JP2023109787A - Information processing device, information processing program, and information processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an information processing device, an information processing program, and an information processing system for acquiring connection information from a desired image processing device by wireless communication.SOLUTION: A wireless communication terminal 500 which is an information processing device, comprises: an inclination detection unit for measuring an inclination; a connection processing unit for determining whether the inclination of the wireless communication terminal is a prescribed inclination conforming to an apparatus shape; a reception unit for receiving a plurality of radio waves outputted from one or more apparatuses; a received signal strength measurement unit for acquiring identification information for identifying the apparatus having outputted a radio wave from each of a plurality of received radio waves and measuring strength of the received radio wave; and a connection target identification unit for determining whether to connect to the apparatus outputting the radio waves on the basis of the strength of the measured radio waves in the radio waves having the matching acquired identification information among the received radio waves. The connection processing unit further makes a connection to an apparatus which is determined to be connected, on the basis of the radio waves outputted by the apparatus, in accordance with the determination of inclination of the wireless communication terminal.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing program, and an information processing system.

When connecting to an image forming apparatus, an information processing apparatus such as a wireless communication terminal acquires connection information using the first wireless communication method, and uses the connection information to connect using the second wireless communication method.

It waits without starting image formation based on the print data until it is detected that the mobile terminal that transmits the print data has entered the predetermined range, and when it detects that it has entered the predetermined range, it is in that standby state. is known (see Patent Document 1, for example).

An information processing apparatus such as a wireless communication terminal receives a signal transmitted by wireless communication from an image processing apparatus, and performs image processing based on the received signal when the received signal strength of the signal exceeds a predetermined threshold. Make a connection to the device.

However, when a plurality of image processing apparatuses are installed, the information processing apparatus accidentally changes the received signal strength of a signal transmitted by wireless communication by an adjacent image processing apparatus that is different from the image processing apparatus in front of it. You may have to measure. If the received signal strength is higher than a predetermined threshold, the information processing apparatus may connect to an adjacent image processing apparatus that is different from the image processing apparatus for which the job is requested.

Also, an information processing device such as a wireless communication terminal is left in the vicinity of the image processing device, accidentally measuring a signal transmitted from the image processing device by wireless communication, and the received signal strength is higher than a predetermined threshold. In such a case, it is assumed that the user may request a job by communicating with the image processing apparatus against his or her will.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an information processing system in which an information processing apparatus acquires connection information through wireless communication when connecting to an image processing apparatus, and connects using the connection information, wherein a plurality of image processing apparatuses are installed. An object of the present invention is to acquire connection information from a desired image processing apparatus by wireless communication even when the image processing apparatus is connected to the image processing apparatus.

An information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure includes:
In an information processing device connectable to one or more devices via a network,
measuring means for measuring the inclination of the information processing device;
determining means for determining whether the tilt of the information processing device measured by the measuring means is a predetermined tilt corresponding to the shape of the device;
a receiving means for receiving a plurality of radio waves output from one or more devices;
Acquisition means for acquiring identification information for identifying a device that outputs a radio wave from each of the plurality of radio waves received by the receiving means;
radio wave intensity measuring means for measuring the intensity of the radio wave received by the receiving means;
Based on the intensity of the radio wave measured by the radio wave intensity measuring means, among the plurality of radio waves received by the receiving means, the plurality of radio waves having the same identification information acquired by the acquiring means, the plurality of radio waves a determination means for determining whether to connect to the device that outputs the
connection means for connecting to a device determined to be connected by the determination means according to the determination of the inclination of the information processing apparatus by the determination means, based on radio waves output by the device. .

According to the disclosed embodiments, in an information processing system in which, when connecting to an image processing apparatus, the information processing apparatus acquires connection information through wireless communication and connects through wireless communication using the connection information, a plurality of images can be processed. Even when the processing device is installed, the connection information can be obtained from the desired image processing device by wireless communication.

1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an image processing system according to an embodiment; FIG. It is a figure which shows the hardware structural example of the image processing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of an operation unit of an image processing apparatus according to an embodiment; FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration example of an operation unit of the image processing apparatus according to one embodiment; FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of an operation unit of the image processing apparatus according to one embodiment; FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example hardware configuration of a wireless communication terminal according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a wireless communication terminal according to one embodiment; FIG. FIG. 11 is an example (part 1) of temporal change in received signal strength of a device information disclosure packet received by a wireless communication terminal; FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing operations of a wireless communication terminal according to one embodiment; 1 is a functional block diagram of a wireless communication terminal according to one embodiment; FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of acceleration measured in a wireless communication terminal; FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of inclination of a wireless communication terminal; FIG. 11 shows an example (part 2) of temporal change in received signal strength of a device information disclosure packet received by a wireless communication terminal; FIG. FIG. 11 shows an example (part 3) of temporal change in received signal strength of a device information disclosure packet received by a wireless communication terminal; FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing operations of a wireless communication terminal according to one embodiment; 1 is a functional block diagram of a wireless communication terminal according to one embodiment; FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing operations of a wireless communication terminal according to one embodiment; FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a search screen displayed on the wireless communication terminal according to one embodiment; 4 is a flowchart showing operations of a wireless communication terminal according to one embodiment; FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a search screen displayed on the wireless communication terminal according to one embodiment;

Next, modes for carrying out the present invention will be described based on the following embodiments with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below are merely examples, and embodiments to which the present invention is applied are not limited to the following embodiments.
In addition, in all the drawings for explaining the embodiments, the same reference numerals are used for those having the same functions, and repeated explanations are omitted.

<Overview>
<Image processing system>
FIG. 1 shows a configuration example of an image processing system according to this embodiment. The image processing system includes an image processing device 100 and a wireless communication terminal 200 .

The image processing apparatus 100 can be an image forming apparatus such as a multifunction machine or a printer, and executes image processing in response to a job requesting image processing such as printing or scanning from an external device such as the wireless communication terminal 200 . The image processing apparatus 100 has a first wireless communication unit and a second wireless communication unit, is directly connected to the wireless communication terminal 200 by the first wireless communication unit, and is wirelessly accessed by the second wireless communication unit. It connects to the wireless communication terminal 200 via the point 300 .

A smart phone, a tablet terminal, or the like can be applied to the wireless communication terminal 200 . The wireless communication terminal 200 has a first wireless communication unit and a second wireless communication unit, is directly connected to the image processing apparatus 100 by the first wireless communication unit, and is wirelessly accessed by the second wireless communication unit. It connects with the image processing apparatus 100 via the point 300 . An NFC reader/writer can also be applied instead of the first wireless communication unit.

The wireless access point 300 builds a communication path between the image processing device 100 and the wireless communication terminal 200. FIG. The wireless access point 300 is connected to a LAN (Local Area Network) 50 such as Ethernet (registered trademark), and communicates with the wireless communication terminal 200 according to a wireless LAN standard such as IEEE802.11. Here, instead of the wireless access point 300, the image processing apparatus 100 is provided with a Wi-Fi module that operates in infrastructure mode or a Wi-Fi direct module that can directly connect to and communicate with the wireless communication terminal 200. good too. In this case, the wireless communication terminal 200 can directly connect and communicate with the image processing apparatus 100 without going through the wireless access point 300, thus eliminating the need for a wireless access point.

<Image processing device 100>
FIG. 2 shows a hardware configuration example of the image processing apparatus 100 according to this embodiment.

The image processing apparatus 100 includes a controller 102 , an operation unit 122 , a facsimile control unit (FCU) 126 , a USB (Universal Serial Bus) 128 , and an IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) 1394 interface 130 . , and an engine section 132 . In the image processing apparatus 100, parts other than the operation section 122 are sometimes called a main body section.

The controller 102 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 104, a north bridge (NB) 106, a system memory (MEM-P) 108, a south bridge (SB) 114, an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) 116, and a local It comprises a memory (MEM-C) 118 , an HDD 120 and a network interface card (NIC: Network Interface Card) 121 . The system memory 108 has a ROM (Read Only Memory) 110 and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 112 .

The CPU 104 controls the entire image processing apparatus 100 and constitutes a chipset together with the northbridge 106 , system memory 108 and southbridge 114 . The CPU 104 is connected to other devices via this chipset. Northbridge 106 is a bridge that provides connections between CPU 104 , system memory 108 , southbridge 114 and AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) bus 60 . The northbridge 106 has a memory controller that controls reading and writing of the system memory 108, a PCI (Peripheral Component Interface) master, and an AGP target.

The AGP bus 60 is an interface proposed to speed up graphics processing, and speeds up image processing by directly accessing the system memory 108 with high throughput.

A ROM 110 of the system memory 108 is a read-only memory that stores programs and data for the image processing apparatus. A RAM 112 of the system memory 108 is a writable and readable memory that is used to develop programs and data for the image processing apparatus and that is used when drawing processing is performed by the printer. The southbridge 114 is a bridge that connects between the northbridge 106 and peripheral devices such as PCI devices. The southbridge 114 is connected to the northbridge 106 via a PCI bus, to which a network interface (I/F) and the like can also be connected.

The ASIC 116 is an image processing IC (Integrated Circuit) having hardware elements for image processing, and serves as a bridge that connects the AGP bus 60, the PCI bus 70, the HDD 120, and the local memory 118, respectively. The ASIC 116 includes a PCI target and AGP master, an arbiter (ARB) that forms the core of the ASIC 116, a memory controller that controls the local memory 118, and a plurality of DMACs (Direct Memory Access) that rotate image data using hardware logic. Controller) and a PCI unit that transfers data to and from the engine section 132 via the PCI bus 70 . The ASIC 116 is connected to the operation section 122 , the facsimile control unit 126 , the USB 128 , the IEEE 1394 interface 130 and the engine section 132 via the PCI bus 70 .

The local memory 118 is used as an image buffer for copying and a code buffer. The HDD 120 stores image data, programs, font data, and forms. The HDD 120 also stores license files for applications executed by the image processing apparatus 100 . The NIC 121 is an interface that connects with a network such as the LAN 50 .

The operation unit 122 is directly connected to the ASIC 116 and is an interface for a user such as an operator who operates the image processing apparatus 100 . By operating the operation unit 122, data input, job execution, and display can be performed.

The facsimile control unit 126 is connected to the PCI bus 70 and controls communication with an external device such as a FAX machine or a copier having a modem function via a public line. The USB 128 and IEEE 1394 interfaces 130 are each connected to the PCI bus 70 and can connect peripheral devices. The engine unit 132 is connected to the PCI bus 70, and can be applied to printer engines such as black-and-white plotters, 1-drum color plotters, 4-drum color plotters, scanners, and facsimile units. Note that the engine unit 132 can also include an image processing unit such as error diffusion and gamma conversion.

<Operation unit 122>
FIG. 3 shows an example of an external view of the operation unit 122 of the image processing apparatus 100 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the operation unit 122 is provided with an area 1221 over which the wireless communication terminal 200 is held and a display area 1222 . The user can start operating the image processing apparatus 100 by holding the wireless communication terminal 200 over the holding area 1221 . When the wireless communication terminal 200 is held over the holding area 1221, a display area 1222 displays that processing is in progress. In this case, the wireless communication terminal 200 notifies the operation unit 122 of the functions to be used such as copying and scanning set by the user in the wireless communication terminal 200 and the contents set according to the functions. This allows the user to use the image processing apparatus 100 without operating the display area 1222 .

On the other hand, when the user performs a normal operation such as when using the image processing apparatus 100 without using the wireless communication terminal 200, the user can access the plurality of applications displayed on the HOME screen displayed in the display area 1222. Select one of the icons. This allows the user to activate the selected application.

FIG. 4 shows a hardware configuration example of the operation unit 122 of the image processing apparatus 100 according to this embodiment. A general information processing terminal can be applied to the operation unit 122, and includes a CPU 152, a memory (MEM) 154, a nonvolatile memory 160, an I/F 162, a first wireless communication unit 164, and a second wireless communication unit. A unit 166 , a USB 168 , a sensor 170 and a touch panel 172 are provided. CPU 152 , memory 154 , nonvolatile memory 160 , I/F 162 , first wireless communication unit 164 , second wireless communication unit 166 , USB 168 , sensor 170 , and touch panel 172 are connected via bus 80 .

The CPU 152 controls operations of the operation unit 122 as a whole. Memory 154 has ROM 156 and RAM 158 . The ROM 156 is a read-only non-volatile storage medium and stores programs such as firmware. The RAM 158 is a volatile storage medium from which information can be read and written at high speed, and is used as a working area when the CPU 152 processes information.

The non-volatile memory 160 is a non-volatile storage medium such as a NAND type from which information can be read and written, and stores an OS (Operating System), various control programs, application programs, and the like. The I/F 162 connects between the bus 80, various hardware, networks such as the LAN 50, and the like.

The first wireless communication unit 164 is slower than a second wireless communication method such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) 4.0 (Bluetooth Low Energy: BLE) or Near Field Communication (NFC). Wireless communication is performed by a first wireless communication method.

Second wireless communication unit 166 is connected to wireless access point 300 via a network such as LAN 50 . The second wireless communication unit 166 performs processing for performing high-speed wireless communication via the wireless access point 300 according to the standard of the second wireless communication method such as wireless LAN, as compared with the first wireless communication method. I do.

The USB 168 can connect peripheral devices. The sensor 170 is a hardware-implemented sensor such as an acceleration sensor. The touch panel 172 is a visual user interface for the user to check the status of the image processing apparatus 100, and is also used during operation.

The operation unit 122 and the ASIC 116 can be connected via the I/F 162 or via the USB 168 .

Also, the first wireless communication unit 164 and the second wireless communication unit 166 may be provided in the main unit instead of being provided in the operation unit 122, or may be provided in both the operation unit 122 and the main unit. .

<Functional configuration of the embodiment>
Next, the functional configuration of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram of the operation unit 122 that constitutes the image processing apparatus 100. As shown in FIG.

The operation unit 122 includes a first transmission/reception unit 402, a second transmission/reception unit 404, a device information disclosure packet creation unit 406, a connection information request processing unit 408, a connection processing unit 410, a job processing unit 412, and a storage/read processing unit. 414. Each of these units is a function or means realized by any one of the components shown in FIG. is. The operation unit 122 also has a storage unit 416 constructed by the non-volatile memory 160 shown in FIG.

(Device information disclosure packet management table)
A device information disclosure packet management DB 418 configured by a device information disclosure packet management table as shown in Table 1 is constructed in the storage unit 416 .

デバイス情報公開パケット管理テーブルは、デバイス名、動作モード、出力電力レベル、受信信号強度などを紐付けることによって対応付けたものである。デバイス名は、画像処理装置１００のプラグアンドプレイに使用されるものである。動作モードは、第１の無線通信部１６４によってサポートされている規格を表す。例えば、第１の無線通信部１６４がBluetooth 4.0に対応するものである場合に、デュアルモードおよびシングルモードのいずれかが格納される。出力電力レベルは、画像処理装置１００によって発信される電波の出力強度を示す。この出力電力レベルは固定値とすることも変動値とすることもできる。

The device information disclosure packet management table associates device names, operation modes, output power levels, received signal strengths, and the like by associating them. The device name is used for plug-and-play of the image processing apparatus 100. FIG. An operating mode represents a standard supported by the first wireless communication unit 164 . For example, if the first wireless communication unit 164 is compatible with Bluetooth 4.0, either dual mode or single mode is stored. The output power level indicates the output strength of radio waves transmitted by the image processing apparatus 100 . This output power level can be fixed or variable.

By setting the output power level to a fixed value, the distance between the image processing apparatus 100 and the wireless communication terminal 200 can be estimated based on the received signal level in the image processing apparatus 100 of the device information disclosure packet. Further, by setting the output power level to a variable value, the path loss is obtained based on the output power level and the received signal level of the device information disclosure packet in the image processing apparatus 100, and the image processing apparatus 100 and the wireless communication terminal 200 can estimate the distance between The received signal strength is observed by the antenna of the wireless communication terminal 200 when the wireless communication terminal 200 receives the device information disclosure packet.

(connection information management table)
A connection information management DB 420 configured by a connection information management table as shown in Table 2 is constructed in the storage unit 416 .

接続情報管理テーブルは、第２の無線通信部１６６と無線通信端末２００との間で第２の無線通信方式によって接続する際に使用する接続情報が記憶されている。接続情報管理テーブルは、例えば、ＳＳＩＤ(Service Set Identifier)、セキュリティ方式、パスワードなどのネットワークの情報、ＩＰアドレス、ポート番号などのアドレス情報などの接続情報を紐付けることによって対応付けたものである。ＳＳＩＤは無線ＬＡＮの識別情報であり、セキュリティ方式はＷＥＰ、ＷＰＡ、ＷＰＡ２、ＷＰＡ２－ＴＫＩＰ、ＡＥＳなどの暗号化方式の規格によって表される。

The connection information management table stores connection information used when connecting between the second wireless communication unit 166 and the wireless communication terminal 200 by the second wireless communication method. The connection information management table associates connection information such as network information such as SSID (Service Set Identifier), security method and password, and address information such as IP address and port number. The SSID is wireless LAN identification information, and the security method is represented by encryption method standards such as WEP, WPA, WPA2, WPA2-TKIP, and AES.

<Functional Units of Operation Unit 122>
Next, each part of the operation unit 122 will be described in detail.

The first transmission/reception unit 402 of the operation unit 122 is implemented by the first wireless communication unit 164 shown in FIG. 4 and commands from the CPU 152 . The first transmission/reception unit 402 transmits/receives various data (information) to/from the wireless communication terminal 200 according to the standard of the first wireless communication method.

The second transmission/reception unit 404 of the operation unit 122 is implemented by the second wireless communication unit 166 shown in FIG. 4 and commands from the CPU 152 . The second transmission/reception unit 404 performs processing for transmitting/receiving various data (information) to/from the wireless communication terminal 200 according to the standard of the second wireless communication method.

A storage/read processing unit 414 of the operation unit 122 is implemented by commands from the CPU 152 shown in FIG. The storage/read processing unit 414 stores various data in the storage unit 416 and reads out various data stored in the storage unit 416 .

A device information disclosure packet creation unit 406 of the operation unit 122 is implemented by a command from the CPU 152 . A device information disclosure packet creation unit 406 creates a device information disclosure packet attached with information stored in the device information disclosure packet management table of the device information disclosure packet management DB 418 . The device information disclosure packet is a packet such as an advertisement packet for disclosing the presence of the image processing apparatus 100 to the wireless communication terminal 200 . Device information disclosure packet creation section 406 transmits the created device information disclosure packet from first transmission/reception section 402 .

A connection information request processing unit 408 of the operation unit 122 is implemented by a command from the CPU 152 . The connection information request processing unit 408 receives the connection information request transmitted by the wireless communication terminal 200 that received the device information disclosure packet from the first transmission/reception unit 402 . When a connection information request is input, the connection information request processing unit 408 creates connection information attached with information stored in the connection information management table of the connection information management DB 420 according to the connection information request, is transmitted from the transmitting/receiving unit 402 of the

A connection processing unit 410 of the operation unit 122 is implemented by a command from the CPU 152 . When a connection request transmitted by the wireless communication terminal 200 that has received the connection information is input from the second transmission/reception unit 404, the connection processing unit 410 performs connection processing with the wireless communication terminal 200 according to the connection request. I do.

A job processing unit 412 of the operation unit 122 is realized by commands from the CPU 152 . When a job requested by wireless communication terminal 200 is input from second transmission/reception unit 404, job processing unit 412 processes the job.

<Wireless communication terminal 200>
FIG. 6 shows a hardware configuration example of radio communication terminal 200 according to the present embodiment. Wireless communication terminal 200 includes CPU 202, RAM 204, ROM 206, HDD 208, I/F 210, sensor 212, LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) 214, operation unit 216, first wireless communication unit 218, and 2 wireless communication unit 220 . CPU 202 , RAM 204 , ROM 206 , HDD 208 , I/F 210 and sensor 212 are connected by bus 90 .

The CPU 202 controls the wireless communication terminal 200 as a whole. The ROM 206 is a read-only non-volatile storage medium and stores programs such as firmware. A RAM 204 is a volatile storage medium capable of high-speed reading and writing of information, and is used as a work area when the CPU 202 processes information. The HDD 208 is a non-volatile storage medium from which information can be read and written, and stores an OS, various control programs, application programs, and the like.

The I/F 210 connects the bus 90 with various hardware, networks, and the like. The sensor 212 is a hardware-implemented sensor such as an acceleration sensor. LCD 214 is a visual user interface for the user to check the status of wireless communication terminal 200 . The operation unit 216 is a user interface such as a keyboard and a mouse for the user to input information to the wireless communication terminal 200 . The LCD 214 and the operation unit 216 can be configured by a touch panel, and the keyboard can be realized by software.

The first wireless communication unit 218 performs wireless communication using a first wireless communication method, such as Bluetooth 4.0 or short-range wireless communication, which is slower than the second wireless communication method.

The second wireless communication unit 220 performs high-speed wireless communication according to the standard of the second wireless communication method such as wireless LAN, compared to the first wireless communication method.

<Functional configuration of the embodiment>
Next, the functional configuration of radio communication terminal 200 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram of the wireless communication terminal 200. As shown in FIG.

The wireless communication terminal 200 includes a first transmission/reception unit 252, a second transmission/reception unit 254, a received signal strength measurement unit 256, a connection target identification unit 258, a connection information acquisition unit 260, a connection processing unit 262, a job request unit 264, and It has a storage/read processing unit 266 . Each of these units is a function or means realized by any one of the components shown in FIG. . The wireless communication terminal 200 also has a storage unit 268 constructed by the HDD 208 shown in FIG.

(Received signal strength management table)
A received signal strength management DB 270 configured by a received signal strength management table as shown in Table 3 is constructed in the storage unit 268 .

受信信号強度管理テーブルは、デバイス名、受信信号強度などを紐付けることによって対応付けたものである。デバイス名は、画像処理装置１００のプラグアンドプレイに使用されるものであるが後から変更することも可能である。受信信号強度は、画像処理装置１００によって送信されるデバイス情報公開パケットの受信信号強度である。受信信号強度管理テーブルでは、デバイス名毎に、デバイス情報公開パケットの受信信号強度のキューが作成される。表３に示される例では、デバイス名が「Ａ」で表される画像処理装置１００によって送信されるデバイス情報公開パケットの受信信号強度が－４０ｄＢ、－４２ｄＢ、－３８ｄＢと変化していることが示される。

The received signal strength management table associates device names, received signal strengths, and the like by associating them. The device name is used for plug-and-play of the image processing apparatus 100, but can be changed later. The received signal strength is the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet transmitted by the image processing apparatus 100 . In the received signal strength management table, a queue of received signal strengths of device information disclosure packets is created for each device name. In the example shown in Table 3, it can be seen that the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet transmitted by the image processing apparatus 100 whose device name is represented by "A" varies between -40 dB, -42 dB, and -38 dB. shown.

<Functional Units of Wireless Communication Terminal 200>
Next, each part of wireless communication terminal 200 will be described in detail. The first transmitting/receiving section 252 of the wireless communication terminal 200 is implemented by the first wireless communication section 218 shown in FIG. 6 and instructions from the CPU 202 . The first transmission/reception unit 252 transmits/receives various data (information) to/from the image processing apparatus 100 according to the standard of the first wireless communication method.

Second transceiver 254 of wireless communication terminal 200 is implemented by second wireless communication unit 220 shown in FIG. 6 and instructions from CPU 202 . The second transmitting/receiving unit 254 transmits/receives various data (information) to/from the image processing apparatus 100 according to the standard of the second wireless communication method.

The storage/read processing unit 266 of the wireless communication terminal 200 is implemented by commands from the CPU 202 shown in FIG. 6 and wireless communication terminal programs stored in the HDD 208 . The storage/read processing unit 266 stores various data in the storage unit 268 and reads out various data stored in the storage unit 268 .

Received signal strength measuring section 256 of wireless communication terminal 200 is implemented by a command from CPU 202 and a wireless communication terminal program stored in HDD 208 . Received signal strength measurement section 256 measures the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet received by first transmission/reception section 252 at predetermined intervals, and stores and reads the device information disclosure packet together with the device name attached to the device information disclosure packet. Input to the processing unit 266 . Storage/read processing unit 266 stores the device name and received signal strength input by received signal strength measuring unit 256 in received signal strength management DB 270 of storage unit 268 . When storing the device name and the received signal strength in the received signal strength management DB 270 of the storage unit 268, the received signal strength can be stored according to FIFO (First In, First Out) for each device name. A specific description will be given with reference to the received signal strength management table shown in Table 3. For example, it is assumed that the newly measured received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet transmitted by the image processing apparatus whose device name is "B" is stored. In this case, the storage/read processing unit 266 extracts and deletes the oldest value with the device name "B" from the received signal strength management table, and stores the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet as the device name "B". Add as the newest value of .

The connection target specifying unit 258 of the wireless communication terminal 200 is implemented by a command from the CPU 202 and a wireless communication terminal program stored in the HDD 208 . The connection target identification unit 258 causes the storage/read processing unit 266 to read the received signal strength management table of the received signal strength management DB 270 of the storage unit 268, and based on the received signal strength stored in the received signal strength management table , to identify the image processing device to be connected.

FIG. 8 shows an example (Part 1) of temporal change in the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet received by the wireless communication terminal 200 when the user holding the wireless communication terminal 200 approaches the image processing apparatus 100 . In FIG. 8, the horizontal axis is time (t), and the vertical axis is the received signal strength (RSSI) of the device information disclosure packet.

As the wireless communication terminal 200 is brought closer to the image processing apparatus 100, the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet received by the wireless communication terminal 200 tends to increase. Also, the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet received by the wireless communication terminal 200 depends on the distance between the first wireless communication unit 164 of the image processing apparatus 100 and the first wireless communication unit 218 of the wireless communication terminal 200. When approaching to about several centimeters, it will converge to a constant value. Note that the constant value may vary slightly depending on the antenna characteristics of wireless communication terminal 200 .

Based on the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet stored in the received signal strength management table, the connection target identification unit 258 determines the average value μ [dB] of the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet as a threshold value Rs [dB]. It is determined whether or not there is an image processing device exceeding The connection target specifying unit 258 obtains an average value μ [dB] of an appropriate number of samplings such as three device information disclosure packets, and determines whether or not the average value μ exceeds a threshold value Rs. In addition, the connection target identification unit 258 determines that an image processing apparatus having an average value μ of received signal strengths of device information disclosure packets exceeding a certain threshold value Rs is located in front of the wireless communication terminal 200 . Furthermore, the connection target identification unit 258 identifies the image processing device that is determined to be in front of the wireless communication terminal 200 as a connection target, and notifies the connection information acquisition unit 260 of the device name of the image processing device.

Returning to FIG. 7, the description is continued. The connection information acquisition unit 260 of the wireless communication terminal 200 is implemented by commands from the CPU 202 and the wireless communication terminal program stored in the HDD 208 . Based on the device name input by the connection target identification unit 258 , the connection information acquisition unit 260 creates a connection information request addressed to the image processing apparatus corresponding to the device name, and transmits the connection information request from the first transmission/reception unit 252 . do. Similarly, when a job requested by the user is input to the job requesting section 264, the connection information obtaining section 260 creates a connection information request whose destination is the image processing apparatus corresponding to the device name. , may be transmitted from the first transmitting/receiving unit 252 . When the connection information is input from the first transmission/reception unit 252 as a response to the connection information request, the connection information acquisition unit 260 inputs the connection information to the connection processing unit 262 .

The connection processing unit 262 of the wireless communication terminal 200 is implemented by commands from the CPU 202 and wireless communication terminal programs stored in the HDD 208 . The connection processing unit 262 performs handover from the first wireless communication method to the second wireless communication method based on the connection information input by the connection information acquisition unit 260 to switch the connection target image processing apparatus and the second wireless communication method. and the transmission/reception unit 254 of the .

Also, the wireless communication terminal 200 receives a job requested by the user in the job requesting unit 264, and based on the device name input by the connection target specifying unit 258, designates the image processing apparatus corresponding to the device name as the destination. It may not send a connection information request. In this case, the connection processing unit 262 starts the process of connecting the connection target image processing apparatus and the second transmission/reception unit 254 after the job requested by the user is input to the job requesting unit 264. can be By sharing an encryption key between the image processing apparatus 100 and the wireless communication terminal 200, the image processing apparatus 100 encrypts and transmits the connection information, and the wireless communication terminal 200 transmits the encrypted connection information. Decrypt.

Job request unit 264 of wireless communication terminal 200 is realized by commands from CPU 202 and wireless communication terminal programs stored in HDD 208 . The job requesting unit 264 transmits a job requested by the user from the second transmitting/receiving unit 254 to the connected image processing apparatus 100 .

<Operation of image processing system>
FIG. 9 mainly shows the operation of the wireless communication terminal 200 of the image processing system according to the present embodiment.

In step S<b>902 , received signal strength measuring section 256 of wireless communication terminal 200 measures the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet received by first transmitting/receiving section 252 .

In step S 904 , received signal strength measuring section 256 of wireless communication terminal 200 inputs the device name attached to the device information disclosure packet and the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet to storage/read processing section 266 . As a result, received signal strength measuring section 256 causes received signal strength management DB 270 of storage section 268 to store the device name attached to the device information disclosure packet and the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet.

In step S906, the connection target identification unit 258 of the wireless communication terminal 200 determines whether there is an image processing apparatus for which the average value μ of the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet exceeds the threshold value Rs. If there is no image processing apparatus for which the average value μ of the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet exceeds the threshold Rs, the process returns to step S902.

In step S908, if there is an image processing apparatus whose average value μ of the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet exceeds the threshold value Rs, the connection target specifying unit 258 of the wireless communication terminal 200 sets the image processing apparatus as a connection target. .

In step S910, the connection information acquisition unit 260 of the wireless communication terminal 200 requests connection information from the image processing apparatus set as the connection target. When the connection processing unit 262 of the wireless communication terminal 200 acquires the connection information (eg, SSID, password, IP address, etc.) transmitted by the image processing apparatus set as the connection target, the connection processing unit 262 uses the connection information to Perform connection processing with the image processing device.

The connection processing in step S910 may be performed according to the following procedure.

For example, in step S910, the image processing apparatus does not transmit information (such as an IP address) specifying the image processing apparatus as the connection information, and instead transmits information (SSID, password, etc.) for connecting to the same network as the image forming apparatus. ) is transmitted to the wireless communication terminal 200 .

The wireless communication terminal 200 that has received the connection information from the image processing apparatus transmits information (such as an IP address) specifying the wireless communication terminal 200 to the image processing apparatus to be connected, and uses the connection information received from the image processing apparatus. to connect to the same network as the image processing device.

An image processing apparatus that receives information (such as an IP address) specifying the wireless communication terminal 200 from the wireless communication terminal 200 connects to the wireless communication terminal 200 using the received information.

As another example, the connection processing in step S910 may be performed in the following procedure.

For example, in step S910, the image processing apparatus does not transmit information (such as an IP address) specifying the image processing apparatus as the connection information, and instead transmits information (SSID, password, etc.) for connecting to the same network as the image forming apparatus. ) is transmitted to the wireless communication terminal 200 .

The wireless communication terminal 200 that has received the connection information from the image processing device constructs a server on the same network as the image processing device using the connection information received from the image processing device so that the wireless communication terminal 200 can receive the information. Address information (URL, etc.) is notified to the image processing apparatus.

The image processing apparatus that receives address information (such as a URL) at which information can be accepted by the wireless communication terminal 200 from the wireless communication terminal 200 uses the received address information to specify information (such as an IP address) that specifies the image processing apparatus. is notified to the wireless communication terminal 200 .

The wireless communication terminal 200 that has received information (IP address, etc.) specifying the image processing apparatus from the image processing apparatus connects to the image processing apparatus using the received information, and requests image processing such as printing.

In this way, the wireless communication terminal 200 does not receive all of the information for connecting to the image processing apparatus by the first wireless communication method, but receives part of the information for connecting to the image processing apparatus from the wireless access point. 300 to perform connection processing for performing image processing such as printing.

After the connection processing is performed in step S910, the job requesting unit 264 of the wireless communication terminal 200 transmits a job such as printing or scanning requested by the user from the second transmitting/receiving unit 254 to the connected image processing apparatus 100. do.

It should be noted that in step S906 of FIG. 9, the connection target identifying unit 258 collectively determines whether or not there is an image processing apparatus in which the average value μ of the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet exceeds the threshold value Rs. This determination may be made individually for each image processing apparatus. For example, each time a device information disclosure packet is received from each image forming apparatus, the connection target specifying unit 258 individually calculates the average value of the received signal strength of the image forming apparatus, and the calculated average value μ exceeds the threshold value Rs. If so, the process of step S908 may be executed.

In the above embodiment, the wireless communication terminal 200 does not perform handover from the first wireless communication scheme to the second wireless communication scheme after acquiring the connection information acquired by the first wireless communication scheme. The image processing apparatus to be connected may be connected depending on the communication method. After connection, the wireless communication terminal 200 may transmit a job requested by the user from the first transmission/reception unit 252 to the connected image processing apparatus 100 .

According to the image processing system described above, the wireless communication terminal measures the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet transmitted by the image processing apparatus a plurality of times, and when the average value reaches a certain threshold, Send a connection information request to the image processing apparatus. As a result, a desired image processing apparatus can be instructed to execute a job simply by holding the wireless communication terminal over the image processing apparatus without operating the image processing apparatus or the wireless communication terminal.

In the above example, the wireless communication terminal 200 measures the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet multiple times, and transmits the connection information request to the image processing device whose average value reaches a certain threshold. bottom. However, without being limited to this example, the wireless communication terminal 200 may transmit a connection information request to an image processing apparatus whose average value falls within a certain range. Alternatively, the wireless communication terminal 200 may perform predetermined arithmetic processing on the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet, and based on the result of the arithmetic processing, specify the image processing device that transmits the connection information request. .

In the example described above, the connection target identification unit 258 of the wireless communication terminal 200 uses the received signal strength stored in the received signal strength management table as the threshold value Rs [dB] with the average value μ [dB] of the received signal strength. A case has been described in which it is determined whether or not there is an image processing apparatus exceeding the number. Based on the standard deviation σ in addition to the average value μ, the connection target identifying unit 258 has an image processing device whose average value μ exceeds a certain threshold value Rs and whose standard deviation σ is within a certain specific range. You may make it judge whether. This makes it possible to specify the image processing device to be connected based on the radio wave characteristics with higher accuracy.

<First Embodiment>
1 can be applied to the image processing system according to the first embodiment, and a wireless communication terminal 500 is provided instead of the wireless communication terminal 200. FIG. The image processing system according to the first embodiment differs from the image processing system described in <Outline> in part of the functions of the wireless communication terminal.

<Functional configuration of the present embodiment>
Next, the functional configuration will be described. FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram of wireless communication terminal 500. As shown in FIG. Wireless communication terminal 500 includes first transmission/reception unit 552, second transmission/reception unit 554, received signal strength measurement unit 556, connection target identification unit 558, connection information acquisition unit 560, connection processing unit 562, job request unit 564, storage · It has a read processing unit 566 and a tilt detection unit 572 . Each of these units is a function or means realized by any one of the components shown in FIG. . Radio communication terminal 500 also has storage unit 568 constructed by HDD 208 shown in FIG.

<Functional Units of Wireless Communication Terminal 500>
Next, each part of wireless communication terminal 500 will be described. The first transmission/reception unit 552, the second transmission/reception unit 554, the received signal strength measurement unit 556, the connection information acquisition unit 560, the connection processing unit 562, the job request unit 564, and the storage/read processing unit 566 are shown in FIG. The function of each part of the wireless communication terminal 200 can be applied.

Tilt detection unit 572 of wireless communication terminal 500 is implemented by commands from sensor 212 and CPU 202 shown in FIG. Tilt detection unit 572 detects the tilt such as the angle of wireless communication terminal 500 based on measurement information such as acceleration measured by sensor 212 .

FIG. 11 shows an example of acceleration measured by the wireless communication terminal 500. FIG. When an acceleration sensor is applied to the sensor 212, the sensor 212 measures the acceleration of an object when it moves. For example, the longitudinal direction of the LCD 214 of the wireless communication terminal 500 is the Y-axis, the horizontal direction of the LCD 214 is the X-axis, and the direction perpendicular to the plane formed by the X-axis and the Y-axis is the Z-axis. In this case, the radio communication terminal 500 can obtain the acceleration in the horizontal direction of the radio communication terminal 500 by detecting the acceleration in the X-axis direction, and the vertical acceleration of the radio communication terminal 500 by detecting the acceleration in the Y-axis direction. Directional acceleration can be determined. Further, the radio communication terminal 500 can obtain the acceleration in the front and back direction of the radio communication terminal 500 by detecting the acceleration in the Z-axis direction. Tilt detection unit 572 determines the tilt such as the angle of wireless communication terminal 500 by determining whether the acceleration measured by sensor 212 has converged within a certain range.

FIG. 12 shows an example of inclination of the wireless communication terminal 500, and shows a case where it is inclined by 45 degrees from the horizontal direction. In this case, tilt detection section 572 detects that the acceleration in the Y-axis direction of wireless communication terminal 500 is sin 45°. If the tilt detection unit 572 can detect that the tilt of the wireless communication terminal 500 falls within the predetermined range, the tilt detection unit 572 notifies the connection target identification unit 558 of that fact. Here, the predetermined range is set in advance based on the inclination of the operation unit 122 of the image processing apparatus 100. FIG. For example, when connecting the wireless communication terminal 500 to the image processing apparatus 100 , it is assumed that the user often holds the wireless communication terminal 500 parallel to the display screen of the touch panel 172 of the operation unit 122 . When the wireless communication terminal 500 and the display screen of the touch panel 172 are parallel, the inclinations of both are equal. Therefore, tilt detection unit 572 determines whether the tilt of wireless communication terminal 500 is within a predetermined range from the tilt of the display screen of touch panel 172 .

Note that the value of the inclination of the operation unit 122 of the image processing apparatus 100 (inclination of the display screen of the touch panel 172) is stored in advance in the storage unit 568 of the wireless communication terminal 500, for example.

The connection target identification unit 558 of the wireless communication terminal 500 is implemented by a command from the CPU 202 and a wireless communication terminal program stored in the HDD 208 . The connection target identifying unit 558 causes the storage/read processing unit 566 to read the received signal strength management table of the received signal strength management DB 570 of the storage unit 568 . In addition, the connection target identifying unit 558 determines whether or not the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet stored in the received signal strength management table and whether or not the inclination of the wireless communication terminal 500 is within a predetermined range is detected. to specify the image processing device to be connected. Here, the predetermined range is preset according to the shape of the image processing apparatus 100 and stored in the storage unit 568, for example.

Here, a case of identifying a connection target based on whether or not the average value μ of the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet exceeds the threshold value Rs will be considered. In addition to the average value μ, based on the standard deviation σ, the connection target may also be specified based on whether the average value μ exceeds a certain threshold value Rs and the standard deviation σ falls within a certain specific range. good.

FIG. 13 shows an example (part 2) of temporal change in the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet received by the wireless communication terminal 200 . In FIG. 13, the horizontal axis is time (t), and the vertical axis is the received signal strength (RSSI) of the device information disclosure packet. As shown in FIG. 13, depending on the antenna characteristics of the wireless communication terminal 200, the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet transmitted by the image processing apparatus 100 may accidentally be measured as a value greater than the threshold value Rs. In this case, since the average value μ of the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet exceeds a certain threshold value Rs, the wireless communication terminal 200 transmits a connection information request to the image processing apparatus, and the image processing apparatus transmits the connection information request. Connection processing may be performed based on the connection information. There is no problem if this connection processing is intended by the user to the image processing device, but it is not a problem if it is not intended by the user, such as leaving the wireless communication terminal in a state where it can be connected to the image processing device. be.

FIG. 14 shows an example (part 3) of temporal change in the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet received by the wireless communication terminal 200 . In FIG. 14, the horizontal axis is time (t), and the vertical axis is the received signal strength (RSSI) of the device information disclosure packet. In FIG. 14, received signal strengths of device information disclosure packets transmitted by two image processing apparatuses, the first image processing apparatus and the second image processing apparatus, are measured. Of the first image processing apparatus and the second image processing apparatus, the first image processing apparatus is the image processing apparatus in front of us, and we want to connect it. However, the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet transmitted by the second image processing apparatus may accidentally be measured as a value greater than the threshold value Rs. In this case, the wireless communication terminal transmits a connection information request to the second image processing device because the average value μ [dB] of the received signal strength exceeds a certain threshold value Rs [dB]. Connection processing may be performed based on the transmitted connection information.

As described above, in wireless communication terminal 500 according to the present embodiment, in addition to the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet, the inclination of wireless communication terminal 500 is determined based on the inclination of the display screen of operation unit 122 of image processing apparatus 100. The connection target is specified based on whether it is within the range of . As a result, wireless communication terminal 500 can be less likely to be connected to an image processing apparatus unintended by the user.

<Operation of image processing system>
FIG. 15 mainly shows the operation of the wireless communication terminal 500 of the image processing system according to this embodiment. Steps S902-S906 in FIG. 9 can be applied to steps S1502-S1506.

In step S1508, if there is an image processing device with an average value μ of received signal strength exceeding the threshold value Rs, the connection target identification unit 558 of the wireless communication terminal 500 causes the tilt detection unit 572 to determine whether the tilt of the wireless communication terminal 500 is a predetermined value. Determine if entering range is detected. If it is not detected that the tilt of wireless communication terminal 500 falls within the predetermined range, the process returns to step S1502.

In step S1510, if the tilt detection unit 572 detects that the tilt of the wireless communication terminal 500 falls within a predetermined range, the connection target identification unit 558 of the wireless communication terminal 500 designates the image processing device as the connection target. set.

In step S1512, the connection information acquisition unit 560 of the wireless communication terminal 500 requests connection information from the image processing apparatus set as the connection target. When the connection processing unit 562 of the wireless communication terminal 500 acquires the connection information transmitted by the image processing device set as the connection target, the connection processing unit 562 uses the connection information to perform connection processing with the image processing device.

After the connection process is performed in step S1512, the job requesting unit 564 of the wireless communication terminal 500 transmits a job such as printing or scanning requested by the user from the second transmitting/receiving unit 554 to the connected image processing apparatus. .

In the flowchart shown in FIG. 15, the processing of steps S1502 to S1506 and S1510 may be performed after performing the processing of step S1508.

Note that in step S1506 of FIG. 15, the connection target identifying unit 558 collectively determines whether or not there is an image processing apparatus with an average value μ of the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet exceeding the threshold value Rs. This determination may be made individually for each image processing apparatus. For example, each time a device information disclosure packet is received from each image forming apparatus, the connection target specifying unit 558 individually calculates the average value of the received signal strength of the image forming apparatus, and the calculated average value μ exceeds the threshold value Rs. If so, the process of step S1508 may be executed.

According to the present embodiment, in addition to the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet, the tilt of the wireless communication terminal 500 determines whether the image processing apparatus to be connected to the wireless communication terminal 500 is displayed on the display screen of the operation unit of the image processing apparatus. is specified based on whether it is within a predetermined range from the inclination of . As a result, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the wireless communication terminal 500 is erroneously connected to an image processing apparatus different from the desired image processing apparatus.

<Modification>
In the image processing system according to this modification, the device information disclosure packet creation unit 406 of the operation unit 122 attaches the value of the inclination of the operation unit 122 (the inclination of the display screen of the touch panel 172) to the device information disclosure packet. to send.

For example, in the case of the image processing apparatus 100 in which the angle of the operation unit 122 is fixed, the device information disclosure packet creation unit 406 stores the tilt value of the operation unit 122 in advance in the storage unit 416, and performs the stored operation. The value of the slope of the portion 122 is included in the device information disclosure packet and transmitted.

Further, if the image processing apparatus 100 is capable of changing the inclination of the operation unit 122, the image processing apparatus 100, like the wireless communication terminal 500, calculates the value of the inclination of the operation unit 122 based on the acceleration measured by the sensor 170. to measure Further, the device information disclosure packet creation unit 406 transmits the device information disclosure packet including the measured tilt value of the operation unit 122 .

When the image processing apparatus 100 measures the tilt value of the operation unit 122, for example, the tilt value of the operation unit 122 is measured at predetermined time intervals, and the tilt value of the operation unit 122 included in the device information disclosure packet is calculated. It is desirable to update the slope value of .

In addition to the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet, the connection target identification unit 558 of the wireless communication terminal 500 determines that the difference between the tilt of the wireless communication terminal 500 and the tilt of the operation unit 122 included in the device information disclosure packet is a predetermined value. A connection target is identified based on whether it is within range. This allows the wireless communication terminal 500 to specify the desired image processing device 100 even when the tilt of the operation unit 122 of the image processing device 100 is changed. Furthermore, even if the inclination such as the angle of the operation unit 122 differs depending on the image processing device, the wireless communication terminal 500 can specify the desired image processing device.

<Second Embodiment>
1 can be applied to the image processing system according to the second embodiment, and a wireless communication terminal 600 is provided instead of the wireless communication terminal 200. FIG. The image processing system according to the first embodiment differs from the image processing system described in <Outline> in part of the functions of the wireless communication terminal.

<Functional configuration of the present embodiment>
Next, the functional configuration will be described. FIG. 16 is a functional block diagram of wireless communication terminal 600. As shown in FIG. Wireless communication terminal 600 includes first transmission/reception unit 652, second transmission/reception unit 654, received signal strength measurement unit 656, connection target identification unit 658, connection information acquisition unit 660, connection processing unit 662, job request unit 664, storage · It has a reading processing unit 666 , a search screen display control unit 672 and a timer 674 . Each of these units is a function or means realized by any one of the components shown in FIG. . Wireless communication terminal 600 also has storage unit 668 constructed by HDD 208 shown in FIG.

<Functional Units of Wireless Communication Terminal 600>
Next, each part of wireless communication terminal 600 will be described. The first transmission/reception unit 652, the second transmission/reception unit 654, the received signal strength measurement unit 656, the connection information acquisition unit 660, the connection processing unit 662, the job request unit 664, and the storage/read processing unit 666 are You can apply the function of each part of

Search screen display control unit 672 of wireless communication terminal 600 is realized by commands from LCD 214 and CPU 202 shown in FIG. The search screen display control unit 672 performs control to display a search screen for indicating to the user of the wireless communication terminal 600 that an image processing apparatus is being searched. This search screen also displays a search start item selected when starting a search for an image processing apparatus and a cancel item selected when canceling the search.

Timer 674 of wireless communication terminal 600 is implemented by instructions from CPU 202 shown in FIG. A timer 674 times the elapse of a preset period of time, such as 30 seconds.

A connection target specifying unit 658 of the wireless communication terminal 600 is implemented by a command from the CPU 202 and a wireless communication terminal program stored in the HDD 208 . The connection target identification unit 658 causes the search screen display control unit 672 to display a screen indicating that the image processing apparatus is being searched for until the time preset by the timer 674 elapses. In addition, the connection target specifying unit 658 causes the storage/read processing unit 666 to read the received signal strength management table of the received signal strength management DB 670 of the storage unit 668 . Further, the connection target specifying unit 658 determines whether the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet stored in the received signal strength management table and whether or not the inclination of the wireless communication terminal 600 is within a predetermined range is detected. to specify the image processing device to be connected.

If the image processing apparatus to be connected cannot be specified even after a preset time has elapsed, the connection target specifying unit 658 stops the search for the image processing apparatus being executed by the first transmission/reception unit 652, and displays the search screen. The search screen displayed by the display control unit 672 is closed. If the connection target identification unit 658 cannot identify the image processing apparatus to be connected even after a preset time has passed, the search screen display control unit 672 displays a message such as "The device was not found." to stop the search. message can also be displayed.

<Operation of image processing system (Part 1)>
The operation of mainly wireless communication terminal 600 in the image processing system according to the present embodiment will be described together with the search screen. FIG. 17 mainly shows the operation of wireless communication terminal 600 in the image processing system according to this embodiment, and FIG. 18 shows an example of a search screen displayed on wireless communication terminal 600 according to this embodiment. Here, after the home screen is displayed on wireless communication terminal 600, the search screen is displayed, and then the connection screen is displayed.

In step S<b>1702 , search screen display control section 672 of wireless communication terminal 600 displays a search screen on LCD 214 . Here, the connection target identification unit 658 activates the timer 674 . For example, when the user activates a connection application for connecting the wireless communication terminal 600 to the image processing apparatus 100, the home screen shown in FIG. 18(1) is displayed. Job properties such as "Original Type", "Resolution", "File Format", "Reading Size", and "Original Surface", and start items for starting image processing device searches can be displayed on the home screen. can. Here, when the user selects the start item, the search screen shown in FIG. 18(2) is displayed and the search for the image processing apparatus is started.

In step S1704, the connection target specifying unit 658 of the wireless communication terminal 600 determines whether or not the cancel item on the search screen displayed by the search screen display control unit 672 has been selected (for example, pressed). If the cancel item on the search screen is selected, the process proceeds to step S1716, which will be described later. As shown in FIG. 18(2), the search screen displays cancel items selected when canceling the search. The user can cancel the search by selecting the cancel item.

In step S1706, when connection target specifying unit 658 of wireless communication terminal 600 determines that the cancel item on the search screen has not been selected, timer 674 determines whether the search time has elapsed.

In step S1708, received signal strength measuring section 656 of wireless communication terminal 600 measures the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet received by first transmitting/receiving section 652 when determining that the search time has not elapsed. .

In step S1710, connection target identifying section 658 of wireless communication terminal 600 determines whether or not there is an image processing apparatus for which the average value μ of the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet exceeds threshold Rs. If there is no image processing apparatus for which the average value μ of the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet exceeds the threshold Rs, the process returns to step S1704.

In step S1712, if there is an image processing device whose average value μ of the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet exceeds the threshold value Rs, the connection target specifying unit 658 of the wireless communication terminal 600 sets the image processing device as a connection target. .

In step S1714, the connection information acquisition unit 660 of the wireless communication terminal 600 requests connection information from the image processing apparatus set as the connection target. When the connection processing unit 662 of the wireless communication terminal 600 acquires the connection information transmitted by the image processing device set as the connection target, the connection processing unit 662 uses the connection information to perform connection processing with the image processing device. Here, the search screen display control unit 672 changes the search screen to the connection screen shown in FIG. 18(4). This connection screen displays a cancel item to be selected when canceling the connection. The user can cancel the connection by selecting the cancel item.

In step S<b>1716 , search screen display control section 672 of wireless communication terminal 600 closes the search screen displayed on LCD 214 .

In step S1718, search screen display control section 672 of wireless communication terminal 600 determines whether or not it is set to display an error message when the search time has elapsed in step S1716. If it is not set to display an error message, the process moves to step S1716.

In step S1720, search screen display control section 672 of wireless communication terminal 600 displays an error message if it is set to display an error message. Here, the search screen display control unit 672 changes the search screen to the error display screen shown in FIG. 18(3). This error display screen displays that the device was not found during the search time. After that, the process moves to step S1716.

<Operation of image processing system (Part 2)>
The operation of mainly wireless communication terminal 600 in the image processing system according to the present embodiment will be described together with the search screen. FIG. 19 mainly shows the operation of wireless communication terminal 600 in the image processing system according to this embodiment, and FIG. 20 shows an example of a search screen displayed on wireless communication terminal 600 according to this embodiment. Here, after the home screen is displayed on the wireless communication terminal 600, the connection screen is displayed without displaying the search screen.

In step S1902, connection target identification section 658 of wireless communication terminal 600 determines whether or not search time has elapsed in timer 674. FIG. For example, when the user activates a connection application for connecting the wireless communication terminal 600 to the image processing apparatus 100, the home screen shown in FIG. 20(1) is displayed. Job properties such as "Original Type", "Resolution", "File Format", "Reading Size", and "Original Surface", and start items for starting image processing device searches can be displayed on the home screen. can. Here, when the user selects the start item, the search for the image processing apparatus is started and the countdown of the search time preset in the timer 674 is started. It is also possible to display a cancel item to be selected when canceling the search on the home screen. The user can cancel the search by selecting the cancel item.

In step S1904, received signal strength measuring section 656 of wireless communication terminal 600 measures the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet received by first transmitting/receiving section 652 when determining that the search time has not elapsed. .

In step S1906, the connection target specifying unit 658 of the wireless communication terminal 600 determines whether there is an image processing apparatus for which the average value μ of the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet exceeds the threshold value Rs. If there is no image processing apparatus for which the average value μ of the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet exceeds the threshold value Rs, the process returns to step S1902.

In step S1908, if there is an image processing apparatus whose average value μ of the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet exceeds the threshold value Rs, the connection target specifying unit 658 of the wireless communication terminal 600 sets the image processing apparatus as a connection target. .

In step S1910, connection information acquisition section 660 of wireless communication terminal 600 requests connection information from the image processing apparatus set as the connection target. When the connection processing unit 662 of the wireless communication terminal 600 acquires the connection information transmitted by the image processing device set as the connection target, the connection processing unit 662 uses the connection information to perform connection processing with the image processing device. Here, the search screen display control unit 672 changes the search screen to the connection screen shown in FIG. 20(3). This connection screen displays a cancel item to be selected when canceling the connection. The user can cancel the connection by selecting the cancel item.

In step S<b>1912 , search screen display control section 672 of wireless communication terminal 600 closes the search screen displayed on LCD 214 .

In step S1914, search screen display control section 672 of wireless communication terminal 600 determines whether or not it is set to display an error message when the search time has elapsed in step S1902. If it is not set to display an error message, the process moves to step S1912.

In step S1916, search screen display control section 672 of wireless communication terminal 600 displays an error message if it is set to display an error message. Here, the search screen display control unit 672 changes the search screen to the error display screen shown in FIG. 20(2). This error display screen displays that the device was not found during the search time. The error display screen displays an "OK" item to be selected when an error is confirmed. When the user selects this "OK" item, the process proceeds to step S1912.

According to the present embodiment, the wireless communication terminal measures the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet in response to a user's instruction to search for an image processing apparatus. Therefore, even if the wireless communication terminal is left near the image processing apparatus in a connectable state, the received signal strength of the device information disclosure packet is not erroneously measured. As a result, it is possible to prevent the remaining battery level of the wireless communication terminal from decreasing without notice.

It is also possible to appropriately combine the above-described embodiments and modifications. Further, the above-described embodiments and modifications can be applied to projection devices such as projectors and electronic blackboards, in addition to image forming apparatuses such as multifunction machines having functions such as printing, scanning, and copying.

In the above-described embodiments, the image processing system is an example of an information processing system, and the wireless communication terminal is an example of an information processing device. Also, the received signal strength measuring unit is an example of the radio field strength measuring unit and the acquiring unit, the connection target specifying unit is an example of the determining unit, and the job requesting unit is an example of the operation detecting unit. Further, the connection processing section is an example of determination means and connection means, the inclination detection section is an example of measurement means, and the timer is an example of measurement means.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments and modifications, each embodiment and modification is merely illustrative, and various modifications, modifications, alternatives, replacements, etc., will occur to those skilled in the art. will understand. For convenience of explanation, devices according to embodiments of the present invention have been described using functional block diagrams, but such devices may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination thereof. The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and includes various modifications, modifications, substitutions, replacements, etc. without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

50 LANs
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 image processing device 122 operating unit 200, 500, 600 wireless communication terminal 300 wireless access point 252, 552, 652 first transmitting/receiving unit 254, 554, 654 second transmitting/receiving unit 256, 556, 656 received signal strength measuring unit 258 , 558, 658 Connection object identification unit 260, 560, 660 Connection information acquisition unit 262, 562, 662 Connection processing unit 264, 564, 664 Job request unit 266, 566, 666 Storage/read processing unit 268, 568, 668 Storage unit 270, 570, 670 Received signal strength management DB
572 tilt detector 672 search screen display controller 674 timer

JP 2008-17381 A

Claims (8)

In an information processing device connectable to one or more devices via a network,
measuring means for measuring the inclination of the information processing device;
determining means for determining whether the tilt of the information processing device measured by the measuring means is a predetermined tilt corresponding to the shape of the device;
a receiving means for receiving a plurality of radio waves output from one or more devices;
Acquisition means for acquiring identification information for identifying a device that outputs a radio wave from each of the plurality of radio waves received by the receiving means;
radio wave intensity measuring means for measuring the intensity of the radio wave received by the receiving means;
Based on the intensity of the radio wave measured by the radio wave intensity measuring means, among the plurality of radio waves received by the receiving means, the plurality of radio waves having the same identification information acquired by the acquiring means, the plurality of radio waves a determination means for determining whether to connect to the device that outputs the
connection means for connecting to a device determined to be connected by the determination means according to the determination of the inclination of the information processing apparatus by the determination means, based on radio waves output by the device. , information processing equipment. In an information processing device connectable to one or more devices via a network,
operation detection means for detecting a predetermined operation on the information processing device;
a receiving means for receiving a plurality of radio waves output from one or more devices;
Acquisition means for acquiring identification information for identifying a device that outputs a radio wave from each of the plurality of radio waves received by the receiving means;
radio wave intensity measuring means for measuring the intensity of the radio wave received by the receiving means;
The operation detecting means, based on the strength of the radio waves measured by the radio field intensity measuring means, among the plurality of radio waves received by the receiving means, in the plurality of radio waves having the same identification information acquired by the acquiring means. determining means for determining whether the information processing device, which has detected the predetermined operation by, connects to the device that has output the plurality of radio waves;
and connection means for connecting to a device determined to be connected by the determination means based on radio waves output from the device. The connecting means is a wireless communication method of radio waves received by the receiving means when performing processing for connecting with the device determined to be connected by the determining means, and is different from the wireless communication method. 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of connection information for connecting with said device by a wireless communication method is obtained. having measuring means for measuring the passage of a predetermined time set in advance,
2. The determining means suspends the determination when the measuring means cannot determine whether or not to connect to each of the one or more radio wave transmission sources even after the predetermined time elapses. 4. The information processing apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 3. 5. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein when a user performs a predetermined operation, said radio wave intensity measuring means starts measuring the intensity of radio waves transmitted by said one or more devices identified by said acquiring means. The information processing apparatus according to any one of items 1 and 2. An information processing device connectable to one or more devices via a network,
Measuring the inclination of the information processing device,
determining whether the tilt of the information processing device is a predetermined tilt corresponding to the shape of the device;
Receive multiple radio waves output from one or more devices,
Acquiring identification information identifying a device that outputs a radio wave from each of the plurality of radio waves;
Measuring the strength of the received radio wave,
Based on the measured intensity of the radio waves of the plurality of radio waves with the same identification information acquired among the plurality of received radio waves, it is determined whether to connect to the device that output the plurality of radio waves. let me judge
In response to the determination of the inclination of the information processing device, causing the device determined to perform the connection to connect to the device based on the radio wave output by the device;
Information processing program. An information processing device connectable to one or more devices via a network,
detecting a predetermined operation on the information processing device;
Receive multiple radio waves output from one or more devices,
Acquiring identification information identifying a device that outputs a radio wave from each of the plurality of received radio waves,
Measuring the strength of the received radio wave,
The information processing device that has detected the predetermined operation based on the measured intensity of the radio waves of the plurality of radio waves that match the acquired identification information among the plurality of received radio waves, Determine whether to connect to a device that outputs multiple radio waves,
causing the device determined to make the connection to connect to the device based on radio waves output by the device;
Information processing program. An information processing system having a device and an information processing device connectable to the device,
Said device comprises:
a notifying means for notifying the information processing device of information representing a first inclination of an operation unit for operating the device;
The information processing device is
measuring means for measuring a second tilt of the information processing device;
determining means for determining whether a difference between the second tilt and the first tilt of the information processing device measured by the measuring means satisfies a predetermined condition;
a receiving means for receiving a plurality of radio waves output from one or more devices;
Acquisition means for acquiring identification information for identifying a device that outputs a radio wave from each of the plurality of radio waves received by the receiving means;
radio wave intensity measuring means for measuring the intensity of the radio wave received by the receiving means;
Based on the intensity of the radio wave measured by the radio wave intensity measuring means, among the plurality of radio waves received by the receiving means, the plurality of radio waves having the same identification information acquired by the acquiring means, the plurality of radio waves a determination means for determining whether to connect to the device that outputs the
connection means for connecting to a device determined to be connected by the determination means according to the determination of the second tilt of the information processing device by the determination means, based on radio waves output by the device; and an information processing device system.

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