Communication apparatus, control method for same, program, and storage medium

Abstract

There are concerns about security risks in multi-access point (AP) communication of the IEEE 802.11bn standard. Therefore, this communication apparatus comprises: a communication unit that communicates with at least one wireless AP; a communication control unit that controls the communication apparatus so as to transmit or receive data of a single content via a single AP when multi-AP communication is disabled, and controls the communication apparatus so as to transmit or receive data of a single content via a plurality of APs when multi-AP communication is enabled; and a setting unit that sets, for each AP group, whether or not to connect with the multi-AP communication enabled. On the basis of the setting, the communication apparatus connects to a first AP group with the multi-AP communication enabled, and connects to a second AP group with the multi-AP communication disabled.

Description

Communication device, control method therefor, program, and storage medium

[0001] The technique of the present disclosure relates to a communication device capable of using wireless communication compliant with IEEE 802.11, a control method therefor, a program, and a storage medium.

[0002] In recent years, along with an increase in the amount of data to be communicated, development of communication technologies such as wireless LAN (Local Area Network) has been promoted. As a main communication standard for wireless LAN, the IEEE 802.11 standard series is known. The IEEE 802.11 standard series includes standards such as IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax / be.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a communication device compatible with IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax.

[0004] Patent Document 2 describes one technique for a case where a communication device operates as a wireless LAN slave unit and connects to an access point (hereinafter referred to as AP) that operates as a wireless LAN master station. Specifically, connection processing based on position information of the AP is disclosed.

[0005] Furthermore, in the IEEE 802.11bn standard, which is a successor standard to the IEEE 802.11be standard, a mechanism of Multi-AP communication in which a plurality of APs cooperate to transmit data to a station (STA) is being studied.

[0006] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-50133 Patent No. 05799453

[0007] The use of Multi-AP communication is expected to improve communication performance such as higher communication speed and improved communication stability. However, in Multi-AP communication, there may be concerns about an increase in power consumption due to complicated processing and security risks caused by unintended connection to an AP. That is, there is room for improvement in suitable communication and usability.

[0008] In view of the above problem, the technique of the present disclosure provides a mechanism that enables more effective use of Multi-AP communication.

[0009] To solve the above problems, the communication device of the present disclosure is a communication device comprising: communication means for communicating with at least one wireless access point (AP); communication control means for controlling the communication device to transmit or receive data of a single content via a single AP when multi-AP communication is disabled, and for controlling the communication device to transmit or receive data of a single content via multiple APs when multi-AP communication is enabled; setting means for setting whether or not to enable multi-AP communication for each AP group; and processing means for processing to enable multi-AP communication with a first AP group and disable multi-AP communication with a second AP group based on the setting in the setting means.

[0010] The above configuration allows for more effective use of Multi-AP communication.

[0011] 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.

[0012] 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. A diagram showing an example of the configuration of a wireless communication system. A diagram showing an example of the appearance of the MFP 100. A diagram showing an example of the configuration of the MFP 100. A diagram showing an example of the display on the MFP 100. A diagram showing an example of the display on the MFP 100. A diagram showing an example of the display on the MFP 100. A diagram showing an example of the display on the MFP 100. A diagram showing an example of the display on the MFP 100. A diagram showing an example of the display on the MFP 100. A diagram showing an example of the display on the MFP 100. A diagram showing an example of the display on the MFP 100. A diagram showing an example of the display on the MFP 100. A diagram showing an example of the display on the MFP 100. A diagram showing an example of the display on the MFP 100. A diagram showing an example of the display on the MFP 100. A diagram showing an example of the display on the MFP 100. This is a diagram showing an example of the display on the MFP 100. This is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of the mobile terminal device 101. This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the mobile terminal device 101. This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an access point (AP). This is a sequence diagram explaining the processing of the STA (MFP 100) and the access point related to Multi-AP communication. This is a flowchart showing the wireless LAN setting process of the MFP 100 as described in Example 1. This is a flowchart showing the wireless LAN setting process of the MFP 100 as described in Example 1. This is a diagram showing an example of saved NW information held in the MFP 100. This is a diagram showing an example of the connection candidate NW list generated based on the saved NW information in the automatic connection process described in Example 1. This is a flowchart showing the automatic connection process of the MFP 100 as described in Example 1. This is a flowchart showing the automatic connection process of the MFP 100 as described in Example 1. This is a diagram showing an example of the display on the operation display unit of the mobile terminal device. This is a diagram showing an example of the display on the operation display unit of the mobile terminal device. This is a diagram showing an example of the display on the operation display unit of the mobile terminal device. This is a diagram showing an example of the display on the operation display unit of the mobile terminal device. This is a diagram showing an example of the display on the operation display unit of the mobile terminal device. This figure shows an example of a display on the operation display unit of a mobile terminal device.This is a diagram showing an example of the display on the operation display unit of a mobile terminal device. sequence diagram showing the procedure for performing wireless LAN setting processing of the MFP 100 using the mobile terminal device 101 described in Example 2. This is a sequence diagram showing the procedure for performing wireless LAN setting processing of the MFP 100 using the mobile terminal device 101 described in Example 2. This is a flowchart showing the process in Example 2 in which the MFP 100 makes a wireless LAN connection based on the connection settings acquired from the mobile terminal device 101. This is a flowchart showing the process in Example 2 in which the MFP 100 makes a wireless LAN connection based on the connection settings acquired from the mobile terminal device 101.

[0013] 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, the same or similar components are given the same reference numeral, and redundant descriptions are omitted. Note that these embodiments are merely examples, and unless otherwise specified, specific examples of components, processing steps, display screens, etc., are not intended to limit the scope of the claims.

[0014] (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.

[0015] 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.

[0016] 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.

[0017] 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.

[0018] 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 operate in a coordinated manner by forming a group (Multi-AP group 110).

[0019] 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.

[0020] 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.

[0021] (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 includes a touch panel display and is configured to accept user input for activating various functions and setting various options as an MFP. The operation display unit 220 may also include physical operation keys such as character input keys, cursor keys, select keys, and cancel keys, as well as LEDs or LCDs. 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 this wireless communication. The MFP 100 can perform wireless communication via WLAN, similar to the mobile terminal device 101.

[0022] (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. The main board 211 is configured to include, 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. Furthermore, the main board 211 and the wireless unit 250 are connected, for example, via a dedicated bus 225.

[0023] 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.

[0024] 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.

[0025] 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.

[0026] 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.

[0027] 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.

[0028] 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.

[0029] 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.

[0030] 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.

[0031] 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.

[0032] 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.

[0033] (MFP operation display unit) Figures 3A to 3P 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.

[0034] 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.

[0035] 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.

[0036] 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.

[0037] Icon 323 is the operation icon to select when changing settings or performing maintenance on the MFP100.

[0038] Icon 324 is an operation icon selected when displaying various information from the MFP 100.

[0039] 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". "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.

[0040] 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," "Display Wireless LAN Settings," and "Saved Network Information." 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. Selecting the "Saved Network Information" option displays the saved network information menu exemplified in Figure 3M.

[0041] 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): "Search for APs and set up," "Set up using a PC / smartphone," and "Set up by pressing the AP button." From these items, you can perform wireless LAN setup by entering the password of a wireless AP found through AP search, using the network setup mode described later, or using the push-button method.

[0042] (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.

[0043] The mobile terminal device 101 includes a wireless unit 401 that provides a WLAN communication function, although it does not necessarily need to be visible from the appearance. The wireless unit 401 is configured to be capable of executing data (packet) communication in a WLAN system conforming to, for example, the IEEE 802.11 standard series (IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax / be / bn). However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the wireless unit 401 may be capable of executing communication in a WLAN system conforming to other standards. In this example, it is assumed that the wireless unit 401 can communicate in both the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz frequency band. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the wireless unit 401 may be capable of communicating in any one or more frequency bands including the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band, and the 6 GHz band. Further, it is assumed that the wireless unit 401 can execute WFD-based communication, communication in a soft AP mode, communication in a wireless infrastructure mode, and the like. Operations in these modes will be described later.

[0044] (Configuration of Mobile Terminal Device) FIG. 4B shows a configuration example of the mobile terminal device 101. In one example, the mobile terminal device 101 includes a main board 411 that performs 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, a ROM 413, a RAM 414, an image memory 415, a data conversion unit 416, a telephone unit 417, a GPS 419, a camera unit 421, a non-volatile memory 422, a data storage unit 423, a speaker unit 424, and a power supply unit 425. Here, CPU is an acronym for Central Processing Unit, ROM for Read Only Memory, RAM for Random Access Memory, and GPS for Global Positioning System. The mobile terminal device 101 also includes a display unit 420 and an operation unit 418. These functional units in the main board 411 are mutually connected via a system bus 428 managed by the CPU 412. Further, the main board 411 and the wireless unit 429 (the aforementioned wireless unit 401) are connected via, for example, a dedicated bus 426.

[0045] 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.

[0046] 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.

[0047] 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 a telephone line and processes audio data input / output via the speaker unit 424, thereby realizing telephone communication. The GPS 419 receives radio waves transmitted from satellites and acquires position information such as the current latitude and longitude of the mobile terminal device 101.

[0048] The camera unit 421 has a function of electronically recording and encoding an image input through a lens. 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 a function of inputting or outputting audio for a telephone function, and other functions such as alarm notification. The power supply unit 425 is, for example, a portable battery, and controls power supply to the inside of the device. The power supply state includes, for example, a dead battery state in which the battery has no remaining power, a power-off state in which the power key 404 is not pressed, a normal activated startup state, and a power saving state in which the device is activated but operates in a power saving manner.

[0049] The display unit 420 displays various input operations, the operation status and status of the MFP 100, and the like under the control of the CPU 412. When receiving a user operation, the operation unit 418 executes control such as generating an electrical signal corresponding to the operation and outputting the electrical signal to the CPU 412.

[0050] The mobile terminal device 101 performs wireless communication using the wireless unit 429, and performs 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. Further, the wireless unit 429 restores packets from other external devices into original data and outputs the original data to the CPU 412. Each wireless unit 429 is a unit for realizing communication compliant with WLAN standards. The wireless 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 depending on the function and performance of the hardware.

[0051] (Operation Display Unit of Mobile Terminal Device) Figures 10A-10P schematically show an example of the screen display on the display (touch panel display) included in the display unit 420 of the mobile terminal device 101. The status display area 1001 at the top of the display unit 420 of the mobile terminal device 101 displays the status of the mobile terminal device 101. The status display area 1001 is sometimes called the "status bar". Part 1002 of the status display area 1001 displays, for example, an icon indicating the signal strength of the AP to which the mobile terminal device 101 is connected via its wireless infrastructure. In addition, part of the status display area 1001 may display a signal strength icon 1003 indicating the signal strength of a communication method different from the wireless infrastructure. For example, an icon indicating the signal strength of mobile communications such as LTE (Long Term Evolution) or 4G, 5G, as defined by 3GPP (registered trademark) (3rd Generation Partnership Project), may be displayed. In addition, other information may be displayed in a part of the status display area 1001. For example, a battery level icon 1004 indicating the remaining battery level of the power supply unit 425 may be displayed.

[0052] Figure 10A shows an example of a screen displayed when the printing application is launched on the mobile terminal device 101 and the connection between the MFP 100 and the mobile terminal device 101 has not been set up. The printing application displays menu items (options), such as "Printer not registered" 1011. Further menu items such as "Print," "Scan," "Copy," "Cloud," "Register / Switch," and "Menu" are displayed. By selecting any of these menu items, the mobile terminal device 101 can start executing the corresponding settings or functions. If "Printer not registered" 1011 or "Register / Switch" 1012 is selected, the MFP 100 can be set up using the network setup mode described later. If the MFP 100 setup is not complete, a message may be displayed indicating that menu items corresponding to functions that cannot be used when the MFP 100 setup is not complete, such as "Print," "Scan," "Copy," and "Cloud," cannot be started.

[0053] Figures 10B to 10L are examples of the print application screens displayed on the mobile terminal device 101 when setting up the MFP 100 using the network setup mode described later. A detailed explanation of each screen will be provided in the second embodiment described later, along with Figure 11.

[0054] Figure 10M is an example of a screen displayed when the printing application is launched on the mobile terminal device 101 and the connection between the MFP 100 and the mobile terminal device 101 has been set up. In this example, it is shown that the setup with the MFP named A1234 series has been completed. When the menu item "Printer Information Display" 1021 is selected, communication is initiated with the printer displayed in the selected menu item, for example, A1234 series. Through this communication, information is obtained from the communicating printer, and the operation display unit 220 displays screens for displaying information and setting operations for, for example, A1234 series, as shown in Figures 10N, 10O, and 10P. The user can perform information display and setting operations on these screens.

[0055] (Access Point Configuration) Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of AP111, which has wireless LAN access point functionality. AP111 consists of a main board 510 that controls AP111, a wireless LAN unit 516, a wired LAN unit 518, and operation buttons 520.

[0056] The microprocessor-type CPU 511 located on the main board 510 operates according to the control program stored in the ROM-type program memory 513 connected via the internal bus 512 and the contents of the RAM-type data memory 514. The CPU 511 controls the wireless LAN unit 516 through the wireless LAN communication control unit 515 to perform wireless LAN communication with other communication terminal devices. Specifically, the wireless LAN unit 516 is configured to perform data (packet) communication in a WLAN system compliant with, for example, the IEEE 802.11 standard series (IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax / be / bn) as wireless LAN communication. It is also capable of communication as an AP compatible with Multi-AP communication, which will be described later. However, it is not limited to this, and the wireless LAN unit 516 may also be capable of performing communication in a WLAN system compliant with other standards. In this example, the wireless LAN unit 516 is assumed to be capable of communication in the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz frequency bands. However, it is not limited to these, and the wireless LAN unit 516 may be capable of communication in one or more frequency bands, including the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands.

[0057] Furthermore, the CPU 511 controls the wired LAN unit 518 through the wired LAN communication control unit 517 to perform wired LAN communication with other communication terminal devices. The CPU 511 can accept user operations via the operation buttons 520 by controlling the operation control unit control unit 519. The CPU 511 includes at least one processor.

[0058] 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.

[0059] AP112 and AP113 have the same configuration as AP111.

[0060] (P2P Communication Method) Next, we will outline the P2P (WLAN) communication method, which allows devices to communicate directly wirelessly with each other without the need for an external access point 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 selectively use one of these modes to perform P2P communication (WLAN).

[0061] Two modes are assumed for P2P: • Soft AP mode • Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) mode • Network Setup mode A communication device capable of performing P2P communication may be configured to support at least one of these modes. On the other hand, a communication device capable of performing P2P communication is not required to support all of these modes, but may be configured to support only some of them.

[0062] 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.

[0063] ●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.

[0064] ●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.

[0065] ●Network Setup Mode (hereinafter referred to as NW Setup Mode) In this embodiment, the MFP 100 can also operate in NW Setup Mode, which is a mode for performing network setup of the MFP 100 by receiving a predetermined operation from the user. When the MFP 100 operates in NW Setup Mode, it operates as a setup access point that is active during operation in NW Setup Mode by using the wireless unit 250. This setup access point is a different access point from the access point that is activated in AP Mode as described above. The SSID of this setup access point shall include a predetermined string that can be recognized by the setting application of the mobile terminal device 101. Furthermore, this setup access point shall be an access point that does not require a password for connection. In addition, the MFP 100 operating in NW Setup Mode shall use a predetermined communication protocol (setup communication protocol) in communication with the mobile terminal device 101 connected to the setup access point. The setup communication protocol is, for example, HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol). Other specific examples of setup communication protocols include SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) and DPP (Device Provisioning Protocol). After the MFP100 starts operating in NW setup mode, it stops operating in NW setup mode and disables the setup access point after a predetermined time has elapsed. This is because, as mentioned above, the setup access point is an access point that does not require a password, and if it is enabled for a long time, the possibility of connection requests from inappropriate devices increases. The setup access point may be an access point that requires a password. In that case, the password used for the setup access point user connection shall be a fixed (user-unchangeable) password that the configuration application has known in advance.

[0066] (Wireless Infrastructure Mode) In wireless infrastructure mode, communication devices that communicate with each other (for example, the mobile terminal device 101 and the MFP 100) are connected to an external AP (for example, AP 111) that manages the network, and communication between communication devices takes place 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 may be connected to separate APs. 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 their explanation is omitted here. In this case, AP 111 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.

[0067] (Multi-AP communication) The IEEE 802.11be standard specifies Multi-Link communication (Multi-AP communication), in which one AP (Access Point) establishes multiple links with one STA (Station) via multiple different frequency channels and communicates in parallel.

[0068] Furthermore, the IEEE 802.11bn standard, the successor to the IEEE 802.11be standard, is exploring methods to improve usability using Multi AP communication.

[0069] 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.

[0070] 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.

[0071] 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.

[0072] 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 operating under the management of the Coordinator AP will be referred to as the "Coordinated AP" or "Shared AP". The Coordinator AP and the Coordinated AP can send and receive signals from each other. 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.

[0073] 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, APs and STAs). For example, the frequency resources used by AP112 and MFP100 are separated from those used by AP113 and MFP100 (STA) so as not to overlap. This prevents interference between communications between each BSS. If an STA has the capability to simultaneously transmit and receive data on multiple frequency bands (multiple resource units within the same channel or spanning different channels, multiple channels, or multiple of the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands), then multiple APs can cooperate to transmit and receive data (content data such as images, audio, documents, and print data) to the same STA. In this case, for example, AP 112 can transmit a single content A packet 1 to MFP 100, and AP 113 can transmit content A packet 2 to MFP 100, both in parallel.

[0074] In the Joint-TX (Joint-Transmission) method, the same signal is transmitted and received between multiple APs and one STA. In this case, the multiplexed waves (superimposed waves, multiplexed waves, composite waves) that are combined and amplified by the interference of the radio waves emitted from multiple APs are controlled to be received by the STA. This controls the signal so that the STA receives a stronger signal (amplified signal) than the signal from only one AP. 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's position. For example, at the same time, AP112 transmits a single content A packet 1 to MFP100, and AP113 transmits content A packet 1 to MFP100 so that it is multiplexed with the content A radio wave at the MFP100's position. This improves the reliability (connectivity) of communication between the STA and AP, as well as the speed of data transmission and reception.

[0075] Figure 6 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a process in which AP111 operates as a Coordinator AP, and Coordinated APs AP112 and AP113 cooperate to send and receive data to and from the STA (MFP100). 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.

[0076] 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.

[0077] 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 this 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). The BSSID to be used in common is notified in the case of the Joint-TX method. Furthermore, with the Co-OFDMA method, it is not necessary to use a common SSID within the same multi-AP group.

[0078] 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 a Multi-AP IE (Information Element) within their Beacon frames. The Multi-AP IE contains at least one of the following pieces of information (one or more of the following pieces of information). - 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) - Multi-AP group ID indicating that it belongs to the same Multi-AP group (a value that does not cause collisions between Multi-AP groups is desirable) - BSS color value (identifier) ​​for Multi-AP communication - Operating radio channel (common communication channel if using the Joint-TX method. If using the Co-OFDMA method, it is the communication channel and / or resource unit used by the source AP. In the case of the Co-OFDMA method, 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 the Co-OFDMA method or the Joint-TX method) Note that the storage method and configuration of this information are not limited to this, and similar information may be stored and transmitted in a similar format. Note that Multi-AP IE may have another name, such as Multi-AP Element. In addition, Multi-AP IE may be included in wireless frames such as the S605 Probe Response frame or other Action frames.

[0079] In S604, the STA (MFP100) begins establishing a connection with the AP using wireless infrastructure mode. The STA (MFP100) sends a ProbeRequest to begin searching for the AP in order to determine whether the AP supports Multi-AP communication.

[0080] In S605, the STA (MFP100) searches for and discovers APs by receiving device discovery responses (ProbeResponse) and Beacons transmitted from APs, which are responses to AP searches.

[0081] In S606, STA (MFP100) performs connection processing with at least one Coordinated AP based on the information received in S605. Here, as an example, MFP100 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 IEEE 802.11. STA (MFP100) may also add Multi-AP IE to the Association Request frame it sends to indicate a request for Multi-AP communication. Upon receiving the Association Request frame, AP112 sends an Association Response frame in response. This establishes a wireless LAN connection between the MFP100 and AP112.

[0082] In S607, if AP112 establishes a connection with STA (MFP100), it notifies CoordinatorAP (AP111) that it has established a connection with STA, along with connection parameters related to the connected STA. The connection parameters related to the connected STA include information used or generated during the connection process between AP112 and MFP100 (such as PMK cache, roaming information, authentication information, etc.), and the STA identifier. Similarly, if AP113 connects with STA (MFP100), it also notifies CoordinatorAP that it has established a connection.

[0083] After S607, AP111 may send connection parameters related to the STA transmitted in S607 to AP113, and AP113 may use these parameters to establish a connection with MFP100. However, in the case of the Joint-TX method, data can be transmitted from APs that have not established a connection (APs that have not established a connection can also be sources of multiplexed radio waves), so it is not necessary to perform the process of establishing a connection between AP113 and MFP100.

[0084] 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 with the STA, and then allocates the transmission data. The determined transmission parameter information is notified to each Coordinated AP by a Multi-AP Trigger frame. AP112 and AP113 set their own transmission parameters (transmission timing, transmission power, and resource units to be used) based on the notified information. The Multi-AP Trigger frame may have a different name. It may also be an extension of the IEEE 802.11ax / be standard Trigger frame.

[0085] In S609, the CoordinatorAP (AP111) sends the data to be sent to the STA (MFP100) (for example, content data such as images, documents, and print data) to the CoordinatedAP.

[0086] In S610, when the Coordinated APs (AP112, 113) receive data to be transmitted from the Coordinator AP (AP111), they coordinately transmit that data to the MFP100. Also, when the Coordinated APs (AP112, 113) receive data from the MFP100, they transmit that received data to the Coordinator AP (AP111). Note that this order of data transmission and reception is just an example; for example, data reception from STA may occur before data transmission to STA.

[0087] 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 simultaneously issuing instructions to AP112 or AP113 to transmit and receive wireless frames with the STA. Furthermore, when the Coordinator AP causes the Coordinated AP to transmit wireless frames, it may transmit 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.

[0088] 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 control units. 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.

[0089] <First Embodiment> Next, based on the above system configuration, the operation of the first embodiment will be described, in which, when a wireless LAN connection with an AP is made using the operation display unit 220 of the MFP 100, the connection is made by setting whether or not to perform Multi-AP communication for each SSID. Here, Multi-AP communication may be referred to as multi-AP communication, and SSID may be referred to as network identification information.

[0090] ●Wireless LAN setup process by communication device Figures 7A and 7B are flowcharts showing the wireless LAN setup process of the MFP 100. This process starts when "Search for AP and set up" is selected on the menu screen in Figure 3D. The processes in Figures 7A and 7B are realized when the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 executes a program loaded into the RAM 214 from the ROM 213 or non-volatile memory 215.

[0091] In step S701, the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 searches for nearby wireless APs using the wireless unit 250. At this time, the operation display unit 220 displays the screen shown in Figure 3E to indicate that it is searching for wireless APs. For example, in a network environment like the one shown in Figure 1, the MFP 100 can detect AP 112, AP 113, and Multi-AP group 110 by searching for wireless APs. More specifically, the MFP 100 acquires information on nearby wireless APs, including at least the SSID, through the Beacon shown in S603 in Figure 6, the AP search communication processing described in S604, and the AP search response communication processing described in S605. Note that a Multi-AP group is also called a multi-AP group.

[0092] In S702, the CPU 212 of the MFP100 displays a list of detected SSIDs. For example, the display may be as shown in Figure 3F. At this time, the SSIDs may be sorted in descending order of signal strength, or SSIDs compatible with Multi-AP communication may be sorted first, or SSIDs with higher security, considering encryption and authentication methods, may be sorted first. The display order of these detected SSID lists may be rearranged based on indicators other than those exemplified, or the sorting may be controlled by combining multiple indicators. When one SSID is selected by the user from the displayed list, the process proceeds to S703.

[0093] In S703, the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 determines whether the information of the wireless AP associated with the selected SSID matches the saved NW (network) stored in the non-volatile memory 215. If a match is found, the process proceeds to S704; otherwise, it proceeds to S705. Here, the saved NW is information as illustrated in Figure 8A, and consists of zero or more NW connection setting information 801 that the MFP 100 has connected to in the past. The NW connection setting information 801 includes information that associates basic information for wireless LAN connection, such as SSID and password, with setting information related to Multi-AP communication, such as Multi-AP communication ON / OFF and Multi-AP group ID. It may also include setting information such as automatic connection ON / OFF, which indicates whether to consider the NW as a candidate for automatic connection when the MFP 100 is not connected to a wireless AP. Furthermore, the saved NW connection setting information 801 may include information such as frequency band and authentication method. The network connection setting information 801 is sometimes referred to as network information or saved network information. The saved network information is not limited to the non-volatile memory 215; it is sufficient if it is stored in a non-volatile network information storage unit.

[0094] The determination process for determining whether the information of the wireless AP associated with the selected SSID matches the saved NW stored in the non-volatile memory 215 is to confirm the matching of information used to identify the wireless NW. Specifically, it first determines whether there is an SSID in the saved NW that matches the selected SSID, and if there is no matching SSID, it checks for a match in the Multi-AP group ID. If either matches, S703 determines that the information of the wireless AP associated with the selected SSID matches the saved NW (network) stored in the non-volatile memory 215.

[0095] For example, if MFP100 holds the saved network shown in Figure 8A, and the SSID selected by the user is "AP-YY0123", it is determined that it matches saved network 2 and the process proceeds to S704. Alternatively, consider the case where the SSID selected by the user is "AP-ABC", and the associated AP information, specifically the Multi-AP group ID, is "XXXXXXXXX". In this case, although there is no saved network with a matching SSID, it is determined that it matches saved network 1 based on the Multi-AP group ID and the process proceeds to S704. Furthermore, if neither the SSID nor the Multi-AP group ID matches the selected SSID, it is determined that it does not match a saved network and the process proceeds to S705. Note that the types, priorities, and combinations of information used to identify the wireless network for matching are merely examples; one or more similar wireless network identification pieces of information may be used to determine the match between the selected SSID and the saved network.

[0096] In S704, the CPU 212 of the MFP100 copies the matching saved network connection settings as the connection settings for the selected SSID, and proceeds to S708. For example, if it matches saved network 2 in Figure 8A, the password, Multi-AP communication ON / OFF, and automatic connection ON / OFF are copied as the connection settings for the selected SSID. Note that the settings to be copied are merely examples, and other connection settings may also be included in the copy target.

[0097] In S705, the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 determines whether the SSID selected by the user is capable of Multi-AP communication. Specifically, this determination can be made based on the IEEE 802.11 standard compliance information and Multi-AP IE information that can be obtained from the Beacon described in S603 in Figure 6 and the AP search response described in S605. For example, if the SSID is compatible with the IEEE 802.11 standard bn, it can be determined that Multi-AP communication is possible. For example, if the Beacon of the SSID includes Multi-AP IE, it can be determined that Multi-AP communication is possible. Note that the determination of whether Multi-AP communication is possible is not limited to the example method, and other parameters may be used for the determination. If it is determined that the selected SSID is capable of Multi-AP communication, the process proceeds to S706. If it is determined that the selected SSID is not capable of Multi-AP communication, proceed to S707.

[0098] In S706, the CPU 212 of the MFP100 displays a connection settings screen that includes the ON / OFF setting for Multi-AP communication. For example, setting it to ON enables Multi-AP communication (multi-AP communication setting is enabled), and setting it to OFF (disabled) disables Multi-AP communication (multi-AP communication setting is disabled). For example, the connection settings screen is as shown in Figure 3H. On this screen, you can select the password field and enter a password for connection, or set Multi-AP communication ON / OFF using radio button type ON / OFF buttons. In addition, other connection settings such as ON / OFF for automatic connection may be made on this screen. Furthermore, if OFF is selected for Multi-AP communication here, additional options may be displayed as shown in Figure 3I to allow for more detailed configuration of the AP to connect to. In Figure 3I, the area outside the screen frame within the dashed line indicates content that can be displayed by scrolling. When the connect button is pressed in Figure 3H or Figure 3I, the process proceeds to S708.

[0099] At S707, the CPU 212 of the MFP100 displays a connection settings screen that does not include the ON / OFF setting for Multi-AP communication. For example, the connection settings screen is as shown in Figure 3G. On this screen, you can select the password field and enter the password for connection. Note that other connection settings, such as ON / OFF for automatic connection, may also be made on this screen. Also, Multi-AP communication is automatically set to OFF because the selected SSID does not support Multi-AP communication. When the connect button is pressed in Figure 3G, the process proceeds to S708.

[0100] In S708, the CPU 212 of the MFP100 determines whether Multi-AP communication is ON in the connection settings for the SSID. If Multi-AP communication is ON, proceed to S709. If Multi-AP communication is OFF, proceed to S710.

[0101] In S709, the CPU 212 of the MFP100 displays a connection screen as shown in Figure 3J, and performs connection processing with the Multi-AP group as Multi-AP communication in accordance with the 802.11 standard based on the connection settings of the SSID. The specific connection processing for Multi-AP communication is as explained using Figure 6. The success or failure of the connection processing is temporarily held, and the process proceeds to S711.

[0102] In S710, the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 displays a connection screen as shown in Figure 3J and performs connection processing with the AP without using Multi-AP communication, in accordance with the 802.11 standard, based on the connection settings of the SSID. At this time, if "Auto" is selected on the screen shown in Figure 3I, it may operate to connect to the AP with the highest signal strength among the APs associated with the SSID. Alternatively, if a specific AP, for example "AA:98:76:54:32:10", is selected on the screen shown in Figure 3I, it may operate to connect to the AP by specifying the BSSID. The success or failure of the connection process is temporarily held, and the process proceeds to S711.

[0103] At S711, the CPU 212 of the MFP100 decides to branch the process to S712 if the connection fails, and to S713 if the connection is successful.

[0104] At S712, the CPU 212 of the MFP100 displays a screen indicating a connection failure. For example, a processing screen like the one shown in Figure 3L. If the OK button is pressed on this screen, the process proceeds to S705 to prompt the user to re-enter connection settings such as a password.

[0105] In S713, the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 updates the saved NWs stored in the non-volatile memory 215 using the connection settings from the successful connection. For example, as shown in Figure 8A, saved NW1 to NW6 are saved, and we want to save a new connection setting whose SSID does not match any of them. In this case, if the storage area for saved NW7 is free, the connection setting that was successfully established this time should be saved as saved NW7. If there is no free space in the storage area for saved NWs, the oldest connection setting in the connection history from the already saved connection settings should be deleted, and the connection setting that was successfully established this time should be saved in the free space. Note that there may be other methods for determining which existing NW information to delete when there is no free space in the storage area. For example, settings with low connection frequency may be deleted first, or there may be additional criteria such as excluding NW information registered as favorites from deletion. Also, when saving a connection setting whose SSID matches one of the saved NWs, the connection setting should be saved by overwriting the storage area of ​​the saved NW with the matching SSID. Here, there only needs to be one storage area for saved networks, in which case the saved network will be overwritten each time a new connection is successfully established. Once the connection settings have been saved, proceed to S714.

[0106] At step S714, the CPU 212 of the MFP100 outputs a screen indicating a successful connection. For example, a processing screen like the one shown in Figure 3K. When the OK button is pressed on this screen, the wireless LAN setup process for the MFP100 is completed.

[0107] As shown in the flowcharts in Figures 7A and 7B, by controlling the wireless LAN configuration process of the MFP 100, it is possible to configure whether or not to use Multi-AP communication for each SSID and connect accordingly, thereby improving user convenience. For example, it becomes easy to control whether to use Multi-AP communication on a home network where power supply is readily available and relatively reliable, and not to use Multi-AP communication on a public network when away from home.

[0108] Furthermore, as shown in S703 and S704, when a connection setting similar to the SSID selected by the user exists in the saved network, the connection setting of that saved network can be reused, saving the user the trouble of entering a password, etc. Also, as shown in S705, S706, and S707, by switching the connection setting screen depending on whether the selected SSID is capable of Multi-AP communication, the availability of Multi-AP communication can be intuitively communicated to the user. In addition, as shown in S711 and S713, by updating the saved network using the connection setting when the connection is successful, a connection setting with a high probability of success can be maintained in the MFP 100.

[0109] Furthermore, the saved network information saved in S713 can be viewed and modified from the saved network information menu exemplified in Figure 3M. The saved network information menu in Figure 3M is displayed by selecting saved network information from the wireless LAN settings screen exemplified in Figure 3C. For example, if AP-ZZZ-50G is selected on the screen in Figure 3M, the settings screen for AP-ZZZ-50G exemplified in Figure 3N will be displayed. In Figure 3N, the area outside the screen frame, indicated by the dashed line, shows content that can be displayed by scrolling. On this screen, you can re-enter the password, switch Multi-AP communication ON / OFF, and switch automatic connection ON / OFF. Also, by pressing the connect button, you can have the MFP 100 perform the connection process using these connection settings. Furthermore, by pressing the delete button, you can delete this saved network information from the non-volatile memory 215.

[0110] ●Automatic connection process by communication device Figures 9A and 9B are flowcharts illustrating the automatic connection process that is repeatedly executed in the background when the MFP 100 has its wireless LAN setting ON (enabled) and is not connected to a wireless AP. This describes the process for appropriately connecting to a nearby wireless AP or Multi-AP group using saved network information when the MFP 100 is powered ON or disconnected from a connected wireless AP. The processes in Figures 9A and 9B are realized when the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 executes a program loaded into the RAM 214 from the ROM 213 or non-volatile memory 215.

[0111] In S901 of Figure 9A, the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 searches for nearby wireless APs using the wireless unit 250. For example, in a network environment like the one shown in Figure 1, the MFP 100 can detect AP 112, AP 113, and Multi-AP group 110 by searching for wireless APs. More specifically, the MFP 100 acquires information on nearby wireless APs, including at least the SSID, through the Beacon shown in S603 of Figure 6, the AP search communication processing described in S604, and the AP search response communication processing described in S605.

[0112] In S902, the CPU 212 of the MFP100 updates the stored network information in the non-volatile memory 215 based on the information of the detected wireless AP. For example, for networks whose stored network and SSID match, the authentication method and signal strength information are updated based on the information of the detected wireless AP. For stored networks that were not detected, the signal strength is updated to 0.

[0113] In S903, the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 generates a list of candidate networks sorted by connection priority from the saved network information stored in the non-volatile memory 215. Here, in order to prioritize connections to networks with Multi-AP communication ON and high signal strength, the list of candidate networks is generated as shown in the subroutine in Figure 9A. Note that this method of generating the list of candidate networks is just one example; prioritization may be based on a different metric, or the list may be sorted in a different way. The priority metric may be fixed in advance, or it may be configurable by the user, etc. In S903, priority determination processing is performed to determine the priority of the network information of the connection candidates according to such a given metric. Details of S903 are shown in Figure 9B.

[0114] In the subroutine shown in Figure 9B, at S910, the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 extracts network information with automatic connection ON and signal strength greater than 0 from the saved network information and sets it as a temporary network list. Next, at S911, the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 divides the temporary network list into those with Multi-AP communication ON and those with Multi-AP communication OFF. Here, the list with Multi-AP communication ON is set as network list A, and the list with Multi-AP communication OFF is set as network list B. Next, at S912, the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 sorts both network list A and network list B in descending order of signal strength. Then, at S913, the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 combines the two lists so that network list B follows network list A, and sets this as a list of candidate networks sorted by connection priority. For example, when a saved network is held as shown in Figure 8A, the processes from S910 to S913 are executed to generate a list of candidate network networks 802 arranged in order of connection priority, as shown in Figure 8B. This completes the process of S903.

[0115] In S904, the CPU 212 of the MFP100 determines whether the connection candidate NW list 802, which is sorted in order of connection priority, contains one or more NW pieces of information. If it contains one or more NW pieces of information, the process proceeds to S905; otherwise, the automatic connection process ends.

[0116] In S905, the CPU 212 of the MFP100 retrieves one network information entry from the top of the connection candidate network list 802, which is sorted by connection priority, and removes it from the list. Then, in S906, the CPU 212 of the MFP100 determines whether Multi-AP communication is ON in the connection settings of the retrieved network information. If it is ON, proceed to S907; otherwise, proceed to S908.

[0117] In S907, the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 performs connection processing with a Multi-AP group as Multi-AP communication in accordance with the 802.11 standard, based on the retrieved NW information. The specific connection processing for Multi-AP communication is as explained using Figure 6. In S908, the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 also performs connection processing with an AP without using Multi-AP communication in accordance with the 802.11 standard, based on the retrieved NW information. Depending on the success or failure of the connection processing, the process proceeds to S909.

[0118] In S909, the CPU 212 of the MFP100 terminates processing if it has successfully connected to a wireless AP or Multi-AP group. If the connection fails, it returns to S904 and performs connection processing with the remaining connection candidates in the connection candidate network list sorted in order of connection priority.

[0119] As shown in the flowchart of Figure 9A, by controlling the MFP100's automatic wireless LAN connection process, it is possible to automatically connect to nearby wireless APs depending on whether or not it has previously connected via Multi-AP communication. Furthermore, as shown in the subroutine in Figure 9B, a list of connection candidate networks arranged in order of connection priority is generated, and by performing the connection process according to this list, it becomes possible to make an appropriate wireless connection that takes into account the ON / OFF status of Multi-AP communication and signal strength. In other words, together with the wireless LAN setting process shown in Figures 7A and 7B, a simpler wireless LAN connection function can be provided to the user.

[0120] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to enable or disable multi-AP communication for each SSID. Furthermore, it is possible to save whether multi-AP communication was enabled or disabled for each SSID that has been connected to. This allows users to selectively configure network environments that enable multi-AP communication and those that do not, and once the setting is saved, it can be applied. This allows users to configure environments that enable multi-AP communication while avoiding the complexity of configuration.

[0121] <Second Embodiment> In the first embodiment, the case of setting and connecting to a wireless LAN connection using the operation display unit 220 of the MFP 100 was shown. However, there are communication devices with cheaper operation display units, that is, with poor display capabilities, and it may be difficult to set up a connection using only the UI operation of the communication device itself. Therefore, in the second embodiment, when connecting to the MFP 100's wireless LAN using a mobile terminal device 101, the operation of setting whether or not to enable Multi-AP communication for each SSID and then connecting will be described. With this embodiment, even with a communication device with a cheaper operation display unit, it is possible to set Multi-AP communication to be enabled or disabled and connect to the AP according to the setting.

[0122] Figures 11A and 11B are sequence diagrams showing the procedure for configuring the wireless LAN settings of the MFP 100 from the mobile terminal device 101 using NW setup mode. The processing of each device shown in the sequence diagram is realized by the execution of a program loaded into RAM by the CPU of each device.

[0123] In S1101, the mobile terminal device 101 starts the network setup process for the MFP 100. Specifically, in Figure 10A, when menu item 1011 indicating the absence of a registered printer or menu item 1012 for registering or switching a printer is selected, the device transitions to the printer setup start screen shown in Figure 10B. If the "Next" button is selected here, the printer search screen shown in Figure 10C is displayed, and the device proceeds to S1103.

[0124] In S1102, the MFP 100 starts the NW setup mode. Specifically, when the "Set up with PC / smartphone" menu item in Figure 3D is selected on the operation display unit 220, Figure 3O, indicating the activation of the NW setup mode, is displayed, and the NW setup mode is activated. Once the NW setup mode has been activated, Figure 3P, indicating that the NW setup mode is in operation, is displayed. At this time, the MFP 100 is operating as a setup access point using the wireless unit 250, as described in the NW setup mode explanation above. Note that there may be other methods for activating the NW setup mode. For example, a dedicated physical button for activating the NW setup mode may be provided, and the mode may be activated by pressing it. Alternatively, the NW setup mode may be activated in conjunction with a wireless setting reset operation. In other words, even if the operation display unit is a cheaper communication device, the NW setup mode can be easily activated.

[0125] In S1103, the mobile terminal device 101 searches for nearby printers using the wireless unit 429. Specifically, the mobile terminal device 101 operates as a wireless LAN client and searches for nearby wireless access points (APs). The search for wireless APs is the same as the operation of the MFP 100 to search for nearby wireless APs (explained in S603, S604, and S605 in Figure 6).

[0126] Next, in S1104, the mobile terminal device 101 displays the SSID of the detected setup access point and accepts the user's selection of a printer for network setup. Specifically, it extracts SSIDs containing a predetermined string from the AP SSIDs detected in S1103 and obtains a list of setup access point SSIDs. For example, one possible method is to determine that an SSID starting with "psetup-" is the SSID of a setup access point. The extracted list of setup access point SSIDs is then displayed as shown in Figure 10D. In Figure 10D, the SSID "psetup-A1234series" is detected as a setup access point. If "psetup-A1234series" is selected here, the process proceeds to S1105. In S1105, the mobile terminal device 101 and the MFP 100 perform connection processing in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 standard. At this time, the display unit 420 of the mobile terminal device 101 displays the wireless network information acquisition screen shown in Figure 10E.

[0127] Then, in S1106, the mobile terminal device 101 requests the MFP 100 to perform an AP search. The specific procedure is as follows: First, the mobile terminal device 101 obtains the identification information and IP address of the MFP 100 using mDNS (multicast DNS) or the like. Here, the identification information of the MFP 100 is, for example, the MAC address or UUID (Universally Unique Identifier), which is information that can uniquely identify the MFP 100. Then, the mobile terminal device 101 requests the MFP 100 to perform an AP search using HTTP. Although an example of exchanging information between the mobile terminal device 101 and the MFP 100 using mDNS and HTTP has been described, other methods may be used. For example, methods using other communication protocols such as SNMP can also be considered.

[0128] Upon receiving a request to search for an AP, the MFP 100 searches for nearby wireless APs in S1107. The search for wireless APs is the same as described in S603, S604, and S605 of Figure 6.

[0129] Then, in S1108, the MFP 100 transmits information about the detected wireless AP to the mobile terminal device 101. Specifically, it transmits the detected SSID and the associated Multi-AP communication support information via HTTP. Note that the method for transmitting the detected wireless AP information is not limited to HTTP; other communication protocols such as SNMP may also be used.

[0130] Next, in S1109, the mobile terminal device 101 selects an SSID for connection settings based on the wireless AP information obtained from the MFP 100, and performs connection settings such as password input and turning Multi-AP communication ON / OFF. Specifically, as shown in Figure 10F, it displays a list of SSIDs obtained from the MFP 100. When one is selected from the list of SSIDs, it transitions to a screen for connection settings such as password input and turning Multi-AP communication ON / OFF. At this time, if the selected SSID is not capable of Multi-AP communication, the mobile terminal device 101 displays a connection settings screen that does not include the ON / OFF setting for Multi-AP communication, as shown in Figure 10G. If the selected SSID is capable of Multi-AP communication, the mobile terminal device 101 displays a connection settings screen that includes the ON / OFF setting for Multi-AP communication, as shown in Figure 10H. If OFF is selected for Multi-AP communication, additional options may be displayed as shown in Figure 10I to allow for more detailed configuration of the AP to connect to. When the connect button is pressed on any of the screens from Figure 10G to (i), Figure 10J is displayed and the process proceeds to S1110.

[0131] In step S1110, the mobile terminal device 101 transmits connection setting information to the MFP 100. This connection setting information includes settings such as the SSID and password for connecting to the wireless AP, and multi-AP communication settings indicating whether Multi-AP communication is ON or OFF. The MFP 100 receives the connection setting information and stores it in the RAM 214 as network setup connection setting information.

[0132] Then, at S1111, the MFP 100 and the terminal device 101 disconnect communication, and at S1112, the MFP 100 stops the NW setup mode. Next, at S1113, the MFP 100 starts the wireless infrastructure mode.

[0133] When the MFP 100 starts wireless infrastructure mode, it uses the network setup connection setting information stored in RAM 214 to perform connection processing with a wireless AP or Multi-AP group in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 standard. If the connection is successful, the MFP 100 updates the saved network in non-volatile memory 215 using the network setup connection setting information. The method for updating the saved network is as described in S713.

[0134] In S1116, the mobile terminal device 101 performs connection processing with a wireless AP or Multi-AP group in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 standard, using the same settings as the connection setting information sent to the MFP 100 in S1110. If the connection is successful, the mobile terminal device 101 performs a communication check with the MFP 100 in S1117. Specifically, this communication check involves the mobile terminal device 101 obtaining identification information that matches the identification information of the MFP 100 obtained in S1106, using mDNS or the like. Note that the method of obtaining the identification information is not limited to mDNS; other communication protocols such as SNMP may also be used.

[0135] In S1118, the mobile terminal device 101 displays whether the network setup process was successful or not. Specifically, if the mobile terminal device 101 successfully confirms communication with the MFP 100 in S1117, it displays a connection success screen as shown in Figure 10K. If the mobile terminal device 101 fails to confirm communication with the MFP 100 in S1117, it displays a connection failure screen as shown in Figure 10L.

[0136] As shown in the sequence diagrams of Figures 11A and 11B, the MFP 100 can be configured by linking the SSID with the ON / OFF setting of Multi-AP communication using the mobile terminal device 101. For this configuration, the MFP 100 only needs to activate NW setup mode, and NW setup mode can be activated in various ways, such as by operating a UI menu or pressing a physical button. In other words, by using the method described in the second embodiment, even a communication device with a cheaper operation display unit and lower display capabilities can set whether or not to enable Multi-AP communication for each SSID and establish a wireless LAN connection, thereby improving user convenience.

[0137] In the wireless LAN setup process described in Figures 11A and 11B, there is a possibility that the connection setting information in S1110 may not include the ON / OFF setting for Multi-AP communication, for example, if the printing application version of the mobile terminal device 101 is old. Therefore, the connection process of the MFP 100 that takes into account the case where the received connection setting information does not include the ON / OFF setting for Multi-AP communication will be explained using Figures 12A and 12B.

[0138] ● Wireless LAN connection processing by communication device (MFP100) (S1113) Figures 12A and 12B are flowcharts showing when the MFP100 starts wireless infrastructure mode in S1113 of Figure 11B and performs wireless LAN connection processing using network setup connection setting information stored in RAM214. The processing in Figures 12A and 12B is realized by the CPU212 of the MFP100 executing a program loaded into RAM214 from ROM213 or non-volatile memory215, etc.

[0139] In S1201, the CPU 212 of the MFP100 searches for nearby wireless access points (APs) by specifying the SSID contained in the network setup connection configuration information stored in RAM 214. Then, in S1202, the CPU 212 of the MFP100 proceeds to S1203 if a wireless AP with the specified SSID is detected, or to S1213 if it is not detected.

[0140] In S1203, the CPU 212 of the MFP100 determines whether the network setup connection settings information includes an ON / OFF setting for Multi-AP communication. If it does, proceed to S1209; otherwise, proceed to S1204.

[0141] In S1204, the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 determines whether the SSID included in the network setup connection settings information matches a saved network stored in the non-volatile memory 215. For example, if the MFP 100 holds the saved network shown in Figure 8A, and the SSID included in the network setup connection settings information is "AP-YY0123", it determines that it matches saved network 2 and proceeds to S1205. If the SSID included in the network setup connection settings information does not match any of the saved networks, the process proceeds to S1206.

[0142] In S1205, the CPU 212 of the MFP100 copies the ON / OFF settings for Multi-AP communication included in the matching saved NW to the NW setup connection settings information, and then proceeds to S1209.

[0143] In S1206, the CPU 212 of the MFP100 determines whether the wireless AP detected in S1201 is capable of Multi-AP communication. If Multi-AP communication is possible, proceed to S1207. If Multi-AP communication is not possible, proceed to S1208. In S1207, the CPU 212 of the MFP100 adds Multi-AP communication ON to the network setup connection settings information. In S1208, the CPU 212 of the MFP100 adds Multi-AP communication OFF to the network setup connection settings information. Then proceed to S1209.

[0144] In S1209, the CPU 212 of the MFP100 determines whether the Multi-AP communication setting in the network setup connection settings information is ON or OFF. If the Multi-AP communication setting is ON, proceed to S1210. If the Multi-AP communication setting is OFF, proceed to S1211.

[0145] In S1210, the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 performs connection processing with the Multi-AP group as Multi-AP communication based on the network setup connection setting information, in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 standard. The specific connection processing for Multi-AP communication is as explained using Figure 6. The success or failure of the connection processing is temporarily held, and the process proceeds to S1212.

[0146] In S1211, the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 performs connection processing with an AP without using Multi-AP communication, based on the network setup connection setting information, in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 standard. At this time, it may also operate to connect to the AP with the highest signal strength among the APs associated with the SSID specified in the network setup connection setting information. The success or failure of the connection processing is temporarily held, and the process proceeds to S1212.

[0147] In S1212, the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 determines the connection result and branches the process to S1213 if the connection fails, or to S1214 if the connection is successful.

[0148] In step S1213, the CPU 212 of the MFP100 displays a screen indicating a connection failure. For example, it is a processing screen like the one shown in Figure 3L. When the OK button is pressed on this screen, the system returns to the home screen shown in Figure 3A and terminates the connection setup process.

[0149] In S1214, the CPU 212 of the MFP 100 updates the saved network stored in the non-volatile memory 215 using the connection settings from when the connection was successful. The process of updating the saved network is as described in S713.

[0150] Then, at S1215, the CPU 212 of the MFP100 outputs a screen indicating a successful connection. For example, a processing screen like the one shown in Figure 3K. When the OK button is pressed on this screen, the system returns to the home screen shown in Figure 3A and the connection setup process ends.

[0151] As shown in the flowcharts in Figures 12A and 12B, even if the connection setting information obtained from the communication terminal device 101 does not include the ON / OFF status of Multi-AP communication, the connection information can be supplemented using the results of the wireless AP search and the saved NW information. This allows the MFP 100 to appropriately determine whether Multi-AP communication is ON or OFF and execute the connection process, even if the printing application version of the mobile terminal device 101 is old and the ON / OFF setting of Multi-AP communication cannot be obtained.

[0152] According to the embodiments described above, it is possible to control connections by setting whether or not to use Multi-AP communication for each SSID. This makes it possible to create a system where, for example, Multi-AP communication is used in a home network where power supply is easily available and relatively reliable, but not in a public network when away from home. This makes it easy to control whether or not to use Multi-AP communication in the home network and not in a public network when away from home, improving user convenience. In other words, Multi-AP communication can be used more effectively.

[0153] 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.

[0154] Furthermore, while preferred embodiments have been described in detail, the technology of this disclosure is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various forms that do not depart from the gist of the technology of this disclosure are also included. Moreover, each of the embodiments described above is merely one example, and it is possible to combine each embodiment as appropriate.

[0155] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiments used the application of the technology 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, the technology of 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. The technology of this disclosure can also be applied to digital cameras (including still cameras, video cameras, network cameras, and security cameras), printers, scanners, and drones. The technology of 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 to USB terminals or LAN cable terminals. A video output device includes, for example, a set-top box, which acquires (downloads) videos and still images from the internet specified by a URL instructed by a communication device and outputs them to a display device connected via a video output terminal such as HDMI®. This enables streaming playback on 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, the technology disclosed herein is applicable to Wi-Fi-connected devices, such as so-called smart home appliances, including air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, ovens, microwave ovens, lighting fixtures, heating appliances, and cooling appliances.

[0156] (Other Embodiments) The technology of this disclosure can also be realized by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the embodiments described above to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and by having one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0157] 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.

[0158] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-049058, filed on March 24, 2025, and all of its contents are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising: communication means for communicating with at least one wireless access point (AP); communication control means for controlling the communication device to transmit or receive data of a single content via a single AP when multi-AP communication is disabled, and for controlling the communication device to transmit or receive data of a single content via multiple APs when multi-AP communication is enabled; setting means for setting whether or not to enable multi-AP communication for each AP group; and processing means for processing to enable multi-AP communication with a first AP group and disable multi-AP communication with a second AP group based on the setting in the setting means.

2. A communication device according to claim 1, comprising: a first storage means for storing one or more network information for connecting to an AP by the communication means; the first storage means being controlled to store at least network identification information and information relating to whether multi-AP communication is enabled or disabled as stored network information; and the communication control means controlling the communication device to transmit or receive data of a single content via a single access point when connecting to a network with network identification information where multi-AP communication is disabled; and controlling the communication device to transmit or receive data of a single content via multiple APs when connecting to a network with network identification information where multi-AP communication is enabled.

3. The communication device according to claim 2, further comprising: AP search means for searching for nearby APs using the communication means; and determination means for determining whether each candidate AP group supports multi-AP communication using information of one or more APs detected by the AP search means, wherein the communication control means controls the communication device to accept an instruction to switch between enabling and disabling multi-AP communication when one of the candidate AP groups is selected and it is determined that the selected AP group supports multi-AP communication; and controls the communication device not to accept an instruction to switch between enabling and disabling multi-AP communication when it is determined that the selected AP group does not support multi-AP communication.

4. The communication device according to claim 3, wherein when one of the candidate AP groups for connection is selected, the communication control means controls the communication device to reuse the connection settings of the saved network information as the connection settings for the selected AP group if the network identification information of the selected AP group matches the network identification information of the saved network information.

5. The communication device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein, when making a connection using information stored by the first storage means, the device has a priority determination means for determining the priority of the connection when two or more of the stored network information are stored, the priority determination means determines the priority of the connection based at least on whether the multi-AP communication is enabled or disabled and the radio wave strength, and the processing means attempts to make a connection using the stored network information in order of priority.

6. The communication device according to claim 3 or 4, comprising a second communication means different from the communication means for communicating with a second communication device, wherein, in response to a request for AP search by the second communication means, the AP search means searches for nearby APs, transmits the search results to the second communication device by the second communication means, receives connection setting information corresponding to the search results by the second communication means, the connection setting information includes network identification information and multi-AP communication settings indicating whether multi-AP communication is enabled or disabled, and the communication control means controls, based on the connection setting information, to transmit or receive data of a single content via a single access point corresponding to the network identification information if multi-AP communication is disabled, and to transmit or receive data of a single content via a plurality of APs corresponding to the network identification information if multi-AP communication is enabled.

7. The communication device according to claim 6, characterized in that, if the communication control means is unable to obtain from the second communication device information on whether or not multi-AP communication is enabled and connected for each AP group, it uses the stored network information to supplement the information on whether or not multi-AP communication is enabled and connected.

8. The communication device according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, when the communication control means is unable to obtain from the second communication device information on whether multi-AP communication is enabled and connected for each AP group, it uses information on one or more APs detected by the AP search means to supplement the information on whether multi-AP communication is enabled and connected.

9. The communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that, when multi-AP communication is enabled, the communication control means controls the transmission or reception of data of a single content via multiple Coordinated APs among multiple APs constituting a multi-AP group.

10. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the multi-AP communication is a communication method that uses a Multi-AP communication method compliant with IEEE 802.11bn.

11. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the multi-AP communication supports a communication mode using the Co-OFDMA (Coordinated-Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) method in a Multi-AP communication system compliant with IEEE 802.11bn.

12. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the multi-AP communication supports a communication mode using the Joint-TX (Joint Transmission) method in a Multi-AP communication system compliant with IEEE 802.11bn.

13. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that APs that do not support multi-AP communication communicate using a communication method compliant with one or more of IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax / be.

14. A method for controlling a communication device having communication means for communicating with at least one wireless access point (AP), communication control means, setting means and processing means, comprising: a control step in which the communication control means controls the communication device to transmit or receive data of a single content via a single AP when multi-AP communication is disabled, and controls the communication device to transmit or receive data of a single content via multiple APs when multi-AP communication is enabled; a setting step in which the setting means sets whether or not to enable multi-AP communication for each AP group; and a processing step in which the processing means processes to enable multi-AP communication with a first AP group and disable multi-AP communication with a second AP group based on the setting in the setting means.

15. 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 13.

16. 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 13.

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