JP6643280B2 - Communication device, control method therefor, and program - Google Patents

Description

    The present invention relates to a communication device, a control method thereof, and a program.

  2. Description of the Related Art A printer having an access point function of a wireless LAN (local area network) of the IEEE 802.11 standard is known (for example, Patent Document 1). When such a printer is used, a terminal such as a personal computer, a smartphone, and a tablet can be directly connected to an access point of the printer to use a print function. In addition, WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access), WPA2 (WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access 2), etc. are known as standards of the encryption method of the wireless LAN.Access to the wireless LAN in which these encryption functions are enabled is known. When connecting to a point, a passphrase known as Wi-Fi Protected Access Pre-Shared Key (WPA-PSK) or Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 Pre-Shared Key (WPA2-PSK) is required. A terminal using an access point stores an SSID (Service Set Identifier) and a passphrase when connecting to the access point, and has successfully connected in the past. It is generally known that a function for automatically connecting when an access point is found is provided.

JP 2006-123239 A

  However, the printer having the above-described access point can be used in an office where the number of users such as homes and employees is small, but when used in a large office having many users, the following problems occur. is there. For example, when the SSID and passphrase of an access point provided in a printer are constant, when a terminal that has connected to the access point discovers the access point, the access point is automatically set regardless of the user's intention of the terminal. Connect to Generally, the number of terminals that can be simultaneously connected to an access point of a printer is small. For this reason, if there are many terminals to be automatically connected in the office, the access points may be connected from a plurality of terminals as soon as they are activated, and the access point may reach the maximum number of connections that can be connected simultaneously. In such a case, several terminals initially connected to the access point occupy the access point, and terminals of other users who want to use the printer cannot connect to the access point. In order to avoid such a problem, it is conceivable to frequently change the SSID or passphrase of the access point provided in the printer. However, in this case, the user using the printer must change the setting of the terminal of the user every time the SSID and the passphrase of the access point are changed, which increases the trouble of the user. There are issues.

  An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the related art.

A feature of the present invention is to provide a technique for acquiring an SSID corresponding to a user of a communication device and executing direct wireless communication using the SSID.

In order to achieve the above object, a communication device according to one embodiment of the present invention has the following configuration. That is,
A communication device that performs direct wireless communication with an external device,
Storage means for storing a plurality of SSIDs used for the direct wireless communication in association with each of a plurality of user identification information,
Operating means operated by the user;
Identification means for identifying a user of the communication device based on information received by a user operation via the operation means,
Selecting means for selecting an SSID stored in association with the identification information of the user specified by the specifying means from the plurality of SSIDs stored in the storage means;
Wireless communication means for performing the direct wireless communication using the SSID selected by the selection means.

Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present invention, there is an effect that an SSID corresponding to a user of a communication device is obtained and direct wireless communication can be performed using the SSID.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a printing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the MFP and the mobile terminal according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2A is a block diagram illustrating a software configuration of an MFP according to the first embodiment and a data area managed by the software, and FIG. 2B is a block diagram illustrating a software configuration of the mobile terminal according to the first embodiment and a data area managed by the software. FIG. 4 is a view showing an example of a user interface and a screen transition displayed on an operation unit of the MFP according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a user interface displayed on an operation unit of the mobile terminal according to the first embodiment. 5 is a flowchart for describing access point activation processing by the MFP according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an algorithm for generating an SSID and a passphrase from information of a logged-in user in the MFP according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a software configuration of an MFP according to a second embodiment and a data area managed by the software. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of a user interface provided by a mobile connection corresponding to editing and deletion of an SSID in the second embodiment. 9 is a flowchart for describing access point activation processing by the MFP according to the second embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments do not limit the present invention according to the claims, and all combinations of features described in the present embodiments are not necessarily essential to the solution of the present invention. .

[Embodiment 1]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a printing system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The environment according to the first embodiment includes a plurality of MFPs (MFPs) and a plurality of mobile terminals. For example, an office environment is assumed in which each user has one mobile terminal and carries the mobile terminal from time to time. A plurality of MFPs are installed according to the office environment. Here, one mode of the communication device and the printing device of the present invention will be described using a multifunction peripheral (MFP) as an example.

  MFP 100 and portable terminal 101 in FIG. 1 are representative examples of a plurality of MFPs and portable terminals. The MFP 100 has a wireless LAN access point function, and can perform communication by mutually connecting to the portable terminal 101 connected to the access point.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of MFP 100 and portable terminal 101 according to the first embodiment.

  First, the hardware configuration of MFP 100 will be described.

  CPU 201 controls the operation of MFP 100 as a whole. The CPU 201 reads out a control program stored in the ROM 202 or the HDD 204 and develops it in the RAM 203, and executes the developed program to perform various controls such as reading control and transmission control. The RAM 203 is a volatile memory used as a work area for the CPU 201 to execute various programs. The HDD 204 stores image data and various programs. The operation unit 205 includes a display unit having a touch panel function operable with a user's finger, a hard key, and the like. The printer 206 prints an image on a sheet (sheet) based on the image data transferred via the internal bus. The scanner 207 reads an image of a document and generates image data. The IC card reader 208 reads an IC card used for user authentication. The wired LAN I / F 209 is an NIC (Network Interface Card) for connecting to a wired LAN. Wireless LAN I / F 210 is an access point for connecting to MFP 100 from a terminal compatible with a wireless LAN. These are interconnected via an internal bus.

  Next, the hardware configuration of the portable terminal 101 will be described.

  The CPU 211 controls the operation of the entire portable terminal 101. The RAM 212 is a volatile memory used as a work area for the CPU 211 to execute various programs. The flash memory 213 is a nonvolatile memory that stores various programs and data. The wireless LAN I / F 214 is an interface for communicating with a wireless LAN, and can perform wireless communication by connecting to an access point of the wireless LAN. In the first embodiment, the wireless LAN I / F 214 is used to communicate with the MFP 100 after connecting to the wireless LAN I / F 210 provided in the MFP 100. The operation unit 215 is a display that operates as a touch panel that can be operated by a user's finger. The speaker 216 converts an electric signal into a sound. The microphone 217 detects sound and converts it into an electric signal. The camera 218 captures a still image or a moving image and converts it into electronic data.

  Next, a software configuration of the MFP 100 and the mobile terminal 101 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 3A is a block diagram illustrating a software configuration of MFP 100 according to the first embodiment and a data area managed by the software. The function of the software shown in FIG. 3A is realized by the CPU 201 executing a program expanded in the RAM 203.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a user interface and screen transition displayed on the operation unit 205 of the MFP 100 according to the first embodiment. Hereinafter, description will be made with reference to FIGS.

  The platform 301 is a platform that provides basic functions of software for controlling the MFP 100. The platform 301 can be configured to include, for example, an operating system such as Linux, a virtual machine of JAVA (registered trademark), an OSGi framework, and a device driver group. The OSGi framework is a JAVA-based service platform defined by the OSGi Alliance (standards organization). The platform 301 includes a group of device drivers for controlling various hardware, and provides an API for using the hardware to an application operating on the platform. The platform 301 includes a wireless LAN control unit 302.

  The wireless LAN control unit 302 has a software access point mode for starting the wireless LAN I / F 210 as a wireless LAN access point. When a mobile terminal is connected to an access point activated in the software access point mode, the mobile terminal also has a DHCP function for assigning an IP address to the mobile terminal. In addition, the wireless LAN control unit 302 provides an application with start / stop control of a software access point mode and an API for reading and writing an access point's SSID (identification information) and a passphrase. Although not shown, a printer module for controlling the printer 206 and a scanner module for controlling the scanner 207 also exist in the platform 301. Further, the platform 301 provides an application with an API for reading and writing data such as an MFP setting DB (database) 310.

  The software access point mode described above is an example of a direct wireless communication mode (direct wireless communication function) in which the MFP 100 can operate and performs direct wireless communication with an external device (for example, the mobile terminal 101) without using an access point. It is. The direct wireless communication mode is not limited to the software access point mode, and may be another wireless communication method such as Wi-Fi Direct. When MFP 100 operates in the direct wireless communication mode, MFP 100 behaves as an access point.

  The copy 303, the scan 304, the print 305, and the mobile connection 306 are examples of an application that runs on the platform 301. These applications display a user interface for providing various application functions on the operation unit 205. For example, the copy 303 provides a function of controlling the scanner 207 and the printer 206 via the platform 301 to execute a copy. The scan 304 provides a function of transmitting electronic data acquired by operating the scanner 207 to the outside or storing the electronic data in the HDD 204. The print 309 provides a function of displaying an execution state and a print history of a print job received from the outside.

  The mobile connection 306 provides a user interface (mobile connection screen 403 in FIG. 4) for using the wireless LAN I / F 210 in the access point mode. By pressing the access point activation button 413 on the mobile connection screen 403, the user can activate the wireless LAN access point ad hoc. At this time, the SSID and the passphrase of the available access point are displayed in the area 415 of the mobile connection screen 403. For example, the user of the portable terminal 101 connects the portable terminal 101 to the wireless LAN I / F 210 operating in the access point mode using the access point SSID and passphrase displayed in the area 415, and MFP 100 can be used. Then, when the use of the wireless LAN is finished, the user presses the access point stop button 414 to stop the access point of the wireless LAN. Thus, the connection with the mobile terminal 101 can be terminated.

  The MFP setting 307 provides an MFP setting screen 404 (FIG. 4) for the administrator of the MFP 100 to set the MFP 100. The menu 308 is a module that displays a menu screen 402 (FIG. 4) for selecting the above-described application from the operation unit 205. For example, the menu screen 402 includes buttons 407 to 410 for displaying functions provided by various applications, an MFP setting button 411 for displaying a setting screen of the MFP 101, and the like. The login service 309 has an account management function and a login function of a user who uses the MFP 100. The MFP setting DB 310 is a database for centrally managing the settings of the application and the MFP 100.

The following settings can be made via the setting screen 404 of the MFP 100 according to the first embodiment. The values set on setting screen 404 of MFP 100 are stored in MFP setting DB 310.
ON / OFF of the login function (416 of the setting screen 404 in FIG. 4)
When the login function is set to OFF, the user can display the menu screen 402 without performing a login operation, and can use the function selected on the menu screen.

When the login function is turned on, the login service 309 displays a login screen 401 (FIG. 4) on the operation unit 205. Thus, the user can use the menu screen 402 and the function selected from the menu screen 402 after performing the login operation via the login screen 401.
Setting of default SSID and passphrase of access point (417 of setting screen 404 in FIG. 4)
A fixed SSID and passphrase are set in MFP 100.
-Use setting of one-time SSID (418 of setting screen 404 in FIG. 4)
When this setting is ON, the function of starting the access point with a different SSID every time becomes effective.
・ Use setting of SSID for each individual (419 of setting screen 404 in FIG. 4)
When this setting is ON, the function of activating the access point with a different SSID for each user in conjunction with the login function is enabled.

  Here, the login service 309 has a user account management function and a login function described below.

  The user account management function provides a user with a user interface for registering and managing a user account, and stores and manages user information registered via the user interface in the user DB 312. The user information managed here includes, for example, a user name, a password, an IC card number, a role, and the like as shown in the user information list in Table 1.

The login function provides a user using the operation unit 205 with a login / logout function. A login screen 401 is displayed on the operation unit 205 so that a user who has not logged in cannot use the operation unit 205. At this time, the number of users who can log in to the operation unit 205 at the same time is set to “1” so that a plurality of users cannot log in from the operation unit 205 at the same time. If the user has successfully logged in, the display on the operation unit 205 is changed from the login screen 401 to the menu screen 402, and the user is allowed to use the MFP 100. Note that there are a plurality of login means as means for performing this login. For example, the following login means is provided.
-Keyboard login means A soft keyboard is displayed on the login screen 401 of the operation unit 205, and when the press of the login button 405 is detected, the entered user name (account) and password are acquired and user authentication is performed. Perform login processing.
-IC card login means Acquires an IC card number from an IC card held over the IC card reader 208, specifies a user, and performs login processing.

  Normally, the login service authenticates the user by checking whether the user name and password acquired by the keyboard login unit or the IC card login unit, or the IC card number matches those registered in the user DB 312. The login service may cooperate with a user authentication server connected by a wired LAN. In this case, the user is authenticated by checking whether the user name and password acquired by the login service or the IC card number matches those registered in the server. It is conceivable to use an LDAP server, Windows (trademark) Active Directory (trademark), a unique server, or the like as the server for user authentication.

  The login service according to the first embodiment has a guest login function. The guest login function displays a login button 406 for a guest on the login screen 401, for example. When the press of the guest login button 406 is detected, the user is made to be able to use the MFP 100 without performing user authentication. When the guest logs in, some functions of MFP 100 may be disabled. For example, the MFP setting button 411 is invalidated so that the guest cannot change the setting of the MFP 100. If the guest does not want to use the print paper, the copy button 407 or the print button 409 may be invalidated.

  When the user logs in, the login service 309 generates an object in which information of the logged-in user is recorded and stores the object in the RAM 203. The object in which the information of the logged-in user is recorded is hereinafter referred to as a login context 311. An example of information recorded in the login context 311 is shown in Table 2 below.

  An area for recording a domain name is provided in the login context 311 so that a user account registered in the user DB 312 and a user account managed by a user authentication server can be distinguished as different accounts. For example, when a user (Alice) registered in the user DB 312 logs in, a character string “localhost” is recorded in an area for recording a domain name. Alternatively, when logging in with a user account managed by a server for user authentication, the domain name and server name are recorded as a character string in the domain name recording area. Table 3 below shows an example of information recorded in the login context 311 when logging in with a user account managed by the server. Table 3 shows, for example, a case where a user (Alice) registered in the user DB 312 logs in with a user account managed by the server, and a domain name (DomainA) is recorded in an area for recording a domain name.

  Table 4 shows an example of information recorded in the login context 311 at the time of guest login.

  Here, the user name is “Alice”, the domain name is “localhost”, and the role is “guest”.

  When the press of the logout button 412 on the screen displayed on the operation unit 205 shown in FIG. 4 is detected, the information recorded in the login context 311 is deleted, and the display returns to the login screen 401 again.

  FIG. 3B is a block diagram illustrating a software configuration of the mobile terminal 101 according to the first embodiment and a data area managed by the software. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a user interface displayed on the operation unit 215 of the mobile terminal 101 according to the first embodiment. Hereinafter, description will be made with reference to FIGS. The function of the software shown in FIG. 3B is realized by the CPU 211 executing a program loaded on the RAM 212.

  The wireless LAN information 315 indicates a data area of data recorded and managed in the flash memory 213 by software. The platform 313 can be configured by a platform such as Android (trademark) of Google Inc. or iOS (trademark) of Apple Inc. The platform 313 includes a group of device drivers for controlling various types of hardware, and provides an API for using the various types of hardware to an application operating on the platform 313. The platform 313 includes a wireless LAN control unit 314. The wireless LAN control unit 314 is software for controlling the wireless LAN I / F 214. A wireless LAN setting screen 501 in FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a wireless LAN setting screen displayed on the operation unit 215 by the platform 313. For example, the wireless LAN control unit 314 displays the SSID of the wireless LAN access point searched and found in the list 502. The user selects an arbitrary access point from the list 502, inputs a passphrase of the access point into the area 503, and presses a connection button 504. When the connection is successful, the platform 313 records the SSID and the passphrase in the wireless LAN information 315. When the wireless LAN function of the mobile terminal 101 is valid and the mobile terminal 101 is not connected to the wireless LAN, the platform 313 automatically searches for a wireless LAN access point that has been connected in the past. Then, a function is provided for attempting connection using the SSID and passphrase recorded in the wireless LAN information 315.

  The mobile terminal 101 can install various applications and operate on the platform 313. In the first embodiment, it is assumed that the MFP connection application 316 is installed in advance. A user interface screen 505 in FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a user interface screen displayed on the operation unit 215 by the MFP connection application 316. For example, after the MFP connection application 316 is connected to the MFP 100 via a wireless LAN, the MFP connection application 316 can use the functions of the printer 207 and the scanner 206 of the MFP 100 via the wireless LAN. For example, the user can instruct MFP 100 to perform printing by touching a print button on screen 505.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an access point activation process performed by MFP 100 according to the first embodiment. It should be noted that a program for executing this processing is stored in the ROM 202 or the HDD 204, is expanded in the RAM 203, and is executed under the control of the CPU 201 at the time of execution. The main component of the software that executes this flowchart is the wireless LAN control unit 302 in the software configuration shown in FIG.

  In this process, when the user presses the access point activation button 413 on the mobile connection screen 403, the mobile connection 306 requests the wireless LAN control unit 302 to activate the access point. In this way, the wireless LAN control unit 302 starts in step S601 by receiving the access point activation request. If the access point has already been activated, this process may be started after the currently activated access point is stopped.

  Next, the processing proceeds to step S <b> 602, and the CPU 201 refers to the MFP setting DB 310 and acquires the usage setting 419 of the individual SSID set via the setting screen 404 of the MFP. Then, the process proceeds to step S603, and the CPU 201 determines whether the setting 419 acquired in step S602 is ON. If the setting for using the SSID for each individual is ON, that is, the access point is started with a different SSID for each user in conjunction with the login function of the user, the process proceeds to S604. In step S <b> 604, the CPU 201 refers to the login context 311 and attempts to acquire the user information during login. Then, the process proceeds to step S605, where the CPU 201 determines whether or not the logged-in user information has been acquired. If the logged-in user information other than the guest has been successfully acquired, the process proceeds to step S606. Generate an SSID and passphrase. At this time, in order to generate an SSID and a passphrase dedicated to the logged-in user, it is preferable to employ an algorithm that always generates the same SSID and passphrase if the acquired user information is the same. A method of always generating the same individual SSID and passphrase from the user information will be described later. Then, the process proceeds to S607, and the CPU 201 activates the access point with the generated or acquired SSID and passphrase. Then, the processing proceeds to step S608, and the CPU 201 ends the access point activation processing.

  On the other hand, if the SSID usage setting 416 for each individual is OFF in S603, or if the logged-in user information indicates a guest in S605, or if the logged-in user information cannot be acquired, the process proceeds to S609. In step S609, the CPU 201 refers to the MFP setting DB 310 and acquires the one-time use setting 418 of the SSID. Next, the process proceeds to step S610, and the CPU 201 determines whether the acquired setting 418 is ON. If the CPU 201 determines that the one-time SSID usage setting 418 is ON, that is, the setting is such that the access point is started with a different SSID every time, the process proceeds to S611. In step S611, the CPU 201 generates a random SSID and a passphrase each time using a random number generator as the one-time SSID and the passphrase. Proceeding to S612, the CPU 201 activates the access point with the generated one-time SSID and passphrase. Then, the process proceeds to S608, where the activation process of the access point is ended.

  If the CPU 201 determines in step S610 that the one-time SSID usage setting 418 is OFF, the process advances to step S613, and the CPU 201 refers to the MFP setting DB 310 to acquire a default SSID and passphrase. Next, proceeding to S614, the CPU 201 activates the access point with the default SSID and passphrase. Then, the process proceeds to S608, where the activation process of the access point is ended. The SSID and passphrase of the activated access point may be displayed on the mobile connection screen 403 in FIG.

  However, in order to prevent the SSID and passphrase for each user from being seen by other people, even if the access point is running, if a guest or other person logs in, or the login function is changed to OFF. In this case, control is performed so as not to be displayed on the mobile connection screen 403.

  In the above-described flowchart, when the logged-in user information acquired in S604 indicates a guest, the process proceeds to S609. However, when the guest account is to be treated in the same manner as a normal account, the process may proceed to S606 to generate or acquire a guest-specific SSID and passphrase.

  If the setting 416 of the login function of the MFP 100 is OFF, it is determined in S605 that acquisition of the user information during login has failed. Therefore, even if the use setting 419 of the individual SSID is ON, Is not used.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an algorithm for generating the same SSID and passphrase in MFP 100 according to the first embodiment when the logged-in user information is the same as the previously logged-in user information. Note that the following description is merely an example, and the generation method is not limited to this.

  For example, if a user name or a domain name is used for the SSID, an SSID that is easy for the user to understand can be generated. For example, reference numeral 701 denotes an example in which an SSID is generated as one character string by adding a fixed connection character (-) or a suffix character (-AP) to a user name and a domain name.

  Further, when it is desired to make the user-specific passphrase or both the SSID and the passphrase confidential so as not to be guessed by others, the following method is conceivable. For example, as shown by reference numerals 702 and 703 in FIG. 7, a character string including a user name and a domain name is used as a message 710, an MFP-specific value is used as a key 711, and a MAC value 712 is obtained using an HMAC algorithm known in RFC2104. , 713 are calculated. Next, the MAC value is converted into a character string and used for the SSID and the passphrase. The example 702 illustrates a case where only the passphrase 716 is generated using HMAC. Further, the example of 703 shows an example in which both the SSID 714 and the passphrase 715 are generated using HMAC. In the example of 703, a longer character string 717 is generated, and the preceding character string is used as the SSID 714 and the following character string is used as the pass phrase 715.

  When there are a plurality of MFPs according to the first embodiment in the same office, the key information used for the HMAC is shared by the plurality of MFPs, and the same SSID and passphrase are generated if the user information is the same. May be. When the same SSID and passphrase can be used in a plurality of MFPs in this way, the trouble of the user registering a different SSID and passphrase in the portable terminal 101 for each MFP can be reduced. If the user does not use a plurality of MFPs at the same time, there is no problem because an access point having the same SSID and passphrase does not start simultaneously in a plurality of MFPs.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, when the user logs in to the MFP and starts the access point, the access point can be started with the SSID and passphrase dedicated to the logged-in user. At this time, the user-specific SSID and passphrase do not change each time the access point is started or stopped, so that the same user can always use the same SSID and passphrase. As a result, the registration of the SSID and the passphrase in the mobile terminal can be performed only once, thereby reducing the user's labor.

  Also, by keeping the SSID and passphrase exclusive for the user from being known to others, a user who logs in to the MFP and activates the access point will not use the access point by others. Thereby, the user can temporarily occupy the access point activated by the MFP.

  Further, by using this function together with the function of automatically connecting the mobile terminal to an access point to which the mobile terminal has been connected in the past, a further effect can be obtained. In other words, once the user of the mobile terminal registers and stores the user-specific SSID and passphrase in the mobile terminal, the user only needs to log in to the MFP and start the access point from the next time. And the MFP.

  Also, there is a case where the guest uses the MFP without user authentication even when the login function of the MFP is ON. For this reason, when the guest uses the access point of the MFP, a temporary SSID and a passphrase are provided. This allows the guest to temporarily occupy the access point activated by the MFP without being used by another person even if the guest is the guest.

  Further, some users find it difficult to always keep the login function of the MFP ON. Therefore, when the login function is OFF, the access point of the MFP can be used with the default SSID or the temporary SSID.

  If the number of terminals actually used is smaller than the maximum number of terminals that can be simultaneously connected to the MFP access point, the SSID for each individual is not used, and the MFP access point is always set to the default SSID and passphrase. You may be able to start with For this reason, the configuration is such that the use setting of the SSID for each individual can be turned off.

[Embodiment 2]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment, a description will be given of a mode in which the SSID of each individual is recorded in the HDD 204 of the MFP 100 and managed. Note that the hardware configuration of the MFP 100 and the mobile terminal 101 according to the second embodiment, the configuration of the printing system, and the like are the same as those in the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating a software configuration of the MFP 100 according to the second embodiment and a data area managed by the software. Note that the same reference numerals as in FIG. 3A of the first embodiment denote the same parts, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  Here, the platform 301 records and manages the SSID for each individual in the SSID management table 801 of the HDD 204. For example, as shown in Table 5 below, the SSID management table 801 stores an SSID and a passphrase in association with information (user name and domain name) that uniquely identifies a user.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a user interface provided by the mobile connection 306 corresponding to editing and deletion of an SSID in the second embodiment. Note that, in FIG. 9, portions common to FIG. 4 are given the same numbers.

  The mobile connection 306 refers to the login context 311 to identify the logged-in user, obtains the SSID and passphrase associated with the logged-in user from the SSID management table 801, and displays the acquired SSID and passphrase in the area 415. .

  In FIG. 9, the mobile connection screen 403 displays access point information in the area 415 as in FIG. 4 described above. If there is no SSID and passphrase information associated with the logged-in user in the SSID management table 801, the area 415 is left blank. When detecting the press of the edit button 901 on the mobile connection screen 403, the mobile connection 306 displays an edit screen 903 for editing the SSID and the passphrase being displayed in the area 415. The user can register a new SSID and passphrase by inputting a new SSID and passphrase in the area 904 of the edit screen 903 and pressing an update button 905. At this time, the mobile connection 306 acquires the SSID and the passphrase newly input to the area 904, and registers or updates the SSID and the passphrase in the SSID management table 801. Thus, a new SSID can be generated by linking a predetermined character string to the user identification information.

  The mobile connection screen 403 includes a delete button 902. When detecting the press of the delete button 902 on the mobile connection screen 403, the mobile connection 306 deletes the SSID and passphrase information associated with the logged-in user from the SSID management table 801.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating access point activation processing by MFP 100 according to the second embodiment. It should be noted that a program for executing this processing is stored in the ROM 202 or the HDD 204, is expanded in the RAM 203, and is executed under the control of the CPU 201 at the time of execution. The software that executes this flowchart is the wireless LAN control unit 302 in the software configuration of FIG. In FIG. 10, portions common to those in the flowchart according to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

  In step S <b> 605, the CPU 201 determines whether the information of the logged-in user has been acquired from the login context 311. If it is determined that the information of the logged-in user has been acquired, the process proceeds to step S1001, and the CPU 201 refers to the SSID management table 801 and attempts to acquire an SSID and a passphrase associated with the information of the logged-in user. The process advances to step S1002, and the CPU 201 determines whether the acquisition of the SSID and the passphrase has been successful. If it is determined that the acquisition has failed, the process advances to step S1003, and the CPU 201 newly generates an SSID and a passphrase using the logged-in user information as described with reference to FIG. Then, the information is stored in the SSID management table 801 in association with the information of the logged-in user, and the process proceeds to S1004. In step S1004, the CPU 201 activates the access point using the SSID and the passphrase generated in step S1003, and completes the access point activation process.

  On the other hand, if the CPU 201 succeeds in acquiring the SSID and the passphrase in S1002, the process proceeds to S1004. In step S1004, the CPU 201 activates the access point using the SSID and the passphrase acquired from the SSID management table 801, and completes the activation processing of the access point.

  As described above, according to the second embodiment, if the SSID and the passphrase are not stored in the SSID management table 801, a new SSID is generated and stored in the SSID management table 801, and access is performed using the generated SSID. Activate point. On the other hand, if there is an already stored SSID and passphrase, the access point is activated using these. Thus, the load on the CPU for generating the SSID and the passphrase can be reduced.

  Further, by allowing the user to edit his / her own SSID and passphrase, the user can freely set a desired SSID and passphrase, and the convenience of the MFP is improved. Further, even when the SSID and passphrase for each individual are leaked to another person, the user can change or delete the SSID and passfood at an arbitrary timing, so that the security of the MFP can be maintained.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention supplies a program for realizing one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or an apparatus via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or the apparatus read and execute the program. This processing can be realized. Further, it can also be realized by a circuit (for example, an ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, to make the scope of the present invention public, the following claims are appended.

  100 MFP, 101 mobile terminal, 201 CPU, 205 operating unit, 208 IC card reader, 301 platform, 302 wireless LAN control unit, 311 login context

Claims (15)

A communication device that performs direct wireless communication with an external device,
Storage means for storing a plurality of SSIDs used for the direct wireless communication in association with each of a plurality of user identification information,
Operating means operated by the user;
Identification means for identifying a user of the communication device based on information received by a user operation via the operation means,
Selecting means for selecting an SSID stored in association with the identification information of the user specified by the specifying means from the plurality of SSIDs stored in the storage means;
Wireless communication means for performing the direct wireless communication using the SSID selected by the selection means,
A communication device comprising: A communication device that performs direct wireless communication with an external device,
Storage means for storing a plurality of SSIDs used for the direct wireless communication in association with each of a plurality of user identification information,
Acquiring means for acquiring information from a device having an integrated circuit owned by a user;
Specifying means for specifying the user of the communication device based on the information obtained by the obtaining means,
Selecting means for selecting an SSID stored in association with the identification information of the user specified by the specifying means from the plurality of SSIDs stored in the storage means;
Wireless communication means for performing the direct wireless communication using the SSID selected by the selection means,
A communication device comprising: The device having the integrated circuit is an IC card,
The communication device according to claim 2, wherein the acquisition unit includes an IC card reader. Wherein the SSID stored in association with identification information of the user specified by the specifying means, any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it is editable by the user identified by the identifying means 1 The communication device according to item . The apparatus further includes a generation unit that generates an SSID of the user specified by the specification unit,
5. The storage device according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit stores identification information of the user specified by the specifying unit and the SSID generated by the generation unit in association with each other. 6. The communication device according to claim 1. The communication device according to claim 5 , wherein the generation unit generates an SSID of the user when an SSID corresponding to the user identified by the identification unit is not stored in the storage unit. . It said generating means, based on at least said user identification information specified by the specifying means, a communication device according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that to generate the SSID. The communication device according to claim 7 , wherein the generation unit generates the SSID based on the identification information of the user specified by the specification unit and a predetermined character string. The communication device according to claim 8 , wherein the predetermined character string includes a domain name. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the specifying unit receives an input of authentication information via an input screen displayed on the operation unit , and specifies a user of the communication device based on the received authentication information. Communication device. Communication apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising a reading means for reading an original. Communication apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising a printing means for printing an image. A control method for controlling a communication device that performs direct wireless communication with an external device,
A storage step of storing a plurality of SSIDs used for the direct wireless communication in a storage unit in association with each of a plurality of user identification information;
A specifying step of specifying a user of the communication device based on information received by a user operation via an operation unit of the communication device,
A selecting step of selecting an SSID stored in association with the identification information of the user specified in the specifying step from the SSID stored in the storage unit;
A wireless communication step of performing the direct wireless communication using the SSID selected in the selection step,
A method for controlling a communication device, comprising: A control method for controlling a communication device that performs direct wireless communication with an external device,
A storage step of storing a plurality of SSIDs used for the direct wireless communication in a memory in association with each of a plurality of user identification information;
An acquisition step of acquiring information from a device having an integrated circuit owned by a user,
A specifying step of specifying a user of the communication device based on the information acquired in the acquiring step,
A selecting step of selecting, from the plurality of SSIDs stored in the memory, an SSID stored in association with the identification information of the user specified in the specifying step;
A wireless communication step of performing the direct wireless communication using the SSID selected in the selection step,
A method for controlling a communication device, comprising: A program for causing a computer to execute each step of the control method for a communication device according to claim 13 .

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