PROGRAM, STORAGE MEDIUM FOR STORING PROGRAM, ELECTRONIC DEVICE, AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING ELECTRONIC DEVICE

Abstract

To provide a device for preventing reduction of user convenience in executing a function using a predetermined communication between an electronic apparatus and an external apparatus.SOLUTION: An electronic apparatus is functioned as acquisition means for acquiring predetermined information of whether or not it is an administrator authority and control means for controlling so as to perform a communication in a first communication mode with an external apparatus regardless of whether a setting state regarding a network satisfies a predetermined condition in a case where it is the administrator authority on the basis of the predetermined information acquired by the acquisition means, so as to perform the communication in the first communication mode with the external apparatus in a case where it is not the administrator authority and the setting state regarding the network satisfies the predetermined condition, and so as not to perform the communication in the first communication mode with the external apparatus in a case where it is not the administrator authority and the setting state regarding the network does not satisfy the predetermined condition.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a program for communicating with an external device, a storage medium for storing the program, an electronic device, and a method for controlling the electronic device. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a technology in which an electronic device such as a PC communicates with an external device such as a printer via a local area network (hereinafter referred to as a LAN). In addition, a LAN may be constructed as a wireless network, which is more convenient than a wired network in that the communication device can be installed anywhere. Patent Document 1 describes a technology for connecting a printer, which is an external device that can be used via an electronic device such as a PC, to a wireless network. Patent Document 1 describes a technology in which a wireless interface (hereinafter referred to as an I / F) of the printer is operated as an access point (hereinafter referred to as an AP) for temporary connection, and a PC is temporarily connected to the wireless I / F of the printer via a wireless LAN in a first communication mode. It also describes a technology in which the PC transmits connection information to the printer via the wireless LAN in order to connect the printer operating as a specific AP in a second communication mode. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-191252 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Depending on the authority or settings of the user of the electronic device, certain communications with external devices may be restricted, making it impossible to execute functions that use such communications, resulting in reduced convenience for the user.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism for preventing a decrease in user convenience when executing a function using a specific communication between an electronic device and an external device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a program according to the present invention is a program for causing a computer of an electronic device to: Permissions to run programs can change operating system settings an acquisition means for acquiring predetermined information on whether the user has administrator authority; If the administrator authority is established and the setting state of the operating system regarding a network is a first setting state, communication with an external device is performed in a first communication mode, Administrator privileges And, Network The operating system The setting status is If the second setting state is reached, the operating system setting is automatically changed to the first setting state to Connecting to external devices The above Communicating in a first communication mode; The above Not with administrator privileges, and The operating system The setting state is This is the first setting. In the event 、 communicating with the external device in the first communication mode; The above Not with administrator privileges, and The operating system The setting state is This is the second setting. In the event 、 The communication device functions as a control device that performs control so as not to communicate with the external device in the first communication mode. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent a decrease in user convenience in executing a function using a predetermined communication between an electronic device and an external device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a system and an apparatus. [Diagram 2] 4 is a flowchart showing a process executed in the electronic device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a user interface screen. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing a process executed in the electronic device. [Diagram 5]FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a user interface screen. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart showing a process executed in the electronic device. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a user interface screen. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart showing a process executed in the electronic device. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a user interface screen. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing a process executed in an external device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although the embodiments describe a number of features, not all of these features are essential to the invention, and the features may be combined in any manner. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

[0010] [First embodiment] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a system in this embodiment. This system includes a PC 100 as an example of an electronic device, a printer 110 as an example of an external device, and an access point (AP) 120. In the system of Fig. 1, the printer 110 can receive connection information (wireless profile information) required for connecting to the AP 120 from the PC 100 and perform connection settings, i.e., network setup.

[0011] The PC 100 includes a CPU 101, a ROM 102, a RAM 105, a display device 106, an input I / F 107, a wired LAN I / F 108, and a wireless LAN I / F 109. The ROM 102, the RAM 105, the CPU 101, etc. form a computer, the PC 100, which executes a program.

[0012] The CPU 101 is a processor that reads and executes a control program stored in the ROM 102, and controls the entire PC 100 by the control program, and executes the processes shown in the flowcharts described below. As a result of the execution of the control program, various functions of the PC 100 are realized, such as communication control with external devices such as the printer 110, generation of print jobs to be output to the printer 110, and instructions for network setup. The RAM 105 is composed of a DRAM or SRAM that requires a backup power source, and is used as a memory area for storing temporary setting information, management data, and the like when the PC 100 operates. The RAM 105 is also used as a temporary storage area such as the main memory and work area of ​​the CPU 101, and is also used as a transmission buffer for temporarily storing print jobs generated to be sent to the printer 110.

[0013] The ROM 102 is a non-volatile flash memory that stores fixed data such as the control programs and data tables executed by the CPU 101, and an embedded operating system (hereinafter, referred to as OS) program. In this embodiment, each control program stored in the ROM 102 performs software execution control such as scheduling, task switching, and interrupt processing under the management of the embedded OS stored in the ROM 102.

[0014] The ROM 102 stores, as a part of the control program, a setup application program 103 for executing network setup of the printer 110, a printer driver for generating a print job that can be interpreted by the printer 110, and the like. Hereinafter, the set application program 103 is referred to as the setup program 103. The setup program 103 is an application program for setting up a connection with the AP 120 to which the printer 110 is connected, and may have functions other than the network setup function. For example, the setup program 103 may have a function for causing the printer 110 to execute printing, a function for causing a document set in the printer 110 to be scanned, a function for checking the status of the printer 110, and the like. The setup program 103 may also have a function for transmitting information acquired from the printer 110 and personal information of the user acquired by the PC 100 to a service management server (not shown). The setup program 103 is stored in the ROM 102 by being installed from an external server by Internet communication via the wireless LAN I / F 109, for example. The setup program 103 is also assumed to be an application program provided by the vendor of the printer 110.

[0015] ROM 102 also stores network information 104. The network information 104 stores IP addresses assigned to the wireless LAN I / F 109 and wired LAN I / F 108 of PC 100, and the IP address and subnet mask of AP 120 to which PC 100 is currently connected. The network information 104 also stores wireless profile information of APs to which PC 100 has previously connected. In other words, ROM 102 stores history information of APs to which PC 100 has previously connected. The wireless profile information includes the SSID (Service Set Identifier), security settings, and password of the AP to which PC 100 has previously connected.

[0016] The display device 106 is composed of an LED (light emitting diode) and an LCD (liquid crystal display), and displays data and notifies the status of the PC 100. The input interface (I / F) 107 is an interface for accepting data input and instruction operations from a user by operating an operation unit such as a keyboard. The operation unit may be a physical keyboard, physical buttons, etc., or a soft keyboard, soft buttons, etc. displayed on the display device 106. In other words, the input interface 107 may accept input from the user via the display device 106.

[0017] The wired LAN I / F 108 and the wireless LAN I / F 109 are components for connecting to external devices such as the printer 110 and the AP 120 to execute data communication. For example, the wireless LAN I / F 109 can be connected to an access point (not shown) in the printer 110. The wireless LAN I / F 109 also has an access point for connecting to devices such as the printer 110 as an access point inside the PC 100. This access point is generally called tethering. The wireless LAN I / F 116 of the printer 110 can be connected to the access point. The wireless LAN I / F 109 enables the access point, causing the PC 100 to operate as an access point. The wireless LAN I / F 116 is connected to the access point in the wireless LAN I / F 109, allowing the PC 100 and the printer 110 to communicate with each other. In addition, when the wireless LAN I / F 109 of the PC 100 is connected to the Internet, the printer 110 can also be connected to the Internet via the wireless LAN I / F 109. In this embodiment, the PC 100 can communicate with the printer 110 via an external device that exists outside the PC 100 and outside the printer 110. The external device includes an external access point (such as the AP 120) that exists outside the PC 100 and outside the printer 110, and a device that can relay communication other than an access point. The AP 120 is, for example, a device such as a wireless LAN router. A method in which the PC 100 and the printer 110 are connected via the AP 120 is called an infrastructure connection method. The wireless LAN connection 122 in FIG. 1 indicates a wireless connection with the AP 120 by the wireless LAN I / F 109 of the PC 100. In addition, the wired LAN connection 121 in FIG. 1 indicates a wired connection with the AP 120 by the wired LAN I / F 108 of the PC 100.

[0018] The PC 100 can establish a Peer-to-Peer connection (P2P connection, direct connection) with the printer 110 via a wireless LAN connection 123 using the wireless LAN I / F 109. The wireless LAN I / F 109 controls the transmission and reception of data in compliance with the communication standard defined by IEEE802.11 according to instructions from the CPU 101. The wireless communication method used in this case is, for example, the one defined by the industry group Wi-Fi Alliance as Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) (registered trademark), which is defined as the standard for wireless LANs.

[0019] The PC 100 may include other components as appropriate than those shown in Fig. 1. For example, the PC 100 may include a short-range wireless communication interface that communicates using a communication method different from that of the wireless LAN I / F 109. This allows the PC 100 to connect to the short-range wireless communication interface of the printer 110 using the short-range wireless communication method. Examples of the communication method include Near Field Communication (NFC), Bluetooth (registered trademark) Classic, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), and Wi-Fi Aware.

[0020] The printer 110 includes a CPU 111, a ROM 112, a RAM 115, a wireless LAN I / F 116, a display device 117, an input I / F 118, and a printing unit 119. The ROM 112, the RAM 115, the CPU 111, etc. form a computer of the printer 110 that executes a program.

[0021] The CPU 111 is a processor that reads and executes a control program stored in the ROM 112, and controls the entire printer 110 by the control program, and executes the processes shown in the flowcharts described below. As a result of the execution of the control program, various functions of the printer 110, such as communication control with external devices such as the PC 100, are realized. The RAM 115 is composed of a DRAM or SRAM that requires a backup power source, and is used as a memory area for storing temporary setting information, management data, and the like when the printer 110 operates. The RAM 115 is also used as a temporary storage area such as the main memory or work area of ​​the CPU 111, and may operate as a receiving buffer for temporarily holding print information received from the PC 100, etc.

[0022] The ROM 112 is a non-volatile flash memory that stores fixed data such as the control programs and data tables executed by the CPU 111, the embedded OS, etc. In this embodiment, each control program stored in the ROM 112 performs software execution control such as scheduling, task switching, and interrupt processing under the management of the embedded OS stored in the ROM 112.

[0023] The ROM 112 also stores network information 114. The network information 114 stores an IP address assigned to the wireless LAN I / F 116 of the printer 110, and an IP address and subnet mask of the AP 120 to which the printer 110 is currently connected. The network information 114 also stores wireless profile information of APs to which the printer 110 has previously connected. In other words, the ROM 112 stores history information of APs to which the printer 110 has previously connected. The wireless profile information includes the SSID, security settings, and password of the AP to which the printer 110 has previously connected. The ROM 112 also stores a serial number and the like for identifying the printer 110. The ROM 112 also stores information indicating the usage status and remaining amount of ink and the like.

[0024] The display device 117 is composed of an LED (light emitting diode) and an LCD (liquid crystal display), and displays various menus and notifies the status of the printer 110. The input interface (I / F) 118 is an interface for accepting data input and instruction operations from a user by operating an operation unit such as a keyboard. The operation unit may be a physical keyboard, physical buttons, etc., or a soft keyboard, soft buttons, etc. displayed on the display device 117. In other words, the input interface 118 may accept input from the user via the display device 117.

[0025] The printing unit 119 forms an image on a recording medium such as cut paper by ejecting a recording agent such as ink on the recording medium based on image data, and outputs the print result. Furthermore, when it is determined that the power-on is the power-on at the time of arrival, the printing unit 119 is configured to perform an initial setup process including cleaning of the recording head and register adjustment for adjusting the ink ejection position. Note that the printing unit 119 may be configured to adopt not only the inkjet recording method, but also other recording methods such as electrophotography.

[0026] The printer 110 can establish a Peer-to-Peer connection (P2P connection, direct connection) with the PC 100 via a wireless LAN connection 123 using the wireless LAN I / F 116. The wireless LAN I / F 116 controls the transmission and reception of data in compliance with the communication standard defined by IEEE802.11 according to instructions from the CPU 111. The wireless communication method used in this case is, for example, the one defined by the industry group Wi-Fi Alliance as Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) (registered trademark), which is defined as the wireless LAN standard.

[0027] The printer 110 may include other components as appropriate than those shown in Fig. 1. For example, the printer 110 may include a short-range wireless communication interface that communicates using a communication method different from that of the wireless LAN I / F 116. This allows the printer 110 to connect to the short-range wireless communication interface of the PC 100 using the short-range wireless communication method. Examples of the communication method include Near Field Communication (NFC), Bluetooth (registered trademark) Classic, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), and Wi-Fi Aware.

[0028] The following describes the modes and connection methods for performing wireless communication using the wireless LAN I / F 116.

[0029] <About the direct connection method> A direct connection refers to a form in which devices are directly and wirelessly connected to each other without going through an external device such as the AP 120. A direct connection is also called a peer-to-peer connection (P2P connection). The printer 110 can operate in a mode (direct connection mode) for communicating via a direct connection as one of the connection modes. In Wi-Fi communication, there are multiple modes for communicating via a direct connection, such as a software AP mode and a Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) mode.

[0030] A mode in which a direct connection is performed by WFD is called a WFD mode. WFD is a standard established by the Wi-Fi Alliance, and is included in the IEEE802.11 series of communication standards. In the WFD mode, after a device to be a communication partner is searched for by a device search command, the roles of the P2P group owner (GO) and the P2P client are determined, and the remaining wireless connection processing is performed. The group owner corresponds to a Wi-Fi parent station (parent device), and the client corresponds to a Wi-Fi child station (child device). This role determination is called GO Negotiation. Note that in the WFD mode before the role determination, the printer 110 is in a state of neither a parent station nor a child station. Specifically, first, one device issues a device search command between devices to communicate with each other and searches for a device to connect to in WFD mode. When the other device to be a communication partner is searched for, the two devices confirm information about services and functions that can be provided by each other's devices. Note that this device provision information confirmation is optional and not required. This device provision information confirmation phase corresponds to, for example, P2P Provision Discovery. Next, by mutually confirming this device provision information, it is determined which one will be the P2P client and which one will be the P2P group owner. When the client and the group owner are determined, they exchange parameters for communication by WFD between them. Based on the exchanged parameters, the remaining wireless connection processing and IP connection processing are performed between the client and the group owner. Note that in the WFD mode, the printer 110 may always operate as the GO without executing the above-mentioned GO Negotiation. In other words, the printer 110 may operate in the WFD mode, which is an autonomous GO mode. In addition, the state in which the printer 110 operates in the WFD mode is, for example, a state in which the printer 110 operates as the GO even though a WFD connection has not been established, or a state in which a WFD connection has been established and the printer 110 operates as the GO.

[0031] In the software AP mode, between devices that communicate (for example, PC 100 and printer 110), one device (for example, PC 100) becomes a client that requests various services. The other device realizes the function of a Wi-Fi access point by software settings. The software AP corresponds to a Wi-Fi parent station, and the client corresponds to a Wi-Fi child station. In the software AP mode, the client searches for a device that will become a software AP using a device search command. When the software AP is found, the remaining wireless connection processing (establishment of a wireless connection, etc.) between the client and the software AP is performed, and then IP connection processing (assignment of an IP address, etc.) is performed. Note that commands and parameters that are transmitted and received when realizing a wireless connection between a client and a software AP may be those specified in the Wi-Fi standard, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0032] In this embodiment, when the printer 110 establishes and maintains a direct connection, the printer 110 operates as a parent station in the network to which the printer 110 belongs. The parent station is a device that constructs a wireless network and provides a child station with parameters used for connecting to the wireless network. The parameters used for connecting to the wireless network are, for example, parameters related to the channel used by the parent station. By receiving the parameters, the child station connects to the wireless network constructed by the parent station using the channel used by the parent station. In the direct connection mode, the printer 110 operates as a parent station, so that the printer 110 can determine which frequency band and which channel to use for communication in the direct connection mode. In this embodiment, the printer 110 can use a channel corresponding to the 2.4 GHz frequency band and a channel corresponding to the 5 GHz frequency band for communication in the direct connection mode.

[0033] <About infrastructure connection method> An infrastructure connection is a connection mode in which devices (e.g., PC 100 and printer 110) are connected to an access point (e.g., AP 120) that manages a network of devices that will communicate with each other via the access point. Printer 110 can also operate in a mode for communicating via infrastructure connection (infrastructure connection mode) as one of the connection modes.

[0034] In infrastructure connections, each device searches for an access point using a device search command. Once an access point has been found, the remaining wireless connection processing (establishment of a wireless connection, etc.) between the device and the access point is carried out, and then IP connection processing (assignment of an IP address, etc.) is carried out. Note that commands and parameters sent and received when establishing a wireless connection between a device and an access point can be those specified in the Wi-Fi standard, and so a description of these will be omitted here.

[0035] In this embodiment, when the printer 110 operates in the infrastructure connection, the AP 120 operates as a parent station, and the printer 110 operates as a child device. That is, in this embodiment, the infrastructure connection refers to a connection between the printer 110 operating as a child device and the AP 120 operating as a parent device. When the printer 110 has established an infrastructure connection and the PC 100 has also established an infrastructure connection with the AP 120, communication between the printer 110 and the PC 100 is possible via the AP 120. Since the channel used for communication in the infrastructure connection is determined by the AP 120, the printer 110 executes communication in the infrastructure connection using the channel determined by the AP 120. In this embodiment, the printer 110 is assumed to be able to use a channel corresponding to a 2.4 GHz frequency band and a channel corresponding to a 5 GHz frequency band for communication in the infrastructure connection. Note that the printer 110 is also able to use a channel corresponding to a DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection) band in the 5 GHz frequency band for communication in the infrastructure connection. In order for the PC 100 to communicate with the printer 110 via the AP 120, the PC 100 must recognize that the printer 110 belongs to the network formed by the AP 120 and to which the PC 100 belongs.

[0036] <About network setup mode> Printer 110 can operate in a network setup mode. A trigger for printer 110 to start operation in the network setup mode may be, for example, a user pressing a network setup mode button, or printer 110 starting up (powering on) for the first time after arrival. The network setup mode button may be a hardware (physical) button provided on printer 110, or may be a software button that printer 110 displays on display device 117.

[0037] When the printer 110 starts operating in the network setup mode, it activates Wi-Fi communication. Specifically, the printer 110 activates an internal AP (setup AP) of the printer 110 that is dedicated to the network setup mode as an activation process of Wi-Fi communication. This enables the printer 110 to establish a direct connection with the PC 100 by Wi-Fi. It is assumed that connection information (SSID and password) for connecting to the setup AP is held in advance in the setup program 103 installed in the PC 100, and the PC 100 recognizes the connection information for connecting to the setup AP in advance. Therefore, unlike the connection information of the AP that is activated in the direct connection mode, it is assumed that the connection information for connecting to the setup AP cannot be arbitrarily changed by the user. Note that in the network setup mode, the printer 110 may connect to the terminal device 101 by Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) instead of normal Wi-Fi. That is, the printer 110 may operate as a Group Owner and receive a setting command from the PC 100 by communication by WFD. In addition, in the network setup mode, the printer 110 may connect to the PC 100 via Bluetooth. Here, Bluetooth includes Bluetooth Classic and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). That is, for example, the printer 110 may operate as a slave device in BLE in the network setup mode and receive a setting command from the PC 100 via communication via BLE. In addition, in the network setup mode, the printer 110 may be capable of executing both network setup via Wi-Fi and network setup via BLE. That is, when the printer 110 starts operation in the network setup mode, it may enable both Wi-Fi communication and BLE communication.Specifically, when printer 110 starts operating in network setup mode, it may both enable the setup AP and enable the advertising state, in which advertising information is sent via BLE and BLE connection is possible.

[0038] As described above, the printer 110 operates in a network setup mode for executing the network setup of the printer 110 in response to a predetermined condition, including a user pressing a button or initial installation. When the printer 110 operates in the network setup mode, the printer 110 controls the wireless LAN I / F 116 to operate as a setup AP that is valid only while the printer 110 is operating in the network setup mode. The setup AP is an access point that is different from the access point that is enabled in the soft AP mode described above. The SSID of the setup AP includes a predetermined character string that can be recognized by the setup program 103 of the PC 100.

[0039] Furthermore, the printer 110 operating in the network setup mode uses a predetermined communication protocol (setup communication protocol) in communication with the setup AP and the PC 100 connected thereto. A specific example of the setup communication protocol is the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).

[0040] After starting operation in the network setup mode, when a predetermined time has elapsed, the printer 110 stops operation in the network setup mode and disables the setup AP. Also, when the printer 110 receives connection information for connecting to the AP 120 and an instruction to change the wireless communication operation mode from the PC 100 during the network setup mode, the printer 110 disables the setup AP.

[0041] The network setup in which the PC 100 connects the printer 110 to the AP 120 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0042] In order to directly connect the wireless I / F of the PC 100 to the wireless I / F of the printer 110 operating as a setup AP, it is necessary to change network settings such as dynamic host configuration program settings (DHCP settings) and IP addresses. However, to change the network settings, the authority (administrator authority) to change the settings of the operating system (OS) is required. In addition, the administrator authority is required to obtain connection information to the AP 120 from the wireless profile information stored in the PC 100. Therefore, if the user does not have the administrator authority, the functions using the direct connection may be uniformly restricted. Network setup is one such function. However, if the network setup is uniformly restricted when the user does not have the administrator authority, the user's convenience will be greatly reduced. In this embodiment, even if the user does not have the administrator authority, the user can easily connect the printer 110 to the AP 120 as long as a certain condition is met. The process of FIG. 2 is realized, for example, by the CPU 101 of the PC 100 reading the setup program 103 stored in the ROM 102 into the RAM 105 and executing it. 2 starts when an instruction to execute the setup program 103 is received from the user via the input I / F 107 of the PC 100, for example.

[0043] In S201, the CPU 101 displays on the display device 106 an execution permission confirmation screen for prompting the user to confirm whether or not to permit execution of the setup program 103 with administrator authority.

[0044] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an execution permission confirmation screen displayed in S201. The execution permission confirmation screen 300 is a UAC screen displayed by the user account control function of the OS based on the setup program 103 receiving an instruction to execute a process that requires administrator authority. An example of the process that requires administrator authority is a network setup process for connecting the printer 110 to the AP 120. The user account control function of the OS is hereinafter also referred to as a UAC function. The execution permission confirmation screen 300 includes a display area 301 that displays the user name of an account with administrator authority acquired by the API of the OS, an input area 302 that accepts input of a password, and a "Yes" button 303 and a "No" button 304. FIG. 3 shows an example of "12345678" being input in the input area 302. "12345678" is an example of a password for an account with administrator authority. The execution permission confirmation screen 300 displays a message 305 that guides the user to input the user name and password of an account with administrator authority. If the user presses the "Yes" button 303 after inputting the user name and password of an account with administrator privileges, execution by the setup program 103 with administrator privileges is permitted. On the other hand, if the user presses the "No" button 304, execution by the setup program 103 with administrator privileges is not permitted.

[0045] In S202, the CPU 101 determines whether the authority to execute the setup program 103 is administrator authority, and stores the determination result in a storage area such as the RAM 105. Specifically, for example, the determination is made based on whether execution with administrator authority is permitted on the execution permission confirmation screen 300 displayed by the UAC function in S201. Note that, if the authority to execute the setup program 103 is already administrator authority, the processes of S201 and S202 do not need to be executed.

[0046] In S203, the CPU 101 searches for the printer 110 operating as a setup AP. Hereinafter, the network setup mode is referred to as the wireless setting mode. Specifically, for example, the setup program 103 searches for a beacon signal (hereinafter referred to as a beacon) transmitted by the printer 110 operating in the wireless setting mode using the wireless LAN I / F 109. The beacon contains identification information such as an SSID, and is assigned a name indicating that the printer 110 is operating in the wireless setting mode. For example, the character string "Setup" in the SSID "TS8xxx_SETUP_mmnnnn" indicates that the printer 110 named "TS8xxx" is in the wireless setting mode. Also, the SSID contains an identification number "mmnnn" that is different for each printer, taking into consideration the case where there are multiple printers of the same product.

[0047] In S204, the CPU 101 performs wireless connection processing to connect the printer 110 that is found in S203 and operates in the wireless setting mode to the wireless network. The wireless connection processing will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0048] In S205, CPU 101 acquires from printer 110 a model-specific information file in which model-specific information on printer 110 is described. The model-specific information file describes a download URL for each piece of software, such as a driver installer, compatible with printer 110. CPU 101 then refers to the download URL for each piece of software described in the acquired model-specific information file, and downloads each piece of software, including the driver installer.

[0049] In S206, the CPU 101 executes the driver installer downloaded in S205, and executes the installation of the printer driver of the printer 110 and the generation of a print queue. In this embodiment, the installation of the printer driver and the generation of a print queue are described as being executed by executing the driver installer. Note that, instead of installing the printer driver by executing the driver installer, an extension application program for extending the function of the printer driver by the OS standard function may be downloaded and installed. Then, the print queue generation process corresponding to the printer driver by the OS standard function may be executed. The printer driver by the OS standard function is, for example, an IPP Class Driver installed in Windows (registered trademark) 11. In other words, it is not a printer driver specific to the model of the printing device, but a standard printer driver that can be commonly used by a plurality of printing devices. Note that IPP is an abbreviation for Internet Printing Protocol.

[0050] In this embodiment, the model-specific information file is downloaded at the timing of S205, but the download timing is not limited to that shown in FIG. 2. For example, model-specific information may be downloaded at the timing when a printer operating in wireless setting mode is detected and the model is identified at S501 in the wireless connection process of S204, which will be described later. In that case, the process of S205 does not need to be executed after S204. After S206, the process of FIG. 2 ends.

[0051] Next, a wireless connection process in which the setup program 103 connects the printer 110 to the wireless network of the AP 120 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0052] 4 is a flowchart showing the process of S204. In S401, the CPU 101 determines whether or not the printer 110 operating in the wireless setting mode has been detected based on the results of the search in S203. If it is determined that the printer 110 operating in the wireless setting mode has been detected, the process proceeds to S402, and if it is determined that the printer 110 operating in the wireless setting mode has not been detected, the process proceeds to S407.

[0053] In S402, the CPU 101 determines whether the wireless LAN I / F 109 can execute a wireless setting instruction. Specifically, the CPU 101 acquires information on whether the wired LAN I / F 108 or the wireless LAN I / F 109 is connected to the AP 120, whether the wireless LAN I / F 109 is enabled, and whether the IPv4 setting of the wireless LAN I / F 109 is enabled, using the API of the OS. If the wired LAN I / F 108 or the wireless LAN I / F 109 is connected to the AP 120, the wireless LAN I / F 109 is enabled, and the IPv4 setting of the wireless LAN I / F 109 is enabled, the CPU 101 determines that the wireless LAN I / F 109 can execute a wireless setting instruction. The wireless setting instruction will be described later with reference to FIG. 6 and FIG. 8. In other words, the determination process in S402 is a process for determining whether the network setting is set for wireless connection processing. If it is determined that the wireless LAN I / F 109 is capable of executing the wireless setting instruction, the process proceeds to S403, and if it is determined that the wireless LAN I / F 109 is not capable of executing the wireless setting instruction, the process proceeds to S407.

[0054] In S403, the CPU 101 judges whether the authority to execute the setup program 103 is administrator authority based on the information stored in the storage area in S202. For example, the judgment is made based on information on whether execution with administrator authority is permitted on the execution permission confirmation screen 300 displayed by the UAC function, among various setting states managed by the OS. If it is judged to be administrator authority, the process proceeds to S404, and if it is judged not to be administrator authority, the process proceeds to S405.

[0055] In S404, the CPU 101 executes an instruction for wireless setting in the case of administrator authority to the printer control program 113 in the printer 110. The processing of S404 will be described later with reference to Fig. 6. After S404, the processing of Fig. 4 ends, and the process proceeds to S205 in Fig. 2.

[0056] In S405, the CPU 101 uses the API of the OS to determine whether or not the DHCP setting of the IPv4 setting of the wireless LAN I / F 109 capable of executing the wireless setting instruction is valid. Note that DHCP is an abbreviation for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. If it is determined that the DHCP setting is valid, the process proceeds to S406, and if it is determined that the DHCP setting is not valid, for example, invalid, the process proceeds to S407. In other words, the determination process in S405 is a process for determining whether it is possible to assign setting information (for example, an IP address) by designating the PC 100 from the printer 110 side in the P2P connection network between the PC 100 and the printer 110. If it is determined that the DHCP setting is valid, even if it is determined that the administrator authority does not exist, it is possible to assign setting information by designating the PC 100 from the printer 110 side in the P2P connection network between the PC 100 and the printer 110. On the other hand, if it is determined that the DHCP settings are not valid, then in the P2P connection network between the PC 100 and the printer 110, the printer 110 cannot specify the PC 100 and assign setting information.

[0057] In S406, CPU 101 executes an instruction for wireless setting in the case where administrator authority is not required for printer control program 113 in printer 110. The processing of S406 will be described later with reference to Fig. 8. Hereinafter, not requiring administrator authority is also referred to as non-administrator authority. After S406, the processing of Fig. 4 ends, and the process proceeds to S205 of Fig. 2.

[0058] In S407, the CPU 101 displays a manual setting screen for guiding the user to a wireless connection method by operating the printer on the display device 106. After S407, the processing in FIGS.

[0059] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the manual setting screen displayed in S407. The manual setting screen 500 is a guidance screen for wirelessly connecting the printer 110 to the AP 120 by a user operation on the printer 110 without establishing a P2P connection between the PC 100 and the printer 110. The wireless connection between the printer 110 and the AP 120 here is, for example, a connection by WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup). The manual setting screen 500 includes a "Help" button 501 and a "Next" button 502. The manual setting screen 500 displays a message urging the user to press the "Help" button 501 and refer to the manual. The manual setting screen 500 also displays a message urging the user to operate the printer 110 to wirelessly connect the AP 120 to the wireless LAN I / F 116, and then press the "Next" button 502. When the user presses the "Help" button 501, the setup program 103 opens a browser and displays a Web manual that explains how to wirelessly connect the printer 110 to the AP 120. The Web manual contains, for example, guidance on pressing the WPS buttons on the printer 110 and the AP 120.

[0060] 2 and 4 ends when the user presses the "Next" button 502 after wirelessly connecting the printer 110 to the AP 120. Note that in the present embodiment, the description has been given of pressing the "Help" button 501 to open a browser and display a Web manual. However, a configuration may be adopted in which the manual setting screen 500 is displayed and at the same time a browser is opened to display the Web manual, or a configuration may be adopted in which a method for wirelessly connecting the printer 110 to the AP 120 is displayed on the manual setting screen 500.

[0061] As described above, when the network settings are not set for wireless connection processing, the P2P connection between the PC 100 and the printer 110 is not performed, and guidance for wirelessly connecting the printer 110 to the AP 120 by a user operation is displayed. Also, when the network settings are set for wireless connection processing but the user does not have administrator authority, a P2P connection between the PC 100 and the printer 110 is performed, or guidance for wirelessly connecting the printer 110 to the AP 120 by a user operation without the P2P connection is displayed depending on whether the network settings meet a predetermined condition. That is, even if the user does not have administrator authority, if the network settings meet a predetermined condition, the P2P connection between the PC 100 and the printer 110 is performed. On the other hand, if the user does not have administrator authority and the network settings do not meet the predetermined condition, the P2P connection is not performed, and guidance for wirelessly connecting the printer 110 to the AP 120 is displayed. By such a display control process, it is possible to reduce the chance of the wireless connection process failing, and it is possible to improve UX (user experience).

[0062] Next, a wireless setting instruction issued by the PC 100 to the printer 110 with administrator authority will be described with reference to FIG.

[0063] Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the process of S404 in Fig. 4. When the process of wireless setting instruction in the case of administrator authority is started, in S601, CPU 101 executes the process of disconnecting wireless LAN connection 122 with AP 120 that has been connected up until now. In this embodiment, the configuration in which PC 100 has one wireless LAN I / F 109 capable of P2P connection is described as an example. Therefore, in S601, wireless LAN connection 122 with AP 120 is temporarily disconnected. However, if PC 100 has multiple wireless LAN I / Fs capable of P2P connection, the process of S601 and the process of S615 described later may not be executed.

[0064] In S602, the CPU 101 uses the API of the OS to determine whether or not the DHCP setting of the IPv4 setting of the wireless LAN I / F 109 that is capable of P2P connection is invalid. If it is determined that the DHCP setting is invalid, the process proceeds to S603, and if it is determined that the DHCP setting is not invalid, for example, valid, the process proceeds to S606.

[0065] In S603, CPU 101 obtains the IP address assigned to wireless LAN I / F 109 using the API of the OS, and stores it in a storage area such as RAM 105. In S604, CPU 101 uses the API of the OS to change the DHCP setting of the IPv4 setting of wireless LAN I / F 109 that is capable of P2P connection to valid. In S605, CPU 101 changes a temporary change flag indicating that the DHCP setting of the IPv4 setting of wireless LAN I / F 109 has been temporarily changed to ON. The temporary change flag is stored in advance in a storage area of, for example, RAM 105 as a flag indicating whether the DHCP setting has been changed.

[0066] In S606, the CPU 101 establishes a P2P connection with the wireless LAN I / F 116 of the printer 110 operating in the wireless setting mode via the wireless LAN connection 123. This P2P connection connection process may be, for example, a P2P connection connection process defined by IEEE802.11.

[0067] In S607, the CPU 101 is assigned an IP address by DHCP from the printer 110 via a WiFi connection with the wireless LAN I / F 116 of the printer 110 operating in the wireless setting mode. By assigning the IP address by DHCP, the CPU 101 becomes capable of communicating with the printer 110.

[0068] In S608, the CPU 101 acquires an SSID list from the printer 110 via a P2P connection. The SSID list is a list indicating one or more access points to which the printer 110 can connect, which are detected by the printer 110 executing an AP search. Details of S608 will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0069] In S609, the CPU 101 refers to wireless profile information included in the network information 104 of the PC 100. Then, before the start of the process in Fig. 6, for example, the wireless profile information including the SSID of the AP 120 that was connected immediately before and whose wireless LAN connection 122 was disconnected in S601, and a password required to connect to the AP 120. Hereinafter, the above AP 120 is referred to as a connected AP.

[0070] In S610, the CPU 101 determines whether or not the SSID of the connected AP acquired in S609 is included in the SSID list acquired in S608. If it is determined that the SSID is included in the SSID list, the process proceeds to S612, and if it is determined that the SSID is not included in the SSID list, the process proceeds to S611.

[0071] In step S611, the CPU 101 displays on the display device 106 a network information input screen for receiving input of network information.

[0072] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a network information input screen displayed in S611. The network information input screen 700 includes a drop-down list 701 for selecting an SSID name, an input area 703 for inputting a password, and a "Next" button 704. The drop-down list 701 lists information of the SSID list acquired from the printer 110 in S608. Since the drop-down list 701 includes only access points to which the printer 110 can connect, a case where the connected AP is not included in the received list means that the printer 110 cannot connect to the connected AP. An access point that can be connected using an encryption method that is not compatible with the printer 110 is not connectable to the printer 110, and therefore is not included in the drop-down list 701. Furthermore, an access point that can be connected using a frequency band that is not compatible with the printer 110 is not connectable to the printer 110, and therefore is not included in the drop-down list 701.

[0073] FIG. 7 shows a state where “SSID-A” 702 is selected, and “SSID-A” is the SSID of the AP 120 (different from the connected AP). In FIG. 7, “12345678” is input in the input field 703, and “12345678” is the password of the SSID “SSID-A” of the AP 120. In this embodiment, an example in which SSIDs are listed in the drop-down list 701 is described, but a configuration in which the user inputs the SSID name using the input field may also be used. The network information input screen 700 displays guidance that prompts the user to select an AP to which the printer 110 is to be connected and to input the password of the AP. When the user selects an AP, inputs the password of the AP, and presses the “Next” button 704, the CPU 101 holds the SSID selected in the drop-down list 701 and the password input in the input field 703 in a storage area such as the RAM 105 as wireless setting information to be transmitted to the printer 110.

[0074] In S612, the CPU 101 stores the SSID that matches the connected AP in the SSID list and the password acquired from the wireless profile information in S609 in a storage area such as the RAM 105 as wireless setting information.

[0075] In S613, CPU 101 transmits wireless setting information as a wireless setting instruction to printer 110 via the P2P connection. The wireless setting information includes the SSID and password of AP 120. In S614, CPU 101 disconnects wireless LAN connection 123 (P2P connection) with wireless LAN I / F 116 of printer 110 operating in wireless setting mode. This P2P connection disconnection process may be, for example, a P2P connection disconnection process defined by IEEE802.11. In S615, CPU 101 again establishes wireless LAN connection 122 with AP 120 disconnected in S601 via infrastructure connection.

[0076] In S616, the CPU 101 determines whether or not the temporary change flag stored in the storage area is ON. If it is determined that the temporary change flag is ON, the process proceeds to S617, and if it is determined that the temporary change flag is not ON, the process in FIGS. 6 and 4 ends.

[0077] In S617, CPU 101 uses the API of the OS to change the DHCP setting of the IPv4 setting of wireless LAN I / F 109 from enabled to disabled. In S618, CPU 101 uses the API of the OS to set the IP address stored in a storage area such as RAM 105 in S603 as the IP address of wireless LAN I / F 109. After S618, the processing in Figs. 6 and 4 ends.

[0078] As described above, in this embodiment, if the DHCP setting is invalid, the IP address of the wireless LAN I / F 109 is stored in an internal storage area, and the DHCP setting is then changed to valid. This makes it possible for the printer 110 to assign an IP address. Then, after the P2P connection with the printer 110 is disconnected, the DHCP setting is changed to invalid, and the IP address previously stored in the internal storage area is set as the IP address of the wireless LAN I / F 109. This makes it possible to maintain the network setting (IP address) before the wireless connection process.

[0079] Next, a wireless setting instruction issued by the PC 100 to the printer 110 in the case of a non-administrator authority will be described with reference to FIG.

[0080] Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the process of S406 in Fig. 4. When the process of wireless setting instruction in the case of non-administrator authority is started, the process of Fig. 8 is executed. S801 to S807 and S809 to S811 in Fig. 8 are similar to S601, S606 to S611, and S613 to S615 in Fig. 6, and therefore their description will be omitted.

[0081] If it is determined in S806 that the SSID of the connected AP acquired in S805 is included in the SSID list acquired from the printer 110, the process proceeds to S808.

[0082] In S808, the CPU 101 displays on the display device 106 a password entry screen for accepting entry of a password.

[0083] 9 is a diagram showing an example of a password input screen displayed in S808. The password input screen 900 includes a display area 901 that displays the SSID of the connected AP acquired in S805, an input area 902 for inputting a password, and a "Next" button 903. As an example, "12345678" is input in the input area 902, and "12345678" is the password for the SSID "SSID-A" of the connected AP. The password input screen 900 displays guidance for prompting input of the password of the AP 120. When the user inputs a password and presses the "Next" button 903, the CPU 101 stores the SSID that matches the connected AP in the SSID list acquired from the printer 110 and the password entered in the input area 902 as wireless setting information in a storage area such as the RAM 105.

[0084] As described above, in this embodiment, even if the user does not have administrator authority, if the DHCP setting is valid, the wireless connection process is executed via a P2P connection between the PC 100 and the printer 110. This reduces the chance of the wireless connection process failing due to lack of administrator authority, and improves the UX. In addition, in the wireless connection process executed when the user does not have administrator authority, the user is configured to input the password of the connected AP. This allows the wireless connection process to be executed even if the user does not have administrator authority.

[0085] Next, the wireless setting process performed by the printer 110 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0086] Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing a wireless setting process executed by the printer 110. For example, the process of Fig. 10 is realized by the CPU 111 of the printer 110 reading out the program 113 stored in the ROM 112 into the RAM 115 and executing it. The process of Fig. 10 is started by a specific condition being triggered. For example, the specific condition may be that an instruction for prompting a specific operation is displayed on the display device 117 using the input I / F 118 of the printer 110 and the specific operation is received from the user. The specific operation may be an operation on a panel or an operation on the housing of the printer 110. In addition, the specific condition may be when the user purchases the printer 110 and turns on the power for the first time (when it arrives).

[0087] In S1001, the CPU 111 searches for surrounding beacons using the wireless LAN I / F 116 and creates an SSID list. The SSID list is a list indicating one or more access points to which the printer 110 can connect, which are discovered by the printer 110 executing an AP search, as in the description of FIG.

[0088] In S1002, the CPU 111 starts the wireless setting mode and prepares for a P2P connection with the PC 100 via the wireless connection 123. The preparation for the P2P connection is a process of operating the wireless LAN I / F 116 in the wireless setting mode, transmitting a beacon, and waiting for a connection from the PC 100. At this point, the printer 110 is the above-mentioned "printer 110 operating in the wireless setting mode."

[0089] When the PC 100 connects to the wireless LAN I / F 116 of the printer 110 operating in the wireless setting mode and a P2P connection is established via the wireless connection 123, the process proceeds to S1003.

[0090] In S1003, CPU 111 checks for an information acquisition request from PC 100. In S1004, CPU 111 determines whether or not there is a request for an SSID list from PC 100 to printer 110 as an information acquisition request from PC 100. The request for an SSID list here refers to a request for an SSID list made from PC 100 to printer 110 in S608 in FIG. 6 and S804 in FIG. 8. If it is determined that there is a request for an SSID list, the process proceeds to S1006, and if it is determined that there is no request for an SSID list, the process proceeds to S1005. In S1006, CPU 111 transmits the SSID list to PC 100, which is the request source. Thereafter, the process from S1003 is repeated.

[0091] In S1005, CPU 111 checks for an instruction from PC 100. In S1007, CPU 111 determines whether or not there is a wireless setting instruction from PC 100 to printer 110 as an instruction from PC 100. The wireless setting instruction here refers to a wireless setting instruction issued as transmission of wireless setting information from PC 100 to printer 110 in S613 of Fig. 6 and S809 of Fig. 8. If it is determined that there is a wireless setting instruction, the process proceeds to S1008, and if it is determined that there is no wireless setting instruction, the process repeats from S1003.

[0092] In S1008, the CPU 111 ends the wireless setting mode and transitions to infrastructure mode. That is, the CPU 111 connects the wireless LAN I / F 116 to the SSID of the AP 120 instructed by the PC 100, and establishes a wireless connection 124 in infrastructure connection. Thereafter, the printer 110 becomes able to communicate via the network formed by the connected AP 120. After S1008, the processing in FIG. 10 ends.

[0093] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to display appropriate guidance for wirelessly connecting the printer 110 to a specific AP 120 depending on the presence or absence of administrator authority and the network settings. As a result, it is possible to reduce the chance of failure in the wireless connection process for the printer 110, and it is possible to improve the UX.

[0094] [Other embodiments] The various controls described above as being performed by CPU 101 of PC 100 may be performed by a single piece of hardware, or the entire device may be controlled by multiple pieces of hardware (e.g., multiple processors or circuits) sharing the processing.

[0095] In the above-described embodiment, the PC 100 is used as an example of the electronic device, but the present invention is not limited to this example, and any electronic device capable of communication in the direct communication mode can be used. That is, a personal computer, a PDA, a mobile phone terminal, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a music player, a game machine, an electronic book reader, and the like can be used as the electronic device. In addition, the printer 110 is used as an example of the external device in the present embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to this example, and any external device usable by instructions or control from the electronic device can be used. That is, a printer, a scanner, a video output device, an audio output device (e.g., a smart speaker), a media streaming player, and the like can be used as the external device. The video output device, for example, acquires (downloads) a video on the Internet specified by a URL instructed by the electronic device. Then, the video output device is a device that realizes streaming playback on the display device or realizes mirroring display by outputting the video to a display device connected via a video output terminal such as HDMI (registered trademark). Note that the mirroring display is a display in which the content displayed on the electronic device is also displayed on the display device. In addition, an example of communication by direct connection via wireless LAN has been described as the direct communication mode. However, the direct connection is not limited to this and may be realized by other types of communication such as Bluetooth, BLE, and NFC.

[0096] The present invention can also be realized by a process in which a program for implementing one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or device read and execute the program. The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that implements one or more of the functions.

[0097] The disclosure of the present embodiment includes the following program, a storage medium for storing the program, an electronic device, and a method for controlling an electronic device. (Item 1) Electronic equipment computers, An acquisition means for acquiring predetermined information as to whether the user has administrator authority; Based on the predetermined information acquired by the acquisition means, If the authority is an administrator, communication with the external device is performed in the first communication mode regardless of whether the network setting state satisfies a predetermined condition, if the user does not have administrator authority and the network setting state satisfies the predetermined condition, communicate with the external device in the first communication mode; if the user does not have administrator authority and the network setting state does not satisfy the predetermined condition, communication with the external device in the first communication mode is not performed. A control means for controlling the A program to function as a (Item 2) The program described in item 1, characterized in that the control means, with administrator authority, controls the communication with the external device in the first communication mode by changing the settings so that the settings satisfy the specified conditions when the network setting state does not satisfy the specified conditions. (Item 3) 3. The program according to item 2, wherein a setting change for changing a setting state that does not satisfy the predetermined condition to a setting state that satisfies the predetermined condition is a setting change that requires administrator authority. (Item 4) The program described in item 3, characterized in that the setting state that satisfies the specified condition is a setting state in which the external device can assign setting information to the electronic device so that the external device can specify the electronic device and communicate in the first communication mode. (Item 5) 5. The program according to item 3 or 4, wherein the setting state that satisfies the predetermined condition is a setting state in which Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is enabled. (Item 6) The program described in any one of items 3 to 5, characterized in that when the external device communicates with the electronic device in the first communication mode, the external device assigns setting information to the electronic device so that the external device can specify the electronic device and communicate in the first communication mode. (Item 7) The control means If the authority is an administrator authority, control is performed so as to acquire, from history information, specific information for connecting to a specific access point in a second communication mode different from the first communication mode, and transmit the acquired specific information to the external device connected in the first communication mode; if the user does not have administrator authority, transmit information input by a user as the specific information to the external device connected in the first communication mode, without obtaining the specific information from the history information; 7. The program according to any one of items 1 to 6, characterized in that the program controls the operation in the manner described above. (Item 8) 8. The program according to item 7, wherein the second communication mode is a communication mode via infrastructure connection. (Item 9) 9. The program according to item 8, wherein the first communication mode is a communication mode via a direct connection. (Item 10) The program described in any one of items 7 to 9, characterized in that the control means controls the external device to connect to the specific access point in the second communication mode by transmitting the specific information to the external device through communication in the first communication mode. (Item 11) 11. The program according to any one of items 7 to 10, wherein the specific information includes a password for connecting to the specific access point. (Item 12) 12. The program according to any one of items 7 to 11, wherein the specific information includes identification information of the specific access point. (Item 13) The program described in any one of items 7 to 12, characterized in that the specific access point is an access point to which the electronic device was connected in the second communication mode immediately before the electronic device communicated with the external device in the first communication mode. (Item 14) the external device is a printing device, The program described in any one of items 1 to 13, characterized in that the control means controls the electronic device to perform a setting process to enable the external device to be used from the electronic device after communicating with the external device in the first communication mode. (Item 15) 15. The program according to item 14, wherein the setting process includes a process for generating a print queue corresponding to the external device. (Item 16) The program described in any one of items 1 to 15, characterized in that the specified information is information based on operations performed by a user on a UAC screen displayed by a User Account Control (UAC) function of an operating system. (Item 17) 17. The program according to item 16, further causing the computer of the electronic device to function as a display control means for controlling the computer to display the UAC screen. (Item 18) A computer-readable storage medium storing the program according to any one of items 1 to 17. (Item 19) 18. An electronic device comprising each of the program means described in any one of items 1 to 17. (Item 20) A method for controlling an electronic device, comprising: An acquisition step of acquiring predetermined information on whether the user has administrator authority; Based on the predetermined information acquired in the acquisition step, If the authority is an administrator, communication with the external device is performed in the first communication mode regardless of whether the network setting state satisfies a predetermined condition, if the user does not have administrator authority and the network setting state satisfies the predetermined condition, communicate with the external device in the first communication mode; if the user does not have administrator authority and the network setting state does not satisfy the predetermined condition, communication with the external device in the first communication mode is not performed. A control step of controlling so that 13. A method for controlling an electronic device comprising:

[0098] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0099] 100 PC: 101, 111 CPU: 102, 112 ROM: 105, 115 RAM: 110 Printer: 120 AP

Claims

1. Electronic equipment computers, An acquisition means for acquiring predetermined information as to whether the authority to execute the program is an administrator authority capable of changing the settings of the operating system; Based on the predetermined information acquired by the acquisition means, if the authority is the administrator and the setting state of the operating system regarding a network is a first setting state, communicating with an external device in a first communication mode; if the authority is the administrator and the setting state of the operating system related to the network is a second setting state, automatically changing the setting of the operating system to the first setting state and communicating with the external device in the first communication mode; if the user does not have the administrator authority and the setting state of the operating system is the first setting state, performing communication with the external device in the first communication mode; if the user does not have the administrator authority and the setting state of the operating system is the second setting state, communication with the external device in the first communication mode is not performed. A control means for controlling the A program to function as a

2. The program described in claim 1, characterized in that the control means is the administrator authority, and when the setting state of the operating system is the second setting state, it changes it to the first setting state and communicates with the external device in the first communication mode, and then automatically returns it to the second setting state after communication with the external device in the first communication mode is terminated.

3. The program according to claim 2, characterized in that the first setting state is a setting state in which the external device can assign setting information to the electronic device so that the external device can specify the electronic device and communicate in the first communication mode.

4. 4. The program according to claim 3, wherein the first setting state is a setting state in which Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is enabled, and the second setting state is a setting state in which the DHCP is disabled.

5. The program described in claim 2, characterized in that when the external device communicates with the electronic device in the first communication mode, the external device assigns setting information to the electronic device so that the external device can specify the electronic device and communicate in the first communication mode.

6. The control means If the authority is the administrator authority, control is performed so as to acquire, from history information, specific information for connecting to a specific access point in a second communication mode different from the first communication mode, and transmit the acquired information to the external device connected in the first communication mode; If the user does not have the administrator authority, the specific information is transmitted to the external device connected in the first communication mode as information input by the user without obtaining the specific information from the history information. Controlled as follows:

2. The program according to claim 1, wherein the specific information can be obtained from the history information only with the administrator authority.

7. 7. The computer-readable medium according to claim 6, wherein the second communication mode is a communication mode based on an infrastructure connection.

8. 8. The computer-readable medium according to claim 7, wherein the first communication mode is a communication mode using a direct connection.

9. The program according to claim 6, characterized in that the control means controls the external device to connect to the specific access point in the second communication mode by transmitting the specific information to the external device through communication in the first communication mode.

10. 7. The program according to claim 6, wherein the specific information includes a password for connecting to the specific access point.

11. 7. The program according to claim 6, wherein the specific information includes identification information of the specific access point.

12. 7. The program according to claim 6, wherein the specific access point is an access point to which the electronic device was connected in the second communication mode immediately before the electronic device communicated with the external device in the first communication mode.

13. the external device is a printing device, 2. The program according to claim 1, wherein the control means controls to perform a setting process for enabling the external device to be used from the electronic device after communicating with the external device in the first communication mode.

14. 14. The program according to claim 13, wherein the setting process includes a process of generating a print queue corresponding to the external device.

15. 2. The program according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined information is information based on an operation performed by a user on a User Account Control (UAC) screen displayed by a User Account Control (UAC) function of an operating system.

16. 16. The program according to claim 15, further causing the computer of the electronic device to function as a display control means for controlling the computer to display the UAC screen.

17. A computer-readable storage medium storing the program according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

18. 17. An electronic device comprising each of the program means according to claim 1.

19. A method for controlling an electronic device, comprising: An acquisition step of acquiring predetermined information on whether the authority to execute the program is an administrator authority capable of changing the settings of the operating system; Based on the predetermined information acquired in the acquisition step, if the authority is the administrator and the setting state of the operating system regarding a network is a first setting state, communicating with an external device in a first communication mode; if the authority is the administrator and the setting state of the operating system related to the network is a second setting state, automatically changing the setting of the operating system to the first setting state and communicating with the external device in the first communication mode; if the user does not have the administrator authority and the setting state of the operating system is the first setting state, performing communication with the external device in the first communication mode; if the user does not have the administrator authority and the setting state of the operating system is the second setting state, communication with the external device in the first communication mode is not performed. A control step of controlling so that 13. A method for controlling an electronic device comprising:

Images