Communication device, method, program, and storage medium

Abstract

This communication device is characterized by comprising: a first communication means for performing communication via an external access point by wireless LAN communication; a second communication means for performing communication directly with an external terminal device by wireless LAN communication without the intervention of the external access point; and a control means for performing control such that, if prescribed communication is started by the second communication means during a first state in which a connection to the external access point has been established by the first communication means and communication using a first communication scheme can be performed, the first state is switched with a second state in which the first communication means can communicate with the external access point by using a communication scheme differing from the first communication scheme.

Description

Communication device, method, program, storage medium

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

[0002] In recent years, with the increase in the amount of data to be communicated, the development of communication technologies such as wireless LAN (Local Area Network) has been promoted. As the main communication standards for wireless LAN, the IEEE802.11 standard series is known. The IEEE802.11 standard series includes standards such as IEEE802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax / be.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a communication device corresponding to IEEE802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax. In addition, a mechanism for Multi-AP communication in which a plurality of access points (APs) cooperate to transmit data to a station (STA) has been studied.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-50133

[0005] In Multi-AP communication, there is room for improvement in suitable communication and user usability. The present disclosure provides a mechanism for more suitably performing communication in a predetermined communication method.

[0006] The communication device according to the present disclosure includes: a first communication means for communicating via an external access point by wireless LAN communication; a second communication means for directly communicating with an external terminal device without going through an external access point by wireless LAN communication; and a control means for controlling the first communication means to change to a second state in which communication with the external access point is possible by a communication method different from the first communication method when the second communication means starts predetermined communication in a first state where the first communication means is connected to the external access point and communication in the first communication method is possible.

[0007] According to this disclosure, communication can be performed more favorably using a predetermined communication method. Other features and advantages of the technical ideas derived from this disclosure will become apparent from the following description with reference to the attached drawings. In the attached drawings, the same or similar components are given the same reference numeral.

[0008] The attached drawings are included in the specification and constitute part thereof, illustrating embodiments in this disclosure and used to explain the technical ideas derived from this disclosure together with their descriptions. Diagram showing the configuration of a wireless communication system. Diagram showing the configuration of a communication device. Diagram showing the configuration of a communication device. Diagram showing a user interface screen. Diagram showing a user interface screen. Diagram showing a user interface screen. Diagram showing a user interface screen. Diagram showing the configuration of a mobile terminal device. Diagram showing the configuration of a mobile terminal device. Diagram showing the configuration of an access point. Sequence diagram between STA and AP related to Multi-AP communication. Communication sequence diagram between communication device and access point. Diagram for explaining the hidden terminal problem. Communication sequence diagram between communication device and access point. Diagram showing a user interface screen.

[0009] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the claims. While the embodiments describe multiple features, not all of these features are necessary, and the features may be combined in any way. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, identical or similar configurations are given the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0010] (System Configuration) Figure 1 shows an example of the system configuration according to this embodiment. In one example, this system is a wireless communication system in which multiple communication devices can communicate with each other wirelessly. The system in Figure 1 includes an MFP 100 which is a communication device, a mobile terminal device 101, a multi-AP group 110 which includes multiple access points (APs), a DHCP server 114, a DNS server 115, and a network 120. The multi-AP group 110 is described as including APs 111, 112, and 113, but the multi-AP group 110 may include more APs.

[0011] The mobile terminal device 101 is a device having wireless communication capabilities such as a wireless LAN. In the following, wireless LAN may be referred to as WLAN. The mobile terminal device 101 may be a personal information terminal such as a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a mobile phone terminal (smartphone), a tablet terminal, a digital camera, a personal computer, etc.

[0012] The MFP 100 is a printing device with printing capabilities, and may also have reading (scanning), fax, and telephone functions. Furthermore, the MFP 100 in this embodiment has a communication function that allows wireless communication with the mobile terminal device 101. While this embodiment describes the use of the MFP 100 as an example, it is not limited to this. For example, a scanner, projector, mobile terminal, smartphone, notebook PC, tablet terminal, PDA, digital camera, music playback device, television, smart speaker, etc., each with communication capabilities, may be used instead of the MFP 100. Note that MFP is an acronym for Multi-Function Peripheral.

[0013] AP111 is installed separately (externally) from the mobile terminal device 101 and MFP100, and operates as a WLAN base station device. Communication devices with WLAN communication capabilities can communicate in WLAN infrastructure mode via AP111. Infrastructure mode is sometimes referred to as "wireless infrastructure mode." AP111 communicates wirelessly with communication devices that it has authorized to connect to (authenticated) and relays wireless communication between those communication devices and other communication devices. AP111 can also be connected to a wired communication network, for example, and can relay communication between communication devices connected to that wired communication network and other communication devices that are wirelessly connected to AP111.

[0014] AP112 and AP113 have the same hardware configuration as AP111. Furthermore, AP111, AP112, and AP113 are APs that support Multi-AP communication, as described later, and they form a group (multi-AP group 110) and operate in a cooperative manner.

[0015] The DHCP server 114 connects to the MFP 100 via AP 111 and network 120, and provides services to the MFP 100 by responding to requests from the MFP 100. In Figure 1, the DHCP server 114 is described as being connected as a separate device from AP 111, AP 112, and AP 113, but it is also possible for AP 111, AP 112, and AP 113 to have DHCP server functionality.

[0016] The DNS server 115 is connected to the MFP 100 and mobile terminal device 101 via AP 111 and network 120, and provides name resolution services by responding to requests from the MFP 100 and mobile terminal device 101. Here, network 120 may be the so-called internet, a closed network within a company, or a mobile phone network.

[0017] (External Configuration of MFP) Figure 2A shows an example of the external configuration of MFP 100. MFP 100 has, for example, a document tray 201, a document cover 202, a paper insertion slot 203, a paper output slot 204, and an operation display unit 220. The document tray 201 is a tray on which the document to be scanned is placed. The document cover 202 is a cover that holds down the document placed on the document tray 201 and prevents light from the light source that illuminates the document during scanning from leaking to the outside. The paper insertion slot 203 is an insertion slot that can accommodate paper of various sizes. The paper output slot 204 is an output slot that discharges the paper after printing is complete. The paper set in the paper insertion slot 203 is transported to the printing unit one sheet at a time, and after printing is performed in the printing unit, it is discharged from the paper output slot 204. The operation display unit 220 is configured to include a touch panel display and is capable of accepting user operations for activating various functions and setting various settings as an MFP. The operation display unit 220 may also be configured to include physical operation keys such as character input keys, cursor keys, select keys, and cancel keys, as well as LEDs or LCDs.

[0018] The MFP 100 has a wireless communication function via WLAN and does not necessarily need to be visible from the outside, but it is configured to include a wireless communication antenna 206 for that wireless communication. The MFP 100 can perform wireless communication via WLAN, similar to the mobile terminal device 101.

[0019] (MFP Configuration) Figure 2B shows an example of the configuration of the MFP 100. The MFP 100 is configured to include a main board 211 that performs the main control of the device itself, and a wireless unit 250 which is a communication module that performs WLAN communication using at least one antenna. The MFP 100 may also be configured to include, for example, a wired LAN unit for wired LAN communication.

[0020] The main board 211 is composed of, for example, a CPU 212 (Central Processing Unit), ROM 213, RAM 214, non-volatile memory 215, image memory 216, read control unit 217, data conversion unit 218, read unit 219, and code decoding unit 221. The main board 211 also includes, for example, a printing unit 222, a paper feeding unit 223, a print control unit 224, and an operation display unit 220. These functional units within the main board 211 are interconnected via a system bus 230 managed by the CPU 212. The main board 211 and the wireless unit 250 are connected, for example, via a dedicated bus 225.

[0021] The CPU 212 is a system control unit including at least one processor, and controls the entire MFP 100. In one example, the processing of the MFP 100 described below is realized by the CPU 212 executing a program stored in the ROM 213. Dedicated hardware may be provided for each process. The ROM 213 is a non-volatile memory that stores control programs and embedded OS programs executed by the CPU 212. In this embodiment, the CPU 212 loads each control program stored in the ROM 213 into the RAM 214 and executes them under the management of the embedded OS stored in the ROM 213, thereby performing software control such as scheduling and task switching.

[0022] RAM 214 is a volatile memory composed of SRAM or the like. RAM 214 stores data such as program control variables, user-registered settings, and MFP 100 management data. RAM 214 can also be used as a buffer for various work. Non-volatile memory 215 is composed of memory such as flash memory and continues to store data even when the MFP 100 is powered off. Image memory 216 is composed of memory such as DRAM. Image memory 216 stores image data received via the wireless unit 250 and image data processed by the code decoding processing unit 221. Note that the memory configuration of MFP 100 is not limited to the above configuration. Data conversion unit 218 performs analysis of various data formats and conversion from image data to print data.

[0023] The reading control unit 217 controls the reading unit 219 (for example, a CIS (contact image sensor)) to optically read (scan) the document placed on the document table 201. The reading control unit 217 converts the image obtained by optically reading the document into electrical image data (image signal) and outputs it. At this time, the reading control unit 217 may perform various image processing such as binarization and halftone processing before outputting the image data.

[0024] The operation display unit 220 includes a touch panel display that displays images based on display control by the CPU 212, and performs functions such as generating signals in response to user operations on the touch panel display or physical operation keys.

[0025] The code-decoding processing unit 221 performs encoding and decoding processing, as well as scaling processing, for image data (JPEG, PNG, etc.) handled by the MFP 100.

[0026] The paper feed unit 223 holds paper for printing. The paper feed unit 223 can supply the set paper under the control of the print control unit 224. The paper feed unit 223 may include multiple paper feed units to hold multiple types of paper in one device, and the print control unit 224 can control which paper feed unit to use for feeding.

[0027] The print control unit 224 applies various image processing to the image data to be printed, such as smoothing, print density correction, and color correction, and outputs the processed image data to the print unit 222. The print unit 222 is configured to perform, for example, an inkjet printing process, and ejects ink supplied from an ink tank from a print head to record an image on a recording medium such as paper. The print unit 222 may also be configured to perform other printing processes such as electrophotography. Furthermore, the print control unit 224 can periodically read information from the print unit 222 and update status information, including the remaining amount of ink in the ink tanks and the status of the print head, which is stored in the RAM 214.

[0028] The wireless unit 250 is a unit capable of providing WLAN communication functions, and can provide functions similar to, for example, the wireless unit 401 of the mobile terminal device 101. That is, the wireless unit 250 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 their original data and outputs it to the CPU 212.

[0029] The wireless unit 250 is capable of communication as a Station (hereinafter referred to as STA) or Access Point (AP) compliant with the IEEE 802.11 standard series. Specifically, it is capable of communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax / be / bn standards. The wireless unit 250 includes at least one processor and at least one memory that stores a program.

[0030] The communication control unit 240 is a unit that controls the communication functions of the MFP 100 and controls the wireless unit 250. The processing of the communication control unit 240 is realized by the CPU 212 executing a control program stored in the ROM 213. The communication control unit 240 and the wireless unit 250 are interconnected, for example, via a system bus 230 and a dedicated bus 225.

[0031] (MFP operation display unit) Figures 3A to 3D schematically show an example of the screen display on the display (touch panel display) included in the operation display unit 220 of the MFP 100.

[0032] Figure 3A is an example of the home screen displayed when the MFP 100 is powered on but not performing any operations such as printing or scanning (idle state, Standby state). The area 310 at the top of the home screen is the basic menu area, where menu items selected when issuing copy or scan commands are displayed. In Figure 3A, area 310 displays a list of icons 311 to 313, corresponding to copy, scan, and print, respectively, as menu items (display items) of the basic menu. When each menu item of the basic menu is selected, a detailed menu corresponding to it is displayed, and the MFP 100 can be instructed to execute the operation / function (copy or scan) corresponding to the selected menu item. By performing operations to display other pages of the basic menu (such as sliding left or right on area 310), menu items different from icons 311 to 313 can be displayed in area 310. For example, an icon corresponding to the cloud can be displayed. The cloud is a menu item related to cloud functions that utilize internet communication.

[0033] The network display area 321 is an area that displays icons indicating the network status. In the illustrated example, the network display area 321 displays icons indicating that both wireless infrastructure and wireless direct are disabled. Furthermore, touching the network display area 321 allows you to display the communication settings menu.

[0034] Icon 322 is an operation icon that accepts instructions to perform setup on a PC / smartphone. When icon 322 is touched, the same action as when "Set up on PC / smartphone" is selected in Figure 3D, which will be described later, is performed.

[0035] Icon 323 is the operation icon to select when changing settings or performing maintenance on the MFP100.

[0036] Figure 3B shows an example of the communication settings menu screen displayed when the network display area 321 is touched on the home screen of Figure 3A. The communication settings menu screen displays the following menu items (options): "Wireless LAN", "Wired LAN", "Wireless Direct", "Bluetooth", and "Common Settings". "Wireless LAN", "Wired LAN", and "Wireless Direct" are menu items for configuring LAN settings. From these items, you can configure settings such as wired connection settings, enabling / disabling wireless infrastructure mode, and enabling / disabling P2P modes such as WFD and soft AP mode.

[0037] Figure 3C shows an example of the wireless LAN settings menu screen displayed when the "Wireless LAN" option is selected in the screen shown in Figure 3B. The wireless LAN settings menu screen displays the following menu items (options): "Enable / Disable Wireless LAN," "Wireless LAN Setup," and "Display Wireless LAN Settings." Selecting the "Enable / Disable Wireless LAN" option switches the setting of enabling or disabling the wireless infrastructure mode. Selecting the "Wireless LAN Setup" option displays the wireless LAN setup menu shown in Figure 3D. Selecting "Display Wireless LAN Settings" displays a detailed screen (wireless LAN settings display screen) that shows details such as the current wireless LAN settings and communication status.

[0038] Figure 3D shows an example of the wireless LAN setup menu screen displayed when the "Wireless LAN Setup" option is selected in the screen shown in Figure 3C. The wireless LAN setup menu screen displays the following menu items (options): "Set up with PC / smartphone," "Set up by entering a password," and "Set up using the router buttons." From these items, you can perform wireless LAN setup using the network setup mode described later, the password entry method, or the push-button method.

[0039] (External Configuration of the Mobile Terminal Device) Figure 4A shows an example of the external configuration of the mobile terminal device 101. In this embodiment, as an example, the case where the mobile terminal device 101 is a general-purpose smartphone is shown. The mobile terminal device 101 is configured to include, for example, a display unit 420, an operation unit 418, and a power key 404. The display unit 420 is a display that includes a display mechanism such as an organic EL (Electroluminescence) type or an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) type. The display unit 420 may also display information using, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode). In addition to or instead of the display unit 420, the mobile terminal device 101 may also have a function to output information by voice. The operation unit 418 is configured to include hard keys such as keys and buttons, a touch panel, etc., for detecting user operations. In this example, since the information display on the display unit 420 and the reception of user operations by the operation unit 418 are performed using a common touch panel display, the display unit 420 and the operation unit 418 are implemented in a single device. In this case, for example, button icons or a software keyboard are displayed using the display function of the display unit 420, and when the user touches these areas, the operation reception function of the operation unit 418 detects it. Alternatively, the display unit 420 and the operation unit 418 may be separated, with separate hardware for display and hardware for operation reception. The power key 404 is a hard key for receiving user operations to turn the power of the mobile terminal device 101 on or off.

[0040] The mobile terminal device 101 does not necessarily need to be visible from its external appearance, but it has a wireless unit 401 that provides WLAN communication functionality. The wireless unit 401 is configured to perform data (packet) communication in a WLAN system compliant with, for example, the IEEE 802.11 standard series (IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax / be / bn). However, it is not limited to this, and the wireless unit 401 may also be able to perform communication in a WLAN system compliant with other standards. In this example, the wireless unit 401 is assumed to be able to communicate in both the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band. However, it is not limited to this, and the wireless unit 401 may also be able to communicate in one or more frequency bands including the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band, and the 6 GHz band. Furthermore, the wireless unit 401 is assumed to be able to perform WFD-based communication, soft AP mode communication, wireless infrastructure mode communication, etc. The operation of these modes will be described later.

[0041] (Configuration of the mobile terminal device) Figure 4B shows an example of the configuration of the mobile terminal device 101. In one example, the mobile terminal device 101 has a main board 411 that performs the main control of the device itself, and a wireless unit 429 that performs WLAN communication. The main board 411 includes, for example, a CPU 412, ROM 413, RAM 414, image memory 415, data conversion unit 416, telephone unit 417, GPS 419, camera unit 421, non-volatile memory 422, data storage unit 423, speaker unit 424, and power supply unit 425. Here, CPU is an acronym for Central Processing Unit, ROM is for Read Only Memory, RAM is for Random Access Memory, and GPS is for Global Positioning System. The mobile terminal device 101 also includes a display unit 420 and an operation unit 418. These functional units within the main board 411 are interconnected via a system bus 428 managed by the CPU 412. The main board 411 and the wireless unit 429 (the aforementioned wireless unit 401) are connected, for example, via a dedicated bus 426.

[0042] The CPU 412 is a system control unit including at least one processor, and controls the entire mobile terminal device 101. In one example, the processing of the mobile terminal device 101 described below is realized by the CPU 412 executing a program stored in the ROM 413. Dedicated hardware may be provided for each process. The ROM 413 stores control programs and embedded operating system (OS) programs that the CPU 412 executes. In this embodiment, the CPU 412 performs software control such as scheduling and task switching by executing each control program stored in the ROM 413 under the management of the embedded OS, which is also stored in the ROM 413.

[0043] The RAM 414 is composed of SRAM (Static RAM) or the like. The RAM 414 stores data such as program control variables, user-registered settings, and management data for the mobile terminal device 101. The RAM 414 can also be used as a buffer for various tasks. The image memory 415 is composed of memory such as DRAM (Dynamic RAM). The image memory 415 temporarily stores image data received via the wireless unit 429 and image data read from the data storage unit 423 for processing by the CPU 412. The non-volatile memory 422 is composed of memory such as flash memory, and continues to store data even when the power to the mobile terminal device 101 is turned off. Note that the memory configuration of the mobile terminal device 101 is not limited to the above configuration. For example, the image memory 415 and the RAM 414 may be shared, or data backup may be performed using the data storage unit 423. Furthermore, while DRAM is given as an example of the image memory 415 in this embodiment, other storage media such as hard disks or non-volatile memory may be used.

[0044] The data conversion unit 416 performs analysis of various forms of data and data conversion such as color conversion and image conversion. The telephone unit 417 controls the telephone line and realizes telephone communication by processing voice data input and output via the speaker unit 424. The GPS 419 receives radio waves transmitted from satellites and acquires position information such as the current latitude and longitude of the portable terminal device 101.

[0045] The camera unit 421 has a function of electronically recording and encoding an image input via a lens. The image data obtained by imaging with the camera unit 421 is stored in the data storage unit 423. The speaker unit 424 performs control for realizing functions such as inputting or outputting voice for the telephone function and other functions such as alarm notification. The power supply unit 425 is, for example, a portable battery and controls the power supply to the device. The power supply state includes, for example, a battery dead state where there is no remaining amount in the battery, a power off state where the power key 404 is not pressed, a startup state where it is normally started, and a power saving state where it is started but in a power saving mode.

[0046] The display unit 420 performs various input operations, displays the operation status of the MFP 100, status status, etc. based on the control of the CPU 412. The operation unit 418 executes control such as generating an electrical signal corresponding to the operation and outputting it to the CPU 412 when receiving a user operation.

[0047] The portable terminal device 101 performs wireless communication using the wireless unit 429 and conducts data communication with other devices such as the MFP 100. The wireless unit 429 converts data into packets and transmits the packets to other devices. Also, the wireless unit 429 restores packets from external other devices to original data and outputs them to the CPU 412. The wireless unit 429 is a unit for realizing communication compliant with the WLAN standard respectively. The wireless unit 429 can operate in parallel in at least two communication modes including the wireless infrastructure mode and the P2P (WLAN) mode. Note that the frequency bands used in these communication modes can be limited by the functions and performance of the hardware.

[0048] (Configuration of Access Point) Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of AP111 having a wireless LAN access point function. It includes a main board 510 for controlling AP111, a wireless LAN unit 516, a wired LAN unit 518, and operation buttons 520.

[0049] The CPU 511 in the form of a microprocessor arranged on the main board 510 operates according to a control program stored in the program memory 513 in the form of ROM and the content of the data memory 514 in the form of RAM, which are connected via an internal bus 512. The CPU 511 controls the wireless LAN unit 516 through the wireless LAN communication control unit 515 to perform wireless LAN communication with other communication terminal devices. Specifically, the wireless LAN unit 516 is configured to be able to execute data (packet) communication in a WLAN system compliant with, for example, the IEEE802.11 standard series (IEEE802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax / be / bn) as wireless LAN communication. Also, it is possible to perform communication as an AP corresponding to Multi-AP communication described later. However, it is not limited to this, and the wireless LAN unit 516 may be able to execute communication in a WLAN system compliant with other standards. In this example, it is assumed that the wireless LAN unit 516 can communicate in frequency bands of 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz. However, it is not limited to this, and the wireless LAN unit 516 may be able to communicate in any one or more frequency bands including the 2.4 GHz band, 5 GHz band, and 6 GHz band.

[0050] Also, the CPU 511 controls the wired LAN unit 518 through the wired LAN communication control unit 517 to perform wired LAN communication with other communication devices. The CPU 511 can receive operations from the user by the operation buttons 520 by controlling the operation unit control circuit 519. The CPU 511 includes at least one processor.

[0051] Furthermore, AP111 includes an interference wave detection unit 521 and a channel changing unit 522. The interference wave detection unit 521 performs interference wave detection processing when wireless communication is being performed in the band where DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection) is implemented. The channel changing unit 522 performs channel changing processing when an interference wave is detected while wireless communication is being performed in the band where DFS is implemented, and when it is necessary to immediately switch to an available channel, etc.

[0052] AP112 and AP113 have the same configuration as AP111.

[0053] (P2P Mode (Direct Mode)) Next, we will outline the P2P (WLAN) communication method, which allows devices to communicate directly wirelessly with each other without going through an external access point in WLAN communication. P2P (WLAN) communication can be implemented using multiple methods. For example, a communication device can support multiple modes for P2P (WLAN) communication and can selectively use any of these modes to perform P2P communication (WLAN).

[0054] Two P2P modes are anticipated:

[0055] A communication device capable of performing P2P communication may be configured to support at least one of the following modes: Soft AP mode and Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) mode. On the other hand, a communication device capable of performing P2P communication is not required to support all of these modes, but may be configured to support only some of them.

[0056] A communication device with WFD communication capabilities (for example, a mobile terminal device 101) receives user input via its control panel, thereby calling a (possibly dedicated) application to implement the communication function. The communication device then displays a UI (user interface) screen provided by the application to prompt user input, and can perform WFD communication based on the received user input.

[0057] ●Soft AP Mode In soft AP mode, the communication device (e.g., mobile terminal device 101) operates as a client requesting various services. The other communication device (e.g., MFP 100) operates as a soft AP capable of performing WLAN AP functions through software configuration. The commands and parameters transmitted and received when establishing a wireless connection between the client and the soft AP are those specified in the Wi-Fi® standard, so their explanation is omitted here. In addition, the 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 from 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz, and which frequency channel to use within that frequency band.

[0058] ●WFD Mode The MFP100 may be configured to start permanently as the master station in WFD mode (Autonomous Group Owner). In this case, the GO Negotiation process to determine the role is unnecessary. Also, in this case, the MFP100 determines the frequency band and frequency channel as the master station. Therefore, the MFP100 can select which frequency band to use from 5GHz and 2.4GHz, and which frequency channel to use within that frequency band.

[0059] (Wireless Infrastructure Mode) In wireless infrastructure mode, communication devices that communicate with each other (for example, the mobile terminal device 101 and the MFP 100) are connected to an external AP (for example, AP 111) that manages the network, and communication between communication devices is performed via that AP. In other words, communication between communication devices is performed via the network established by the external AP. When the mobile terminal device 101 and the MFP 100 each discover AP 111, send connection requests to AP 111, and connect, communication between these communication devices in wireless infrastructure mode via AP 111 becomes possible. Note that multiple communication devices are separate It is also possible to connect to an AP. In this case, data transfer between APs enables communication between communication devices. The commands and parameters sent and received during communication between each communication device via the access point can be those specified in the Wi-Fi standard, so an explanation of them is omitted here. In this case, AP111 determines the frequency band and frequency channel. Therefore, AP111 can select which frequency band to use from 5GHz, 2.4GHz, and 6GHz, and which frequency channel to use within that frequency band.

[0060] (Multi-AP communication) The IEEE 802.11be standard specifies Multi-Link communication, in which one Access Point (AP) establishes multiple links with one Station (STA) via multiple different frequency channels and communicates in parallel.

[0061] Furthermore, the IEEE 802.11bn standard, the successor to the IEEE 802.11be standard, is exploring methods to improve usability using Multi-AP communication.

[0062] For example, there is distributed MIMO technology, which is based on a technique called MIMO (multi-user multi-output) that uses multiple transmitting and receiving antennas simultaneously on the same channel. In distributed MIMO, in an environment with multiple access points (APs) and multiple stas (STAs), groups are formed among the APs to share information about the communication status and the status of each AP, and data is sent to the STA in parallel from multiple APs at the same time. By having multiple APs perform joint transmission, the number of spatial streams can be increased compared to the case of a single AP, and thus an improvement in throughput can be expected.

[0063] Another example is a technology that improves reception quality at the STA by having multiple APs transmit data to the STA at different times through time-division multiplexing, thereby utilizing the effects of time diversity and spatial diversity.

[0064] This type of communication technology, in which multiple access points (APs) form a group and operate in a coordinated manner, is called Multi-AP communication. APs are classified into a single Coordinator AP that manages all APs and Coordinated APs that operate under the management of the Coordinator AP.

[0065] In the following, in Multi-AP communication, the AP that manages the APs will be referred to as the "Coordinator AP" or "Sharing AP". Furthermore, the APs that operate under the management of the Coordinator AP will be referred to as the "Coordinated AP" or "Shared AP". The Coordinator AP and the Coordinated AP can send and receive signals from each other. Each of the multiple APs, including AP111 to AP113, may be connected wirelessly to perform wireless LAN communication, or connected via a wired connection to perform wired LAN communication. It is assumed that AP111 to AP113 are capable of Multi-AP communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standards and support a configuration in which multiple APs cooperate to communicate with a common STA.

[0066] There are two types of Multi-AP communication methods: Co-OFDMA and Joint-TX. In the Co-OFDMA (Coordinated-Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) method, the available frequency resources are separated among multiple BSSs (Basic Service Sets). For example, the frequency resources used by AP112 and MFP100 (STA) are separated from those used by AP113 and MFP100 (STA) so as not to overlap. This prevents interference between BSS communications. If the STA has the capability to simultaneously transmit and receive data across multiple frequency bands (multiple resource units within the same channel or spanning different channels, multiple channels, or multiple of the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands), then multiple APs can cooperate to transmit and receive data to the same STA. Data refers to content data such as image data, audio data, document data, and print data. In this case, for example, AP 112 can transmit packet 1 of content A to MFP 100 (STA), and AP 113 can transmit packet 2 of content A to MFP 100 (STA) in parallel.

[0067] In the Joint-TX (Joint-Transmission) method, the same signal is transmitted and received between multiple APs and one STA. At this time, the STA receives a multiplexed wave (superimposed wave, multiplexed wave, composite wave) created by combining the radio waves emitted from multiple APs in a way that is amplified by wave interference. This ensures that the STA receives a stronger signal (amplified signal) than a signal from a single AP alone. For example, the same signal is transmitted and received between AP112 and MFP100 (STA), and between AP113 and MFP100 (STA), multiplexed and amplified at the MFP100 (STA) location. For example, at the same time, AP112 transmits packet 1 of content A to MFP100 (STA), and AP113 transmits packet 1 of content A to MFP100 (STA). At this time, the radio waves for content A are transmitted in a way that multiplexes at the MFP100 (STA) location. This improves the reliability (connectivity) of communication between the STA and AP, as well as the speed of data transmission and reception.

[0068] Figure 6 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a process in which AP111 operates as a Coordinator AP, and Coordinated APs AP112 and AP113 cooperate to send and receive data to and from MFP100 (STA). In this sequence, the processing performed by each device is realized by the CPU of each device reading various programs stored in the memory such as ROM of each device into RAM and executing them.

[0069] In S601, AP111 to AP113 perform Multi-AP setup processing. In Multi-AP setup processing, capability information and parameters are exchanged between APs, and a group is formed for Multi-AP communication.

[0070] In S602, Multi-AP coordination processing is performed between AP111 and AP113. For example, the Multi-AP communication method is determined, the AP role (CoordinatorAP or CoordinatedAP) is determined, and parameters and network information are exchanged between APs. The Multi-AP communication method and the AP role are determined by exchanging and comparing parameters between AP111 and AP113. At that time, the CoordinatorAP (AP111) notifies the CoordinatedAPs (AP112 and AP113) of network information that should be used in common (such as the SSID to be used in common and the BSSID (Basic Service Set color ID) to be used in common). Note that the BSSID to be used in common is notified in the case of the Joint-TX method.

[0071] In S603, AP112 and AP113 transmit Beacon frames (information that APs voluntarily transmit periodically) according to the network information notified in S602. The Beacon frame contains information indicating that Multi-AP communication is possible with respect to the connected STA and information indicating the Multi-AP communication method. APs that support Multi-AP communication may also transmit Beacon frames with a Multi-AP IE (Information Element) attached. The Multi-AP IE contains at least one of the following pieces of information (one or more of the following pieces of information).

[0072] - SSID used by multiple Coordinated APs belonging to the same multi-AP group (ESSID to be used in common as notified in S602) - BSSID (BSSID to be used in common by APs belonging to multi-AP group 110, as notified in S602 in the case of Joint-TX) - BSS color value (identifier) ​​for Multi-AP communication - Operating radio channel (communication channel to be used in common if it is Joint-TX. If it is Co-OFDMA, the communication channel and / or resource unit used by the source AP. In the case of Co-OFDMA, it may also include the communication channels and / or resource units used by other APs in multi-AP group 110.) - Multi-AP communication method (information that identifies whether it is Co-OFDMA or Joint-TX) Note that the storage method and configuration of this information are not limited to these, and similar information may be stored and transmitted in a similar format. Note that Multi-AP IE may be referred to by other names such as Multi-AP Element. Furthermore, Multi-AP IE may be included in wireless frames such as the S605 Probe Response frame or other Action frames.

[0073] In S604, the MFP100(STA) begins establishing a connection with the AP using wireless infrastructure mode. The MFP100(STA) sends a ProbeRequest frame to begin searching for the AP in order to determine whether the AP supports Multi-AP communication.

[0074] In S605, the MFP100 (STA) searches for and discovers APs by receiving ProbeResponse frames and Beacon frames transmitted from APs, which are responses to AP searches.

[0075] In S606, MFP100(STA) performs connection processing with at least one CoordinatedAP based on the information contained in the frame received in S605. Here, as an example, MFP100(STA) sends a connection request to AP112 and performs a connection attempt (connection processing). This connection processing includes processes such as Authentication and Association as defined in IEEE802.11. MFP100(STA) may also add Multi-AP IE to the Association Request frame it sends to indicate that it is requesting Multi-AP communication. AP112, upon receiving the Association Request frame, sends an Association Response frame in response. This establishes a wireless LAN connection between the MFP100 (STA) and AP112.

[0076] In S607, when AP112 establishes a connection with MFP100(STA), it notifies CoordinatorAP (AP111) of information indicating that it has established a connection with MFP100(STA), along with connection parameters related to the connected MFP100(STA). The connection parameters related to the connected MFP100(STA) include information used or generated during the connection process between AP112 and MFP100 (such as PMK cache, roaming information, authentication information, etc.), and the identifier of STA. Similarly, when AP113 connects with MFP100(STA), AP113 notifies CoordinatorAP (AP111) that it has established a connection.

[0077] After S607, AP111 transmits the connection parameters for MFP100(STA) transmitted in S607 to AP113. AP113 may use the transmitted connection parameters for MFP100(STA) to establish a connection with MFP100. However, in the Joint-TX method, data can be transmitted from APs that have not established a connection. In other words, APs that have not established a connection can also be sources of multiplexed radio waves. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform the process of establishing a connection between AP113 and MFP100.

[0078] In S608, the Coordinator AP (AP111) determines the transmission parameters (information necessary for determining the transmission timing and transmission power at each Coordinated AP and each antenna, and / or resource unit allocation information, etc.) based on the connection parameters (parameters received in S607) of the Coordinated AP that has connected to the MFP100 (STA), and then allocates the transmission data. The determined transmission parameter information is notified to each Coordinated AP via a Multi-AP Trigger frame. AP112 and AP113 set their own transmission parameters (transmission timing, transmission power, resource units to be used) based on the notified information. Note that the Multi-AP Trigger frame may have a different name. Furthermore, the Multi-AP Trigger frame may be an extension of the Trigger frame of the IEEE 802.11ax / be standard.

[0079] In S609, the CoordinatorAP (AP111) sends the data to be sent to the MFP100 (STA) (for example, content data such as image data, document data, and print data) to the CoordinatedAP.

[0080] In S610, when the Coordinated APs (AP112, AP113) receive data to be transmitted from the Coordinator AP (AP111), they coordinately transmit that data to the MFP100. Also, when the Coordinated APs (AP112, AP113) receive data from the MFP100 (STA), they transmit that received data to the Coordinator AP (AP111). Note that this order of data transmission and reception is just an example; for example, the reception of data from STA may occur before the transmission of data to STA.

[0081] Furthermore, the Coordinator AP may directly transmit and receive signals with the STA. For example, AP111 may operate as both a Coordinator AP and a Coordinated AP. In this case, for example, AP111 may transmit and receive wireless frames between itself and the STA while issuing instructions to AP112 or AP113 to transmit and receive wireless frames between AP112 or AP113 and the STA. Furthermore, when the Coordinator AP causes the Coordinated AP to transmit wireless frames, it may send the data to be transmitted to the Coordinated AP. However, it is not limited to this, and the Coordinated AP may, for example, directly obtain the data to be transmitted from the Internet. Furthermore, while CoordinatorAP may receive data from CoordinatedAP that CoordinatedAP has received from STA, CoordinatedAP may also forward the data received from STA to the STA's partner device without forwarding it to CoordinatorAP.

[0082] Furthermore, any AP within the same network can operate as a Coordinator AP, and it may be determined by some criteria that one of the APs will operate as a Coordinator AP. A Coordinator AP may not operate as an AP that transmits Beacon frames, but may only perform the role of a Coordinator AP, such as sending instructions to other APs. Also, each AP may operate as multiple Coordinated APs by having multiple wireless LAN communication control units 515. Furthermore, a Coordinator AP may be implemented as a logical function, and one physical AP may operate as a Coordinator AP while simultaneously operating as one or more Coordinated APs.

[0083] In this embodiment, the wireless unit 250 of the MFP 100 is equipped with only one antenna and analog front end. Furthermore, during simultaneous connection, where both infrastructure connection and P2P connection are established in parallel, the infrastructure mode, which performs communication via the infrastructure connection, and the P2P mode, which performs communication via the P2P connection, are switched on a time-division basis at unit time intervals. This switching is controlled by the CPU or CPU 212 of the wireless unit 250. The setting value for the ratio (duty cycle) of communication on the infrastructure connection side and the P2P connection side is stored in advance in the ROM 213, and the CPU 212 performs the switching based on that setting value. The setting value can be set by inputting a command from outside the wireless unit 250. Note that the analog front end (AFE) is a circuit system that converts the analog signal from the antenna into a digital signal, and can improve the quality and accuracy of the signal by performing signal amplification, filtering, noise reduction, etc. In the following description, it is assumed that the wireless unit 250 of the MFP 100 is equipped with only one antenna and analog front end.

[0084] Furthermore, when AP111, AP112, and AP113 are not performing Multi-AP communication, they will each manage only a specific BSS. For example, AP111 manages only BSS1, AP112 manages only BSS2, and AP113 manages only BSS3. For example, AP111 and AP112 manage resource allocation and communication timing in OFDMA communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11ax standard in BSS1 and BSS2, respectively, while AP113 manages resource allocation and communication timing in OFDM communication in BSS3.

[0085] <Processing when initiating a P2P connection while infrastructure is connected using the Co-OFDMA method> Next, we will explain the processing when initiating a P2P connection while infrastructure is connected using the Co-OFDMA method.

[0086] Consider the case where the MFP100 is capable of Multi-AP communication using the Co-OFDMA method as wireless communication in infrastructure mode, and the MFP100 connects to an external mobile terminal device (slave) as a master station for a P2P connection. That is, consider the case where simultaneous infrastructure connection and P2P connection are established in the MFP100. In this case, the communication parameters on the infrastructure connection side must be matched to the communication parameters specified by the CoordinatorAP, but these communication parameters are not necessarily parameters that allow for easy switching to wireless communication on the P2P connection side. Therefore, the decrease in communication efficiency due to time-division switching between infrastructure mode and P2P mode can be significant.

[0087] Furthermore, within the Co-OFDMA system, during the designated time period for transmission in the designated frequency band (RU) specified by the CoordinatorAP, the STA, MFP100, must also be on standby for reception in that designated frequency band. In other words, during the above designated time period, the MFP100 must occupy the designated frequency band specified by the CoordinatorAP on the infrastructure connection side. This means that during that designated time period, even if no data transmission or reception is actually occurring on the infrastructure connection side, the STA, MFP100, cannot perform wireless communication on the P2P connection side in the designated frequency band, and must wait for data transmission or reception on the P2P connection side. As a result, the communication efficiency on the P2P connection side is reduced accordingly.

[0088] In this embodiment, when wireless communication is performed on the P2P connection side, wireless communication is performed on the infrastructure connection side using a method other than Co-OFDMA. This prevents a significant decrease in communication efficiency when performing wireless communication on the infrastructure connection side and wireless communication on the P2P connection side, as described above. This process is particularly effective in devices equipped with a wireless communication unit that uses only one antenna and AFE for wireless LAN communication, simultaneously establishes infrastructure and P2P connections, and switches between infrastructure mode and P2P mode by frequency time division.

[0089] Figure 7 shows the sequence of devices when a P2P connection is made in the MFP 100 from a state where an infrastructure connection has been established. The state where an infrastructure connection has been established means that the MFP 100 has an infrastructure connection established with the multi-AP group 110 in which Co-OFDMA Multi-AP communication is enabled. The state where a P2P connection is made means that the MFP 100 makes a wireless LAN P2P connection with the mobile terminal device 102 (not shown in Figure 1). The processing performed by each device in this sequence is realized by the CPU of each device reading various programs stored in computer-readable memory such as ROM into RAM and executing them. Here, the mobile terminal device 102 is a device that communicates with the MFP 100 via a P2P connection, and is not a device that communicates with the MFP 100 via AP (via infrastructure connection). Therefore, it is considered a different device from the mobile terminal device 101 shown in Figure 1, which communicates with the MFP 100 via AP (infrastructure connection), and is therefore given a different reference numeral. However, the configuration of the mobile terminal device 102 is assumed to be the same as that of the mobile terminal device 101 shown in Figures 4A and 4B.

[0090] In S701, AP111, AP112, and AP113 constitute a multi-AP group 110 using the Co-OFDMA method. The processing in S701 corresponds to the processing in S601 and S602 in Figure 6. Here, the Multi-AP communication method is the Co-OFDMA method, and it is determined that the Coordinator AP is AP111, and the Coordinated APs are AP112 and 113.

[0091] In S702, an infrastructure connection is established between MFP100 and AP112 with Co-OFDMA Multi-AP communication enabled. The processing in S702 corresponds to the processing in S603 to S606 in Figure 6. In S702, MFP100 notifies AP112 that MFP100 is able to connect using Co-OFDMA. This notification is made, for example, using a Probe Request frame or an Association Request frame.

[0092] In S703, AP111, AP112, AP113, and MFP100 adjust the Co-OFDMA operating parameters under the guidance of AP111. The processing in S703 corresponds to the processing in S608 in Figure 6. As adjustments, for example, adjustments are made to the frequency band between the STA and the connected APs, the RU and transmission timing when each AP transmits data, and the RU and transmission timing when the STA transmits data.

[0093] In S704, data is transmitted and received between AP112 and MFP100, and between AP113 and MFP100, based on the adjusted RU and communication timing. The processing in S704 corresponds to the processing in S610 in Figure 6.

[0094] In S705, the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 determines whether a P2P connection trigger has occurred. If it is determined that a P2P connection trigger has occurred, the process in S706 is executed. A P2P connection trigger is, for example, when the MFP 100 has enabled P2P connections and has received a P2P connection request from the mobile terminal device 102, which is the P2P connection partner. Alternatively, a P2P connection trigger may be when the MFP 100 receives a P2P connection instruction operation with the mobile terminal device 102 as the connection partner. However, it is not limited to these. For example, the P2P connection trigger may be when the MFP 100 has enabled P2P connections. In that case, once the P2P connection is enabled, the process in S706 is executed before receiving a P2P connection request or before receiving a P2P connection instruction operation with the mobile terminal device 102 as the connection partner. For example, if the "Wireless Direct" item in Figure 3B is selected and the setting is changed from "Disabled" to "Enabled," it means that the P2P connection has been enabled. Also, if the MFP 100 is powered on while the "Wireless Direct" item is set to "Enabled," it means that the P2P connection has been enabled. When the P2P connection is enabled, the MFP 100 transmits a beacon (wireless signal) indicating that a P2P connection is possible, and surrounding devices can discover the MFP 100 as a target for P2P connection. If the mobile terminal device 102 receives the beacon indicating that the MFP 100 is capable of P2P connection and performs an operation to instruct the MFP 100 to be the connection partner, the mobile terminal device 102 will send a P2P connection request to the MFP 100. Furthermore, even if the mobile terminal device 102 does not perform an operation to instruct the MFP 100 to be the connection partner for P2P connection, P2P communication may be enabled on the mobile terminal device 102. In such cases, the MFP 100 can receive a beacon emitted by the mobile terminal device 102, and then send a P2P connection request from the MFP 100 to the mobile terminal device 102.In that case, when the MFP 100 receives an instruction operation for a P2P connection with the mobile terminal device 102, which is the P2P connection partner, the MFP 100 sends a P2P connection request to the mobile terminal device 102.

[0095] In S706, the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 performs P2P connection processing with the mobile terminal device 102. For example, it performs Wi-Fi Direct connection processing. In this case, Wi-Fi Direct connection processing is performed between the MFP 100 and the mobile terminal device 102 so that the MFP 100 becomes the Group Owner. The connection processing in S706 is performed using a method that does not use OFDMA.

[0096] In S707, the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 requests AP 112 to disconnect the infrastructure connection. Specifically, the CPU 212 sends a De-authentication frame requesting the disconnection (disconnection) of the connection using the Co-OFDMA method. Note that this request is not limited to being sent to AP 112, but may be sent to any of the multiple APs that make up the multi-AP group. That is, for example, the request may be sent to AP 113.

[0097] In S708, the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 controls the system to re-establish an infrastructure connection with AP 112 using a method other than Co-OFDMA. This control is performed automatically after S705, even if there is no user action to establish an infrastructure connection. For example, the CPU 212 sends a Probe Request frame or Association Request frame to AP 112, the connection partner with which the infrastructure connection is to be re-established, containing information indicating that the Co-OFDMA method is not supported. The CPU 212 then controls the system to connect after notifying AP 112 that the Co-OFDMA method is not supported. Alternatively, the CPU 212 controls the system to connect after notifying AP 112 that the MFP 100 is not supported by Co-OFDMA by not sending a specific frame defined by IEEE 802.11bn to AP 112. If an infrastructure connection is established using a method other than Co-OFDMA, the MFP 100 will connect to AP 112 using a method that does not support Multi-AP communication, or a method other than Co-OFDMA (e.g., Joint-TX) even if it is Multi-AP communication. Although AP 112 was used as the connection partner for the MFP 100 in S707, it is not limited to AP 112; any AP belonging to the same network as the AP to which it was connected in S702 may be used. This is because any AP belonging to the same network can communicate with the same communication partner (e.g., mobile terminal device 101) that was communicated via the infrastructure connection when connected in S702. An example of an AP belonging to the same network is an AP (e.g., AP 113) belonging to the same multi-AP group 110 as AP 112. If it is not necessary to be able to communicate with the same communication partner (e.g., mobile terminal device 101) that was communicated via the infrastructure connection when connected in S702, the MFP 100 may connect to an AP belonging to a different network. For example, at step S707, the MFP 100 may choose to connect to the AP with the best radio signal among the available APs. Such processing allows the MFP 100 to communicate without being limited by the adjustment of operating parameters led by AP 111 at step S703.

[0098] In this embodiment, the MFP 100 switches between infrastructure mode and P2P mode in a time-division manner in the operation of the antenna and analog front end. In this switching, the switching time becomes particularly long when switching to far apart frequencies, for example, when the frequency band on the infrastructure connection side is 2.4 GHz and the frequency band on the P2P connection side is 5 GHz. Furthermore, the Co-OFDMA method requires the use of a complex modulation method in order to keep the frequency band used when transmitting data within a narrow range, which consumes a lot of computing resources of the CPU of the wireless unit 250. As a result, the overhead required for switching between wireless communication on the P2P connection side and wireless communication on the infrastructure connection side, and the load on the communication processing on the infrastructure connection side, may make it difficult to switch to wireless communication on the P2P connection side. This can lead to a decrease in the communication efficiency on the P2P connection side.

[0099] In this embodiment, the connection method on the infrastructure connection side is changed to a method other than the Co-OFDMA method. By doing so, it becomes possible to connect the AP and the infrastructure using connection parameters that are easily switchable from the P2P connection side, regardless of the schedule adjustment by the Coordinator AP.

[0100] When performing wireless communication on the P2P connection side within the specified frequency band designated by the CoordinatorAP, the P2P connection side must wait for data transmission and reception even though the infrastructure connection side is not actually transmitting or receiving data.

[0101] In this embodiment, the connection method on the infrastructure connection side is changed to a method other than the Co-OFDMA method. By doing so, the P2P connection side does not have to wait for data transmission and reception, and the decrease in communication efficiency on the P2P connection side can be suppressed.

[0102] Furthermore, after S705, S706 describes establishing a P2P connection, and then S707 and S708 describe establishing a reconnection on the infrastructure connection side using a non-Co-OFDMA method. However, this is not the only option; after S705, the processes of S707 and S708 may be executed before the process of S706.

[0103] The above-mentioned S705 is a process that determines whether or not there was an event that caused the processing in S707 and S708. Specifically, for example, the following determination is made.

[0104] (A) Determining whether a P2P connection request has been received from the mobile terminal device 102, which is the P2P connection partner, while the P2P connection is enabled. Alternatively, determining whether the MFP 100 has received an instruction operation for a P2P connection with the mobile terminal device 102 as the connection partner. In other words, determining whether an event has occurred that triggers the start of the connection process with the P2P connection partner. An event that triggers the start of the connection process is, for example, the receipt of an Association Request or the transmission of an Association Response.

[0105] If the judgment in (A) is true, the processing of S707 and S708 is executed accordingly. Even after the P2P connection is enabled, the reconnection processing on the infrastructure side using the non-Co-OFDMA method in S707 and S708 will not be performed until the P2P connection is actually established. Therefore, even after the P2P connection is enabled, wireless communication using Multi-AP communication in the Co-OFDMA method can be performed on the infrastructure connection side until the P2P connection is actually established.

[0106] (B) Determination of whether the P2P connection has been enabled in the MFP 100. That is, determination of whether the event that triggers the start of Beacon frame transmission has occurred.

[0107] If the determination in (B) is true, the processing in S707 and S708 is executed, and the infrastructure connection side can be set to a non-Co-OFDMA method before the P2P connection is established. Therefore, when accepting a P2P connection request or when establishing a P2P connection, wireless communication in P2P mode can be performed more efficiently.

[0108] Alternatively, the following check may be performed in S705.

[0109] (C) After establishing a P2P connection, determine whether communication has started on the P2P connection side that sends and receives a predetermined type of data (e.g., print data), or communication that exceeds a predetermined amount of data.

[0110] If the result of the judgment in (C) is true, the reconnection process on the infrastructure connection side in S707 and S708 may be performed using the non-Co-OFDMA method.

[0111] Furthermore, even if the judgment results of (A) to (C) are true, if the following conditions are met, control may be taken to prevent the execution of the reconnection process using the non-Co-OFDMA method on the infrastructure connection side of S707 and S708. Then, when the following conditions are no longer met, for example, when the following specific communication process is completed, the reconnection process using the non-Co-OFDMA method on the infrastructure connection side of S707 and S708 may be executed.

[0112] (Condition) The infrastructure connection side is currently performing communication processing that involves sending and receiving specific data using the Co-OFDMA method (for example, sending and receiving print data or scan data with the mobile terminal device 101 via the AP, or sending and receiving data for firmware updates of the MFP).

[0113] Furthermore, during the reconnection process in S708, a request may be made to the AP to use the same channel used for the P2P connection for the infrastructure connection, and control may be made to use the same channel used for the P2P connection for the infrastructure connection. This can further reduce the overhead during time-division switching between P2P mode and infrastructure mode.

[0114] Alternatively, during the reconnection process in S708, the AP may be requested to establish the infrastructure connection using a frequency band (RU or communication channel) that does not interfere with the frequency band used by the P2P connection side. This can suppress interference between wireless communication on the P2P connection side and wireless communication on the infrastructure connection side. This will be explained in detail using Figure 8.

[0115] Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating how the so-called Hidden Node Problem occurs when the MFP100 begins communicating with AP112 in S704.

[0116] In communication between the MFP 100 and AP 113, when AP 113 transmits a carrier wave, devices within the wireless communication range 801 can detect AP 113's carrier wave by carrier sense. In this case, the MFP 100 and the mobile terminal device 102 can detect AP 113's carrier wave. Therefore, the mobile terminal device 102 can start outputting its own carrier wave after AP 113's carrier wave has stopped, preventing collision between the mobile terminal device 102's carrier wave and AP 113's carrier wave, thus preventing a decrease in communication efficiency due to collision.

[0117] On the other hand, when communication begins between the MFP 100 and AP 112 in S704, AP 112 cannot detect the carrier wave of the mobile terminal device 102, so AP 112 may transmit its own carrier wave while mobile terminal device 102 is transmitting its carrier wave. AP 112's carrier wave can be received by devices within the wireless communication range 802, and at the location of the MFP 100, which is in the overlapping range of both the wireless communication range 801 and the wireless communication range 802, the carrier wave of mobile terminal device 102 and AP 112 will collide. When a collision occurs, MFP 100 will not be able to properly receive communication from either mobile terminal device 102 or AP 112, requiring retransmission from both devices, and reducing communication efficiency. Furthermore, as a countermeasure against the hidden terminal problem, there is the RTS (Request To Send) / CTS (Clear To Send) mechanism specified in IEEE 802.11. However, using RTS / CTS can lead to communication latency and reduced communication efficiency, and RTS / CTS cannot handle collisions that occur between the wireless communication on the infrastructure connection side and the wireless communication on the P2P connection side, which are separate BSSs. Therefore, the RTS / CTS mechanism cannot address this issue.

[0118] On the other hand, in this embodiment, the connection method on the infrastructure connection side is changed to a method other than the Co-OFDMA method. Therefore, in addition to the effects of this embodiment already described, it is possible to avoid the decrease in communication efficiency due to the hidden terminal problem.

[0119] <Processing when starting infrastructure connection using Co-OFDMA method during P2P connection> Next, the processing when the MFP 100 starts an infrastructure connection with an AP that constitutes a Multi-AP group using Co-OFDMA method while a P2P connection is established will be described. If an infrastructure connection is started with an AP that constitutes a Multi-AP group using Co-OFDMA method while a P2P connection is established and Multi-AP communication is performed, the wireless communication on the infrastructure connection side and the wireless communication on the P2P connection side may interfere with each other, potentially reducing communication efficiency. In particular, this may hinder efficient communication using Multi-AP communication, and the benefits of Multi-AP communication may not be fully realized. Therefore, in this embodiment, when the MFP 100 starts an infrastructure connection with an AP that constitutes a Multi-AP group using Co-OFDMA method while a P2P connection is established, it prompts the MFP 100 to disconnect the P2P connection or automatically disconnects it.

[0120] Figure 9 shows the sequence when the MFP 100 establishes a P2P connection over a wireless LAN with the mobile terminal device 102, and then establishes an infrastructure connection with Co-OFDMA Multi-AP communication enabled. In this sequence, the processing performed by each device is realized by the CPU of each device reading various programs stored in the memory such as ROM into RAM and executing them. Here, the mobile terminal device 102 is a device that communicates with the MFP 100 via a P2P connection, and is not a device that communicates with the MFP 100 via AP (infrastructure connection). Therefore, it is a different device from the mobile terminal device 101 in Figure 1, which communicates with the MFP 100 via AP (infrastructure connection), and is given a different reference numeral. However, the configuration of the mobile terminal device 102 is assumed to be the same as that of the mobile terminal device 101 shown in Figures 4A and 4B.

[0121] In step S901, the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 establishes a P2P connection with the mobile terminal device 102. The establishment of the P2P connection in S901 is performed using a method other than OFDMA. Specifically, for example, the MFP 100 becomes the Group Owner of Wi-Fi Direct, and a Wi-Fi Direct connection is established with the mobile terminal device 102.

[0122] In S902, AP111, AP112, and AP113 constitute a Co-OFDMA multi-AP group 110. This process corresponds to S601 and S602 in Figure 6. In S902, the Multi-AP communication method is the Co-OFDMA method, AP111 is determined as the Coordinator AP, and AP112 and AP113 are determined as Coordinated APs.

[0123] In S903, the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 determines whether a trigger has occurred to enable infrastructure connection using the Co-OFDMA Multi-AP communication method. If it is determined that such a trigger has occurred, the process in S904 is executed. On the other hand, if it is determined that such a trigger has not occurred, the processes from S904 onward are not executed. A trigger to enable infrastructure connection using the Co-OFDMA Multi-AP communication method is, for example, one of the following:

[0124] - With connection information for a Coordinated AP belonging to a multi-AP group performing Co-OFDMA Multi-AP communication stored in the MFP100, the setting status of the "Enable / Disable Wireless LAN Settings" item in the wireless LAN settings menu in Figure 3C was changed from disabled to enabled. Note that the connection information for the Coordinated AP is, for example, the SSID and password.

[0125] - The power was turned on while the setting status of the "Enable / Disable Wireless LAN Settings" item in the wireless LAN settings menu in Figure 3C was set to "Enabled", and connection information for a Coordinated AP belonging to a multi-AP group that performs Co-OFDMA Multi-AP communication was stored in the MFP100.

[0126] - The setting status of the "Enable / Disable Wireless LAN Settings" item in the wireless LAN settings menu in Figure 3C is enabled, and connection information to a Coordinated AP belonging to a multi-AP group that performs Co-OFDMA Multi-AP communication is stored in the MFP100, and the MFP100 has moved from an area where it cannot receive the radio waves of the Coordinated AP to an area where it can receive them.

[0127] - After selecting the "Wireless LAN Setup" item in the wireless LAN settings menu in Figure 3C, an operation was performed to instruct the system to establish a wireless LAN connection with a Coordinated AP belonging to a multi-AP group that performs Co-OFDMA Multi-AP communication, using one of the wireless LAN setup items in Figure 3D as the communication partner.

[0128] In S904, the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 establishes an infrastructure connection with AP 112, enabling Co-OFDMA Multi-AP communication. This process corresponds to S603 to S606 in Figure 6. Also in S904, the MFP 100 notifies AP 112 that the MFP 100 is able to connect using the Co-OFDMA method. This notification is made, for example, using a Probe Request frame or an Association Request frame.

[0129] In S905, AP111, AP112, AP113, and MFP100 adjust the Co-OFDMA operating parameters under the guidance of AP111. This process corresponds to S608 in Figure 6. The adjustment of the Co-OFDMA operating parameters includes, for example, adjusting the frequency band between the STA and the connected APs, adjusting the RU and transmission timing when each AP transmits data, and adjusting the RU and transmission timing when the STA transmits data.

[0130] In S906, the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 displays a confirmation dialog screen (confirmation screen) on the operation display unit 220.

[0131] Figure 10 shows an example of a confirmation dialog screen displayed in S906. The confirmation dialog screen 1001 displays the message, "Disconnecting the direct connection will improve the communication efficiency of the wireless LAN. Do you want to disconnect the direct connection?" In this embodiment, disconnecting the P2P connection prevents interference between the wireless communication on the infrastructure connection side and the wireless communication on the P2P connection side, which would hinder efficient communication using Multi-AP communication. Therefore, the confirmation dialog screen is displayed in S906 to prompt the user to disconnect the P2P connection that is currently being established. The confirmation dialog screen 1001 is provided with a "Yes" button 1002 to accept the instruction to disconnect the P2P connection and a "No" button 1003 to accept the instruction to maintain the P2P connection (i.e., not disconnect).

[0132] In S907, the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 determines whether the "yes" button 1002, which accepts the instruction to disconnect the P2P connection, or the "no" button 1003 has been selected. If it is determined that the "yes" button 1002 has been selected, the process in S908 is executed. On the other hand, if it is determined that the "no" button 1003 has been selected, the processes from S908 onwards are not executed, and the P2P connection is maintained without being disconnected.

[0133] In S908, the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 controls the disconnection of the P2P connection with the mobile terminal device 102. Specifically, for example, the CPU 212 sends a De-authentication frame to the mobile terminal device 102 and disconnects the Wi-Fi Direct connection.

[0134] In S909, the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 performs data transmission and reception between AP112 and AP113 based on the operating parameters adjusted in S905, such as the RU and communication timing. This process corresponds to S610 in Figure 6.

[0135] According to the process shown in Figure 9, based on the occurrence of a trigger in S903 to establish an infrastructure connection where Co-OFDMA Multi-AP communication is enabled, a confirmation dialog screen prompting the user to disconnect the P2P connection is displayed in S906. If the instruction to disconnect the P2P connection is received in the confirmation dialog screen, the P2P connection is disconnected. With this configuration, the benefits of Co-OFDMA Multi-AP communication can be enjoyed without causing interference with the wireless communication on the P2P connection side. Furthermore, according to the process shown in Figure 9, the Hidden Node Problem described in Figure 8 can be suppressed.

[0136] In addition, in S908, the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 may change the communication ratio so that the communication ratio of the wireless communication on the infrastructure connection side is higher than the communication ratio of the P2P connection side, rather than disconnecting the P2P connection.

[0137] Furthermore, if a trigger occurs in S903 to establish an infrastructure connection where Co-OFDMA Multi-AP communication is enabled, and an infrastructure connection where Co-OFDMA Multi-AP communication is enabled is established, other processing may be performed. For example, in that case, the P2P connection may be disconnected in S908 without executing the processes in S906 and S907. In other words, the P2P connection may be automatically disconnected without receiving a command from the user to disconnect the P2P connection. Also, for example, the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 may determine the amount of wireless communication on the P2P connection side, and if the amount of communication is less than a predetermined amount, it may execute the process in S906, and if the amount of communication is large (i.e., above a predetermined amount), it may not execute the processes in S906 to S908. In that case, if, after an infrastructure connection is established in which Co-OFDMA Multi-AP communication is enabled, the amount of wireless communication on the P2P connection side changes to less than a predetermined amount, the CPU 212 may be controlled to perform the processing of S906 to S908.

[0138] Furthermore, the configuration in which processing S906 to S908 is performed when it is determined in S903 that a trigger has occurred to establish an infrastructure connection in which Co-OFDMA Multi-AP communication is enabled is not limited to the sequence shown in Figure 9. For example, when the infrastructure connection side recognizes that data that satisfies predetermined conditions will be sent or received while the infrastructure connection is established, processing S906 to S908 may be performed when the sending or receiving of data that satisfies those predetermined conditions begins. Recognition of sending or receiving data is, for example, job detection. Here, sending or receiving data that satisfies predetermined conditions is, for example, sending or receiving data of a predetermined capacity or more. Also, sending or receiving data that satisfies predetermined conditions is, for example, sending or receiving data of a predetermined type. Specifically, for example, this could be sending or receiving print data or scan data with a mobile terminal device 101 via the AP, or sending or receiving data for firmware updates of the MFP 100.

[0139] In this embodiment, the processing described for the Co-OFDMA method of Multi-AP communication may also be applied to the OFDMA method of IEEE 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6). That is, when the MFP 100 is connected to one external AP and is in a situation where communication using the OFDMA method of IEEE 802.11ax is possible, and a P2P connection is initiated, the infrastructure connection that enables communication using the OFDMA method of IEEE 802.11ax may be temporarily disconnected, as shown in Figure 7, and the infrastructure connection may be re-established using a method that does not support the OFDMA method of IEEE 802.11ax. Also, when an infrastructure connection using the OFDMA method of IEEE 802.11ax is initiated while a P2P connection is in progress, the user may be prompted to disconnect the P2P connection, or the P2P connection may be automatically disconnected, as shown in Figure 9. In other words, the Co-OFDMA method of Multi-AP communication in this embodiment may be replaced with the OFDMA method of IEEE 802.11ax to perform various controls. In that case as well, the same effects as those described in this embodiment can be achieved.

[0140] Furthermore, the various controls described above, which were explained as being performed by the CPU of each device, may be performed by a single piece of hardware, or multiple pieces of hardware (for example, multiple processors or circuits) may share the processing to control the entire device.

[0141] Furthermore, while this disclosure has been described in detail based on its preferred embodiments, this disclosure is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various forms are also included within this disclosure without departing from the gist of this disclosure. Moreover, each of the embodiments described above is merely one example of this disclosure, and it is possible to combine each embodiment as appropriate.

[0142] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiments used the application of this disclosure to an MFP as an example, this is not limited to this example, and it can be applied to any wireless device capable of Multi-AP communication. In other words, this disclosure can be applied to personal computers, PDAs, tablet terminals, mobile phone terminals such as smartphones, music players, game consoles, e-book readers, smartwatches, and various measuring devices (sensor devices) such as thermometers and hygrometers. This disclosure can also be applied to digital cameras (including still cameras, video cameras, network cameras, and security cameras), printers, scanners, and drones. This disclosure can also be applied to video output devices, audio output devices (e.g., smart speakers), media streaming players, and wireless LAN adapters that can be connected via USB terminals or LAN cable terminals. Video output devices include, for example, devices such as set-top boxes, which acquire (download) videos and still images from the internet specified by a URL instructed by a communication device and output them to a display device connected via a video output terminal such as HDMI®. This enables streaming playback on display devices and mirroring (displaying content shown on a communication device on a display device). Video output devices include media players such as televisions, hard disk recorders, Blu-ray recorders, and DVD recorders, as well as head-mounted displays, projectors, televisions, display devices (monitors), and signage devices. Furthermore, this disclosure is applicable to Wi-Fi-connected devices, often referred to as smart home appliances, such as air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, ovens, microwave ovens, lighting fixtures, heating appliances, and cooling appliances.

[0143] This disclosure can also be implemented by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and by having one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. It can also be implemented by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0144] The technical ideas derived from this disclosure are not limited to the exemplary embodiments disclosed, but are intended to encompass various modifications of the exemplary embodiments, or substitutions with equivalent structures or functions. The scope of the following claims should be interpreted in the broadest way to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.

[0145] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-233113, filed on 27 December 2024, and all of its contents are incorporated herein by reference.

[0146] 100 Communication devices: 101 Mobile terminal devices: 111, 112, 113 APs: 212, 412, 511 CPUs

Claims

1. A communication device comprising: a first communication means for communicating via an external access point using wireless LAN communication; a second communication means for communicating directly with an external terminal device via wireless LAN communication without going through an external access point; and a control means for controlling the first communication means to change to a second state in which it can communicate with the external access point using a communication method different from the first communication method, when the second communication means initiates a predetermined communication in a first state in which the first communication means is connected to the external access point and communication using a first communication method is possible.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first communication method is a communication method in which each of the multiple access points belonging to the group to which the external access point connected by the first communication means in the first state belongs communicates with the communication device using different resource units from each other.

3. The communication device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first communication method is a Co-OFDMA (Coordinated-Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) method in Multi-AP communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standards.

4. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the control means controls the device to change to the second state by disconnecting the connection with the external access point that was connected by the first communication means when the second communication means initiates the predetermined communication in the first state, and then reconnecting to the external access point after the disconnection.

5. The communication device according to claim 4, characterized in that the control means controls the transmission of specific information to the external access point to be connected to, indicating that it does not support the first communication method, when reconnecting.

6. The communication device according to claim 5, characterized in that the control means controls the transmission of the specific information to the connected external access point via Probe Request or Association Request.

7. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the second state is not a state in which Multi-AP communication is performed in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 series standards, but rather a state in which the communication device is connected to and communicates with one access point.

8. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the second state is a state in which Multi-AP communication is performed in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 series standards using a communication method different from the first communication method.

9. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the second state is a state in which communication is possible in a frequency band that does not interfere with communication by the second communication means.

10. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the second state is a state in which communication is possible on the same channel as the communication channel used for communication by the second communication means.

11. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the predetermined communication is at least one of the following: transmission of a Beacon frame from the communication device; transmission of an Association Request frame from the communication device to the external terminal device; reception of an Association Response frame from the external terminal device; and communication between the communication device and the external terminal device that exceeds a predetermined amount of communication.

12. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, even when the predetermined communication is initiated, if the first communication means is performing a specific communication using the first communication method via the external access point, the control means controls the device so as not to change to the second state.

13. The communication device according to claim 12, characterized in that the control means controls the device to change to the second state when the specific communication is terminated.

14. The communication device according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the specific communication is at least one of the following: sending and receiving print data, sending and receiving scan data, and sending and receiving data for firmware updates of the communication device.

15. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that, when a connection to the external terminal device is established by the second communication means, and a connection to the external access point is established by the first communication means using the first communication method, the control means is controlled to perform a specific process for disconnecting the connection to the external terminal device by the second communication means.

16. The communication device according to claim 15, characterized in that the specific process is either a process of displaying a screen for receiving a disconnection instruction from the user, or a process of performing the disconnection even without a user instruction.

17. A method to be performed in a communication device, comprising: a first communication step of performing communication via an external access point using wireless LAN communication; a second communication step of performing direct communication with an external terminal device via wireless LAN communication without going through an external access point; and a control step of controlling the first communication step to change to a second state in which communication with the external access point is possible using a communication method different from the first communication method, when a predetermined communication is started in the second communication step while the first communication step is in a first state in which the device is connected to the external access point and communication using a first communication method is possible.

18. A program for causing a computer to function as one of the means of a communication device described in any one of claims 1 to 16.

19. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as one of the means of a communication device described in any one of claims 1 to 16.

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