Communication device

• US 10,375,750 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2015
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Suzuki, Takanobu, Asakura, Hirotaka, Matsuda, Munehisa, Tanaka, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Steven H
• Application Number:
  US14/789,696
• Publication Number:
  US 20150319799A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,497 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 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 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A communication device may execute a wireless communication of object data with a mobile device via a first target network using a second type of interface after executing a sending process of sending a wireless setting, for causing the mobile device to belong to the first target network, to the mobile device using a first type of interface in a case where the communication device is determined as currently belonging to the first target network. The communication device may execute the wireless communication of the object data with the mobile device via a second target network using the second type of interface after executing a specific process of causing both the communication device and the mobile device to belong to the second target network in a case where the communication device is determined as currently not belonging to the target network.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising:

a first type of interface configured to execute a wireless communication with a mobile device;

a second type of interface configured to execute a wireless communication with the mobile device;

one or more processors; and

a memory that stores computer-readable instructions therein, the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, causing the communication device to execute;

determining whether or not the communication device currently belongs to a first target network for executing a wireless communication using the second type of interface, wherein

in a first case where the communication device is determined as currently belonging to the first target network, the first type of interface sends a wireless setting to the mobile device, the wireless setting for causing the mobile device to belong to the first target network,

in the first case, the computer-readable instructions cause the communication device to further execute a wireless communication of object data with the mobile device via the first target network using the second type of interface after sending the wireless setting, and

in a second case where the communication device is determined as currently not belonging to the first target network, the computer-readable instructions cause the communication device to further execute;

a negotiation process of causing both the communication device and the mobile device to belong to a second target network, the second target network being different from the first target network; and

the wireless communication of the object data with the mobile device via the second target network using the second type of interface after executing the negotiation process.

2. The communication device as in claim 1, wherein

the second type of interface is an interface for the communication device to execute a specific wireless communication,

the specific wireless communication is a wireless communication that the communication device and the mobile device execute without communicating via an access point different from

the communication device and the mobile device, and

the negotiation process is a process for the communication device and the mobile device to execute the specific wireless communication using the second type of interface.

3. The communication device as in claim 2, wherein

the communication device is capable of selectively operating in one of a plurality of states including a parent station state in which the communication device functions as a parent station of a target wireless network, a child station state in which the communication device functions as a child station of the target wireless network, and a device state different from the parent station state and the child station state,

the communication device is capable of executing the specific wireless communication via the target wireless network by operating in either the parent station state or the child station state in the target wireless network, and

the negotiation process includes a process of newly constructing the second target network for executing the specific wireless communication.

4. The communication device as in claim 3, wherein the negotiation process includes a process of determining that the communication device is to operate in the parent station state in the second target network without executing a selectively determining process of determining in which of the parent station state or the child station state the communication device is to operate in the second target network.

5. The communication device as in claim 1, wherein

the first type of interface is configured to receive specific information from the mobile device, and

in a specific case where the mobile device currently belongs to the second target network in the second case, the negotiation process includes a process for causing the communication device to belong to the second target network using a specific wireless setting, included in the specific information, for causing the communication device to belong to the second target network.

6. The communication device as in claim 5, wherein

the communication device is capable of executing, using the second type of interface, a specific wireless communication that the communication device and the mobile device execute without using an access point different from the communication device and the mobile device,

in a case where the specific wireless setting includes the specific information in the specific case, the negotiation process includes a process for causing the communication device to belong to the second target network using the specific wireless setting, and

in a case where the specific wireless setting does not include the specific information in the specific case, the negotiation process includes a process for newly constructing the second target network for the communication device to execute the specific wireless communication, the second target network being a network to which the communication device and the mobile device are to belong.

7. The communication device as in claim 1, wherein

the communication device is capable of selectively operating in one of a plurality of states including a parent station state in which the communication device functions as a parent station of a target wireless network, a child station state in which the communication device functions as a child station of the target wireless network, and a device state different from the parent station state and the child station state,

the communication device is capable of executing a specific wireless communication via the target wireless network using the second type of interface by operating in either the parent station state or the child station state in the target wireless network,

the communication device is further capable of executing another wireless communication in which the communication device and the mobile device communicate via an access point using the second type of interface,

in the first case where the communication device currently belongs to the first target network for executing the other wireless communication, the first type of interface sends the wireless setting, for causing the mobile device to belong to the first target network, to the mobile device,

in the first case where the communication device currently belongs to the first target network for executing the specific wireless communication and the communication device operates in the parent station state in the first target network, the first type of interface sends the wireless setting, for causing the mobile device to belong to the first target network, to the mobile device, and

in the first case where the communication device currently belongs to the first target network for executing the specific wireless communication and the communication device operates in the child station state in the first target network, the first type of interface does not send the wireless setting to the mobile device.

8. The communication device as in claim 1, wherein

in a case where the mobile device currently does not belong to the first target network in the first case, the first type of interface sends the wireless setting to the mobile device, and

in a case where the mobile device currently belongs to the first target network in the first case, the first type of interface does not send the wireless setting to the mobile device.

9. The communication device as in claim 8, wherein

the first type of interface is configured to receive specific information from the mobile device, and

the computer-readable instructions cause the communication device to further execute

determining whether or not the mobile device currently belongs to the first target network using the specific information,

in a case where it is determined that the mobile device does not currently belong to the first target network in the first case, the first type of interface sends the wireless setting to the mobile device, and

in a case where it is determined that the mobile device currently belongs to the first target network in the first case, the first type of interface does not send the wireless setting to the mobile device.

10. The communication device as in claim 1, wherein a communication speed of the wireless communication using the second type of interface is faster than a communication speed of the wireless communication by the first type of interface.

11. The communication device as in claim 1, wherein maximum distance across which the communication device executes the wireless communication with the mobile device using the second type of interface is greater than maximum distance across which the communication device executes the wireless communication with the mobile device by the first type of interface.

20. The communication device as in claim 1, wherein the first target network is associated with a group/owner state or the first target network includes an access point remote from the communication device.

12. A communication device comprising:

a first type of interface configured to execute a wireless communication with a mobile device;

a second type of interface configured to execute a wireless communication with the mobile device;

one or more processors; and

a memory that stores computer-readable instructions therein, the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, causing the communication device to execute;

determining whether or not the communication device currently belongs to a first wireless network for executing a wireless communication using the second type of interface, wherein

in a first case where the communication device is determined as currently belonging to the first wireless network, the first type of interface sends a first wireless setting to the mobile device for causing the mobile device to belong to the first wireless network,

in the first case, the computer-readable instructions cause the communication device to further execute a wireless communication of object data with the mobile device via the first wireless network using the second type of interface after sending the first wireless setting,

in a second case where the communication device is determined as currently not belonging to the first wireless network, the first type of interface sends a second wireless setting to the mobile device for causing the mobile device to belong to a second wireless network, the first wireless setting being different from the second wireless setting and the second wireless network being different from the first wireless network, and

in the second case, the computer-readable instructions cause the communication device to further execute the wireless communication of the object data with the mobile device via the second wireless network using the second type of interface after sending the second wireless setting.

13. The communication device as in claim 12, wherein

the second wireless network is a wireless network in which the communication device and the mobile device are configured to execute the wireless communication without communicating via an access point different from the communication device and the mobile device, and

the computer-readable instructions cause the communication device to further execute:

constructing the second wireless network after sending the second wireless setting.

14. The communication device as in claim 13, wherein

the communication device is capable of selectively operating in one of a plurality of states including a parent station state in which the communication device functions as a parent station of a wireless network, and a non-parent station state in which the communication device does not function as a parent station of the wireless network, and

the constructing includes constructing the second wireless network in which the communication device operates in the parent station state.

15. The communication device as in claim 14, wherein the computer- readable instructions cause the communication device to further execute:

changing a state of the communication device to the parent station state from the non-parent station state when the first type of interface sends the second wireless setting.

16. The communication device as in claim 12, wherein communication speed of the wireless communication using the second type of interface is faster than communication speed of the wireless communication by the first type of interface.

17. The communication device as in claim 12, wherein maximum distance across which the communication device executes the wireless communication with the mobile device using the second type of interface is greater than maximum distance across which the communication device executes the wireless communication with the mobile device by the first type of interface.

18. The communication device as in claim 12, wherein

the first type of interface is configured to execute the wireless communication according to a Near Field Communication system, and

the second type of interface is configured to execute the wireless communication according to a system based on IEEE 802.11 standard.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions for a communication device comprising a first type of interface configured to execute a wireless communication with a mobile device and a second type of interface configured to execute a wireless communication with the mobile device, the computer-readable instructions, when executed by one or more processors mounted on the communication device, causing the communication device to execute:

determining whether or not the communication device currently belongs to a first wireless network for executing a wireless communication using the second type of interface, wherein

in a first case where the communication device is determined as currently belonging to the first wireless network, the first type of interface sends a first wireless setting, for causing the mobile device to belong to the first wireless network, to the mobile device,

in the first case, the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, causing the communication device to further execute a wireless communication of object data with the mobile device via the first wireless network using the second type of interface after sending the first wireless setting,

in a second case where the communication device is determined as currently not belonging to the first wireless network, the first type of interface sends a second wireless setting, for causing the mobile device to belong to a second wireless network, to the mobile device, and

in the second case, the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, causing the communication device to further execute the wireless communication of the object data with the mobile device via the second wireless network using the second type of interface after sending the second wireless setting,

wherein the first wireless setting is different from the second wireless setting and the second wireless network is different from the first wireless network.