Communication apparatus

• US 10,129,922 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2017
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Nogawa, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lai, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Henson, Jamaal R
• Application Number:
  US15/455,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20170265244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/18 Management of setup rejection or failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/19 Connection re-establishment

Abstract

A communication apparatus may perform: establishing a first wireless connection with the external apparatus while a wireless interface is operating in a capable state; attempting a predetermined process including a receiving process and an establishing process in a case where the first wireless connection is established, the receiving process being for receiving setting information from the external apparatus, and the establishing process being for establishing a second wireless connection with an access point; controlling wireless interface to: in a case where the second wireless connection is established, operate in an incapable state, and in a case where the second wireless connection is not established, operate in the capable state, in a case where the second wireless connection is not established; re-establishing the first wireless connection with the external apparatus; and re-attempting the predetermined process.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus comprising:

a wireless interface configured to operate in any one of a plurality of states including a capable state where the wireless interface is capable of performing a specific process for establishing a first wireless connection with an external apparatus and an incapable state where the wireless interface is incapable of performing the specific process;

a processor; and

a memory storing computer-readable instructions therein, the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the communication apparatus to perform;

establishing the first wireless connection with the external apparatus via the wireless interface while the wireless interface is operating in the capable state;

attempting a predetermined process including a receiving process and an establishing process in a case where the first wireless connection is established with the external apparatus, the receiving process being for receiving setting information from the external apparatus by using the first wireless connection, and the establishing process being for establishing a second wireless connection with an access point different from the external apparatus via the wireless interface by using the setting information;

controlling the wireless interface to;

in a case where the second wireless connection is established with the access point as a result of the predetermined process being attempted, operate in the incapable state without an instruction for causing the wireless interface to operate in the incapable state being inputted by a user, and

in a case where the second wireless connection is not established with the access point as the result of the predetermined process being attempted, operate in the capable state after the first wireless connection has been disconnected without an instruction for causing the wireless interface to operate in the capable state being inputted by the user;

in the case where the second wireless connection is not established with the access point as the result of the predetermined process being attempted, re-establishing the first wireless connection with the external apparatus via the wireless interface while the wireless interface is operating in the capable state after the first wireless connection has been disconnected; and

re-attempting the predetermined process in a case where the first wireless connection is re-established with the external apparatus.

2. The communication apparatus as in claim 1, wherein

the controlling of the wireless interface further includes, in a case where the setting information is received from the external apparatus as the result of the receiving process being attempted, changing the state of the wireless interface from the capable state to the incapable state before the establishing process is attempted.

3. The communication apparatus as in claim 2, wherein

the controlling of the wireless interface further includes, in the case where the second wireless connection is not established with the access point as the result of the establishing process being attempted, changing the state of the wireless interface from the incapable state to the capable state.

4. The communication apparatus as in claim 2, wherein

the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the communication apparatus to further perform:

disconnecting the first wireless connection in the case where the setting information is received from the external apparatus as the result of the receiving process being attempted,

wherein the controlling of the wireless interface further includes changing the state of the wireless interface from the capable state to the incapable state after the first wireless connection has been disconnected.

5. The communication apparatus as in claim 1, wherein

the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the communication apparatus to further perform:

disconnecting the first wireless connection in the case where the setting information is received from the external apparatus as the result of the receiving process being attempted,

wherein the controlling of the wireless interface includes;

in the case where the setting information is received from the external apparatus as the result of the receiving process being attempted, maintaining the state of the wireless interface in the capable state; and

in the case where the second wireless connection is not established with the access point as the result of the establishing process being attempted, maintaining the state of the wireless interface in the capable state.

6. The communication apparatus as in claim 1, wherein

the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the communication apparatus to further perform:

disconnecting the first wireless connection in the case where the setting information is not received from the external apparatus as the result of the receiving process being attempted,

wherein the controlling of the wireless interface includes, in the case where the setting information is not received from the external apparatus as the result of the receiving process being attempted, controlling the wireless interface to operate in the capable state after the first wireless connection has been disconnected.

7. The communication apparatus as in claim 1, wherein

the establishing process includes a search process using the setting information for searching the access point which is currently using the setting information, and

the controlling of the wireless interface includes:

in the case where the second wireless connection is established with the access point due to the access point being found as a result of the search process, controlling the wireless interface to operate in the incapable state; and

in the case where the second wireless connection is not established with the access point due to the access point being not found as the result of the search process, controlling the wireless interface to operate in the capable state.

8. The communication apparatus as in claim 1, wherein

the establishing process includes a search process using the setting information for searching the access point which is currently using the setting information, and a determination process for determining whether the communication apparatus supports a setting scheme being currently used by the access point, and

the controlling of the wireless interface includes:

in the case where the second wireless connection is established with the access point due to the access point being found as a result of the search process and it is determined in the determination process that the communication apparatus supports the setting scheme, controlling the wireless interface to operate in the incapable state; and

in the case where the second wireless connection is not established with the access point due to the access point being found as the result of the search process and it is determined in the determination process that the communication apparatus does not support the setting scheme, controlling the wireless interface to operate in the incapable state.

9. The communication apparatus as in claim 8, wherein

the setting scheme includes an authentication scheme and an encryption scheme that are being currently used by the access point.

10. The communication apparatus as in claim 8, wherein

the setting scheme includes an authentication protocol being currently used by the access point, and

the authentication protocol is either a personal type authentication protocol or an enterprise type authentication protocol.

11. The communication apparatus as in claim 1, wherein

the wireless interface is:

incapable of establishing the second wireless connection with the access point while operating in the capable state; and

capable of establishing the second wireless connection with the access point while operating in the incapable state.

12. The communication apparatus as in claim 1, wherein

the controlling of the wireless interface further includes controlling the wireless interface to operate in the capable state, in a case where at least one condition is satisfied among a condition of power of the communication apparatus being turned on and a condition of an instruction for changing the state of the wireless interface from the incapable state to the capable state being inputted by the user.

13. The communication apparatus as in claim 1, wherein

the wireless interface for establishing the first wireless connection and the wireless interface for establishing the second wireless connection are integrally configured.

14. The communication apparatus as in claim 1, wherein

the specific process includes a process for receiving a probe request and sending a response.

15. A method performed by a communication apparatus,

the communication apparatus comprises a wireless interface configured to operate in an any state among a plurality of states including a capable state where the wireless interface is capable of performing a specific process for establishing a first wireless connection with an external apparatus and an incapable state where the wireless interface is incapable of performing the specific process,

the method comprising:

establishing the first wireless connection with the external apparatus via the wireless interface while the wireless interface is operating in the capable state;

attempting a predetermined process including a receiving process and an establishing process in a case where the first wireless connection is established with the external apparatus, the receiving process being for receiving setting information from the external apparatus by using the first wireless connection, and the establishing process being for establishing a second wireless connection with an access point different from the external apparatus via the wireless interface by using the setting information;

controlling the wireless interface to;

in a case where the second wireless connection is established with the access point as a result of the predetermined process being attempted, operate in the incapable state without an instruction for causing the wireless interface to operate in the incapable state being inputted by a user, and

in a case where the second wireless connection is not established with the access point as the result of the predetermined process being attempted, operate in the capable state after the first wireless connection has been disconnected without an instruction for causing the wireless interface to operate in the capable state being inputted by the user;

in the case where the second wireless connection is not established with the access point as the result of the predetermined process being attempted, re-establishing the first wireless connection with the external apparatus via the wireless interface while the wireless interface is operating in the capable state after the first wireless connection has been disconnected; and

re-attempting the predetermined process in a case where the first wireless connection is re-established with the external apparatus.

16. A communication apparatus comprising:

a wireless interface configured to operate in any one of a plurality of states including a capable state where the wireless interface is capable of performing a specific process for establishing a first wireless connection with an external apparatus and an incapable state where the wireless interface is incapable of performing the specific process;

means for establishing a first wireless connection with an external apparatus via the wireless interface while the wireless interface is operating in the capable state;

means for attempting a predetermined process including a receiving process and an establishing process in a case where the first wireless connection is established with the external apparatus, the receiving process being for receiving setting information from the external apparatus by using the first wireless connection, and the establishing process being for establishing a second wireless connection with an access point different from the external apparatus via the wireless interface by using the setting information;

means for controlling the wireless interface to;

in a case where the second wireless connection is established with the access point as a result of the predetermined process being attempted, operate in the incapable state without an instruction for causing the wireless interface to operate in the incapable state being inputted by a user, and

in a case where the second wireless connection is not established with the access point as the result of the predetermined process being attempted, operate in the capable state after the first wireless connection has been disconnected without an instruction for causing the wireless interface to operate in the capable state being inputted by the user;

in the case where the second wireless connection is not established with the access point as the result of the predetermined process being attempted, means for re-establishing the first wireless connection with the external apparatus via the wireless interface while the wireless interface is operating in the capable state after the first wireless connection has been disconnected; and

means for re-attempting the predetermined process in a case where the first wireless connection is re-established with the external apparatus.