Electronic apparatus, control method, program, and storage medium

Abstract

This electronic apparatus comprises: a communication control means for performing control to change a connection destination access point (AP) in response to reception of a connection destination change request requesting a connection destination change from a currently connected AP; a detection means for detecting service set identifiers (SSIDs) of nearby APs on the basis of radio signals received from the nearby APs; and a display control means for performing control to display a selection screen if predetermined conditions, including the condition that a plurality of APs with the same SSID have been detected by the detection means, are met when the connection destination AP is being set, the selection screen being used to select a first option that allows a user to specify the connection destination AP from among the plurality of APs or a second option that allows the communication control means to switch among the plurality of APs to specify the connection destination AP. The display control means performs a predetermined display prompting selection of the second option on the selection screen.

Description

Electronic device, control method, program, and storage medium

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device that can be connected via a wireless LAN, a control method, a program, and a storage medium.

[0002] In an Extended Service Set (ESS) consisting of multiple Access Points (APs), there is a technology that dynamically switches the AP to which the STA (Station) connects in order to efficiently exchange data. When it is determined that the AP to which the STA connects should be switched based on the congestion of the AP to which the STA is connected, the availability of other APs, radio wave conditions, etc., the currently connected AP transmits a connection AP change request to the STA. When the STA receives the AP change request, it can connect to the appropriate AP by switching the connection AP in accordance with the request.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses the following process for a router with AP functionality to request a connected wireless slave device to change its connection destination: A mobile router (MR1) connectable to multiple wireless slave devices checks whether the wireless slave terminals are compatible with IEEE 802.11v. Whether the wireless slave terminals are compatible with IEEE 802.11v can be determined from an Association Request frame transmitted by the wireless slave terminals when wirelessly connecting to MR1. If the wireless slave terminals are compatible with IEEE 802.11v, a BTM (BSS Transition Management) Request frame is transmitted to the corresponding wireless slave terminal. The BSS Transition Candidate List Entries field of the BTM Request frame specifies the BSSID of the parent router RT2 as the connection destination. This prompts the wireless slave terminal to switch its connection destination, and the wireless slave terminal switches its connection destination from MR1 to RT2 in accordance with the received BTM Request frame.

[0004] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a method for displaying only one option when there is multiple pieces of connection information with different communication parameters but the same information about the other device, without repeatedly displaying the information about the other device.

[0005] JP 2021-175068 A JP 2013-161250 A

[0006] Patent Document 1 describes a process for changing the connection destination of a STA when an AP determines that the STA is compatible with IEEE802.11v, but does not mention detailed operations on the STA side. For example, some users may not know the specifications for automatic connection destination change using IEEE802.11v, or may know the specifications but do not want the connection destination to be changed automatically, and the operation in such cases is not described.

[0007] Patent document 2 describes a screen display method when there are multiple pieces of connection information with different communication parameters but the same information about the other device, but does not mention screen display when the other device is compatible with IEEE802.11v.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a technique that enables a user to easily connect an electronic device to an AP with a better communication environment.

[0009] The electronic device of the present invention comprises: a communication control means for controlling a change of a destination access point (AP) based on receiving a connection destination change request from a currently connected AP, the connection destination being a request to change the destination; a detection means for detecting a service set identifier (SSID) of a nearby AP based on a wireless signal received from the nearby AP; and a display control means for controlling, when setting a destination AP, if predetermined conditions are met, including the detection means detecting multiple APs with the same SSID, to display a selection screen for selecting: a first option for a user to specify which of the multiple APs to connect to; and a second option for enabling the communication control means to switch which of the multiple APs to connect to; wherein the display control means displays a predetermined display on the selection screen to prompt the user to select the second option.

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique that makes it easier for a user to connect to an AP with a better communication environment.

[0011] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which the same or similar elements are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0012] The accompanying drawings are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the present invention, and are used, together with the description, to explain the principles of the present invention.

[0023] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a system configuration. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of an MFP. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of an MFP. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an operation and display unit of an MFP. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the operation and display unit of an MFP. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of a portable terminal device. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of an access point. Fig. 8 is a sequence diagram explaining processing in response to a connection destination change request from an AP. Fig. 9 is a flow diagram explaining screen display switching when multiple APs with the same ESSID are detected. Fig. 10 is a flow diagram explaining screen display switching when multiple APs with the same ESSID are detected. Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display when multiple APs with the same ESSID are detected. Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display when multiple APs with the same ESSID are detected. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display when a plurality of APs with the same ESSID are detected. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display when a plurality of APs with the same ESSID are detected. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display when a plurality of APs with the same ESSID are detected. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display when a plurality of APs with the same ESSID are detected. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display when a plurality of APs with the same ESSID are detected. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display when a plurality of APs with the same ESSID are detected. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display when a plurality of APs with the same ESSID are detected.

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention claimed. Although multiple features are described in the embodiments, not all of these multiple features are necessarily essential to the invention, and multiple features may be combined arbitrarily. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar components, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0014] (System Configuration) FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of a system according to this embodiment. In one example, this system is a wireless communication system in which multiple communication devices can communicate with each other wirelessly. In the example of FIG. 1, the communication devices include a mobile terminal device 104, an electronic device (MFP) 100, access points AP 101 and AP 102, a server 103, and a network 110. Note that AP 101 and AP 102 may be illustrated as AP1 and AP2. The mobile terminal device 104 is an example of an information processing device having wireless communication functionality via a wireless LAN or the like. Note that, hereinafter, a wireless LAN may be referred to as a WLAN. The mobile terminal device 104 may be a personal information terminal such as a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a mobile phone (smartphone), a digital camera, a personal computer, or the like.

[0015] The MFP 100 is an example of an electronic device according to the present embodiment, and is a multifunction printer having a printing function. It may also have a reading function (scanner), a fax function, and a telephone function. The MFP 100 according to the present embodiment has a communication function capable of wireless communication with a mobile terminal device 104. While the present embodiment describes a case in which the MFP 100 is used, the present embodiment is not limited to this. For example, a scanner device, a projector, a mobile terminal, a smartphone, a notebook PC, a tablet terminal, a PDA, a digital camera, a music playback device, a television, a smart speaker, and the like, each having a communication function, may be used instead of the MFP 100. Note that MFP is an acronym for Multi Function Peripheral.

[0016] The AP 101 is provided separately (externally) from the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 and operates as a WLAN base station device. Communication devices having WLAN communication capabilities can communicate in WLAN infrastructure mode via the AP 101. Note that hereinafter, an access point may be referred to as an "AP." Also, infrastructure mode may be referred to as "wireless infrastructure mode." The AP 101 performs wireless communication over a network with communication devices that have been authorized (authenticated) to connect to the AP 101, and relays wireless communication between the communication devices and other communication devices. The AP 101 may also be connected to, for example, a wired communication network and relay communication between communication devices connected to the wired communication network and other communication devices wirelessly connected to the AP 101.

[0017] AP 102 has the same functions as AP 101, and MFP 100 switches its connection from AP 101 to AP 102 as necessary. Server 103 connects to MFP 100 via AP 101 and network 110, and provides services to MFP 100 by responding to requests from MFP 100. Here, network 110 may be the so-called Internet, or it may be a closed network within a company or a mobile phone network.

[0018] (External Configuration of MFP) FIG. 2A shows an example of the external configuration of MFP 100. MFP 100 has, for example, a platen 201, a platen cover 202, a print paper insertion slot 203, a print paper ejection slot 204, and an operation display unit 205. Platen 201 is a stand on which a document to be read is placed. Platen cover 202 is a cover that holds down the document placed on platen 201 and prevents light from the light source that irradiates the document during reading from leaking to the outside. Print paper insertion slot 203 is an insertion slot that can accept paper of various sizes. Print paper ejection slot 204 is an ejection slot through which paper that has been printed is ejected. Paper loaded in print paper insertion slot 203 is transported one sheet at a time to the printing unit, where it is printed and then ejected from print paper ejection slot 204. The operation display unit 205 includes keys such as character input keys, cursor keys, a confirm key, and a cancel key, as well as an LED and an LCD, and is configured to accept user input for activating various MFP functions and for various settings. The operation display unit 205 may also include a touch panel display. The MFP 100 has a wireless communication function using a WLAN, and includes a wireless communication antenna 206 for this wireless communication, although this antenna does not necessarily need to be visible from the exterior. Like the mobile terminal device 104, the MFP 100 can also perform wireless communication using a WLAN in the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz frequency band.

[0019] (MFP Configuration) FIG. 2B shows an example configuration of the MFP 100. The MFP 100 includes a main board 211 that performs main control of the device itself and a wireless unit 226, which is a communication module that performs WLAN communication using at least one common antenna. The MFP 100 also includes, for example, a modem 229 for wired communication. The main board 211 includes, for example, a CPU 212 (central processing unit), ROM 213, RAM 214, nonvolatile memory 215, image memory 216, reading control unit 217, data conversion unit 218, reading unit 219, and encoding / decoding processing unit 221. The main board 211 also includes, for example, a printing unit 222, a paper feed unit 223, a print control unit 224, and an operation display unit 220. These functional units within the main board 211 are interconnected via a system bus 230 managed by the CPU 212. The main board 211 and the wireless unit 226 are connected via, for example, a dedicated bus 225 , and the main board 211 and the modem 229 are connected via, for example, a bus 228 .

[0020] The CPU 212 is a system control unit including at least one processor, and controls the entire MFP 100. In one example, the processes of the MFP 100 described below are realized by the CPU 212 executing programs stored in the ROM 213. Note that dedicated hardware for each process may be provided. The ROM 213 is an example of a computer-readable storage medium that stores control programs executed by the CPU 212, embedded OS programs, and the like. In this embodiment, the CPU 212 executes each control program stored in the ROM 213 under the management of the embedded OS also stored in the ROM 213, thereby performing software control such as scheduling and task switching.

[0021] The RAM 214 is composed of an SRAM or the like. The RAM 214 stores data such as program control variables, setting values ​​registered by the user, and management data for the MFP 100. The RAM 214 can also be used as a buffer for various types of work. The non-volatile memory 215 is composed of a memory such as a flash memory, and continues to store data even when the MFP 100 is powered off. The image memory 216 is composed of a memory such as a DRAM. The image memory 216 accumulates image data received via the wireless unit 226, image data processed by the encoding / decoding processing unit 221, and the like. Note that the memory configuration of the MFP 100 is not limited to the configuration described above. The data conversion unit 218 analyzes data in various formats and converts image data into print data.

[0022] The reading control unit 217 controls the reading unit 219 (for example, a CIS (contact image sensor)) to optically read the document placed on the document table 201. The reading control unit 217 converts the image obtained by optically reading the document into electrical image data (image signals) and outputs the converted image data. At this time, the reading control unit 217 may perform various image processing such as binarization and halftoning before outputting the image data.

[0023] The operation display unit 220 is the operation display unit 205 described with reference to FIG. 2A, and performs display on a display based on display control by the CPU 212, generation of signals in response to reception of user operations, and the like.

[0024] The encoding / decoding processing unit 221 performs encoding and decoding processes and enlargement / reduction processes on image data (JPEG, PNG, etc.) handled by the MFP 100 .

[0025] The paper feed unit 223 holds paper for printing. The paper feed unit 223 can supply the set paper under the control of the print control unit 224. The paper feed unit 223 may include multiple paper feed units in order to hold multiple types of paper in one device, and the print control unit 224 can control which paper feed unit to use to feed paper.

[0026] The print control unit 224 performs various image processing such as smoothing, print density correction, and color correction on the image data to be printed, and outputs the processed image data to the print unit 222. The print unit 222 is configured to be able to perform printing processing using, for example, an inkjet recording method, and ejects ink supplied from an ink tank from a print head to record an image on a recording medium such as paper. Note that the print unit 222 may also be configured to perform other printing processing, such as electrophotography. The print control unit 224 may also periodically read information from the print unit 222 and update status information stored in RAM 214, including the remaining amount of ink in the ink tank and the status of the print head.

[0027] The wireless unit 226 is a unit capable of providing WLAN communication functions, and can provide functions similar to those of a combination of the WLAN unit 429 of the mobile terminal device 104, for example. That is, the wireless unit 226 converts data into packets in accordance with the WLAN standard and transmits the packets to other devices, and also restores packets from other external devices to the original data and outputs them to the CPU 212. The wireless unit 226 is capable of communication as a station compliant with the IEEE 802.11 standard series. In particular, it is capable of communication as a station compliant with IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax. Hereinafter, the station may be referred to as an STA. It is also capable of communication as an STA compatible with Wi-Fi Agile Multiband (trademark).

[0028] The wireless unit 226 supports IEEE 802.11ax, i.e., Wi-Fi 6 (trademark), and the MFP 100 can also operate as a STA supporting at least one of OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access) and TWT (Target Wake Time). Support for TWT allows the timing of data communication from the parent device to the STA to be adjusted. The wireless unit 226 (MFP 100) as a STA transitions its communication function to a sleep state when it does not need to wait for signal reception. This reduces power consumption. The wireless unit 226 also supports Wi-Fi 6E (trademark). This means that communication in the 6 GHz band (5.925 GHz to 7.125 GHz) is also possible. The 6 GHz band does not have the same band where Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) is performed as the 5 GHz band. Therefore, communication in the 6 GHz band does not experience communication interruptions due to DFS waiting times, and more comfortable communication can be expected.

[0029] The mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 are capable of P2P (WLAN) communication based on WFD, and the wireless unit 226 has a software access point (soft AP) function or a group owner function. In other words, the wireless unit 226 can build a P2P communication network and determine the channel to be used for P2P communication.

[0030] (Operation Display Unit of MFP) FIGS. 3A to 3C schematically show examples of screen displays on the display (touch panel display) included in the operation display unit 220 of the MFP 100. FIG. 3A is an example of a home screen that is displayed when the MFP 100 is powered on and no operations such as printing or scanning are being performed (idle state, standby state). In FIG. 3A, display items (menu items) corresponding to copy, scan, and cloud are displayed. Cloud is a menu item related to cloud functions that utilize Internet communication. By selecting any of the menu items through key operations or touch panel operations, the MFP 100 can begin executing the corresponding settings or functions. The MFP 100 can seamlessly display a screen different from that shown in FIG. 3A by accepting key operations or touch panel operations on the home screen of FIG. 3A.

[0031] 3B is an example of a display of another portion of the home screen, which transitions from the state of FIG. 3A by performing an operation (such as a sliding operation to the left or right) to display another page of the home screen. In FIG. 3B, display items (menu items) corresponding to communication settings, print, and photo are displayed. When one of these menu items is selected, the function corresponding to the selected menu item, i.e., the print function, photo function, or communication settings, is executed.

[0032] FIG. 3C is an example of a communication setting menu screen that is displayed when communication settings are selected on the screen of FIG. 3B . The communication setting menu screen displays the following menu items (options): “Wireless LAN,” “Wired LAN,” “Wireless Direct,” “Bluetooth,” and “Common.” “Wireless LAN,” “Wired LAN,” and “Wireless Direct” are menu items for configuring LAN settings. These items allow users to configure wired connections, enable / disable wireless infrastructure mode, and enable / disable P2P modes such as WFD and soft AP mode. When the “Wireless LAN” item is selected and wireless LAN is enabled by user operation, wireless infrastructure mode is enabled. When the “Wireless Direct” item is selected and Wireless Direct is enabled by user operation, P2P (WLAN) mode is enabled. This screen also displays a common setting menu for each connection type. Furthermore, the user can configure the wireless LAN frequency band and frequency channel from this screen.

[0033] (External Configuration of Mobile Terminal Device) FIG. 4A is a diagram showing an example of the external configuration of the mobile terminal device 104. In this embodiment, as an example, the mobile terminal device 104 is shown as a general-type smartphone. The mobile terminal device 104 includes, for example, a display unit 402, an operation unit 403, and a power key 404. The display unit 402 is, for example, a display including a display mechanism of the LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) type. The display unit 402 may display information using, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) or the like. The mobile terminal device 104 may also have a function to output information by voice in addition to or instead of the display unit 402. The operation unit 403 includes hard keys such as keys and buttons, a touch panel, and the like for detecting user operations. In this example, since a common touch panel display is used to display information on the display unit 402 and to accept user operations by the operation unit 403, the display unit 402 and the operation unit 403 are implemented as a single device. In this case, for example, button icons and a software keyboard are displayed using the display function of the display unit 402, and the operation acceptance function of the operation unit 403 detects that the user has touched these locations. The display unit 402 and the operation unit 403 may be separated, and hardware for display and hardware for accepting operations may be provided separately. The power key 404 is a hard key for accepting user operations to turn the mobile terminal device 104 on or off.

[0034] The mobile terminal device 104 includes a WLAN unit 401 that provides WLAN communication functionality, although it does not necessarily need to be visible from the exterior. The WLAN unit 401 is configured to be capable of performing data (packet) communication in a WLAN system compliant with, for example, the IEEE 802.11 standard series (IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax, etc.). It is also capable of communication as an AP compatible with Wi-Fi Agile Multiband (trademark). However, this is not a limitation, and the WLAN unit 401 may also be capable of communication in a WLAN system compliant with other standards. In this example, the WLAN unit 401 is capable of communication in both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands. The WLAN unit 401 is also capable of communication based on WFD, communication in soft AP mode, communication in wireless infrastructure mode, etc. Operation in these modes will be described later.

[0035] (Configuration of Mobile Terminal Device) Fig. 4B shows an example configuration of the mobile terminal device 104. In one example, the mobile terminal device 104 has a main board 411 that performs main control of the device itself, and a WLAN unit 429 that performs WLAN communication. The main board 411 includes, for example, a CPU 412, ROM 413, RAM 414, image memory 415, data conversion unit 416, telephone unit 417, GPS 419, camera unit 421, non-volatile memory 422, data storage unit 423, speaker unit 424, and power supply unit 425. Here, CPU is an acronym for Central Processing Unit, ROM is an acronym for Read Only Memory, RAM is an acronym for Random Access Memory, and GPS is an acronym for Global Positioning System. The mobile terminal device 104 also includes a display unit 420 and an operation unit 418. These functional units within the main board 411 are connected to each other via a system bus 628 managed by the CPU 412. The main board 411 and the WLAN unit 429 are also connected to each other via a dedicated bus 426, for example.

[0036] The CPU 412 is a system control unit including at least one processor, and controls the entire mobile terminal device 104. In one example, the processes of the mobile terminal device 104 described below are realized by the CPU 412 executing programs stored in the ROM 413. Note that dedicated hardware for each process may be provided. The ROM 413 stores control programs such as a control program executed by the CPU 412 and an embedded operating system (OS) program. In this embodiment, the CPU 412 executes each control program stored in the ROM 413 under the management of the embedded OS also stored in the ROM 413, thereby performing software control such as scheduling and task switching.

[0037] The RAM 414 is configured with a static RAM (SRAM) or the like. The RAM 414 stores data such as program control variables, setting values ​​registered by the user, and management data for the mobile terminal device 104. The RAM 414 can also be used as a buffer for various work tasks. The image memory 415 is configured with a memory such as a dynamic RAM (DRAM). The image memory 415 temporarily stores image data received via the WLAN unit 429 and image data read from the data storage unit 423 for processing by the CPU 412. The non-volatile memory 422 is configured with a memory such as a flash memory, and continues to store data even when the mobile terminal device 104 is powered off. Note that the memory configuration of the mobile terminal device 104 is not limited to the configuration described above. For example, the image memory 415 and the RAM 414 may be shared, or data may be backed up using the data storage unit 423. In addition, in this embodiment, a DRAM is given as an example of the image memory 415, but other storage media such as a hard disk or nonvolatile memory may also be used.

[0038] The data conversion unit 416 analyzes data in various formats and performs data conversion such as color conversion and image conversion. The telephone unit 417 controls telephone lines and realizes telephone communication by processing audio data input and output via a speaker unit 424. The GPS 419 receives radio waves transmitted from satellites and acquires location information such as the current latitude and longitude of the mobile terminal device 104.

[0039] The camera unit 421 has the function of electronically recording and encoding images input through a lens. Image data obtained by capturing images with the camera unit 421 is stored in the data storage unit 423. The speaker unit 424 controls the input and output of audio for telephone functions, as well as other functions such as alarm notification. The power supply unit 425 is, for example, a portable battery, and controls the supply of power to the device. Power supply states include, for example, a dead battery state in which the battery has no remaining charge, a power-off state in which the power key 404 is not pressed, a running state in which the device is normally running, and a power-saving state in which the device is running but is in power-saving mode.

[0040] 4A, and performs various input operations and displays the operating status and status of the MFP 100 based on the control of the CPU 412. The operation unit 418 is the operation unit 403 described with reference to Fig. 4A, and upon receiving a user operation, performs control such as generating an electrical signal corresponding to the operation and outputting it to the CPU 412.

[0041] The mobile terminal device 104 performs wireless communication using the WLAN unit 429 to perform data communication with other devices such as the MFP 100. The WLAN unit 429 converts data into packets and transmits the packets to other devices. The WLAN unit 429 also restores packets from other external devices to their original data and outputs the data to the CPU 412. The WLAN unit 429 is a unit for realizing communication compliant with WLAN standards. The WLAN unit 429 can operate in parallel in at least two communication modes, including a wireless infrastructure mode and a P2P (WLAN) mode. Note that the frequency bands used in these communication modes may be limited by the functionality and performance of the hardware.

[0042] 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an AP 101 having a wireless LAN access point function. The AP 101 includes a main board 510 that controls the AP 101, a wireless LAN unit 516, a wired LAN unit 518, and an operation button 520.

[0043] A microprocessor-type CPU 511 disposed on the main board 510 operates in accordance with a control program stored in a ROM-type program memory 513 connected via an internal bus 512 and the contents of a RAM-type data memory 514. The CPU 511 controls a wireless LAN unit 516 via a wireless LAN communication control unit 515 to perform wireless LAN communication with other communication terminal devices. The CPU 511 also controls a wired LAN unit 518 via a wired LAN communication control unit 517 to perform wired LAN communication with other communication terminal devices. The CPU 511 controls an operation unit control circuit 519 to accept operations from the user via operation buttons 520. The CPU 511 includes at least one processor.

[0044] The AP 101 also includes an interference wave detection unit 521 and a channel change unit 522. The interference wave detection unit 521 performs processing to detect interference waves when wireless communication is being performed in a band where DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection) is implemented. The channel change unit 522 performs processing to change the channel to be used when an interference wave is detected while wireless communication is being performed in a band where DFS is implemented, in cases where it is necessary to immediately change to an available channel.

[0045] The AP 102 has the same configuration as the AP 101 .

[0046] (P2P communication method) Next, a P2P (WLAN) communication method will be outlined, in which devices communicate directly with each other wirelessly without going through an external access point in WLAN communication. P2P (WLAN) communication can be realized using a number of methods. For example, a communication device can support a number of modes for P2P (WLAN) communication and selectively use one of the modes to perform P2P communication (WLAN).

[0047] The following two P2P modes are assumed:

[0048] A communication device capable of P2P communication can be configured to support at least one of these modes. However, even a communication device capable of P2P communication does not have to support all of these modes, and may be configured to support only some of them.

[0049] A communication device (e.g., the mobile terminal device 104) having a WFD communication function can call a (possibly dedicated) application for realizing the communication function by accepting user operations via its operation unit. The communication device then displays a UI (user interface) screen provided by the application to prompt the user to perform the operation, and can execute WFD communication based on the accepted user operations.

[0050] Soft AP Mode In Soft AP mode, a communication device (e.g., mobile terminal device 104) operates as a client requesting various services. The other communication device (e.g., MFP 100) operates as a soft AP capable of executing WLAN AP functions through software configuration. Note that commands and parameters transmitted and received when establishing a wireless connection between the client and soft AP are sufficient as long as they comply with the Wi-Fi (registered trademark) standard, and therefore will not be described here. Furthermore, the MFP 100 operating in Soft AP mode determines the frequency band and frequency channel as the master station. Therefore, the MFP 100 can select which frequency band to use (5 GHz or 2.4 GHz) and which frequency channel to use within that frequency band.

[0051] WFD Mode The MFP 100 may be configured to be permanently activated as a parent station in WFD mode (Autonomous Group Owner). In this case, the GO Negotiation process for determining the role is not required. In addition, in this case, the MFP 100 determines the frequency band and frequency channel as the parent station. Therefore, the MFP 100 can select which frequency band to use, 5 GHz or 2.4 GHz, and which frequency channel to use within that frequency band.

[0052] (Wireless Infrastructure Mode) In wireless infrastructure mode, communication devices (e.g., the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100) that communicate with each other are connected to an external AP (e.g., AP 101) that manages the network, and communication between the communication devices is performed via that AP. In other words, communication between the communication devices is performed via a network established by the external AP. The mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 each discover the AP 101 and connect by sending a connection request to the AP 101, thereby enabling communication between these communication devices in wireless infrastructure mode via the AP 101. Note that multiple communication devices may be connected to separate APs. In this case, data transfer between the APs enables communication between the communication devices. Commands and parameters transmitted and received during communication between each communication device via an access point may be those specified in the Wi-Fi standard, and therefore will not be described here. In this case, the AP 101 determines the frequency band and frequency channel. Therefore, the AP 101 can select which frequency band to use from 5 GHz, 2.4 GHz, and 6 GHz, and which frequency channel to use within that frequency band.

[0053] (Processing in Response to a Request from an AP to Change the Connection Destination to a STA) The mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 support a function disclosed as Wi-Fi Agile Multiband (registered trademark). Wi-Fi Agile Multiband is a function that enables the selection of an optimal environment in response to changing conditions on a Wi-Fi network. Specifically, STAs such as the mobile terminal device 104 and the MFP 100 and APs such as the AP 101 exchange information about the network environment using the IEEE 802.11 series of communication standards. Through this information exchange, if the network is congested, the AP can guide the STA (change the connection destination) to another AP, frequency band, channel, or even a different cellular service.

[0054] 6 is a sequence diagram showing a case where the MFP 100 switches the AP of the connection destination from AP 101 to AP 102 in response to a connection destination change request from AP 101. In this sequence, the processes executed by each device are realized by the CPU of each device reading various programs stored in a memory such as a ROM of each device into a RAM and executing the programs.

[0055] 6, it is assumed that the MFP 100 has established a connection in wireless infrastructure mode with the AP 101. When the MFP 100 and the AP 101 connect in wireless infrastructure mode, the AP 101 acquires information on whether the MFP 100 supports IEEE802.11v, and performs the following processing if the information indicating that the MFP 100 supports IEEE802.11v has been acquired.

[0056] In S601, the AP 101 transmits to the MFP 100 an inquiry (measurement request) for the measurement results of the communication quality between the MFP 100 and APs in the vicinity of the MFP 100. The measurement request can be transmitted including, for example, a beacon frame request or a beacon report request. That is, this request can use a mechanism defined in the IEEE 802.11k standard. In one example, the measurement request may be a measurement instruction that instructs the MFP 100 to measure the received signal strength or signal-to-noise ratio of a predetermined wireless signal, such as a beacon signal transmitted from an AP in the vicinity of the MFP 100. In other words, the wireless unit 226 of the MFP 100 functions as a receiver capable of receiving the measurement request.

[0057] In S602, in response to the request received in S601, the MFP 100 receives frames transmitted from the surrounding APs and measures the received signal strength. This measures the received signal strength of each of the multiple APs, including AP 101 and AP 102. In one example, the MFP 100 may store the measurement results of the frames transmitted from the surrounding APs in a storage device such as the RAM 214 or the non-volatile memory 215. Therefore, the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 functions as a measurement unit that controls the wireless unit 226 to measure the communication quality with the surrounding access points.

[0058] In S603, the MFP 100 transmits a list of the received signal strengths of APs in the vicinity of the MFP 100 measured in S602 as a response to the request received in S601. Note that the received signal strengths transmitted in response may be information stored in the RAM 214, non-volatile memory 215, or the like of the MFP 100 in addition to or instead of the information measured in S602. This response is transmitted including, for example, a beacon report or measurement reports.

[0059] In S604, the AP 101 determines whether or not it is necessary to switch the connection destination of the MFP 100, based on the congestion status within the network that the AP 101 is aware of and the received signal strength of the frame received in S603 from the MFP 100. Factors that may cause the AP 101 to determine that a connection switch is necessary include a large number of connected STAs, a large amount of communication traffic, other APs being less congested, the presence or absence of radio interference, and AP function outages. Once it has determined that a switch of the connection destination of the MFP 100 is necessary and the SSID, channel, and frequency band of the other AP to be designated as the switch destination of the MFP 100 have been determined, the process proceeds to S605.

[0060] In S605, the AP 101 transmits a connection destination AP switching request (change request) to the MFP 100. The connection destination change request includes information on the SSID, channel, and frequency band of the other AP designated as the switching destination for the MFP 100, as determined in S604. Note that multiple SSIDs may be designated. The connection destination change request is transmitted, for example, as a BTM Request. That is, a BTM (BSS Transition Management) Request frame defined in the IEEE 802.11v standard is transmitted. In the example of FIG. 6, it is assumed that the AP 102 is designated as the switching destination included in the connection destination change request. Therefore, the wireless unit 226 of the MFP 100 functions as a receiver capable of receiving the connection destination change request.

[0061] In S606, if the MFP 100 complies with the connection destination change request received in S605, it transmits a response indicating acceptance of the change to the AP 101. If the MFP 100 does not comply with the connection destination change request, it may transmit a response indicating rejection of the change. The response is transmitted as a BTM Response. In the example of FIG. 6, it is assumed that the response indicating acceptance of the change is transmitted.

[0062] In S607, the AP 101 and the MFP 100 disconnect the connection in the wireless infrastructure mode.

[0063] In S608, the MFP 100 transmits a connection request to the AP 102 to connect to the AP 102 specified in the connection destination change request received in S605.

[0064] As a result, in S609, a connection between the MFP 100 and the AP 102 is established in the wireless infrastructure mode.

[0065] With this mechanism, the MFP 100, which is an STA, can change its connection destination from AP 101 to AP 102 based on a change request from the AP 101 to which it was originally connected. AP 101 and AP 102 may be APs installed in different locations. That is, by the processing shown in FIG. 6 , the MFP 100 can switch to another AP installed in a different location from the AP to which it was originally connected. Furthermore, the APs may each support a different frequency band among multiple frequency bands (two or three of 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz) provided by the same device. That is, by the processing shown in FIG. 6 , the MFP 100 can switch to another frequency band provided by the same device as the AP to which it was originally connected.

[0066] Here, there are situations where there is no problem even if the connected AP is changed based on a change request transmitted from the currently connected AP 101, and situations where there is a problem if the connected AP is changed.

[0067] For example, while the MFP 100 is receiving print data, problems can arise if the connected AP is changed based on a connection destination change request. While the MFP 100 is receiving print data, it has already received a portion of the print data for the image to be printed from the mobile terminal device 104, which is the other device, and has not yet received the remaining portion of the print data. The MFP 100 does not store all of the print data that would be printed on one sheet of paper. Therefore, when the MFP 100 receives a portion of the print data, it prints only that portion (e.g., receives and prints one line), and when it receives the remaining data, it prints that portion again, repeating this process to print. If the connection destination AP is changed based on a connection destination change request while receiving this print data, a time lag occurs during the connection destination change process, which may result in reduced print quality, such as uneven printing. Furthermore, after the connection destination change, communication with the mobile terminal device 104, which is the other device, may become unsuccessful, resulting in an inability to receive the remaining data and resulting in printing failure.

[0068] Another example is a firmware update process, in which communication is temporarily interrupted when the connected AP is switched, and communication is resumed after the connected AP is switched, which causes the firmware update process to take a long time.

[0069] In this way, in a situation where a problem occurs due to a change of the destination AP based on a request to change the destination, a process (suppression process) for suppressing a change of the destination in response to the change request can be performed by combining one or more of the following suppression processes. The following suppression processes are processes for not changing the destination AP based on a request to change the destination, or processes for suppressing the change, respectively.

[0070] (Suppression Process 1) Even if the MFP 100 receives a change request in S605, it may operate so as not to change the destination AP based on the received connection request and not to return (ignore) a response to the change request. Alternatively, the MFP 100 may send a rejection response to the currently connected AP indicating that it is rejecting the change request (not changing the destination AP). If the rejection response is sent, the priority of the connection change for other STAs connected to the AP to which the MFP 100 is connected is increased, and the priority of the connection change for the MFP 100 is decreased. As a result, the connection with the previously connected AP may be maintained. Furthermore, if the response is not returned (ignored), the currently connected AP waits for a response until a predetermined waiting time (response waiting time) has elapsed since sending the change request, i.e., until the response waiting time times out. Therefore, the currently connected AP may maintain its connection with the MFP 100 at least until the response waiting time times out. Therefore, if the situation were such that the connection would be immediately terminated in response to a response from the MFP 100 to the change request, not responding would enable the connection with the currently connected AP to be maintained for a longer period of time than returning a response. Therefore, for example, based on the information on the reason for change included in the change request, different processing could be performed depending on the reason, such as responding with a denial if the reason is weak and ignoring if the reason is strong.

[0071] The reason for the change can be determined based on information indicating which of several reasons is included in the Request Mode included in the BTM Request. For example, if the Disassociation Imminent bit or the BSS Termination Included bit in the Request Mode is 1, it can be determined that the reason for the change is a strong reason for the change request. Otherwise, it can be determined that the reason for the change is a weak reason for the change.

[0072] (Suppression Process 2) In response to the measurement request described in S601, the MFP 100 responds with information indicating that the radio wave reception conditions (signal reception conditions) of non-connected APs other than the connected AP are worse than the actual measured conditions (poor signal quality) (a false response). In this case, the MFP 100 may respond by actually performing measurements in response to the measurement request, or may respond without actually performing measurements. Specifically, in the response (beacon report, etc.) described in S603, the MFP 100 may respond with a value obtained by subtracting the received signal strength from the signal quality measured for the signal received from the non-connected AP, and / or by increasing the noise strength (signal-to-noise ratio). Alternatively, the response may not include information about at least one non-connected AP. In this case, the AP receiving the report interprets that at least one AP not included in the report by the MFP 100 was not detected by the measurement. Furthermore, the MFP 100 may respond with either a low received signal strength or a significantly increased noise value based on information previously measured for the non-connected AP. Furthermore, even if a measurement request is received, the device may not actually perform measurements (AP searches) but may instead respond with values ​​indicating either high received signal strength or low noise strength for only the connected AP, without including information about the non-connected AP. This allows the device to report to the AP that the communication environment with the connected AP is good, thereby reducing the likelihood of receiving a connection destination switch request. Responding to a measurement request without including information about the non-connected AP corresponds to indicating that no other non-connected APs are found even after an AP search. In other words, responding without including information about the non-connected AP may be considered to indicate that at least some of the signal quality from the non-connected AP is worse than what would be obtained if an AP search were actually performed.

[0073] As described above, by responding to a measurement request with information indicating that the radio wave conditions (poor signal quality) are worse than those actually measured, as in suppression process 2, it is expected that a request to change the connection destination from the currently connected AP to another AP will be suppressed. Therefore, a change of connection destination in response to a change request will be suppressed.

[0074] (Suppression Process 3) In suppression process 3, the currently connected AP is temporarily disconnected, information indicating that the change request is not supported is notified, and then reconnection to the same AP is performed. Specifically, the wireless connection with the currently connected AP is temporarily disconnected, and in preparation for reconnecting wirelessly, Association Request frame data is created that includes information indicating non-compliance with IEEE 802.11v. Then, connection processing with the AP is performed using the data in the created Association Request frame. As a result, if an Association Request frame including information indicating non-compliance with IEEE 802.11v is created, the MFP 100 will be connected to the AP as an electronic device that does not support (is incompatible with) the Agile Multiband function. As a result, the currently connected AP recognizes that the MFP 100 is not IEEE 802.11v-compatible, and will no longer send a connection destination change request to the MFP 100. In this way, the wireless connection between the MFP 100 and the currently connected AP is no longer requested to change, making it easier to maintain the wireless connection between the MFP 100 and the currently connected AP. Furthermore, if the currently connected AP recognizes that the MFP 100 is not IEEE 802.11v-compatible, the transmission of a measurement request (the request described in S601) from the currently connected AP to the MFP 100 is also suppressed. Therefore, measurements in response to the measurement request (AP search) and responses to the measurement request (processing in S603) in the MFP 100 can also be suppressed. This reduces the processing load and power consumption, and allows the MFP 100 to allocate processing resources to other processes when the MFP 100 is executing other processes.

[0075] Therefore, when the MFP 100 is receiving print data, it can perform at least one of the above-described suppression processes 1 and 2 as a process for suppressing a change of the connection destination in response to a request to change the connection destination. Furthermore, the MFP 100 can suppress a change of the connection destination in response to a request to change the connection destination by performing the above-described suppression process 3 before starting to receive print data.

[0076] <Wireless Connection Setting Process> As described above, if the MFP 100 supports communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11v standard, in response to a connection destination change request sent from the AP 101, the MFP 100 can switch the AP to connect to from among multiple APs with the same ESSID and perform communication. This allows the MFP 100 to connect to an AP with a better communication environment. In the following description, the function of switching the AP to connect to from among multiple APs with the same ESSID and performing communication may be referred to as the Wi-Fi Agile Multiband function or AMB (Agile Multiband) function. In the AMB function, the service set identifier (SSID) corresponds to the extended service set identifier (ESSID), and the media access control (MAC) address corresponds to the basic service set identifier (BSSID). The ESSID is an identifier that can be duplicated among multiple APs, while the BSSID is an identifier that is unique among APs.

[0077] In some cases, a user may execute a wireless connection setup process to set a destination AP without knowing the specifications for automatic destination change in IEEE 802.11v-compliant communications. In such cases, automatic destination switching using the AMB function cannot be performed, and communication with an AP with a poor communication environment may continue even if an AP with a better communication environment is available.

[0078] In this embodiment, when a predetermined condition is met in the wireless connection setting process, the MFP 100 displays a predetermined message to prompt the user to use the AMB function.

[0079] For example, the predetermined condition may include the presence of multiple APs with the same ESSID in the vicinity of MFP 100. During the wireless connection setup process, MFP 100 receives beacon signals (wireless signals) transmitted by APs in the vicinity of MFP 100 and detects the SSID and MAC address of the AP. When multiple APs with the same SSID are detected, the multiple APs may be APs, such as AP 101 and AP 102, that can control the connection destination of MFP 100 in response to a connection destination switching request. In such a case, a predetermined display may be displayed to allow MFP 100 to use the AMB function. Furthermore, the predetermined condition may include the ESSID of the AP designated as the connection destination by the user during the wireless connection setup process being the same as that of another AP.

[0080] In another example, the predetermined condition includes that the AP designated by the user as the connection destination during the wireless connection setup process is an AP that supports the AMB function. When a beacon signal transmitted from a nearby AP includes a Capability field indicating the capabilities of the AP that transmitted the beacon signal, the MFP 100 can determine whether the AP supports the AMB function based on the beacon signal. If the AP supports the AMB function, the AP can send a connection destination switch request to an electronic device connected to the AP. In this case, if the AP designated by the user as the connection destination is an AP that supports the AMB function, the MFP 100 can connect to the AP using the AMB function, and upon receiving the connection destination switch request after connection, connect to the AP with a better communication environment. Note that if the AP does not support the AMB function, no display may be displayed. Alternatively, if the AP supports the AMB function but is operating with the AMB function disabled, no display may be displayed prompting the user to use the AMB function. On the other hand, if an AP supports the AMB function but is operating with the AMB function disabled, the user may be able to configure the AP to enable the AMB function. Therefore, if the AP supports the AMB function but is operating with the AMB function disabled, a message may be displayed urging the user to use the AMB function.

[0081] In another example, the predetermined condition includes the MFP 100 being compatible with the AMB function but the AMB function being disabled. For example, the MFP 100 may have the AMB function disabled as its initial setting, or the user may have disabled the AMB function without understanding its specifications. In such cases, the MFP 100 can prompt the user to use the AMB function by displaying a predetermined display during the wireless connection setting process to prompt the user to enable the AMB function.

[0082] In another example, the predetermined condition includes that the MFP 100 supports the AMB function and that the AMB function is enabled. In this case, by prompting the MFP 100 to connect to an AP that supports the AMB function, the MFP 100 can perform communication using the AMB function.

[0083] The above-described conditions can be combined in any manner. For example, if there are multiple APs with the same ESSID around the MFP 100 and the MFP 100 supports the AMB function but the AMB function is disabled, a predetermined display may be displayed to prompt the user to enable the AMB function.

[0084] Furthermore, the predetermined display prompting the user to use the AMB function includes at least one of the following displays, which will be described later with reference to FIGS. 8A to 8O.

[0085] (1) When connecting to multiple APs with the same SSID, a display that prompts the user to select either the first option, in which the user specifies which of the multiple APs to connect to, or the second option, which makes it possible to switch using the AMB function, to select the second option. (2) A display that prompts the user to enable the AMB function. (3) A display that allows the user to select multiple APs with the same ESSID when selecting an AP to connect to. By displaying any of the above, the user can be encouraged to use the AMB function.

[0086] In the following description, an example of a wireless connection setting process will be described with reference to Figures 3A to 3C, 7A to 7C, and 8A to 8O. The flowcharts of Figures 7A to 7C and the screen display examples of Figures 3A to 3C, and 8A to 8O are processing flows for displaying screens when the MFP 100 finds multiple APs with the same SSID when searching for nearby APs. The flowcharts shown in Figures 7A to 7C are started when the user turns on the power of the MFP 100 and the CPU 212 reads and executes a computer program stored in the ROM 213.

[0087] In S701, the MFP 100 displays a home screen on a display included in the operation display unit 220. The MFP 100 displays, for example, the screen shown in Fig. 3A as the home screen, and waits for an operation input from the user.

[0088] Then, if in S702 a menu for establishing a connection in wireless infrastructure mode by the MFP 100 is not selected from the communication settings menu screen shown in Figure 3C on the display included in the operation display unit 220 of the MFP 100, the processing proceeds to S703.

[0089] In S703, while the MFP 100 and the AP are connected, it is confirmed whether or not an inquiry (measurement request) about the radio wave strength of an AP in the vicinity of the MFP 100 has been received. If a measurement request has been received, in S704, beacon signals (wireless signals) transmitted from the surrounding APs are detected, and for each beacon signal, the ESSID, BSSID, and radio wave strength information of the beacon signal contained in the beacon signal are returned to the request source.

[0090] In S705, while the MFP 100 and the AP are connected, it is confirmed whether a connection destination change request (BTM Request) has been received. If a connection destination change request has been received, in S706 it is determined whether to accept the change, and if accepted (Yes in S706), an acknowledgement response is sent in S707. Then, in S708, the current communication is disconnected, and in S709, connection processing to the new AP is started. If it is determined that the change is not accepted (No in S706), the MFP 100 proceeds to S710, where the MFP 100 sends a rejection response or does not respond (ignores the request).

[0091] In S701, the MFP 100 connects to the AP, and in a standby state with the home screen displayed, it checks in S711 whether other processing has been selected or data has been received. If other processing has been selected or data has been received, the process proceeds to S712, where the respective processing is executed. Examples of other processing include changing the print settings of the MFP 100 based on input from the user, or performing print head maintenance to maintain the print quality of the MFP 100.

[0092] In S701, the MFP 100 connects to the AP 101, and in the standby state in which the home screen is displayed, if power-off of the MFP 100 is selected, the process proceeds to S713, where power-off processing is executed.

[0093] In S702, if a menu for establishing a connection in wireless infrastructure mode is selected from the communication setting menu screen of FIG. 3C on the display included in the operation display unit 220 of the MFP 100, the process proceeds to S714. In this embodiment, the menu screen for starting the establishment of a connection in wireless infrastructure mode is display screen 801 shown in FIG. 8A. Areas 802 and 803 are displayed on display screen 801, and if the user selects area 802, the MFP 100 starts searching for nearby APs. In the AP search, the SSID and MAC address included in the beacon signal transmitted from the nearby AP are detected. Furthermore, if the user selects area 803, the user presses the button of the AP designated as the connection destination to start processing for establishing a connection with the MFP 100.

[0094] In S714, the MFP 100 searches for nearby APs, displays a list of found APs as search results on the operation / display unit 220, and in S715, accepts the user's selection of an AP to connect to from the list of APs. In one example, a list of SSIDs of detected APs is displayed as the AP list. In this embodiment, when the MFP 100 starts searching for nearby APs, the display screen 804 of FIG. 8B is displayed. Then, the display screen 805 of FIG. 8C is displayed as a list of found APs. Areas 806 and 807 are displayed on the display screen 805, and the AP identification name (ESSID) of the found AP is displayed in area 806. If multiple identical ESSIDs with different basic service set identifiers (BSSIDs) are found, only one ESSID is displayed in area 806, rather than multiple duplicates. Alternatively, area 806 displays the duplicate ESSIDs for each channel used for communication. If the user selects area 807, the MFP 100 executes a search for nearby APs again.

[0095] In S716, it is determined whether the selected ESSID is the same across multiple APs. For example, if beacon signals indicating the same ESSID are received from multiple APs with different BSSIDs within a predetermined time period during which an AP search is being performed, it can be determined that the same ESSID is being used across the multiple APs. Here, if the selected ESSID is not the same across the multiple APs (No in S716), the MFP 100 transitions the process to S717.

[0096] In S717, the MFP 100 displays a password entry screen used to connect to the AP having the selected ESSID on the operation / display unit 220 and waits for the user to enter a password. In this embodiment, the MFP 100 displays display screen 829 in FIG. 8L as the screen for waiting for the user to enter a password. Areas 830 and 831 are displayed on display screen 829, and when the user selects area 830, password entry begins. When the user selects area 831, password entry is completed and the process proceeds to S718.

[0097] In S718, the MFP 100 stores the ESSID information selected by the user in S715 and the password information entered by the user in S717 in the non-volatile memory 215. Next, in S719, the MFP 100 attempts to connect to the AP corresponding to the ESSID selected by the user in S715, using the password entered by the user in S717.

[0098] If it is determined in S716 that the selected ESSID is the same among a plurality of APs, the CPU 212 transitions the process to S720.

[0099] In S720, it is determined whether at least one of the APs selected by the user in S715 supports Wi-Fi Agile Multiband. If it is determined that the selected AP does not support Wi-Fi Agile Multiband (No in S720), the MFP 100 proceeds to S721. Whether an AP supports Wi-Fi Agile Multiband can be determined from the capability information included in the beacon signal received when searching for nearby APs in S714.

[0100] In S721, a selection screen including an option to connect to an AP with a specific BSSID from among multiple APs having the selected ESSID, and an option to switchably connect to multiple APs having different BSSIDs, is displayed on the operation display unit 220, and the system waits for user selection.

[0101] In this embodiment, the display screen 808 shown in FIG. 8D is displayed as the above-mentioned screen. Areas 809 and 810 are displayed on the display screen 808, and when the user selects area 809, it means that the user has selected to connect only to a specific AP. In this case, the user inputs the BSSID in the processing from S721 onwards. In other words, area 809 is a first option that determines, by user designation, which of multiple APs with the same ESSID (SSID) to connect to. The first option is an option (first option) for instructing the user to connect to an AP without using Wi-Fi Agile Multiband.

[0102] On the other hand, when the user selects area 810, it means that a selection has been made to switchably connect multiple APs having the selected ESSID. When a selection of multiple APs having the selected ESSID is made to switchably connect, the connection destination AP is changed in accordance with a measurement request from the AP and a connection destination change request using a mechanism compliant with Wi-Fi Agile Multiband. On the other hand, when connecting only to a specific AP, the connection to the AP is made using a mechanism that does not comply with Wi-Fi Agile Multiband. In other words, area 810 is an option (second option) for switchably connecting to one of multiple APs having the same ESSID using the Wi-Fi Agile Multiband function.

[0103] Note that if the MFP 100 has disabled the AMB function, the area 810 may be grayed out so that it cannot be selected in S721. Alternatively, if the AMB function has been disabled and the area 810 is selected in S721, a display may be displayed urging the user to enable the AMB function. Alternatively, if the AMB function has been disabled and the area 810 is selected in S721, the AMB function may be enabled.

[0104] As a modified example, display screen 824 of FIG. 8J may be displayed. Areas 825 and 826 are displayed on display screen 824, and when the user selects area 825, this means that the user has selected to connect only to APs with a fixed BSSID. On the other hand, when the user selects area 826, this means that the user has selected to connect by automatically switching between multiple APs with different BSSIDs using the Wi-Fi Agile Multiband function. That is, in FIG. 8J, area 825 corresponds to the first option described above, and area 826 corresponds to the second option described above.

[0105] 8D and 8J may prompt the user to select the second option. For example, the screen may display a message such as, "If you want to use the agile multi-band function, select 'Multiple Use'." Alternatively, the second option may be highlighted as a default option.

[0106] For example, there may be a case where the destination AP supports the AMB function but the AMB function is disabled, and the capability information indicates that the AMB function is not supported. In this case, by enabling the AMB function on the MFP 100 side using the second option, communication using the AMB function can be performed when the AMB function of the destination AP is enabled.

[0107] In S722, if the user selects the second option, which allows the AMB function to be used to switch which AP to connect to among multiple APs (No in S722), the CPU 212 proceeds to S717. Then, in S722, if the user selects the first option, which allows the user to connect to an AP with a fixed BSSID (Yes in S722), the CPU 212 proceeds to S723. In S723, the MFP 100 displays a list of BSSIDs (MAC addresses) of multiple APs with the same ESSID on the operation / display unit 220, and prompts the user to select which AP to connect to. In this embodiment, if the user selects the fixed AP (Yes in S722), the MFP 100 displays a display screen 811 shown in FIG. 8E and instructs the user to select the BSSID of the AP to which the user wants to connect. An area 812 is displayed on the display screen 811, and when the user selects area 812, the display screen 813 of FIG. 8F is displayed. An area 814 is displayed on the display screen 813. The area 814 displays a list of the BSSIDs of the APs, allowing the user to select the BSSID of the AP to which the user wishes to connect. In another example, the user may input the BSSID of the AP to which the user wishes to connect using an input interface such as a keypad.

[0108] After the user selects a BSSID in S723, the CPU 212 advances the process to S724, stores information about the selected BSSID in the non-volatile memory 215, and transitions the process to S717.

[0109] If the first option is selected in S727, the MFP 100 may disable the AMB function.

[0110] Regarding the operation of connecting to multiple APs with different BSSIDs, for example, if the MFP 100 is connected to an AP and the connection to the AP is lost for some reason, a process for reconnection is executed. In the reconnection process, the MFP 100 searches for nearby APs. If multiple APs with the same ESSID as the one stored in the nonvolatile memory 215 are found, the MFP 100 measures the radio wave strength of each AP and connects to the AP with the strongest radio wave strength. At this time, the connected AP may be the AP to which the MFP 100 was originally connected, or a different AP. When connecting to an AP with a fixed BSSID, the MFP 100 searches for nearby APs. Even if multiple APs with the ESSID stored in the nonvolatile memory 215 are found, the MFP 100 continues the connection to that AP regardless of the radio wave strength. In Wi-Fi Agile Multiband, the password for connecting to the AP is the same. Therefore, even when connecting to a different AP, the password used to connect to the AP to which the MFP 100 was connected before switching the connection can be used.

[0111] If it is determined in S720 that the AP selected by the user supports the AMB function, the CPU 212 proceeds to S725, where it determines whether the AMB function of the MFP 100 is enabled. If the AMB function of the MFP 100 is enabled, the MFP 100 sets a BSS Transition SUPPORT flag in the Association Request in the connection process with the AP and connects. In this case, the MFP 100 can receive from the AP an inquiry about the radio wave strength of nearby APs in S601 of FIG. 6 and a request to change the connection destination AP (BTM (BSS Transition Management) Request) in S605. Furthermore, if the Wi-Fi Agile Multiband function of the MFP 100 is disabled, the MFP 100 clears the BSS (Basic Service Set) Transition SUPPORT flag in the Association Request during connection processing with the AP. In this case, the MFP 100 cannot receive the inquiry about the radio wave strength of the surrounding APs in S601 of FIG. 6 or the request to change the connection destination AP (BTM Request) in S605.

[0112] If it is determined in S725 that the Wi-Fi Agile Multiband function of the MFP 100 is enabled, the CPU 212 advances the process to S726.

[0113] In S726, in addition to the options described in S721, because the AP supports Wi-Fi Agile Multiband, a screen recommending the selection of switchable connection to one or more APs is displayed on the operation display unit 220. In this embodiment, the display screen 818 shown in FIG. 8H is displayed as the above-mentioned screen. Areas 819 and 820 are displayed on the display screen 818. When the user selects area 819, the user selects connection to only a specific AP. On the other hand, when the user selects area 820, the user selects switchable connection to multiple APs having the same ESSID. That is, area 819 displays a first option that allows the user to specify which of the multiple APs to connect to, and area 820 displays a second option that allows the user to switch which of the multiple APs to connect to using the AMB function. Furthermore, the display screen 818 displays the message, "If you want to use the Agile Multiband function, select 'Use Multiple'." By displaying this message, it is possible to prompt the user to select which of a plurality of APs having the same ESSID the MFP 100 will connect to so that the MFP 100 can be switched to.

[0114] As a modification of FIG. 8H , the display screen 821 of FIG. 8I may be displayed. Areas 822 and 823 are displayed on the display screen 821. When the user selects area 822, the user selects connection only to APs with a fixed BSSID. On the other hand, when the user selects area 823, the user selects connection to multiple APs with the same ESSID but different BSSIDs. That is, area 822 displays a first option for the user to specify which of the multiple APs to connect to, and area 823 displays a second option for enabling the AMB function to switch which of the multiple APs to connect to. By displaying a message such as "Select 'Automatic' if you want to use the agile multiband function," the display screen 821 can prompt the user to select switchable connection to multiple APs with the same ESSID.

[0115] If the user selects in S727 to connect to multiple APs with the same ESSID but different BSSIDs, the CPU 212 transitions the process to S717 and displays a password entry screen on the operation / display unit 220. The password entry screen displayed in S717 is the same as the display screen 829 of FIG. 8L. The display screen 829 of FIG. 8L has been described above, so its description will be omitted. Furthermore, in a different embodiment, if the user selects to connect to multiple APs, the display screen 827 of FIG. 8K may be displayed before the display screen 829 of FIG. 8L is displayed. The display screen 827 explains to the user that the Wi-Fi Agile Multiband function is available. An area 828 is displayed on the display screen 827, and when the user selects the area 828, the display screen 829 of FIG. 8L, which is a password entry screen, is displayed.

[0116] If the user selects in S727 to connect to an AP with a specific BSSID, the process proceeds to S723, where a list of the BSSIDs of the APs is displayed and the user is prompted to select the BSSID of the AP to connect to. In this embodiment, the display screen 811 in Fig. 8E is displayed as a list of the BSSIDs of the APs. The display screen 811 in Fig. 8E has been described above and will not be described here.

[0117] If it is determined in S725 that the Wi-Fi Agile Multiband function of the MFP 100 is disabled, the CPU 212 transitions the process to S728. In S728, the CPU 212 displays a screen on the operation / display unit 220 that prompts the user to select whether to change the setting of the Wi-Fi Agile Multiband function of the MFP 100 from disabled to enabled. In this embodiment, a display screen 815 shown in FIG. 8G is displayed as a screen for confirming whether to enable the AMB function of the MFP 100. Areas 816 and 817 are displayed on the display screen 815, and when the user selects area 816, the user has selected to enable the AMB function. Furthermore, when the user selects area 817, the user has selected not to change the setting of the AMB function of the MFP 100 from disabled. In one example, a display prompting the user to select the setting of enabling the AMB function may be displayed in FIG. 8G. For example, in Figure 8G, a message such as "By enabling the agile multi-band function, communication will be automatically switched to an AP with a better communication environment" is displayed, allowing the user to choose to enable the AMB function.

[0118] If the user selects in S729 to enable the AMB function of the MFP 100, the setting is updated in S730, the setting value is stored in the nonvolatile memory 215, and the process proceeds to S726. If the user selects in S729 not to change the setting to enable the Wi-Fi Agile Multiband function of the MFP 100, the CPU 212 transitions the process to S731.

[0119] In S731, a screen that allows the user to select whether to connect only to an AP having a specific BSSID, or to connect to multiple APs with the same ESSID but different BSSIDs, is displayed on the operation display unit 220. In this embodiment, the screen displayed in S731 is the same as the screen displayed in S721, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0120] Note that, since the AMB function is disabled on the screen displayed in S731, the option for "multiple use" may be grayed out, for example, to prevent the option for "multiple use" from being selected. On the other hand, the option for "multiple use" may be displayed as selectable, and if selected, the user may be prompted to enable the AMB function again as in S728.

[0121] In this embodiment, the screen 805 in FIG. 8C is described as being displayed as the screen displaying the AP search results in S714, but a different screen may be displayed. For example, in S714, before searching for nearby APs, it may be confirmed whether the AMB function of the MFP 100 is enabled, as described with reference to S725. If the AMB function is enabled and multiple APs with the same ESSID are detected in the AP search, the screen 832 in FIG. 8M may be displayed. Areas 833 and 834 are displayed on the screen 832, and the ESSIDs and frequency bands corresponding to multiple APs with different BSSIDs are displayed in area 833. If no ESSIDs corresponding to multiple APs with different BSSIDs are detected, only a single ESSID is displayed, as in area 834.

[0122] Furthermore, as a different example of a screen display when the AMB function of the MFP 100 is enabled and the same ESSID is detected in an AP search in multiple APs with different BSSIDs, the CPU 212 may display screen 835 in FIG. 8N. Areas 836, 837, 838, and 839 are displayed on screen 835. Areas 836 and 837 each display the same ESSID and frequency band for multiple APs. By selecting area 838, the user can collectively select multiple APs with the same ESSID. If the same ESSID is not detected in multiple APs in the AP search, the CPU 212 displays only the ESSID corresponding to a single AP, as in area 839.

[0123] In this way, by allowing multiple APs to be selected at once, the user can select multiple APs when they are unsure which AP to connect to, thereby encouraging the use of the AMB function. Note that a display encouraging the selection of multiple APs may also be displayed on screen 835. For example, by displaying a message such as "If you want to use the agile multiband function, please select multiple channels at once" on screen 835, the user can be encouraged to select area 838.

[0124] If the same ESSID is detected in multiple APs in the AP search and the AMB function of the MFP 100 is disabled, the CPU 212 displays screen 840 in FIG. 8O. Screen 840 includes areas 841 and 842, which respectively display the same ESSID and frequency band of multiple APs. Here, the screens in FIGS. 8M, 8N, and 8O are displayed depending on whether the Wi-Fi Agile Multiband function of the MFP 100 is enabled or disabled and depending on whether the same ESSID is detected in multiple APs in the AP search. However, in addition to the above conditions, the display screen may be switched depending on whether the AP supports the AMB function, or the display may be switched based on another condition.

[0125] As described above, according to this embodiment, when the MFP 100 searches for nearby APs, it determines whether the MFP 100 supports the AMB function and displays an appropriate screen. As a result, if the MFP 100 supports the AMB function, the MFP 100 can recommend enabling the AMB function, allowing the user to connect to an AP with a good communication environment.

[0126] The above control has been described as being performed by specifying the BSSID (MAC address) from the operation display unit 220 of the MFP 100, but the BSSID (MAC address) may be specified by receiving it from an external device.

[0127] The various controls described above as being performed by MFP 100 may be performed by a single piece of hardware, or the entire device may be controlled by multiple pieces of hardware (e.g., multiple processors or circuits) sharing the processing.

[0128] Furthermore, although the present invention has been described in detail based on preferred embodiments thereof, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various forms within the scope of the gist of the present invention are also included in the present invention. Furthermore, each of the above-described embodiments merely represents one embodiment of the present invention, and each embodiment can be combined as appropriate.

[0129] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the present invention has been described with reference to an example in which it is applied to an MFP 100. However, this is not limited to this example and the present invention can be applied to any wireless device that functions as an STA and is capable of processing a connection destination change request from an AP. That is, the present invention can be applied to various measuring devices (sensor devices) such as personal computers, PDAs, tablet devices, mobile phones such as smartphones, music players, game consoles, e-book readers, smartwatches, and thermometers and hygrometers. The present invention can also be applied to digital cameras (including still cameras, video cameras, network cameras, and security cameras), printers, scanners, and drones. The present invention can also be applied to video output devices, audio output devices (e.g., smart speakers), media streaming players, and wireless LAN adapters (adapters) that can be connected via USB terminals or LAN cable terminals. Video output devices include, for example, devices that acquire (download) videos from the Internet identified by a URL specified by an electronic device and output them to a connected display device via a video output terminal such as HDMI (registered trademark), thereby enabling streaming playback on the display device or mirroring display (displaying the content displayed on the electronic device on the display device). Furthermore, video output devices include media players such as televisions, hard disk recorders, Blu-ray recorders, and DVD recorders, head-mounted displays, projectors, televisions, display devices (monitors), signage devices, etc. The present invention is also applicable to Wi-Fi-connectable devices known as smart home appliances, such as air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, ovens, microwave ovens, lighting appliances, heating appliances, and cooling appliances.

[0130] As described above, by changing the content of the measurement result sent in response to a measurement request from the AP depending on the processing status of the MFP 100, it becomes possible to appropriately control the timing of switching the AP.

[0131] <Other Embodiments> In the present embodiment, the user operates the MFP 100 to connect to an AP. In one example, the user may connect the MFP 100 to an AP via an information processing device such as the mobile terminal device 104. In such a case, the mobile terminal device 104 may establish a wireless direct connection with the MFP 100, transmit a measurement request to the MFP 100 requesting measurement of beacon signals transmitted from nearby APs, and acquire a list of the ESSIDs and BSSIDs of the nearby APs. In this case, the mobile terminal device 104 may control the display unit 420 to display the screens described with reference to FIGS. 8A to 8O when displaying the list of ESSIDs and BSSIDs of the nearby APs. For example, when selecting an AP to connect the MFP 100, the mobile terminal device 104 may display the first and second options described above if multiple APs with the same SSID are selected or if multiple APs with the same SSID are included in the list. The mobile terminal device 104 may also display a display prompting the user to select the second option. Furthermore, the mobile terminal device 104 may display a plurality of APs with the same SSID together, or by frequency band to be used, on a screen for selecting an AP to connect to the MFP 100 .

[0132] The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program.The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that realizes one or more of the functions.

[0133] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention.

[0134] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-163585, filed September 26, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising: a communication control means for controlling a change of a destination access point (AP) based on receiving a connection destination change request from a currently connected access point (AP), which requests a change of the connection destination; a detection means for detecting a service set identifier (SSID) of a nearby AP based on a wireless signal received from the nearby AP; and a display control means for controlling, when setting a destination AP, to display a selection screen for selecting a first option for a user to specify which of the multiple APs to connect to and a second option for enabling the communication control means to switch which of the multiple APs to connect to, when predetermined conditions are met including that the detection means has detected multiple APs with the same SSID; wherein the display control means displays a predetermined display on the selection screen to prompt the user to select the second option.

2. The electronic device described in claim 1, characterized in that the detection means further detects whether or not a nearby AP is capable of sending a request to change the connection destination based on a wireless signal received from the nearby AP, and the display control means, when setting the AP to be connected, controls to perform the specified display if the detection means detects an AP capable of sending the request to change the connection destination, and not to perform the specified display if the detection means does not detect an AP capable of sending the request to change the connection destination.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the display control means, when setting the AP to connect to, accepts a selection of the SSID of the AP to connect to, and the display control means performs the specified display when multiple APs with the same SSID are selected as the AP to connect to, and does not perform the specified display when multiple APs with the same SSID are not selected as the AP to connect to.

4. The electronic device described in claim 3, characterized in that the detection means further detects whether or not a nearby AP is capable of sending the connection destination change request based on a wireless signal received from the nearby AP, and the display control means controls the display so that, when multiple APs with the same SSID are selected as the connection destination APs when setting the connection destination AP, the specified display is performed if at least one of the multiple APs is an AP capable of sending the connection destination change request, and the display is not performed if none of the multiple APs is an AP capable of sending the connection destination change request.

5. An electronic device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a setting means for setting whether to enable a function for changing the connection destination by the communication control means, and wherein the specified condition includes the function being set to enabled by the setting means.

6. The electronic device described in claim 5, characterized in that the detection means further detects whether or not a nearby AP is capable of sending a request to change the connection destination based on a wireless signal received from the nearby AP, and the display control means controls, when setting the AP to be connected to, to display a display that suppresses the selection of the second option on the selection screen if the detection means detects multiple APs having the same SSID, at least one of the multiple APs is an AP capable of sending the request to change the connection destination, and the function is disabled by the setting means.

7. The electronic device according to claim 5, characterized in that, when setting a destination AP, the detection means detects multiple APs with the same SSID, and at least one of the multiple APs is an AP capable of sending a request to change the destination, and the setting means sets the function to disabled, the display control means controls to display a message prompting the user to enable the function.

8. An electronic device as described in any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that when the first option is selected on the selection screen, the display control means accepts designation of an identifier corresponding to one of the plurality of APs, and the setting means controls to disable the function.

9. The electronic device described in any one of claims 5 to 8, further comprising a transmission means for transmitting information including the SSID of the AP detected by the detection means to an information processing device capable of communicating on the same network as the electronic device, wherein the detection means detects the SSID of the surrounding AP based on a wireless signal received from the surrounding AP in response to receiving a measurement request from the information processing device requesting detection of the SSID of the surrounding AP, and the information processing device has: a display control means for controlling to display a second selection screen for selecting a third option for a user to specify which of the plurality of APs to connect to and a fourth option for enabling the communication control means to switch which of the plurality of APs to connect to when it is determined based on the information received from the electronic device that there are multiple APs with the same SSID; and a second transmission means for transmitting information corresponding to the option selected on the second selection screen to the electronic device, wherein the second selection screen includes a display prompting selection of the fourth option.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein said setting means performs control so as to set said function to be disabled when information corresponding to said third option is received from said information processing device.

11. The electronic device described in any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the display control means, when setting the destination AP, accepts the selection of the SSID of the destination AP, and when the specified condition is satisfied, the display control means displays a destination AP selection screen so that the multiple APs having the same SSID can be selected collectively as destination APs.

12. An electronic device comprising: a communication control means for controlling a change of a destination access point (AP) based on receiving a connection change request from a connected AP, the connection destination being changed; a detection means for detecting a service set identifier (SSID) of a nearby AP based on a wireless signal received from the nearby AP; and a display control means for controlling, when setting a destination AP, to display a destination AP selection screen so that the multiple APs with the same SSID can be selected collectively as destination APs when predetermined conditions are met, including the detection means detecting multiple APs with the same SSID.

13. An electronic device comprising: a communication control means for controlling a change of a destination access point (AP) based on a request for changing the destination from a connected AP; a setting means for setting whether a function for changing the destination AP is enabled or disabled by the communication control means; a detection means for detecting a service set identifier (SSID) of a nearby AP based on a wireless signal received from the nearby AP; and a display control means for controlling to display a predetermined screen prompting the user to enable the function when setting the destination AP if predetermined conditions are met, including the detection means detecting multiple APs with the same SSID.

14. The electronic device according to claim 13, characterized in that the display control means controls so as to display the specified screen when the function is set to disabled by the setting means, and not to display the specified screen when the function is set to enabled by the setting means.

15. The electronic device described in claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the detection means further detects whether or not a nearby AP is capable of sending a request to change the connection destination based on a wireless signal received from the nearby AP, and the display control means controls to display the specified screen when the detection means detects multiple APs with the same SSID when setting the AP to be connected to and when the detection means detects an AP capable of sending the request to change the connection destination.

16. The electronic device described in claim 15, characterized in that when the function is enabled by the setting means, the display control means displays a selection screen for selecting between a first option for the user to specify which of the multiple APs to connect to and a second option for the communication control means to switch which of the multiple APs to connect to, and the display control means displays a display on the selection screen prompting the user to select the second option.

17. A control method executed by an electronic device, comprising: a communication control step of controlling to change the AP of the connection destination based on receiving a connection destination change request from a currently connected access point (AP), which requests a change of the connection destination; a detection step of detecting the service set identifier (SSID) of a nearby AP based on a wireless signal received from the nearby AP; and a display control step of controlling to display a selection screen for selecting a first option for the user to specify which of the multiple APs to connect to and a second option for making it possible to switch which of the multiple APs to connect to in the communication control step, when a predetermined condition including the detection of multiple APs with the same SSID is satisfied when setting the connection destination AP, wherein the selection screen includes a specific display prompting the user to select the second option.

18. A control method executed by an electronic device, comprising: a communication control step of controlling to change the AP of the destination based on receiving a connection change request from a currently connected access point (AP) requesting a change of the connection destination; a detection step of detecting the service set identifier (SSID) of a nearby AP based on a wireless signal received from the nearby AP; and a display control step of controlling to display a selection screen for the destination AP so that the multiple APs with the same SSID can be selected collectively as the destination AP when predetermined conditions are met, including the detection of multiple APs with the same SSID, when setting the destination AP.

19. A control method executed by an electronic device, comprising: a communication control step of controlling a connection with an access point (AP) based on receiving a connection change request from the currently connected AP, the connection change request being to change the connection destination; a setting step of setting whether to enable or disable a function for changing the connection destination based on the connection change request; a detection step of detecting the service set identifier (SSID) of a nearby AP based on a wireless signal received from the nearby AP; and a display control step of controlling to display a screen prompting the user to enable the function when setting the AP to connect to, if certain conditions are met, including the detection of multiple APs with the same SSID.

20. A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

21. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

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