Communication device, control method, and program

Abstract

To improve the convenience of a device capable of executing a mode of operating as a child station and a mode of operating as a parent station.SOLUTION: In a state in which a state in which the communication device is operating in the first mode and a state in which the communication device is operating in the second state are maintained in parallel, determination means determines a frequency band to be used by the communication device in the second mode on the basis of the frequency band specified by the means for specifying the frequency band, so that the frequency band is different from the frequency band used by the communication device in the first mode.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication device, a control method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 proposes a technique in which a wireless communication device matches a channel used for connection to an access point and a channel used for connection to a mobile terminal by WFD.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, as devices capable of operating in a mode of operating as a slave station and a mode of operating as a master station become widespread, there is a demand for improving the convenience of such devices.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and is capable of performing communication according to a predetermined wireless communication standard using a first frequency band corresponding to a plurality of channels and communication according to the predetermined wireless communication standard using a second frequency band corresponding to another plurality of channels different from the plurality of channels, and is capable of operating in a first mode which is a slave station in a predetermined wireless communication standard and operating in a second mode which is a master station in the predetermined wireless communication standard. A communication device, comprising: first control means for controlling so that a state of operating in the first mode and a state of operating in a second mode in which the communication device is a master station in the predetermined wireless communication standard are maintained in parallel; A setting means that, based on user operation, sets the frequency band used by the communication device in the second mode to either the first frequency band or the second frequency band,In a state where the communication device is operating in the first mode and the communication device is operating in the second mode, the frequency band used by the communication device in the first mode is one of the first frequency band and the second frequency band. frequency band In a state where the communication device is operating in the first mode and the communication device is operating in the second mode in parallel, the frequency band used by the communication device in the second mode is the other of the first frequency band and the second frequency band. frequency band A second control means that controls it to be so Furthermore, even if one of the frequency bands has been set by the setting means, if the communication device is operating in the first mode and the communication device is operating in the second mode simultaneously, and the frequency band used by the communication device in the first mode is the one of the frequency bands, the second control means changes the setting by the setting means to the other frequency band and controls the communication device to use the other frequency band in the second mode. It is characterized by doing so. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the convenience of a device that can operate in both a slave mode and a master mode. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a communication system. [Figure 2] This is an example of a screen displayed by the operation display unit of a communication device. [Figure 3] This is an example diagram illustrating the wireless connection sequence in software AP mode. [Figure 4] This is an example diagram showing the wireless connection sequence in WFD mode. [Figure 5] This is an example diagram illustrating the wireless connection sequence in infrastructure connection mode. [Figure 6] This is an example diagram showing the channel configuration in each frequency band. [Figure 7] This is a flowchart showing the processes performed by the communication device. [Figure 8] This is a flowchart showing the processes performed by the communication device. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart showing the processes performed by the communication device. [Figure 10]This is a flowchart showing the processes performed by the communication device. [Figure 11] This is a flowchart showing the processes performed by the communication device. [Figure 12] This is a flowchart showing the processes performed by the communication device. [Figure 13] This is a flowchart showing the processes performed by the communication device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, it should be understood that the present invention also includes modifications and improvements made to the embodiments described below, without departing from the spirit of the invention, based on the ordinary knowledge of those skilled in the art.

[0009] (First Embodiment) This section describes the information processing device and communication device included in the communication system of this embodiment. While a smartphone is used as an example of the information processing device in this embodiment, it is not limited to this, and various devices such as mobile terminals, notebook PCs, tablet terminals, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), and digital cameras can be applied. Similarly, while a printer is used as an example of the communication device in this embodiment, it is not limited to this, and various devices capable of wireless communication with the information processing device can be applied. For example, if it is a printer, it can be an inkjet printer, a full-color laser beam printer, a monochrome printer, etc. Furthermore, it can be applied not only to printers but also to copiers, facsimile machines, mobile terminals, smartphones, notebook PCs, tablet terminals, PDAs, digital cameras, music playback devices, televisions, smart speakers, etc. It can also be applied to multifunction devices equipped with multiple functions such as copying, faxing, and printing.

[0010] First, the configuration of the information processing apparatus included in the communication system of the present embodiment and the communication apparatus capable of communicating with the information processing apparatus will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. 1. In the present embodiment, the following configuration is described as an example, but the functions are not particularly limited to those shown in this figure.

[0011] The information processing apparatus 101 includes an input interface 102, a CPU 103, a ROM 104, a RAM 105, an external storage device 106, an output interface 107, an operation display unit 108, a communication unit 109, a short-range wireless communication unit 110, a photographing device 111, and the like.

[0012] The input interface 102 is an interface for receiving data input and operation instructions from the user, and is composed of a physical keyboard, buttons, a touch panel, and the like. Note that the output interface 107 described later and the input interface 102 may have the same configuration, and the output of the screen and the reception of operations from the user may be performed with the same configuration.

[0013] The CPU 103 is a system control unit that controls the entire information processing apparatus 101.

[0014] The ROM 104 stores fixed data such as control programs executed by the CPU 103, data tables, and embedded operating system (hereinafter referred to as OS) programs. In the present embodiment, each control program stored in the ROM 104 performs software execution control such as scheduling, task switching, and interrupt processing under the management of the embedded OS stored in the ROM 104.

[0015] RAM 105 consists of SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) and other components that require a backup power supply. Since RAM 105's data is held by a primary battery (not shown) for data backup, important data such as program control variables can be stored without being lost. RAM 105 also includes a memory area for storing configuration information and management data for the information processing device 101. Furthermore, RAM 105 is used as both the main memory and work memory for the CPU 103.

[0016] The external storage device 106 contains an application that provides print execution functionality (hereinafter referred to as the print application). The external storage device 106 also contains various programs, such as a print information generation program that generates print information interpretable by the communication device 151, and an information transmission and reception control program that transmits and receives information with the communication device 151 connected via the communication unit 109. It stores various information used by these programs. It also stores image data obtained from other information processing devices and the Internet via the communication unit.

[0017] The output interface 107 is an interface that controls the operation display unit 108 to display data and notify the status of the information processing device 101.

[0018] The operation display unit 108 consists of LEDs (light-emitting diodes) and LCDs (liquid crystal displays), and displays data and notifies the status of the information processing device 101. Alternatively, a soft keyboard equipped with keys such as numerical input keys, mode setting keys, confirm keys, cancel keys, and power keys may be installed on the operation display unit 108 to accept user input via the operation display unit 108.

[0019] The communication unit 109 is configured to connect to a device such as a communication device 151 and perform data communication. For example, the communication unit 109 can connect to an access point (not shown) within the communication device 151. By connecting the communication unit 109 to the access point within the communication device 151, the information processing device 101 and the communication device 151 can communicate with each other. Hereafter, the access point may also be referred to as AP. The communication unit 109 may communicate directly with the communication device 151 via wireless communication, or it may communicate via an access point 131 located outside both the information processing device 101 and the communication device 151. In this embodiment, the IEEE 802.11 series communication standard is used as the wireless communication method. The IEEE 802.11 series communication standard is Wi-Fi (WirelessFidelity) (trademark registered). The access point 131 may be, for example, a wireless LAN router or similar device. In this embodiment, the method by which the information processing device 101 and the communication device 151 are directly connected without going through an external access point is called the direct connection method. The method by which the information processing device 101 and the communication device 151 are connected via an external access point 131 is called the infrastructure connection method.

[0020] The short-range wireless communication unit 110 is configured to wirelessly connect to devices such as the communication device 151 at short range and perform data communication, and communicates using a different communication method than the communication unit 109. The short-range wireless communication method used by the short-range wireless communication unit 110 is, for example, Bluetooth (trademark registered) or NFC (Near Field Communication). Bluetooth may be Bluetooth Classic or Bluetooth Low Energy. The short-range wireless communication unit 110 can connect to the short-range wireless communication unit 157 in the communication device 151.

[0021] The imaging device 111 is a device that converts images captured by the image sensor into digital data. The digital data is first stored in the RAM 105. Then, a program executed by the CPU 154 converts it into a predetermined image format and saves it as image data to the external storage device 106.

[0022] ROM152 stores fixed data such as control programs, data tables, and OS programs executed by CPU154.

[0023] The communication device 151 includes a ROM 152, RAM 153, CPU 154, print engine 155, communication unit 156, short-range wireless communication unit 157, input interface 158, output interface 159, operation display unit 160, etc. The communication device 151 can operate in the set connection mode (communication mode) once the connection mode is set.

[0024] The communication unit 156 is configured for the communication device 151 to communicate with other devices, and in this embodiment, the communication unit 156 communicates according to the IEEE 802.11 series communication standard. The communication unit 156 has an access point inside the communication device 151 for connecting to devices such as the information processing device 101. This access point can be connected to the communication unit 109 of the information processing device 101. The communication unit 156 may communicate directly with the information processing device 101 via wireless communication, or it may communicate via the access point 131. The communication unit 156 may also have hardware that functions as an access point, or it may operate as an access point through software that enables it to function as an access point. In this embodiment, the communication unit 156 and the short-range wireless communication unit 157 are implemented in a single wireless chip. That is, in this embodiment, a combo chip that supports both the communication function of the IEEE 802.11 series communication standard and the communication function of the short-range wireless communication method is used. However, the system is not limited to this configuration, and the communication unit 156 and the short-range wireless communication unit 157 may be implemented by separate wireless chips. In this embodiment, a wireless chip compatible with Dynamic Rapid Channel Switching (DRCS) functionality is used. The DRCS function is used when performing communication using infrastructure connection and communication using direct connection in a time-division manner during simultaneous operation, which will be described later. Specifically, the DRCS function is a function that enables high-speed switching of the communication channel to be used between a state in which communication using infrastructure connection is being performed and a state in which communication using direct connection is being performed. Hereafter, the communication channel will simply be referred to as the channel. In this embodiment, it is possible to use different channels for communication using infrastructure connection and communication using direct connection during simultaneous operation. The system is not limited to this configuration, and for example, the communication unit 156 may be implemented by two or more wireless chips, such as a wireless chip for infrastructure connection mode and a wireless chip for direct connection mode.Therefore, it may be possible to use different channels for communication using infrastructure connections and communication using direct connections during simultaneous operation.

[0025] RAM153 consists of DRAM and other components that require a backup power supply. Since RAM153 retains data through a data backup power supply (not shown), it can store important data such as program control variables without losing them. RAM153 is also used as the main memory and work memory of the CPU154, storing a receive buffer for temporarily saving print information received from the information processing device 101, and various other types of information.

[0026] ROM 152 stores fixed data such as control programs, data tables, and OS programs executed by the CPU 154. In this embodiment, each control program stored in ROM 152 performs software execution control such as scheduling, task switching, and interrupt handling under the management of the embedded OS stored in ROM 152. ROM 152 also includes a memory area for storing data that needs to be retained even when power is not supplied, such as configuration information and management data for the communication device 151.

[0027] The CPU 154 is the system control unit and controls the entire communication device 151.

[0028] Based on the information stored in the print engine 155 and RAM 153, and the print jobs received from the information processing device 101, etc., an image is formed on a recording medium such as paper using a recording material such as ink, and the print result is output. At this time, the print jobs transmitted from the information processing device 101, etc., have a large amount of data and require high-speed communication, so they are received via the communication unit 156, which can communicate at a higher speed than the short-range wireless communication unit 157.

[0029] The short-range wireless communication unit 157 is configured to wirelessly connect to devices such as the information processing device 101 at short range and perform data communication, and communicates using a different communication method than the communication unit 156. The short-range wireless communication method used by the short-range wireless communication unit 110 is, for example, Bluetooth (trademark registered) or NFC. Bluetooth may be Bluetooth Classic or Bluetooth Low Energy. The short-range wireless communication unit 157 can connect to the short-range wireless communication unit 110.

[0030] The input interface 158 is an interface for receiving data input and operation instructions from the user, and consists of a physical keyboard, buttons, touch panel, etc. Alternatively, the output interface 159 (described later) and the input interface 158 may have the same configuration, allowing for screen output and acceptance of user operations using the same configuration. The output interface 159 is an interface that controls the operation display unit 160 for displaying data and notifying the status of the communication device 151.

[0031] The operation display unit 160 consists of a display unit such as an LED (light-emitting diode) or an LCD (liquid crystal display) and displays data and notifies the status of the communication device 151. Alternatively, a soft keyboard equipped with keys such as numerical input keys, mode setting keys, confirm keys, cancel keys, and power keys may be installed on the operation display unit 160 to accept input from the user via the operation display unit 160.

[0032] <Example of a screen displayed by the operation display unit 160> Figure 2 schematically shows an example of a screen displayed by the operation display unit 160 of the communication device 151. Figure 2(a) is an example of the home screen displayed when the communication device 151 is powered on and no operations such as printing or scanning are being performed (idle state, standby state). Figure 2(a) displays menus corresponding to the copy function, the scan function, and the cloud function. The communication device 151 can seamlessly display a screen different from Figure 2(a) by accepting key operations or touch panel scrolling operations on the screen shown in Figure 2(a). Figure 2(b) is also part of the home screen and displays menus corresponding to the print function, the photo function, and the communication settings change function. When the screens shown in Figure 2(a) or Figure 2(b) are displayed, the communication device 151 can start executing the function corresponding to the selected menu by selecting any of the menus through key operations or touch panel operations by the user.

[0033] Figure 2(c) is an example of the communication selection screen that appears when the menu corresponding to the communication settings change function is selected on the screen shown in Figure 2(b). This screen includes, for example, menus for configuring wired LAN settings, wireless LAN settings, wireless direct settings, and Bluetooth settings. When the menu for configuring wireless LAN settings is selected, the settings executed allow the communication device 151 to start operating in the infrastructure connection mode described later. Similarly, when the menu for configuring wireless direct settings is selected, the settings executed allow the communication device 151 to start operating in the direct connection mode described later. When the menu for configuring Bluetooth settings is selected, settings such as enabling / disabling the Bluetooth function and Bluetooth pairing settings can be performed.

[0034] In this embodiment, specifically, if a menu for configuring wireless direct settings is selected, the screen shown in Figure 2(d) is displayed. The "Change Network Name (SSID)" button is for the user to change the SSID of the communication device 151 operating in direct connection mode to a value of their choice. The "Change Password" button is for the user to change the password for connecting to the communication device 151 operating in direct connection mode to a value of their choice. The "Enable / Disable Direct Connection Mode" button is for starting the direct connection mode, which will be described later, or stopping the direct connection mode when it is already running. In this embodiment, if the "Enable / Disable Direct Connection Mode" button is selected, the WFD mode, which will be described later, is started, but the embodiment is not limited to this form. Either the software AP mode or the WFD mode, which will be described later, may be started, or both may be started. The "Set Frequency Band" button is for the user to set the frequency band that the communication device 151 operating in direct connection mode will use for communication via direct connection mode. If the "Set Frequency Band" button is selected, the screen shown in Figure 2(e) is displayed. In this embodiment, it is possible to select either 2.4GHz or 5GHz on the screen shown in Figure 2(e).

[0035] In this embodiment, specifically, if a menu for configuring wireless LAN settings is selected, the screen shown in Figure 2(f) is displayed. The "Select and connect to an access point" button is for establishing the infrastructure connection described later using the first method in this embodiment. The first method is a method for establishing an infrastructure connection with an access point selected from a list of access points found by the search of the communication device 151, and details of this method will be described later. The "Connect using a PC / smartphone" button is for establishing the infrastructure connection of the communication device 151 using the second method in this embodiment. The second method is a method in which information processing equipment such as a PC or smartphone sends information for connecting to an access point to the communication device 151, and the communication device 151 uses this information to establish an infrastructure connection with the access point. When the "Connect using a PC / smartphone" button is selected, the communication device 151 operates as a software AP for connecting to a PC or smartphone. The "Connect using WPS / AOSS" button is for establishing the infrastructure connection of the communication device 151 using the third method in this embodiment. The third method is a method by which the communication device 151 establishes an infrastructure connection with the access point using a known configuration method such as WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) or AOSS (AirStation One-Touch Secure System).

[0036] The methods by which the communication device 151 establishes an infrastructure connection are not limited to those described above. For example, short-range wireless communication or the Wi-Fi Easy Connect function using DPP (Device Provisioning Protocol) may be used to transmit connection information to the communication device 151 for connecting to the access point 131. A button for establishing an infrastructure connection using such a method may also be displayed in Figure 2(f).

[0037] <About the direct connection method> Direct connection refers to a configuration in which devices connect wirelessly directly (i.e., peer-to-peer) without the need for external devices such as access points 131. The communication device 151 can operate in a mode for communication via direct connection (direct connection mode) as one of its connection modes. In Wi-Fi communication, there are multiple modes for communication via direct connection, such as software AP mode and Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) mode.

[0038] The mode in which a direct connection is performed using WFD is called WFD mode. WFD is a standard developed by the Wi-Fi Alliance and is included in the IEEE 802.11 series of communication standards. In WFD mode, after the device to be communicated with is discovered using a device discovery command, the roles of the P2P group owner (GO) and the P2P client are determined, and then the remaining wireless connection processing is performed. The group owner corresponds to the Wi-Fi base station (access point), and the client corresponds to the Wi-Fi slave station (slave device). This role determination corresponds to GO Negotiation in P2P, for example. In WFD mode, before the role determination is performed, the communication device 151 is neither a base station nor a slave station. Specifically, first, one device issues a device discovery command to the other device to search for a device to connect to in WFD mode. Once the other device to be communicated with is discovered, the two devices confirm information about the services and functions that can be supplied by each other. This confirmation of device supply information is optional and not mandatory. This equipment supply information confirmation phase corresponds, for example, to P2P Provision Discovery. Next, by confirming this equipment supply information with each other, it is determined which will be the P2P client and which will be the P2P group owner. Once the client and group owner are determined, they exchange parameters for communication using WFD. Based on the exchanged parameters, the remaining wireless connection processing and IP connection processing are carried out between the P2P client and group owner. In WFD mode, the communication device 151 may always operate as GO without performing the GO Negotiation described above. In other words, the communication device 151 may operate in WFD mode, which is Autonomous GO mode. Furthermore, the state in which the communication device 151 is operating in WFD mode means, for example, a state in which the WFD connection has not been established but the communication device 151 is operating as GO, or a state in which the WFD connection has been established and the communication device 151 is operating as GO.

[0039] In software AP mode, one device (e.g., information processing device 101) acts as a client, requesting various services from the other device (e.g., information processing device 101 and communication device 151). The other device then implements the functions of a Wi-Fi access point through software configuration. The software AP corresponds to a Wi-Fi base station, and the client corresponds to a Wi-Fi slave station. In software AP mode, the client searches for a device that will become a software AP using a device discovery command. Once a software AP is found, the remaining wireless connection processing (such as establishing a wireless connection) takes place between the client and the software AP, followed by IP connection processing (such as assigning an IP address). The commands and parameters sent and received when establishing a wireless connection between the client and the software AP can be those specified in the Wi-Fi standard, and are therefore omitted from this explanation.

[0040] In this embodiment, when the communication device 151 establishes and maintains a direct connection, it operates as a master station within the network to which it belongs. A master station is a device that constructs a wireless network and provides slave stations with parameters used to connect to the wireless network. Parameters used to connect to the wireless network include, for example, parameters related to the channel used by the master station. By receiving these parameters, the slave station connects to the wireless network constructed by the master station using the channel used by the master station. In direct connection mode, since the communication device 151 operates as a master station, it is possible for the communication device 151 to determine which frequency band and which channel to use for communication in direct connection mode. In this embodiment, the communication device 151 is capable of using channels corresponding to the 2.4 GHz frequency band and channels corresponding to the 5 GHz frequency band for communication in direct connection mode. The user can arbitrarily set which frequency band to use (i.e., which frequency band channel to use) through the settings shown on the screen in Figure 2(e). In other words, if 2.4GHz is selected on the screen shown in Figure 2(e), the communication device 151 will use a channel corresponding to the 2.4GHz frequency band for communication in direct connection mode. On the other hand, if 5GHz is selected on the screen shown in Figure 2(e), the communication device 151 will use a channel corresponding to the 5GHz frequency band for communication in direct connection mode. However, in this embodiment, even if 5GHz is selected on the screen shown in Figure 2(e), the communication device 151 will not use a channel corresponding to the DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection) band within the 5GHz frequency band for communication in direct connection mode. In other words, the communication device 151 will only use channels corresponding to frequency bands other than the DFS band within the 5GHz frequency band for communication in direct connection mode. If radar waves in the frequency band corresponding to a channel are detected while a channel corresponding to the DFS band is being used, the currently used channel must be changed.The frequency band in which channel changes can occur due to radar wave detection is called the DFS band. For example, if a wireless chip that supports the DFS function is used, it is possible that a channel corresponding to the DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection) band within the 5GHz frequency band may be used for communication in direct connection mode. The channel determined to be used for direct connection mode is used for communication via the direct connection. Furthermore, this channel is also used for transmitting beacon signals as a master station and for sending responses to received commands. In other words, this channel is used not only for communication processing in direct connection mode when a direct connection is established, but also for communication processing in direct connection mode when a direct connection is not established.

[0041] In the above description, we have explained a configuration in which the user can set whether to use a channel corresponding to the 2.4GHz frequency band or a channel corresponding to the 5GHz frequency band for the direct connection mode, but this configuration is not limited to this. The configuration may also allow the user to specify which channel to use for the direct connection mode by accepting channel number specification from the user. Furthermore, the channel used for the direct connection mode may not be arbitrarily set by the user, but may be pre-set in the communication device 151.

[0042] Although the above description explains that the communication device 151 can use the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands, it is not limited to this configuration. Other frequency bands may also be usable, and in the processing where the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands are used in this embodiment, other frequency bands may also be used. For example, since the IEEE 802.11ad standard allows the use of the 60GHz frequency band, 60GHz may be used as one of the other frequency bands mentioned above.

[0043] The wireless connection sequences for each mode will be explained below using Figures 3 and 4.

[0044] Figure 3 shows the wireless connection sequence in software AP mode. 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. This sequence is assumed to start with the information processing device 101 acting as a client and the communication device 151 acting as a software AP, with the communication device 151 transmitting a beacon signal. The communication device 151 starts operating as a software AP when it receives a predetermined operation from the user to operate as a software AP. The predetermined operation to operate as a software AP is, for example, the operation of selecting the "Enable / Disable Direct Connection Mode" button. This operation corresponds to the operation of activating direct connection mode.

[0045] First, in S301, the information processing device 101 sends device discovery commands using the channels available to the information processing device 101 in sequence to search for a device that will become a software AP.

[0046] Next, in S302, when the communication device 151 receives a device discovery command transmitted from the information processing device 101, it sends a device discovery response, which is a response to the device discovery command, to the information processing device 101. Note that the communication device 151 does not send a device discovery response to a device discovery command transmitted on a channel other than the channels it is available to use. For example, if the fourth channel is the only channel available to the communication device 151, the communication device 151 will not send a response command to a device discovery request command transmitted using the first channel. Therefore, if the information processing device 101 does not receive a response from the communication device 151 after sending a device discovery command using the first channel for a certain period of time, it will send a device discovery request command using the second channel. The information processing device 101 repeats the above trial while incrementing the channel number being used. For example, when the communication device 151 receives a device discovery command transmitted by the information processing device 101 using the fourth channel, it sends a device discovery response to the information processing device 101. As a result, the information processing device 101 discovers the communication device 151. Furthermore, the channel used to transmit the device discovery response is determined to be the channel used for communication between the information processing device 101 and the communication device 151 thereafter. In other words, the channel used for communication between the information processing device 101 and the communication device 151 is determined by the communication device 151, which operates as a software AP.

[0047] Next, in S303, the process of establishing a known wireless connection between the information processing device 101 and the communication device 151 is executed. Specifically, processes such as sending a connection request, authenticating the connection request, and assigning an IP address are performed. The commands and parameters transmitted and received during the wireless connection establishment process between the information processing device 101 and the communication device 151 can be those specified in the Wi-Fi standard, and their explanation is omitted here.

[0048] Figure 4 shows the wireless connection sequence in WFD mode. 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. This process is initiated when each device has a predetermined application for executing the WFD function running and receives a predetermined operation from the user to establish a WFD connection. The predetermined operation to establish a WFD connection is, for example, the operation of selecting the "Enable / Disable Direct Connection Mode" button. This operation corresponds to the operation of starting Direct Connection Mode.

[0049] First, at S401, the information processing device 101 sends a device search command to search for a device that supports the WFD function as a communication partner.

[0050] Next, in S402, if the received device discovery command was transmitted using the same channel currently used for direct connection mode, the communication device 151 sends a device discovery response, which is a response to the command, to the information processing device 101. As a result, the information processing device 101 discovers the communication device 151 as a device that supports the WFD function. After the information processing device 101 discovers the communication device 151, each device may exchange information regarding the services and functions that each device can provide.

[0051] Next, in S403, GO Negotiation is performed between the information processing device 101 and the communication device 151. Once the client and group owner are determined, they exchange parameters for communication using WFD. Based on the exchanged parameters, the remaining wireless connection processing and IP connection processing are performed between the P2P client and the group owner. As mentioned above, if the communication device 151 operates in Autonomous GO mode, GO Negotiation may be omitted and the communication device 151 may always operate as GO. Also, when the communication device 151 operates as GO, the communication device 151 determines the frequency band and channel to be used for WFD communication as the master station. Therefore, the communication device 151 operating as GO can select which frequency band to use, 5GHz or 2.4GHz, and which channel to use from the channels corresponding to the determined frequency band.

[0052] Subsequently, in S404, each device performs the process of establishing a wireless connection based on the exchanged parameters and the channel determined by GO.

[0053] <Regarding infrastructure connection methods> Infrastructure connection is a connection configuration in which communication devices (for example, an information processing device 101 and a communication device 151) are connected to an access point (for example, an access point 131) that manages the network, allowing the devices to communicate with each other via the access point. The communication device 151 can also operate in an infrastructure connection mode (infrastructure connection mode) as one of its connection modes.

[0054] In infrastructure connectivity, each device searches for an access point using a device discovery command. Once an access point is found, the remaining wireless connection processing (establishing the wireless connection, etc.) takes place between the device and the access point, followed by IP connection processing (assigning an IP address, etc.). The commands and parameters sent and received when establishing a wireless connection between the device and the access point should be those specified in the Wi-Fi standard, and will not be explained here.

[0055] In this embodiment, when the communication device 151 operates via an infrastructure connection, the access point 131 acts as the master station and the communication device 151 acts as the slave device. In other words, in this embodiment, the infrastructure connection refers to the connection between the communication device 151, which operates as a slave device, and the device, which operates as the master station. When the communication device 151 has established an infrastructure connection and the information processing device 101 has also established an infrastructure connection with the access point 131, communication between the communication device 151 and the information processing device 101 becomes possible via the access point 131. Since the channel used for communication in the infrastructure connection is determined by the access point 131, the communication device 151 performs communication in the infrastructure connection using the channel determined by the access point 131. In this embodiment, the communication device 151 is capable of using channels corresponding to the 2.4 GHz frequency band and channels corresponding to the 5 GHz frequency band for communication in the infrastructure connection. The communication device 151 can also use channels corresponding to the DFS band within the 5 GHz frequency band for communication in the infrastructure connection. Furthermore, in order for the information processing device 101 to communicate with the communication device 151 via the access point 131, it is necessary to recognize that the communication device 151 belongs to the network formed by the access point 131, to which the information processing device 101 belongs.

[0056] In this embodiment, the communication device 151 can establish both a direct connection and an infrastructure connection in parallel. In other words, the communication device 151 can establish both a Wi-Fi connection in which it acts as a slave device and a Wi-Fi connection in which it acts as a master device in parallel. Operating with these two connections established in parallel is called simultaneous operation.

[0057] Figure 5 shows the wireless connection sequence in infrastructure connection mode. 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. The communication device 151 starts operating in infrastructure connection mode when it receives a predetermined operation from the user to operate in infrastructure connection mode. The predetermined operation to operate in infrastructure connection mode is, for example, selecting the "Select access point and connect" button.

[0058] First, in S501, the communication device 151 sends device discovery commands using the channels available to the communication device 151 in sequence to search for access points around the communication device 151.

[0059] Next, in S502, when access point 131 receives a device discovery command from communication device 151, it sends a device discovery response command to communication device 151, which is a response to the device discovery command. Access point 131 sends a device discovery response command only to device discovery commands sent on channels it can use. As a result, communication device 151 discovers access point 131. The channel used to send the device discovery response command is determined to be the channel used for communication between communication device 151 and access point 131 thereafter. In other words, the channel used for communication in infrastructure mode is determined by access point 131. After that, communication device 151 displays a list of discovered access points and accepts a selection from the user. Here, it is assumed that access point 131 is selected.

[0060] Subsequently, a known wireless connection establishment process is performed between the communication device 151 and the access point 131 selected by the user. Specifically, processes such as sending a connection request, authenticating the connection request, and assigning an IP address are performed. As with P2P mode, the commands and parameters transmitted and received during the wireless connection establishment process between the information processing device 101 and the communication device 151 can be those specified in the Wi-Fi standard, and are therefore omitted from this explanation.

[0061] In steps S503 and S504, the same processing as in steps S501 and S502 is performed between the information processing device 101 and the access point 131. At this time, the access point 131 sends a device discovery response command to the information processing device 101 using the channel used for communication with the communication device 151. In other words, the access point 131 communicates with the communication device 151 and the information processing device 101 using the same channel.

[0062] As a result, the communication device 151 and the information processing device 101 are connected via the access point 131, and communication between the communication device 151 and the information processing device 101 via the access point 131 becomes possible.

[0063] <Wi-Fi Channel Arrangement> Fig. 6 shows the channel arrangements in the 2.4 GHz frequency band and the 5 GHz frequency band of Wi-Fi. In Wi-Fi, the 2.4 GHz frequency band is used by dividing it into bandwidths of every 22 MHz. Numbers are assigned to the channels, and the channels corresponding to the 2.4 GHz frequency band are channels 1 to 14. Also, in the case of the 5 GHz frequency band, the bandwidth is divided into 20 MHz each and used, and there is no frequency overlap in each channel. The channels corresponding to the non-DFS frequency band in the 5 GHz frequency band are channels called W52. Specifically, W52 corresponds to channels 36, 40, 44, and 48. The channels corresponding to the DFS band in the 5 GHz frequency band are channels called W53 and W56. Specifically, W53 corresponds to channels 52, 56, 60, and 64, and W56 corresponds to channels 100, 104, 108, 112, 116, 120, 124, 128, 132, 136, and 140.

[0064] By the way, as described above, in this embodiment, the communication device 151 can execute a simultaneous operation in which the infrastructure connection mode and the direct connection mode are maintained in parallel. At this time, if the channels used in the infrastructure connection mode and the channels used in the direct connection mode are the same, there is a risk of radio wave interference occurring in each communication. Also, even in such a case, for example, by the DRCS function, it may be controlled so that no radio wave interference occurs between the infrastructure connection and the direct connection established by the communication device 151. However, even in that form, there is a risk that communication between the AP, which is the infrastructure connection destination of the communication device 151, and other devices will interfere with the communication in the direct connection mode of the communication device 151.

[0065] Therefore, in this embodiment, control is performed to solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0066] <Control when a new direct connection mode is activated> Figure 7 illustrates the process executed by the communication device 151 in this embodiment. In this flowchart, the process executed by the communication device 151 is realized by the CPU 154 reading various programs stored in memory such as ROM 152 into RAM 153 and executing them. This process is started when a process that triggers the activation of the direct connection mode occurs, such as when the communication device 151 receives an operation from the user to activate the direct connection mode as described above. The process that triggers the activation of the direct connection mode is, in addition to receiving an operation to activate the direct connection mode via the screen in Figure 2, for example, the processes performed in Figures 8, 9, and 10 described later. More specifically, for example, it is the process of stopping the direct connection mode when an infrastructure connection is newly established while the communication device 151 is operating in direct connection mode. In this embodiment, the communication device 151 also has a function to restart the operation in the communication mode that was running when the communication device 151 was powered off when the power is turned on. Therefore, the process that triggers the activation of the direct connection mode is, for example, the process of receiving a power-on operation after the communication device 151 has been powered off while operating in direct connection mode. In this embodiment, if the communication device 151 was operating simultaneously when the power was turned off, when the power is turned on, it first starts operating in infrastructure connection mode and performs the reconnection process with the AP. Then, based on the start of the reconnection process, the communication device 151 starts operating in direct connection mode. At this time, the communication device 151 may also start operating in direct connection mode based on the elapsed time after the start of the reconnection process. The communication device 151 may also start operating in direct connection mode based on the fact that the AP and the communication device 151 have been connected through the reconnection process, or based on the fact that the reconnection process failed to connect with the AP and timed out.

[0067] In S701, the CPU 154 determines whether the frequency band set on the screen in Figure 2(e) as the frequency band to be used for direct connection mode is 5GHz or not. If the CPU 154 determines it is YES, it proceeds to S702. If it determines it is NO because 2.4GHz is set, it proceeds to S705.

[0068] In S702, the CPU 154 determines whether the communication device 151 is in an infrastructure connection state. If it is in an infrastructure connection state, the CPU 154 identifies the channel used in infrastructure connection mode and determines whether the channel used in infrastructure connection mode is channel 36. In other words, in this process, the CPU 154 determines whether the communication device 151 is in an infrastructure connection state and whether the channel used in infrastructure connection mode is channel 36. An infrastructure connection state means that the communication device 151 is operating in infrastructure connection mode and connected to the access point 131. The channel identified here corresponds to the channel used in infrastructure connection mode when the process that triggers the activation of direct connection mode is executed. If the CPU 154 determines YES, it proceeds to S703. On the other hand, if the communication device 151 is not connected to the access point 131 and is not in an infrastructure connection state, or if the communication device 151 is in an infrastructure connection state but the channel used in infrastructure connection mode is not channel 36, the CPU 154 proceeds to S704. The statement that the communication device 151 is in an infrastructure connection state refers to a situation where the communication device 151 is operating in infrastructure connection mode (connected to the infrastructure) and an operation to activate direct connection mode is performed on the communication device 151.

[0069] In S703, the CPU 154 sets the channel to be used in direct connection mode as channel 40 and activates direct connection mode. Specifically, for example, it operates the communication device 151 in soft AP mode using channel 40 or in WFD mode using channel 40. As a result, the communication device 151 operates simultaneously in infrastructure connection mode using channel 36 and direct connection mode using channel 40. After that, the CPU 154 terminates processing. With operation in direct connection mode started, the communication device 151 can establish a direct connection with other devices by executing the sequence described in Figures 3 and 4.

[0070] Meanwhile, in S704, the CPU 154 sets the channel to be used in direct connection mode as channel 36 and starts direct connection mode. Specifically, for example, the communication device 151 is operated in soft AP mode using channel 36 or WFD mode using channel 36. As a result, the communication device 151 will operate simultaneously in infrastructure connection mode using a channel other than channel 36 and direct connection mode using channel 36. Alternatively, the communication device 151 will operate independently in direct connection mode using channel 36. After that, the CPU 154 terminates processing.

[0071] In S705, the CPU 154 determines whether the communication device 151 is in an infrastructure connection state. If it is in an infrastructure connection state, the CPU 154 identifies the channel being used in infrastructure connection mode and determines whether the channel being used in infrastructure connection mode is channel 3. In other words, in this process, the CPU 154 determines whether the communication device 151 is in an infrastructure connection state and whether the channel being used in infrastructure connection mode is channel 3. The channel identified here corresponds to the channel being used in infrastructure connection mode when the process that triggers the activation of direct connection mode is executed. If the CPU 154 determines YES, it proceeds to S706. On the other hand, if the communication device 151 is not connected to the access point 131 and is not in an infrastructure connection state, or if the communication device 151 is in an infrastructure connection state but the channel being used in infrastructure connection mode is not channel 3, the CPU 154 proceeds to S707.

[0072] In S706, the CPU 154 sets the channel to be used in direct connection mode as channel 11 and starts direct connection mode. Specifically, for example, it operates the communication device 151 in soft AP mode using channel 11 or in WFD mode using channel 11. As a result, the communication device 151 operates simultaneously in infrastructure connection mode using channel 3 and direct connection mode using channel 11. After that, the CPU 154 terminates processing.

[0073] On the other hand, in S707, the CPU 154 sets the channel to be used in direct connection mode as channel 3 and starts direct connection mode. Specifically, for example, it operates the communication device 151 in soft AP mode using channel 3 or in WFD mode using channel 3. As a result, the communication device 151 will operate simultaneously in infrastructure connection mode using a channel other than channel 3 and in direct connection mode using channel 3. Alternatively, the communication device 151 will operate independently in direct connection mode using channel 3. After that, the CPU 154 terminates processing.

[0074] Through the above process, if the communication device 151 is operating in infrastructure connection mode and an operation to activate direct connection mode is performed on the communication device 151, the channels used in infrastructure connection mode and the channels used in direct connection mode can be made different. Consequently, interference between communication in infrastructure connection mode and communication in direct connection mode can be suppressed.

[0075] In S703, S704, S706, and S707, the channel determined as the channel to be used is not limited to the above-described form. A different channel may be determined as the channel to be used, as long as the channel used in infrastructure connection mode and the channel used in direct connection mode do not match. Specifically, for example, in S703, the channel used in direct connection mode may be set as channel 44 or channel 48. In this case, it is preferable that a channel other than the channel corresponding to the DFS band is set.

[0076] Furthermore, as described above, when the frequency band set on the screen in Figure 2(e) for use in direct connection mode is 5 GHz, the configuration in which channel 36 is used preferentially over channel 40 was explained. Also, when the frequency band set on the screen in Figure 2(e) for use in direct connection mode is 2.4 GHz, the configuration in which channel 3 is used preferentially over channel 11 was explained. However, it is not limited to these configurations. The channel used preferentially may be any other channel.

[0077] Furthermore, the channels used in infrastructure connection mode and the channels used in direct connection mode may be controlled to not match by a process that differs in part from the process described above. For example, instead of processing S702, the CPU 154 may only determine whether the communication device 151 is in an infrastructure connection state. If it is determined that the communication device 151 is in an infrastructure connection state, the CPU 154 may identify the channel used in infrastructure connection mode, and then identify one of the multiple 5GHz-compatible channels available to the communication device 151 that is different from the channel used in infrastructure connection mode. Then, the identified channel may be set as the channel to be used in direct connection mode, and the direct connection mode may be activated. In this case, a channel that is preferentially identified may be set in advance. Specifically, for example, channel 36 may be preferentially identified as the channel to be used in direct connection mode. Similarly, for example, instead of processing S705, the CPU 154 may only determine whether the communication device 151 is in an infrastructure connection state. If the communication device 151 is determined to be in an infrastructure connection state, the channel used in infrastructure connection mode may be identified, and then any channel different from the channel used in infrastructure connection mode may be identified from among the multiple 2.4GHz-compatible channels available to the communication device 151. Then, the identified channel may be set as the channel to be used in direct connection mode, and direct connection mode may be activated. At this time, a channel that is preferentially identified may be set in advance. Specifically, for example, channel 11 may be preferentially identified as the channel to be used in direct connection mode.

[0078] Furthermore, while the above description assumes that the WFD mode is Autonomous GO mode, if the mode is not Autonomous GO mode but rather a mode that performs GO Negotiation, the processing may be executed at a different timing than described above. In other words, the processing in Figure 7 does not necessarily have to start when the process that triggers the activation of direct connection mode is performed. Specifically, it may start when the communication device 151 receives a WFD device discovery command from the information processing device 101, performs GO Negotiation, and it is decided that the communication device 151 will operate as GO.

[0079] <Control when a new infrastructure connection mode is activated> Figure 8 illustrates the process executed by the communication device 151 in this embodiment. In this flowchart, the process executed by the communication device 151 is realized by the CPU 154 reading various programs stored in memory such as ROM 152 into RAM 153 and executing them. This process is initiated when a process that acts as a trigger for activating the infrastructure connection mode is executed, and the communication device 151 attempts to establish a connection with the access point 131 as described in Figure 5. The process that acts as a trigger for activating the infrastructure connection mode is, for example, the process by which the communication device 151 receives an operation from the user to activate the infrastructure connection mode as described above. Another example of a process that acts as a trigger for activating the infrastructure connection mode is the process by which the communication device 151 receives a power-on operation after being powered off while operating in infrastructure connection mode.

[0080] In S801, the CPU 154 determines whether the establishment of the infrastructure connection by the communication device 151 (i.e., the connection between the communication device 151 and the access point 131) has been completed. If the CPU 154 determines it is YES, it proceeds to S802; otherwise, it repeats S801 until the infrastructure connection is completed.

[0081] In S802, the CPU 154 stores information indicating which channel is being used for infrastructure connection mode in the memory of the communication device 151. As mentioned above, the channel used for infrastructure connection is determined by the access point 131, so the channel indicated by the information stored here is the channel determined by the access point 131.

[0082] In S803, the CPU 154 determines whether the communication device 151 is operating in direct connection mode. If the result of this determination is YES, it corresponds to the case where the communication device 151 is operating in direct connection mode and an operation to activate infrastructure connection mode is performed on the communication device 151. If the result of this determination is NO, it corresponds to the case where the communication device 151 is not operating in direct connection mode and an operation to activate infrastructure connection mode is performed on the communication device 151. The state in which the communication device 151 is operating in direct connection mode includes the state in which the communication device 151 is operating in direct connection mode but a direct connection has not been established by the communication device 151. Furthermore, it also includes the state in which the communication device 151 is operating in direct connection mode AND a direct connection has been established by the communication device 151. The state in which the communication device 151 is operating in direct connection mode but a direct connection has not been established by the communication device 151 means that the communication device 151 is operating as a GO or software AP but has not established a direct connection with other devices. If the CPU 154 determines the result to be YES, it proceeds to S804; if the result is NO, it terminates processing while leaving the communication device 151 operating independently in infrastructure connection mode.

[0083] In S804, the CPU 154 determines whether the channel currently used for infrastructure connection mode matches the channel currently used for direct connection mode. The channel currently used for infrastructure connection mode is indicated by the information stored in S802. If the CPU 154 determines YES, it proceeds to S805. If it determines NO, it terminates processing while the communication device 151 operates simultaneously in infrastructure connection mode and direct connection mode, without disconnecting the direct connection or stopping direct connection mode.

[0084] In S805, the CPU 154 stops the operation of the communication device 151 in direct connection mode. As a result, if the communication device 151 had established a direct connection, that direct connection will be disconnected.

[0085] In S806, the CPU 154 reactivates the direct connection mode of the communication device 151. That is, it executes the process shown in the flowchart of Figure 7. As a result, the direct connection mode is newly activated while the communication device 151 is operating in infrastructure connection mode. In such cases, as explained using Figure 7, the newly activated direct connection mode is controlled to use a different channel from the one currently being used in infrastructure connection mode.

[0086] As a result of the above process, when the communication device 151 is operating in direct connection mode and an operation to activate infrastructure connection mode is performed on the communication device 151, the channels used in infrastructure connection mode and the channels used in direct connection mode can be made different. Consequently, interference between communication in infrastructure connection mode and communication in direct connection mode can be suppressed.

[0087] <Control when the channel used in infrastructure connection mode is changed during simultaneous operation> As described above, the channel used in infrastructure connection mode is determined by access point 131. Therefore, if the channel used by access point 131 is changed due to control measures to avoid congestion or changes made by the user to the settings of access point 131, the communication device 151 also needs to change the channel used in infrastructure connection mode. This section describes the control that occurs when the channel used in infrastructure connection mode is changed during simultaneous operation.

[0088] Figure 9 illustrates the process performed by the communication device 151 in this embodiment. In this flowchart, the process performed by the communication device 151 is realized by the CPU 154 reading various programs stored in memory such as ROM 152 into RAM 153 and executing them. Furthermore, this process is assumed to start when the communication device 151 is operating in infrastructure connection mode.

[0089] In S901, the CPU 154 determines whether the infrastructure connection has been disconnected. If the CPU 154 determines it is YES, it proceeds to S902; otherwise, it repeats S901 until the infrastructure connection is disconnected. Note that if the channel used by access point 131 is changed, the infrastructure connection to access point 131 is disconnected. Therefore, this process corresponds to determining whether the channel used by access point 131 has been changed. Note that some access point 131s have a function to notify the communication device 151 that the channel used by access point 131 will be changed before the infrastructure connection is disconnected due to the change in the channel used by access point 131. Therefore, the present invention may also be a determination of whether or not notification has been received that the channel used by access point 131 will be changed.

[0090] In S902, the CPU 154 performs a reconnection process to reconnect to access point 131, which was connected via the disconnected infrastructure connection. As part of the reconnection process, the CPU 154 first searches for access point 131, which was connected via the disconnected infrastructure connection, by sequentially using the channels available to the communication device 151. Access point 131, which was connected via the disconnected infrastructure connection, can be identified by its SSID. If access point 131 is found, an infrastructure connection is established with access point 131 using the channel used for discovery. This initiates operation in infrastructure connection mode using the channel used for discovery. Note that the method for searching for access point 131, which was connected via the disconnected infrastructure connection, is not limited to the form described above. For example, the CPU 154 may first search for access point 131 using only the channel used by the disconnected infrastructure connection. If access point 131 is not found through that search, the CPU 154 may then search for access point 131 using other channels.

[0091] In S903, the CPU 154 stores information indicating which channel the changed channel is in the memory of the communication device 151.

[0092] In S904, the CPU 154 determines whether the communication device 151 is operating in direct connection mode. If the result of this determination is YES, it corresponds to the case where the channel used for infrastructure connection mode has been changed while the communication device 151 is operating in simultaneous mode. If the result of this determination is NO, it corresponds to the case where the channel used for infrastructure connection mode has been changed while the communication device 151 is not operating in simultaneous mode and is operating in infrastructure connection mode alone. If the result of the CPU 154 is YES, the process proceeds to S905; if the result is NO, the process ends with the communication device 151 operating in infrastructure connection mode alone.

[0093] In S905, the CPU 154 determines whether the channel currently used for infrastructure connection mode (i.e., the changed channel) matches the channel currently used for direct connection mode. The channel currently used for infrastructure connection mode is indicated by the information stored in S903. If the CPU 154 determines YES, it proceeds to S906. If it determines NO, it terminates the process without stopping the direct connection mode, while keeping the communication device 151 operating simultaneously in infrastructure connection mode and direct connection mode.

[0094] In S906, the CPU 154 stops the operation of the communication device 151 in direct connection mode. As a result, if the communication device 151 had established a direct connection, that direct connection will be disconnected.

[0095] In S907, the CPU 154 reactivates the direct connection mode of the communication device 151. That is, it executes the process shown in the flowchart of Figure 7. As a result, the direct connection mode is newly activated while the communication device 151 is operating in infrastructure connection mode. In such cases, as explained using Figure 7, the newly activated direct connection mode is controlled to use a different channel from the one currently being used in infrastructure connection mode.

[0096] In the above description, the operation of the communication device 151 in direct connection mode was stopped after the reconnection process was executed in S902, but the configuration is not limited to this. The operation of the communication device 151 in direct connection mode may also be stopped at a time when the infrastructure connection has been disconnected in S901 but before the reconnection process is executed in S902.

[0097] (Second Embodiment) The above describes a configuration in which, when the communication device 151 is operating in direct connection mode and an infrastructure connection mode is newly activated, the channel used for direct connection mode is changed regardless of whether the communication device 151 has established a direct connection or not.

[0098] In this embodiment, when the communication device 151 is operating in direct connection mode but has not yet established a direct connection, and the infrastructure connection mode is newly activated, a configuration is described in which the channel used in direct connection mode is not changed.

[0099] Unless otherwise specified, the configuration of the communication system in this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment. Specifically, in this embodiment, the flowchart in Figure 10 is executed instead of the flowchart in Figure 9 of the first embodiment, but the other flowcharts are executed in the same manner.

[0100] <Control when a new infrastructure connection mode is activated> Figure 10 illustrates the process performed by the communication device 151 in this embodiment. In this flowchart, the process performed by the communication device 151 is realized by the CPU 154 reading various programs stored in memory such as ROM 152 into RAM 153 and executing them. This process is initiated when the communication device 151 receives an operation from the user to activate the infrastructure connection mode described above, and the communication device 151 attempts to establish a connection with the access point 131 as described in Figure 5.

[0101] Sections S1001 to S1003 are the same as S801 to S803, so their explanation is omitted.

[0102] In S1004, the CPU 154 determines whether the communication device 151 is in direct connection mode. If the result of this determination is YES, it means that the communication device 151 is operating in direct connection mode and a direct connection has been established by the communication device 151. On the other hand, if the result of this determination is NO, it means that the communication device 151 is operating in direct connection mode, but a direct connection has not been established by the communication device 151. If the result is YES, the CPU 154 proceeds to S1005, and if the result is NO, it proceeds to S1008.

[0103] Sections S1005 to S1007 are the same as S804 to S806, so their explanation is omitted.

[0104] In S1008, the CPU 154 determines whether the communication device 151 has completed establishing a direct connection. If the CPU 154 determines it is YES, it proceeds to S1009. If it determines it is NO, it repeats S1008 until the direct connection is completed. The CPU 154 terminates processing if the infrastructure connection is disconnected before the direct connection is completed.

[0105] Sections S1009 to S1011 are the same as S804 to S806, so their explanation is omitted.

[0106] Control methods like those in this embodiment can also be used to differentiate between the channels used in infrastructure connection mode and the channels used in direct connection mode. This, in turn, can suppress interference between communications in infrastructure connection mode and communications in direct connection mode.

[0107] (Third embodiment) In the above embodiment, as a process for establishing an infrastructure connection, the communication device 151 sequentially used the channels available to the communication device 151 to search for access points around the communication device 151 and displayed a list of access points found through the search. Then, it established an infrastructure connection with the selected access point from the list.

[0108] In this embodiment, a configuration is described in which the search for access points around the communication device 151 is performed in a different manner than in the above-described embodiment, thereby differentiating the channels used in infrastructure connection mode and direct connection mode.

[0109] Unless otherwise specified, the configuration of the communication system in this embodiment is the same as that of the first and second embodiments.

[0110] <Control during the search for access points around the communication device 151> Figure 11 illustrates the process performed by the communication device 151 in this embodiment. In this flowchart, the process performed by the communication device 151 is realized by the CPU 154 reading various programs stored in memory such as ROM 152 into RAM 153 and executing them. This process is initiated when the communication device 151 receives an operation from the user to activate the infrastructure connection mode described above.

[0111] In S1101, the CPU 154 determines whether the communication device 151 is operating in direct connection mode. If the CPU 154 determines it is YES, it proceeds to S1102; otherwise, it proceeds to S1103.

[0112] In S1102, the CPU 154 identifies the channel that the communication device 151 is using for direct connection mode. Then, it searches for access points around the communication device 151 by sequentially using all available channels, excluding the channel used by the communication device 151 for direct connection mode. The channels available to the communication device 151 are those corresponding to the 2.4GHz frequency band and those corresponding to the 5GHz frequency band, including the DFS band. The search for access points around the communication device 151 is called AP search. After that, the CPU 154 proceeds to S1103.

[0113] In S1103, the CPU 154 searches for access points around the communication device 151 by sequentially using all available channels.

[0114] In S1104, CPU 154 determines whether one or more access points have been found through AP search. If the result is YES, CPU 154 proceeds to S1105; otherwise, it returns to S1101. If the process is repeated but no access points are found through AP search and the timeout period expires, CPU 154 may terminate the AP search and end this process, and display a screen indicating that no access points were found.

[0115] In S1105, the CPU 154 displays a list of one or more access points discovered by AP search. It then accepts a user selection from this list. In this embodiment, as described above, the channel used by the communication device 151 for direct connection mode is controlled not to be used for AP search. As a result, the list does not include access points that use the channel used by the communication device 151 for direct connection mode.

[0116] In S1106, CPU154 sends a connection request to the selected access point and establishes an infrastructure connection with the selected access point. The channel used to find and discover the selected access point is used for sending the connection request and for communication within the established infrastructure connection.

[0117] With the control of this embodiment, in the configuration in which infrastructure connectivity is established by the first method, the channel used in direct connectivity mode and the channel used in infrastructure connectivity mode will not be the same. This makes it possible to make the channel used in infrastructure connectivity mode and the channel used in direct connectivity mode different. Consequently, interference between communication in infrastructure connectivity mode and communication in direct connectivity mode can be suppressed.

[0118] When this embodiment is applied, steps S803 to S806 in the flowchart of Figure 8 do not necessarily have to be executed. However, if the infrastructure connection is established by the second or third method, steps S803 to S806 may be executed in the flowchart of Figure 8. In other words, whether or not steps S803 to S806 are executed in the flowchart of Figure 8 may be controlled based on which method is used to establish the infrastructure connection.

[0119] The control of this embodiment may also be applied to AP searches other than the AP search initiated when the communication device 151 receives an operation from a user to activate infrastructure connection mode. Specifically, for example, the control of this embodiment may also be applied to the reconnection process S902 in the flowchart of Figure 9. More specifically, when operating in direct connection mode, the communication device 151 may sequentially use all available channels, excluding the channel identified as being used by the communication device 151 for direct connection mode, to search for access point 131.

[0120] (Fourth Embodiment) In the fourth embodiment, a configuration is described in which the search for access points around the communication device 151 is performed in a different manner than in the above-described embodiment, thereby differentiating the channels used in infrastructure connection mode from those used in direct connection mode.

[0121] <Control during the search for access points around the communication device 151> Figure 12 illustrates the process performed by the communication device 151 in this embodiment. In this flowchart, the process performed by the communication device 151 is realized by the CPU 154 reading various programs stored in memory such as ROM 152 into RAM 153 and executing them. This process is initiated when the communication device 151 receives an operation from the user to activate the infrastructure connection mode described above.

[0122] Unless otherwise specified, the configuration of the communication system in this embodiment is the same as that of the embodiments described above. Specifically, in this embodiment, the flowchart in Figure 12 is executed instead of the flowchart in Figure 11 of the third embodiment, but the other flowcharts are executed in the same manner.

[0123] Sections S1201 to S1204 are the same as S1101 to S1104, so their explanation is omitted.

[0124] In S1205, CPU 154 determines whether one or more access points were found by the AP search in S1202. If the result is YES, CPU 154 proceeds to S1208; otherwise, it proceeds to S1206.

[0125] In S1206, the CPU 154 searches for access points around the communication device 151 using the channel that the communication device 151 is using for direct connection mode. In this process, it is sufficient that at least the channel that the communication device 151 is using for direct connection mode is used. For example, in this process, the CPU 154 may sequentially use all the channels available to the communication device 151 to search for access points around the communication device 151.

[0126] In S1207, CPU 154 determines whether one or more access points were found by the AP search in S1206. If the result is YES, CPU 154 proceeds to S1208; otherwise, it returns to S1201. If the process is repeated but no access points are found by the AP search and the timeout period expires, CPU 154 may terminate the AP search and end this process, and display a screen indicating that no access points were found.

[0127] S1208 and S1209 are the same as S1105 and S1106, so their explanations are omitted.

[0128] This embodiment allows control to prevent infrastructure connections from being established using channels used in direct connection mode as much as possible. Consequently, interference between infrastructure connection mode and direct connection mode can be suppressed. Furthermore, if an access point is not found during an AP search using channels used in direct connection mode, the likelihood of finding an access point can be improved by performing an AP search on channels used in direct connection mode.

[0129] The control of this embodiment may also be applied to AP searches other than the AP search initiated when the communication device 151 receives an operation from a user to activate infrastructure connection mode. Specifically, for example, the control of this embodiment may also be applied to the reconnection process S902 in the flowchart of Figure 9. More specifically, when operating in direct connection mode, the communication device 151 may sequentially use all available channels, excluding the channel used by the communication device 151 for direct connection mode, to search for access point 131. If access point 131 is not found in that AP search, the communication device 151 may then use the channel used for direct connection mode to search for access point 131.

[0130] (Fifth embodiment) The above describes a configuration in which the channels used in infrastructure connection mode and the channels used in direct connection mode do not overlap, but the frequency bands used in infrastructure connection mode and direct connection mode may overlap.

[0131] In this embodiment, we describe a configuration in which not only the channels used in infrastructure connection mode and the channels used in direct connection mode are controlled to not match, but also the frequency bands used in infrastructure connection mode and the frequency bands used in direct connection mode.

[0132] <Control when a new direct connection mode is activated> Figure 13 illustrates the process performed by the communication device 151 in this embodiment. In this flowchart, the process performed by the communication device 151 is realized by the CPU 154 reading various programs stored in memory such as ROM 152 into RAM 153 and executing them. This process is started when a process that triggers the activation of the direct connection mode is performed, such as when the communication device 151 receives an operation from the user to activate the direct connection mode described above.

[0133] Since S1301 is the same as S701, the explanation will be omitted.

[0134] In S1302, the CPU 154 determines whether the communication device 151 is in an infrastructure connection state. If it is in an infrastructure connection state, the CPU 154 identifies the frequency band used in infrastructure connection mode and determines whether the frequency band used in infrastructure connection mode is 5GHz. In other words, in this process, the CPU 154 determines whether the communication device 151 is in an infrastructure connection state and whether the frequency band used in infrastructure connection mode is 5GHz. The frequency band used in infrastructure connection mode is identified, for example, based on the identification of the channel used in infrastructure connection mode. The frequency band identified here corresponds to the frequency band used in infrastructure connection mode when the process that triggers the activation of direct connection mode is executed. The case where the frequency band used in infrastructure connection mode is 5GHz means that the channel used in infrastructure connection mode is a channel corresponding to the 5GHz frequency band. If the CPU 154 determines YES, it proceeds to S1303; if it determines NO, it proceeds to S1304.

[0135] In S1303, the CPU 154 sets the channel to be used in direct connection mode to one of the channels corresponding to the 2.4GHz frequency band available to the communication device 151, and starts direct connection mode. After that, the CPU 154 terminates processing. At this time, a channel to be used preferentially may be set in advance from among the channels corresponding to the 2.4GHz frequency band available to the communication device 151. Specifically, for example, channel 11 may be set preferentially as the channel to be used in direct connection mode. At this time, the CPU 154 may also automatically change the frequency band set by the screen in Figure 2(e) to 2.4GHz. At this time, the CPU 154 may also display a screen to notify the user that the 2.4GHz frequency band will be used in direct connection mode.

[0136] In S1304, the CPU 154 sets the channel to be used in direct connection mode to one of the channels corresponding to the 5GHz frequency band available to the communication device 151, and starts direct connection mode. After that, the CPU 154 terminates processing. At this time, a channel to be used preferentially may be set in advance from among the channels corresponding to the 5GHz frequency band available to the communication device 151. Specifically, for example, channel 36 may be set preferentially as the channel to be used in direct connection mode.

[0137] In S1305, the CPU 154 determines whether the communication device 151 is in an infrastructure connection state. If it is in an infrastructure connection state, the CPU 154 identifies the frequency band used in infrastructure connection mode and determines whether the frequency band used in infrastructure connection mode is 2.4GHz. In other words, in this process, the CPU 154 determines whether the communication device 151 is in an infrastructure connection state and whether the frequency band used in infrastructure connection mode is 2.4GHz. The frequency band identified here corresponds to the frequency band used in infrastructure connection mode when the process that triggers the activation of direct connection mode is executed. The frequency band used in infrastructure connection mode is identified, for example, based on the identification of the channel used in infrastructure connection mode. If the frequency band used in infrastructure connection mode is 2.4GHz, that is, if the channel used in infrastructure connection mode is a channel corresponding to the 2.4GHz frequency band. If the CPU 154 determines YES, it proceeds to S1306; if it determines NO, it proceeds to S1307.

[0138] In S1306, the CPU 154 sets the channel to be used in direct connection mode to one of the channels corresponding to the 5GHz frequency band available to the communication device 151, and starts direct connection mode. After that, the CPU 154 terminates processing. At this time, the CPU 154 may control the system so that any channel other than the DFS band among the channels corresponding to the 5GHz frequency band available to the communication device 151 is set. At this time, a channel to be used preferentially among the channels corresponding to the 5GHz frequency band available to the communication device 151 may be determined. Specifically, for example, channel 36 may be preferentially set as the channel to be used in direct connection mode. At this time, the CPU 154 may also automatically change the frequency band set by the screen in Figure 2(e) to 5GHz. At this time, the CPU 154 may also display a screen to notify the user that the 5GHz frequency band will be used in direct connection mode.

[0139] In S1307, the CPU 154 sets the channel to be used in direct connection mode to one of the channels corresponding to the 2.4GHz frequency band available to the communication device 151, and starts direct connection mode. After that, the CPU 154 terminates processing. At this time, it is also possible that a preferred channel has been determined among the channels corresponding to the 2.4GHz frequency band available to the communication device 151. Specifically, for example, channel 11 may be set as the preferred channel to be used in direct connection mode.

[0140] The above configuration allows for control to ensure that the frequency bands used in infrastructure connection mode and direct connection mode do not overlap. Consequently, interference between communications in infrastructure connection mode and direct connection mode can be suppressed.

[0141] (Other embodiments) It goes without saying that the object of the present invention can also be achieved by supplying a recording medium containing program code for software that realizes the functions of the embodiments described above to a system or device, and by having the computer (or CPU or MPU) of that system or device read and execute the program code stored on the recording medium. In this case, the program code read from the storage medium itself realizes the functions of the embodiments described above, and the storage medium containing that program code constitutes the present invention.

[0142] For storing program code, storage media such as flexible disks, hard disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, magnetic tapes, non-volatile memory cards, ROMs, and DVDs can be used.

[0143] Furthermore, it goes without saying that the functionality of the aforementioned embodiment is realized not only by the execution of program code read by the computer, but also when the operating system (OS) running on the computer performs some or all of the actual processing based on the instructions of that program code, and the functionality of the aforementioned embodiment is realized through that processing. [Explanation of symbols]

[0144] 101 Information Processing Device 151 Communication equipment 131 Access Point

Claims

1. A communication device capable of performing communication using a predetermined wireless communication standard that uses a first frequency band corresponding to multiple channels and communication using the same predetermined wireless communication standard that uses a second frequency band corresponding to multiple channels other than the aforementioned multiple channels, and capable of operating in a first mode as a slave station in the predetermined wireless communication standard and in a second mode as a master station in the predetermined wireless communication standard, A first control means that controls the system so that the state in which the communication device is operating in the first mode and the state in which the communication device is operating in the second mode as a master station in the predetermined wireless communication standard are maintained in parallel, A setting means that, based on user operation, sets the frequency band used by the communication device in the second mode to either the first frequency band or the second frequency band, A second control means for controlling the communication device so that, when the communication device is operating in the first mode and is operating in the second mode in parallel, the frequency band used by the communication device in the first mode is one of the first frequency band and the second frequency band, and when the communication device is operating in the first mode and is operating in the second mode in parallel, the frequency band used by the communication device in the second mode is the other of the first frequency band and the second frequency band. It has, The second control means is characterized in that, even if one of the frequency bands has been set by the setting means, if the communication device is operating in the first mode and the communication device is operating in the second mode in parallel, and the frequency band used by the communication device in the first mode is the one of the frequency bands, the setting by the setting means is changed to the other frequency band, and the communication device is controlled to use the other frequency band in the second mode.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that the communication device is controlled based on the fact that the communication device has received a predetermined operation from a user to establish a peer-to-peer connection with the communication device while it is operating in the first mode, so that the state in which the communication device is operating in the first mode and the state in which it is operating in the second mode are maintained in parallel.

3. The communication device according to claim 2, characterized in that, in a state in which the communication device is operating in the first mode and a state in which the communication device is operating in the second mode are maintained in parallel, the frequency band used by the communication device in the second mode is controlled to be different from one of the first frequency bands and the second frequency band used by the communication device in the first mode when the predetermined operation is accepted.

4. The communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is controlled based on the fact that a specific process for operating the communication device in the first mode has been performed when the communication device is operating in the second mode, so that the state in which the communication device is operating in the first mode and the state in which it is operating in the second mode are maintained in parallel.

5. If the communication device is operating in the second mode when the specific process is performed, and one of the first and second frequency bands used in the first mode initiated by the specific process coincides with one of the first and second frequency bands used by the communication device in the second mode when the specific process is performed, a stopping means for stopping the operation of the communication device in the second mode; The communication device further includes a restart means for restarting the communication device's operation in the second mode after the operation in the second mode by the communication device has been stopped, The communication device according to claim 4, characterized in that the frequency band used by the communication device in the second mode, which has been restarted, is controlled to be different from one of the first frequency bands, the first frequency band and the second frequency band, used in the first mode, which has been restarted by the specific process.

6. The communication device according to claim 4, characterized in that the aforementioned specific process is a process in which the communication device accepts a selection from the user from a list of access points discovered by the communication device through a search.

7. The communication device according to claim 4, characterized in that the aforementioned specific processing is a process of receiving an operation from the user for the execution of WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) or AOSS (AirStation One-Touch Secure System).

8. The communication device according to claim 4, characterized in that the specific processing is a process for re-establishing the connection between the communication device and the access point in the first mode, which is performed when the connection between the communication device and the access point in the first mode is disconnected.

9. The communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that, in a state in which the communication device is operating in the first mode and in a state in which the communication device is operating in the second mode, the communication device is controlled so that the frequency band used by the communication device in the first mode is one of the first frequency band and the second frequency band, and in a state in which the communication device is operating in the first mode and in a state in which the communication device is operating in the second mode, the communication device is controlled so that the frequency band used by the communication device in the second mode is the other of the first frequency band and the second frequency band.

10. The communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that the second mode is a mode in which the communication device operates as a software access point.

11. The communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that the second mode is a mode in which the communication device operates as a group owner in the Wi-Fi Direct standard.

12. The communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that the predetermined wireless communication standard is a communication standard of the IEEE 802.11 series.

13. The communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that communication in the first mode and communication in the second mode are realized by a single wireless chip.

14. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising printing means for performing printing.

15. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising scanning means for performing a scan.

16. The communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first frequency band is 2.4 GHz and the second frequency band is 5 GHz.

17. For communication using the first mode described above, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz can be used. The communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that the second mode of communication can use the frequency bands of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz in which channel changes are not performed by Dynamic Frequency Selection.

18. For communication in the first mode described above, the 2.4 GHz frequency band and the 5 GHz frequency band can be used. The communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that the 2.4 GHz frequency band can be used for communication in the second mode, but the 5 GHz frequency band cannot be used.

19. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising a notification means for displaying a notification indicating a change when the setting by the setting means is changed to the other frequency band.

20. The communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the other frequency band is 5 GHz, the second control means causes the communication device in the second mode to use channels excluding the channel corresponding to Dynamic Frequency Selection.

21. A control method for a communication device that is capable of performing communication using a predetermined wireless communication standard that uses a first frequency band corresponding to multiple channels and communication using the same predetermined wireless communication standard that uses a second frequency band corresponding to multiple channels other than the aforementioned multiple channels, and is capable of performing operation in a first mode as a slave station in the predetermined wireless communication standard and operation in a second mode as a master station in the predetermined wireless communication standard, A first control step involves controlling the system so that the state in which it is operating in the first mode and the state in which the communication device is operating in the second mode as a master station in the predetermined wireless communication standard are maintained in parallel. A setting step in which, based on user operation, the communication device sets the frequency band used in the second mode to either the first frequency band or the second frequency band, A second control step of controlling the communication device so that, in a state where the communication device is operating in the first mode and in a state where the communication device is operating in the second mode, the frequency band used by the communication device in the first mode is one of the first frequency band and the second frequency band, and in a state where the communication device is operating in the first mode and in a state where the communication device is operating in the second mode, the frequency band used by the communication device in the second mode is the other of the first frequency band and the second frequency band. It has, In the second control step, even if one of the frequency bands was set in the setting step, if the communication device is operating in the first mode and the communication device is operating in the second mode in parallel, and the frequency band used by the communication device in the first mode is the one of the frequency bands, the setting in the setting step is changed to the other frequency band, and the control is made to cause the communication device to use the other frequency band in the second mode.

22. A computer in a communication device capable of performing communication using a predetermined wireless communication standard that uses a first frequency band corresponding to multiple channels and communication using the same predetermined wireless communication standard that uses a second frequency band corresponding to multiple channels other than the aforementioned multiple channels, and capable of performing operation in a first mode as a slave station in the predetermined wireless communication standard and operation in a second mode as a master station in the predetermined wireless communication standard, A first control step involves controlling the system so that the state in which it is operating in the first mode and the state in which the communication device is operating in the second mode as a master station in the predetermined wireless communication standard are maintained in parallel. A setting step in which, based on user operation, the communication device sets the frequency band used in the second mode to either the first frequency band or the second frequency band, A second control step of controlling the communication device so that, in a state where the communication device is operating in the first mode and in a state where the communication device is operating in the second mode, the frequency band used by the communication device in the first mode is one of the first frequency band and the second frequency band, and in a state where the communication device is operating in the first mode and in a state where the communication device is operating in the second mode, the frequency band used by the communication device in the second mode is the other of the first frequency band and the second frequency band. Make it run, In the second control step, even if one of the frequency bands was set in the setting step, if the communication device is operating in the first mode and the communication device is operating in the second mode in parallel, and the frequency band used by the communication device in the first mode is the one of the frequency bands, the program is characterized by changing the setting in the setting step to the other frequency band and controlling the communication device to use the other frequency band in the second mode.

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