Communication devices, methods, programs, and storage media

Abstract

This provides a mechanism for more optimal multi-AP communication. [Solution] The communication device includes: a receiving means for receiving a user operation to specify a second access point different from the first access point as the target for connection of the communication device while the communication device is connected to the first access point; a connection control means for maintaining the connection between the communication device and the first access point and controlling the communication device to connect to the second access point specified by the user operation to specify the second access point received by the receiving means; and a communication control means for controlling the communication device to perform data communication via both the first access point and the second access point while connected to both the first access point and the second access point.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication device capable of performing wireless communication, a method executed in the communication device, a program, and a storage medium.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, with the increase in the amount of data to be communicated, the development of communication technologies such as wireless LAN (Local Area Network) has been promoted. As the main communication standards for wireless LAN, the IEEE802.11 standard series is known. The IEEE802.11 standard series includes standards such as IEEE802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax / be. Patent Document 1 describes a communication device corresponding to IEEE802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax. Patent Document 2 describes that in the IEEE802.11be standard, Multi-Link communication in which one AP (Access Point) establishes a plurality of links with one STA (Station) via different frequency channels and communicates in parallel has been standardized.

[0003] The IEEE 802.11bn standard, the successor to the IEEE 802.11be standard, is considering a multi-AP communication mechanism in which multiple APs cooperate to transmit data to a STA. For example, one example is distributed MIMO technology, which is based on a technology called MIMO (multi-user multi-output) that uses multiple transmitting and receiving antennas simultaneously on the same channel. In distributed MIMO, in an environment with multiple APs and multiple STAs, APs form groups to share information about the communication status and the status of each AP, and data is sent to the STA in parallel from multiple APs at the same time. By having multiple APs cooperate in transmission (joint transmission), the number of spatial streams can be increased compared to the case of a single AP, so an improvement in throughput can be expected. Another example is a technology in which multiple APs transmit data to the STA at different times using time division, thereby improving the reception quality at the STA through the effects of time diversity and spatial diversity.

[0004] This type of communication technology, in which multiple access points (APs) form a group and operate in a coordinated manner, is called Multi-AP communication. APs are classified into a single Coordinator AP that manages all APs and Coordinated APs that operate under the management of the Coordinator AP. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-50133 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-47136 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] In multi-AP communication, there is room for improvement in terms of optimal communication and usability. The present invention aims to provide a mechanism for more optimal multi-AP communication. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The communication device according to the present invention is a communication device, The communication device includes: a receiving means for receiving a user operation to specify a second access point different from the first access point as the target of connection for the communication device while the communication device is connected to the first access point; a connection control means for maintaining the connection between the communication device and the first access point and controlling the communication device to connect to the second access point specified by the user operation to specify the second access point received by the receiving means; and a communication control means for controlling data communication to be performed via both the first access point and the second access point while the communication device is connected to both the first access point and the second access point. A determination means for determining whether the second access point is an access point belonging to the group of first access points in Multi-AP communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standard, and It is characterized by having the following features. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, Multi-AP communication can be performed more favorably. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing the configuration of a wireless communication system. [Figure 2] This is a diagram showing the configuration of a communication device. [Figure 3] This is a diagram showing the user interface screen. [Figure 4] This diagram shows the configuration of a mobile terminal device. [Figure 5] This diagram shows the configuration of the access point. [Figure 6] This is a sequence diagram showing the interaction between the STA and AP in multi-AP communication. [Figure 7]This is a diagram showing the user interface screen. [Figure 8] This is a diagram showing the user interface screen. [Figure 9] This is a diagram showing the user interface screen. [Figure 10] This is a flowchart showing the processing in a communication device. [Figure 11] This is a flowchart showing the processing in a communication device. [Figure 12] This is a diagram showing the user interface screen. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention as defined in the claims. While the embodiments describe multiple features, not all of these features are essential to the invention, and the features may be combined in any way. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, identical or similar configurations are given the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0011] (System Configuration) Figure 1 shows an example of the system configuration according to this embodiment. In one example, this system is a wireless communication system in which multiple communication devices can communicate with each other wirelessly. The system in Figure 1 includes an MFP 100 which is a communication device, a mobile terminal device 101, a multi-AP group 110 which includes multiple access points (APs), a DHCP server 114, a DNS server 115, and a network 120. The multi-AP group 110 is described as including AP111, AP112, and AP113, but the multi-AP group 110 may include more APs.

[0012] The mobile terminal device 101 is a device having a wireless communication function such as a wireless LAN. Hereinafter, the wireless LAN may be referred to as WLAN in some cases. The mobile terminal device 101 can be a personal information terminal such as a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a mobile phone terminal (smartphone), a tablet terminal, a digital camera, a personal computer, or the like.

[0013] The MFP 100 is a printing device having a printing function, and may further have a reading function (scanner), a FAX function, and a telephone function. Also, the MFP 100 of the present embodiment has a communication function capable of wireless communication with the mobile terminal device 101. In the present embodiment, a case where the MFP 100 is used as an example will be described, but it is not limited thereto. For example, a scanner device, a projector, a mobile terminal, a smartphone, a notebook PC, a tablet terminal, a PDA, a digital camera, a music playback device, a television, a smart speaker, etc., each having a communication function, may be used instead of the MFP 100. Note that MFP is an acronym for Multi-Function Peripheral (multifunctional peripheral device).

[0014] The AP (Access Point) 111 is provided separately (externally) from the mobile terminal device 101 and the MFP 100 and operates as a base station device of the WLAN. A communication device having a WLAN communication function can perform communication in the infrastructure mode of the WLAN via the AP 111. Also, the infrastructure mode may be referred to as the "wireless infrastructure mode" in some cases. The AP 111 performs wireless communication with a communication device that has been permitted to connect to the self-device (authenticated), and relays wireless communication between that communication device and other communication devices. Further, the AP 111 can be connected to, for example, a wired communication network, and relay communication between a communication device connected to the wired communication network and another communication device wirelessly connected to the AP 111.

[0015] AP112 and AP113 have the same hardware configuration as AP111. Also, AP111, AP112, and AP113 are APs corresponding to the Multi-AP communication described later, and they form a group (Multi-AP group 110) to cooperate.

[0016] The DHCP server 114 is connected to the MFP100 via the AP111 and the network 120, and provides services to the MFP100 by responding to requests from the MFP100. In FIG. 1, the DHCP server 114 is described as being connected as a device separate from the AP111, AP112, and AP113, but the AP111, AP112, and AP113 may have a DHCP server function.

[0017] The DNS server 115 is connected to the MFP100 and the mobile terminal device 101 via the AP111 and the network 120, and provides a name resolution service by responding to requests from the MFP100 and the mobile terminal device 101. Here, the network 120 may be the so-called Internet, or a closed network within a company or a mobile phone network.

[0018] (External configuration of the MFP) Figure 2(a) shows an example of the external configuration of the MFP100. The MFP100 includes, for example, a document tray 201, a document cover 202, a paper input slot 203, a paper output slot 204, and an operation display unit 220. The document tray 201 is a platform on which the document to be scanned is placed. The document cover 202 is a cover that holds down the document placed on the document tray 201 and prevents light from the light source that illuminates the document during scanning from leaking to the outside. The paper input slot 203 is an input slot that can accommodate paper of various sizes. The paper output slot 204 is an output slot for ejecting paper after printing is complete. Paper set in the paper input slot 203 is transported to the printing unit one sheet at a time, and after printing is performed in the printing unit, it is ejected from the paper output slot 204. The operation display unit 220 includes a touch panel display and is configured to accept user operations for activating various functions and settings of the MFP. Furthermore, the operation display unit 220 may be configured to include physical operation keys such as character input keys, cursor keys, select keys, and cancel keys, as well as LEDs, LCDs, and the like.

[0019] The MFP100 has a wireless communication function via WLAN and does not necessarily need to be visible from the outside, but it is configured to include a wireless communication antenna 206 for that wireless communication. Like the mobile terminal device 101, the MFP100 can perform wireless communication via WLAN.

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

[0021] The main board 211 includes, for example, a CPU 212 (central processing unit), ROM 213, RAM 214, non-volatile memory 215, image memory 216, read control unit 217, data conversion unit 218, read unit 219, and code decoding unit 221. The main board 211 also includes, for example, a printing unit 222, a paper feeding unit 223, a print control unit 224, and an operation display unit 220. These functional units within the main board 211 are interconnected via a system bus 230 managed by the CPU 212. The main board 211 and the wireless unit 250 are connected, for example, via a dedicated bus 225.

[0022] The CPU 212 is a system control unit including at least one processor, and controls the entire MFP 100. In one example, the processing of the MFP 100 described below is realized by the CPU 212 executing a program stored in the ROM 213. Dedicated hardware may be provided for each process. The ROM 213 is a non-volatile memory that stores control programs and embedded OS programs executed by the CPU 212. In this embodiment, the CPU 212 loads each control program stored in the ROM 213 into the RAM 214 and executes them under the management of the embedded OS stored in the ROM 213, thereby performing software control such as scheduling and task switching.

[0023] RAM214 is a volatile memory composed of SRAM or the like. RAM214 stores data such as program control variables, user-registered settings, and MFP100 management data. RAM214 can also be used as a buffer for various work. Non-volatile memory 215 is composed of memory such as flash memory and continues to store data even when the MFP100 is powered off. Image memory 216 is composed of memory such as DRAM. Image memory 216 stores image data received via the wireless unit 250 and image data processed by the code decoding processing unit 221. Note that the memory configuration of MFP100 is not limited to the above configuration. The data conversion unit 218 performs analysis of various data formats and conversion from image data to print data.

[0024] The reading control unit 217 controls the reading unit 219 (for example, a CIS (contact image sensor)) to optically read (scan) the document placed on the document glass 201. The reading control unit 217 converts the image obtained by optically reading the document into electrical image data (image signal) and outputs it. At this time, the reading control unit 217 may perform various image processing such as binarization and halftone processing before outputting the image data.

[0025] The operation display unit 220 includes a touch panel display that displays images based on display control by the CPU 212, and performs functions such as generating signals in response to user input on the touch panel display or physical operation keys.

[0026] The encoding and decoding processing unit 221 performs encoding and decoding processing, as well as scaling processing, for image data (JPEG, PNG, etc.) handled by the MFP100.

[0027] The paper feed unit 223 holds paper for printing. The paper feed unit 223 can supply the set paper under the control of the print control unit 224. The paper feed unit 223 may include multiple paper feed units to hold multiple types of paper in one device, and the print control unit 224 can control which paper feed unit to use for feeding.

[0028] The print control unit 224 applies various image processing to the image data to be printed, such as smoothing, print density correction, and color correction, and outputs the processed image data to the print unit 222. The print unit 222 is configured to perform, for example, inkjet printing, and ejects ink supplied from the ink tanks from the print head to record an image on a recording medium such as paper. The print unit 222 may also be configured to perform other printing processes such as electrophotography. Furthermore, the print control unit 224 can periodically read information from the print unit 222 and update status information, including the remaining amount of ink in the ink tanks and the status of the print head, which is stored in the RAM 214.

[0029] The wireless unit 250 is a unit capable of providing WLAN communication functionality, and can provide similar functionality to, for example, the wireless unit 401 of the mobile terminal device 101. That is, the wireless unit 250 converts data into packets according to the WLAN standard and transmits the packets to other devices, and also restores packets from external devices back to their original data and outputs it to the CPU 212.

[0030] The wireless unit 250 is capable of communication as a Station (hereinafter referred to as STA) or Access Point (AP) compliant with the IEEE 802.11 standard series. Specifically, it is capable of communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax / be / bn standards. The wireless unit 250 includes at least one processor and at least one memory that stores programs.

[0031] The communication control unit 240 is a unit that controls the communication functions of the MFP 100 and controls the wireless unit 250. The processing of the communication control unit 240 is realized by the CPU 212 executing a control program stored in the ROM 213. The communication control unit 240 and the wireless unit 250 are interconnected, for example, via the system bus 230 and a dedicated bus 225.

[0032] (MFP operation display) Figure 3 schematically shows an example of the screen display on the display (touch panel display) included in the operation display unit 220 of the MFP100.

[0033] Figure 3(a) shows an example of the home screen displayed when the MFP100 is powered on but not performing any operations such as printing or scanning (idle state, standby state). The area 310 at the top of the home screen is the basic menu area, where menu items selected when issuing copy or scan commands are displayed. In Figure 3(a), area 310 displays a list of icons 311 to 313, corresponding to copy, scan, and print, respectively, as basic menu items (display items). When each basic menu item is selected, a detailed menu corresponding to it is displayed, and the MFP100 can be instructed to perform the operation / function (copy or scan) corresponding to the selected menu item. By displaying other pages of the basic menu (such as sliding left or right on area 310), different menu items from icons 311 to 313 can be displayed in area 310. For example, an icon corresponding to the cloud can be displayed. The cloud is a menu item related to cloud functions that utilize internet communication.

[0034] The network display area 321 is an area that displays icons indicating the network status. In the example shown, the network display area 321 displays icons indicating that both wireless infrastructure and wireless direct are disabled. Furthermore, touching the network display area 321 will display the communication settings menu.

[0035] Icon 322 is an operation icon that accepts instructions to perform setup on a PC / smartphone. When icon 322 is touched, the same action as when "Set up on PC / smartphone" is selected in Figure 3(d), which will be described later, is performed.

[0036] Icon 323 is the operation icon selected when changing settings or performing maintenance on the MFP100.

[0037] Figure 3(b) shows an example of the communication settings menu screen displayed when the network display area 321 is touched on the home screen of Figure 3(a). The communication settings menu screen displays the following menu items (options): "Wireless LAN", "Wired LAN", "Wireless Direct", "Bluetooth", and "Common Settings". "Wireless LAN", "Wired LAN", and "Wireless Direct" are menu items for LAN settings, and from these items you can configure settings such as wired connection settings, enabling / disabling wireless infrastructure mode, and enabling / disabling P2P modes such as WFD and soft AP mode.

[0038] Figure 3(c) shows an example of the wireless LAN settings menu screen displayed when the "Wireless LAN" option is selected in the screen shown in Figure 3(b). The wireless LAN settings menu screen displays the following menu items (options): "Enable / Disable Wireless LAN," "Wireless LAN Setup," and "Display Wireless LAN Settings." Selecting the "Enable / Disable Wireless LAN" option switches the setting of enabling or disabling the wireless infrastructure mode. Selecting the "Wireless LAN Setup" option displays the wireless LAN setup menu shown in Figure 3(d). Selecting "Display Wireless LAN Settings" displays a detailed screen (wireless LAN settings display screen) that shows details such as the current wireless LAN settings and communication status.

[0039] Figure 3(d) shows an example of the wireless LAN setup menu screen displayed when the "Wireless LAN Setup" option is selected in the screen shown in Figure 3(c). The wireless LAN setup menu screen displays the following menu items (options): "Set up with PC / smartphone," "Set up by entering a password," and "Set up using the router buttons." From these items, you can perform wireless LAN setup using the network setup mode described later, the password entry method, or the push-button method.

[0040] (External configuration of a mobile terminal device) Figure 4(a) shows an example of the external configuration of the mobile terminal device 101. In this embodiment, as an example, the case where the mobile terminal device 101 is a general-purpose smartphone is shown. The mobile terminal device 101 is composed of, for example, a display unit 420, an operation unit 418, and a power key 404. The display unit 420 is a display that includes a display mechanism such as an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) type or an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) type. The display unit 420 may also display information using, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode). In addition to or instead of the display unit 420, the mobile terminal device 101 may also have a function to output information by voice. The operation unit 418 is composed of hard keys such as keys and buttons, a touch panel, etc., for detecting user operations. In this example, since the information display on the display unit 420 and the reception of user operations by the operation unit 418 are performed using a common touch panel display, the display unit 420 and the operation unit 418 are realized by a single device. In this case, for example, button icons or a software keyboard are displayed using the display function of the display unit 420, and the operation reception function of the operation unit 418 detects when the user touches these areas. Alternatively, the display unit 420 and the operation unit 418 may be separated, with separate hardware for display and hardware for operation reception. The power key 404 is a hard key for receiving user input to turn the power of the mobile terminal device 101 on or off.

[0041] The mobile terminal device 101 does not necessarily need to be visible from its external appearance, but it has a wireless unit 401 that provides WLAN communication functionality. The wireless unit 401 is configured to perform data (packet) communication in a WLAN system compliant with, for example, the IEEE 802.11 standard series (IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax / be / bn). However, it is not limited to this, and the wireless unit 401 may be able to perform communication in a WLAN system compliant with other standards. In this example, the wireless unit 401 is assumed to be able to communicate in both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands. However, it is not limited to this, and the wireless unit 401 may be able to communicate in one or more frequency bands including the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands. Furthermore, the wireless unit 401 is assumed to be able to perform WFD-based communication, soft AP mode communication, wireless infrastructure mode communication, etc. The operation of these modes will be described later.

[0042] (Configuration of mobile terminal devices) Figure 4(b) shows an example of the configuration of the mobile terminal device 101. In one example, the mobile terminal device 101 has a main board 411 that performs the main control of the device itself, and a wireless unit 429 that performs WLAN communication. The main board 411 includes, for example, a CPU 412, ROM 413, RAM 414, image memory 415, data conversion unit 416, telephone unit 417, GPS 419, camera unit 421, non-volatile memory 422, data storage unit 423, speaker unit 424, and power supply unit 425. Here, CPU is an acronym for Central Processing Unit, ROM for Read Only Memory, RAM for Random Access Memory, and GPS for Global Positioning System. The mobile terminal device 101 also includes a display unit 420 and an operation unit 418. These functional units within the main board 411 are interconnected via a system bus 428 managed by the CPU 412. Furthermore, the main board 411 and the wireless unit 429 (the aforementioned wireless unit 401) are connected, for example, via a dedicated bus 426.

[0043] The CPU 412 is a system control unit including at least one processor, and controls the entire mobile terminal device 101. In one example, the processing of the mobile terminal device 101 described below is realized by the CPU 412 executing a program stored in the ROM 413. Dedicated hardware may be provided for each process. The ROM 413 stores control programs and embedded operating system (OS) programs that the CPU 412 executes. In this embodiment, the CPU 412 performs software control such as scheduling and task switching by executing each control program stored in the ROM 413 under the management of the embedded OS, which is also stored in the ROM 413.

[0044] RAM 414 is composed of SRAM (Static RAM) or the like. RAM 414 stores data such as program control variables, user-registered settings, and management data for the mobile terminal device 101. RAM 414 can also be used as a buffer for various tasks. Image memory 415 is composed of memory such as DRAM (Dynamic RAM). Image memory 415 temporarily stores image data received via the wireless unit 429 and image data read from the data storage unit 423 for processing by the CPU 412. Non-volatile memory 422 is composed of memory such as flash memory, and continues to store data even when the power to the mobile terminal device 101 is turned off. Note that the memory configuration of the mobile terminal device 101 is not limited to the above configuration. For example, image memory 415 and RAM 414 may be shared, or data backup may be performed using the data storage unit 423. In this embodiment, DRAM is given as an example of image memory 415, but other storage media such as hard disks or non-volatile memory may be used.

[0045] The data conversion unit 416 performs data analysis of various formats and data conversions such as color conversion and image conversion. The telephone unit 417 controls the telephone line and processes the voice data input and output via the speaker unit 424 to enable telephone communication. The GPS 419 receives radio waves transmitted from satellites and acquires location information such as the current latitude and longitude of the mobile terminal device 101.

[0046] The camera unit 421 has the function of electronically recording and encoding images input through the lens. Image data obtained by imaging with the camera unit 421 is stored in the data storage unit 423. The speaker unit 424 has the function of inputting or outputting sound for telephone functions, and also performs control to realize other functions such as alarm notifications. The power supply unit 425 is, for example, a portable battery and controls the power supply to the device. Power states include, for example, a battery-dead state where there is no remaining battery power, a power-off state where the power key 404 is not pressed, a normal startup state, and a power-saving state where the device is running but power saving is enabled.

[0047] The display unit 420, based on the control of the CPU 412, performs various input operations and displays the operating status and status of the MFP 100. The operation unit 418 receives user operations and performs control such as generating electrical signals corresponding to those operations and outputting them to the CPU 412.

[0048] The mobile terminal device 101 performs wireless communication using the wireless unit 429 to communicate data with other devices such as the MFP 100. The wireless unit 429 converts data into packets and transmits them to other devices. The wireless unit 429 also restores packets from external devices back to their original data and outputs it to the CPU 412. The wireless unit 429 is a unit that enables communication compliant with WLAN standards. The wireless unit 429 can operate in parallel in at least two communication modes, including wireless infrastructure mode and P2P (WLAN) mode. The frequency bands used in these communication modes may be limited by the hardware functions and performance.

[0049] (Access point configuration) Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of AP111, which has wireless LAN access point functionality. It consists of a main board 510 that controls AP111, a wireless LAN unit 516, a wired LAN unit 518, and operation buttons 520.

[0050] The microprocessor-type CPU 511 located on the main board 510 operates according to the control program stored in the ROM-type program memory 513, which is connected via the internal bus 512, and the contents of the RAM-type data memory 514. The CPU 511 controls the wireless LAN unit 516 through the wireless LAN communication control unit 515 to perform wireless LAN communication with other communication terminal devices. Specifically, the wireless LAN unit 516 is configured to perform data (packet) communication in a WLAN system compliant with, for example, the IEEE 802.11 standard series (IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax / be / bn) as wireless LAN communication. It is also capable of communication as an AP compatible with Multi-AP communication, which will be described later. However, it is not limited to this, and the wireless LAN unit 516 may also be capable of performing communication in WLAN systems compliant with other standards. In this example, the wireless LAN unit 516 is assumed to be capable of communication in the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz frequency bands. However, the wireless LAN unit 516 may also be capable of communicating in one or more frequency bands, including the 2.4GHz band, the 5GHz band, and the 6GHz band.

[0051] Furthermore, the CPU 511 controls the wired LAN unit 518 through the wired LAN communication control unit 517 to perform wired LAN communication with other communication devices. The CPU 511 can accept user input via the operation buttons 520 by controlling the operation control unit 519. The CPU 511 includes at least one processor.

[0052] The AP111 also includes an interference wave detection unit 521 and a channel changing unit 522. The interference wave detection unit 521 performs interference wave detection processing when wireless communication is being performed in a band where DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection) is implemented. The channel changing unit 522 performs channel changing processing when an interference wave is detected while wireless communication is being performed in a band where DFS is implemented, and when it is necessary to immediately switch to an available channel.

[0053] AP112 and AP113 have the same configuration as AP111.

[0054] (P2P mode (direct mode)) Next, we will outline the P2P (WLAN) communication method, which allows devices to communicate directly wirelessly with each other without the need for an external access point. P2P (WLAN) communication can be implemented using multiple methods; for example, a communication device can support multiple modes for P2P (WLAN) communication and selectively use one of these modes to perform P2P communication (WLAN).

[0055] Two P2P modes are assumed:

[0056] • Soft AP mode • Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) mode A communication device capable of performing P2P communication may be configured to support at least one of these modes. On the other hand, a communication device capable of performing P2P communication is not required to support all of these modes, but may be configured to support only some of them.

[0057] A communication device with WFD communication capabilities (for example, a mobile terminal device 101) receives user input via its control panel, thereby calling a (possibly dedicated) application to implement the communication function. The communication device then displays a UI (user interface) screen provided by the application to prompt user input, and can perform WFD communication based on the received user input.

[0058] ● Soft AP mode In soft AP mode, the communication device (e.g., mobile terminal device 101) acts as a client requesting various services. The other communication device (e.g., MFP100) operates as a soft AP capable of performing WLAN AP functions through software configuration. The commands and parameters transmitted and received when establishing a wireless connection between the client and the soft AP are those specified in the Wi-Fi® standard, so their explanation is omitted here. In addition, the MFP100 operating in soft AP mode determines the frequency band and frequency channel as the master station. Therefore, the MFP100 can select which frequency band to use from 5GHz and 2.4GHz, and which frequency channel to use within that frequency band.

[0059] ●WFD mode The MFP100 can be configured to start permanently as the master station in WFD mode (Autonomous Group Owner). In this case, the GO Negotiation process to determine the role is unnecessary. Also, in this case, the MFP100 determines the frequency band and frequency channel as the master station. Therefore, the MFP100 can select which frequency band to use, 5GHz or 2.4GHz, and which frequency channel to use within that frequency band.

[0060] (Wireless infrastructure mode) In wireless infrastructure mode, communication devices that communicate with each other (for example, the mobile terminal device 101 and the MFP 100) are connected to an external AP (for example, AP 111) that manages the network, and communication between communication devices takes place through that AP. In other words, communication between communication devices is performed via the network established by the external AP. When the mobile terminal device 101 and the MFP 100 each discover AP 111, send connection requests to AP 111, and connect, communication between these communication devices in wireless infrastructure mode via AP 111 becomes possible. Note that multiple communication devices are separate. It is also possible to connect to an AP. In this case, data transfer between APs enables communication between communication devices. The commands and parameters sent and received during communication between each communication device via the access point can be those specified in the Wi-Fi standard, so an explanation of them is omitted here. In this case, AP111 determines the frequency band and frequency channel. Therefore, AP111 can select which frequency band to use from 5GHz, 2.4GHz, and 6GHz, and which frequency channel to use within that frequency band.

[0061] (Multi-AP News) The IEEE 802.11be standard specifies multi-link communication, in which a single access point (AP) establishes multiple links with a single station (STA) via multiple different frequency channels and communicates in parallel.

[0062] Furthermore, the IEEE 802.11bn standard, the successor to the IEEE 802.11be standard, is exploring methods to improve usability using Multi-AP communication.

[0063] For example, distributed MIMO technology is based on a technique called MIMO (multi-user multi-output), which uses multiple transmitting and receiving antennas simultaneously on the same channel. In distributed MIMO, in an environment with multiple access points (APs) and multiple service stations (STAs), APs form groups to share information about communication status and the status of each AP, and data is sent to the STA in parallel from multiple APs at the same time. Because multiple APs perform joint transmission, the number of spatial streams can be increased compared to the case of a single AP, and thus an improvement in throughput can be expected.

[0064] Another example is a technology that improves reception quality at the STA by having multiple APs transmit data to the STA at different times through time-division multiplexing, thereby utilizing the effects of time diversity and spatial diversity.

[0065] This type of communication technology, in which multiple access points (APs) form a group and operate in a coordinated manner, is called Multi-AP communication. APs are classified into a single Coordinator AP that manages all APs and Coordinated APs that operate under the management of the Coordinator AP.

[0066] In the following, in Multi-AP communication, the AP that manages the other APs will be referred to as the "Coordinator AP" or "Sharing AP". APs operating under the management of the Coordinator AP will be referred to as the "Coordinated AP" or "Shared AP". The Coordinator AP and the Coordinated AP can send and receive signals from each other. Furthermore, each of the multiple APs, including AP111 to AP113, may be connected wirelessly and perform wireless LAN communication, or connected via a wired connection and perform wired LAN communication. It is assumed that AP111 to AP113 are capable of Multi-AP communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standards and support a configuration in which multiple APs cooperate to communicate with a common STA.

[0067] There are two types of multi-AP communication methods: Co-OFDMA and Joint-TX. In Co-OFDMA (Coordinated-Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access), the available frequency resources are separated among multiple BSSs (Basic Service Sets). For example, the frequency resources used by AP112 and MFP100(STA) are separated from those used by AP113 and MFP100(STA) so as not to overlap. This prevents interference between BSS communications. If an STA has the capability to transmit and receive simultaneously on multiple frequency bands (multiple resource units within the same channel or spanning different channels, multiple channels, or multiple of the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands), multiple APs can cooperate to transmit and receive data on the same STA. Data includes content data such as image data, audio data, document data, and print data. In this case, for example, it is possible to send packet 1 of content A from AP112 to MFP100(STA) and send packet 2 of content A from AP113 to MFP100(STA) in parallel.

[0068] In the Joint-TX (Joint-Transmission) method, the same signal is transmitted and received between multiple access points (APs) and one station (STA). The system controls the reception of a multiplexed wave (superimposed wave, multiplexed wave, composite wave) created by combining the radio waves emitted from multiple APs in a way that is amplified by wave interference. This ensures that the STA receives a stronger signal (amplified signal) than a signal from a single AP alone. For example, the same signal is transmitted and received between AP112 and MFP100(STA), and between AP113 and MFP100(STA), with the signal being multiplexed and amplified at the MFP100(STA) location. For instance, at the same time, AP112 sends packet 1 of content A to MFP100(STA), and AP113 sends packet 1 of content A to MFP100(STA). The content A radio waves are transmitted in a way that multiplexes at the MFP100(STA) location. This improves the reliability (connectivity) of communication between the STA and APs, as well as the speed of data transmission and reception.

[0069] Figure 6 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a process in which AP111 operates as a Coordinator AP, and Coordinated APs AP112 and AP113 cooperate to send and receive data to and from the MFP100(STA). In this sequence, the processing performed by each device is realized by the CPU of each device reading various programs stored in the memory such as ROM into RAM and executing them.

[0070] In S601, AP111 to AP113 perform Multi-AP setup processing. During Multi-AP setup processing, capability information and parameters are exchanged between APs, and a group is formed for Multi-AP communication.

[0071] In S602, Multi-AP coordination processing is performed between AP111 and AP113. For example, the Multi-AP communication method is determined, the AP roles (Coordinator AP or Coordinated AP) are determined, and parameters and network information are exchanged between APs. The Multi-AP communication method and AP roles are determined by exchanging and comparing parameters between AP111 and AP113. At that time, the Coordinator AP (AP111) notifies the Coordinated APs (AP112 and AP113) of network information that should be used in common (such as the SSID to be used in common and the BSSID (Basic Service Set color ID) to be used in common). Note that the BSSID to be used in common is notified in the case of Joint-TX.

[0072] In S603, AP112 and AP113 transmit Beacon frames (information that APs spontaneously transmit periodically) according to the network information notified in S602. The Beacon frame contains information indicating that Multi-AP communication is possible with the connected STA and information indicating the Multi-AP communication method. APs that support Multi-AP communication may also transmit a Multi-AP IE (Information Element) within the Beacon frame. The Multi-AP IE contains at least one of the following pieces of information (one or more of the following pieces of information).

[0073] • The SSID used by multiple Coordinated APs belonging to the same multi-AP group (the ESSID to be used in common, as notified by S602) • BSSID (In the case of Joint-TX, the BSSID notified by S602 should be used in common by APs belonging to multi-AP group 110) • BSS color value (identifier) ​​for Multi-AP communication • Operating wireless channel (If using the Joint-TX method, this is the communication channel that should be used in common. If using the Co-OFDMA method, this is the communication channel and / or resource unit used by the source AP. In the case of the Co-OFDMA method, this may also include the communication channels and / or resource units used by other APs within the multi-AP group 110.) • Multi-AP communication method (information that identifies whether it is Co-OFDMA or Joint-TX) The storage method and structure of this information are not limited to those described here, and similar information may be stored and transmitted in a similar format. Note that Multi-AP IE may have a different name, such as Multi-AP Element. Furthermore, Multi-AP IE may be included in wireless frames such as the S605 Probe Response frame or other Action frames.

[0074] In S604, the MFP100(STA) begins establishing a connection with the AP using wireless infrastructure mode. The MFP100(STA) sends a ProbeRequest frame to begin searching for the AP in order to determine whether the AP supports Multi-AP communication.

[0075] In S605, the MFP100(STA) searches for and discovers APs by receiving ProbeResponse frames and Beacon frames transmitted from APs, which are responses to AP searches.

[0076] In S606, MFP100(STA) performs connection processing with at least one CoordinatedAP based on the information contained in the frame received in S605. Here, as an example, MFP100(STA) sends a connection request to AP112 and performs a connection attempt (connection processing). This connection processing includes processes such as Authentication and Association as defined in IEEE802.11. MFP100(STA) may also add Multi-AP IE to the Association Request frame it sends to indicate that it is requesting Multi-AP communication. Upon receiving the Association Request frame, AP112 sends an Association Response frame in response. This establishes a wireless LAN connection between MFP100(STA) and AP112.

[0077] In S607, when AP112 establishes a connection with MFP100(STA), it notifies CoordinatorAP(AP111) of information indicating that it has established a connection with MFP100(STA), along with connection parameters related to the connected MFP100(STA). The connection parameters related to the connected MFP100(STA) include information used or generated during the connection process between AP112 and MFP100 (such as PMK cache, roaming information, authentication information, etc.), and the STA identifier. Similarly, when AP113 connects with MFP100(STA), AP113 also notifies CoordinatorAP(AP111) that it has established a connection.

[0078] After S607, AP111 transmits the connection parameters for MFP100(STA) transmitted in S607 to AP113. AP113 may use the transmitted connection parameters for MFP100(STA) to establish a connection with MFP100. However, in the Joint-TX method, data can be transmitted from APs that have not established a connection. In other words, APs that have not established a connection can also be sources of multiplexed radio waves. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform the process of establishing a connection between AP113 and MFP100.

[0079] In S608, the CoordinatorAP (AP111) determines the transmission parameters (information necessary for determining the transmission timing and transmission power for each CoordinatedAP and each antenna, and / or resource unit allocation information, etc.) based on the connection parameters (parameters received in S607) of the CoordinatedAP that has connected to the MFP100 (STA), and then allocates the transmission data. The determined transmission parameter information is notified to each CoordinatedAP via a Multi-AP Trigger frame. AP112 and AP113 set their own transmission parameters (transmission timing, transmission power, and resource units to be used) based on the notified information. Note that the Multi-AP Trigger frame may have a different name. Also, the Multi-AP Trigger frame may be an extension of the Trigger frame of the IEEE802.11ax / be standard.

[0080] In S609, the CoordinatorAP (AP111) sends data to be sent to the MFP100 (STA) (for example, content data such as image data, document data, and print data) to the CoordinatedAP.

[0081] In S610, when the Coordinated APs (AP112, 113) receive data to be transmitted from the Coordinator AP (AP111), they coordinately transmit that data to the MFP100. Also, when the Coordinated APs (AP112, AP113) receive data from the MFP100 (STA), they transmit that received data to the Coordinator AP (AP111). Note that this order of data transmission and reception is just an example; for example, data reception from the STA may occur before data transmission to the STA.

[0082] Furthermore, the CoordinatorAP may directly transmit and receive signals with the STA. For example, AP111 may operate as both a CoordinatorAP and a CoordinatedAP. In this case, for example, AP111 may transmit and receive wireless frames between itself and the STA while issuing instructions to AP112 or AP113 to transmit and receive wireless frames between AP112 or AP113 and the STA. The CoordinatorAP may also transmit data to be transmitted to the CoordinatedAP when it causes the CoordinatedAP to transmit wireless frames. However, it is not limited to this, and the CoordinatedAP may also obtain data to be transmitted directly from, for example, the Internet. In addition, the CoordinatorAP may receive data received by the CoordinatedAP from the STA, but the CoordinatedAP may also forward the data received from the STA to the STA's partner device instead of forwarding it to the CoordinatorAP.

[0083] Furthermore, any AP within the same network can operate as a Coordinator AP, and it may be determined by some criteria that one of the APs will operate as a Coordinator AP. The Coordinator AP does not necessarily operate as an AP that transmits Beacon frames, but may only perform the Coordinator AP's role, such as sending instructions to other APs. Also, each AP may operate as multiple Coordinated APs by having multiple wireless LAN communication control units 515. Additionally, the Coordinator AP may be implemented as a logical function, and one physical AP may operate as a Coordinator AP while simultaneously operating as one or more Coordinated APs.

[0084] Communication devices that perform wireless LAN communication are required to improve wireless communication throughput. In wireless LAN communication, using Multi-AP communication (Coordinated-OFDMA method) with multiple access points (APs) makes it possible to improve communication throughput compared to communication with a single AP. Furthermore, using Multi-AP communication (Joint-Transmission method) makes it possible to improve communication reliability compared to communication with a single AP.

[0085] However, communication devices may display a user interface (UI) for configuring settings to establish a wireless LAN connection based on the premise of connecting / communicating with a single AP, or perform connection processing with an AP. In such cases, if a user attempts to connect to another AP while the communication device is connected to one AP, the wireless communication with the currently connected AP is disconnected, and the connection processing with the other AP instructed by the user is performed, making it impossible to establish multi-AP communication. According to this embodiment, multi-AP communication can be performed more favorably. Its configuration is described below.

[0086] Figures 7(a) to 7(i) schematically show an example of the wireless infrastructure connection setting screen display on the display (touch panel display) included in the operation display unit 220 of the MFP100.

[0087] Figure 7(a) is an example of the screen displayed when the access point connection 909 shown in Figure 9(c), which will be described later, is selected. When the "Search for Access Point" button 700 is pressed, the MFP100 starts searching for nearby access points and displays the screen showing "Searching for Access Point" as shown in Figure 7(b) on the operation display unit 220. When the "Manual Setting" button 701 is pressed, the MFP100 displays the screen shown in Figure 7(d) on the operation display unit 220. When the "Cancel" button 702 is pressed, the MFP100 displays the screen shown in Figure 9(c) on the operation display unit 220.

[0088] Figure 7(b) shows an example of the screen displayed when the MFP100 is searching for nearby access points. While searching for access points, a search notification 703 and a search processing icon 704 are displayed. When the access point search process is complete, the screen switches to the one shown in Figure 7(c).

[0089] Figure 7(c) shows an example of the screen displayed after the access point discovery process is completed. The discovery results list is displayed, which includes the SSID (Service Set Identifier) ​​705, security settings 706, and group information 707 that identifies whether or not the access point is in the same multi-AP group as the connected AP, all of which are related to the access point discovered during the discovery process. When no access point is selected in the discovery results list, the "OK" button 710 is grayed out and does not accept user selection. When a specific access point is selected from the discovery results list by the user, the background of the selected access point information is colored (selected access point 708), and the "OK" button 710 is activated to accept user selection. When the "Cancel" button 709 is pressed, the MFP100 displays the screen shown in Figure 9(c) on the operation display unit 220. When the "OK" button 710 is pressed, the MFP100 displays the screen shown in Figure 7(e) on the operation display unit 220. Note that the information about access points displayed in the discovery results list is not limited to the information listed above. For example, information such as frequency band and channel information used in wireless communication may be displayed.

[0090] Figure 7(d) shows an example of a screen displayed to prompt the user to input wireless communication identifier information / security settings information necessary for connecting to an access point. The SSID input field 711 accepts the input of SSID information of the access point to be connected to by the user operating the operation display unit 220. The security settings field displays "None" button 712, button 713, and button 714, allowing the user to select the security setting of the access point to be connected to. Button 713 is for setting WAP / WPA2-PSK (Wi-Fi Protected Access / Wi-Fi Protected Access2 Pre-Shared Key). Button 714 is for setting WAP3-SAE (Wi-Fi Protected Access3 Simultaneous Authentication of Equals). If no SSID information is entered in the SSID input field 711, or if no security setting button is selected in the security settings field, the "OK" button 716 is grayed out and user selection is not accepted. When SSID information is entered in the SSID input field 711 and the security settings field is selected, the "OK" button 716 is activated to accept user selection. When the "Cancel" button 715 is pressed, the MFP100 displays the screen shown in Figure 9(c) on the operation display unit 220. When the "OK" button 716 is pressed, the MFP100 displays the screen shown in Figure 7(e) on the operation display unit 220. Note that the types of security settings displayed in the security settings field are not limited to "None," "WAP / WPA2-PSK," and "WAP3-SAE" as mentioned above. For example, if the communication device supports IEEE802.1x authentication, a "WPA / WPA2-EAP (Wi-Fi Protected Access / Wi-Fi Protected Access2 Extended Authentication Protocol)" button may be displayed.

[0091] Figure 7(e) shows an example of a screen displayed to prompt the user to input network key information necessary for connecting to an access point. The network key input field 717 accepts the input of network key information for the access point to be connected to by the user operating the operation display unit 220. When no network key information is entered in the network key input field 717, the "OK" button 719 is grayed out and cannot be selected by the user. When network key information is entered in the network key input field 717, the "OK" button 719 is activated and can be selected by the user. When the "Cancel" button 718 is pressed, the MFP100 displays the screen shown in Figure 7(c) or Figure 7(d) on the operation display unit 220. When the "OK" button 719 is pressed, the MFP100 starts the connection process with the access point and displays the screen shown in Figure 7(f) on the operation display unit 220.

[0092] Figure 7(f) shows an example of the screen displayed when the MFP100 is in the process of connecting to an access point. During the access point connection process, a connection notification 720 and a connection processing icon 721 indicating that the connection is in progress are displayed. When the access point connection process is completed, the display switches to the screen shown in Figure 7(g), Figure 7(h), or Figure 7(i). If the "Cancel" button 722 is pressed before the access point connection process is completed, the MFP100 interrupts the connection process with the access point, and the MFP100 displays the screen shown in Figure 9(c) on the operation display unit 220.

[0093] Figures 7(g) and 7(h) show examples of the screens displayed when a connection to the access point is successfully established.

[0094] The AP addition notification 723 in Figure 7(g) is displayed when the connection process with an AP in the same multi-AP group as the currently connected AP is successful. In other words, this screen indicates that the access point connected through the connection process shown in Figure 7(f) has been added to the group of access points to which the MFP100 is connected. At this time, multi-AP group information 724 that can identify the multi-AP group may also be displayed. When the "OK" button 725 is pressed, the MFP100 displays the screen shown in Figure 9(c) on the operation display unit 220.

[0095] The AP connection notification 726 to the multi-AP group shown in Figure 7(h) is displayed when the first AP is connected, or when the connection process with an AP in a different multi-AP group than the currently connected AP is successful. In other words, this screen indicates that the MFP100 has been connected to a new multi-AP group through the connection process shown in Figure 7(f). At this time, multi-AP group information 727 that identifies the multi-AP group may also be displayed. When the "OK" button 728 is pressed, the MFP100 displays the screen shown in Figure 9(c) on the operation display unit 220.

[0096] Figure 7(i) shows an example of a screen displayed when the access point discovery fails or when the connection to an access point fails. The AP connection failure notification 729 displays the failure details 730, indicating that the addition of an AP to the same multi-AP group as the connected AP failed, or that the AP connection failed. Figure 7(i) shows an example of a screen indicating that the MFP100 failed to add an AP to the access point group to which it is connected. At this time, multi-AP group information 731 that can identify the multi-AP group may also be displayed. If the cause of the failure can be identified, the cause of the failure may also be displayed. For example, if the MFP100 attempts to add a new AP to the access point group to which it is connected when the maximum number of connected APs has been reached, a message indicating that the AP addition failed will be displayed. When the "OK" button 732 is pressed, the MFP100 displays the screen shown in Figure 9(c) on the operation display unit 220.

[0097] Figure 8 schematically shows an example of the display of the multi-AP setting screen on the display (touch panel display) included in the operation display unit 220 of the MFP100. The screen in Figure 8 may be displayed from, for example, the screen in Figure 7(d). The multi-AP setting screen 800 displays an "OFF" button 801 and an "ON" button 802, and one of them is always selected according to the setting value stored in the non-volatile memory 215. When the "ON" button 802 is selected, if the MFP100 detects an AP of the same multi-AP group while AP connection is in progress, it will add the access point to the group to which the MFP100 is connected (connection process with the detected AP). Such a process is performed without user operation to connect to the access point. If the selection of the "OFF" button 801 and the "ON" button 802 is changed by user operation and the "OK" button 803 is pressed, the setting value stored in the non-volatile memory 215 is updated to the changed value. If the "OK" button 803 is pressed without changing the selection of the "OFF" button 801 or the "ON" button 802, the settings stored in the non-volatile memory 215 will not be updated. Similarly, if the selection of the "OFF" button 801 or the "ON" button 802 is changed and the "Cancel" button 804 is pressed, the settings stored in the non-volatile memory 215 will not be updated.

[0098] Figures 9(a) to 9(d) schematically show an example of the screen display related to the settings of the MFP100 on the display (touch panel display) included in the operation display unit 220 of the MFP100.

[0099] Figure 9(a) shows the screen related to the MFP100's settings menu. The settings menu is managed in a hierarchical structure, and the settings tree 901 displays the currently displayed hierarchical position. The display is updated each time a setting item is selected from the list of currently displayed settings items 902. The list of currently displayed settings items 902 displays a list of settings items at the current hierarchical level, and when a setting item is selected from the list of currently displayed settings items 902 by the user, the display of the list of currently displayed settings items 902 is also updated. The "Up" button 903 is used to change the hierarchical level of the displayed settings menu. Each time the "Up" button 903 is pressed, the user moves up one level, and the display contents of the settings tree 901 and the list of currently displayed settings items 902 are updated. If the currently displayed hierarchical position is the highest level, the "Up" button 903 is grayed out and user selection is not accepted. When the "Close" button 904 is pressed, the screen related to the MFP100's settings menu is hidden (closed).

[0100] Figure 9(b) shows an example of the screen display when the network menu 905 is selected from the list of currently displayed settings items 902. The list of currently displayed settings items 906 displays settings related to the communication network, such as the selection of the communication interface to be used for communication, IP address settings, and firewall settings. Note that the above settings items are just examples, and settings items depending on the functions of the MFP100 may be displayed.

[0101] Figure 9(c) is an example of the screen displayed when the Wireless LAN menu 907 is selected from the list of currently displayed settings items 906. The list of currently displayed settings items 908 displays the access point connection item 909 and the Wireless LAN information item 910. When the access point connection item 909 is selected, the screen shown in Figure 7(a) above is displayed. When the Wireless LAN information item 910 is selected, the Wireless LAN communication details 910 shown in Figure 9(d) is displayed, showing the Wireless LAN connection status and information such as the frequency band, channel, and SSID used for communication. Note that the settings items are just examples and are not limited to those listed above. For example, the Wireless LAN signal strength may also be displayed.

[0102] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the process of adding an access point to a group of access points that the MFP100 is currently connected to. The process in Figure 10 is achieved, for example, by the CPU 212 reading a program stored in ROM 213 into RAM 214 and executing it. The process in Figure 10 is executed, for example, when the MFP100 starts up.

[0103] In S1001, CPU212 searches for access points around MFP100 by performing probe request transmission processing and probe response reception processing.

[0104] In S1002, the CPU 212 determines whether the discovered access point matches the access point information of the wireless profile stored in the non-volatile memory 215. The access point information includes connection information for connecting to the access point. In other words, S1002 determines whether the discovered access point is an access point registered in the MFP 100 and whether it is in a state where it can connect to an access point registered in the MFP 100.

[0105] If it is determined that the access point matches the access point information stored in the non-volatile memory 215, in S1004, the CPU 212 connects to the access point using the access point information stored in the non-volatile memory 215. On the other hand, if it is determined that the access point does not match the access point information stored in the non-volatile memory 215, in S1003, the CPU 212 waits for a predetermined time to elapse. After the predetermined time has elapsed, the process from S1001 is repeated. Note that if it is determined that the access point does not match the access point information stored in the non-volatile memory 215, for example, if no access point matching the access point information stored in the non-volatile memory 215 can be detected. Also, if the connection to the access point matching the access point information stored in the non-volatile memory 215 fails in S1004, the process in S1003 is performed.

[0106] In S1005, the CPU 212 refers to the setting value for the automatic AP addition function, which is set on the multi-AP setting screen 800 in Figure 8 and stored in the non-volatile memory 215. Based on the setting value, the CPU 212 determines whether the automatic AP addition function is enabled or disabled. If the "ON" button 802 on the multi-AP setting screen 800 is selected, it is determined that the automatic AP addition function is enabled. If the "OFF" button 801 is selected, it is determined that the automatic AP addition function is disabled.

[0107] If it is determined that the automatic AP addition function is enabled, in S1030, the CPU 212 executes the automatic AP addition process. The automatic AP addition process will be described later in Figure 11. On the other hand, if the automatic AP addition function is disabled, or after S1030, in S1006, the CPU 212 determines whether the wireless LAN menu 907 has been selected. In other words, it determines whether or not an instruction to display the wireless LAN settings screen has been received. If it is determined that the wireless LAN menu 907 has not been selected, the process proceeds to S1007; if it is determined that the wireless LAN menu 907 has been selected, the process proceeds to S1009.

[0108] In S1007, CPU212 determines whether the connection to all access points included in the group of access points to which MFP100 is connected has been disconnected. If it is determined that the connection to all access points has been disconnected, the process from S1001 is repeated. On the other hand, if it is determined that the connection to all access points has not been disconnected, the process proceeds to S1008.

[0109] In S1008, the CPU 212 determines whether or not wireless communication has ended. If it is determined that wireless communication has not ended, that is, if the wireless unit 250 is still operating, the process from S1005 is repeated. On the other hand, if it is determined that wireless communication has ended, the process shown in Figure 10 is terminated. One example of a case where wireless communication has ended is when the power to the MFP 100 is turned off.

[0110] In S1009, the CPU 212 displays the screen shown in Figure 9(c). The following processing includes cases where the access point connection item 909 is selected and where the wireless LAN information item 910 is selected on the screen shown in Figure 9(c).

[0111] In S1010, the CPU 212 determines whether the "Access Point Search" button 700 is selected. If it is determined that the "Access Point Search" button 700 is not selected, in S1011, the CPU 212 determines whether the "Manual Setup" button 701 is selected. If it is determined that the "Manual Setup" button 701 is not selected, in S1012, the CPU 212 displays the screen shown in Figure 9(d).

[0112] If it is determined that the "Manual Settings" button 701 is selected, in S1013, the CPU 212 displays the screens shown in Figures 7(d) and 7(e) according to the user's operation and accepts access point connection information (SSID / network key) from the user. If the "OK" button 719 is pressed on the screen shown in Figure 7(e), the process proceeds to S1014.

[0113] In S1014, CPU212 searches for an access point using the access point connection information (SSID / network key) entered by the user in S1013.

[0114] In S1015, CPU212 determines whether the access point specified in the access point connection information entered by the user has been detected. In other words, it determines whether a connection to the user-specified access point is possible.

[0115] If it is determined that the access point specified in the access point connection information entered by the user could not be detected, in S1016, the CPU 212 displays the screen shown in Figure 7(i) to notify the user that the access point specified by the user could not be detected. On the other hand, if it is determined that the access point specified in the access point connection information entered by the user was detected, the process proceeds to S1020.

[0116] If it is determined in S1010 that the "Access Point Search" button 700 is selected, in S1017 the CPU 212 displays the screen shown in Figure 7(b) and performs probe request transmission / probe response reception processing to search for access points around the MFP 100. When the access point search process is completed, in S1018 the CPU 212 displays the screen shown in Figure 7(c) and displays a list of access point search results. If the MFP 100 has already reached the maximum number of access points that can be simultaneously connected, the display control may be such that access points in the same multi-AP group as the currently connected access point are hidden or grayed out to prevent additional AP connections. The maximum number of access points that the MFP 100 can simultaneously connect may be a number determined according to the capabilities of the MFP 100, or a number determined for each multi-AP group.

[0117] In S1019, the CPU212 displays the screens shown in Figures 7(c) and 7(e) in response to user input and accepts a connection instruction to the access point selected from the list of access point discovery results.

[0118] In S1020, the CPU 212 determines whether the access point specified by the user in S1013 or selected by the user in S1019 belongs to the same multi-AP group as the currently connected access point. At this time, the CPU 212 may display whether the access point specified or selected by the user belongs to the same multi-AP group as the currently connected access point. If it is determined that the access point belongs to the same multi-AP group, in S1021, the CPU 212 displays the screen shown in Figure 7(f) and executes the processing of the MFP 100 in the processing sequence shown in Figure 6 to add the access point specified by the user in S1013 or selected by the user in S1019 (establishing multi-AP communication). Specifically, for example, the processing in S606 of the MFP 100 is executed. After the additional connection of the access point is completed, in S1022, the CPU 212 displays the screen shown in Figure 7(g) and notifies the user that an additional connection of the access point has been made (the MFP 100 has added the access point to the group of access points to which it is currently connected). In addition, along with the notification of the additional connection, the number of currently connected access points and the maximum number of access points that can be connected simultaneously may also be notified. Furthermore, even if S1020 determines that the access points belong to the same multi-AP group, if the MFP100 has already reached its maximum number of simultaneously connectable access points, the process of S1021 may be disabled, and the screen shown in Figure 7(i) may be displayed.

[0119] If S1020 determines that the access point is not in the same multi-AP group, in S1023, CPU212 displays the screen shown in Figure 7(f) and disconnects the wireless connection with the access point that is already connected in S1004 and S1021.

[0120] In S1024, CPU212 establishes a connection with the access point specified by the user in S1013 or selected by the user in S1019. In other words, instead of the access point that was already connected, a connection is established with the access point specified by the user in S1013 or selected by the user in S1019.

[0121] In S1025, CPU212 displays the screen shown in Figure 7(h) to notify the user that it has connected to an access point in a new multi-AP group.

[0122] As described above, in this embodiment, when the "Access Point Search" button 700 or the "Manual Setting" button 701 is selected, and the user specifies or selects (identifies) an access point to connect to, the processes S1010 to S1025 are executed. That is, if the specified or selected access point is in the same multi-AP group as an access point that is already connected, the connection control is performed to maintain the connection with the already connected access point and add it as an access point to be connected to by the MFP100. This prevents the user from unintentionally disconnecting from an already connected access point, which would result in being unable to establish multi-AP communication.

[0123] Figure 11 is a flowchart showing the automatic addition process for AP in S1030.

[0124] In S1101, the CPU 212 determines whether the connected access point belongs to a multi-AP group. If it is determined that the connected access point does not belong to a multi-AP group, the process in Figure 11 is terminated and the process proceeds to S1006 in Figure 10. If it is determined that the connected access point belongs to a multi-AP group, in S1102, the CPU 212 waits for a predetermined time to elapse since the previous access point discovery process. The predetermined time may be set by user operation using the operation display unit 220 or the like. Once the predetermined time has elapsed since the previous access point discovery process, in S1103, the CPU 212 determines whether the number of access points connected to the MFP 100 has reached the maximum number of access points that can be connected simultaneously.

[0125] If it is determined that the number of connected access points has reached the maximum number of access points, in S1104, the CPU 212 monitors the connection status with the connected access points and determines whether there are any access points that do not meet the connection conditions. Connection conditions include, for example, radio wave strength and access point security settings. In addition, the determination based on connection conditions may also use elements related to wireless communication, such as channels and frequency bands, and the connection conditions may be changed by user operation using the operation display unit 220 or the like. If it is determined that there are access points that do not meet the connection conditions, or if it is determined that the number of connected access points has not reached the maximum number of access points that can be simultaneously connected, in S1105, the CPU 212 searches for access points around the MFP 100 by performing probe request transmission processing / probe response reception processing. If it is determined that there are no access points that do not meet the connection conditions, the process in Figure 11 is terminated and the process proceeds to S1006 in Figure 10. If it is determined in S1101 that the connected access point belongs to a multi-AP group, the process in S1105 may be executed without performing the processes in S1103 and S1104.

[0126] In S1106, the CPU 212 determines whether, as a result of searching for access points, an access point belonging to the same multi-AP group as the currently connected access point and that is connectable has been detected. A connectable access point is, for example, an access point that satisfies the above connection conditions. If it is determined that no access point belonging to the same multi-AP group as the currently connected access point and that is connectable has been detected, the process in Figure 11 is terminated and the process proceeds to S1006 in Figure 10. On the other hand, if it is determined that an access point belonging to the same multi-AP group as the currently connected access point and that is connectable has been detected, the process proceeds to S1107.

[0127] In S1107, the CPU 212 selects one access point from among the available access points in the same multi-AP group as the currently connected access point, in order of best connection conditions. Note that the selection criteria are just examples, and the selection may also be made using wireless communication-related factors such as channel and frequency band, and the selection criteria may be changed by user operation using the operation display unit 220 or the like.

[0128] In S1108, the CPU212 determines whether the selected access point satisfies at least one of the following conditions: "the SSID of the selected access point is the same as that of the currently connected access point, or it is an access point that has been connected to in the past." If the conditions are met, in S1111, the CPU212 executes the processing of the MFP100 in the processing sequence shown in Figure 6 to add the access point (establish Multi-AP communication). Specifically, for example, the processing in S606 of the MFP100 is executed.

[0129] The fact that the selected access point's SSID is the same as the currently connected access point means, in other words, that it is an access point that is likely to be used by the user. Similarly, the fact that the selected access point's SSID is that of an access point that has been previously connected to means, in other words, that it is an access point that is likely to be used by the user. Therefore, the S1108 judgment can be rephrased as a determination of whether the selected access point is a reliable access point that is likely to be used by the user.

[0130] The process in S1111 is executed when it is determined in S1103 that the MFP100 has reached the maximum number of access points that can be simultaneously connected, and when it is determined in S1104 that there are access points that do not meet the connection conditions. In such cases, in S1111, the CPU212 may disconnect the connection with the access points that do not meet the connection conditions, execute the processing of the MFP100 in the processing sequence in Figure 6, and perform additional access point connections (establishment of Multi-AP communication).

[0131] On the other hand, if it is determined in S1108 that the conditions are not met, in S1109 the CPU 212 displays a notification screen indicating that an access point has been detected and waits for instructions from the user. The process in S1109 is executed when the SSID of the selected access point is not the same as the currently connected access point and is not an access point that has been connected to in the past. In such cases, based on the receipt of instructions from the user to add an access point, the process of adding the access point is executed.

[0132] Figure 12 schematically shows an example of the AP additional connection confirmation screen displayed on the display (touch panel display) included in the operation display unit 220 of the MFP100. The access point detection notification screen 1200 is displayed when an access point that can be added to the group of access points to which the MFP100 is connected is detected. A list of discovery results is displayed, including the SSID 1201 of the detected access point, security settings 1202, and group information 1203 indicating whether or not it belongs to the same multi-AP group as the connected AP. When the "Connect" button 1204 is pressed, the CPU 212 executes the processing of the MFP100 in the processing sequence of Figure 6 and starts the process of adding the access point (establishing multi-AP communication). Specifically, for example, the processing of S606 of the MFP100 is executed. When the "Cancel" button 1205 is pressed, or after a certain period of time has elapsed since the access point detection notification screen 1200 was displayed, the access point detection notification screen 1200 is closed, and the process of adding the access point (establishing multi-AP communication) is not executed. Note that the information about access points displayed in the search results list is not limited to the SSID, security settings, and group information mentioned above. For example, information such as the frequency band and channel information used for wireless communication may also be displayed.

[0133] In S1110, the CPU 212 determines the user's actions on the notification screen. If it is determined that the "Connect" button 1204 was pressed, the process proceeds to S1111. If it is determined that the "Cancel" button 1205 was pressed, or if no user action is taken on the notification screen for a certain period of time, the process proceeds to S1112.

[0134] In S1112, the CPU 212 determines whether the process in S1107 has been performed for all other access points in the same multi-AP group as the currently connected access point and that are available for connection. If it is determined that the process in S1107 has been performed for all other access points in the same multi-AP group as the currently connected access point and that are available for connection, the process in Figure 11 is terminated and the process proceeds to S1006 in Figure 10. On the other hand, in S1113, the CPU 212 determines whether the number of connected access points has reached the maximum number of access points that the MFP 100 can simultaneously connect to. If it is determined that the maximum number of simultaneously connectable access points has not been reached, the CPU 212 selects the next access point with the best connection conditions and repeats the process from S1107. On the other hand, if it is determined that the maximum number of simultaneously connectable access points has been reached, the process in Figure 11 is terminated and the process proceeds to S1006 in Figure 10.

[0135] Thus, in this embodiment, even after the MFP100 has started up and connected to a registered access point, it continues to search for access points. If the access point found as a result of the search meets the conditions, the MFP100 adds that access point to the group of access points to which it is currently connected, without any user intervention.

[0136] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to add an access point to a group of access points to which the MFP100 is connected (establishing Multi-AP communication), and to provide a more suitable communication environment for Multi-AP communication.

[0137] Furthermore, the various controls described above, which were explained as being performed by the CPU of each device, may be performed by a single piece of hardware, or multiple pieces of hardware (for example, multiple processors or circuits) may share the processing to control the entire device.

[0138] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiments used the application of the present invention to an MFP as an example, the invention is not limited to this example and can be applied to any wireless device capable of Multi-AP communication. That is, the present invention can be applied to personal computers, PDAs, tablet terminals, mobile phone terminals such as smartphones, music players, game consoles, e-book readers, smartwatches, and various measuring devices (sensor devices) such as thermometers and hygrometers. The present invention can also be applied to digital cameras (including still cameras, video cameras, network cameras, and security cameras), printers, scanners, and drones. The present invention can also be applied to video output devices, audio output devices (e.g., smart speakers), media streaming players, and wireless LAN adapters that can connect to USB terminals or LAN cable terminals. A video output device includes, for example, a set-top box, which acquires (downloads) videos and still images from the internet specified by a URL instructed by a communication device and outputs them to a display device connected via a video output terminal such as HDMI®. This enables streaming playback on the display device or mirroring display (displaying the content displayed on the communication device on the display device as well). Furthermore, video output devices include media players such as televisions, hard disk recorders, Blu-ray recorders, and DVD recorders, as well as head-mounted displays, projectors, televisions, display devices (monitors), and signage devices. The present invention is also applicable to Wi-Fi-connected devices known as smart home appliances, such as air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, ovens, microwave ovens, lighting fixtures, heating appliances, and cooling appliances.

[0139] The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and by having one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0140] The disclosure of this embodiment includes communication devices, methods, programs, and storage media. (Item 1) A communication device, A receiving means for receiving a user operation that, while the communication device is connected to the first access point, specifies a second access point different from the first access point as the target for connection of the communication device, Connection control means for maintaining the connection between the communication device and the first access point, and controlling the communication device to connect to the second access point specified by a user operation that specifies the second access point received by the receiving means, A communication control means that controls data communication to be performed via both the first access point and the second access point while connected to both the first access point and the second access point, A communication device characterized by having the following features. (Item 2) The communication device according to item 1, characterized in that the second access point is an access point belonging to the group of first access points in Multi-AP communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standards. (Item 3) The communication device according to item 1 or 2, further comprising a determination means for determining whether the second access point is an access point belonging to the group of first access points in Multi-AP communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standard. (Item 4) The communication device according to item 3, characterized in that, even if the second access point is an access point to which the communication device has not previously connected, if the determination means determines that it is an access point belonging to the group of first access points in Multi-AP communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standard, the connection control means maintains the connection between the communication device and the first access point and controls the communication device to connect to the second access point. (Item 5) The communication device according to item 3 or 4, characterized in that, if the determination means determines that the second access point is not an access point belonging to the group of first access points in Multi-AP communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standard, the connection control means controls the connection between the communication device and the first access point to disconnect the connection and connect the communication device to the second access point. (Item 6) The communication device according to any one of items 3 to 5, characterized in that, after the communication device is connected to the second access point by the connection control means, if the receiving means receives a user operation specifying a third access point that is different from the first access point and different from the second access point, the determination means determines whether or not the third access point is an access point belonging to the group of the first access point and the second access point in Multi-AP communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standard. (Item 7) The communication device according to item 6, characterized in that, if the determination means determines that the third access point is not an access point belonging to the group of the first and second access points in Multi-AP communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standard, the connection control means controls the communication device to disconnect the connection between the communication device and the first and second access points and connect the communication device to the third access point. (Item 8) The communication device according to any one of items 1 to 7, characterized in that the user operation for specifying the second access point is the input of connection information to the second access point. (Item 9) The communication device according to any one of items 1 to 7, characterized in that the user operation for specifying the second access point is the selection of the second access point in the list of access points. (Item 10) The system further includes a display control means for controlling the display of a list of the aforementioned access points, The display control means controls the list of access points to display in a way that allows identification whether it belongs to the same group as the first access point group in Multi-AP communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standard. A communication device as described in item 9, characterized by the features described herein. (Item 11) The communication device according to any one of items 1 to 10, characterized in that even if the second access point is an access point belonging to the group of first access points in Multi-AP communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standard, if the number of connections of the communication device to the access points belonging to that group has reached the upper limit, the connection control means controls the communication device not to connect to the second access point. (Item 12) The communication device according to any one of items 1 to 11, characterized in that the reception by the reception means is performed when the display of a screen relating to the settings of the communication device is instructed. (Item 13) The communication device further includes a search means for searching for an access point outside the communication device when the communication device is connected to the first access point and no display regarding the settings of the communication device is indicated. If an access point is detected as a result of the search by the search means, the connection control means maintains the connection between the communication device and the first access point and controls the communication device to connect to the detected access point. The communication control means controls the system to perform data communication via both the first access point and the detected access point while connected to both of them. A communication device as described in item 12, characterized by the features described herein. (Item 14) The communication device according to item 13, characterized in that the search by the search means while the communication device is connected to the first access point is performed when the first access point is an access point belonging to a group in Multi-AP communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standard, and is controlled not to be performed when the first access point is not an access point belonging to a group in Multi-AP communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standard. (Item 15) The communication device according to item 13 or 14, characterized in that the detected access point and the access point subject to the control of the connection control means is an access point belonging to the first group of access points in Multi-AP communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standard. (Item 16) The communication device according to any one of items 13 to 15, characterized in that, if there are multiple detected access points, the connection control means controls the connection of the communication device to the access points in order from the access points with the best connection conditions, including radio wave strength, among the multiple detected access points. (Item 17) The connection control means controls the connection to connect the communication device to an access point without user intervention if the access point to be controlled by the connection control means satisfies at least one of the following conditions: the access point has the same SSID (Service Set Identifier) ​​as the first access point, and the communication device has been connected to that access point in the past. The communication device according to item 16, wherein if the access point to be controlled by the connection control means does not satisfy the second condition, the communication device is controlled to connect to that access point by receiving instructions from the user. (Item 18) The communication device according to any one of items 1 to 17, characterized in that the data communication is a Co-OFDMA (Coordinated-Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) method compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standards. (Item 19) The communication device according to any one of items 1 to 17, characterized in that the data communication is a Joint-TX (Joint-Transmission) method compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standards. (Item 20) A method performed in a communication device, A receiving step in which, while the communication device is connected to the first access point, the communication device receives a user operation to specify a second access point different from the first access point as the target of connection for the communication device, A connection control step that maintains the connection between the communication device and the first access point and controls the communication device to connect to the second access point specified by a user operation that specifies the second access point received in the reception step, A communication control step that controls data communication to be performed via both the first access point and the second access point while connected to both the first access point and the second access point, A method characterized by having the following: (Item 21) A program for causing a computer to function as one of the means of a communication device as described in any one of items 1 through 19. (Item 22) A computer-readable storage medium containing a program for causing a computer to function as one of the means of a communication device as described in any one of items 1 through 19. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0141] 100 Communication devices: 101 Mobile terminal devices: 111, 112, 113 APs: 212, 412, 511 CPUs

Claims

1. A communication device, A receiving means for receiving a user operation that, while the communication device is connected to the first access point, specifies a second access point different from the first access point as the target for connection of the communication device, Connection control means for maintaining the connection between the communication device and the first access point, and controlling the communication device to connect to the second access point specified by a user operation that specifies the second access point received by the receiving means, A communication control means that controls data communication to be performed via both the first access point and the second access point while connected to both the first access point and the second access point, A determination means for determining whether the second access point is an access point belonging to the group of first access points in Multi-AP communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standard, A communication device characterized by having the following features.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that the second access point is an access point belonging to the group of first access points in Multi-AP communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standard.

3. The communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that, even if the second access point is an access point to which the communication device has not previously connected, if the determination means determines that it is an access point belonging to the group of first access points in Multi-AP communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standard, the connection control means maintains the connection between the communication device and the first access point and controls the communication device to connect to the second access point.

4. The communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that, if the determination means determines that the second access point is not an access point belonging to the group of first access points in Multi-AP communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standard, the connection control means controls the connection between the communication device and the first access point to disconnect the connection and connect the communication device to the second access point.

5. The communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that, after the communication device is connected to the second access point by the connection control means, if the receiving means receives a user operation specifying a third access point that is different from the first access point and different from the second access point, the determination means determines whether or not the third access point is an access point that belongs to the group of the first access point and the second access point in Multi-AP communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standard.

6. The communication device according to claim 5, characterized in that, if the determination means determines that the third access point is not an access point belonging to the group of the first and second access points in Multi-AP communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standard, the connection control means controls the communication device to disconnect the connection between the communication device and the first and second access points and connect the communication device to the third access point.

7. The communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that the user operation for specifying the second access point is the input of connection information to the second access point.

8. The communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that even if the second access point is an access point belonging to the group of first access points in Multi-AP communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standard, if the number of connections of the communication device to the access points belonging to that group has reached the upper limit, the connection control means controls the communication device not to connect to the second access point.

9. The communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that the data communication is a Co-OFDMA (Coordinated-Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) method compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standards.

10. The communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that the data communication is a Joint-TX (Joint-Transmission) method compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standards.

11. A communication device, A receiving means for receiving a user operation that, while the communication device is connected to the first access point, specifies a second access point different from the first access point as the target for connection of the communication device, Connection control means for maintaining the connection between the communication device and the first access point, and controlling the communication device to connect to the second access point specified by a user operation that specifies the second access point received by the receiving means, The system includes a communication control means that controls data communication to be performed via both the first access point and the second access point while connected to both of the first and second access points, The user operation for specifying the second access point is the selection of the second access point in the list of access points. The system further includes a display control means for controlling the display of a list of the aforementioned access points, The display control means controls the list of access points to display in a way that allows identification whether it belongs to the same group as the first access point group in Multi-AP communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standard. A communication device characterized by the following features.

12. The communication device according to claim 11, characterized in that even if the second access point is an access point belonging to the group of first access points in Multi-AP communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standard, if the number of connections of the communication device to the access points belonging to that group has reached the upper limit, the connection control means controls the communication device not to connect to the second access point.

13. The communication device according to claim 11, characterized in that the data communication is a Co-OFDMA (Coordinated-Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) method compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standards.

14. The communication device according to claim 11, characterized in that the data communication is a Joint-TX (Joint-Transmission) method compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standards.

15. A communication device, A receiving means for receiving a user operation that, while the communication device is connected to the first access point, specifies a second access point different from the first access point as the target for connection of the communication device, Connection control means for maintaining the connection between the communication device and the first access point, and controlling the communication device to connect to the second access point specified by a user operation that specifies the second access point received by the receiving means, The system includes a communication control means that controls data communication to be performed via both the first access point and the second access point while connected to both of the first and second access points, The reception by the reception means is performed when the display of the screen related to the settings of the communication device is instructed. The communication device further includes a search means for searching for an access point outside the communication device when the communication device is connected to the first access point and no display regarding the settings of the communication device is instructed, If an access point is detected as a result of the search by the search means, the connection control means maintains the connection between the communication device and the first access point and controls the communication device to connect to the detected access point. The communication control means controls the system to perform data communication via both the first access point and the detected access point while connected to both the first access point and the detected access point. A communication device characterized by the following features.

16. The communication device according to claim 15, characterized in that the user operation for specifying the second access point is the selection of the second access point in the list of access points.

17. The system further includes a display control means for controlling the display of a list of the aforementioned access points, The display control means controls the list of access points to display in a way that allows identification whether it belongs to the same group as the first access point group in Multi-AP communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standard. The communication device according to feature 16.

18. The communication device according to claim 15, characterized in that even if the second access point is an access point belonging to the group of first access points in Multi-AP communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standard, if the number of connections of the communication device to the access points belonging to that group has reached the upper limit, the connection control means controls the communication device not to connect to the second access point.

19. The communication device according to claim 15, characterized in that the search by the search means while the communication device is connected to the first access point is performed when the first access point is an access point belonging to a group in Multi-AP communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standard, and is controlled not to be performed when the first access point is not an access point belonging to a group in Multi-AP communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standard.

20. The communication device according to claim 15, characterized in that the detected access point and the access point subject to the control of the connection control means is an access point belonging to the first group of access points in Multi-AP communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standard.

21. The communication device according to claim 15, characterized in that, if there are multiple detected access points, the connection control means controls the connection of the communication device to the access points in order from the access points with the best connection conditions, including radio wave strength, among the multiple detected access points.

22. The connection control means controls the connection to the access point without user intervention if the access point to be controlled by the connection control means satisfies at least one of the following conditions: the access point has the same SSID (Service Set Identifier) ​​as the first access point, and the communication device has been connected to that access point in the past. The communication device according to claim 21, wherein if the access point to be controlled by the connection control means does not satisfy the second condition, the communication device is controlled to connect to the access point by receiving instructions from the user.

23. The communication device according to claim 15, characterized in that the data communication is a Co-OFDMA (Coordinated-Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) method compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standards.

24. The communication device according to claim 15, characterized in that the data communication is a Joint-TX (Joint-Transmission) method compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standards.

25. A method performed in a communication device, A receiving step in which, while the communication device is connected to the first access point, the communication device receives a user operation to specify a second access point different from the first access point as the target of connection, A connection control step that maintains the connection between the communication device and the first access point and controls the communication device to connect to the second access point specified by a user operation that specifies the second access point received in the reception step, A communication control step that controls data communication to be performed via both the first access point and the second access point while connected to both the first access point and the second access point, A determination step of determining whether the second access point is an access point belonging to the group of first access points in Multi-AP communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standard, A method characterized by having the following:

26. A method performed in a communication device, A receiving step in which, while the communication device is connected to the first access point, the communication device receives a user operation to specify a second access point different from the first access point as the target of connection, A connection control step that maintains the connection between the communication device and the first access point and controls the communication device to connect to the second access point specified by a user operation that specifies the second access point received in the reception step, The system includes a communication control step that controls the system to perform data communication via both the first access point and the second access point while connected to both of the first and second access points, The user operation for specifying the second access point is the selection of the second access point in the list of access points. The system further includes a display control step that controls the system to display a list of the aforementioned access points, In the display control step, the access point list is controlled to display in a way that allows identification whether it belongs to the same group as the first access point group in Multi-AP communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standard. A method characterized by the following:

27. ​​A method to be performed in a communication device, A receiving step in which, while the communication device is connected to the first access point, the communication device receives a user operation to specify a second access point different from the first access point as the target of connection, A connection control step that maintains the connection between the communication device and the first access point and controls the communication device to connect to the second access point specified by a user operation that specifies the second access point received in the reception step, The system includes a communication control step that controls the system to perform data communication via both the first access point and the second access point while connected to both of the first and second access points, The reception process described above is performed when the display of the screen related to the settings of the communication device is instructed. The system further includes a search step for an access point outside the communication device when the communication device is connected to the first access point and no display regarding the settings of the communication device is indicated. If an access point is detected as a result of the search in the search step, the connection control step controls the communication device to maintain the connection between the communication device and the first access point and to connect the communication device to the detected access point. In the communication control step, while connected to both the first access point and the detected access point, control is performed to perform data communication via both the first access point and the detected access point. A method characterized by the following:

28. A program for causing a computer to function as one of the means of a communication device described in any one of claims 1 to 24.

29. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as one of the means of a communication device described in any one of claims 1 to 24.

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