JP6869314B2 - Communication equipment and its control method and program - Google Patents

Description

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

In recent years, wireless communication has been performed between a printer and an external device such as a digital camera or a mobile phone, and the printer can receive and print an image from the external device. At this time, the printer and the external device initially identify each other by short-range wireless communication such as NFC (Near Field Communication). After that, it is also known that the printer receives an image file to be printed from an external device by a higher-speed wireless communication different from the short-range wireless communication.

In addition, the printer is equipped with a plurality of interfaces such as a wired LAN and a wireless LAN, and the user can print using either interface. Even if a conventional printer has a plurality of interfaces, it is common to communicate using only one of the interfaces.

Further, in recent years, a method has been proposed in which an NFC is used to connect a terminal device and an external device to a common access point so that the Internet connection is not disconnected (Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-182449

However, Patent Document 1 states that it is good if both the terminal and the device are on the same network and can be connected, but if not, the processing request (for example, printing) of the terminal cannot be easily performed. There's a problem.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and by a simple operation, a network to be used is specified among a plurality of network connection means possessed by the processing device, and a processing request is made from the terminal device to the processing device. It is intended to provide a technology that can transmit.

In order to solve this problem, for example, the communication device of the present invention has the following configuration. That is,
A communication device capable of executing wired communication based on a wired communication method, first wireless communication based on a first wireless communication method, and second wireless communication based on a second wireless communication method.
Based on the instruction to enable the wired communication method using the display unit of the communication device, the wired communication method is enabled and the first wireless communication method is not enabled. A control means that enables the first wireless communication method and does not enable the wired communication method based on the instruction to enable the first wireless communication method using the display unit.
A network in which the second wireless communication is executed between the communication device and the communication partner device, the first wireless communication method of the communication device is enabled, and the communication partner device is connected. When the communication device is connected by the first wireless communication method, print data is received from the communication partner device that executed the second wireless communication via the network.
The second wireless communication is executed between the communication device and the communication partner device, the first wireless communication method of the communication device is not enabled, and the communication partner device is connected. When the communication device is not connected to the existing network by the first wireless communication method, the communication device is established by executing the communication control process via the direct connection between the communication partner device and the communication device. A receiving means for receiving print data from the communication partner device , and
A print control means for executing a print process based on the print data is provided.

Further, the control method of the communication device of the present invention has the following configurations. That is,
It is a control method of a communication device capable of executing wired communication based on a wired communication method, first wireless communication based on a first wireless communication method, and second wireless communication based on a second wireless communication method.
Based on the instruction to enable the wired communication method using the display unit of the communication device, the wired communication method is enabled and the first wireless communication method is not enabled. A control step of enabling the first wireless communication method and not enabling the wired communication method based on the instruction to enable the first wireless communication method using the display unit.
A network in which the second wireless communication is executed between the communication device and the communication partner device, the first wireless communication method of the communication device is enabled, and the communication partner device is connected. When the communication device is connected by the first wireless communication method, print data is received from the communication partner device that executed the second wireless communication via the network.
The second wireless communication is executed between the communication device and the communication partner device, the first wireless communication method of the communication device is not enabled, and the communication partner device is connected. When the communication device is not connected to the existing network by the first wireless communication method, the communication device is established by executing the communication control process via the direct connection between the communication partner device and the communication device. A receiving process for receiving print data from the communication partner device , and
A print control step for executing a print process based on the print data is provided.

According to the present invention, a network to be used is specified among a plurality of network connection means possessed by the processing device by a simple operation of bringing the terminal device closer to the processing device, and a processing request is made from the terminal device to the processing device. Will be able to send.

The figure which shows the structure of the printing system in embodiment. The figure which shows the appearance of a terminal device. The figure which shows the appearance of a printing apparatus. The block diagram which shows the structure of the terminal apparatus. The block diagram which shows the structure of the printing apparatus. The block diagram which showed the structure of an NFC unit. The figure which shows the NDEF data structure stored in an NFC unit. A flowchart showing the processing of the terminal device. The flowchart which shows the processing of a printing apparatus. The flowchart which shows the processing of the terminal apparatus in 2nd Embodiment. The flowchart which shows the process of the print prosecution in 4th Embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail exemplarily with reference to the drawings. However, the relative arrangement of the components, the display screen, and the like described in the present embodiment are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to those, unless otherwise specified.

<System configuration>
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a network processing system according to an embodiment. This system is composed of a portable terminal device 200 that can be connected to the network 100, and a printing device 300 as a processing device that performs processing in response to a request from the terminal device 200, centering on the network 100. The terminal device 200, which also functions as a communication device, has at least two or more types of wireless communication units having different communication speeds (or communication range). The terminal device 200 may be of any type as long as it can handle files to be printed, such as personal information terminals such as PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), smartphones, mobile phones, and digital cameras.

The printing device 300, which also functions as a communication device, has a reading function for optically reading a document placed on a platen and a printing function for printing using a printing engine such as an inkjet printer. It may have a FAX function and a telephone function.

The network 100 and the printing device 300 are connected by a wired LAN or a wireless LAN. The network 100 and the terminal device 200 are connected by a wireless LAN. The terminal device 200 and the printing device 300 can execute communication by short-range wireless communication. Further, since both the terminal device 200 and the printing device 300 have a wireless LAN function, peer-to-peer (hereinafter, P2P) communication is possible by performing mutual authentication.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the appearance of the terminal device 200. In this embodiment, a smartphone is taken as an example. A smartphone is a multifunctional mobile phone equipped with a camera, an internet browser, an email function, etc. in addition to the functions of the mobile phone.

The NFC (Near Field Communication) unit 201 is a unit that performs short-range wireless communication. Communication can be performed by actually bringing the NFC unit 201 closer to the NFC unit of the other device (in the embodiment, the NFC unit of the printing device 300) within a predetermined distance (about 10 cm).

The wireless LAN unit 202 is a unit for performing communication on a wireless LAN faster than NFC communication, and is arranged in the terminal device 200. The display unit 203 is, for example, a display including an LCD type display mechanism. The operation unit 204 is provided with a touch panel type operation mechanism, and detects user's pressing information. A typical operation method is that the display unit 203 displays a button icon or a software keyboard, and when the user presses the operation unit 204, an event in which the button is pressed is issued. The power key 205 is used to turn the power on and off.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the appearance of the printing apparatus 300. In this embodiment, a Multifunction Printer (MFP) having a reading function (scanner) is taken as an example. In FIG. 3A, the document base 301 is a glass-like transparent table, which is used when a document is placed and read by a scanner. The document lid 302 is a lid for preventing the scanning light from leaking to the outside when scanning with a scanner. The printing paper insertion slot 303 is an insertion slot for loading various sizes of paper. The paper set in the printing paper insertion slot 303 is conveyed to the printing unit one by one, printing is performed, and the paper is ejected from the printing paper ejection port 304.

FIG. 3B is a top view of the document lid 302. The operation display unit 305 and the NFC unit 306 are arranged on the upper part of the document lid 302. The NFC unit 306 is a unit for performing short-range wireless communication, and is actually a place where the terminal device 200 is brought close to the printing device 300. A predetermined distance (about 10 cm) from the NFC unit 306 is an effective contact distance. The wireless LAN antenna 307 has an embedded antenna for communicating with the wireless LAN.

The short-range wireless communication means wireless communication in which the communication range is a relatively small predetermined range (for example, 1 meter to several centimeters) represented by NFC.

FIG. 4 is a block configuration diagram of the terminal device 200. The terminal device 200 includes a main board 210 that controls the entire device, a wireless LAN unit 202, an NFC unit 201, a line connection unit 206, a display unit 203, and an operation unit 204. Here, the wireless LAN unit 202, the NFC unit 201, the line connection unit 206, and the priority LAN unit 309 all function as communication units of the terminal device 200.

The microprocessor-type CPU 211 arranged on the main board 210 performs processing according to the contents of the control program stored in the connected ROM-type program memory 213 and the RAM-type data memory 214 via the internal bus 212. Execute.

The CPU 211 controls the wireless LAN unit 202 via the wireless LAN control circuit 215 to communicate with other communication terminal devices by the wireless LAN 102. By controlling the NFC unit 201 via the NFC control circuit 216, the CPU 211 can detect a connection with another NFC terminal by the NFC 101 and can transmit / receive data to / from another NFC terminal. By controlling the line connection unit 206 via the line control circuit 217, the CPU 211 can connect to the mobile phone line network 105 and perform a call or data transmission / reception.

By controlling the operation unit control circuit 218, the CPU 211 can receive an instruction from the user via the operation unit 204, and can display various menus, images, and the like on the display unit 203. The CPU 211 can control the camera unit 219 to capture an image, and stores the captured image in the image memory 220 in the data memory 214. In addition to the captured image, an image acquired from the outside through the mobile phone line network 105, the wireless LAN 102, or the NFC 101 can be stored in the image memory 220, or conversely transmitted to the outside.

The non-volatile memory 221 is composed of a memory such as a flash memory, and stores data to be stored even after the power is turned off. For example, in addition to telephone directory data, various communication connection information, device information connected in the past, and the like, image data to be saved, or a program such as application software that realizes various functions is stored in the terminal device 200.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the printing apparatus 300. The printing device 300 includes a main board 310 that controls the entire device, a line connection unit 322, a wireless LAN unit 308, an NFC unit 306, a wired LAN unit 309, and an operation panel 305. Here, the line connection unit 322, the wireless LAN unit 308, the NFC unit 306, and the priority LAN unit 309 function as a communication unit of the printing device 300. The wireless LAN is faster than the NFC unit, and the wired LAN can perform even faster communication.

The microprocessor-type CPU 311 arranged on the main board 310 processes according to the control program stored in the ROM-type program memory 313 connected via the internal bus 312 and the contents of the RAM-type data memory 314. To execute.

The CPU 311 controls the scanner unit 315 to read the document and store it in the image memory 316 in the data memory 314. Further, the CPU 311 can control the printing unit 317 to print the image of the image memory 316 in the data memory 314 on the recording medium.

The CPU 311 controls the wireless LAN unit 308 through the wireless LAN control circuit 318 to communicate with other communication terminal devices by the wireless LAN 102. Further, the CPU 311 controls the priority LAN unit 309 through the wired LAN control circuit 329 to communicate with other communication terminal devices by the priority LAN 102. Further, the CPU 311 can detect a connection with another NFC terminal by the NFC 101 or transmit / receive data to / from another NFC terminal by controlling the NFC unit 306 via the NFC control circuit 319. it can. By controlling the line connection unit 322 via the line control circuit 321, the CPU 311 can connect to the telephone line network 323 and perform fax transmission / reception and data transmission / reception.

By controlling the operation unit control circuit 320, the CPU 311 can display the status of the printing device 300, display the function selection menu, and accept operations from the user on the operation panel 305. Therefore, the operation panel 305 is composed of a display with a touch panel, including various switches and buttons.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing details of the NFC unit 201 in the terminal device 200 or the NFC unit 600 used in the NFC unit 306 in the printing device 300.

In short-range wireless communication (NFC communication) by the NFC unit 600, a device that outputs an RF (Radio Frequency) field during communication and starts communication is called an initiator. A device that responds to an instruction issued by an initiator and communicates with the initiator is called a target. The communication mode of the NFC unit includes a passive mode and an active mode.

In passive mode, the target responds to the initiator's instructions by performing load modulation. Therefore, the target does not need to be supplied with power. On the other hand, in the active mode, the target responds to the initiator's command by the RF field issued by the target itself. Therefore, it is necessary to supply power to the target. The active mode also has the feature that the communication speed can be increased compared to the passive mode.

Returning to the description of FIG. The NFC unit includes an NFC controller unit 601, an antenna unit 602, an RF unit 603, a transmission / reception control unit 604, an NFC memory 605, a power supply 606, and a device connection unit 607. The antenna unit 602 receives radio waves and carriers from other NFC devices, and transmits radio waves and carriers to other NFC devices. The RF unit 603 has a function of converting and demodulating an analog signal into a digital signal. The RF unit 603 includes a synthesizer, identifies the frequency of the band and the channel, and controls the band and the channel by the frequency allocation data.

The NFC memory 605 is composed of a readable and writable non-volatile memory. Then, even when the power from the power supply 606 is not supplied, the data stored in the NFC memory 605 can be read and written as long as the induced electromotive force is generated in the passive mode. Data storage control including reading and writing of data to the NFC memory 605 is realized by the NFC controller unit 601. The state in which the power supply from the power supply 606 is not supplied means a state in which the battery of the terminal device 200 is exhausted and a state in which power is not supplied to the printing device 300.

The transmission / reception control unit 604 controls transmission / reception such as assembly / disassembly of transmission / reception frames, preamble addition / detection, and frame identification. The transmission / reception control unit 604 also controls the NFC memory 605 to read / write various data and programs. When operating in active mode, it receives power via the power supply 606. Then, another NFC device within a communicable range is communicated with the device (CPU 211 of the terminal device 200 or CPU 311 of the printing device 300) through the device connection unit 607, or is transmitted / received via the antenna unit 602. Communicate with. When operating in the passive mode, a carrier is received from another NFC device via the antenna unit 602, power is supplied from the other NFC device by electromagnetic induction, and the carrier is modulated between the carrier and the other NFC device. Communicate with to send and receive data. In the following, the operation of bringing the terminal device 200 (NFC unit 201) and the printing device 300 (NFC unit 306) close to each other will be referred to as "NFC touch operation".

[First Embodiment]
In the first embodiment, the user operates the terminal device 200 to select an image to be printed, and then performs an NFC touch operation on the printing device 300 to print, thereby printing the selected image on the printing device 300. The use case of printing with is explained.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a process when the terminal device 200 prints the designated image on the printing device 300. In the present application, the flowchart executed in the terminal device 200 is realized by the CPU 211 of the terminal device 200 reading and executing a program related to the flowchart.

First, the user selects the image data stored in the image memory 220 in response to the operation from the operation unit 204. Here, the selected image data may be singular or plural.

The user performs an operation (NFC touch operation) to bring the terminal device 200 in which the image is selected closer to the NFC unit 306 of the printing device 300 to which the processing is requested. As a result, the terminal device 200 and the printing device 300 shift to the NFC communication mode. The transition to the NFC communication mode may be realized by the user setting on the operation panel of the printing apparatus 300, for example, or may be automatically realized by the NFC touch operation.

In step S802, the terminal device 200 receives the NDEF message in the NFC memory 605 in the NFC unit 306 from the NFC unit 306 of the printing device 300.

The NDEF data structure stored in the NFC unit will be described with reference to FIG. 7. As NDEF data, "Record1" of the first NDEF constituting the header portion stores a RecordType indicating what the NDEF message is. Specifically, "Hq (HandoverRequest)" indicating that the message is for a handover request, "Hs (HandoverSelect)" indicating that the message is a response message to the request, and the like are entered in the Record Type. Since the NDEF data is transmitted to the communication partner device by short-range wireless communication, it is sometimes called short-range wireless communication information.

"Record2" is composed of a RecordType including contents indicating that this packet is A service setting information and a Payload part including detailed network setting information. Parameters related to each communication method are stored in the network information. Specifically, the first MAC address of the first unit and the second MAC address information of the second unit of the two network interface units (or network interface card: NIC) of the printing device 300 are used as a network. Stored in information. For example, the MAC address for the wired LAN and the MAC address for the wireless LAN are stored in the network information. As a result, the terminal device 200 can acquire the MAC address information, which is the physical interface of the printing device 300, from the NDEF message. In this application, the number of network interface units included in the printing apparatus 300 is shown as two examples, but the number may be one or more, and the number is not particularly limited.

Further, peer-to-peer connection information (hereinafter, "peer-to-peer" is simply abbreviated as P2P) is stored in the Payload unit. Specifically, information such as SSID, encryption method, authentication method, network key and the like necessary for P2P connection such as WiFi direct is stored.

Generally, when the terminal device 200 and the printing device 300 are not connected to the same access point, data communication cannot be performed. In order to avoid this, the terminal device 200 changes the wireless network setting on the terminal device 200 side by using the P2P information acquired from the NDEF message of the printing device 300. By doing so, peer-to-peer communication can be established between the terminal device 200 and the printing device 300, and data communication can be performed.

After receiving the NDEF message, the terminal device 200 determines in step S803 whether the mode shift command for waiting for data reception from the terminal device 200 has been issued to the printing device 300. Information on whether or not it has been issued is stored in the data memory 214 of the terminal device 200. When the mode transition command is not issued, in step S804, it is confirmed (searched) whether the first MAC address of the NDEF message exists on the same network as the terminal device 200. When the first MAC address exists on the same network, the terminal device 200 can recognize the IP address of the printing device 300 (step S805). For example, in order to recognize an IP address, ICMP, Multicast DNS, or the like is used. Then, in step S806, the terminal device 200 issues a mode shift command to the printing device 300 to wait for data reception.

If the first MAC address cannot be detected on the network, the terminal device 200 confirms in step S810 whether the second MAC address exists on the same network as the terminal device 200. If it cannot be detected there, the terminal device 200 refers to the P2P information stored in the NDEF message acquired from the NFC unit 201 of the printing device 300 in step S811, and the communication mode of the terminal device 200 is set to the wireless LAN setting of the P2P information. Determine if they are the same. As an example of the determination, the terminal device 200 compares the SSID of the access point included in the printing device 300 with the SSID set in the terminal device 200, and determines whether or not they are the same.

When the communication mode of the terminal device 200 does not match the P2P information, the terminal device 200 changes the communication mode of the terminal device 200 according to the communication mode of the printing device 300 (step S812). For example, the terminal device 200 sets the SSID of the printing device 300.

As described above, in a situation where the printing device 300 includes a plurality of interfaces, if only one of the interface information is returned, the device may not be detected. For example, if the MAC address of the wireless LAN is stored in the NDEF message even though the wired LAN is enabled, the terminal device 200 searches for the MAC address of the wireless LAN from the network. As a result, even if the terminal device 200 and the printing device 300 are on the same network, the printing device 300 touched by the NFC cannot be searched. However, by performing the above processing, it is possible to appropriately establish the connection between the terminal device 200 and the printing device 300.

In step S806, the terminal device 200 issues a mode shift command to the printing device 300 to wait for data reception from the terminal device. After issuing the command, in step S807, the terminal device 200 converts the image data selected by the user into a format that can be printed by the printing device 300, and transmits the image data to the printing device 300 via the wireless LAN unit 202 as print data. Note that just because the terminal device 200 transmits the print data to the printing device 300 via the wireless LAN does not mean that the printing device 300 receives the print data from the terminal device 200 via the wireless LAN. This is because reception may occur via a wired LAN connected to the access point.

Then, after all the print data transmission is completed, in step S808, the terminal device 200 determines whether to continuously transmit the print data. This determination may be a user operation or may be determined that there is no operation for a certain period of time. At the end of printing, in step S809, the terminal device 200 issues a command to the printing device 300 to release the data reception waiting mode. As a result, the connection between the terminal device 200 and the printing device 300 is released.

Next, the process when the printing device 300 prints the image received from the terminal device 200 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In the present application, the flowchart executed by the printing apparatus 300 is realized by the CPU 311 of the printing apparatus 300 reading and executing a program related to the flowchart.

First, the user performs an operation of bringing the terminal device 200 (NFC unit 201) closer to the printing device 300 (NFC unit 306). As a result, NFC communication by both NFC units is started, and in step S902, the printing device 300 transfers the NDEF message stored in the NFC memory in the NFC unit 306 of the printing device to the terminal device 200.

When the NDEF message is transferred to the terminal device 200, in step S903, the printing device 300 determines whether or not the mode shift command for waiting for data reception from the terminal device 200 has already been received.

If the mode transition command has not been received, in step S904, the printing device 300 determines whether there is an IP protocol level request from the terminal device 200. When there is an IP protocol level request, it can be determined that the terminal device 200 and the printing device 300 already exist on the same network, so that the printing device 300 is a mode transition command for waiting for data reception issued from the terminal device 200. Waiting for reception.

After that, in step S905, the printing device 300 receives the mode transition command from the terminal device 200. If it is determined in step S904 that there is no IP protocol level communication, the printing device 300 stores (saves) the current communication mode of the printing device 300 in the data memory 314 in step S910. Then, the printing device 300 changes the communication mode of the printing device 300 to the communication mode of the P2P mode in step S911. After that, the terminal device 200 executes the process of S812, so that the printing device 300 can be connected to the terminal device 200 on the same network. For example, when the printing device 300 is operating in a communication mode in which communication is performed using an external access point, the communication mode is changed from the communication mode in which communication is performed using the access point to the P2P mode in S911.

After the network is established, in step S907, the printing device 300 receives the print data from the terminal device 200 and prints. However, even if the network is established, if data is not sent from the terminal device 200 for a certain period of time in step S906, the print communication mode is restored in step S909.

After printing, in step S908, the printing device 300 determines whether or not a command for waiting for mode release from the terminal device 200 to wait for data reception has been received. When the release command is received, if the print communication mode is changed in step S909, the process returns to the communication mode immediately before printing using NFC (that is, the communication mode stored in S910).

An example of returning a specific communication mode is as follows. For example, when the wireless LAN of the printing device 300 is invalid, the wireless LAN invalid state is stored in step S910, printing is executed in the P2P mode, and after the printing is completed, the wireless LAN state is disconnected and the process is completed. That is, the communication mode of the printing device 300 is changed to the wireless LAN invalid state. Further, when the wireless LAN of the printing device 300 is valid and is on the same network as the terminal device, the printing process is performed with the communication mode as it is, and in step S909 after the printing is completed, the communication mode is maintained as it is.

If either or both of the first and second interfaces of the printing device 300 are enabled and they are not on the same network as the terminal device, the first and second interface states are stored in step S911. .. Then, printing is executed in the P2P mode, and after the printing is completed, the first and second interface states are restored and the processing is completed.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the optimum communication method is automatically selected by the NFC touch operation of the terminal device 200 without the user switching the current communication mode. If the command waiting for mode release is not sent from the terminal device 200 for a certain period of time in step S908, and if the command waiting for mode release is not sent for a certain period of time by checking the passage of time in step S912, the communication mode is immediately before. Allows you to return to the communication mode of.

A timer will be used to measure a certain period of time, but the timer may be started after the end of printing, or even if the timer is started, the next printing process is performed before the certain time elapses. May be cleared by executing. In addition to this, the communication mode may be terminated by operating the main body on the operation panel 305. By doing so, the user can execute printing without being aware of the communication mode.

[Second Embodiment]
Also in the second embodiment, a use case in which the user operates the terminal device 200 to select an image to be printed and then prints the image will be described.

The difference from the first embodiment is that the interface information acquired by the NFC touch operation includes information indicating a valid MAC address. Hereinafter, the user performs an NFC touch operation on the printing device 300 with the terminal device 200. Then, a use case in which the terminal device 200 acquires the currently valid interface information and prints the selected image on the printing device 300 using the MAC address of the valid interface will be described. For example, the terminal device 200 can acquire information indicating a MAC address currently valid in the printing device 300 by NFC touch operation among the wired MAC address and the wireless MAC address.

First, the user selects image data according to the operation from the operation unit 204. Here, a plurality of image data may be selected.

The user performs an NFC touch operation to bring the terminal device 200 (NFC unit 201) closer to the printing device 300 (NFC unit 306).

As a result, in step S1002, the terminal device 200 receives the NDEF message in the NFC memory 605 in the NFC unit 306 of the printing device 300.

After receiving the NDEF message, the terminal device 200 determines in step S1003 whether or not the mode shift command for waiting for data reception has been issued from the terminal device 200 to the printing device 300. Information on whether or not it has been issued is stored in the data memory 214 of the terminal device 200. When the mode transition command is not issued, in step S1004, the terminal device 200 acquires the interface information in the currently valid state acquired from the NDEF message. For example, S1004 can be realized by the terminal device 200 acquiring information indicating valid MAC address information among a plurality of MAC addresses included in the NDEF message. Incidentally, the valid state refers to a state in which the printing device 300 establishes a network connection and can acquire an IP address.

In step S1005, the terminal device 200 confirms whether the MAC address of the interface in the valid state described in the NDEF message exists on the same network as the terminal device 200. When the MAC address exists on the same network in step S1006, the terminal device 200 can recognize the IP address of the printing device 300. If the IP address cannot be detected, the terminal device 200 performs step S1011-1012. Since the processing of S1011-S1012 is the same as that of S811-S812, detailed description thereof will be omitted. Further, since the processing of S1007-S1010 is the same as that of S806-S809, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

According to this embodiment, for example, when a device search is performed by broadcasting using a plurality of MAC addresses, it is possible to prevent a device search using the MAC address of the disabled interface. Therefore, this embodiment can reduce the network communication load.

[Third Embodiment]
In the first embodiment described above, a mode in which the MAC address of the first interface and the MAC address of the second interface stored in the NDEF message are referred to in order has been described. The first interface and the second interface may be prioritized, and information for determining which one should be preferentially connected may be stored in the NDEF message. The terminal device 200 may detect whether the acquired MAC address exists on the same network based on the priority of the read NDEF message.

Further, in the embodiment, the processing device that communicates with the terminal device 200 has been described as the printing device (MFP) 300, but the device is not particularly limited as long as it is a device that responds to the processing request. For example, it may be a network scanner or a network storage.

[Fourth Embodiment]
In the present embodiment, the process of rewriting the NDEF information according to the effective interface by the printing apparatus 300 will be described with reference to FIG.

The printing device 300 determines whether or not the operation panel 305 has received an interface selection instruction to be activated from the user (S1101). For example, the printing device 300 receives an instruction to enable either a wired LAN or a wireless LAN. A selection instruction for selecting an interface enabled by the terminal device 200 capable of communicating with the printing device 300 may be issued. In addition, an instruction for selecting an interface enabled by an information processing device capable of communicating with the printing device 300 may be issued.

When it is determined that the instruction has been received in S1101, the printing apparatus 300 describes the MAC address corresponding to the interface enabled by the user's instruction in the NDEF of the NFC memory 605 of the NFC unit 600 (S1102). In FIG. 7, when the first MAC address of the first unit and the second MAC address of the second unit of the two network interface units (or NICs) of the printing device 300 are stored in the network information. Described. However, in this embodiment, the printing device 300 writes only the MAC address corresponding to the enabled interface to the network information of FIG. For example, when the wired LAN is enabled by the above instruction, only the MAC address of the wired LAN is described in the network information of FIG. 7. On the other hand, when the enabled interface is changed from the wired LAN to the wireless LAN, the printing device 300 rewrites the network information in FIG. 7 from the MAC address of the wired LAN to the MAC address of the wireless LAN.

The printing device 300 determines whether or not the NFC touch operation has been accepted (S1103). If it is determined that the NFC touch operation has been accepted, the process proceeds to S902 and subsequent processes. On the other hand, if the NFC touch operation is not accepted, the process returns to S1101. Since the processing after S902 is the same as that in FIG. 9, detailed description will be omitted.

By the above processing, the terminal device 200 can acquire the MAC address of the interface activated in the printing device 300, so that it can be appropriately connected to the printing device 300.

(Other Examples)
Although NFC has been described as an example of short-range wireless communication in the present application, Bluetooth (registered trademark) may be used as another communication method. Further, although the description has been made using a printing device in the present application, a digital camera, a music player, or the like may be used as a device different from the printing device.

The present invention is also realized by executing the following processing. That is, software (program) that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiment is supplied to the system or device via a network or various storage media, and the computer (or CPU, MPU, etc.) of the system or device reads the program. This is the process to be executed.

100 ... network, 200 ... terminal device, 300 ... printing device

Claims (30)

A communication device capable of executing wired communication based on a wired communication method, first wireless communication based on a first wireless communication method, and second wireless communication based on a second wireless communication method.
Based on the instruction to enable the wired communication method using the display unit of the communication device, the wired communication method is enabled and the first wireless communication method is not enabled. A control means that enables the first wireless communication method and does not enable the wired communication method based on the instruction to enable the first wireless communication method using the display unit.
A network in which the second wireless communication is executed between the communication device and the communication partner device, the first wireless communication method of the communication device is enabled, and the communication partner device is connected. When the communication device is connected by the first wireless communication method, print data is received from the communication partner device that executed the second wireless communication via the network.
The second wireless communication is executed between the communication device and the communication partner device, the first wireless communication method of the communication device is not enabled, and the communication partner device is connected. When the communication device is not connected to the existing network by the first wireless communication method, the communication device is established by executing the communication control process via the direct connection between the communication partner device and the communication device. A receiving means for receiving print data from the communication partner device , and
A communication device including a print control means for executing a print process based on the print data. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the second wireless communication method is Near Field Communication (NFC). The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the second wireless communication method is Bluetooth (registered trademark). The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the print control means executes a print process by an inkjet method. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the direct connection is WiFi direct. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the MAC address is transmitted to the communication partner device by the second wireless communication method. 1. The direct connection between the communication partner device and the communication device established by executing the communication control process is disconnected after the print process based on the received print data is completed. The communication device according to any one of 6 to 6. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein the display unit is a touch panel. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , wherein the communication speed of the first wireless communication method is faster than the communication speed of the second wireless communication method. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the direct connection is established by setting the SSID of the communication device in the communication partner device. It is a control method of a communication device capable of executing wired communication based on a wired communication method, first wireless communication based on a first wireless communication method, and second wireless communication based on a second wireless communication method.
Based on the instruction to enable the wired communication method using the display unit of the communication device, the wired communication method is enabled and the first wireless communication method is not enabled. A control step of enabling the first wireless communication method and not enabling the wired communication method based on the instruction to enable the first wireless communication method using the display unit.
A network in which the second wireless communication is executed between the communication device and the communication partner device, the first wireless communication method of the communication device is enabled, and the communication partner device is connected. When the communication device is connected by the first wireless communication method, print data is received from the communication partner device that executed the second wireless communication via the network.
The second wireless communication is executed between the communication device and the communication partner device, the first wireless communication method of the communication device is not enabled, and the communication partner device is connected. When the communication device is not connected to the existing network by the first wireless communication method, the communication device is established by executing the communication control process via the direct connection between the communication partner device and the communication device. A receiving process for receiving print data from the communication partner device , and
A method for controlling a communication device, which comprises a print control step for executing a print process based on the print data. The method for controlling a communication device according to claim 11, wherein the second wireless communication method is Near Field Communication (NFC). The method for controlling a communication device according to claim 11, wherein the second wireless communication method is Bluetooth (registered trademark). The method for controlling a communication device according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the print control step executes a print process by an inkjet method. The method for controlling a communication device according to any one of claims 11 to 14 , wherein the direct connection is WiFi direct. The method for controlling a communication device according to any one of claims 11 to 15 , wherein the MAC address is transmitted to the communication partner device by the second wireless communication method. 11. The direct connection between the communication partner device and the communication device established by executing the communication control process is disconnected after the print process based on the received print data is completed. 16. The method for controlling a communication device according to any one of 16. The method for controlling a communication device according to any one of claims 11 to 17 , wherein the display unit is a touch panel. The control method for a communication device according to any one of claims 11 to 18 , wherein the communication speed of the first wireless communication method is faster than the communication speed of the second wireless communication method. The method for controlling a communication device according to any one of claims 11 to 19, wherein the direct connection is established by setting the SSID of the communication device in the communication partner device. A program read and executed by a computer of a communication device capable of executing wired communication based on a wired communication method, first wireless communication based on a first wireless communication method, and second wireless communication based on a second wireless communication method. To,
Based on the instruction to enable the wired communication method using the display unit of the communication device, the wired communication method is enabled and the first wireless communication method is not enabled. A control step of enabling the first wireless communication method and not enabling the wired communication method based on the instruction to enable the first wireless communication method using the display unit.
A network in which the second wireless communication is executed between the communication device and the communication partner device, the first wireless communication method of the communication device is enabled, and the communication partner device is connected. When the communication device is connected by the first wireless communication method, print data is received from the communication partner device that executed the second wireless communication via the network.
The second wireless communication is executed between the communication device and the communication partner device, the first wireless communication method of the communication device is not enabled, and the communication partner device is connected. When the communication device is not connected to the existing network by the first wireless communication method, the communication device is established by executing the communication control process via the direct connection between the communication partner device and the communication device. A receiving process for receiving print data from the communication partner device , and
A program for executing a print control process that executes a print process based on the print data. The program according to claim 21, wherein the second wireless communication system is Near Field Communication (NFC). The program according to claim 21, wherein the second wireless communication system is Bluetooth (registered trademark). The program according to any one of claims 21 to 23, wherein the print control step executes a print process by an inkjet method. The program according to any one of claims 21 to 24 , wherein the direct connection is WiFi direct. The program according to any one of claims 21 to 25 , wherein the MAC address is transmitted to the communication partner device by the second wireless communication method. 21. The direct connection between the communication partner device and the communication device established by executing the communication control process is disconnected after the print process based on the received print data is completed. The program according to any one of 26 to 26. The program according to any one of claims 21 to 27 , wherein the display unit is a touch panel. The program according to any one of claims 21 to 28 , wherein the communication speed of the first wireless communication method is faster than the communication speed of the second wireless communication method. The program according to any one of claims 21 to 29, wherein the direct connection is established by setting the SSID of the communication device in the communication partner device.

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