(c) further displays information about the MFP100's standby status. In Figure 8(c), for example, the MFP100's SSID, "abcd," is displayed. "Waiting in R2 mode" in Figure 8(c) indicates that the MFP100 is in standby mode, waiting for WFD connection requests in R2 mode. The "QR code" button accepts a command to display a QR code for sharing communication parameters between the MFP100 and external devices. The "Show details" button accepts a command to display detailed information about the MFP100, such as its SSID, password, and security information. The "Switch to R1" button accepts a command to switch the MFP100 to a standby state, waiting for WFD connection requests in R1 mode.

[0092] Figure 8(d) is an example of the screen displayed when the "QR Code" button is selected on the screen shown in Figure 8(c). Figure 8(d) displays a QR code containing the Bootstrapping information explained in Figure 7. Devices operating in R2 mode can establish a WFD connection to the MFP100 by reading the QR code displayed on the screen shown in Figure 8(d).

[0093] Figure 8(e) is an example of a screen displayed when the "Show Details" button is selected on the screen shown in Figure 8(c). The screen in Figure 8(e) displays detailed information about the MFP100. Specifically, it shows, for example, that the MFP100 is in R2 mode and waiting for WFD connection requests, as well as the MFP100's SSID, password, frequency band, and security mode. A "Show" button is provided for the password, and selecting this button will display the password in an identifiable state. In the normal state, the password is displayed in an identifiable state. The "Show" button allows you to switch between prioritizing security or convenience.

[0094] Figure 8(f) is an example of a screen displayed when the "Switch to R1" button is selected on the screen shown in Figure 8(c). By selecting the "Switch to R1" button, the MFP100's waiting state can be controlled to switch from a waiting state where it waits for WFD connection requests in R2 mode to a waiting state where it waits for WFD connection requests in R1 mode. In other words, it can switch from a state where it can respond to ServiceDiscovery request frames in the second discovery process to a state where it can respond to ProbeRequest frames. When the waiting state switches to waiting for WFD connection requests in R1 mode, the display "Waiting in R2" on the screen shown in Figure 8(c) is updated to "Waiting in R1".

[0095] Figure 8(g) is an example of a screen displayed when the "Connect" button corresponding to "1234567890", which indicates a device discovered in R2 mode on the screen of Figure 8(c), is selected. The screen in Figure 8(g) displays an area for the user to enter a PIN code during connection. By entering the PIN code presented on the target device using the number buttons displayed in the lower half of the screen in Figure 8(g), the user can establish a WFD connection between the MFP100 and the target device. In this example, a connection example using PIN code input is shown, but screens for other connection authentication methods, such as reading a QR code with the MFP100's scanner function, as explained in Figure 7, may also be displayed.

[0096] Figure 8(h) is an example of a screen showing the state in which the WFD connection between the MFP100 and the target device is being processed after the user enters a PIN code and selects the "OK" button on the screen shown in Figure 8(g). The screen in Figure 8(h) shows that the MFP100 is connected to the device "1234567890" via WFD R2.

[0097] Figure 8(i) is an example of a screen indicating that the WFD connection process between the MFP100 and the target device has been completed and the WFD connection has been established. The screen in Figure 8(i) shows that a connection has been established between the MFP100 and the device "1234567890" via WFD R2.

[0098] Figure 8(j) is an example of a screen displayed when the "Auto" button is selected on the menu screen in Figure 8(a), and no WFD-compatible devices are found after proceeding through the screen in Figure 8(b). The screen in Figure 8(j) corresponds to the case where the "Auto" button is selected, meaning that neither WFD R2-supporting nor WFD R1-supporting devices were found around the MFP100.

[0099] Figure 8(k) is an example of a screen displayed when the "R1" button is selected on the screen shown in Figure 8(a), and no WFD-compatible devices are found as a result of the R1 mode search. In other words, it indicates that no devices supporting WFD R1 were found around the MFP100. The "Search in R2" button is for receiving instructions to search for nearby WFD-compatible devices in R2 mode. The "Standby Screen" button puts the device into a standby state, waiting for WFD connection requests from external devices. When the "Standby Screen" button is selected, for example, the device enters a standby state, waiting for WFD connection requests in R1 mode. Note that if the "R2" button is selected on the screen shown in Figure 8(a), and no WFD-compatible devices are found as a result of the R2 mode search, a screen will be displayed on the screen shown in Figure 8(k) with "R1" and "R2" replaced with "R2" and "R1" respectively (not shown).

[0100] Figure 8(l) is an example of a screen showing the MFP100's waiting state when the screens shown in Figure 8(j) and Figure 8(k) are displayed, that is, when no devices are found using the discovery modes in Figure 8(a) and the MFP100 is waiting for WFD connection requests. In Figure 8(l), for example, the MFP100's SSID, "abcd," is displayed. "Waiting in R2" in Figure 8(l) indicates that the MFP100 is in a waiting state, waiting for WFD connection requests in R2 mode. The "QR Code" button is for receiving instructions to display a QR code for sharing communication parameters between the MFP100 and external devices. The "Show Details" button is for receiving instructions to display detailed information about the MFP100, such as its SSID, password, and security information. The "Switch to R1" button is for receiving instructions to switch the MFP100 to a waiting state, waiting for WFD connection requests in R1 mode. The screen in Figure 8(l) includes a "Run Search" button, which allows the user to initiate another search. The "End" button is used to end the display of the "Mobile Portal" screen.

[0101] Figure 8(m) is an example of a screen displayed when the MFP100 receives a WFD connection request from an external device while in standby mode. The screen displays the identification information of the device corresponding to the received WFD connection request. The device identification information is, for example, the SSID. In Figure 8(m), for example, the device identification information and the operating mode of the device are displayed. The user confirms the SSID of the device that sent the WFD connection request and that the device is operating in R2 mode. The user can then press the "Yes" button to allow the exchange of communication parameters in WFD R2. Alternatively, the user can press the "No" button to reject the WFD connection request.

[0102] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the process of launching the mobile portal in the MFP100. The process in Figure 9 is achieved, for example, by the CPU 212 reading a program stored in ROM 213 into RAM 214 and executing it. The process in Figure 9 also starts, for example, when "Mobile Portal" is selected on the screen shown in Figure 3(b).

[0103] In S901, CPU212 detects the process for launching the mobile portal. Specifically, for example, CPU212 detects the selection operation of "Mobile Portal" on the screen shown in Figure 3(b).

[0104] In S902, the CPU212 displays a screen for selecting the search mode for WFD-compatible devices. Specifically, for example, it displays the screen shown in Figure 8(a). The search mode selection screen may be controlled so that it is not displayed. For example, if the user has already set the search mode, the processing in S902 may be skipped. The result of the selection on the search mode selection screen is stored in RAM214.

[0105] In S903, the CPU212 determines which button was selected on the search mode selection screen. Based on the button selected on the search mode selection screen, the CPU212 performs a search for WFD-compatible devices in different ways. Specifically, for example, if "Automatic" is selected on the screen in Figure 8(a), the CPU212 determines to perform automatic mode, i.e., a search for surrounding WFD-compatible devices using R2 mode and a search for surrounding WFD-compatible devices using R1 mode, and proceeds to S904. If "R1" is selected on the screen in Figure 8(a), the CPU212 determines to perform a search for surrounding WFD-compatible devices using R1 mode, and proceeds to S906. If "R2" is selected on the screen in Figure 8(a), the CPU212 determines to perform a search for surrounding WFD-compatible devices using R2 mode, and proceeds to S905. Although not shown in Figure 9, if "Do not search" is selected on the screen in Figure 8(a), no search is performed in any mode, and the process proceeds to S916, which will be described later.

[0106] In S904, the CPU 212 performs a search for surrounding WFD-compatible devices in R2 mode and stores the search results as search result information in RAM 214. Subsequently, in S906, the CPU 212 performs a search for surrounding WFD-compatible devices in R1 mode and stores the search results as search result information in RAM 214. That is, for example, if "Automatic" is selected on the screen in Figure 8(a), the screen in Figure 8(b) is displayed, and both a search for surrounding WFD-compatible devices in R2 mode and a search for surrounding WFD-compatible devices in R1 mode are performed. After S906, the process proceeds to S907. The processing in S904 will be described later in Figure 10, and the processing in S906 will be described later in Figure 11.

[0107] If S903 determines that a search for nearby WFD-compatible devices should be performed in R1 mode, the process in S906 is executed. That is, for example, if "R1" is selected on the screen in Figure 8(a), a search for WFD-compatible devices in R1 mode will be performed. After S906, the process proceeds to S907.

[0108] If it is determined in S903 to perform a search for nearby WFD-compatible devices in R2 mode, in S905 the CPU 212 performs a search for nearby WFD-compatible devices in R2 mode and stores the search result as search result information in RAM 214. That is, for example, if "R2" is selected on the screen in Figure 8(a), a search for nearby WFD-compatible devices in R2 mode is performed. After S905, the process proceeds to S907. The processing in S905 will be described later in Figure 10.

[0109] In S904, S905, and S906, the CPU 212 may obtain radio wave strength information for each device that has been searched. In that case, the radio wave strength information is stored in the RAM 214 as search result information.

[0110] In S907, the CPU 212 determines whether or not there is search result information stored in the RAM 214. If it is determined that there is search result information, the process proceeds to S908; if it is determined that there is no search result information, the process proceeds to S909.

[0111] In S908, the CPU212 determines whether the search result information includes information on devices searched using R2 mode. If it is determined that the search result information includes devices searched using R2 mode, the process proceeds to S914. The process proceeding from S908 to S914 includes cases where the search result information includes only devices searched using R2 mode, and cases where the search result information includes both devices searched using R1 mode and devices searched using R2 mode.

[0112] In S914, the CPU 212 controls the wireless unit 226 to put the MFP 100 into a waiting state where it listens for WFD connection requests in R2 mode but not in R1 mode. Specifically, for example, the CPU controls the wireless unit 226 to make it capable of responding to the ServiceDiscovery request frame in S701 of Figure 7. This allows other devices, such as the mobile terminal device 104, to discover the MFP 100 when they perform a search for surrounding WFD-compatible devices in R2 mode and send a WFD connection request to the MFP 100. Also, if other devices perform a search for surrounding WFD-compatible devices in R1 mode, they will not be able to discover the MFP 100, thus preventing the establishment of a WFD connection in R1 mode. After S914, the process proceeds to S916.

[0113] In this embodiment, for example, when devices discovered using R1 mode and devices discovered using R2 mode are mixed around the MFP100, the MFP100 can be put into a waiting state to await WFD connection requests in R2 mode, which offers higher security robustness.

[0114] If it is determined in S908 that the search results information does not include any devices searched using R2 mode, that is, only devices searched using R1 mode are included, the process proceeds to S915.

[0115] In S915, the CPU 212 controls the wireless unit 226 to put the MFP 100 into a waiting state where it listens for WFD connection requests in R1 mode but not in R2 mode. Specifically, for example, the CPU controls the wireless unit 226 to be in a state where it can respond to the ProbeRequest frame in S601 of Figure 6. This allows other devices, such as the mobile terminal device 104, to discover the MFP 100 when they perform a search for surrounding WFD-compatible devices in R1 mode and send a WFD connection request to the MFP 100. Also, if other devices perform a search for surrounding WFD-compatible devices in R2 mode, they cannot discover the MFP 100, thus preventing the establishment of a WFD connection in R2 mode. After S915, the process proceeds to S916.

[0116] In S916, the CPU212 displays a screen showing the search results for WFD-compatible devices and the standby status of the MFP100. If "Automatic" is selected on the screen shown in Figure 8(a), the search results will display both the results of searching for surrounding WFD-compatible devices in R1 mode and the results of searching for surrounding WFD-compatible devices in R2 mode. The screen may also display an icon indicating whether each discovered WFD-compatible device was discovered by searching in R1 mode or R2 mode. When "Automatic" is selected, the CPU212 operates the MFP100 in either a standby state waiting for WFD connection requests in R1 mode or a standby state waiting for WFD connection requests in R2 mode, depending on whether the search result information includes information on devices discovered in R2 mode. Therefore, the screen displayed here includes information indicating which standby state the MFP100 is in.

[0117] Furthermore, if "R1" is selected on the screen in Figure 8(a), the search results will display the results of the search for surrounding WFD-compatible devices in R1 mode. Note that if "R1" is selected, the search for surrounding WFD-compatible devices in R2 mode is not performed, so the results of the search for surrounding WFD-compatible devices in R2 mode will not be displayed. Also, when "R1" is selected, the CPU 212 operates the MFP100 in a waiting state where it waits for WFD connection requests in R1 mode but not in R2 mode. Therefore, the screen displayed here includes information indicating that the MFP100 is in a waiting state where it waits for WFD connection requests in R1 mode.

[0118] Furthermore, if "R2" is selected on the screen in Figure 8(a), the search results will display the results of the search for surrounding WFD-compatible devices in R2 mode. Note that when "R2" is selected, the search for surrounding WFD-compatible devices in R1 mode is not performed, so the results of the search for surrounding WFD-compatible devices in R1 mode are not displayed. Also, when "R2" is selected, the CPU 212 operates the MFP100 in a waiting state where it waits for WFD connection requests in R2 mode but not in R1 mode. Therefore, the screen displayed here includes information indicating that the MFP100 is in a waiting state where it waits for WFD connection requests in R2 mode.

[0119] Specifically, in this process, for example, the screen shown in Figure 8(c) is displayed. The screen shown in Figure 8(c) in S916 is displayed when "Automatic" is selected on the screen shown in Figure 8(a), and devices are found using both the R1 mode and the R2 mode for searching for surrounding WFD-compatible devices. The user can recognize from the screen shown in Figure 8(c) that the MFP100 is in a waiting state, waiting for WFD connection requests in R2 mode. Furthermore, the user can distinguish between devices found in R2 mode and devices found in R1 mode. The user can also instruct the MFP100 to connect to a desired device among the found devices. In addition, the user can switch the operating mode of the MFP100 according to the WFD method supported by the user's own mobile terminal device 104. For example, if the user's own mobile terminal device 104 supports WFD R1, the user can switch the MFP100's waiting state to a waiting state where it waits for WFD connection requests in R1 mode. For example, if the user's own mobile terminal device 104 supports WFD R2, the MFP 100 can display a QR code for sharing communication parameters in R2 mode. After S916, the process shown in Figure 9 is terminated. If the screen displayed by the MFP 100 switches to another screen, such as when the "End" button is pressed on the screen displayed in S916, the CPU 212 may control the MFP 100 to stop operating in the waiting state for WFD connection requests. In other words, the CPU 212 may configure the system so that other devices can discover the MFP 100 by searching for WFD-compatible devices only while the screen displayed in S916 is being displayed by the MFP 100. To put it another way, when the screen displayed in S916 is not being displayed by the MFP 100, the system may configure the system so that other devices cannot discover the MFP 100 by searching for WFD-compatible devices.

[0120] In S909, which is executed when NO is determined in S907, the CPU 212 determines whether the search mode indicated by the result selected by the user on the search mode selection screen displayed in S902 is automatic mode. Automatic mode is a mode that performs both the search for surrounding WFD-compatible devices using R2 mode and the search for surrounding WFD-compatible devices using R1 mode. Specifically, in this process, the CPU 212 determines, for example, whether "Automatic" was selected on the screen shown in Figure 8(a).

[0121] If it is determined in S909 that the system is in automatic mode ("Automatic" is selected), then in S911, the CPU212 displays a screen indicating that the search has failed. Specifically, for example, the screen shown in Figure 8(j) is displayed. If the OK button is selected in S911, for example, on the screen shown in Figure 8(j), the process proceeds to S914, where the CPU212 puts the MFP100 into a waiting state to await WFD connection requests in R2 mode. Subsequently, in S916, the CPU212 displays a screen indicating that the MFP100 is in a waiting state to await WFD connection requests in R2 mode and that no devices were found. Specifically, for example, the screen shown in Figure 8(l) is displayed.

[0122] In this embodiment, if the device is not found using either R2 mode or R1 mode, the MFP100 transitions to a waiting state in R2 mode to await WFD connection requests. This improves security robustness in the waiting state. However, the MFP100 may also transition to a waiting state in R1 mode to await WFD connection requests only if the device is not found using either R2 mode or R1 mode. In that case, the process proceeds from S911 to S915 instead of S914.

[0123] If S909 determines that the system is not in automatic mode (a button other than "Automatic" is selected), then in S910, the CPU212 displays a screen indicating that the search failed. Specifically, for example, the screen shown in Figure 8(k) is displayed. The screen shown in Figure 8(k) is displayed when "R1" is selected on the screen in Figure 8(a), and a search for surrounding WFD-compatible devices is performed in R1 mode, but no devices are found. If "R2" is selected on the screen in Figure 8(a), and a search for surrounding WFD-compatible devices is performed in R2 mode, but no devices are found, a screen (not shown) indicating that no devices were found is displayed. Such a screen is, for example, the same as in Figure 8(k), but with "R1" and "R2" replaced by "R2" and "R1" respectively. After S910, the process proceeds to S912.

[0124] In S912, the CPU212 determines whether to execute another search mode. Specifically, for example, it determines whether "Search with R2" is selected on the screen shown in Figure 8(k). If it is determined that another search mode should be executed, the process proceeds to S913.

[0125] In S913, CPU212 is configured to execute another search mode and the process from S903 is repeated. Specifically, for example, if "Search with R2" is selected on the screen shown in Figure 8(k), the system is configured to perform a search in R2 mode and the process from S903 is repeated. In that case, the process in S905 is executed. Also, on the screen (not shown) displayed in S910, which indicates that a search for surrounding WFD-compatible devices was performed in R2 mode but no devices were found, the "Search with R1" button is displayed. If the user selects "Search with R1", S913 is configured to perform a search in R1 mode and the process from S903 is repeated. In that case, the process in S906 is executed.

[0126] If it is determined in S912 that no other search mode will be executed, the CPU 212 controls whether to put the MFP 100 into a waiting state to wait for WFD connection requests in R2 mode or in R1 mode, based on the currently set search mode. Specifically, for example, if "Waiting screen" is selected on the screen in Figure 8(k), the currently set search mode is R1 mode, so the process proceeds to S915, and the CPU 212 puts the MFP 100 into a waiting state to wait for WFD connection requests in R1 mode. Then, in S916, the CPU 212 displays a screen (not shown) indicating that the MFP 100 is in a waiting state to wait for WFD connection requests in R1 mode and that no devices were found. On the other hand, on the screen (not shown) indicating that a search in R2 mode was performed but no devices were found, a "Waiting screen" button is displayed in addition to the "Search in R1" button. Then, if "Standby screen" is selected on that screen, the currently set search mode is R2 mode, so the process proceeds to S914, and the CPU212 puts the MFP100 into a waiting state to wait for WFD connection requests in R2 mode. Subsequently, in S916, the CPU212 displays the screen shown in Figure 8(l) to indicate that the MFP100 is in a waiting state to wait for WFD connection requests in R2 mode and that no devices were found.

[0127] In this embodiment, we described an example where, when devices supporting WFD R1 and devices supporting WFD R2 are mixed around the MFP100, the MFP100 enters a waiting state to await WFD connection requests in the R2 mode, which offers higher security. However, the configuration is not limited to this. For example, in an environment where devices supporting WFD R1 and devices supporting WFD R2 are mixed, if the device with the highest signal strength is a device supporting WFD R1, the MFP100 may be set to a waiting state to await WFD connection requests in R1 mode.

[0128] Although not shown in Figure 9, if "Execute Search" is selected on the screens shown in Figure 8(c) and Figure 8(l), the screen shown in Figure 8(a) is displayed, and the process from S902 is repeated.

[0129] As described above, according to this embodiment, when "Mobile Portal" is selected on the screen shown in Figure 3(b), the system can search for nearby WFD-compatible devices according to the search mode selected by the user. Furthermore, after the search, the system can wait for WFD connection requests in a predetermined standby state according to the surrounding environment.

[0130] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the process of searching for surrounding WFD-compatible devices using R2 mode in S904 and S905 of Figure 9.

[0131] In S1001, the CPU212 detects the process to enable wireless direct in R2 mode. Specifically, for example, the CPU212 detects the selection operation of "Automatic" or "R2" on the screen shown in Figure 8(a).

[0132] In S1002, the CPU 212 determines whether or not to terminate the search process shown in Figure 10. If it is determined that the search process should be terminated, the process shown in Figure 10 is terminated. Specifically, for example, the search process is terminated if a predetermined timeout period has elapsed. Also, for example, the search process is terminated if the number of devices found reaches a predetermined upper limit. If it is determined that the search process should not be terminated, the process proceeds to S1003.

[0133] In S1003, CPU212 performs a search for surrounding WFD-enabled devices in R2 mode. Specifically, for example, it sends a ServiceDiscovery request frame to an external source.

[0134] In S1004, the CPU 212 determines whether or not any devices were found in R2 mode. Specifically, for example, the CPU 212 determines whether or not a ServiceDiscovery response frame was received. If no ServiceDiscovery response frame was received, i.e., if it is determined that no devices were found in R2 mode, the process from S1002 is repeated. On the other hand, if a ServiceDiscovery response frame was received, i.e., if it is determined that there are devices found in R2 mode, the process proceeds to S1005, where the CPU 212 stores the discovery result information, including Service information and device signal strength information contained in the received ServiceDiscovery response frame, in the RAM 214, associating it with the information of the discovered device, such as its SSID. After that, the process from S1002 is repeated. In this way, devices supporting WFD R2 around the MFP 100 are discovered.

[0135] Figure 11 is a flowchart showing the search process using R1 mode in S906 of Figure 9.

[0136] In S1101, the CPU212 detects the process to enable wireless direct in R1 mode. Specifically, for example, the CPU212 detects the selection operation of "Automatic" or "R1" on the screen shown in Figure 8(a).

[0137] In S1102, the CPU 212 determines whether or not to terminate the search process shown in Figure 11. If it is determined that the search process should be terminated, the process shown in Figure 11 is terminated. Specifically, for example, the search process is terminated if a predetermined timeout period has elapsed. Also, for example, the search process is terminated if the number of devices found reaches a predetermined upper limit. If it is determined that the search process should not be terminated, the process proceeds to S1103.

[0138] In S1103, CPU212 performs a search for surrounding WFD-compatible devices in R1 mode. Specifically, for example, it sends a ProbeRequest frame to an external source.

[0139] In S1104, the CPU 212 determines whether or not there are any devices discovered in R1 mode. Specifically, for example, the CPU 212 determines whether or not a ProbeResponse frame has been received. If no ProbeResponse frame has been received, i.e., if it is determined that there are no devices discovered in R1 mode, the process from S1102 is repeated. On the other hand, if a ProbeResponse frame has been received, i.e., if it is determined that there are devices discovered in R1 mode, the process proceeds to S1105, where the CPU 212 stores the discovery result information, including Service information and device signal strength information contained in the received ProbeResponse frame, in the RAM 214, associating it with the information of the discovered device, such as its SSID. After that, the process from S1102 is repeated. In this way, devices supporting WFD R1 around the MFP100 are discovered.

[0140] Figure 12 is a flowchart showing the connection process between the MFP100 and the discovered device, which is executed when the MFP100 is in a state of waiting for a WFD connection request. The process in Figure 12 is realized, for example, by the CPU212 reading a program stored in the ROM213 into the RAM214 and executing it.

[0141] Here, we assume that the MFP100 is displaying the screen shown in Figure 8(c) at S916. That is, as a result of the device search, devices supporting WFD R2 and devices supporting WFD R1 have been found. Also, the MFP100 is in a waiting state, waiting for WFD connection requests in R2 mode. As shown in Figure 8(c), a separate "Connect" button is provided on the screen for each discovered device. In this case, we will explain the process when the "Connect" button in Figure 8(c) is pressed.

[0142] In S1201, the CPU212 obtains information about the operating mode of the MFP100. Specifically, for example, if the MFP100 is in R1 mode and waiting for WFD connection requests, information indicating R1 mode is obtained as the operating mode information of the MFP100. Also, if the MFP100 is in R2 mode and waiting for WFD connection requests, information indicating R2 mode is obtained as the operating mode information of the MFP100.

[0143] In S1202, the CPU212 obtains information about the operating mode of the device corresponding to the "Connect" button pressed by the user. Specifically, for example, if the device is found by searching for surrounding WFD-compatible devices in R1 mode, information indicating R1 mode is obtained as the operating mode information of that device. Also, for example, if the device is found by searching for surrounding WFD-compatible devices in R2 mode, information indicating R2 mode is obtained as the operating mode information of that device.

[0144] In S1203, the CPU212 determines, based on the operating mode information obtained in S1201 and S1202, whether the operating mode of the MFP100 matches the operating mode of the device corresponding to the "Connect" button. If they match, the process proceeds to S1205. If they do not match, the process proceeds to S1204.

[0145] In S1204, the CPU 212 controls the wireless unit 226 to change the operating mode of the MFP 100 to the operating mode of the device corresponding to the "Connect" button. Specifically, for example, if the "Connect" button corresponding to "abc" in Figure 8(c) is pressed, the CPU 212 controls the wireless unit 226 to switch the operating mode of the MFP 100 from R2 mode to R1 mode.

[0146] In S1205, CPU212 displays a screen indicating that it is connecting to an external device and sends a connection request. Specifically, for example, CPU212 displays the screen shown in Figure 8(h) and sends a connection request.

[0147] The connection request sent in S1205 to a device that supports WFD R1 is different from the ProbeRequest frame. In S1205, the CPU212 executes the GO Negotiation in S603 (Figure 6) as a connection request based on the discovery result information, which includes the information of the ProbeResponse frame saved during device discovery. Then, a WFD connection in R1 mode is established through the sequence in Figure 6. Thus, in S1205, the connection procedure is executed starting with the GO Negotiation in S603, but if time has passed from the device discovery to the user pressing the "Connect" button, the information in the ProbeResponse frame may not be valid. In that case, the ProbeRequest frame in S601 (Figure 6) may be sent again as a connection request, and the GO Negotiation may be executed after receiving the ProbeResponse frame from the WFD R1-supporting device selected by the user.

[0148] On the other hand, the connection request sent in S1205 to a device that supports WFD R2 is different from the ServiceDiscovery request frame. In S1205, the CPU 212 sends the BootsstrappingRequest frame in S703 (Figure 7) as a connection request based on the discovery result information, which includes the ServiceDiscovery frame information saved during device discovery. Then, a WFD connection in R2 mode is established through the sequence in Figure 7. Thus, in S1205, the connection procedure is executed starting with the BootsstrappingRequest in S703, but if time has passed from the device discovery to the user pressing the "Connect" button, the information in the ServiceDiscovery response frame may not be valid. In that case, the ServiceDiscovery request frame in S701 (Figure 7) may be sent again as a connection request, and a ServiceDiscovery response frame may be received from the WFD R2-supporting device selected by the user. Then, based on the received ServiceDiscovery response frame, it may be confirmed that it is the device selected by the user, and the BootsstrappingRequest frame in S703 may be sent.

[0149] In S1206, the CPU 212 determines whether a WFD connection has been established between the MFP 100 and the device selected by the user. If it is determined that a WFD connection has been established, the process proceeds to S1207, where the CPU 212 displays a screen indicating that the WFD connection has been established. Specifically, for example, the screen shown in Figure 8(i) is displayed. After S1207, the process shown in Figure 12 is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined that a WFD connection has not been established, the process proceeds to S1208, where the CPU 212 displays a screen (not shown) indicating that the WFD connection was not established, and then the process shown in Figure 12 is terminated.

[0150] As described above, according to this embodiment, even when devices supporting WFD R1 and devices supporting WFD R2 are mixed around the MFP100, the possibility of connecting to the device desired by the user can be improved.

[0151] In this embodiment, the various controls described above, which are performed by the CPU 212, may be performed by a single piece of hardware, or multiple pieces of hardware (for example, multiple processors or circuits) may share the processing to control the entire device.

[0152] Furthermore, 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 that do not depart from the spirit of the invention are also included in the present invention. Moreover, each of the embodiments described above is merely one embodiment of the present invention, and it is possible to combine each embodiment as appropriate.

[0153] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiments used the application of the present invention to an MFP as an example, this is not limited to this example and can be applied to any wireless device capable of P2P (WLAN) communication based on WFD. In other words, the present invention can be applied to personal computers, PDAs, tablet terminals, 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 that can connect to USB terminals or LAN cable terminals. Video output devices include, for example, devices such as set-top boxes, which acquire (download) videos and still images from the internet specified by a URL instructed by an electronic device and output them to a display device connected via a video output terminal such as HDMI®. This enables streaming playback on the display device or mirroring display (displaying the content displayed on the electronic device on the display device as well). Furthermore, video output devices include media players such as televisions, hard disk recorders, Blu-ray recorders, and DVD recorders, as well as head-mounted displays, projectors, televisions, display devices (monitors), and signage devices. The present invention is also applicable to Wi-Fi-connected devices known as smart home appliances, such as air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, ovens, microwave ovens, lighting fixtures, heating appliances, and cooling appliances.

[0154] The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and by having one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0155] This embodiment includes electronic equipment, control methods, and programs. (Item 1) An electronic device capable of communicating with external devices, A communication means that performs wireless communication between the electronic device and the external device without using an external access point that is different from the electronic device and different from the external device, A designation means for receiving a designation of the operating mode of the wireless communication performed by the communication means, Control means for controlling the communication means to perform the wireless communication in the operating mode specified by the designation means, An electronic device characterized by having the following features. (Item 2) The control means further controls the communication means to perform the search using the selected operating mode on a selection screen that accepts the selection of the operating mode for performing the search for the external device. A list screen is displayed showing the information of the searched device and its corresponding operating mode. The electronic device described in item 1, characterized by the features described herein. (Item 3) The designation means accepts the selection of the device information on the list screen as the designation of the operating mode. The electronic device described in item 2, characterized by the features described herein. (Item 4) The designation means accepts the selection of the operation mode on the selection screen as the designation of the operation mode. The electronic device described in item 2, characterized by the features described herein. (Item 5) The electronic device according to any one of items 2 to 4, characterized in that, when the selection screen accepts the selection of a first operating mode corresponding to the first method as the operating mode, the control means controls the communication means to perform the search using the first operating mode. (Item 6) The electronic device according to item 5, characterized in that, when a search is performed in the first operating mode, the control means controls the communication means to wait for a connection request from the external device in the first operating mode. (Item 7) The electronic device according to item 6, characterized in that the list screen displays that the electronic device is in a state where it is waiting for a connection request from the external device in the first operating mode. (Item 8) The electronic device according to any one of items 5 to 7, characterized in that, when the selection screen accepts the selection of a second operating mode corresponding to a second method different from the first method as the operating mode, the control means controls the communication means to perform the search using the second operating mode. (Item 9) The electronic device according to item 8, characterized in that, when a search is performed in the second operating mode, the control means controls the communication means to wait for connection requests from external devices in the second operating mode. (Item 10) The electronic device according to item 9, characterized in that the list screen displays that the electronic device is in a state where it is waiting for a connection request from the external device in the second operating mode. (Item 11) The electronic device according to any one of items 8 to 10, characterized in that, when the selection screen accepts the selection of both the first operating mode and the second operating mode, the control means performs a search using the first operating mode and a search using the second operating mode. (Item 12) The electronic device according to item 11, characterized in that, when the search by the first operating mode and the search by the second operating mode are performed, the control means controls the communication means to wait for a connection request from the external device in the second operating mode. (Item 13) The electronic device according to item 12, characterized in that the list screen displays that the electronic device is in a state where it is waiting for a connection request from the external device in the second operating mode. (Item 14) The electronic device according to item 12 or 13, characterized in that when information of a device searched by the first operating mode is selected in the list screen, the control means controls the communication means to switch the operating mode from the second operating mode to the first operating mode. (Item 15) The electronic device according to any one of items 8 to 14, characterized in that the second operating mode is a mode with higher security than the first operating mode. (Item 16) The electronic device according to item 15, characterized in that the first operating mode is Wi-Fi Direct R1 and the second operating mode is Wi-Fi Direct R2. (Item 17) The electronic device described in any one of items 2 to 16, characterized in that the information of the searched device includes an SSID (Service Set Identifier). (Item 18) The electronic device described in item 17, characterized in that the information of the searched device includes radio wave intensity. (Item 19) The information of the searched devices includes radio wave intensity, The electronic device according to item 12, characterized in that the second operating mode is the operating mode corresponding to the device with the highest radio wave intensity among the devices that have been searched. (Item 20) The electronic device described in any one of items 1 to 19 is a printer. (Item 21) A control method performed in an electronic device capable of communicating with external devices, A communication process that performs wireless communication between the electronic device and the external device without using an external access point that is different from the electronic device and different from the external device, A designation step that accepts the designation of the operating mode of the wireless communication to be performed in the communication step, A control step controls the communication step to perform the wireless communication using the operating mode specified in the designated step, A control method characterized by having the following features. (Item 22) A program for causing a computer to function as one of the means of electronic equipment described in any one of items 1 through 20.

[0156] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, claims are attached to disclose the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0157] 100 MFP: 101 AP: 103 DHCP Server: 104 Mobile Terminal Device: 105 DNS Server: 212 CPU: 213 ROM: 214 RAM

Claims

1. An electronic device capable of communicating with external devices, A communication means that performs wireless communication between the electronic device and the external device without using an external access point that is different from the electronic device and different from the external device, A designation means for receiving a designation of the operating mode of the wireless communication performed by the communication means, Control means for controlling the communication means to perform the wireless communication in the operating mode specified by the designation means, An electronic device characterized by having the following features.

2. The control means further controls the communication means to perform the search using the selected operating mode on a selection screen that accepts the selection of the operating mode for performing the search for the external device. A list screen is displayed showing the information of the searched device and its corresponding operating mode. The electronic device according to feature 1.

3. The designation means accepts the selection of the device information on the list screen as the designation of the operating mode. The electronic device according to feature 2.

4. The designation means accepts the selection of the operation mode on the selection screen as the designation of the operation mode. The electronic device according to feature 2.

5. The electronic device according to claim 2, characterized in that, when the selection screen accepts the selection of a first operating mode corresponding to the first method as the aforementioned operating mode, the control means controls the communication means to perform the search using the first operating mode.

6. The electronic device according to claim 5, characterized in that, when a search is performed according to the first operating mode, the control means controls the communication means to wait for a connection request from the external device according to the first operating mode.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6, characterized in that the list screen displays that the electronic device is in a state where it is waiting for a connection request from the external device in the first operating mode.

8. The electronic device according to claim 5, wherein, when the selection screen accepts the selection of a second operating mode corresponding to a second method different from the first method as the operating mode, the control means controls the communication means to perform the search using the second operating mode.

9. The electronic device according to claim 8, characterized in that, when a search is performed according to the second operating mode, the control means controls the communication means to wait for connection requests from external devices according to the second operating mode.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9, characterized in that the list screen displays that the electronic device is in a state where it is waiting for a connection request from the external device in the second operating mode.

11. The electronic device according to claim 8, characterized in that, when the selection screen accepts the selection of both the first operation mode and the second operation mode, the control means performs a search using the first operation mode and a search using the second operation mode.

12. The electronic device according to claim 11, characterized in that, when the search by the first operating mode and the search by the second operating mode are performed, the control means controls the communication means to wait for a connection request from the external device in the second operating mode.

13. The electronic device according to claim 12, characterized in that the list screen displays that the electronic device is in a state where it is waiting for a connection request from the external device in the second operating mode.

14. The electronic device according to claim 12, characterized in that when information of a device searched by the first operating mode is selected in the list screen, the control means controls the communication means to switch the operating mode from the second operating mode to the first operating mode.

15. The electronic device according to claim 8, characterized in that the second operating mode is a mode with higher security than the first operating mode.

16. The electronic device according to claim 15, characterized in that the first operating mode is Wi-Fi Direct R1 and the second operating mode is Wi-Fi Direct R2.

17. The electronic device according to claim 2, characterized in that the information of the searched device includes an SSID (Service Set Identifier).

18. The electronic device according to claim 17, characterized in that the information of the searched device includes radio wave intensity.

19. The information of the searched devices includes radio wave intensity, The electronic device according to claim 12, characterized in that the second operating mode is the operating mode corresponding to the device with the highest radio wave intensity among the devices that have been searched.

20. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that the electronic device is a printer.

21. A control method performed in an electronic device capable of communicating with external devices, A communication process that performs wireless communication between the electronic device and the external device without using an external access point that is different from the electronic device and different from the external device, A designation step that accepts the designation of the operating mode of the wireless communication to be performed in the communication step, A control step controls the communication step to perform the wireless communication using the operating mode specified in the designated step, A control method characterized by having the following features.

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

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