Communication apparatus, control method, program, and storage medium

Abstract

According to the present invention, in a case where a plurality of connectable access points including a first access point that does not form a multi-AP group, which is a group of access points compatible with multi-AP communication, and a second access point that forms the multi-AP group are found by searching for access points, the signal strength of the first access point is larger than the signal strength of the second access point, and a plurality of conditions including settings related to security are the same between the first access point and the second access point: if a predetermined condition different from the plurality of conditions is not satisfied, the first access point is prioritized as a connection target of a communication apparatus over the second access point; and if the predetermined condition is satisfied, the second access point is prioritized as a connection target of the communication apparatus over the first access point.

Description

Communication apparatus, control method, program, storage medium

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a communication apparatus capable of performing wireless communication, a control method executed in the communication apparatus, 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 progressing. The IEEE 802.11 standard series is known as a major communication standard for wireless LAN. The IEEE 802.11 standard series includes standards such as IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax / be. Patent Document 1 describes a communication apparatus compatible with IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax. Furthermore, a mechanism of Multi-AP communication in which a plurality of access points (APs) cooperatively transmit data to a station (STA) has been under study.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-50133

[0004] In Multi-AP communication, there has been room for improvement in suitable communication and usability.

[0005] The present disclosure provides a mechanism for performing Multi-AP communication more suitably.

[0006] The communication device according to this disclosure is a communication device comprising: communication means for establishing connections with a plurality of access points (APs) and transmitting or receiving single content data via the plurality of access points; and control means for discovering a plurality of connectable access points, including a first access point that does not form a multi-AP group which is a group of access points corresponding to Multi-AP communication, and a second access point that forms the multi-AP group, and when the radio wave strength of the first access point is greater than that of the second access point, and a plurality of conditions including security settings are the same between the first access point and the second access point, if the plurality of conditions and predetermined conditions different from the plurality of conditions are not met, the first access point is given priority over the second access point as the connection target of the communication device, and if the predetermined conditions are met, the second access point is given priority over the first access point as the connection target of the communication device.

[0007] This disclosure enables more favorable Multi-AP communication. Other features and advantages of the technical ideas derived from this disclosure will become apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, the same or similar components are given the same reference numeral.

[0008] The attached drawings are included in the specification and constitute part thereof, illustrating embodiments in this disclosure and used together with the description to explain the technical ideas derived from this disclosure. Diagram showing the configuration of a wireless communication system. Diagram showing the configuration of a communication device. Diagram showing the configuration of a communication device. Diagram showing a user interface screen. Diagram showing a user interface screen. Diagram showing a user interface screen. Diagram showing a user interface screen. Diagram showing the configuration of a mobile terminal device. Diagram showing the configuration of a mobile terminal device. Diagram showing the configuration of an access point. Sequence diagram between STA and AP related to Multi-AP communication. Diagram showing the configuration of a wireless communication system. Diagram showing the setting of the AP's wireless network. Flowchart showing the process executed in the communication device. Flowchart showing the process executed in the communication device. Diagram showing a user interface screen.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0028] The wireless unit 250 is a unit capable of providing WLAN communication functions, and can provide functions similar to, for example, the wireless unit 401 of the mobile terminal device 101. That is, the wireless unit 250 converts data into packets in accordance with the WLAN standard and transmits the packets to other devices, and also restores packets from other external devices to their original data and outputs it to the CPU 212.

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

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

[0031] (MFP operation display unit) Figure 3 schematically shows an example of the screen display on the display (touch panel display) included in the operation display unit 220 of the MFP 100.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0044] The data conversion unit 416 performs analysis of data in various formats, and data conversion such as color conversion, image conversion, and the like. 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.

[0045] 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 performs control of power supply into the device. The power supply state includes, for example, a dead battery state where the battery has no remaining power, a power off state where the power key 404 is not pressed, a normally activated startup state, and a power saving state where the device is activated but operates in a power saving mode.

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

[0047] The mobile terminal device 101 performs wireless communication using a 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 data to the CPU 412. Each wireless unit 429 is a unit for realizing communication conforming to 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 functions and performance of the hardware.

[0048] (Configuration of Access Point) Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of AP 111 having a wireless LAN access point function. AP 111 is configured to include a main board 510 that controls AP 111, a wireless LAN unit 516, a wired LAN unit 518, and an operation button 520.

[0049] CPU 511 in the form of a microprocessor disposed on the main board 510 operates in accordance with a control program stored in a program memory 513 in ROM form connected via an internal bus 512 and the contents of a data memory 514 in RAM form. The CPU 511 controls the wireless LAN unit 516 via a wireless LAN communication control unit 515, thereby performing wireless LAN communication with other communication terminal devices. Specifically, the wireless LAN unit 516 is configured to be capable of executing 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. In addition, communication as an AP compatible with Multi-AP communication described later is possible. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the wireless LAN unit 516 may be capable of executing communication of a WLAN system compliant with other standards. In this example, it is assumed that the wireless LAN unit 516 is capable of communicating in the 2.4 GHz band, 5 GHz band, and 6 GHz frequency bands. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the wireless LAN unit 516 may be capable of communicating in any one or more frequency bands including the 2.4 GHz band, 5 GHz band, and 6 GHz band.

[0050] Further, the CPU 511 controls the wired LAN unit 518 via a wired LAN communication control unit 517, thereby performing wired LAN communication with other communication devices. By controlling an operation unit control circuit 519, the CPU 511 can accept an operation from a user via the operation button 520. The CPU 511 includes at least one processor.

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

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

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

[0054] Two P2P modes are anticipated:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0083] Figure 1 shows a wireless network configuration with a single multi-AP group to explain Multi-AP communication, but generally, environments often have multiple wireless networks. In environments with multiple wireless networks, it is sometimes necessary to connect an STA (e.g., MFP100) to a desired AP. One way to do this is to display a list of multiple APs detected by AP search (S604 in Figure 6) on the operation display unit 220 of the MFP100, and allow the user to select the desired AP from the list. Specifically, for example, when "Enter password and set up" is selected from the menu items on the "Wireless LAN Setup" screen in Figure 3D, an AP search is performed and the multiple APs detected are displayed in a list on the operation display unit 220 of the MFP100.

[0084] However, conventional communication devices conforming to the IEEE 802.11 series standards did not consider configurations in which the STA connects to multiple APs simultaneously, resulting in issues with convenience when connecting to APs that support Multi-AP communication. For example, even if an AP that supports Multi-AP communication exists, an AP that does not support Multi-AP communication may be preferentially selected as the connection target based on signal strength. In other words, in an environment with multiple wireless networks, there was a possibility of connecting to an AP with poor connection conditions. According to this embodiment, even in an environment with multiple wireless networks, the STA can be connected to an appropriate AP.

[0085] Figure 7 shows an example of a system configuration with multiple wireless networks. In addition to the multi-AP group 110 shown in Figure 1, Figure 7 shows an example where other multi-AP groups 130, 150, and 160, and AP 141, which does not support Multi-AP communication, each establish their own wireless network (wireless LAN). Hereafter, AP 141 will be referred to as non-multi-AP 141.

[0086] AP131 and AP132, like the other APs in Multi-AP Group 110, are APs that support Multi-AP communication and operate in cooperation with Multi-AP Group 130. Similarly to Multi-AP Group 130, AP151 and AP152 operate in cooperation with Multi-AP Group 150. Also, similar to Multi-AP Group 130, AP161, AP162, AP163, and AP164 operate in cooperation with Multi-AP Group 160. Note that the number of APs belonging to each Multi-AP Group is not limited to those shown in Figure 7, and may include more APs than those shown in Figure 7.

[0087] In this embodiment, as an example, multi-AP group 110 operates using the Co-OFDMA method. AP 111 operates as both a Coordinator AP and a Coordinated AP, enabling direct communication with STA. Multi-AP group 130 operates using the Joint-TX method. AP 131 and AP 132 both operate as Coordinated APs. Multi-AP group 150 operates using the Joint-TX method. AP 151 and AP 152 both operate as Coordinated APs. Multi-AP group 160 operates using the Co-OFDMA method. AP 161 operates as both a Coordinator AP and a Coordinated AP, enabling direct communication with STA. AP162, 163, and 164 will operate as Coordinated APs.

[0088] In this embodiment, the configurations of multi-AP groups 110, 130, 150, and 160 are described as examples, but the configuration of the multi-AP groups is not limited to that shown in Figure 7, and for example, the number of networks formed by the multi-AP groups may be five or more. Also, the number of non-multi-APs that do not support Multi-AP communication is not limited to that shown in Figure 7, and may be two or more.

[0089] Figure 8 shows an example of the wireless network settings for each AP shown in Figure 7. Each AP has established its own wireless network with the settings shown in Figure 8.

[0090] AP131 and AP132 constitute a multi-AP group 130 using the Joint-TX method. The BSS Color value, which serves as the identifier for the multi-AP group, is set to, for example, "1". In the Joint-TX method, the SSID used between Coordinated APs is common, and is set to, for example, "AP-130". Furthermore, in the Joint-TX method, the BSSID is common within the multi-AP group, and is set to, for example, the MAC address value of AP131. In the Joint-TX method, the security protocol is common, and is set to, for example, "WPA3-SAE".

[0091] AP151 and AP152 constitute a multi-AP group 150 using the Joint-TX method. The BSS Color value, which serves as the identifier for the multi-AP group, is set to, for example, "3". In the Joint-TX method, the SSID used between Coordinated APs is common, and is set to, for example, "AP-150". Furthermore, in the Joint-TX method, the BSSID is common within the multi-AP group, and is set to, for example, the MAC address value of AP151. In the Joint-TX method, the security protocol is common, and is set to, for example, "WPA3-SAE".

[0092] AP111, AP112, and AP113 constitute a multi-AP group 110 using the Co-OFDMA method. The BSS Color value, which serves as the identifier for the multi-AP group, is set to, for example, "2". In the Co-OFDMA method, the SSIDs used among the coordinated APs do not need to be common. For example, the SSID for AP111 is set to "AP-111", the SSID for AP112 is set to "AP-112", and the SSID for AP113 is set to "AP-113". In the Co-OFDMA method, the BSSIDs differ among the coordinated APs. For example, the MAC address value of each AP is set as the respective BSSID for AP111, AP112, and AP113. In the Co-OFDMA method, the security protocol does not need to be common across the APs. For example, AP111 is configured with the security protocol "WPA2 / WPA3-PSK", AP112 is configured with the security protocol "WPA3-SAE", and AP113 is configured with the security protocol "WPA2 / WPA3-PSK".

[0093] AP161, AP162, AP163, and AP164 constitute a multi-AP group 160 using the Co-OFDMA method. The BSS Color value, which serves as the identifier for the multi-AP group, is set to, for example, "4". In the Co-OFDMA method, the SSIDs used between coordinated APs do not need to be common. For example, the SSID for AP161 is set to "AP-161", and the SSID for AP162 is set to "AP-162". Similarly, the SSID for AP163 is set to "AP-163", and the SSID for AP164 is set to "AP-164". In the Co-OFDMA method, the BSSIDs differ between each coordinated AP. For example, the MAC address value of each AP is set as the respective BSSID for AP161, AP162, AP163, and AP164. In the Co-OFDMA scheme, the security protocol does not need to be the same for each AP. For example, AP161 may be set to "WPA3-SAE" as its security protocol, while AP162 may be set to "No Authentication," indicating that authentication is not required. Furthermore, AP163 may be set to "WPA2 / WPA3-PSK" as its security protocol, and AP164 may also be set to "WPA2 / WPA3-PSK" as its security protocol.

[0094] AP141 is an access point that does not support Multi-AP communication. Since AP141 does not have settings related to multi-AP groups, the Probe Response frames sent from AP141 do not contain information equivalent to Multi-AP IE.

[0095] The wireless network settings for each AP further include signal strength and bandwidth. Signal strength is the signal strength (Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI)) detected by the wireless unit 250 when the MFP 100 performs an AP search and receives Probe Response frames from each AP. The unit of signal strength is "dBm". Bandwidth is information contained in the Probe Response frames received by the MFP 100 when it performs an AP search from each AP. The wireless network settings shown in Figure 8 are just an example, and the wireless network settings for each multi-AP group may differ from those shown in Figure 8.

[0096] The following describes the process for determining the priority of the wireless network to which the MFP 100 will connect, in the system configuration shown in Figure 7, where both a wireless network configured with a multi-AP group and a wireless network configured with a single AP exist.

[0097] Figures 9A and 9B are flowcharts showing the process by which the MFP 100 performs an AP search and determines the priority of connection targets from among the detected APs. The processes in Figures 9A and 9B are realized, for example, by the CPU 212 reading a program stored in ROM 213 into RAM 214 and executing it. The processes in Figures 9A and 9B are executed when the AP search S604 in Figure 6 is performed. The AP search is executed, for example, when "Enter password and set up" is selected from the menu items on the "Wireless LAN Setup" screen in Figure 3D. In the AP search, the MFP 100 performs an AP search for each channel in the frequency band supported by the wireless unit 250 and stores the AP information of the APs discovered (detected) when a response is received from the APs.

[0098] In S901, the CPU 212 performs AP search by sequentially switching (scanning) frequency bands and channels and sending Probe Request frames. The Probe Request frame contains information such as an SSID with length 0 (i.e., blank) (wildcard SSID), security information, and supported data rates. All APs except those without an SSID set will return a Probe Response frame when they receive a Probe Request frame with a blank SSID. In S901, the CPU 212 detects Probe Response frames sent from APs. Once the transmission of Probe Request frames and detection of Probe Response frames are complete for all available frequency bands, the process proceeds to S902. S901 corresponds to S604 and S605 in Figure 6.

[0099] In S902, the CPU 212 registers the information contained in the Probe Response frame and Beacon frame for each AP into a search results list. The search results list is, for example, a list containing the information shown in Figure 8, and is configured in a memory area such as RAM 214. The information contained in the Probe Response frame and Beacon frame includes the SSID, BSSID, security protocol, bandwidth, and radio wave strength detected by the wireless unit 250. Furthermore, the CPU 212 checks whether the Probe Response frame and Beacon frame contain a Multi-AP Information Element (Multi-AP IE). If a Multi-AP IE is contained, the CPU 212 registers the BSS Color value for Multi-AP communication and the multi-AP communication method into the search results list. The BSS Color value can also be considered identification information (Multi-AP ID) for identifying a multi-AP group. Here, as an example, let's assume that the information shown in Figure 8 is registered as the search result list.

[0100] In S903, the CPU 212 determines whether or not there are APs belonging to the multi-AP group based on the BSS Color value in the search results list. If it is determined that there are no APs belonging to the multi-AP group, the process proceeds to S912. When the information shown in Figure 8 is registered as the search results list, a multi-AP group with a BSS Color value is set exists, so it is determined that there are APs belonging to the multi-AP group.

[0101] Furthermore, the determination in S903 may be made based on the settings related to Multi-AP communication within the MFP100. For example, if the connection to APs forming a multi-AP group is disabled, even if there are APs belonging to a multi-AP group in the search results list, the system may determine that there are no APs belonging to a multi-AP group and proceed to S912. In addition, such connection disabling settings may be set for all multi-AP groups included in the system, or they may be configurable for each multi-AP group.

[0102] If it is determined that there is an AP belonging to a multi-AP group, in S904, the CPU 212 determines whether there is an AP in the multi-AP group that meets the security criteria. Whether there is an AP that meets the security criteria is determined based on the information about the security protocol included in the information received from the AP in S902. Specifically, for example, an AP with "no authentication" or "WEP" (not shown) set as the security protocol is recognized as an AP that does not meet the security criteria. Also, for example, an AP with a security protocol other than the above set is recognized as an AP that meets the security criteria. If the information shown in Figure 8 is registered as the search result list, APs with "WPA3-SAE" or "WPA2 / WPA3-PSK" set as the security protocol are recognized as APs that meet the security criteria. Also, AP 162 with "no authentication" set as the security protocol is recognized as an AP that does not meet the security criteria. Therefore, if the information shown in Figure 8 is registered as the search result list, S904 determines that there is an AP that meets the security criteria. If it is determined that there is no AP that meets the security criteria, the process proceeds to S912. In other words, if all APs found through the AP search do not meet the security standards, the process will proceed to S912.

[0103] If it is determined that there is an AP that meets the security standards, in S905, the CPU 212 excludes APs belonging to a Co-OFDMA multi-AP group that do not meet the security standards from the connection target. In the case of a Co-OFDMA multi-AP group, the MFP 100 can select which AP to connect to. Therefore, by excluding APs that do not meet the security standards from the connection target, it is possible to avoid the multi-AP group having a lower priority as a connection target due to the security standards. If the information shown in Figure 8 is registered as the search result list, AP 162 will be excluded from the connection target.

[0104] In S906, the CPU 212 determines whether there are any APs in the multi-AP group that meet the radio wave strength criteria. In S906, this determination is made based on whether the radio wave strength detected by the wireless unit 250 when receiving a Probe Response frame from each AP is greater than a predetermined value. For example, if the radio wave strength is -75 dBm or less, that AP is recognized as an AP that does not meet the radio wave strength criteria. If the information shown in Figure 8 is registered as the search result list, AP151, AP152, and AP164 are recognized as APs that do not meet the radio wave strength criteria, and the other APs are recognized as APs that meet the radio wave strength criteria. If it is determined that there are no APs that meet the radio wave strength criteria, the process proceeds to S912. In other words, if all APs found through the AP search do not meet the radio wave strength criteria, the process proceeds to S912.

[0105] If it is determined that there is an AP that meets the radio wave strength criteria, in S907, the CPU 212 excludes APs belonging to the Co-OFDMA multi-AP group that do not meet the radio wave strength criteria from the connection target. Specifically, for example, APs belonging to the Co-OFDMA multi-AP group with a radio wave strength of -75 dBm or less are excluded. In the case of a Co-OFDMA multi-AP group, the MFP 100 can select the AP to connect to. Therefore, by excluding APs that do not meet the radio wave strength criteria from the connection target, it is possible to avoid the multi-AP group having a lower priority for connection due to the radio wave strength criteria. On the other hand, in the case of a Joint-TX multi-AP group, APs transmit radio waves in cooperation. Therefore, the radio wave strength when communicating as a single AP is different from the radio wave strength when communicating as a multi-AP, and is not excluded in S907. If the information shown in Figure 8 is registered as a search result list, AP164, which belongs to a Co-OFDMA multi-AP group, will be excluded from connection targets among AP151, AP152, and AP164, which do not meet the radio wave strength criteria.

[0106] In S908, the CPU 212 determines whether the signal strength of at least one AP belonging to the multi-AP group is stronger than the signal strength of the non-multi-AP. In this embodiment, if the signal strength of at least one AP belonging to the multi-AP group is stronger than the signal strength of the non-multi-AP, the multi-AP group is recognized as having a stronger signal strength than the non-multi-AP. When the information shown in Figure 8 is registered as the search result list, the signal strength of the non-multi-AP 141 is -66 dBm. AP 111 of the multi-AP group 110 is -65 dBm, which is stronger than the signal strength of the non-multi-AP 141. Therefore, in S908, it is determined that the signal strength of at least one AP belonging to the multi-AP group is stronger than the signal strength of the non-multi-AP. If it is determined that the signal strength of any of the APs belonging to the multi-AP group is not stronger than the signal strength of the non-multi-AP, the process proceeds to S910.

[0107] If it is determined that the signal strength of at least one AP belonging to a multi-AP group is stronger than that of a non-multi-AP, in S909, the CPU 212 sets the priority of the multi-AP group to which the AP with a stronger signal than the non-multi-AP belongs. In this case, the highest priority is set. When the information shown in Figure 8 is registered as a search result list, the priority of multi-AP group 110 is set to "1". Note that the method of setting the priority is not limited to assigning numbers; for example, it may also be done by adding to a predetermined list in the order in which the priorities are determined.

[0108] When there are multiple multi-AP groups to which APs with stronger signal strengths than non-multi-APs belong, the priority among the multi-AP groups is determined by comparing the APs with the highest signal strengths within each group. In this case, for Joint-TX type multi-AP groups, the measured power P "mW" of the AP with the highest signal strength is doubled to calculate the signal strength of the multi-AP group, and this signal strength is used for comparison. The signal strength of a multi-AP group may be calculated by other methods; for example, the signal strength of a multi-AP group may be calculated as shown in equation (1).

[0109] The signal strength dBm of a multi-AP group = 10 * log 10 (P * 2 / 1 mW) ... (1) In the case of a Co-OFDMA multi-AP group, the AP with the strongest signal strength is used as the signal strength of the multi-AP group and is used as the comparison point.

[0110] If priority cannot be determined by comparing signal strength, priority among multi-AP groups is determined by comparing the APs with the lowest security standards within the multi-AP group. For example, the security standards of security protocols are defined as follows:

[0111] The order of security standards is as follows: "WPA3-SAE" > "WPA2 / WPA3-PSK" > "WPA / WPA2-PSK" > "WPA-PSK" > "WEP" > "No Authentication". Then, based on a comparison of the APs with the lowest security standards within each multi-AP group, the multi-AP group to which the AP with the higher security standard belongs is given higher priority. Note that the above hierarchy of security standards is just an example, and other security protocols may be added. If priority cannot be determined by comparing the security standards of the security protocols, priority is determined by the order in which Probe Response frames are received from the APs.

[0112] Thus, in this embodiment, first, APs that do not meet the conditions are excluded from connection targets from the Co-OFDMA multi-AP group. Then, the priority of the multi-AP group to which APs that belong to the multi-AP group and have a higher signal strength than non-multi-AP networks belong is set to the highest. This prevents users from unintentionally connecting to a non-multi-AP network.

[0113] In S910, the CPU 212 determines whether there is a multi-AP group that satisfies predetermined conditions for non-multi-AP groups among the multi-AP groups for which the priority of connection targets has not been determined. For example, the following two predetermined conditions are assumed for non-multi-AP groups.

[0114] As a first predetermined condition for non-multi-APs, if the difference between the signal strength of the multi-AP group and the signal strength of the non-multi-AP is within a predetermined threshold, it is determined that the first predetermined condition is met. For example, the predetermined threshold is -2 dBm. In the case of the Co-OFDMA method, the signal strength of the multi-AP group may be the average value of the APs. In the case of the Joint-TX method, it may be the value calculated by the method described in S909.

[0115] If the information shown in Figure 8 is registered as a search result list, the Joint-TX multi-AP group 130, when calculated based on the signal strength of AP 131 at -70 dBm, will have a calculation result of -66.99 dBm. Therefore, the difference with the signal strength of non-multi-AP 141 at -66 dBm is within the threshold, and it is determined that the first predetermined condition for non-multi-AP is met. Also, the Joint-TX multi-AP group 150, when calculated based on the signal strength of AP 151 at -75 dBm, will have a calculation result of -71.99 dBm. Therefore, the difference with the signal strength of non-multi-AP 141 at -66 dBm exceeds the threshold, and it is determined that the first predetermined condition for non-multi-AP is not met. Furthermore, in the Co-ODMA multi-AP group 160, AP 162 is excluded from connection based on a determination based on security criteria, and AP 164 is excluded from connection based on a determination based on signal strength criteria. Therefore, in the multi-AP group 160, the strongest signal strength is at AP 161 at -71 dBm, and the difference between this and the signal strength of the non-multi-AP 141 exceeds the threshold, so it is determined that the first predetermined condition for the non-multi-AP is not met. Therefore, in S910, it is determined that there is a multi-AP group 130 that satisfies the first predetermined condition for the non-multi-AP.

[0116] As a second predetermined condition for non-multi-AP groups, a baseline communication speed based on bandwidth is compared between the multi-AP group and the non-multi-AP group. For example, theoretical values ​​are used as baselines, with bandwidths of 20 MHz being 600 Mbps, 40 MHz being 1.2 Gbps, 80 MHz being 2.4 Gbps, and 160 GHz being 4.8 Gbps. However, other baselines may be established. For a Co-OFDMA multi-AP group, the communication speed is calculated by summing the communication speeds of the APs to which it belongs, and this calculation result is used as the comparison target. On the other hand, for a Joint-TX multi-AP group, a baseline bandwidth common to all APs is used as the comparison target.

[0117] If the information shown in Figure 8 is registered as a search result list, then in the multi-AP group 160, AP 162 is excluded from connection based on a determination based on security criteria, and AP 164 is excluded from connection based on a determination based on radio wave strength criteria. Therefore, the communication speed of the multi-AP group 160 is calculated as the sum of the communication speeds of AP 161 and AP 163. The sum of the communication speeds of AP 161 and AP 163 is lower than the communication speed of the non-multi-AP 141, and it is determined that the second predetermined condition for the non-multi-AP is not met. Also, a common bandwidth reference value among the APs is used as the communication speed of the multi-AP group 150, and this reference value is lower than the communication speed of the non-multi-AP 141, and it is determined that the second predetermined condition for the non-multi-AP is not met. Also, a common bandwidth reference value among the APs is used as the communication speed of the multi-AP group 130, and this reference value is lower than the communication speed of the non-multi-AP 141, and it is determined that the second predetermined condition for the non-multi-AP is not met.

[0118] When the information shown in Figure 8 is registered as a search result list, the multi-AP group 130 satisfies at least the first predetermined condition, so in S910, it is determined that there is a multi-AP group that satisfies the predetermined condition for non-multi-AP. In this embodiment, two predetermined conditions, a first predetermined condition and a second predetermined condition, are given, but there may be only one predetermined condition, or three or more conditions may be considered.

[0119] In S911, the CPU 212 sets a priority for multi-AP groups that are determined to satisfy predetermined conditions for non-multi-AP groups and whose priority has not yet been determined.

[0120] If the information shown in Figure 8 is registered as a search result list, the priority of the multi-AP group 130, which is determined to satisfy the first predetermined condition for non-multi-APs and whose priority is undetermined, is set to "2". If, for example, the multi-AP group 110 does not exist in the system shown in Figure 7, then in S908 it is determined that the signal strength of any AP belonging to the multi-AP group is not stronger than the signal strength of the non-multi-AP, and the process proceeds to S910. In this case, the priority of the multi-AP group 130 that satisfies the first predetermined condition for non-multi-APs is set to "1".

[0121] If there are multiple multi-AP groups that are determined to meet the predetermined conditions for non-multi-APs and whose priority has not yet been determined, the priority among these multiple multi-AP groups is determined based on radio wave strength, the level of security standards of the security protocol, and the order in which Probe Response frames are received from the APs, as explained in S909.

[0122] Thus, in this embodiment, if there is a multi-AP group that satisfies predetermined conditions for a non-multi-AP, that multi-AP group is set to have a higher priority than the non-multi-AP. As shown in Figure 8, even if the security conditions are the same between the non-multi-AP and the multi-AP group, and the signal strength of the non-multi-AP is stronger than that of the multi-AP group, if the difference in signal strength is within a threshold, it is determined that the first predetermined condition for the non-multi-AP is satisfied, and the priority of that multi-AP group is set to be higher than that of the non-multi-AP. For example, consider the case where the wireless LAN is set to "disabled" on the screen in Figure 3C, that is, the MFP 100 is not connected to any AP, and then the setting is changed to "enabled". If the result of performing an AP search in such a case is that APs 111 to 113 are not found as shown in Figure 8, the priority of the multi-AP group 130 is set to "1". In other words, the multi-AP group 130 is set to have a higher priority than the non-multi-AP 141. In other words, the priority of the multi-AP group 130, which supports Multi-AP communication, is set higher than that of AP 141, which has a strong signal but does not support Multi-AP communication. The CPU 212 then controls the connection to the AP with the highest priority, so it connects to the multi-AP group 130 instead of the non-multi-AP 141 without the user having to perform any operation to select an AP. With this configuration, even in environments with multiple wireless networks, the STA can be connected to an AP that supports Multi-AP communication without user operation, thereby improving convenience.

[0123] In this embodiment, we have described a case where only the security conditions are the same between a non-multi-AP and a multi-AP group. However, it is also possible that conditions other than the security conditions are the same. In other words, even if multiple conditions, including security conditions but not radio wave strength conditions, are the same, and the radio wave strength of the non-multi-AP is stronger than that of the multi-AP group, if the difference in radio wave strength is within a threshold, it is determined that the first predetermined condition for the non-multi-AP is met.

[0124] In S912, the CPU 212 determines whether there is a non-multi-AP that is superior to the multi-AP group. If S912 is executed after S911, S912 can also be considered a process for setting the priority of the non-multi-AP that was compared in S910. A non-multi-AP that is superior to the multi-AP group is a non-multi-AP that is recognized in S910 as not meeting the predetermined conditions for the non-multi-AP group.

[0125] When the information shown in Figure 8 is registered as a search result list, as described above, multi-AP group 150 and multi-AP group 160 do not satisfy the first and second predetermined conditions for non-multi-AP 141. That is, non-multi-AP 141 can be said to be a non-multi-AP that is superior to multi-AP groups 150 and 160. Therefore, in S912, it is determined that there is a non-multi-AP that is superior to the multi-AP groups.

[0126] If it is determined that there is a non-multi-AP that is superior to the multi-AP group, in S913 the CPU 212 sets a priority for that non-multi-AP. When the information shown in Figure 8 is registered as the search result list, the priority of the non-multi-AP 141 is set to "3". If there are multiple non-multi-APs that are superior to the multi-AP group, the priority among those multiple non-multi-APs is determined based on radio wave strength, the level of security standards of the security protocol, and the order in which Probe Response frames are received from the APs, as explained in S909.

[0127] If the result of the judgment in S903, S904, S906, and S910 is "false" and the process proceeds to S912, it is determined that there is no multi-AP group, that there are no APs in the multi-AP group that meet the security criteria / signal strength criteria, or that there is no multi-AP group that meets the predetermined conditions for non-multi-APs. If it is determined in S903 that there is no multi-AP group and the process proceeds to S912, the process proceeds to S913 and the priority of non-multi-APs is set to "1". If there are multiple non-multi-APs, the priority among those multiple non-multi-APs is determined based on signal strength, the level of security criteria of the security protocol, and the order in which Probe Response frames are received from APs, as explained in S909.

[0128] If, in S904 / S906, it is determined that there are no APs in the multi-AP group that meet the security criteria / signal strength criteria, and the process proceeds to S912, then in S912, it is determined whether there are any non-multi-APs that are superior to the multi-AP group, based on the predetermined conditions described above (first predetermined condition, second predetermined condition). If there are multiple non-multi-APs, the priority order among these multiple non-multi-APs is determined in S913 based on signal strength, the level of security criteria of the security protocol, and the order in which Probe Response frames are received from the APs, as explained in S909.

[0129] If S910 determines that there are no multi-AP groups that meet the predetermined conditions for non-multi-APs and proceeds to S912, then S912 determines that there is a non-multi-AP that is superior to the multi-AP groups, proceeds to S913, and the priority of the non-multi-AP is set to "1". If there are multiple non-multi-APs, the priority among those multiple non-multi-APs is determined based on radio wave strength, the level of security standards of the security protocol, and the order in which Probe Response frames are received from APs, as explained in S909.

[0130] In S914, the CPU 212 sets the priority for multi-AP groups and non-multi-APs whose priority has not yet been determined. When multi-AP groups, non-multi-APs, or a mixture of both are present, the priority among them is determined based on radio wave strength, communication speed, the security standard of the security protocol, and the order in which Probe Response frames are received from APs, as explained in S909. In the case of multi-AP groups, the radio wave strength may be calculated using the method explained in S909. The communication speed may also be calculated using the standard value for communication speed explained in S910. The security standard of the security protocol may also be calculated using the lowest security standard among the APs belonging to the multi-AP group, as explained in S909.

[0131] When the information shown in Figure 8 is registered as a search result list, the signal strength of multi-AP group 160 exceeds that of multi-AP group 150. Therefore, the priority of multi-AP group 160 is set to "4", and the priority of multi-AP group 150 is set to "5". After S914, the processing shown in Figures 9A and 9B is terminated.

[0132] Figure 10 shows an example of a screen displaying the AP search results in a list. When the information shown in Figure 8 is registered as the search results list, the results of the processing in Figures 9A and 9B will result in the display of multi-AP group 100, multi-AP group 130, non-multi-AP 141, multi-AP group 160, and multi-AP group 150 in that order. APs 162 and 164, which were excluded from the connection target, are displayed in an identifiable manner along with the reason for their exclusion. In addition, icons 1002 and 1003 are used to distinguish multi-AP groups from non-multi-AP groups. On the screen, checkboxes 1004 are displayed to allow selection of the multi-AP group or non-multi-AP to be connected to. In Figure 10, checkboxes 1004 are provided for a predetermined priority (up to the fourth priority), but it is also possible to select all multi-AP groups or non-multi-APs included in the system. Furthermore, the screen shown in Figure 10 displays a button 1001 that can accept instructions to connect to APs 162 and 164, which were excluded from the connection target. When button 1001 is pressed, the CPU 212 displays a screen that allows the user to specify which APs to connect to from among the APs that were excluded from the connection target, and then executes the connection process for the APs specified or selected on that screen. At that time, processes such as Authentication and Association as defined in IEEE 802.11 are executed.

[0133] As described above, according to this embodiment, when there are both networks capable of Multi-AP communication and networks that are not Multi-AP, it is possible to appropriately determine the display order of the AP search results list. As a result, for example, even if there are APs that support Multi-AP communication, it is possible to avoid situations where APs that do not support Multi-AP communication are preferentially selected as candidates based on radio wave strength. The processing in Figures 9A and 9B may be performed, for example, when connecting to an AP after restarting the MFP 100, or when reconnecting after a connection to an AP has been disconnected, after the AP connection settings have been completed, that is, when the SSID and password have been set in the MFP 100. Even in such cases, S901 sends a Probe Request frame and receives Probe Response frames from multiple APs, and the priority of the connection destination is appropriately determined.

[0134] 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.

[0135] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiments used the application of this disclosure to an MFP as an example, this is not limited to this example, and it can be applied to any wireless device capable of Multi-AP communication. In other words, this disclosure can be applied to personal computers, PDAs, tablet terminals, mobile phone terminals such as smartphones, music players, game consoles, e-book readers, smartwatches, and various measuring devices (sensor devices) such as thermometers and hygrometers. This disclosure can also be applied to digital cameras (including still cameras, video cameras, network cameras, and security cameras), printers, scanners, and drones. This disclosure can also be applied to video output devices, audio output devices (e.g., smart speakers), media streaming players, and wireless LAN adapters that can be connected via USB terminals or LAN cable terminals. Video output devices include, for example, devices such as set-top boxes, which acquire (download) videos and still images from the internet specified by a URL instructed by a communication device and output them to a display device connected via a video output terminal such as HDMI®. This enables streaming playback on display devices and mirroring (displaying content shown on a communication device on a display device). Video output devices include media players such as televisions, hard disk recorders, Blu-ray recorders, and DVD recorders, as well as head-mounted displays, projectors, televisions, display devices (monitors), and signage devices. Furthermore, this disclosure is applicable to Wi-Fi-connected devices, often referred to as smart home appliances, such as air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, ovens, microwave ovens, lighting fixtures, heating appliances, and cooling appliances.

[0136] The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and by having one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0137] 100 Communication devices: 101 Mobile terminal devices: 111, 112, 113 APs: 212, 412, 511 CPUs

[0138] 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.

[0139] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-050560, filed on 25 March 2025, and all of its contents are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising: communication means for establishing connections with a plurality of access points (APs) and transmitting or receiving single content data via the plurality of access points; and control means for controlling the following: when a plurality of connectable access points are discovered by searching for access points, including a first access point that does not form a multi-AP group which is a group of access points that supports Multi-AP communication, and a second access point that forms the multi-AP group, and when the radio wave strength of the first access point is greater than the radio wave strength of the second access point, and a plurality of conditions including security settings are the same between the first access point and the second access point, the first access point is given priority over the second access point as a connection target of the communication device if the plurality of conditions and predetermined conditions different from the plurality of conditions are not met, and the second access point is given priority over the first access point as a connection target of the communication device if the predetermined conditions are met.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the communication device is not connected to an access point and searches for an access point, thereby discovering the first access point and the second access point and satisfying the predetermined conditions, the control means controls the communication device to connect to the second access point without connecting to the first access point.

3. The communication device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that control by the control means is performed when the discovered plurality of connectable access points include an access point with the same SSID (Service Set Identifier).

4. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, when displaying the discovered plurality of connectable access points, the discovered plurality of connectable access points are displayed in order of priority based on control by the control means.

5. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the predetermined condition includes the difference between the radio wave intensity of the first access point and the radio wave intensity of the second access point being within a threshold value.

6. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the predetermined conditions include conditions based on a comparison between the communication speed of the first access point and the communication speed of the second access point.

7. The communication device according to claim 6, wherein the second access point is an access point that forms the multi-AP group using the Co-OFDMA (Coordinated-Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) method, and the predetermined condition includes that the sum of the communication speeds of the second access points forming the multi-AP group is greater than the communication speed of the first access point.

8. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, if the connection of the communication device to the multi-AP group is disabled, the control means controls the first access point to be given priority as a connection target for the communication device.

9. The communication device according to claim 8, characterized in that if there are multiple multi-AP groups and the connection of the communication device to the multi-AP groups is disabled, the connection of the communication device to all of the multi-AP groups is disabled.

10. The communication device according to claim 8, characterized in that, if there are multiple multi-AP groups, the connection of the communication device to the multi-AP group can be disabled for each multi-AP group.

11. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, by searching for access points, a plurality of connectable access points are discovered, including the first access point, the second access point, and the third access point which forms a different multi-AP group from the multi-AP group of the second access point, and if the radio wave strength of the third access point is greater than that of the first access point, the control means controls the third access point to be given priority over the first access point as a connection target for the communication device.

12. The communication device according to claim 11, characterized in that the control means controls the third access point to be given priority over the second access point as a connection target for the communication device.

13. The communication means is characterized in that it transmits or receives data of a single content via the plurality of access points by means of a communication method in which the plurality of access points forming the multi-AP group perform coordinated control.

14. The communication device according to claim 13, characterized in that the plurality of access points forming the multi-AP group are a plurality of Coordinated APs belonging to the multi-AP group.

15. The communication device according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the communication method is a communication method that corresponds to the Multi-AP communication compliant with IEEE 802.11bn.

16. The communication device according to any one of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that the communication method is the Co-OFDMA (Coordinated-Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) method in the Multi-AP communication compliant with IEEE 802.11bn.

17. The communication device according to any one of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that the communication method is the Joint-TX (Joint Transmission) method in the Multi-AP communication compliant with IEEE 802.11bn.

18. The communication device according to any one of paragraphs 13 to 17, wherein the first access point is an access point that does not support the communication method, and the communication means, when communicating via the first access point, communicates using a communication method compliant with one or more of IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax / be.

19. A control method to be performed in a communication device, comprising: a communication step of establishing a connection with a plurality of access points (APs) and transmitting or receiving a single content data through the plurality of access points; a control step of searching for access points, in which a plurality of connectable access points are discovered, including a first access point that does not form a multi-AP group which is a group of access points corresponding to Multi-AP communication, and a second access point that forms the multi-AP group, and the radio wave strength of the first access point is greater than the radio wave strength of the second access point, and a plurality of conditions including security settings are the same between the first access point and the second access point, the control step of controlling the communication device to prioritize the first access point over the second access point as a connection target if the plurality of conditions and predetermined conditions different from the second access point are not met, and prioritizing the second access point over the first access point as a connection target if the predetermined conditions are met.

20. 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 18.

21. A computer-readable storage medium for storing a program that causes a computer to function as one of the means of a communication device described in any one of claims 1 to 18.

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