Program, communication device, and information processing device

Abstract

To reduce time and effort for a user when failing to establish a connection via an external access point between an information processing apparatus and a communication device.SOLUTION: A program causes a computer of an information processing apparatus communicating with a communication device to function as respective means below. First establishment means establishes, between the communication device and the information processing apparatus between which a radio connection setting mode is started, a temporary first connection between the communication device and the information processing apparatus not via an external access point. Provision means provides the communication device with identification information for identifying the external access point to which the information processing apparatus can be connected by using the first connection. Second establishment means tries to establish a second connection between the communication device and the information processing apparatus via the external access point identified according to the identification information provided to the communication device. Instruction means transmits, to the communication device, an instruction to start the setting mode when establishment of the second connection fails before the establishment means tries to establish the second connection.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a program, a communication device, and an information processing device. [Background technology]

[0002] A wireless infrastructure connection (hereinafter referred to as a wireless infrastructure connection) that connects via an external access point is known as a connection method between devices, but establishment of the wireless infrastructure connection can fail due to various factors. Patent Document 1 discloses that when it is determined that communication between a communication device and an information processing device via an external device is not possible, the user is notified of at least one of a communication error that is the cause of the communication not being possible and a method for resolving the error. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-022877 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] If establishment of a wireless infrastructure connection fails, the user may need to manually operate the communication device or refer to a manual, etc. From the viewpoint of improving user convenience, it is desirable to reduce the user's effort in reconnection processing when establishment of a wireless infrastructure connection fails.

[0005] The present invention provides a technique for reducing the user's hassle when an attempt to establish a connection between an information processing device and a communication device via an external access point fails. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, A computer of an information processing device that communicates with the communication device, a first establishing means for establishing a temporary first connection between the communication device and the information processing device, the first connection not passing through an access point external to the communication device and the information processing device, when a setting mode for a wireless connection has been started; Using the first connection ,before providing means for providing identification information for identifying the external access point to the communication device; a second establishing means for attempting to establish a second connection between the communication device and the information processing device via the external access point identified by the identification information provided to the communication device; If the establishment of the second connection fails, The communication device Enter the setting mode for controlling the communication device to command means for transmitting a command to the communication device before the second establishing means attempts to establish the second connection; A program is provided to function as each of the above means. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the effort required of a user when an attempt to establish a connection between an information processing device and a communication device via an external access point fails. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating a system configuration according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a communication system including the hardware configuration of a PC and a printer according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] 6 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by a CPU of a PC and a CPU of a printer. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by a CPU of a PC. [Figure 5] 6 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by a CPU of a printer. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing examples of displayed screens. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing examples of displayed screens. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an automatic connection process failure list. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention claimed. Although multiple features are described in the embodiments, not all of these multiple features are necessarily essential to the invention, and multiple features may be combined arbitrarily. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar components, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0010] The following describes processing between a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a PC), which is an example of an information processing device, and a printer, which is an example of a communication device. When establishing a wireless infrastructure connection between a PC and a printer, the following method can be considered, for example. First, the PC establishes a temporary connection with the printer in wireless setting mode (setting mode for establishing a wireless infrastructure connection) without going through an external access point (hereinafter referred to as an AP). Then, via this temporary connection, the PC sends to the printer information regarding the AP to which the printer should connect when the wireless infrastructure connection is established. The printer connects to the target AP based on the received information.

[0011] Specifically, the PC obtains from the printer a list of APs to which the printer can connect, automatically determines whether the AP connected to the PC is included in the list, and if so, sends information about that AP to the printer. The printer then uses the received information to connect to the target AP. The AP information includes the AP's identification information (such as the SSID (Service Set Identifier)) and authentication information (such as a password) used in the AP authentication process.

[0012] Here, for example, if the printer fails to connect to the AP, the PC may prompt the user to switch back to wireless setting mode by directly operating the printer or to connect to the AP.

[0013] However, such operations can be cumbersome for users. Furthermore, there are cases where the user cannot re-enter wireless setting mode or connect to an AP by directly operating the printer. For example, when a user first powers on a printer after purchasing it, if the printer starts up in a dedicated mode for initial setup, it may be difficult to configure the printer by directly operating the printer itself. Consider a scenario in which a user establishes a wireless infrastructure connection between a PC and the printer before completing the necessary initial setup when purchasing the printer. The PC continually acquires the status of the connected printer and provides the user with setup instructions linked to the printer status on the PC. In this case, since the printer's initial setup is incomplete, if the printer fails to connect to the AP, the user must refer to a manual or other documentation to complete all necessary initial setup of the printer. However, manual guidance is not only cumbersome for users, but also leads some users to skip necessary steps or perform incorrect operations. Therefore, even if the printer fails to connect to the AP, it is desirable to be able to re-attempt the printer's wireless setup without requiring the user to operate the printer. Therefore, in this embodiment, when a temporary connection is established with the printer, the PC sends a command to the printer to re-enter wireless setting mode depending on the conditions. If the printer fails to establish a wireless infrastructure connection with the PC, it re-enters wireless setting mode. This allows the user to continue connecting the PC and printer without having to operate the printer, which is expected to improve convenience. The specific configuration of this embodiment will be described in detail below.

[0014] <System configuration> 1(a) to 1(c) are diagrams illustrating a system configuration according to one embodiment. In FIG. 1(a), a PC 101 and an AP 102 are connected via a wireless LAN. A printer 103 is also connected to the AP 102. In other words, the PC 101 is able to communicate with the printer 103 via the AP 102, and a wireless infrastructure connection has been established. A wireless infrastructure connection allows the PC 101 to build a network environment in which it can communicate with multiple devices.

[0015] Meanwhile, the PC 101 and the printer 103 can also establish a peer-to-peer connection (hereinafter referred to as a P2P connection) via a wireless direct connection. However, during the wireless direct connection, both the PC 101 and the printer 103 use the wireless LAN interfaces 211 and 256 (see FIG. 2) for the wireless direct connection, and therefore cannot communicate with any devices other than each other. For this reason, a wireless direct connection is often used as a temporary connection. Note that, as an example of a connection (direct connection) between the PC 101 and the printer 103 that does not go through an external AP, a connection in which the printer 103 operates as an access point (parent device) and the PC 101 operates as a station (child device) is shown here; however, a direct connection between the PC 101 and the printer 103 may be established using other known methods and modes. For example, a direct connection between the PC 101 and the printer 103 may be established using an Ad-hoc method. In this embodiment, the wireless setting mode is a mode in which the printer 103 establishes a wireless direct connection and operates as an access point for communication via the established connection, and the SSID of the access point is a unique SSID, as described below. In the wireless setting mode, the printer 103 cannot perform some functions, such as printing and scanning. The printer 103 may also be capable of operating in another direct connection mode for direct connection, which is a mode different from the wireless setting mode. The printer 103 also operates as an access point in the other direct connection mode, but the SSID and password of the access point may be arbitrarily set by the user. In the other direct connection mode, functions such as printing and scanning may also be performed. The printer 103 may receive print jobs and the like via a connection between the printer 103 operating in the other mode and the PC 101.

[0016] As will be described in detail later, the PC 101 performs a process of starting a wireless setting mode and connecting a printer 103 operating in the wireless setting mode to the AP 102 via a wireless LAN connection. For this purpose, the PC 101 transmits wireless network connection setting information to the printer 103 operating in the wireless setting mode using a temporary wireless direct connection, thereby connecting the printer 103 to the AP 102. Note that FIGS. 1(b) and 1(c) will be described later. The PC 101 may execute processes other than the process of connecting the printer 103 to the AP 102 through communication with the printer 103 operating in the wireless setting mode. For example, the PC 101 may use a temporary wireless direct connection to obtain connection information (such as an SSID and a password) for connecting to a printer 103 operating in another direct connection mode from the printer 103 operating in the wireless setting mode. Furthermore, a command for starting operation in another direct connection mode may be transmitted to the printer 103 operating in the wireless setting mode. Thereby, a direct connection between the printer 103 operating in another direct connection mode and the PC 101 may be established.

[0017] <00OO098>FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a communication system including the hardware configurations of the PC 101 and the printer 103 according to an embodiment.

[0018] <Configuration of PC 101> The PC 101 includes a CPU 201, a ROM 202, a RAM 206, an external storage device 207, a display device 208, an input interface 209, a USB interface 205, a wired LAN interface 210, and a wireless LAN interface 211. Note that the PC 101 may not include some components such as the USB interface 205 and the wired LAN interface 210. <OO00104> The CPU 201 reads out and executes a program 203 stored in the ROM 202 to realize various processes. The RAM 206 functions as a working memory of the CPU 201.

[0020] The ROM 202 stores various information and programs executed by the CPU 201. For example, the ROM 202 stores a program 203 corresponding to various processes, including a wireless network setting process program (described in detail below) for instructing the printer 103 to set up a wireless network, and a wireless profile 204.

[0021] The wireless profile 204 is information including specific information (such as an SSID) of the AP 102 connected via the wireless LAN interface 211, authentication information (such as a password) used in authentication processing, etc. The wireless profile 204 is stored and managed by the CPU 201 executing the OS included in the external storage device 207. In other words, the external storage device 207 functions as a storage unit in the PC 101 that stores various types of information such as the wireless profile 204.

[0022] Furthermore, when a wireless network setting processing program (such as an application) is installed on the PC 101, a unique SSID that is set uniquely for the printer 103 is also stored in the ROM 202. Here, the SSID unique to the printer 103 is the SSID that is transmitted by the printer 103 in beacon information that is emitted for temporary connection. Furthermore, the unique SSID is an SSID that cannot be changed arbitrarily by the user.

[0023] The external storage device 207 also stores an operating system (hereinafter referred to as OS), a printer driver, and various other data.

[0024] PC 101 can perform P2P communication with printer 103 via USB cable 221 using USB interface 205, or via wireless direct connection 224 using wireless LAN interface 211. PC 101 can also be connected to LAN 222 via Ethernet cable 225, and if printer 103 can also be connected to LAN 222, PC 101 and printer 103 can communicate with each other in the same LAN 222 environment. Furthermore, PC 101 can connect to AP 102 via a wireless infrastructure connection, and AP 102 can connect to LAN 222 via Ethernet cable 226, thereby enabling PC 101 to connect to LAN 222.

[0025] <Configuration of Printer 103> The printer 103 includes a USB interface 251 , a CPU 252 , a ROM 253 , a wireless LAN interface 256 , a RAM 257 , a display device 258 , an input interface 259 , and a printing unit 260 .

[0026] The CPU 252 realizes various processes by reading out programs stored in the ROM 253 into the RAM 257 and executing them. The RAM 257 functions as a working memory for the CPU 252.

[0027] The ROM 253 stores various information and a program 254 executed by the CPU 252. The information stored in the ROM 253 includes a wireless profile 255. Here, the wireless profile 255 is information including settings such as specific information (such as an SSID) and authentication information (such as a password) of the AP 102 connected via the wireless LAN interface 256. The wireless profile 255 is stored and managed by the CPU 252 executing the program 254 included in the ROM 253.

[0028] The ROM 253 also stores an SSID specific to the printer 103. The specific SSID is uniquely determined for the manufacturer and model of the printer 103, and the wireless LAN interface 256 of the printer 103 can operate as an AP identified by this specific SSID. Therefore, the PC 101 can directly connect to the printer 103 operating as an AP, just as when connecting to the printer 103 via the AP 102.

[0029] The printer 103 is capable of P2P communication with the PC 101 via a USB cable 221 using a USB interface 251, or via a wireless direct connection 224 using a wireless LAN interface 256. The printer 103 is also connected to the AP 102 via a wireless infrastructure connection, and the AP 102 is connected to the LAN 222 via an Ethernet cable 226, thereby enabling the printer 103 to connect to the LAN 222. Note that the printer 103 may not include some of the components, such as the USB interface 251.

[0030] In the description of FIG. 2, the PC 101 and the printer 103 share the processing load as described above as an example, but other forms of sharing of processing load may also be used.

[0031] <Processing example> 3 to 5, examples of processing by CPU 201 and CPU 252 will be described. In particular, processing for performing wireless settings (settings for establishing a wireless infrastructure connection) of printer 103 and processing for continuing the wireless settings if the wireless settings have failed will be described. More specifically, continuation of processing for establishing a wireless infrastructure connection depending on the cause of the wireless settings failure will be described.

[0032] In the following description, the connection method in which the PC 101 and the printer 103 establish a temporary direct connection (S305) and the PC 101 instructs the printer 103 to make wireless settings (S311) will be referred to as automatic connection processing.

[0033] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of processing when the printer executes the wireless settings instructed by the PC 101 according to an embodiment. The processing by the PC 101 is realized by the CPU 201 reading the program 203 stored in the ROM 202 into the RAM 206 and executing it. The processing by the printer 103 is realized by the CPU 252 reading the program 254 stored in the ROM 253 into the RAM 257 and executing it. Here, it is assumed that the PC 101 is already connected to the external AP 102, and the SSID and password of the AP 102 are stored in the wireless profile 204. FIG. 1(b) shows the system configuration at this time.

[0034] <Example of PC101's processing> First, the processing of the CPU 201 of the PC 101 will be described. In S301, the CPU 201 causes the display device 208 to display a predetermined screen by a program (such as an application) of network setting processing included in the program 203. When the user gives a predetermined instruction for connecting the PC 101 to the printer on that screen, the CPU 201 starts the subsequent processing (wireless setting instruction processing) for the wireless setting instruction.

[0035] In S302, the CPU 201 disconnects the wireless connection with the AP 102. This is to establish a wireless direct connection between the PC 101 and the printer 103.

[0036] In S303, the CPU 201 searches for the printer 103 that is in the wireless setting mode. This is to detect the printer 103 capable of establishing a temporary wireless direct connection. In S304, if the CPU 201 can detect the printer 103 by the processing of S303, it proceeds to S305; otherwise, it proceeds to S319. Specifically, the CPU 201 executes a detection process for an AP corresponding to the SSID unique to the printer 103 and determines whether the detection is successful.

[0037] In S305, the CPU 201 causes the wireless LAN interface 211 to establish a wireless direct connection (P2P connection) with the printer 103. Specifically, the CPU 201 connects the wireless LAN interface 211 to an AP with an SSID unique to the printer 103. In other words, the CPU 201 connects the wireless LAN interface 211 to the wireless LAN interface 256 that functions as an AP inside the printer 103.

[0038] In S306, the CPU 201 sends an information acquisition request to the printer 103 and receives an SSID list by receiving a response from the printer 103. This SSID list is a list of SSIDs of surrounding APs from which the printer 103 has searched and obtained beacon information. This will be described in detail later. In S306, the CPU 201 also receives identification information (such as a MAC address) of the printer 103 from the printer 103.

[0039] In S307, the CPU 201 refers to the wireless profile 204 stored in the PC 101 (ROM 202). Here, the CPU 201 acquires a wireless profile including the SSID of the AP 102 to which the PC 101 was connected at the start of the processing shown in FIG. 3 and whose wireless connection was terminated in S302.

[0040] In S308, the CPU 201 checks whether the SSID of the AP 102 acquired in S307 is included in the SSID list acquired in S306. In S309, if the result of the check in S308 shows that the SSID of the AP 102 acquired in S307 is included in the SSID list, the CPU 201 proceeds to S310; if not, the CPU 201 proceeds to S319. In steps S308 and S309, the printer 103 detects the AP 102 that disconnected from the PC 101 in S302, and determines whether the printer 103 and the AP 102 are in a connectable state. Note that in this embodiment, the AP 102 that disconnected from the PC 101 in S302 may be referred to as the AP 102 to be connected to by the printer 103.

[0041] In S310, the CPU 201 checks whether there is a history of automatic connection processing failures, and if there is a history of failures, proceeds to S319, and if there is no history of failures, proceeds to S311. The CPU 201 references the automatic connection processing failure list (see FIG. 8) and determines whether there is a history of wireless setting failures between the printer 103 and the connection target AP 102.

[0042] In S311, the CPU 201 transmits to the printer 103 a command for wireless configuration, a command for re-entering wireless configuration mode if the wireless configuration has failed, and identification information (such as the MAC address) of the PC 101. The command for wireless configuration includes wireless profile information (including the SSID and password) of the AP 102 to be connected to. In other words, the CPU 201 provides the printer 103 with identification information for identifying an external AP to which the PC 101 can connect. Also, hereinafter, a command for re-entering wireless configuration mode if the wireless configuration has failed will be referred to as a re-mode-in command. Note that, although these commands and information are transmitted to the printer 103 in one step here, they may be transmitted over multiple steps. Also, for example, the identification information of the PC 101 may be transmitted when a wireless direct connection is established between the PC 101 and the printer 103.

[0043] In S312, the CPU 201 disconnects the wireless direct connection with the printer 103 and reconnects to the AP 102. Then, in S313, the CPU 201 deletes any wireless profiles that have temporarily remained in the wireless direct connection. This step is performed to prevent wireless profiles that are not intended by the user from remaining.

[0044] In S314, the CPU 201 searches for the printer 103 via an infrastructure connection via the AP 102. Specifically, the CPU 201 receives identification information (such as a MAC address) from a device connected to the AP 102. The CPU 201 then determines whether the received identification information includes identification information that matches the identification information acquired from the printer 103 in S306. This makes it possible to confirm whether the printer 103 is connected to the AP 102.

[0045] In S315, if the CPU 201 determines that the printer 103 was detected by the search in S314, the process proceeds to S316; otherwise, the process proceeds to S318.

[0046] In S316, the CPU 201 displays a setting success screen 601 as shown in FIG. 6A on the display device 208. When the user selects the "Next" button 602 on the setting success screen 601, the CPU 201 ends the wireless setting instruction process (S317). Note that the CPU 201 may connect the PC 101 and the printer 103 via the AP 102 when it is determined in S315 that the printer 103 has been detected. Alternatively, the CPU 201 may connect the PC 101 and the printer 103 via the AP 102 when it detects that the "Next" button 602 has been pressed.

[0047] In S318, the CPU 201 determines whether the automatic connection process between the PC 101 and the printer 103 failed. If the CPU 201 determines in S318 that the automatic connection process between the PC 101 and the printer 103 failed, the process proceeds to S319; otherwise, the process proceeds to S320. Examples of cases in which the CPU 201 determines that the automatic connection process between the PC 101 and the printer 103 did not fail include when the connection process using the PBC (Push Button Configuration) method of WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) has failed.

[0048] WPS is a standard for wireless settings established in January 2007 by the Wi-Fi Alliance, an industry group related to wireless LANs. With the WPS PBC method, the device and AP automatically switch to WPS mode when the user presses a button on the device and AP. When the device and AP recognize each other as being in WPS mode, they communicate the information necessary for connection. This allows the device and AP to connect.

[0049] In S320, the CPU 201 displays a setting failure screen 611 as shown in Fig. 6(b) on the display device 208 as an error display. That is, the CPU 201 executes display control of the display device 208. Then, the CPU 201 ends the wireless setting instruction process based on the reception of a user selection using the "Next" button 612 on the setting failure screen 611 (S317). For example, if the connection process using the WPS PBC method process has failed (S318: No), it is determined that the connection process cannot be continued, and the setting failure screen 611 is displayed.

[0050] On the other hand, if the process proceeds from S304, S309, S310, or S318 to S319, the CPU 201 performs a connection process that can be continued depending on the cause of the failure of the automatic connection process. In this embodiment, this process is referred to as a connection continuation process.

[0051] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by the CPU 201, and shows a specific example of the connection continuation processing (S319) of FIG.

[0052] If the CPU 201 determines in S402 that it has failed to detect the printer 103 in wireless setting mode (S304: No→S319), it determines that it is impossible to establish a temporary connection between the PC 101 and the printer 103 and that it is difficult to establish a wireless infrastructure connection through the automatic connection process. Therefore, the CPU 201 proceeds to S412, reconnects to the connection target AP 102, and ends the connection continuation process (S413). In this case, the CPU 201 proceeds to S320 in FIG. 3, displays the setting failure screen 611 on the display device 208, and ends the flowchart in FIG. 3. On the other hand, if the CPU 201 determines that it has not failed to detect the printer 103 in wireless setting mode, it proceeds to S403.

[0053] If the CPU 201 determines in S403 that the SSID of the connection target AP 102 is not included in the SSID list acquired from the printer 103 in S306 (S309: No -> S319), the process proceeds to S410, where it switches the AP to which the PC 101 is connected and attempts to perform the automatic connection process again.On the other hand, if the CPU 201 determines that the SSID of the connection target AP 102 is included in the SSID list acquired from the printer 103 in S306, the process proceeds to S404.

[0054] 1(c) shows a system configuration in which there is another AP 104 other than the connection target AP (here, AP 102) that may be visible from both PC 101 and printer 103. In this case, by switching the connection destination of PC 101 to AP 104 and performing the automatic connection process again, it may be possible to establish a wireless infrastructure connection between PC 101 and printer 103.

[0055] Specifically, in S410, the CPU 201 displays a PC connection destination change screen 701 as shown in FIG. 7A and accepts a selection of whether to change the connection destination AP. The PC connection destination change screen 701 includes an SSID list 702, a password setting section 703, a WEP key selection section 704, a "Next" button 705, and a "Cancel" button 706. The SSID list 702 displays a list of SSIDs found by the OS included in the PC's external storage device 207. The user selects a desired SSID from the SSID list 702 and enters the password (characters or numbers) set for the selected SSID in the password setting section 703. If communication via the SSID selected in the SSID list 702 is encrypted with WEP, the PC 101 activates the WEP key selection section 704 and prompts the user to select a WEP key. Thereafter, when the user presses the "Next" button 705, the CPU 201 closes the PC connection destination change screen 701 displayed on the display device 208, and the process proceeds to S411.

[0056] In S411, if the CPU 201 determines that the AP to which PC 101 is to connect is to be changed (S411: Yes), it changes the AP to which PC 101 is to connect to the AP identified by the SSID selected in S410, and stores the SSID and password as a wireless profile in ROM 202. Thereafter, the CPU 201 returns to the process of S302 and executes the automatic connection process again (S406, S321).

[0057] On the other hand, if the user presses the "Cancel" button 706 and the PC 101 determines not to change the connection destination of the PC 101 (S411: No), the CPU 201 determines that automatic connection processing to the connection target AP is impossible, reconnects to the connection target AP (S412), and terminates the connection continuation processing (S413). In this case, the CPU 201 returns to the flowchart of FIG. 3 and performs display control to display the setting failure screen 611 on the display device 208 in S320.

[0058] In this embodiment, the SSID list 702 in FIG. 7A displays a list of SSIDs searched by the OS, but this configuration is not limited thereto. For example, only SSIDs that exist in both the SSID list searched by the OS and the SSID list acquired in S306 may be displayed. In addition, in this embodiment, the user is prompted to operate the password setting section 703 and the WEP key selection section 704. However, if wireless profile information for an SSID selected from the SSID list 702 is stored in the ROM 202, this information may be used. In addition, the PC connection destination change screen 701 lists SSIDs for the user to select, but this configuration is not limited thereto. For example, the user may be prompted only to switch the AP to which the PC 101 is connected using the OS settings.

[0059] If the CPU 201 determines in S404 that there is no history of failure of the automatic connection process of the printer 103 to the connection target AP 102 (S315: No → S318: Yes → S319), the process proceeds to S405, where the CPU 201 creates or adds to the automatic connection process failure list. FIG. 8 shows an example of the automatic connection process failure list, in which the unique SSID of the printer 103 that performed the automatic connection process and the SSID of the AP 102 are associated and stored in the external storage device 207. The CPU 201 associates the SSIDs of the currently targeted printer 103 and AP 102 and stores them in the list. In other words, the CPU 201 executes storage control to store failure information in which the identification information of the printer 103 and the identification information of the AP 102 are associated in the external storage device 207. Thereafter, the CPU 201 returns to the process of S302 and executes the automatic connection process again (S406, S321).

[0060] On the other hand, if the CPU 201 determines in S404 that there is a history of failure of the automatic connection process (S310: Yes→S319), it determines that the automatic connection process to the connection target AP is unlikely to be successful, and proceeds to S407.

[0061] In S407, the CPU 201 displays a guide for another connection method. For example, the CPU 201 displays a WPS guide screen 711 on the display device 208, as shown in FIG. 7B. Even if the automatic connection process has already failed once, it may be possible to establish a wireless infrastructure connection between the PC 101 and the printer 103 using a connection method other than the automatic connection process. Therefore, the CPU 201 prompts the user to connect using another method.

[0062] In S408, the CPU 201 accepts a user operation on the WPS guide screen 711, and if an attempt is made to connect the PC 101 and the printer 103 by another means, the process proceeds to S409, and if not, the process proceeds to S410.

[0063] Returning to FIG. 7B, the WPS guidance screen 711 has a "Next" button 712, a "Cancel" button 713, and a connection target AP information display section 714. The user follows the guidance on the WPS guidance screen 711 and performs a predetermined operation on the connection target AP to switch to WPS mode. Next, the printer 103 needs to switch to WPS mode, but there are cases where switching to WPS mode by manually operating the printer 103 is not possible. Therefore, when the user presses the "Next" button 712 (Yes in S408), the CPU 201 transmits a WPS mode switch instruction to the printer 103. The CPU 201 then executes the processes from S312 onward in FIG. 3 (S409, S322). Thereafter, if the PC 101 determines in S315 that it has detected the printer 103 connected to the connection target AP through the WPS PBC method processing, the PC 101 executes the process of S316 and ends the wireless setting instruction process (S317).

[0064] On the other hand, if the user selects the "Cancel" button 713 on the WPS guide screen 711, the CPU 201 determines not to perform connection processing using the WPS PBC method processing (S408: No), and proceeds to S410.

[0065] In this embodiment, if it is determined that the combination of the target AP and the unique SSID of the printer with which a P2P connection was established in step S305 is included in the automatic connection processing failure list, the next connection method is suggested as a connection using the PBC method of WPS. However, the suggested connection method is not limited to this. For example, the PC 101 may communicate with the printer 103 using a P2P connection, and a wireless connection setting screen for the printer 103 may be displayed on the display device 208 of the PC 101, prompting the user for input. Furthermore, even when the PBC method is used, it is not limited to WPS. For example, technologies such as AOSS (Airstation One-touch Secure System) and Raku-Raku Wireless Start may also be used. Furthermore, although the target AP information display unit 714 displays the SSID as AP information, the displayed AP information is not limited to this. For example, other information indicating the target AP (such as a MAC address) may also be included. In addition, in this embodiment, if the result of S310 is Yes and the result of S404 is No, the guidance display of S407 is first performed, and if the result of S408 is No, the guidance display of S410 is performed, but this order is not limited to this. In this case, the guidance display of S410 may be performed first, and if the result of S411 is No, the guidance display of S407 may be performed.

[0066] <Printer 103 processing example> Referring again to FIG. 3 , the wireless setting process of the printer 103 will be described in detail. This flowchart begins when the CPU 252 determines that the printer 103 should transition to wireless setting mode. For example, when a user powers on the printer 103 via the input interface 259 of the printer 103, the CPU 252 determines to automatically transition to wireless setting mode if the necessary initial settings have not been completed. Once the printer 103 is in wireless setting mode, the printer 103 operates the wireless LAN interface 256 as an AP identified by an SSID unique to the printer 103. The wireless LAN interface 256 operating as an AP is used temporarily when performing connection settings. The wireless LAN interface 256 operates as an AP with a low security level, for example, to connect the PC 101 and the printer 103 without requiring the user to enter authentication information (such as a password). Therefore, transition to wireless setting mode may be limited to certain conditions, such as when the power is turned on when the necessary initial settings have not been completed, as described above. Note that other conditions for transitioning to wireless setting mode may also be used. For example, the printer 103 may be configured to transition to wireless setting mode when the user gives a predetermined instruction on the display device 258 or input interface 259 of the printer 103 .

[0067] In S352, the CPU 252 of the printer 103 searches for surrounding APs after the power is turned on and before the printer 103 transitions to the wireless setting mode, and creates an SSID list including the SSIDs of the detected APs.

[0068] In S353, the CPU 252 transitions to the wireless setting mode. In S354, the CPU 252 checks whether or not there has been an information acquisition request from the PC 101. In S355, the CPU 252 proceeds to S356 if there has been an information acquisition request, and proceeds to S357 if there has not been an information acquisition request.

[0069] In S356, the CPU 252 transmits information to the PC 101 and returns to S354. Here, the CPU 252 transmits information via the wireless LAN interface 256 by wireless direct connection. Examples of the information transmitted to the PC 101 include the SSID list created in S352 and the identification information (MAC address, etc.) of the printer 103.

[0070] In S357, the CPU 252 checks whether a wireless setting instruction, a remode-in command, and identification information (such as a MAC address) of the PC 101 have been received from the PC 101. In S358, if the CPU 252 determines that a wireless setting instruction has been received, the process proceeds to S359, and if the CPU 252 determines that a wireless setting instruction has not been received, the process returns to S354. Note that the wireless setting instruction may include a wireless profile that includes information such as the SSID of the target AP 102.

[0071] In S359, the CPU 252 executes a process for connecting to the AP (AP 102) specified by the PC 101. Specifically, the CPU 252 executes a process for connecting to the AP 102 using the SSID and password included in the wireless profile received from the PC 101.

[0072] In S360, the CPU 252 executes a connection / re-mode-in execution process. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing a specific example of the connection / re-mode-in execution process (S360).

[0073] In S502, if the CPU 252 determines that the connection with the connection target AP has been successful, the process proceeds to S503, and if not, the process proceeds to S506.

[0074] In S503, the CPU 252 performs a process to confirm communication with the PC 101. Specifically, when the PC 101 receives identification information from a device connected to the target AP in S314, it communicates with the printer 103. At this time, if the identification information of the communication partner matches the identification information of the PC 101 received in S357, the CPU 252 determines that connection with the PC 101 has been established.

[0075] In S504, if the CPU 252 determines that a connection with the PC 101 has been established as a result of the check in S503, it ends the connection / remode-in execution process (S508) and ends the wireless setting process (S361). If the CPU 252 determines that a connection with the PC 101 has not been established, it proceeds to S505.

[0076] In S505, the CPU 252 determines whether a time has elapsed since the first execution of the process of S503 is greater than a predetermined threshold time, thereby determining whether a time has elapsed. If the CPU 252 determines that a time has elapsed, the process proceeds to S506; otherwise, the process returns to S503. Here, the predetermined threshold time is set, for example, to a statistically calculated time that does not cause stress to the user.

[0077] In S506, if the CPU 252 determines in S357 that the re-mode-in command has not been received, the process proceeds to S507, and if it determines that the re-mode-in command has been received, the process proceeds to S509.

[0078] In S507, the CPU 252 performs display control to display a connection failure error. The CPU 252 displays the details of the error on the display device 258 of the printer 103. Then, the CPU 252 ends the connection / remode-in execution process (S508) and ends the wireless setting process (S361).

[0079] On the other hand, if CPU 252 determines that it has received a re-mode-in command (Yes in S506), it starts executing the re-mode-in (S509). Specifically, it returns to the process of S352 in Fig. 3, creates an SSID list, and then starts the wireless setting mode again in S353. This allows CPU 252 to execute the process in the wireless setting mode again.

[0080] As described above, according to this embodiment, before attempting to establish a wireless infrastructure connection (S312 to S316), the CPU 201 commands the printer 103 to restart the wireless setting mode if the establishment fails (S311). Therefore, even if the connection settings for establishing a wireless infrastructure connection fail, it is possible to easily perform the connection settings between the PC 101 and the printer 103 again. Therefore, if the establishment of a wireless infrastructure connection fails, the need for the user to operate the printer 103 to manually perform the settings can be reduced, thereby reducing the user's effort when establishing a wireless infrastructure connection. Furthermore, if the initial settings of the printer 103 are incomplete, it may be difficult to perform the settings by directly operating the printer 103. However, even if the establishment of a wireless infrastructure connection fails, the process for establishing the wireless infrastructure connection can be continued.

[0081] For example, as a comparison with the present embodiment, consider a case where the PC 101 does not send a command to the printer 103 to restart the wireless setting mode if the PC 101 fails to establish a wireless infrastructure connection. In this case, if the establishment of the wireless infrastructure connection fails, at least one of the PC 101 and the printer 103 may display an error message indicating that the establishment of the wireless infrastructure connection failed and a message suggesting a solution. This may result in the user having to resort to such a message to try another connection method, which can be time-consuming. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, even if the establishment of the wireless infrastructure connection fails once as described above, the wireless connection process between the PC 101 and the printer 103 continues. This reduces the user's time and effort required until the wireless infrastructure connection between the PC 101 and the printer 103 is finally established.

[0082] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when the establishment of a wireless infrastructure connection fails, the CPU 201 continues the process for establishing the wireless infrastructure connection depending on the cause of the failure (S319, S401 to S413). Therefore, when retrying the establishment of a wireless infrastructure connection after a failure, more appropriate processing can be performed depending on the situation, thereby preventing the establishment of the connection from failing again.

[0083] Specifically, an example of a cause of failure in establishing a wireless infrastructure connection is when the PC 101 cannot detect the printer 103 in wireless setting mode (S304: No → S402: Yes). In such a case, a temporary connection between the PC 101 and the printer 103 cannot be established, and it is considered difficult to establish a wireless infrastructure connection through automatic connection processing. Therefore, the user can be notified of the situation by displaying a message on the display device 208 of the PC 101 indicating that the wireless infrastructure connection has failed.

[0084] Another example of a cause of failure in establishing a wireless infrastructure connection is when the SSID of the target AP 102 is not included in the SSID list that the PC 101 obtained from the printer 103 in S306 (S309: No, S403: Yes). In such a case, if an AP whose SSID is included in the SSID list is set as the target AP, it may be possible to establish a wireless infrastructure connection. Therefore, by instructing the PC 101 to change the AP to which it connects (S410, S411), it is possible to retry establishing a wireless infrastructure connection using the automatic connection process with a different AP as the target AP.

[0085] Furthermore, if there is a history of failed connection settings for the AP 102 and the printer 103, there is a high possibility that an attempt to establish a wireless infrastructure connection using the same method will fail again. Therefore, if there is a history of failures, the possibility of establishing a wireless infrastructure connection can be improved by instructing the user to implement a different connection setting method for the AP 102 or to implement connection settings for a different AP other than the AP 102.

[0086] In addition, in this embodiment, the information processing device is a PC, but is not limited to this, and various other devices such as a smartphone, a printer, etc. In addition, in this embodiment, the communication device is a printer, but is not limited to this, and various other devices such as a PC, a smartphone, etc.

[0087] <Other embodiments> The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program.The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0088] Examples of storage media that can be used to supply the program code include flexible disks, hard disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, magnetic tapes, non-volatile memory cards, ROMs, and DVDs.

[0089] Furthermore, it goes without saying that not only are the functions of the above-mentioned embodiments realized by the computer executing the program code it has read, but also cases where an Operating System (OS) running on the computer performs some or all of the actual processing based on the instructions of the program code, and the functions of the above-mentioned examples are realized through that processing.

[0090] Furthermore, it goes without saying that this also includes cases where the program code read from the storage medium is written into the memory of a function expansion board inserted into a computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, and then the CPU or the like on the function expansion board or function expansion unit performs some or all of the actual processing based on the instructions of the program code, and the functions of the above-mentioned embodiments are realized through this processing.

[0091] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A computer of an information processing device that communicates with the communication device, a first establishing means for establishing a temporary first connection between the communication device and the information processing device, the first connection not passing through an access point external to the communication device and the information processing device, when a setting mode for a wireless connection has been started; providing means for providing identification information for identifying the external access point to the communication device using the first connection; a second establishing means for attempting to establish a second connection between the communication device and the information processing device via the external access point identified by the identification information provided to the communication device; command means for transmitting to the communication device, before the second establishing means attempts to establish the second connection, a command for controlling the communication device to enter the configuration mode if the establishment of the second connection fails; A program that functions as a

2. 2. The program according to claim 1, wherein the computer: a continuation means for continuing a process to establish the second connection depending on a cause of the failure of the second connection when the establishment of the second connection by the second establishment means fails; A program that functions even better as a

3. 2. The program according to claim 1, wherein the computer: a search means for searching for a device with which the first connection can be established; a first display control means for, when the search means cannot detect the communication device, displaying information on a display unit of the information processing device indicating that establishment of the second connection with the communication device has failed; A program that further functions as a means of

4. 4. The program according to claim 3, the first establishing means establishes the first connection with the communication device when the communication device is detected by the searching means; The program causes the computer to: an acquisition means for acquiring, from the communication device, a list including identification information of access points to which the communication device can connect, using the first connection; a change means for changing the external access point to which the information processing device is connected to a second access point different from the first access point when the list acquired by the acquisition means does not include identification information of a first access point as the external access point. program.

5. 5. The program according to claim 4, wherein the computer: a first receiving means for receiving a selection of whether or not to change the external access point to which the information processing device is connected by the change means; A program that functions even better as a

6. 6. The program according to claim 5, wherein the computer: a second display control means for, when the first accepting means accepts that the external access point to which the information processing device is connected will not be changed, displaying information on a display unit of the information processing device that the second connection has failed; A program that functions even better as a

7. 2. The program according to claim 1, wherein the computer: a storage control means for storing failure information in a storage unit of the information processing device, the failure information being associated with identification information of the external access point and identification information of the communication device, when the second establishment means fails to establish the second connection; A program that functions even better as a

8. 8. The program according to claim 7, When the establishment of the second connection fails and the failure information has already been stored in the storage unit, the second establishment means attempts to establish the second connection using a method different from that used when the connection failed. program.

9. 9. The program according to claim 8, wherein the computer: second accepting means for accepting a selection of whether to attempt to establish the second connection using the different method by the second establishing means; A program that functions even better as a

10. 10. The program according to claim 9, when the second accepting means accepts that the establishment of the second connection using the different method will not be attempted, the second establishing means changes the external access point to which the information processing device connects, and then establishes the second connection using the same method as when the establishment of the second connection failed. program.

11. 10. The program according to claim 9, wherein the computer: a third display control means for displaying information indicating that establishment of the second connection has failed on a display unit of the information processing device when the second establishment means has failed to establish the second connection in the different method in the case where the second acceptance means has accepted an attempt to establish the second connection in the different method; A program that functions even better as a

12. A communication device that communicates with an information processing device that executes the program according to any one of claims 1 to 11, a confirmation means for confirming whether the command has been received from the information processing device when the establishment of the second connection with the information processing device has failed; and transition means for transitioning to the setting mode when the confirmation means confirms that the command has been received. A communication device comprising:

13. 13. The communication device according to claim 12, and a fourth display control means for causing a display unit of the communication device to display information indicating that the establishment of the second connection with the information processing device has failed when the confirmation means has not confirmed that the command has been received, in a case where the establishment of the second connection with the information processing device has failed. A communication device comprising:

14. An information processing device that communicates with a communication device, a first establishing means for establishing a temporary first connection between the communication device and the information processing device, the first connection not passing through an external access point between the communication device and the information processing device, in which a wireless connection setting mode has been started; providing means for providing identification information for identifying the external access point to the communication device using the first connection; a second establishing means for attempting to establish a second connection between the communication device and the information processing device via the external access point identified by the identification information provided to the communication device; command means for transmitting to the communication device, before the second establishing means attempts to establish the second connection, a command for controlling the communication device to enter the configuration mode if the establishment of the second connection fails; An information processing device comprising:

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