Communication device and master station device

• US 10,136,461 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2016
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Abe, Akiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Nowlin, Eric
• Application Number:
  US15/249,558
• Publication Number:
  US 20170064756A1
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32765 Initiating a communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32789 Details of handshaking H04N1/32793, H04N1/32795 and H04N1/32797 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0027 Adapting to communicate with plural different types of apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0031 where the still picture apparatus acts as the master
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0055 By radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A communication device includes a processor and a memory storing wireless information used for establishing wireless connection with a specific access point and instructions. The instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the communication device to: search a first-type master station device for a first-type wireless network identified by a first predetermined character string; and search a second-type master station device for a second-type wireless network identified by a second predetermined character string in a case different from a case where the number of first-type target device found as a search result for the first-type master station device is one. The instructions, when executed, further causing the communication device to establish wireless connection with a second-type target device that is the second-type master station and join the second-type wireless network; and transmit the wireless information to the second-type target device by using the second-type wireless network.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising:

a communication interface;

a processor; and

a memory storing wireless information and instructions, the wireless information being used for establishing first wireless connection with a specific access point, the instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the communication device to perform;

searching a first-type master station device, the first-type master station device being configured to operate as a master station of a first-type wireless network, the first-type wireless network being identified by a first wireless identifier comprising a first predetermined character string;

searching a second-type master station device in a case that two or more first-type target devices are found as a search result for the first-type master station device, the second-type master station device being configured to operate as a master station of a second-type wireless network, the second-type wireless network being identified by a second wireless identifier comprising a second predetermined character string, the second-type wireless network being a second wireless connection with a second-type target device, the second wireless connection being different from the first wireless connection, and the second wireless identifier being different from the first wireless identifier;

when a number of second-type target device, which is the second-type master station device, found as a search result for the second-type master station device is one, establishing the second wireless connection with the second-type target device and joining the second-type wireless network, the second-type target device being configured to shift from a first state of operating as the master station of the first-type wireless network identified by the first wireless identifier comprising the first predetermined character string to a second state of operating as the master station of the second-type wireless network after the searching of the first-type master station device; and

transmitting the wireless information to the second-type target device via the second-type wireless network,

wherein the second-type target device is a first-type target device with which a shift operation from the first state to the second state has been executed by a user, from among the two or more first-type target devices.

2. The communication device according to claim 1,

wherein the memory further stores instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the communication device to perform:

outputting predetermined information to an output device in a recognizable manner for a user in the case, the predetermined information being for prompting the user to execute a shift operation on a transmission destination device that is to be a transmission destination of the wireless information, the shift operation being for shifting a state of the transmission destination device from the first state to the second state, and

wherein the establishing of the second wireless connection with said one second-type target device and the joining the second-type wireless network are performed after the shift operation has been executed on the transmission destination device and when the number of the second-type target device, which is the transmission destination device, found as the search result for the second-type master station device is one.

3. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the searching of the first-type master station device comprises:

transmitting a search signal through the communication interface; and

determining whether a response signal, which includes the first wireless identifier comprising the first predetermined character string, is received from the first-type master station device through the communication interface as a response to the search signal.

4. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an operation device configured to receive a user'"'"'s operation,

wherein the searching of the first-type master station device is performed based on the operation device receiving a predetermined operation, and

wherein the searching of the second-type master station device is performed even when the operation device does not receive an operation after performing the searching of the first-type master station device.

5. The communication device according to claim 1,

wherein when two or more second-type master station devices are found as the search result for the second-type master station device, the memory further stores instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the communication device to perform:

establishing the second wireless connection with any one of the two or more second-type master station devices and joining the second-type wireless network; and

transmitting the wireless information in the memory to said one second-type master station device via the second-type wireless network, and

wherein when no second-type master station device is found as the search result for the second-type master station device, the memory further stores instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the communication device not to perform transmitting the wireless information in the memory externally.

6. The communication device according to claim 1,

wherein when two or more second-type master station devices are found as the search result for the second-type master station device, the memory further stores instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the communication device to perform:

sequentially establishing the second wireless connection with each of the two or more second-type master station devices and joining the second-type wireless networks that are to be formed by the respective second-type master station devices; and

transmitting the wireless information in the memory to each of the two or more second-type master station devices via each of the second-type wireless networks, and

wherein when no second-type master station device is found as the search result for the second-type master station device, the memory further stores instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the communication device not to perform transmitting the wireless information in the memory externally.

7. The communication device according to claim 1,

wherein the memory stores therein the first predetermined character string and the second predetermined character string in advance before the searching of the first-type master station device,

wherein the searching of the first-type master station device is performed based on the first predetermined character string in the memory, and

wherein the searching of the second-type master station device is performed based on the second predetermined character string in the memory in the case.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a computer program stored thereon and readable by a computer of a communication device, the computer program, when executed by the computer, causes a computer to perform operations comprising:

searching a first-type master station device, the first-type master station device being configured to operate as a master station of a first-type wireless network, the first-type wireless network being identified by a first wireless identifier comprising a first predetermined character string

searching a second-type master station device in a second case that two or more first-type target devices are found as a search result for the first-type master station device, the second-type master station device being configured to operate as a master station of a second-type wireless network, the second-type wireless network being a wireless network identified by a second wireless identifier comprising a second predetermined character string, the second-type wireless network being a second wireless connection with a second-type target device, and the second wireless identifier being different from the first wireless identifier;

when a number of second-type target device, which is the second-type master station device, found as a search result for the second-type master station device is one, establishing the second wireless connection with the second-type target device and joining the second-type wireless network, the second-type target device being configured to shift from a first state of operating as the master station of the first-type wireless network identified by the first wireless identifier comprising the first predetermined character string to a second state of operating as the master station of the second-type wireless network after the searching of the first-type master station device; and

transmitting wireless information in a memory of the communication device to the second-type target device via the second-type wireless network, the wireless information being used for establishing a first wireless connection with a specific access point, the first wireless connection being different from the second wireless connection,

wherein the second-type target device is the first-type target device with which a shift operation from the first state to the second state has been executed by a user, from among the two or more first-type target devices.

9. A master station device configured to operate as a master station of a wireless network, the master station device comprising:

an operation device;

a processor; and

a memory storing therein a first wireless identifier, a second wireless identifier that is different from the first wireless identifier and instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the master station device to perform;

shifting a state of the master station device from a non-master state where the master station device does not operate as a master station of a first-type wireless network to be identified by the first wireless identifier to a first master state where the master station device operates as a master station of the first-type wireless network to be identified by the first wireless identifier;

receiving a request for the first wireless identifier;

transmitting the first wireless identifier based on the received request for the first wireless identifier;

shifting the state of the master station device operating as the master station of the first-type wireless network identified by the first wireless identifier from the first master state to a second master state, where the master station device operates as a master station of a second-type wireless network identified by the second wireless identifier, based on the operation device receiving a shift operation while the master station device is in the first master state;

receiving a request for the second wireless identifier;

transmitting the second wireless identifier based on the received request for the second wireless identifier;

establishing, after transmitting the second wireless identifier, a first wireless connection with a communication device and joining the communication device to the second-type wireless network as a slave station, while the master station device is in the second master state;

receiving, after establishing the first wireless connection, wireless information from the communication device via the second-type wireless network, the wireless information being used when the communication device has established a second wireless connection with an access point, the second wireless connection being different from the first wireless connection; and

establishing the second wireless connection with the access point based on the wireless information.

10. The master station device according to claim 9, wherein the shifting of the state of the master station device from the non-master state to the first master state is performed based on receiving a predetermined signal from the communication device.

11. The master station device according to claim 9,

wherein the first wireless identifier comprises a first predetermined character string, and

wherein the second wireless identifier comprises a second predetermined character string that is different from the first predetermined character string.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a computer program stored thereon and readable by a computer of a master station device that is configured to operate as a master station of a wireless network, the computer program, when executed by the computer, causes the computer to perform operations comprising:

shifting a state of the master station device from a non-master state where the master station device does not operate as a master station of a first-type wireless network to be identified by a first wireless identifier stored in a memory of the master station device to a first master state where the master station device operates as a master station of the first-type wireless network to be identified by the first wireless identifier;

receiving a request for the first wireless identifier;

transmitting the first wireless identifier based on the received request for the first wireless identifier;

shifting the state of the master station device operating as the master station of the first-type wireless network identified by the first wireless identifier from the first master state to a second master state, where the master station device operates as a master station of a second-type wireless network to be identified by a second wireless identifier stored in the memory, based on an operation device of the master station device receiving a shift operation while the master station device is in the first master state, the second wireless identifier being different from the first wireless identifier;

receiving a request for the second wireless identifier;

transmitting the second wireless identifier based on the received request for the second wireless identifier;

establishing, after transmitting the second wireless identifier, a first wireless connection with a communication device and joining the communication device to the second-type wireless network as a slave station, while the master station device is in the second master state;

receiving, after establishing the first wireless connection, wireless information from the communication device via the second-type wireless network, the wireless information being used when the communication device has established a second wireless connection with an access point, the second wireless connection being different from the first wireless connection; and

establishing the second wireless connection with the access point based on the wireless information.