Communication apparatus which establishes wireless connection with external apparatus

• US 10,362,144 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2017
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Nogawa, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): Levitan, Dmitry
• Application Number:
  US15/822,752
• Publication Number:
  US 20180091628A1
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: 370310, 370329, 370341, 370431, 370437
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

A communication apparatus may cause a display to display a first inquiry message in a case where an apparatus search signal is received from an external apparatus, the apparatus search signal being for searching a target apparatus which is to establish a wireless connection with the external apparatus, and the first inquiry message being for inquiring a user whether a particular wireless connection is to be established between the communication apparatus and the external apparatus. The communication apparatus may establish the particular wireless connection between the communication apparatus and the external apparatus in a case where it is selected by the user, in response to the first inquiry message, that the particular wireless connection is to be established.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus comprising:

a display;

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;

receiving an apparatus search signal from an external apparatus, wherein the apparatus search signal is sent from the external apparatus to a plurality of apparatuses being candidate apparatuses with which the external apparatus is to establish a wireless connection, in a case where a search operation for searching the plurality of apparatuses is performed by a user on the external apparatus;

causing the display to display a first screen including a first inquiry message in a case where the apparatus search signal is received from the external apparatus and it is determined that the communication apparatus and the external apparatus are within a specified distance of each other, the first inquiry message being for inquiring, of the user, whether a particular wireless connection is to be established between the communication apparatus which has received the apparatus search signal and the external apparatus which has sent the apparatus search signal,

wherein in a case where the apparatus search signal is received from the external apparatus and it is determined that the communication apparatus and the external apparatus are not within the specified distance of each other, the first screen is not displayed; and

establishing the particular wireless connection between the communication apparatus and the external apparatus in a case where the user selects, in response to the first inquiry message, to establish the particular wireless connection.

2. The communication apparatus as in claim 1, wherein

in a case where the user selects, in response to the first inquiry message, to establish the particular wireless connection, under a state where a wireless network in which the communication apparatus operates as a parent station has been formed, the establishing in response to the first inquiry message includes establishing the particular wireless connection by sending, to the external apparatus, an invitation signal for inviting the external apparatus as a child station in the wireless network in which the communication apparatus operates as the parent station.

3. The communication apparatus as in claim 2, wherein:

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

determining whether the external apparatus has previously belonged as the child station to the wireless network in which the communication apparatus operates as the parent station, in the case where the user selects, in response to the first inquiry message, to establish the particular wireless connection, under the state where the wireless network in which the communication apparatus operates as the parent station has been formed, and

the establishing the particular wireless connection in response to the first inquiry message includes;

establishing the particular wireless connection by sending, to the external apparatus, a password being used in the wireless network in which the communication apparatus operates as the parent station, in a case where it is determined that the external apparatus has never belonged as the child station to the wireless network in which the communication apparatus operates as the parent station; and

establishing the particular wireless connection without sending the password to the external apparatus, in a case where it is determined that the external apparatus had previously belonged as the child station to the wireless network in which the communication apparatus operates as the parent station.

4. The communication apparatus as in claim 1, wherein:

the first screen is displayed, in a case where the apparatus search signal is received from the external apparatus and it is determined that the communication apparatus and the external apparatus are within the specified distance of each other, under a state where a wireless network in which the communication apparatus operates as a parent station has been formed, and where a number of wireless connections currently established by the communication apparatus is less than an upper limit number, and

the first screen is not displayed, in a case where the apparatus search signal is received from the external apparatus under the state where the wireless network in which the communication apparatus operates as the parent station has been formed and where the number of wireless connections currently established by the communication apparatus is equal to the upper limit number.

5. The communication apparatus as in claim 1, wherein

the establishing the particular wireless connection in response to the first inquiry message includes:

executing an operation-determining communication for determining whether the communication apparatus is to operate as a parent station or a child station, in a case where the user selects, in response to the first inquiry message, to establish the particular wireless connection, under a state where the communication apparatus does not operate as either the parent station or the child station of a wireless network;

in a case where it is determined, in response to a result of the operation-determining communication, that the communication apparatus is to operate as the parent station, establishing the particular wireless connection so as to cause the external apparatus to belong as a child station to a wireless network in which the communication apparatus operates as a parent station; and

in a case where it is determined, in response to the result of the operation-determining communication, that the communication apparatus is to operate as the child station, establishing the particular wireless connection so as to cause the communication apparatus to belong as a child station to a wireless network in which the external apparatus operates as a parent station.

6. The communication apparatus as in claim 5, wherein:

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

determining whether the external apparatus has previously belonged as a child station or a parent station to a specific wireless network in which the communication apparatus operates as the parent station or the child station, in the case where the user selects, in response to the first inquiry message, to establish the particular wireless connection, under the state where the communication apparatus does not operate as either the parent station or the child station of the wireless network; and

reforming the specific wireless network in which the communication apparatus operates as the parent station by establishing the particular wireless connection by sending, to the external apparatus, a particular signal for requiring that both the communication apparatus and the external apparatus belong to the specific wireless network which is to be reformed by the communication apparatus, in a case where it is determined that the external apparatus had previously belonged to the specific wireless network as the child station, and

the establishing the particular wireless connection in response to the first inquiry message includes;

establishing the particular wireless connection by sending, to the external apparatus, a particular signal for requiring that both the communication apparatus and the external apparatus belong to the specific wireless network which is to be reformed by the external apparatus, in a case where it is determined that the external apparatus had belonged to the specific wireless network as the parent station; and

establishing the particular wireless connection by executing the operation-determining communication, in a case where it is determined that the external apparatus has never belonged to the specific wireless network as either the child station or the parent station.

7. The communication apparatus as in claim 1, wherein:

the first screen is displayed, in a case where the apparatus search signal is received from the external apparatus and it is determined that the communication apparatus and the external apparatus are within the specified distance of each other, and the apparatus search signal includes support information indicating that the external apparatus supports a predetermined wireless communication scheme,

the first screen is not displayed, in a case where the apparatus search signal is received from the external apparatus and the apparatus search signal does not include the support information, and

the predetermined wireless communication scheme is a wireless communication scheme for establishing a wireless network in which one of the communication apparatus and the external apparatus operates as a parent station and the other operates as a child station.

8. The communication apparatus as in claim 1, wherein:

in a case where a field intensity of a carrier wave used in communicating the apparatus search signal is equal to or more than a predetermined value, it is determined that the communication apparatus and the external apparatus are within the specified distance of each other, and

in a case where the field intensity of the carrier wave is less than the predetermined value, it is determined that the communication apparatus and the external apparatus are within the specified distance of each other.

9. The communication apparatus as in claim 1, wherein

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

causing the display to display a second screen including a second inquiry message, in a case where the user does not select, in response to the first inquiry message, establishing the particular wireless connection, and a connection request signal different from the apparatus search signal is received from the external apparatus, the connection request signal being sent from the external apparatus to the communication apparatus in a case where identification information for identifying the communication apparatus is selected by the user in the external apparatus under a state where a selection screen including the identification information is displayed in the external apparatus, the second inquiry message being for inquiring the user whether the particular wireless connection is to be established in response to the connection request signal; and

establishing the particular wireless connection, in a case where the user selects, in response to the second inquiry message, that the particular wireless connection.

10. The communication apparatus as in claim 9, wherein

the establishing the particular wireless connection in response to the second inquiry message includes:

executing an operation-determining communication for determining whether the communication apparatus is to operate as a parent station or a child station, in a case where the user selects, in response to the second inquiry message, to establish the particular wireless connection, under a state where the communication apparatus does not operate as either the parent station or the child station of a wireless network;

establishing the particular wireless connection so as to cause the external apparatus to belong as a child station to a wireless network in which the communication apparatus operates as a parent station, in a case where it is determined that the communication apparatus is to operate as the parent station in response to a result of the operation-determining communication; and

establishing the particular wireless connection so as to cause the communication apparatus to belong as a child station to a wireless network in which the external apparatus operates as a parent station, in a case where it is determined that the communication apparatus is to operate as the child station in response to the result of the operation-determining communication.

11. The communication apparatus as in claim 9, wherein

the establishing the particular wireless connection in response to the second inquiry message includes establishing the particular wireless connection so as to cause the external apparatus to belong as a child station to a wireless network in which the communication apparatus operates as a parent station, in a case where the user selects, in response to the second inquiry message, to establish the particular wireless connection, under a state where the wireless network in which the communication apparatus operates as the parent station has been formed.

12. The communication apparatus as in claim 1, wherein

the first inquiry message includes first identification information for identifying the external apparatus which sends the apparatus search signal and does not include second identification information for identifying an apparatus which does not send the apparatus search signal.

13. The communication apparatus as in claim 1, wherein

the apparatus search signal includes a Probe Request.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause a communication apparatus to:

receive an apparatus search signal from an external apparatus, wherein the apparatus search signal is sent from the external apparatus to a plurality of apparatuses being candidate apparatuses with which the external apparatus is to establish a wireless connection, in a case where a search operation for searching the plurality of apparatuses is performed by a user on the external apparatus;

cause a display to display a first screen including a first inquiry message in a case where the apparatus search signal is received from the external apparatus and it is determined that the communication apparatus and the external apparatus are within a specified distance of each other, the first inquiry message being for inquiring, of the user, whether a particular wireless connection is to be established between the communication apparatus which has received the apparatus search signal and the external apparatus which has sent the apparatus search signal,

wherein in a case where the apparatus search signal is received from the external apparatus and it is determined that the communication apparatus and the external apparatus are not within the specified distance of each other, the first screen is not displayed; and

establish the particular wireless connection between the communication apparatus and the external apparatus in a case where the user selects, in response to the first inquiry message, to establish the particular wireless connection.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, by a communication apparatus, an apparatus search signal from an external apparatus, wherein the apparatus search signal is sent from the external apparatus to a plurality of apparatuses being candidate apparatuses with which the external apparatus is to establish a wireless connection, in a case where a search operation for searching the plurality of apparatuses is performed by a user on the external apparatus;

causing, by the communication apparatus, a display to display a first screen including a first inquiry message in a case where the apparatus search signal is received from the external apparatus and it is determined that the communication apparatus and the external apparatus are within a specified distance of each other, the first inquiry message being for inquiring, of the user, whether a particular wireless connection is to be established between the communication apparatus which has received the apparatus search signal and the external apparatus which has sent the apparatus search signal,

wherein in a case where the apparatus search signal is received from the external apparatus and it is determined that the communication apparatus and the external apparatus are not within the specified distance of each other, the first screen is not displayed; and

establishing, by the communication apparatus, the particular wireless connection between the communication apparatus and the external apparatus in a case where the user selects, in response to the first inquiry message, to establish the particular wireless connection.