Electronic apparatus, wireless communication method, and computer-readable recording medium

• US 10,165,548 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2016
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Yokoyama, Daiki, Sakuda, Kenji, Nishida, Kota
• Primary Examiner(s): Trandai, Cindy
• Application Number:
  US15/271,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20170156172A1
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/12 Inter-network notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/16 Involving different core network technologies, e.g. a packet-switched [PS] bearer in combination with a circuit-switched [CS] bearer
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

An electronic apparatus includes: a short-distance wireless communication unit; a wireless communication unit that provides wireless communication for multiple different connection types; an acquisition unit that acquires connection type information relating to a connection type that is provided by an external apparatus, from the external apparatus through the short-distance wireless communication unit; a determination unit that determines a recommendation connection type that is used for the communication between the external apparatus and the wireless communication unit, based on connection type information on the external apparatus, and connection type information relating to a connection type that is provided by the wireless communication unit; and a notification unit that notifies a user of the recommendation connection type.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a short-distance wireless communication unit;

a wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication for multiple different connection types; and

a control unit that acquires first connection type information relating to a connection type for an external apparatus, from the external apparatus through the short-distance wireless communication unit, and second connection type information relating to a connection type for the wireless communication unit, that automatically determines a recommendation connection type that is used for the communication between the external apparatus and the wireless communication unit, based on the first connection type information and the second connection type information, and that notifies a user of the recommendation connection type by automatically displaying an image including a first object indicative of the electronic apparatus, a second object indicative of the external apparatus, a third object indicative of the recommendation connection type, and a fourth object indicative of a currently active connection type such that the third object and the fourth object are distinguishable with respect to each other and are different from a check-box in response to automatically determining the recommendation connection type.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first connection type information includes information relating to a currently available connection type for the external apparatus, and

wherein the second connection type information includes information relating to a currently available connection type for the wireless communication unit.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the control unit determines, as the recommendation connection type, one connection type of the currently available connection type for the external apparatus and the currently available connection type for the wireless communication unit that has higher performance in a prescribed attribute item than the other connection type of the currently available connection type for the external apparatus and the currently available connection type for the wireless communication unit while the one connection type has higher performance in the prescribed attribute item than a predetermined connection type that is different from the currently available connection type for the external apparatus and the currently available connection type for the wireless communication unit, and

wherein the control unit determines, as the recommendation connection type, the predetermined connection type while the one connection type has the same or lower performance in the prescribed attribute item than the predetermined connection type.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the control unit determines one of the connection type for the external apparatus and the connection type for the wireless communication unit that has higher performance in a prescribed attribute item than the other one of the connection type for the external apparatus and the connection type for the wireless communication unit, as the recommendation connection type.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the first connection type information includes pieces of information relating to a first connection type and a second connection type that are provided by the external apparatus,

wherein the control unit selects one that has higher performance in the prescribed item, from among the first connection type and the connection type for the wireless communication unit,

wherein, in a case where performance in the attribute item for the high-performance connection type is the same as or lower than performance in the attribute item for the second connection type, the control unit determines the second connection type as the recommendation connection type, and

wherein, in a case where the performance in the attribute item for the high-performance connection type is higher than the performance in the attribute item for the second connection type, the control unit determines the selected connection type as the recommendation connection type.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the first connection type information includes information indicating whether or not the second connection type is available for communication connection, and

wherein, in a case where the performance in the attribute item for the high-performance connection type is the same as or lower than the performance in the attribute item for the second connection type, the control unit determines the second connection type as the recommendation connection type when the second connection type is available for the communication connection, and determines the selected connection type as the recommendation connection type when the second connection type is not available for the communication connection.

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the first connection type is a connection type that performs communication through an access point, and

wherein the second connection type is a connection that performs the communication in a peer-to-peer manner, and

wherein the connection type for the wireless communication unit is the connection type that performs the communication through the access point or is the connection type that performs the communication in a peer-to-peer manner.

8. The electronic apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the prescribed attribute item is communication speed or security, and

wherein the control unit acquires a user selection of the attribute item between the communication speed and the security, and determines one of the connection type for the external apparatus and the connection type for the wireless communication unit that has higher performance in the selected attributed item than the other one of the connection type for the external apparatus and the connection type for the wireless communication unit, as the recommendation connection type.

9. The electronic apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the first connection type information includes configuration information on the connection type for the external apparatus, and

wherein, in a case where the connection type for the external apparatus is determined as the recommendation connection type, the electronic apparatus performs connection processing for communication with the external apparatus using the determined connection type, based on the configuration information.

10. The electronic apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the first connection type information includes configuration information on the connection type for the external apparatus, and

wherein, in a case where the connection type for the external apparatus is determined as the recommendation connection type, the control unit outputs the configuration information.

11. The electronic apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the second connection type information includes configuration information on the connection type for the wireless communication unit, and

wherein, in a case where the connection type for the wireless communication unit is determined as the recommendation connection type, the control unit outputs the configuration information.

12. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the image further includes a fifth object indicative of an access point.

13. A wireless communication method for use in an electronic apparatus including a short-distance wireless communication unit and a wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication for multiple different connection types, the method comprising:

acquiring a first connection type information relating to a connection type for an external apparatus, from the external apparatus through the short-distance wireless communication unit, and a second connection type information relating to a connection type for the wireless communication unit;

automatically determining a recommendation connection type that is used for the communication between the external apparatus and the wireless communication unit, based on the first connection type information and the second connection type information; and

notifying a user of the recommendation connection type by automatically displaying an image including a first object indicative of the electronic apparatus, a second object indicative of the external apparatus, a third object indicative of the recommendation connection type, and a fourth object indicative of a currently active connection type such that the third object and the fourth object are distinguishable with respect to each other and are different from a check-box in response to automatically determining the recommendation connection type.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium on which a program that runs on an electronic apparatus including a short-distance wireless communication unit and a wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication for multiple different connection types is recorded, the program causing the electronic apparatus to perform:

acquiring a first connection type information relating to a connection type for an external apparatus, from the external apparatus through the short-distance wireless communication unit, and a second connection type information relating to a connection type for the wireless communication unit;

automatically determining a recommendation connection type that is used for the communication between the external apparatus and the wireless communication unit, based on the first connection type information and the second connection type information; and

notifying a user of the recommendation connection type by automatically displaying an image including a first object indicative of the electronic apparatus, a second object indicative of the external apparatus, a third object indicative of the recommendation connection type, and a fourth object indicative of a currently active connection type such that the third object and the fourth object are distinguishable with respect to each other and are different from a check-box in response to automatically determining the recommendation connection type.

15. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a communication unit;

a wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication for multiple different connection types; and

a control unit that acquires first connection type information relating to a connection type for an external apparatus, from the external apparatus through the communication unit, and second connection type information relating to a connection type for the wireless communication unit, that automatically determines a connection type for the communication between the external apparatus and the wireless communication unit, based on the first connection type information and the second connection type information, and that notifies a user of the determined connection type by automatically displaying an image including a first object indicative of the determined connection type, and a second object indicative of a currently active connection type such that the first object and the second object are distinguishable with respect to each other and are different from a check-box in response to automatically determining the connection type.

16. The electronic apparatus according to claim 15,

wherein the first connection type information includes information relating to a currently available connection type for the external apparatus, and

wherein the second connection type information includes information relating to a currently available connection type for the wireless communication unit.

17. The electronic apparatus according to claim 15,

wherein the control unit determines one of the connection type for the external apparatus and the connection type for the wireless communication unit that has higher performance in a prescribed attribute item than the other one of the connection type for the external apparatus and the connection type for the wireless communication unit, as a recommendation connection type.

18. The electronic apparatus according to claim 17,

wherein the first connection type information includes pieces of information relating to a first connection type and a second connection type that are provided by the external apparatus,

wherein the control unit selects one that has higher performance in the prescribed item, from among the first connection type and the connection type for the wireless communication unit,

wherein, in a case where performance in the attribute item for the high-performance connection type is the same as or lower than performance in the attribute item for the second connection type, the control unit determines the second connection type as the recommendation connection type, and

wherein, in a case where the performance in the attribute item for the high-performance connection type is higher than the performance in the attribute item for the second connection type, the control unit determines the selected connection type as the recommendation connection type.

19. The electronic apparatus according to claim 18,

wherein the first connection type information includes information indicating whether or not the second connection type is available for communication connection, and

wherein, in a case where the performance in the attribute item for the high-performance connection type is the same as or lower than the performance in the attribute item for the second connection type, the control unit determines the second connection type as the recommendation connection type when the second connection type is available for the communication connection, and determines the selected connection type as the recommendation connection type when the second connection type is not available for the communication connection.

20. The electronic apparatus according to claim 18,

wherein the first connection type is a connection type that performs communication through an access point, and

wherein the second connection type is a connection that performs the communication in a peer-to-peer manner, and

wherein the connection type for the wireless communication unit is the connection type that performs the communication through the access point or is the connection type that performs the communication in a peer-to-peer manner.

21. The electronic apparatus according to claim 17,

wherein the prescribed attribute item is communication speed or security, and

wherein the control unit acquires a user selection of the attribute item between the communication speed and the security, and determines one of the connection type for the external apparatus and the connection type for the wireless communication unit that has higher performance in the selected attributed item than the other one of the connection type for the external apparatus and the connection type for the wireless communication unit, as the recommendation connection type.

22. The electronic apparatus according to claim 17,

wherein the first connection type information includes configuration information on the connection type for the external apparatus, and

wherein, in a case where the connection type for the external apparatus is determined as the recommendation connection type, the electronic apparatus performs connection processing for communication with the external apparatus using the determined connection type, based on the configuration information.

23. The electronic apparatus according to claim 17,

wherein the first connection type information includes configuration information on the connection type for the external apparatus, and

wherein, in a case where the connection type for the external apparatus is determined as the recommendation connection type, the control unit outputs the configuration information.

24. The electronic apparatus according to claim 17,

wherein the second connection type information includes configuration information on the connection type for the wireless communication unit, and

wherein, in a case where the connection type for the wireless communication unit is determined as the recommendation connection type, the control unit outputs the configuration information.

25. The electronic apparatus according to claim 15,

wherein the external apparatus is a printer.