Communication device, its control method, program and storage medium

Abstract

This provides a mechanism for more effectively understanding the status of multi-AP communication. [Means for solving the problem] A connection method for connecting to multiple access points, A communication means for transmitting or receiving data via the aforementioned multiple access points, The system includes a display control means that controls the display means to display the connection status with each of the multiple first number of access points included in the plurality of access points using the first number of icons. It is characterized by the following:

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication device capable of using wireless communication compliant with IEEE802.11, a control method thereof, a program, and a storage medium.

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 IEEE802.11 standard series is known. The IEEE802.11 standard series includes standards such as IEEE802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax / be.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a communication device compatible with IEEE802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax.

[0004] In addition, a mechanism for Multi-AP communication in which a plurality of APs cooperate to transmit data to a STA has been studied.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] In Multi-AP communication, there is room for improvement in suitable communication and user usability.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism for more suitably performing Multi-AP communication. Specifically, an object is to provide a mechanism for more suitably grasping the situation of Multi-AP communication.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] To solve the above problems, according to one aspect of the present invention, a connection means for connecting to multiple access points, A communication means for transmitting or receiving data via the aforementioned multiple access points, The system includes a display control means that controls the display means to display the connection status with each of the multiple first number of access points included in the plurality of access points using the first number of icons. A communication device characterized by the above is provided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it becomes possible to more effectively grasp the status of Multi-AP communication. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is an example of a wireless communication system configuration. [Figure 2] This is an example configuration of the MFP100. [Figure 3] This is an example of the display on the MFP100. [Figure 4] This is an example of the configuration of the mobile terminal device 101. [Figure 5] This is an example of an access point (AP) configuration. [Figure 6] This is a sequence diagram illustrating the processing between the STA (MFP100) and the access point in relation to multi-AP communication. [Figure 7] This diagram shows the display patterns of icons based on signal strength. [Figure 8] This is an example of the communication status display on the MFP100. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart explaining the AP icon display process in MFP100. [Figure 10] This is an example of the AP icon display on the MFP100. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

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

[0012] (System Configuration) Figure 1 shows an example of the system configuration according to this embodiment. In one example, this system is a wireless communication system in which multiple communication devices can communicate with each other wirelessly. The system in Figure 1 includes an MFP 100 which is a communication device, a mobile terminal device 101, a multi-AP group 110 which includes multiple access points (APs), a DHCP server 114, a DNS server 115, and a network 120. The multi-AP group 110 is described as including AP111, AP112, and AP113, but the multi-AP group 110 may include more APs.

[0013] The mobile terminal device 101 is a device that has wireless communication capabilities such as wireless LAN. In the following, wireless LAN may be referred to as WLAN. The mobile terminal device 101 may be a personal information terminal such as a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a mobile phone terminal (smartphone), a tablet terminal, a digital camera, a personal computer, etc.

[0014] The MFP100 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 MFP100 of the present embodiment has a communication function capable of wireless communication with the mobile terminal device 101. In the present embodiment, the case where the MFP100 is used as an example will be 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 television, a smart speaker, etc., each having a communication function, may be used instead of the MFP100. Note that MFP is an acronym for Multi-Function Peripheral (multifunctional peripheral device).

[0015] The AP111 is provided separately (externally) from the mobile terminal device 101 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 the AP111. Also, the infrastructure mode may be called the "wireless infrastructure mode". The AP111 performs wireless communication with a communication device that has permitted (authenticated) connection to the self-device, and relays wireless communication between that communication device and other communication devices. Also, the AP111 is connected to, for example, a wired communication network, and can relay communication between a communication device connected to the wired communication network and other communication devices wirelessly connected to the AP111.

[0016] The AP112 and AP113 have the same hardware configuration as the AP111. Also, the AP111, AP112, and AP113 are APs corresponding to Multi-AP communication to be described later, and form a group (multi-AP group 110) to cooperate.

[0017] The DHCP server 114 is connected to the MFP 100 via the AP 111 and the network 120, and provides services to the MFP 100 by responding to requests from the MFP 100. In FIG. 1, the DHCP server 114 is described as being connected as a device separate from the APs 111, 112, and 113, but the APs 111, 112, and 113 may have a DHCP server function.

[0018] The DNS server 115 is connected to the MFP 100 and the mobile terminal device 101 via the AP 111 and the network 120, and provides name resolution services by responding to requests from the MFP 100 and the mobile terminal device 101. Here, the network 120 may be the so-called Internet, or may be a closed network within a company or a mobile phone network.

[0019] (Appearance Configuration of MFP) FIG. 2(a) shows an example of the external appearance configuration of the MFP 100. The MFP 100 has, for example, a document table 201, a document cover 202, a printing paper insertion slot 203, a printing paper discharge port 204, and an operation display unit 220. The document table 201 is a table on which a document to be read is placed. The document cover 202 is a cover for pressing the document placed on the document table 201 and preventing light from a light source that irradiates the document during reading (scanning) from leaking outside. The printing paper insertion slot 203 is an insertion slot into which papers of various sizes can be set. The printing paper discharge port 204 is a discharge port for discharging the printed paper. The paper set in the printing paper insertion slot 203 is conveyed one by one to the printing unit, and after printing is performed in the printing unit, it is discharged from the printing paper discharge port 204. The operation display unit 220 includes a touch panel display and is configured to be able to accept activation of various functions as an MFP by the user and operations for various settings. Further, the operation display unit 220 may include physical operation keys such as a character input key, a cursor key, a determination key, a cancellation key, etc., and an LED, an LCD, etc. The MFP100 has a wireless communication function via WLAN and does not necessarily need to be visible from the outside, but it is configured to include a wireless communication antenna 206 for that wireless communication. Like the mobile terminal device 101, the MFP100 can perform wireless communication via WLAN.

[0020] (MFP configuration) Figure 2(b) shows an example configuration of the MFP100. The MFP100 includes a main board 211 that performs the main control of the device itself, and a wireless unit 250 which is a communication module that performs WLAN communication using at least one antenna. The MFP100 may also be configured to include, for example, a wired LAN unit for wired LAN communication. The main board 211 includes, 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. The main board 211 and the wireless unit 250 are connected, for example, via a dedicated bus 225.

[0021] 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 is a non-volatile memory that stores control programs and embedded OS programs executed by the CPU 212. In this embodiment, the CPU 212 loads each control program stored in the ROM 213 into the RAM 214 and executes them under the management of the embedded OS stored in the ROM 213, thereby performing software control such as scheduling and task switching.

[0022] RAM214 is a volatile memory 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 250 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.

[0023] The reading control unit 217 controls the reading unit 219 (for example, a CIS (contact image sensor)) to optically read (scan) the document placed on the document glass 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.

[0024] The operation display unit 220 includes a touch panel display that displays images based on display control by the CPU 212, and performs functions such as generating signals in response to user input on the touch panel display or physical operation keys.

[0025] 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.

[0026] 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.

[0027] 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.

[0028] The wireless unit 250 is a unit capable of providing WLAN communication functionality, and can provide similar functionality to, for example, the wireless unit 401 of the mobile terminal device 101. That is, the wireless unit 250 converts data into packets according to the WLAN standard and transmits the packets to other devices, and also restores packets from external devices back to their original data and outputs it to the CPU 212.

[0029] The wireless unit 250 is capable of communication as a Station (hereinafter referred to as STA) or Access Point (AP) compliant with the IEEE 802.11 standard series. Specifically, it is capable of communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax / be / bn standards. The wireless unit 250 includes at least one processor and at least one memory that stores programs.

[0030] The communication control unit 240 is a unit that controls the communication functions of the MFP 100 and controls the wireless unit 250. The processing of the communication control unit 240 is realized by the CPU 212 executing a control program stored in the ROM 213. The communication control unit 240 and the wireless unit 250 are interconnected, for example, via the system bus 230 and a dedicated bus 225.

[0031] (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.

[0032] Figure 3(a) shows an example of the home screen displayed when the MFP100 is powered on but not performing any operations such as printing or scanning (idle state, standby state). The area 310 at the top of the home screen is the basic menu area, where menu items selected when issuing copy or scan commands are displayed. In Figure 3(a), area 310 displays a list of icons 311 to 313, which correspond to copy, scan, and print, respectively, as basic menu items (display items). When each basic menu item is selected, a detailed menu corresponding to it is displayed, and the MFP100 can be instructed to perform the operation / function (copy or scan) corresponding to the selected menu item. By displaying other pages of the basic menu (such as sliding left or right on area 310), different menu items from icons 311 to 313 can be displayed in area 310. For example, an icon corresponding to the cloud can be displayed. The cloud is a menu item related to cloud functions that utilize internet communication.

[0033] The network display area 320 is an area that displays icons indicating the network status. In the example shown, three icons, 321, 322, and 323, are displayed. In the example shown, the network display area 320 displays icons indicating the connection status with each AP (Coordinated AP) in a multi-AP group in the wireless infrastructure. Furthermore, by touching the network display area 320, a more detailed screen showing the communication status in the multi-AP group can be displayed.

[0034] Icon 324 is the operation icon selected when changing settings or performing maintenance on the MFP100.

[0035] Icon 325 is an icon that displays information about the MFP100 device, allowing you to check error information corresponding to the device's error status, troubleshooting methods, and device-specific information.

[0036] Figure 3(b) shows an example of the screen display when the communication settings menu is selected from the settings menu that appears when icon 324 is touched on the home screen of Figure 3(a). The communication settings menu screen displays the following menu items (options): "Wireless LAN", "Wired LAN", "Wireless Direct", "Bluetooth", and "Common". "Wireless LAN", "Wired LAN", and "Wireless Direct" are menu items for LAN settings, and from these items you can configure settings such as wired connection settings, enabling / disabling wireless infrastructure mode, and enabling / disabling P2P modes such as WFD and soft AP mode.

[0037] Figure 3(c) shows an example of the wireless LAN settings menu screen displayed when the "Wireless LAN" option is selected in the screen shown in Figure 3(d). The wireless LAN settings menu screen displays the following menu items (options): "Enable / Disable Wireless LAN," "Wireless LAN Setup," and "Display Wireless LAN Settings." Selecting the "Enable / Disable Wireless LAN" option switches the setting of enabling or disabling the wireless infrastructure mode. Selecting the "Wireless LAN Setup" option displays the wireless LAN setup menu shown in Figure 3(d). Selecting "Display Wireless LAN Settings" displays a detailed screen (wireless LAN settings display screen) that shows details such as the current wireless LAN settings and communication status.

[0038] Figure 3(d) shows an example of the wireless LAN setup menu screen displayed when the "Wireless LAN Setup" option is selected in the screen shown in Figure 3(c). The wireless LAN setup menu screen displays the following menu items (options): "Set up with PC / smartphone," "Set up by entering a password," and "Set up using the router buttons." From these items, you can perform wireless LAN setup using the network setup mode described later, the password entry method, or the push-button method.

[0039] (External configuration of a mobile terminal device) Figure 4(a) shows an example of the external configuration of the mobile terminal device 101. In this embodiment, as an example, the case where the mobile terminal device 101 is a general-purpose smartphone is shown. The mobile terminal device 101 is composed of, for example, a display unit 420, an operation unit 418, and a power key 404. The display unit 420 is a display that includes a display mechanism such as an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) type or an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) type. The display unit 420 may also display information using, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode). In addition to or instead of the display unit 420, the mobile terminal device 101 may also have a function to output information by voice. The operation unit 418 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 420 and the reception of user operations by the operation unit 418 are performed using a common touch panel display, the display unit 420 and the operation unit 418 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 420, and the operation reception function of the operation unit 418 detects when the user touches these areas. Alternatively, the display unit 420 and the operation unit 418 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 101 on or off.

[0040] The mobile terminal device 101 does not necessarily need to be visible from its external appearance, but it has a wireless unit 401 that provides WLAN communication functionality. The wireless 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 / be / bn). However, it is not limited to this, and the wireless unit 401 may be able to perform communication in a WLAN system compliant with other standards. In this example, the wireless unit 401 is assumed to be able to communicate in both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands. However, it is not limited to this, and the wireless unit 401 may be able to communicate in one or more frequency bands including the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands. Furthermore, the wireless unit 401 is assumed to be able to perform WFD-based communication, soft AP mode communication, wireless infrastructure mode communication, etc. The operation of these modes will be described later.

[0041] (Configuration of mobile terminal devices) Figure 4(b) shows an example of the configuration of the mobile terminal device 101. In one example, the mobile terminal device 101 has a main board 411 that performs the main control of the device itself, and a wireless 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 101 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 wireless unit 429 (the aforementioned wireless unit 401) are connected, for example, via a dedicated bus 426.

[0042] The CPU 412 is a system control unit including at least one processor, and controls the entire mobile terminal device 101. In one example, the processing of the mobile terminal device 101 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.

[0043] 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 101. 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 wireless 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 101 is turned off. Note that the memory configuration of the mobile terminal device 101 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.

[0044] 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 101.

[0045] 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 performs control to realize other 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 is enabled.

[0046] The display unit 420, based on the control of the CPU 412, performs various input operations and displays the operating status and status of the MFP 100. The operation unit 418 receives user operations and performs control such as generating electrical signals corresponding to those operations and outputting them to the CPU 412.

[0047] The mobile terminal device 101 performs wireless communication using the wireless unit 429 to communicate data with other devices such as the MFP 100. The wireless unit 429 converts data into packets and transmits them to other devices. The wireless unit 429 also restores packets from external devices back to their original data and outputs it to the CPU 412. The wireless unit 429 is a unit that enables communication compliant with WLAN standards. The wireless unit 429 can operate in parallel in at least two communication modes, including wireless infrastructure mode and P2P (WLAN) mode. The frequency bands used in these communication modes may be limited by the hardware functions and performance.

[0048] (Access point configuration) Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of AP1(101), which has wireless LAN access point functionality. It consists of a main board 510 that controls AP1(101), a wireless LAN unit 516, a wired LAN unit 518, and operation buttons 520.

[0049] The microprocessor-type CPU 511 located on the main board 510 operates according to the control program stored in the ROM-type program memory 513, which is connected via the internal bus 512, and the contents of the RAM-type data memory 514. The CPU 511 controls the wireless LAN unit 516 through the wireless LAN communication control unit 515 to perform wireless LAN communication with other communication terminal devices. Specifically, the wireless LAN unit 616 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 / be / bn) as wireless LAN communication. It is also capable of communication as an AP compatible with Multi-AP communication, which will be described later. However, it is not limited to this, and the wireless unit 616 may also be capable of performing communication in WLAN systems compliant with other standards. In this example, the wireless unit 616 is assumed to be capable of communication in the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz frequency bands. However, the wireless unit 616 may be capable of communicating in one or more frequency bands, including the 2.4GHz band, the 5GHz band, and the 6GHz band.

[0050] Furthermore, the CPU 511 controls the wired LAN unit 518 through the wired LAN communication control unit 517 to perform wired LAN communication with other communication terminal devices. The CPU 511 can accept user operations via the operation buttons 520 by controlling the operation control unit control unit 519. The CPU 511 includes at least one processor.

[0051] Furthermore, AP1(101) 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, etc.

[0052] AP112 and AP113 have the same configuration as AP111.

[0053] (P2P communication method) Next, we will outline the P2P (WLAN) communication method, which allows devices to communicate directly wirelessly with each other without the need for an external access point. P2P (WLAN) communication can be implemented using multiple methods; for example, a communication device can support multiple modes for P2P (WLAN) communication and selectively use one of these modes to perform P2P communication (WLAN).

[0054] Two P2P modes are assumed: • 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.

[0055] A communication device with WFD communication capabilities (for example, a mobile terminal device 104) receives user input via its control panel, thereby calling a (possibly dedicated) application to implement its communication functionality. The communication device then displays a UI (user interface) screen provided by the application to prompt user input, and can perform WFD communication based on the received user input.

[0056] ● Soft AP mode In soft AP mode, the communication device (e.g., mobile terminal device 104) acts as a client requesting various services. The other communication device (e.g., MFP100) operates 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 are 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 which frequency band to use from 5GHz and 2.4GHz, and which frequency channel to use within that frequency band.

[0057] ●WFD mode 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 to determine the role is unnecessary. Also, in this case, the MFP100 determines the frequency band and frequency channel as the master station. Therefore, the MFP100 can select which frequency band to use, 5GHz or 2.4GHz, and which frequency channel to use within that frequency band.

[0058] (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, AP1(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 AP1(101), send connection requests to AP1(101), and connect, communication between these communication devices in wireless infrastructure mode via AP1(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, AP1(101) determines the frequency band and frequency channel. Therefore, AP1(101) can select which frequency band to use from 5GHz, 2.4GHz, and 6GHz, and which frequency channel to use within that frequency band.

[0059] (Multi-AP News) The IEEE 802.11be standard specifies multi-link communication, in which a single access point (AP) establishes multiple links with a single station (STA) via multiple different frequency channels and communicates in parallel.

[0060] Furthermore, the IEEE 802.11bn standard, the successor to the IEEE 802.11be standard, is exploring methods to improve usability using Multi-AP communication.

[0061] For example, distributed MIMO technology is based on a technique called MIMO (multi-user multi-output), which uses multiple transmitting and receiving antennas simultaneously on the same channel. In distributed MIMO, in an environment with multiple access points (APs) and multiple service stations (STAs), APs form groups to share information about communication status and the status of each AP, and data is sent to the STA in parallel from multiple APs at the same time. Because multiple APs perform joint transmission, the number of spatial streams can be increased compared to the case of a single AP, and thus an improvement in throughput can be expected.

[0062] Another example is a technology that improves reception quality at the STA by utilizing the effects of time diversity and spatial diversity, through which multiple APs transmit data to the STA at different times using time-division multiplexing.

[0063] This type of communication technology, in which multiple access points (APs) form a group and operate in a coordinated manner, is called Multi-AP communication. APs are classified into a single Coordinator AP that manages all APs and Coordinated APs that operate under the management of the Coordinator AP.

[0064] In the following, in Multi-AP communication, the AP that manages the other APs will be referred to as the "Coordinator AP" or "Sharing AP". APs operating under the management of the Coordinator AP will be referred to as the "Coordinated AP" or "Shared AP". The Coordinator AP and the Coordinated AP can send and receive signals from each other. Furthermore, each of the multiple APs, including AP111 to AP113, may be connected wirelessly and perform wireless LAN communication, or connected via a wired connection and perform wired LAN communication. It is assumed that AP111 to AP113 are capable of Multi-AP communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standards and support a configuration in which multiple APs cooperate to communicate with a common STA.

[0065] There are two types of multi-AP communication methods: Co-OFDMA and Joint-TX. In Co-OFDMA (Coordinated-Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access), the available frequency resources are separated among multiple BSSs (Basic Service Sets). For example, the frequency resources used by AP112 and MFP100(STA) are separated from those used by AP113 and MFP100(STA) so as not to overlap. This prevents interference between BSS communications. If an STA has the capability to transmit and receive simultaneously on multiple frequency bands (multiple resource units within the same channel or spanning different channels, multiple channels, or multiple of the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands), multiple APs can cooperate to transmit and receive data on the same STA. Data includes content data such as image data, audio data, document data, and print data. In this case, for example, it is possible to send packet 1 of content A from AP112 to MFP100(STA) and send packet 2 of content A from AP113 to MFP100(STA) in parallel.

[0066] In the Joint-TX (Joint-Transmission) method, the same signal is transmitted and received between multiple access points (APs) and one station (STA). The system controls the reception of a multiplexed wave (superimposed wave, multiplexed wave, composite wave) created by combining the radio waves emitted from multiple APs in a way that is amplified by wave interference. This ensures that the STA receives a stronger signal (amplified signal) than a signal from a single AP alone. For example, the same signal is transmitted and received between AP112 and MFP100(STA), and between AP113 and MFP100(STA), with the signal being multiplexed and amplified at the MFP100(STA) location. For instance, at the same time, AP112 sends packet 1 of content A to MFP100(STA), and AP113 sends packet 1 of content A to MFP100(STA). The content A radio waves are transmitted in a way that multiplexes at the MFP100(STA) location. This improves the reliability (connectivity) of communication between the STA and APs, as well as the speed of data transmission and reception.

[0067] Figure 6 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a process in which AP111 operates as a Coordinator AP, and Coordinated APs AP112 and AP113 cooperate to send and receive data to and from the MFP100(STA). 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.

[0068] In S601, AP111 to AP113 perform Multi-AP setup processing. During Multi-AP setup processing, capability information and parameters are exchanged between APs, and a group is formed for Multi-AP communication.

[0069] In S602, Multi-AP coordination processing is performed between AP111 and AP113. For example, the Multi-AP communication method is determined, the AP roles (Coordinator AP or Coordinated AP) are determined, and parameters and network information are exchanged between APs. The Multi-AP communication method and AP roles are determined by exchanging and comparing parameters between AP111 and AP113. At that time, the Coordinator AP (AP111) notifies the Coordinated APs (AP112 and AP113) of network information that should be used in common (such as the SSID to be used in common and the BSSID (Basic Service Set color ID) to be used in common). Note that the BSSID to be used in common is notified in the case of Joint-TX.

[0070] In S603, AP112 and AP113 transmit Beacon frames (information that APs spontaneously transmit periodically) according to the network information notified in S602. The Beacon frame contains information indicating that Multi-AP communication is possible with the connected STA and information indicating the Multi-AP communication method. APs that support Multi-AP communication may also transmit a Multi-AP IE (Information Element) within the Beacon frame. The Multi-AP IE contains at least one of the following pieces of information (one or more of the following pieces of information).

[0071] • The SSID used by multiple Coordinated APs belonging to the same multi-AP group (the ESSID to be used in common, as notified by S602) • BSSID (In the case of Joint-TX, the BSSID notified by S602 should be used in common by APs belonging to multi-AP group 110) • BSS color value (identifier) ​​for Multi-AP communication • Operating wireless channel (If using the Joint-TX method, this is the communication channel that should be used in common. If using the Co-OFDMA method, this is the communication channel and / or resource unit used by the source AP. In the case of the Co-OFDMA method, this may also include the communication channels and / or resource units used by other APs within the multi-AP group 110).

[0072] • Multi-AP communication method (information that identifies whether it is Co-OFDMA or Joint-TX) The storage method and structure of this information are not limited to these, and similar information may be stored and transmitted in a similar format. Note that Multi-AP IE may have a different name, such as Multi-AP Element. Furthermore, Multi-AP IE may be included in wireless frames such as the S605 Probe Response frame or other Action frames.

[0073] In S604, the MFP100(STA) begins establishing a connection with the AP using wireless infrastructure mode. The MFP100(STA) sends a ProbeRequest frame to begin searching for the AP in order to determine whether the AP supports Multi-AP communication.

[0074] In S605, the MFP100(STA) searches for and discovers APs by receiving ProbeResponse frames and Beacon frames transmitted from APs, which are responses to AP searches.

[0075] In S606, MFP100(STA) performs connection processing with at least one CoordinatedAP based on the information contained in the frame received in S605. Here, as an example, MFP100(STA) sends a connection request to AP112 and performs a connection attempt (connection processing). This connection processing includes processes such as Authentication and Association as defined in IEEE802.11. MFP100(STA) may also add Multi-AP IE to the Association Request frame it sends to indicate that it is requesting Multi-AP communication. Upon receiving the Association Request frame, AP112 sends an Association Response frame in response. This establishes a wireless LAN connection between MFP100(STA) and AP112.

[0076] In S607, when AP112 establishes a connection with MFP100(STA), it notifies CoordinatorAP(AP111) of information indicating that it has established a connection with MFP100(STA), along with connection parameters related to the connected MFP100(STA). The connection parameters related to the connected MFP100(STA) include information used or generated during the connection process between AP112 and MFP100 (such as PMK cache, roaming information, authentication information, etc.), and the STA identifier. Similarly, when AP113 connects with MFP100(STA), AP113 also notifies CoordinatorAP(AP111) that it has established a connection.

[0077] After S607, AP111 transmits the connection parameters for MFP100(STA) transmitted in S607 to AP113. AP113 may use the transmitted connection parameters for MFP100(STA) to establish a connection with MFP100. However, in the Joint-TX method, data can be transmitted from APs that have not established a connection. In other words, APs that have not established a connection can also be sources of multiplexed radio waves. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform the process of establishing a connection between AP113 and MFP100.

[0078] In S608, the CoordinatorAP (AP111) determines the transmission parameters (information necessary for determining the transmission timing and transmission power for each CoordinatedAP and each antenna, and / or resource unit allocation information, etc.) based on the connection parameters (parameters received in S607) of the CoordinatedAP that has connected to the MFP100 (STA), and then allocates the transmission data. The determined transmission parameter information is notified to each CoordinatedAP via a Multi-AP Trigger frame. AP112 and AP113 set their own transmission parameters (transmission timing, transmission power, and resource units to be used) based on the notified information. Note that the Multi-AP Trigger frame may have a different name. Also, the Multi-AP Trigger frame may be an extension of the Trigger frame of the IEEE802.11ax / be standard.

[0079] In S609, the CoordinatorAP (AP111) sends data to be sent to the MFP100 (STA) (for example, content data such as image data, document data, and print data) to the CoordinatedAP.

[0080] In S610, when the Coordinated APs (AP112, 113) receive data to be transmitted from the Coordinator AP (AP111), they coordinately transmit that data to the MFP100. Also, when the Coordinated APs (AP112, AP113) receive data from the MFP100 (STA), they transmit that received data to the Coordinator AP (AP111). Note that this order of data transmission and reception is just an example; for example, data reception from the STA may occur before data transmission to the STA.

[0081] Furthermore, the CoordinatorAP may directly transmit and receive signals with the STA. For example, AP111 may operate as both a CoordinatorAP and a CoordinatedAP. In this case, for example, AP111 may transmit and receive wireless frames between itself and the STA while issuing instructions to AP112 or AP113 to transmit and receive wireless frames between AP112 or AP113 and the STA. The CoordinatorAP may also transmit data to be transmitted to the CoordinatedAP when it causes the CoordinatedAP to transmit wireless frames. However, it is not limited to this, and the CoordinatedAP may also obtain data to be transmitted directly from, for example, the Internet. In addition, the CoordinatorAP may receive data received by the CoordinatedAP from the STA, but the CoordinatedAP may also forward the data received from the STA to the STA's partner device instead of forwarding it to the CoordinatorAP.

[0082] Furthermore, any AP within the same network can operate as a Coordinator AP, and it may be determined by some criteria that one of the APs will operate as a Coordinator AP. The Coordinator AP does not necessarily operate as an AP that transmits Beacon frames, but may only perform the Coordinator AP's role, such as sending instructions to other APs. Also, each AP may operate as multiple Coordinated APs by having multiple wireless LAN communication control units 515. Additionally, the Coordinator AP may be implemented as a logical function, and one physical AP may operate as a Coordinator AP while simultaneously operating as one or more Coordinated APs.

[0083] The maximum number of simultaneous connections possible in Multi-AP communication for each communication device is determined by the hardware configuration, including the wireless chip and antenna installed, and the connection limit settings for each device. Multi-AP communication is sometimes referred to as multi-access point communication or multi-AP communication. In multi-AP communication, data is transmitted and received through multiple APs, but the data may be of a single content. A group of access points that are performing multi-access point communication is called a multi-access point group. Therefore, one multi-access point group includes a coordinator AP and the APs being coordinated.

[0084] Furthermore, in the Co-OFDMA scheme, the STA shall periodically measure the connection status, signal strength information, and communication link speed with each AP that is simultaneously connected, and store the communication status.

[0085] (Network communication status displayed using icons) Next, we will explain the icon display that shows the wireless communication status of the MFP100 using a diagram.

[0086] Figure 3(a) shows an example of the MFP100 display. The network display area 320 consists of icons 321, 322, and 323 that indicate the status of APs communicating via Multi-AP communication. In this embodiment, an example of displaying three icons is described, but the number of icons displayed can be increased or decreased depending on the model with different display screen constraints. For example, if the display screen is small, the number of icons can be reduced to two or less, or if the display screen is large, the number of icons can be increased to four or more. In any case, the effects of this embodiment can be obtained in cases where multiple icons can be displayed.

[0087] Figure 7 shows examples of icons displayed in icon areas 321, 322, and 323 of the network display area 320. The displayed icon differs depending on the difference in signal strength with the connected AP. In this example, icon 711 is displayed when the signal strength is 80-100%, icon 712 when it is 60-79%, icon 713 when it is 40-59%, and icon 714 when it is 1-39%. If there is no connection to an AP, icon 715 is displayed as the icon in the network display area 320.

[0088] The MFP100 communicates with multiple access points (APs) via Multi-AP communication. Therefore, by displaying the icons shown in Figure 7 in the manner shown in Figure 3(a), the user can understand the status of Multi-AP communication from the displayed icons. More specifically, the user can intuitively understand from the displayed icons that Multi-AP communication is taking place, the number of APs involved in the Multi-AP communication, and the communication status with each AP.

[0089] This example describes the difference in icons corresponding to the measured signal strength of wireless communication with the connected AP. However, the icons displayed may be switched according to the communication link speed, or according to the combination of signal strength and link speed. Even with this configuration, the user can obtain the effect of this embodiment, which is that they can understand the status of Multi-AP communication by looking at the displayed icons. Furthermore, the effect of this embodiment can also be obtained by combining multiple network communication factors, such as the communication method and encryption method of Multi-AP communication, and representing icons according to that combination. In this case, the user can also understand the situation represented by the icons, such as the communication method and encryption method of Multi-AP communication.

[0090] (Detailed display of network communication status) Figure 8 shows an example of the detailed network communication status display screen when a predetermined operation is performed, for example, when the user selects the network display area 320 on the display screen shown in Figure 3(a) on the MFP100. This screen is also displayed when "Wireless LAN Settings Display" in Figure 3(c) is selected.

[0091] The detailed display screen shows the connection method 801 with multiple APs in Multi-AP communication, and in this example, it shows that the connection is via the OFDMA method. Furthermore, the names 810, 820, and 830 of each connected AP are displayed. In addition, the SSID information 811, MAC address information 812, frequency band information 813, signal strength information 814, and link level information 815 for each connected AP are displayed on the detailed display screen. By viewing the detailed display screen, the user can understand the communication status with each AP. In this example, the case of being connected to three APs has been explained, but information for all connected APs will be displayed depending on the communication status. Furthermore, in addition to the AP information presented, the effects of the present invention can also be obtained by displaying other individual information related to AP communication, such as the encryption communication method and friendly name.

[0092] (Icon display processing) Figure 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the icon display process for connected APs in the network display area 320 of the MFP100. The process in Figure 9 starts when the display screen (home screen) of Figure 3(a) is displayed and is repeated periodically while the home screen is displayed. Note that the process in Figure 9 focuses only on the network display area 320 of the home screen, and other areas may be displayed (or updated) before the network display area 320, for example. Conversely, they may be displayed (or updated) after the network display area 320 is displayed. The process in Figure 9 is realized by the CPU 212 of the MFP100 loading a program stored in, for example, non-volatile memory 215 into RAM 214 and executing it. Note that the MFP100 is sometimes referred to as a communication device, focusing on its communication function.

[0093] In S901, the CPU 212 obtains a predetermined number of icons that can be displayed in the network display area 320 (number of icons that can be displayed) according to the size of the operation display unit 220 of the MFP 100 and the layout configuration of the display screen, and proceeds to S902. The number of icons displayed will be less than or equal to the predetermined number of icons that can be displayed. The number of icons that can be displayed in the network display area 320 is a number based on the screen being displayed and the state at the time of display. The number of icons that can be displayed may be predetermined for each MFP model and stored in ROM 213, for example. For example, when the screen in Figure 3(a) is being displayed, information that the number of icons that can be displayed in the network display area 320 is 3 is obtained from ROM 213. For screens different from Figure 3(a), the number may be different. For example, icons may be displayed in an area such as a status bar that displays multiple types of icons, such as battery level, various notification icons, and icons indicating other communication statuses. In such cases, the number of icons that can be displayed in the network display area 320 that shows the wireless LAN communication status may be less than 3, such as 2 or 1. However, in order to indicate that multi-AP communication is taking place, it is desirable that the number of displayable items be multiple, and therefore in this embodiment, the number of displayable items is set to 3. The various notification icons include, for example, at least one of the following: a notification icon indicating that a message has been received, an icon indicating that an update is available, an icon indicating that an error has occurred, and an icon indicating the status of sound output such as volume settings or mute. In addition, icons indicating other communication status include, for example, at least one of the following: an icon representing the Bluetooth status and an icon representing the communication status of the mobile phone line.

[0094] Basically, the number of icons that can be displayed in the network display area 320 is set to be greater when the area of ​​the display area for displaying icons is larger than when it is smaller. Also, the number of icons that can be displayed in the network display area 320 is set to be less when the number of other types of icons or other notifications displayed on the same screen is larger than when it is smaller than when it is smaller.

[0095] In S902, CPU212 retrieves the number of APs currently connected to MFP100 via Multi-AP communication (number of connected APs). The number of connected APs is less than or equal to the number of APs that can be simultaneously connected in Multi-AP communication, and represents the number of Coordinated APs (coordinated access points or coordinated APs) that are currently connected (i.e., connected). If an AP is connected but Multi-AP communication is not being performed, the number of connected APs retrieved is 1.

[0096] In S903, CPU212 determines the number of icons to display, N, which is the number of icons to be displayed in the network display area 320. The number of icons to display, N, is determined to be the smaller of the number of icons that can be displayed obtained in S901 and the number of connected APs obtained in S902.

[0097] In S904, CPU212 determines whether the number of connected APs obtained in S902 is greater than 0. If it determines that the number of connected APs is greater than 0, it proceeds to S906; otherwise (i.e., no APs are connected), it proceeds to S905.

[0098] In S905, CPU212 displays icon 715 in the network display area 320, which indicates that there are no connected APs, and then exits processing.

[0099] In S906, CPU212 checks (acquires) the signal strength for all connected APs. The signal strength can be obtained by MFP100 by having each AP110 measure the signal strength of the signal it receives from MFP100 and transmit it to MFP100, or by MFP100 measuring the signal strength of the signal it receives from each AP110. However, since the amount of data MFP100 receives from APs is considered to be greater than the amount of data it transmits to APs, it may prioritize using the signal strength of the downlink, i.e., the signal strength of the received signal from APs. The signal strength may be measured each time it is acquired, or the latest value from periodically measured values ​​may be used. In any case, the latest value from the obtainable values ​​should be acquired.

[0100] In S907, CPU212 checks (acquires) the communication link speed for all connected APs. Similar to signal strength, the link speed can be measured by either the AP or the MFP100, but the downlink link speed may be used preferentially. The link speed may be measured each time it is acquired, or the most recent value from periodically measured values ​​may be used. In any case, the most recent value among those obtained should be acquired.

[0101] In S908, the CPU 212 determines the display priority based on predetermined conditions. Here, the display priority is calculated based on the information of connected APs obtained in S906 and S907. The CPU 212 further selects N APs (the value determined in S903) from the connected APs in order of highest display priority, and displays N icons corresponding to each of those N APs in the network display area 320. At this time, they are displayed in order of highest display priority. For example, of the N icons that are displayed, the icons of APs with higher display priority are on the left and the icons of APs with lower display priority are on the right. The method for determining the display priority will be described later. In addition, each of the N icons is displayed in one of the forms explained in Figure 7 based on the signal strength of the corresponding AP. Here, if the number of connected APs obtained in S902 is greater than N, icons corresponding to some (i.e., N) APs will be displayed instead of all of the connected APs. In other words, there will be APs among the connected APs for which the signal strength display using icons is not shown. In this way, by displaying the signal strength of a select number of APs (Access Points) using icons, rather than all of the connected APs, the limited display space can be used effectively.

[0102] For example, let's consider a case where the number of icons that can be displayed, as determined by S901, is 3, and the number of connected APs, as determined by S902, is 5. In this case, the number of icons to display N is 3. Therefore, in order of display priority, the APs with the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd priority are each displayed with three corresponding signal strength icons, as explained in Figure 3(a). This allows the user to know that a Multi-AP connection is in place and to know the signal strength of multiple connected APs, enabling the user to more accurately understand the AP connection status. For example, if two of the three displayed icons indicate good signal strength, it means that the benefits of Multi-AP communication are being realized, and the user can recognize that the signal strength is better than when connected to only one AP.

[0103] On the other hand, the remaining two APs with a display priority of 4th place or lower have low priority and the information they provide is not particularly important to the user. For example, if the signal strength of the three APs with high display priority is good, the MFP100 will have a sufficiently good signal, and whether the signal strength of the two APs with low display priority is good or bad will not have much impact. Also, for example, if the signal strength of the three APs with high display priority is bad, the signal strength of the two APs with even lower display priority will also be bad. Therefore, whether or not the signal strength of the two APs with low display priority is displayed, it does not change the fact that the signal strength is poor for the MFP100. Thus, the signal strength of APs with low display priority is of little importance to the user, and displaying icons for them would be a waste of display space. In contrast, in this embodiment, icons for the signal strength of APs with low display priority (APs exceeding the number that can be displayed) are not displayed, thus eliminating the waste of display space.

[0104] Through the process described above, information about multiple APs connected via Multi-AP communication can be presented to the user using icons appropriate to the display capabilities of the MFP100.

[0105] (Icon determined based on network environment) Next, we will explain, using diagrams, examples of icon displays corresponding to the communication environment and communication status for Multi-AP communication of the MFP100.

[0106] Figure 10 shows an example of icon display for cases 1 to 7, where AP1 and AP2 have 100% signal strength, AP3 has 75% signal strength, AP4 has 45% signal strength, and AP5 has 20% signal strength, all surrounding the MFP100. The icon display column shows examples of icons 321, 322, and 323 displayed in the network display area 320. The communication link level here is a numerical value that simply represents the level of communication speed according to the communication status, and is expressed as levels 5 to 0. APs with level 0 indicate that there is no connection to the MFP100. In the table in Figure 10, the APs in the underlined columns are the APs that will be displayed as icons based on display priority. APs in the ununderlined columns will not be displayed as icons.

[0107] The link level indicates which of the six levels (0-5) the communication speed between the AP and MFP100 corresponds to, for example, the maximum speed specified in the wireless communication standard and speed 0. The link can be an uplink, a downlink, or an average of both. The signal strength is expressed as a percentage of the received signal strength relative to the maximum power. The signal strength can be measured by either the MFP100 or the AP. However, the evaluation methods for both link speed and signal strength are common to all APs.

[0108] In this embodiment, an example of icon display is described when the display priority value is calculated by multiplying the signal strength value of each AP by the communication link level value. This explanation is a simplified representation, and the same effect as in this embodiment can be obtained even when the display priority value is determined by including other information related to communication with the AP and weight values ​​corresponding to that information.

[0109] In Case 1, the communication link levels of AP1 to AP5 are 5, 4, 5, 5, and 5 respectively. Multiplying these by their respective signal strengths of 100, 100, 75, 45, and 20 results in display priority values ​​of 500, 400, 375, 225, and 100. The display priority value indicates the priority of icon display. In this case, AP1, with the highest display priority value of 500, is selected, followed by AP2 with the next highest at 400, and then AP3 with 375. Icons corresponding to each AP are displayed as icons 321, 322, and 323 in the network display area 320.

[0110] In Case 2, the communication link levels of AP1 to AP5 are 5, 0, 5, 5, and 5, respectively, and their display priority values ​​are calculated as 500, 0, 375, 225, and 100. In this case, AP1, AP3, and AP4 are selected to be displayed in descending order of numerical value, and the corresponding icons are displayed as icons in the network display area 320.

[0111] Similarly, in Case 3, the communication link levels of AP1 to AP5 are 0, 5, 0, 4, and 4, and based on the calculated values, the icons for AP2, AP4, and AP5 are displayed in the network display area 320 in order of priority.

[0112] In Case 4, the communication link levels of AP1 to AP5 are 2, 3, 5, 1, and 1, respectively, and the calculated values ​​are 200, 300, 375, 45, and 20. The icons for AP3, AP2, and AP1 are displayed as icons 321, 322, and 323 in the network display area.

[0113] In Case 5, since only AP2 and AP3 are connected to the MFP100, icons for AP2 and AP3 are displayed as icons 321 and 322, while icon 323 is displayed blank. Displaying icon 323 blank indicates that there is available capacity for connecting devices to the MFP100.

[0114] In Case 6, only AP3 is connected, so the icon for AP3 is displayed as icon 321, and icons 322 and 323 are left blank.

[0115] In Case 7, there are no APs connected to the MFP100, and icon 715, indicating unconnected, is displayed for icon 321, showing that there are no connected APs.

[0116] The method for determining display priority is not limited to the examples described above. APs with stronger signal strength may simply be given higher display priority. Alternatively, APs with stronger communication link levels may also be given higher display priority. Furthermore, other indicators may be used as display priority criteria.

[0117] In this embodiment, the case where the number of APs that can be connected to Multi-AP communication in the MFP100 is three or more, and furthermore, the number of displayable icons is three, has been described. If the number of APs that can be connected is less than the number of displayable icons, for example, two, the AP connection capability of the MFP100 can be indicated by making the number of displayable icons the same as the number of APs that can be connected, in two places.

[0118] As explained above, by displaying AP connection information for the ongoing Multi-AP communication as icons on the MFP100's operation display unit 220 according to display priority, users can easily grasp the connection status of the Multi-AP communication. Furthermore, by using indicator values ​​related to the communication status, such as signal strength and link speed, as the display priority, the dominant AP in the ongoing Multi-AP communication can be displayed preferentially. As a result, users can intuitively grasp that the MFP100 is conducting Multi-AP communication, and in that case, the number of connected APs and the connection status with each AP.

[0119] Furthermore, the various controls described above, which were explained as being performed by the CPU of each device, 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.

[0120] 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.

[0121] 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 it can be applied to any wireless device capable of Multi-AP communication. 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. A video output device includes, for example, a set-top box, which acquires (downloads) videos and still images from the internet specified by a URL instructed by a communication device, and outputs 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 communication 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.

[0122] (Other embodiments) 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.

[0123] ●Summary of Embodiments The above embodiments can be summarized as follows: (Item 1) A connection method for connecting to multiple access points, Display means and A communication means for transmitting or receiving data via the aforementioned multiple access points, The system includes a display control means that controls the display means to display the connection status of each of the multiple first number of access points included in the plurality of access points using the first number of icons. A communication device characterized by the following features. (Item 2) A communication device as described in item 1, The first number is less than the number of connected access points. A communication device characterized by the following features. (Item 3) A communication device as described in item 1 or 2, The display control means determines a first number of access points from the plurality of access points based on predetermined conditions. A communication device characterized by the following features. (Item 4) A communication device as described in item 3, The predetermined conditions include the radio wave intensity measured for the connected plurality of access points. A communication device characterized by the following features. (Item 5) A communication device as described in item 3, The predetermined conditions include the link speed measured for the connected plurality of access points. A communication device characterized by the following features. (Item 6) A communication device as described in item 3, The predetermined conditions include values ​​calculated based on the radio wave strength and link speed measured for the connected plurality of access points. A communication device characterized by the following features. (Item 7) A communication device described in any one of items 1 to 6, The display control means changes the icon according to the connection status of each of the multiple connected access points. A communication device characterized by the following features. (Item 8) A communication device described in any one of items 1 to 7, The display control means displays an icon indicating that no connected access points exist if no connected access points exist. A communication device characterized by the following features. (Item 9) A communication device as described in any one of items 1 to 8, The aforementioned data is data from a single content. A communication device characterized by the following features. (Item 10) A communication device as described in any one of items 1 to 9, The display means includes a display area for displaying a predetermined number of icons. The first number is less than or equal to the predetermined number. A communication device characterized by the following features. (Item 11) A communication device described in any one of items 1 to 10, The display control means further controls the display means to display the connection status of each of the connected access points in accordance with a predetermined operation. A communication device characterized by the following features. A communication device characterized by the following features. (Item 12) A communication device as described in item 1, The first number of access points is a group of coordinated access points that are included in a multi-access point group. A communication device characterized by the following features. (Item 13) A program for causing a computer to function as one of the means of a communication device as described in any one of items 1 through 12. (Item 14) A computer-readable storage medium containing a program for causing a computer to function as one of the means of a communication device described in any one of items 1 through 12. (Item 15) A control method performed by a communication device capable of connecting to multiple access points, The data is transmitted or received via the aforementioned multiple access points. The connection status with each of the first number of access points included in the aforementioned plurality of access points is controlled to be displayed on the display means using the first number of icons. A method for controlling a communication device, characterized by the features described above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0124] 100 Communication device, 101 Mobile terminal device, 111 Access point (AP), 112 Access point (AP), 113 Access point (AP), 212 CPU, 214 RAM, 215 Non-volatile memory

Claims

1. A connection method for connecting to multiple access points, A communication means for transmitting or receiving data via the aforementioned multiple access points, The system includes a display control means that controls the display means to display the connection status of each of the multiple first number of access points included in the plurality of access points using the first number of icons. A communication device characterized by the following features.

2. A communication device according to claim 1, The first number is less than the number of connected access points. A communication device characterized by the following features.

3. A communication device according to claim 1, The display control means determines a first number of access points from the plurality of access points based on predetermined conditions. A communication device characterized by the following features.

4. A communication device according to claim 3, The predetermined conditions include the radio wave intensity measured for the connected plurality of access points. A communication device characterized by the following features.

5. A communication device according to claim 3, The predetermined conditions include the link speed measured for the connected plurality of access points. A communication device characterized by the following features.

6. A communication device according to claim 3, The predetermined conditions include values ​​calculated based on the radio wave strength and link speed measured for the connected plurality of access points. A communication device characterized by the following features.

7. A communication device according to claim 1, The display control means changes the icon according to the connection status of each of the multiple connected access points. A communication device characterized by the following features.

8. A communication device according to claim 1, The display control means displays an icon indicating that no connected access points exist if no connected access points exist. A communication device characterized by the following features.

9. A communication device according to claim 1, The aforementioned data is data from a single content. A communication device characterized by the following features.

10. A communication device according to claim 1, The display means includes a display area for displaying a predetermined number of icons. The first number is less than or equal to the predetermined number. A communication device characterized by the following features.

11. A communication device according to claim 1, The display control means further controls the display means to display the connection status of each of the connected access points in accordance with a predetermined operation. A communication device characterized by the following features.

12. A communication device according to claim 1, The first number of access points is a plurality of coordinated access points included in a multi-access point group. A communication device characterized by the following features.

13. A program for causing a computer to function as one of the means of a communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as one of the means of a communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

15. A control method performed by a communication device capable of connecting to multiple access points, The data is transmitted or received via the aforementioned multiple access points. The connection status with each of the first number of access points included in the plurality of access points is controlled to be displayed on the display means using the first number of icons. A method for controlling a communication device, characterized by the features described above.

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