Communication device, control method, and program

Abstract

To provide a communication device capable of using a plurality of frequency bands, in which, when the communication device does not receive information on a frequency band used for connection with an external device, the communication device is allowed to use an appropriate frequency band among the plurality of frequency bands thereby to be connected with the external device.SOLUTION: There is provided a communication device which, when frequency band information on a frequency band used for wireless connection with an external device is included in setting information, is wirelessly connected to the external device by a frequency band on the basis of the frequency band information included in the setting information, and, which, when frequency band information on a frequency band used for wireless connection with the external device is not included in the setting information, is wirelessly connected to the external device by a first frequency band.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] A technique for executing network setting processing for wireless connection between a communication device such as a printing device and an external device such as an access point is known.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes that a communication partner device transmits AP information (such as an SSID) for identifying an external device to a communication device to connect the communication device and the external device.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] By the way, in recent years, communication devices that can use multiple frequency bands (for example, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) have become widespread. However, conventionally, when a communication device that can use multiple frequency bands does not receive information regarding the frequency band to be used for connection to an external device in network setting processing, control for connecting to the external device using an appropriate frequency band among the multiple frequency bands has not been considered.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to cause a communication device that can use multiple frequency bands to connect to an external device using an appropriate frequency band among the multiple frequency bands when the communication device does not receive information regarding the frequency band to be used for connection to the external device.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] To solve the above problems, the Scanning device of the present invention A scanning device that uses the IEEE 802.11 series standard to perform wireless communication in a first frequency band corresponding to the 2.4 frequency band and a second frequency band corresponding to the 5.0 frequency band, A first receiving means for receiving a first operation from a user to operate the scanning device in a first mode that performs peer-to-peer communication, An operation control means for operating the scanning device in the first mode based on the acceptance of the first operation, A first establishing means for establishing a first connection between the scanning device operating in the first mode and an information processing device without an external device, A second receiving means for receiving a second operation from the user to operate the scanning device in a second mode that communicates via the external device, A second establishing means for establishing a second connection between the scanning device operating in the second mode and the external device based on the acceptance of the second operation, A control means that, based on the reception of the second operation while the scanning device is operating in the first mode, executes control to cause the scanning device to operate in the second mode instead of the first mode, A scanning means configured to scan a document, A transmission means for transmitting image data generated by scanning the aforementioned document to the information processing device, It has, After the control described above is performed, a second connection using the second frequency band is established. After the second connection using the second frequency band is established, the scanning device does not resume operation in the first mode. If the first operation is received while the second connection is established by the second frequency band, the second connection is disconnected, and then the scanning device is operated in the first mode. It is characterized by the following:

[0008] In addition, the Control method for scanning device of the present invention A control method for a scanning device that performs wireless communication using the IEEE 802.11 series standard, with a first frequency band corresponding to the 2.4 frequency band and a second frequency band corresponding to the 5.0 frequency band, A first reception step in which a first operation is received from a user to operate the scanning device in a first mode that performs peer-to-peer communication, An operation control step in which the scanning device is operated in the first mode based on the acceptance of the first operation, A first establishment step of establishing a first connection between the scanning device operating in the first mode and an information processing device without an external device, A second reception step in which the user provides a second operation for operating the scanning device in a second mode that communicates via the external device, A second establishment step is performed to establish a second connection between the scanning device operating in the second mode and the external device, based on the acceptance of the second operation, A control step in which, based on the fact that the scanning device is operating in the first mode and has received the second operation, the scanning device is controlled to operate in the second mode instead of the first mode, A scanning step configured to scan a document, A transmission step of transmitting the image data generated by scanning the aforementioned document to the information processing device, It has, After the control described above is performed, a second connection using the second frequency band is established. After the second connection using the second frequency band is established, the scanning device does not resume operation in the first mode. If the first operation is received while the second connection is established by the second frequency band, the second connection is disconnected, and then the scanning device is operated in the first mode. It is characterized by the following:

Advantages of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, if a communication device capable of using multiple frequency bands does not receive information regarding the frequency band to be used for connection with an external device, it becomes possible to have the communication device use an appropriate frequency band from among the multiple frequency bands to connect with the external device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of the communication system. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram of the mobile device's configuration. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram of the printing apparatus. [Figure 4] This is an example of a wireless connection profile. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart showing the network configuration process performed by the printing device using an automatic configuration method. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart showing the network configuration process performed by the printing device using an automatic configuration method. [Figure 7] This flowchart shows the network configuration process performed by a printing device using a terminal device. [Figure 8] This flowchart shows the network configuration process performed by a printing device using a terminal device. [Figure 9] This flowchart shows the network configuration process performed by a printing device using a terminal device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the relative arrangement of the components, display screen, etc., described in these embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to those unless otherwise specifically stated.

[0012] (First Embodiment) This section describes the information processing device and communication device included in the communication system of this embodiment. While a personal computer (PC) is used as an example of the information processing device in this embodiment, it is not limited to this. Various devices can be used as the information processing device, such as mobile terminals, smartphones, tablet terminals, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), and digital cameras. Similarly, while a printer is used as an example of the communication device in this embodiment, it is not limited to this; any device capable of wireless communication with the information processing device can be used. For example, a printer 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, PCs, tablet terminals, PDAs, digital cameras, music playback devices, televisions, etc. It can also be applied to multifunction devices equipped with multiple functions such as copying, faxing, and printing.

[0013] First, the configuration of the information processing device of this embodiment and the communication device capable of communicating with the information processing device of this embodiment will be described. In addition, the following configuration is described as an example in this embodiment, but this embodiment is applicable to devices that can communicate with a communication device and does not particularly limit the functions as shown in this figure.

[0014] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the terminal device 200, which is an information processing device in this embodiment.

[0015] The terminal device 200 has a main board 201 that performs the main control of the device.

[0016] On the main board 201, the CPU 202 is the system control unit and controls the entire terminal device 200. The ROM 203 stores various programs, such as control programs executed by the CPU 202 and embedded operating system (OS) programs. In this embodiment, the control programs stored in the ROM 203 perform software control such as scheduling and task switching under the management of the embedded OS stored in the ROM 203. The RAM 204 is composed of memory such as SRAM (static RAM) and stores program control variables, user-registered settings, and management data for the terminal device 200, and is provided with various work buffer areas. Note that this setting information data may be stored in other storage areas such as the ROM 203 or non-volatile memory 205 instead of the RAM 204.

[0017] The non-volatile memory 205 is composed of memory such as flash memory and stores data that should be retained even when the power is turned off. Specifically, the non-volatile memory 205 stores network information such as passwords and authentication information for connecting to the network, and configuration information for the terminal device 200, such as MAC addresses and SSIDs, and a list of previously connected communication devices. In this embodiment, connection information for the easy connection mode, which will be described later, is also stored. Note that this data may be stored in other storage areas such as ROM 203 or RAM 204 instead of the non-volatile memory 205. Alternatively, the CPU 202 may perform processing using the stored data by loading the configuration information stored in ROM 303 or the non-volatile memory 205 into RAM 204.

[0018] The image memory 206 is composed of memory such as DRAM (dynamic RAM) and stores various data such as image data received via the wireless LAN unit 211 and image data processed by the code decoding processing unit 210.

[0019] The memory configuration of the terminal device 200 is not limited to this form, and its number, characteristics, storage capacity, etc., can be appropriately changed depending on the application and purpose. For example, the image memory 206 and RAM 204 may be shared. Also, although the image memory 206 is composed of DRAM, etc., it is not limited to this and may be composed of a hard disk (hereinafter referred to as HDD) or non-volatile memory, etc.

[0020] The data conversion unit 207 generates data such as page description language (PDL) and performs data conversions such as color conversion and image conversion for image data.

[0021] The operation unit 208 and the display unit 209 receive various inputs to the terminal device 200 and display various information related to the terminal device 200.

[0022] The code decoding processing unit 210 performs various processes on the image data, such as code decoding and scaling.

[0023] The wireless LAN unit 211 is a unit for realizing wireless LAN communication compliant with standards such as Wi-Fi (WirelessFidelity) (registered trademark). The wireless LAN unit 211 is responsible for functions such as beacon detection processing, authentication processing, and sending print jobs to communication devices that have established a wireless LAN connection, in order to establish a wireless LAN connection. The wireless LAN unit 211 is also connected to the system bus 213 via the bus cable 212. The CPU 202 can control the wireless LAN unit 211 and operate the access point (AP) in the terminal device 200.

[0024] In this embodiment, the terminal device 200 transmits a print job to the printer 300 via the wireless LAN unit 211 to cause it to print. The transmitted job is not limited to a print job. For example, it could be a scan job to cause the printer 300 to scan, a copy job to cause the printer 300 to make a copy, or a setting command to change the settings of the printer 300. Also, if the communication device in this embodiment is a storage device, data to be stored in the communication device (image data, video data, etc.) may be transmitted in addition to jobs. When a scan job is transmitted to the printer 300, the image data generated by scanning the document based on the scan job is transmitted to the terminal device 200.

[0025] The wireless LAN unit 211 may communicate directly with the printer 300 via wireless communication, or it may communicate via an external device located outside the terminal device 200 or the printer 300. The external device includes access points such as routers, and other devices capable of relaying communication. In this embodiment, the wireless LAN unit 211 uses the IEEE 802.11 series standard (Wi-Fi), but other technologies such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) may also be used. In this embodiment, the method by which the terminal device 200 and the printer 300 are connected directly without an external device is called the direct connection method. The method by which the terminal device 200 and the printer 300 are connected via an external device is called the infrastructure connection method. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the connection via an access point is performed by the wireless LAN unit 211.

[0026] The various components 202 to 212 described above are interconnected via a system bus 213 managed by the CPU 202.

[0027] The terminal device 200 may also be equipped with communication units other than the wireless LAN unit 211. Furthermore, the terminal device 200 may be equipped with multiple communication units and capable of communicating using multiple types of communication methods. Communication may be conducted directly via wireless communication, or it may be conducted via an access point outside the terminal device 200 installed on the network. Examples of communication methods include Bluetooth Low Energy (registered trademark), NFC (Near Field Communication; ISO / IEC IS18092), and Wi-Fi Aware. Communication may also be conducted via a wired connection instead of wirelessly.

[0028] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the printing device 300, which is a communication device in this embodiment.

[0029] The printing device 300 has a main board 301 that performs the main control of the device.

[0030] On the main board 301, the CPU 302 is the system control unit and controls the entire printing device 300. The ROM 303 stores various programs such as control programs and embedded OS programs executed by the CPU 302. In this embodiment, the control programs stored in the ROM 303 perform software control such as scheduling and task switching under the management of the embedded OS also stored in the ROM 303. The RAM 304 is composed of memory such as SRAM and stores program control variables, user-registered settings, management data for the printing device 300, setting information for mode change conditions described later, and is provided with various work buffer areas. Note that this data may be stored in other storage areas such as the ROM 303 or non-volatile memory 305 instead of the RAM 304.

[0031] The non-volatile memory 305 is composed of memory such as flash memory and stores data that should be retained even when the power is turned off. Specifically, it stores network information such as passwords and authentication information for connecting to the network, a list of external devices that have been connected in the past such as MAC addresses and SSIDs, menu items such as print modes, and setting information for the printer 300 such as recording head calibration information. Note that this setting information data may be stored in other storage areas such as ROM 303 or RAM 304 instead of the non-volatile memory 305. Alternatively, the CPU 302 may perform processing using the setting information by loading the setting information stored in ROM 303 or non-volatile memory 305 into RAM 304.

[0032] The image memory 306 is composed of memory such as DRAM and stores various data such as image data received via the wireless LAN unit 316 and image data processed by the code decoding processing unit 312.

[0033] The memory configuration of the printing device 300 is not limited to this form, and its number, characteristics, storage capacity, etc., can be appropriately changed depending on the application and purpose. For example, the image memory 306 and RAM 304 may be shared. Also, although the image memory 306 is composed of DRAM, etc., it is not limited to this and may be composed of a hard disk (hereinafter referred to as HDD) or non-volatile memory, etc.

[0034] The data conversion unit 307 performs various image processing, such as smoothing, recording density correction, and color correction, on the image data included in the received job via the image processing control unit (not shown). By performing these processes, the data conversion unit 307 converts the image data to be printed into high-resolution print data and outputs the converted print data to the recording unit 314.

[0035] The reading unit 310 optically reads the original document using a CIS image sensor (contact image sensor) or the like. The reading control unit 308 performs various image processing, such as binarization and halftone processing, on the image signal read by the reading unit 310 to output high-resolution image data.

[0036] The operation unit 309 and the display unit 311 receive various inputs to the printing device 300 and display various information related to the printing device 300.

[0037] The code decoding processing unit 312 performs various processes on the image data, such as code decoding and scaling.

[0038] The paper feeding unit 313 holds the recording medium for printing and supplies the recording medium to the recording unit 314 under control from the recording control unit 315. The paper feeding unit 313 is provided with multiple paper cassettes.

[0039] The recording control unit 315 controls which of the multiple paper feed cassettes the paper is fed from. The recording control unit 315 also plays a role in updating the information in the RAM 304 by periodically reading various information such as the status of the recording unit 314. Specifically, the recording control unit 315 updates information such as the device status (in use, sleep mode, error occurred, etc.) and the remaining amount of ink in the ink tanks.

[0040] The recording unit 314 performs image formation processing (printing processing) to form (print) an image on the recording medium using a recording material such as ink, based on the print data and print setting information included in the print job output from the data conversion unit 307. The wireless LAN unit 316 is a unit for realizing wireless LAN communication compliant with standards such as Wi-Fi. The wireless LAN unit 316 is responsible for functions such as transmitting connection information, authentication processing, and receiving jobs from terminal devices that have established a wireless LAN connection, in order to establish a wireless LAN connection. The wireless LAN unit 316 is also connected to the system bus 318 via the bus cable 317. The CPU 302 can control the wireless LAN unit 211 and operate the access point within the printing device 300. That is, the printing device 300 can be operated as a GroupOwner or a soft AP. In this embodiment, the connection via the access point is performed by the wireless LAN unit 316. The various components 302 to 317 are interconnected via the system bus 318 managed by the CPU 302.

[0041] The printing device 300 may also be equipped with communication units other than the wireless LAN unit 316. Communication may be performed directly via wireless communication, or via an access point outside the printing device 300 installed on the network. In this embodiment, when communicating directly, the printing device 300 operates as a GroupOwner or a soft AP. Examples of communication methods include Bluetooth, NFC, and Wi-Fi Aware. Furthermore, communication may be performed via wired LAN or other means, not just wireless communication. The printing device 300 accepts jobs from other external devices such as the terminal device 200 via a network utilizing these communication methods. In this embodiment, the printing device 300 does not use a channel corresponding to the 5GHz frequency band for direct communication, but uses a channel corresponding to the 2.4GHz frequency band. However, it is not limited to this configuration. For example, the printing device 300 may perform direct communication using a channel corresponding to the 5GHz frequency band that is not switched by DFS (a channel not used by specific devices such as weather radar).

[0042] In this embodiment, the printer 300 uses at least one frequency band from 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz for wireless connectivity, based on the IEEE 802.11 series standard. The printer 300 has communication channels corresponding to the available frequency bands. For example, if the 2.4 GHz frequency band is available, the printer 300 has 13 communication channels allocated to a predetermined frequency band within the 2.4 GHz frequency band. Also, for example, if the 5 GHz frequency band is available, the printer 300 has 24 communication channels allocated to a predetermined frequency band within the 5 GHz frequency band.

[0043] Figure 1 shows the communication system of this embodiment. The communication system of this embodiment includes a terminal device 200, a printer 300, and an access point 400. The printer 300 and the terminal device 200 can communicate with each other via a wireless LAN connection through an access point 400 located outside each device. In addition, the printer 300 and the terminal device 200 can also operate as access points themselves by enabling the access points within each device. Therefore, for example, if one device becomes an access point and the other device connects to that access point, the terminal device 200 and the printer 300 can connect directly via wireless LAN without going through the access point 400. Furthermore, since both the terminal device 200 and the printer 300 have wireless LAN functionality, peer-to-peer (P2P) communication is possible by mutual authentication.

[0044] Access point 400 is a router device. A router device is a device that relays data communication between devices (for example, between an information processing device and a communication device). In this embodiment, the router device acts as an access point and relays data communication between devices connected to the router device's access point. The communication method used by the router device may be wireless communication, wired communication, or both, but in this embodiment, the router device is assumed to have at least a wireless LAN router function capable of communicating by wireless communication.

[0045] In this embodiment, the printing device 300 is connected to the access point 400 via wireless LAN. In other words, the terminal device 200 is able to communicate with the printing device 300 via the access point 400. That is, the terminal device 200 is connected to the printing device 300 via an infrastructure connection. Once the infrastructure connection is established, the printing device 300 and the terminal device 200 can communicate with each other with devices belonging to the network formed by the access point 400. Furthermore, if the access point 400 is connected to the internet, the printing device 300 and the terminal device 200 can also use the internet via the access point 400.

[0046] In this embodiment, we will describe a configuration process (network configuration process) for connecting the printing device 300 and the access point 400 in order to establish the infrastructure connection described above.

[0047] One specific method for network configuration is for the terminal device 200 to transmit network configuration information to the printer 300, thereby connecting the printer 300 and the access point 400. Here, network configuration information refers to connection information (Service Set Identifier (hereinafter, SSID), password, etc.) used to connect the printer 300 to the access point 400, which is the destination of the printer 300. This connection information is transmitted from the printer 300 to the access point 400 when the printer 300 requests a connection to the access point 400. Other methods for network configuration include AOSS (AirStation One-Touch Secure System), Rakuraku Wireless Start, and WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup). These methods allow the printer 300 to directly receive network configuration information from the access point 400 without going through the terminal device 200, thereby connecting the printer 300 and the access point 400. Hereafter, these methods will be referred to as automatic configuration methods.

[0048] By the way, a wireless connection is a connection made using a specific frequency band. In recent years, printing devices 300 that can use multiple frequency bands (for example, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) have appeared. The printing device 300 in this embodiment is also capable of performing wireless connections using multiple frequency bands. When the printing device 300 connects to an access point, it first searches for an access point (AP search) using a communication channel corresponding to an available frequency band. Then, the printing device 300 establishes a wireless connection with the access point by sending a connection request to the access point corresponding to the connection information received as described above, using a communication channel corresponding to an available frequency band.

[0049] Such a printing device 300 cannot connect to an access point if it does not know which frequency band to use for wireless connection with the access point. For example, one possible configuration of the printing device 300 is one in which, even if it does not know which frequency band to use, it can perform an AP search using a frequency band that it can use and attempt to connect to an access point. However, since a printing device 300 generally cannot use multiple frequency bands simultaneously, in the above configuration, the printing device 300 will use the frequency bands it can use one by one in sequence. In that case, the printing device 300 may attempt to connect using a frequency band other than the one intended for connecting to the access point. In other words, even in the above configuration, the printing device 300 may take a long time to connect to the access point or perform unnecessary processing.

[0050] For these reasons, it is preferable that, during the network configuration process, information regarding the frequency bands available to the access point to be connected (frequency band information) is notified to the printing device 300. The frequency band information also refers to the frequency band used for connecting to the access point to be connected.

[0051] However, depending on the network configuration process, the model and software of the access point to be connected to, and the model and software of the terminal device 200 that performs the network configuration process, information regarding the frequency bands available to the access point to be connected to may not be notified. Specifically, for example, in WPS, whether or not frequency band information is notified to the printer 300 depends on the model of the access point, so this information may not be notified to the printer 300. Also, for example, depending on the type of OS installed in the terminal device 200, the terminal device 200 may not be able to obtain frequency band information, so this information may not be notified to the printer 300. As a result, the printer 300 may have difficulty determining which frequency band to use during the network configuration process.

[0052] Furthermore, for example, if the access point to be connected supports multiple frequencies, multiple frequency band information may be notified. Specifically, for example, both information corresponding to 2.4GHz and information corresponding to 5GHz may be notified as frequency band information. In this case as well, the printing device 300 faces the problem of not being able to determine which of the multiple frequency bands to use during network configuration processing.

[0053] Therefore, in this embodiment, we will describe a configuration in which, even when frequency band information is not notified to the printing device 300 during the network configuration process, an attempt is made to connect to the access point using an appropriate frequency band.

[0054] Furthermore, in this embodiment, we will describe a configuration in which, even when multiple pieces of information regarding the frequency bands available to the access point to be connected are notified to the printing device 300 during the network configuration process, an attempt is made to connect to the access point using an appropriate frequency band.

[0055] Specifically, in the above-described case, the printing device 300 will attempt to connect to the access point by prioritizing the use of 2.4GHz over 5GHz. The reason why the printing device 300 prioritizes the use of 2.4GHz over 5GHz when attempting to connect to the access point in this embodiment will be explained below.

[0056] In this embodiment, the printing device 300 is capable of operating simultaneously (in parallel) in a mode that communicates via infrastructure connection (infrastructure communication mode) and a mode that communicates via direct connection (direct communication mode (P2P mode)). Therefore, the printing device 300 can establish and maintain both infrastructure connection and direct connection simultaneously (in parallel).

[0057] Direct connection is a connection in a wireless network where the printer 300 or terminal device 200 acts as the AP (i.e., master station), and the other device acts as the client (i.e., slave station). In this embodiment, the printer 300 is assumed to be the AP that establishes the wireless network in a direct connection. Direct communication modes include WFD (Wi-Fi Direct) mode, in which the printer 300 operates as the GroupOwner, and Soft AP mode, in which the printer 300 operates as a Soft AP. The SSID and password of the AP enabled by the printer 300 shall be different in each mode.

[0058] The infrastructure connection is a connection in a wireless network established by the access point 400. The infrastructure connection is a connection in a wireless network established with the access point 400 acting as the AP (i.e., master station) and the printing device 300 acting as the client (i.e., slave station).

[0059] Furthermore, the simultaneous establishment (in parallel) of infrastructure connections and direct connections, and the simultaneous (in parallel) operation of communication via infrastructure connections and direct connections, is referred to as simultaneous operation. In simultaneous operation, the terminal devices 200 to which the printing device 300 is connected via direct connection are different from the terminal devices 200 to which the printing device 300 is connected via infrastructure connections. In other words, the printing device 300 can connect to multiple devices through simultaneous operation.

[0060] Communication via infrastructure connection and communication via direct connection are performed using specific frequency bands (specific channels). Therefore, in both infrastructure connection and direct connection communication, the channel to be used for communication and connection between each device must be determined before communication begins. In a configuration where multiple channels are assigned to a single wireless IC chip for simultaneous communication, the configuration of each communicating device and the processing performed by each device become complex. Therefore, for example, when the printing device 300 is operating simultaneously, it is desirable that a common channel be used for communication in each mode. That is, it is desirable that the printing device 300 uses only one channel even when operating simultaneously. For this reason, in this embodiment, the wireless LAN unit 316 has only one wireless IC chip that realizes communication on a predetermined channel, and the printing device 300 does not communicate using multiple channels simultaneously.

[0061] If the printer 300 is operating as a GroupOwner or soft AP, the channel used for direct connection can be freely determined by the printer 300, which is the master station. However, the channel used for infrastructure connection is determined by the access point 400, which is the master station for infrastructure connection. Therefore, when operating simultaneously, it is preferable for the printer 300 to determine the channel used for direct connection as determined by the access point 400 for infrastructure connection.

[0062] However, when using a direct connection with a channel compatible with 5GHz, a function called DFS, which will be explained below, is applied. Due to the existence of this function, depending on the device configuration, the printing device 300 may not be able to perform a direct connection with a channel compatible with 5GHz, or it may be undesirable to perform a direct connection with a channel compatible with 5GHz. Specifically, for example, the wireless IC chip of the wireless LAN unit 316 may not be able to operate as a GroupOwner or soft AP (i.e., master station) using a channel compatible with 5GHz, or it may be undesirable. DFS will be explained below.

[0063] Devices operating as GroupOwners or soft APs, or master stations such as access points, must implement a technology called DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection) when communicating using specific frequency bands such as 5GHz. DFS is a technology to control communication between devices so that it does not interfere with weather radar, etc. If a specific device such as a weather radar is using a specific frequency, interference waves will be generated by that specific frequency. In such cases, DFS is also a technology that switches the frequency (channel) used by the master station within a specific frequency band that includes the specific frequency in question. Specifically, if the master station detects interference waves on the frequency it is using, it first stops communication on that specific frequency band for a predetermined time (for example, 1 minute). While communication is stopped, the printing device 300 checks whether a new channel to be used after the communication stop is resumed is available (whether a specific device such as a weather radar is using the frequency corresponding to that channel). Once the master station confirms that the channel is available, it resumes communication on the new channel. Furthermore, when a base station detects interference waves on the frequency it uses for communication, it corresponds to the base station identifying that a specific device, such as a weather radar, is using that frequency for communication. Also, a technology called TPC (Transmit Power Control) is similar to DFS (Dynamic Frequency System).

[0064] Furthermore, it is the master unit of the communication system that must execute control to switch the communication channel being used when it detects that a specific device, such as a weather radar, is using the communication channel being used. The slave unit then follows this process when the communication channel being used is switched by the master unit.

[0065] Note that DFS and TPC apply to communication in specific frequency bands such as 5GHz, but not to communication in frequency bands such as 2.4GHz. In other words, the printing device 300 does not switch the channel used for communication in the 2.4GHz frequency band depending on the communication status of specific devices such as weather radar. This is because specific devices such as weather radar use the 5.0GHz frequency band for communication, but not the 2.4GHz frequency band. That is, when communication between devices is performed using the 5GHz frequency band, channel switching is performed by DFS or TPC. Note that, as mentioned above, when the channel is switched by DFS, the channel is switched between channels corresponding to the 5GHz frequency band.

[0066] If the printer 300 uses a wireless chip that does not support DFS, when it is the master unit, it cannot switch the communication channel being used via DFS and cannot perform a direct connection using 5GHz. Also, as mentioned above, in simultaneous operation, the channels used for infrastructure connection and direct connection are shared. A printer 300 that cannot perform a direct connection using 5GHz has the problem that if 5GHz is used for infrastructure connection, it cannot perform simultaneous operation.

[0067] Furthermore, even if the printer 300 uses a wireless chip that supports DFS and can perform a direct connection using 5GHz, the following challenges remain. As mentioned above, DFS may change the channel used for the direct connection. However, as also mentioned above, during simultaneous operation, the channels used for the infrastructure connection and the direct connection are shared, and the channel used for the infrastructure connection cannot be determined by the printer 300. In other words, even if the channel used for the direct connection is changed by DFS during simultaneous operation, the channel used for the infrastructure connection cannot be changed by the printer 300, making it impossible to share the channels used for the infrastructure connection and the direct connection. Therefore, there is a problem in that it becomes impossible to maintain the infrastructure connection and the direct connection in parallel.

[0068] For these reasons, even if the printing device 300 can utilize both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands, it is preferable to prioritize the use of 2.4GHz, considering that simultaneous operation will be performed.

[0069] Furthermore, even in the case of the printing device 300 that does not perform simultaneous operations, the following issues may arise if infrastructure connectivity is established using 5GHz. As mentioned above, when channel switching occurs due to DFS, communication between devices is interrupted for a predetermined period of time. Therefore, for example, delays and packet loss may occur in communication between devices using 5GHz.

[0070] Therefore, in the network configuration process, if frequency band information is not notified to the printer 300, the printer 300 will prioritize using 2.4GHz over 5GHz and attempt to connect to the access point. Also, in the network configuration process, if multiple pieces of information regarding the frequency bands available to the access point to be connected are notified to the printer 300, the printer 300 will prioritize using 2.4GHz over 5GHz and attempt to connect to the access point.

[0071] On the other hand, there are also advantages to using 5GHz. For example, communication using 5GHz is generally faster than communication using 2.4GHz. Also, communication using 5GHz is generally more stable than communication using 2.4GHz. Furthermore, there are cases where an access point supports 5GHz but not 2.4GHz. Therefore, in this embodiment, if the printing device 300 is notified only of 5GHz information as frequency band information, or if it is instructed by the user to use 5GHz, it will attempt to connect to the access point using 5GHz.

[0072] First, we will explain the network configuration process using the automatic configuration method.

[0073] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the network configuration process performed by the printing device 300 using an automatic configuration method in this embodiment. The flowchart shown in Figure 5 is realized, for example, by the CPU 302 reading a program stored in the ROM 303 or non-volatile memory 305 into the RAM 304 and executing it. Furthermore, the process shown in the flowchart in Figure 5 is started when a user operation (an instruction to execute the network configuration process) that triggers the network configuration process using the automatic configuration method is performed. Specifically, the user operation that triggers the network configuration process using the automatic configuration method is the operation of pressing a predetermined button on the printing device 300.

[0074] In S501, the CPU 302 operates the printer 300 in automatic setting mode. Automatic setting mode is a mode in which network setting processing is performed using an automatic setting method. If S501 is executed while the printer 300 is operating in direct connection mode, the printer 300 will temporarily stop operating as an AP. In this embodiment, it is assumed that information regarding the operating mode of the printer 300 is stored in an operating mode storage area in a predetermined memory. Furthermore, even if S501 is executed while the printer 300 is operating in direct connection mode, information indicating that direct connection mode is enabled will continue to be stored in the operating mode storage area.

[0075] The network configuration process using the automatic configuration method is performed with both the printer 300 and the access point to which the printer 300 is connected operating in automatic configuration mode. Similar to the printer 300, the access point starts operating in automatic configuration mode when a designated button is pressed by the user.

[0076] When the printer 300 and the access point start operating in automatic configuration mode, they emit a signal indicating that they are operating in automatic configuration mode. By receiving these signals between the devices, each device discovers the device to which the network configuration process will be performed using the automatic configuration method. Then, each device connects to exchange information (wireless connection profile) necessary to perform the network configuration process using the automatic configuration method.

[0077] In S502, CPU302 determines whether or not it has connected to an access point that is in automatic configuration mode. If the CPU302 determines YES, it proceeds to S503; if NO, it proceeds to S504.

[0078] In S505, the CPU 302 determines whether a predetermined amount of time has elapsed (a timeout has occurred) since the printer 300 started operating in automatic setting mode. If the CPU 302 determines that the timeout is YES, it considers an error to have occurred and terminates the process. On the other hand, if the CPU 302 determines that the timeout is NO, it repeats the process in S502.

[0079] An access point connected to a printer 300 operating in automatic setup mode sends a wireless connection profile to the printer 300. A wireless connection profile is information containing connection information used to connect with the access point. If the access point has multiple SSIDs, the wireless connection profile contains multiple profiles corresponding to each SSID. Figure 4(a) is an example of a wireless connection profile obtained by AOSS. A wireless connection profile obtained by AOSS contains up to 8 profiles. Figure 4(b) is an example of a wireless connection profile obtained by Easy Wireless Start. A wireless connection profile obtained by Easy Wireless Start contains up to 2 profiles. Figures 4(c) and (d) are examples of wireless connection profiles obtained by WPS. A wireless connection profile obtained by WPS contains up to 6 profiles.

[0080] As shown in Figure 4, one profile consists of "SSID," "frequency," "authentication method," "encryption method," and "passphrase." By using the information contained in one profile, the printer 300 can connect to an access point. Specifically, for example, in order for the printer 300 to connect to an access point having the wireless connection profile shown in Figure 4(a) using the "AOSS-1" SSID, it uses the 2.4GHz frequency band. Note that the information included in "frequency" does not have to be information indicating the frequency corresponding to each SSID; for example, it may be information indicating the channel corresponding to each SSID. As mentioned above, the wireless connection profile obtained by WPS may not include information regarding "frequency" (Figure 4(d)), so information regarding the frequency band available to the access point may not be notified to the printer 300.

[0081] In S503, the CPU 302 determines whether or not it has received a wireless connection profile from the connected access point. If the CPU 302 determines it is YES, it proceeds to S504. Note that the wireless connection profile received from the access point contains multiple profiles. Therefore, if the CPU 302 has received a wireless connection profile, it determines the number n of profiles included in the wireless connection profile. If the CPU 302 determines it is NO, it proceeds to S506.

[0082] In S506, the CPU 302 determines whether a predetermined amount of time has elapsed (a timeout has occurred) since the printer 300 started operating in automatic setting mode. If the CPU 302 determines that the timeout is YES, it considers that an error has occurred and terminates the process. On the other hand, if the CPU 302 determines that the timeout is NO, it repeats the process in S503.

[0083] In S504, CPU302 initializes the wireless connection profile counter variable m. Specifically, it assigns the value 1 to the wireless connection profile counter variable m. Note that the wireless connection profile counter variable m is information stored in non-volatile memory 305, etc.

[0084] In S505, the CPU 302 determines whether the m-th profile out of n profiles indicates that the access point to be connected supports 2.4GHz. Specifically, the CPU 302 determines whether the "frequency" field of the m-th profile out of n profiles contains information indicating "2.4GHz" or information indicating "channels that support 2.4GHz". If the CPU 302 determines YES, it proceeds to S508; if NO, it proceeds to S511.

[0085] In S511, the CPU 302 determines whether the m-th profile out of n profiles indicates that the access point to be connected supports 5GHz. Specifically, the CPU 302 determines whether the "frequency" field of the m-th profile out of n profiles contains information indicating "5GHz" or "channels that support 5GHz". If the CPU 302 determines YES, it proceeds to S512; if NO, it proceeds to S513.

[0086] If both S507 and S511 are determined to be NO, then the m-th profile out of n profiles does not contain information about the frequency band. In other words, depending on the m-th profile out of n, frequency band information may not be provided. As described above, in this embodiment, in such cases, 2.4 GHz is used preferentially.

[0087] Therefore, in S513, CPU302 searches for an access point with an SSID corresponding to the mth profile out of n profiles, using a channel that supports 2.4GHz.

[0088] In S514, CPU302 determines whether an access point with an SSID corresponding to the mth profile out of n profiles was found in the search in S513. If the result is YES, CPU302 proceeds to S508; otherwise, it proceeds to S515.

[0089] In the S515, the CPU302 searches for an access point with an SSID corresponding to the mth profile out of n profiles, using a channel that supports 5GHz.

[0090] In S516, CPU302 determines whether an access point with an SSID corresponding to the mth profile out of n profiles was found in the search in S515. If the result is YES, CPU302 proceeds to S512; if the result is NO, it terminates the process, indicating that an error has occurred.

[0091] Thus, in this embodiment, the search in S513 (search using 2.4GHz) is performed before the search in S515 (search using 5GHz), thereby prioritizing the use of 2.4GHz.

[0092] In S508, the CPU 302 stores the m-th profile in a storage area within a predetermined memory such as the non-volatile memory 305, which is also a storage area for connection information of an access point that can be connected at 2.4GHz (2.4GHz storage area).

[0093] In S512, the CPU 302 saves the m-th profile in a storage area within a predetermined memory such as the non-volatile memory 305, which is also a storage area for connection information of an access point that can be connected via 5GHz (5GHz storage area).

[0094] In S509, CPU302 increments the wireless connection profile counter variable m.

[0095] In S510, the CPU 302 determines whether the incremented wireless connection profile counter variable m exceeds the number of profiles n included in the wireless connection profile. If the CPU 302 determines it is YES, it proceeds to S517; otherwise, it proceeds back to S507. This process is repeated until each of the profiles included in the wireless connection profile is saved in either the 2.4GHz storage area or the 5GHz storage area.

[0096] The processing from S517 onward will be explained using Figure 6. The flowchart shown in Figure 6 is realized, for example, when the CPU 302 reads a program stored in ROM 303 or non-volatile memory 305 into RAM 304 and executes it.

[0097] In S517, the CPU 302 determines whether or not information is stored in the 2.4GHz storage area. That is, it determines whether or not the access point to be connected to is an access point that can be connected via 2.4GHz. If the CPU 302 determines YES, it proceeds to S518; if it determines NO, it proceeds to S523.

[0098] In the S518, the CPU 302 attempts to connect to the target access point using the information stored in the 2.4GHz storage area and the channels corresponding to 2.4GHz. If multiple profiles are stored in the 2.4GHz storage area, the CPU attempts to connect using them in order. The order in which the profiles are used is not particularly limited, but for example, profiles with higher security levels for authentication and encryption methods may be given priority. Specifically, for example, the "WPA2-PSK" authentication method profile may be given priority over the "OPEN" authentication method profile. Also, specifically, the priority of encryption methods may be set to "AES" > "TKIP" > "WEP128" > "WEP64". Furthermore, the CPU 302 attempts to connect to the target access point by using multiple channels corresponding to 2.4GHz one by one in order until the connection is successful, but the order in which the channels are used is not particularly limited.

[0099] In S519, CPU302 determines, based on S518, whether the connection to the target access point was successful. If the result is YES, CPU302 proceeds to S520; if the result is NO, it proceeds to S523.

[0100] In S520, the CPU 302 saves the profile used for the successful connection in a predetermined memory such as the non-volatile memory 305. At this time, since the 2.4GHz connection between the printer 300 and the access point is complete and a 2.4GHz infrastructure connection can be established, the CPU 302 operates the printer 300 in 2.4GHz infrastructure connection mode.

[0101] In S521, the CPU 302 determines whether the operating mode storage area contains information indicating that direct connection mode is enabled. If the CPU 302 determines it is YES, it proceeds to S522; otherwise, it terminates the process.

[0102] In S522, the CPU 302 operates the printer 300 in direct connection mode. If the printer 300 is operating in infrastructure connection mode at this time, simultaneous operation will be performed. As mentioned above, the channel used in simultaneous operation will be the channel used in infrastructure connection mode. Even if the channel used in direct connection mode before the network configuration process is executed is different from the channel used in infrastructure connection mode, the latter will be used in direct connection mode after the network configuration process is executed.

[0103] If S517 is determined to be NO, it means that a profile is included in the 5GHz storage area. Therefore, in S523, the CPU 302 attempts to connect to the target access point using the information stored in the 5GHz storage area and the channel corresponding to 5GHz. At this time, if multiple profiles are stored in the 5GHz storage area, the CPU 302 attempts to connect using them in order. The order in which the profiles are used is not particularly limited, but for example, profiles for authentication methods or encryption methods with a higher security level may be used preferentially. The CPU 302 also attempts to connect to the target access point by using multiple channels corresponding to 2.4GHz one by one in order until the connection is successful, but the order in which the channels are used is not particularly limited.

[0104] In S524, CPU302 determines, based on S523, whether the connection to the target access point was successful. If the result is YES, CPU302 proceeds to S525; otherwise, it proceeds to S521.

[0105] In S525, the CPU 302 saves the profile used for the successful connection in a predetermined memory such as the non-volatile memory 305. At this time, since the 5GHz connection between the printer 300 and the access point is complete and a 5GHz infrastructure connection can be established, the CPU 302 operates the printer 300 in 5GHz infrastructure connection mode.

[0106] In S526, the CPU 302 determines whether the operating mode storage area contains information indicating that direct connection mode is enabled. If the CPU 302 determines it is YES, it proceeds to S527; otherwise, it terminates the process.

[0107] In S522, the CPU 302 disables the direct connection mode. That is, it overwrites the information contained in the operating mode storage area with information indicating that the direct connection mode is disabled. This is because, as mentioned above, simultaneous operation using 5GHz presents several challenges. At this time, the CPU 302 may also display a screen on the display unit 311 to notify the user that the direct connection mode has been disabled.

[0108] The printer 300 can operate in direct connection mode by receiving a predetermined operation directly from the user via the operation unit 309. However, in this embodiment, the printer 300 does not operate in direct connection mode (i.e., does not perform simultaneous operation) when it is operating in 5GHz infrastructure connection mode. Therefore, if the predetermined operation is received while the printer 300 is operating in 5GHz infrastructure connection mode, the CPU 302 may display a screen on the display unit 311 to confirm whether it is OK to cancel the infrastructure connection mode. If the CPU 302 confirms through user operation that it is OK to cancel the infrastructure connection mode, it cancels the 5GHz infrastructure connection mode and operates the printer 300 in direct connection mode. Note that canceling the 5GHz infrastructure connection mode is equivalent to disconnecting the connection to the 5GHz access point. Alternatively, instead of this configuration, for example, the printer 300 may not accept the predetermined operation to operate in direct connection mode when it is operating in 5GHz infrastructure connection mode.

[0109] Next, we will explain the network configuration process using the terminal device 200.

[0110] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the network configuration process using the terminal device 200 that is executed by the printing device 300 in this embodiment. The flowchart shown in Figure 7 is realized, for example, by the CPU 302 reading a program stored in the ROM 303 or non-volatile memory 305 into the RAM 304 and executing it. Furthermore, the process shown in the flowchart in Figure 7 is started when a user operation (an instruction to execute the network configuration process) is performed on the printing device 300, which triggers the network configuration process using the terminal device 200.

[0111] In S701, the CPU 302 operates the printer 300 in a predetermined mode called setup mode based on a user operation that triggers network configuration processing. Setup mode is a mode in which the printer 300 accepts network configuration processing. If S701 is executed while the printer 300 is operating in direct connection mode, the printer 300 temporarily stops operating as an AP. Even if S701 is executed while the printer 300 is operating in direct connection mode, information indicating that direct connection mode is enabled continues to be stored in the operating mode storage area. User operations that trigger network configuration processing include, for example, operations on a predetermined screen to operate the printer 300 in setup mode, or operations that transition the printer 300 from the power-off state to the power-on state when it is in the initial configuration state. The initial configuration state is when the printer 300 has not yet performed network configuration processing.

[0112] In the S702, the CPU 302 performs an AP search, which is a process of searching for access points present around the printing device 300, using a channel that supports 2.4GHz. This searches for access points that can be connected via 2.4GHz.

[0113] In the S703, CPU302 performs AP search using a channel that supports 5GHz. This searches for access points that can be connected via 5GHz.

[0114] In S704, CPU302 stores the results of AP searches performed by S702 and S703 in memory such as RAM304. The AP search results include, for example, a list of access points discovered by the AP search, connection information for connecting to those access points, and information on the frequencies and channels used to search for access points. This allows CPU302 to identify which access points were discovered using which frequencies and channels. In other words, CPU302 can identify the frequencies and channels available for the access points discovered by the AP search.

[0115] In the S705, the CPU 302 activates a predetermined access point within the printer 300, which is only valid in setup mode. This predetermined access point has an SSID that includes a predetermined string.

[0116] The network configuration process using the terminal device 200 is executed when the terminal device 200 uses a setup program, which is a program for executing the network configuration process. When a user operation that triggers the network configuration process (an instruction to execute the network configuration process) is performed on the screen displayed by the setup program, the terminal device 200 searches for the predetermined access point. If the terminal device 200 finds the predetermined access point, it uses connection information pre-stored in the setup program to directly connect to the printing device 300 via Wi-Fi through the predetermined access point.

[0117] In S705, the CPU 302 determines whether the printing device 300 is directly connected to the terminal device 200 via the predetermined access point. If the CPU 302 determines it is YES, it proceeds to S707; otherwise, it proceeds to S708.

[0118] In S708, the CPU 302 determines whether a predetermined amount of time has elapsed (a timeout has occurred) since the printer 300 started operating in setup mode. If the CPU 302 determines that the timeout is YES, it considers an error to have occurred and terminates the process. On the other hand, if the CPU 302 determines that the timeout is NO, it repeats the process in S706.

[0119] In S707, the CPU 302 transmits the AP search results to the terminal device 200.

[0120] In S709, the CPU 302 determines whether or not it has received network configuration information from the terminal device 200. The network configuration information transmitted from the terminal device 200 may be information for connecting to an access point included in the AP search results transmitted by the printer 300. Alternatively, it may be information for connecting to an access point included in the AP search results performed by the terminal device 200. It may also be information for connecting to an access point specified by the user via the terminal device 200. In this embodiment, the network configuration information transmitted from the terminal device 200 includes frequency band information indicating the channel used by the access point to be connected. The CPU 302 can refer to the channel information to determine whether the channel corresponds to the 2.4GHz frequency band or the 5GHz frequency band. The printer 300 may also receive the network configuration information in multiple batches rather than all at once. If the CPU 302 determines YES, it proceeds to S711; otherwise, it proceeds to S710.

[0121] In S710, the CPU 302 determines whether a predetermined amount of time has elapsed (a timeout has occurred) since the printer 300 started operating in setup mode. If the CPU 302 determines that the timeout is YES, it considers an error to have occurred and terminates the process. On the other hand, if the CPU 302 determines that the timeout is NO, it repeats the process in S709.

[0122] In S711, the CPU 302 disables a predetermined access point within the printer 300 that is only active in setup mode. In other words, the CPU 302 temporarily disconnects the connection with the terminal device 200.

[0123] In S712, the CPU 302 determines whether the network configuration information received from the terminal device 200 includes information indicating that the access point to be connected uses a frequency of 2.4GHz. If the CPU 302 determines it is YES, it proceeds to S713; otherwise, it proceeds to S714.

[0124] In the S713, the CPU 302 stores the network configuration information received from the terminal device 200 in the 2.4GHz storage area.

[0125] In S714, the CPU 302 determines whether the network configuration information received from the terminal device 200 includes information indicating that the access point to be connected uses a frequency of 5GHz. If the CPU 302 determines it is YES, it proceeds to S715; otherwise, it proceeds to S716.

[0126] In the S715, the CPU 302 stores the network configuration information received from the terminal device 200 in the 5GHz storage area.

[0127] If S712 and S714 both result in a NO determination, the network configuration information received from the terminal device 200 will not include information regarding the frequency used by the access point to be connected. As described above, in this embodiment, 2.4GHz is prioritized in such cases, so in S716, the CPU 302 identifies that the frequency used by the access point to be connected is 2.4GHz.

[0128] The processing from S717 onward will be explained using Figure 8. The flowchart shown in Figure 8 is realized, for example, when the CPU 302 reads a program stored in ROM 303 or non-volatile memory 305 into RAM 304 and executes it.

[0129] In S717, the CPU 302 determines whether network configuration information is stored in the 2.4GHz storage area. That is, it determines whether the access point to be connected to is an access point that can be connected via 2.4GHz. If the CPU 302 determines YES, it proceeds to S718; if it determines NO, it proceeds to S724.

[0130] In the S718, the CPU 302 stores network configuration information, which is stored in the 2.4GHz storage area, in a predetermined memory such as the non-volatile memory 305.

[0131] In S719, the CPU 302 attempts to connect to the target access point using the network configuration information stored in the 2.4GHz storage area and the channel corresponding to 2.4GHz. As described above in this embodiment, since the frequency band information is channel information, the CPU attempts to connect to the target access point using the channel indicated by this information from among the channels corresponding to 2.4GHz.

[0132] In S720, the CPU 302 determines, based on S719, whether the connection with the target access point was successful. If the CPU 302 determines it is YES, it proceeds to S721; otherwise, it proceeds to S722. If the connection with the target access point is successful, the 2.4GHz connection between the printer 300 and the access point is completed, and a 2.4GHz infrastructure connection can be established. Therefore, the CPU 302 operates the printer 300 in 2.4GHz infrastructure connection mode.

[0133] In S722, the CPU 302 displays a screen on the display unit 311 indicating that the connection to the target access point has failed. At this time, the CPU 302 may also send information to the terminal device 200 to display a screen on the display unit 209 indicating that the connection to the target access point has failed. Alternatively, the CPU 302 may proceed to S725 and attempt to connect to the target access point using a channel corresponding to 5GHz. Alternatively, the CPU 302 may attempt to connect to the target access point using a channel corresponding to 2.4GHz that is not the channel used in S719.

[0134] In S721, the CPU 302 determines whether the operating mode storage area contains information indicating that direct connection mode is enabled. If the CPU 302 determines it is YES, it proceeds to S723; otherwise, it terminates the process.

[0135] In S723, the CPU 302 operates the printer 300 in direct connection mode. This process is the same as in S522.

[0136] If S717 is determined to be NO, it means that network configuration information is included in the 5GHz storage area. Therefore, in S724, the CPU 302 saves the network configuration information stored in the 5GHz storage area to a predetermined memory such as the non-volatile memory 305.

[0137] In the S725, the CPU 302 attempts to connect to the target access point using the network configuration information and the channel corresponding to 5GHz stored in the 5GHz storage area. As described above in this embodiment, since the frequency band information is channel information, the CPU attempts to connect to the target access point using the channel indicated by this information from among the channels corresponding to 5GHz.

[0138] In S726, the CPU 302 determines, based on S725, whether the connection with the target access point was successful. If the CPU 302 determines it is YES, it proceeds to S727; otherwise, it proceeds to S728. If the connection with the target access point is successful, the 5GHz connection between the printer 300 and the access point is completed, and a 5GHz infrastructure connection can be established. Therefore, the CPU 302 operates the printer 300 in 5GHz infrastructure connection mode.

[0139] In S728, the CPU 302 displays a screen on the display unit 311 indicating that the connection to the target access point has failed. At this time, the CPU 302 may also send information to the terminal device 200 to display a screen on the display unit 209 indicating that the connection to the target access point has failed. Alternatively, the CPU 302 may proceed to S719 and attempt to connect to the target access point using a channel corresponding to 2.4GHz. Alternatively, the CPU 302 may attempt to connect to the target access point using a channel corresponding to 5GHz, but not the channel used in S728.

[0140] In S727, the CPU 302 determines whether the operating mode storage area contains information indicating that direct connection mode is enabled. If the CPU 302 determines it is YES, it proceeds to S729; otherwise, it terminates the process.

[0141] In S729, CPU302 disables direct connection mode. This process is the same as in S522.

[0142] Next, we will describe a configuration in which network configuration processing is properly performed via the terminal device 200 using a method different from the one described above.

[0143] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the network configuration process executed by the printing device 300 in this embodiment. The flowchart shown in Figure 9 is realized, for example, by the CPU 302 reading a program stored in the ROM 303 or non-volatile memory 305 into the RAM 304 and executing it. Furthermore, the process shown in the flowchart in Figure 9 is started when a user operation (an instruction to execute the network configuration process) is performed on the printing device 300, which triggers the network configuration process.

[0144] Since sections S901 to S916 are the same as sections S701 to S716, their explanation will be omitted.

[0145] If S914 is determined to be NO, it means that the network configuration information received from terminal device 200 does not include frequency band information. Therefore, CPU 302 determines whether the AP search result saved in S904 contains the information included in the network configuration information received from terminal device 200. The information included in the network configuration information received from terminal device 200 includes, for example, SSID, authentication method, encryption method, MAC address, etc. If CPU 302 determines it to be YES, it proceeds to S918; if it determines it to be NO, it proceeds to S916. If CPU 302 determines it to be YES, it identifies the frequency information corresponding to the information included in the network configuration information received from terminal device 200 from the AP search result.

[0146] In S918, the CPU 302 determines whether the frequency information corresponding to the network configuration information received from the terminal device 200, which was identified from the AP search results, is 2.4GHz. If the CPU 302 determines it is YES, it proceeds to S913; if it determines it is NO, it proceeds to S915.

[0147] The processing after S913 and S915 is the same as the processing shown in Figure 8, so the explanation is omitted.

[0148] In the above description, the terminal device 200 receives network configuration information for setting the infrastructure connection mode, but it is also possible to receive network configuration information for setting the direct connection mode. In that case, the printer 300 notifies the terminal device 200 of the connection information for connecting to the access point within the printer 300, which is activated in direct connection mode, then activates the access point and establishes a direct connection with the terminal device 200.

[0149] Furthermore, it is preferable that the terminal device 200 transmits information for connecting to the access point to which it was connected before the network configuration process, as network configuration information for setting the infrastructure connection mode. As a result, the printing device 300 connects to the said access point, and when the terminal device 200 reconnects to the said access point, an infrastructure connection is established between the terminal device 200 and the printing device 300.

[0150] By adopting the configuration described above, if frequency band information is not notified to the printer 300 during the network configuration process, the printer can attempt to connect to the access point using 2.4GHz as the preferred frequency band over 5GHz. Furthermore, if multiple pieces of information regarding the frequency bands available to the access point to be connected are notified to the printer 300 during the network configuration process, the printer can attempt to connect to the access point using 2.4GHz as the preferred frequency band over 5GHz.

[0151] (Other embodiments) As stated above, the printing device 300 is assumed to support at least one of the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands, but it is not limited to this configuration. In other words, the frequency bands supported by the printing device 300 may be other than 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. Furthermore, the printing device 300 may support three or more frequency bands.

[0152] As described above, the printing device 300 connected to the AP using a channel corresponding to the 2.4GHz frequency band preferentially when no frequency band information was received or when multiple frequency band information was received during the network configuration process. However, it is not limited to this configuration. For example, in the above case, the printing device 300 may connect to the AP using a channel corresponding to the 5GHz frequency band that is not switched by DFS (a channel not used by specific devices such as weather radar) preferentially.

[0153] The above description illustrates a configuration in which network configuration information is received when the printer 300 is operating in setup mode and the printer 300 and the terminal device 200 are connected via Wi-Fi during network configuration processing using the terminal device 200. However, the configuration is not limited to this configuration. For example, the printer 300 and the terminal device 200 may be connected via a communication method other than Wi-Fi, and configuration information may be received via that communication method. That is, for example, when an operation that triggers operation in setup mode is performed, the printer 300 may start operating in a state where it can communicate with the host terminal 102 via a communication method other than WLAN. Examples of communication methods other than WLAN include Bluetooth Classic®, Bluetooth Low Energy®, and NFC.

[0154] The embodiments described above can also be realized by performing the following process: supplying software (programs) that realize the functions of the embodiments described above to a system or device via a network or various storage media, and having the computer (CPU, MPU, etc.) of that system or device read and execute the program. The program may be executed on a single computer or executed in conjunction with multiple computers. Furthermore, it is not necessary to realize all of the above processes in software; some or all of the processes may be realized in hardware such as ASICs. Also, the CPU is not limited to one CPU that performs all the processing; multiple CPUs may perform the processing in coordination as appropriate. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0155] 200 terminal devices 300 Printing equipment

Claims

1. A scanning device that performs wireless communication using the IEEE 802.11 series standard, with a first frequency band corresponding to the 2.4 frequency band and a second frequency band corresponding to the 5.0 frequency band, A first receiving means for receiving a first operation from a user to operate the scanning device in a first mode that performs peer-to-peer communication, An operation control means for operating the scanning device in the first mode based on the acceptance of the first operation, A first establishing means for establishing a first connection between the scanning device operating in the first mode and an information processing device that does not use an external device, A second receiving means for receiving a second operation from the user to operate the scanning device in a second mode that communicates via the external device, A second establishing means for establishing a second connection between the scanning device operating in the second mode and the external device based on the acceptance of the second operation, A control means that, based on the reception of the second operation while the scanning device is operating in the first mode, executes control to cause the scanning device to operate in the second mode instead of the first mode, A scanning means configured to scan a document, A transmission means for transmitting image data generated by scanning the aforementioned document to the information processing device, It has, After the control described above is performed, a second connection using the second frequency band is established. After the second connection using the second frequency band is established, the scanning device does not resume operation in the first mode. If the first operation is received while the second connection is established by the second frequency band, the second connection is disconnected, and then the scanning device is operated in the first mode. A scanning device characterized by the following features.

2. The scanning device according to claim 1, characterized in that it does not use a channel corresponding to the second frequency band in peer-to-peer communication.

3. In peer-to-peer communication, a channel corresponding to the second frequency band and not corresponding to Dynamic Frequency Selection is not used; In peer-to-peer communication, a channel corresponding to the second frequency band and not corresponding to Dynamic Frequency Selection is used. The scanning device according to feature 1.

4. The scanning device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, in communication via the second connection, it is possible to use a channel corresponding to the first frequency band and a channel corresponding to the second frequency band.

5. moreover, A receiving means for receiving setting information after receiving the second operation, It has, The second connection is established based on the configuration information. The scanning device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The second connection is established using the first frequency band, with priority over the second frequency band, when the received configuration information does not include frequency band information corresponding to the first frequency band and does not include frequency band information corresponding to the second frequency band. The scanning device according to feature 5.

7. The second connection is established using the second frequency band, with priority over the first frequency band, when the received configuration information does not include frequency band information corresponding to the first frequency band and does not include frequency band information corresponding to the second frequency band. The scanning device according to feature 5.

8. If the setting information includes both frequency band information corresponding to the first frequency band and frequency band information corresponding to the second frequency band, the second connection is established using the first frequency band with priority over the second frequency band. The scanning device according to any one of claims 5 to 7.

9. If the configuration information includes both frequency band information corresponding to the first frequency band and frequency band information corresponding to the second frequency band, the second connection is established using the second frequency band with priority over the first frequency band. The scanning device according to any one of claims 5 to 7.

10. The aforementioned configuration information is received from the external device or a device different from the external device. The scanning device according to any one of claims 5 to 9.

11. The second connection and the connection for peer-to-peer communication between the scanning device and the information processing device operating in the first mode are established using IEEE 802.11 series standards. The scanning device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) or AOSS (AirStation One-Touch Secure System) is executed based on the acceptance of the second operation. The scanning device according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. The second connection using the first frequency band is established, and the first and second modes operate in parallel, characterized in that they operate in parallel. The scanning device according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. moreover, A printing means that prints on a recording medium using a recording agent, The scanning device according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. The recording material is ink. The scanning device according to feature 14.

16. A control method for a scanning device that performs wireless communication using the IEEE 802.11 series standard, with a first frequency band corresponding to the 2.4 frequency band and a second frequency band corresponding to the 5.0 frequency band, A first reception step in which a first operation is received from a user to operate the scanning device in a first mode that performs peer-to-peer communication, An operation control step in which the scanning device is operated in the first mode based on the acceptance of the first operation, A first establishment step of establishing a first connection between the scanning device operating in the first mode and an information processing device without an external device, A second reception step in which the user provides a second operation for operating the scanning device in a second mode that communicates via the external device, A second establishment step is performed to establish a second connection between the scanning device operating in the second mode and the external device based on the acceptance of the second operation, A control step in which, based on the fact that the scanning device is operating in the first mode and has received the second operation, the scanning device is controlled to operate in the second mode instead of the first mode, A scanning step configured to scan a document, A transmission step of transmitting the image data generated by scanning the aforementioned document to the information processing device, It has, After the control described above is performed, a second connection using the second frequency band is established. After the second connection using the second frequency band is established, the scanning device does not resume operation in the first mode. If the first operation is received while the second connection is established by the second frequency band, the second connection is disconnected, and then the scanning device is operated in the first mode. A control method characterized by the following:

17. A program for operating a computer as one of the means of the scanning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

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