Communication Device

• US 20130260682A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 10/03/2013
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 9,088,863 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• 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 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, and 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 for executing a wireless communication with a mobile device;

a second type of interface for executing 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;

(A) determining whether or not the communication device currently belongs to a target network for executing a wireless communication using the second type of interface;

(B) executing a wireless communication of object data with the mobile device via a first target network using the second type of interface after executing a sending process of sending a wireless setting, for causing the mobile device to belong the first target network, to the mobile device using the first type of interface in a first case where the communication device is determined as currently belonging to the first target network; and

(C) executing 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 second case where the communication device is determined as currently not belonging to the target network.

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 via an access point different from the communication device and the mobile device, and

the specific 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

in the second case, the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the communication device to execute:

(D) executing the specific process of newly constructing the second target network for executing the specific wireless communication, the second target network being a network to which the communication device and the mobile device are to belong.

4. The communication device as in claim 3, wherein

in the second case, the above (D) includes executing the specific process including 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 computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the communication device to further execute:

receiving specific information from the mobile device using the first type of interface; and

in a specific case where the mobile device currently belongs to the second target network in the second case, (E) executing the specific 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 via an access point different from the communication device and the mobile device, and

the above (E) includes:

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

executing the specific process for newly constructing the second target network for the communication device to execute the specific wireless communication in a case where the specific wireless setting does not include the specific information in the specific case, 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 the 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 the access point using the second type of interface,

the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the communication device to:

execute the sending process of sending the wireless setting, for causing the mobile device to belong to the first target network, to the mobile device using the first type of interface in the first case where the communication device currently belongs to the first target network for executing the other wireless communication; and

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

the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the communication device not to execute executing the sending process in the first case where the communication device currently belongs to the first target network for executing the specific communication and the communication device operates in the child station state in the first target network.

8. The communication device as in claim 1, wherein

the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the communication device to execute the sending process in a case where the mobile device currently does not belong to the first target network in the first case, and

the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the communication device not to execute the sending process in a case where the mobile device currently belongs to the first target network in the first case.

9. The communication device as in claim 8, wherein

the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the communication device to execute:

receiving specific information from the mobile device using the first type of interface;

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

executing the sending process in a case where it is determined that the mobile device does not currently belong to the first target network in the first case, and

the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the communication device not to execute the sending process in a case where it is determined that the mobile device currently belongs to the first target network in the first case.

10. The communication device as in claim 1, wherein

Communication speed of the communication using the second type of interface is faster than communication speed of the communication using the first type of interface.

11. The communication device as in claim 1, wherein

Maximum distance across which the communication device execute the wireless communication with the mobile device using the second type of interface is greater than maximum distance across which the communication device execute the wireless communication with the mobile device using the first type of interface.

12. A communication device comprising:

a first type of interface for executing a wireless communication with a mobile device;

a second type of interface for executing a wireless communication with the mobile device; and

a control unit, wherein

the control unit comprises;

a determining unit configured to determine whether or not the communication device currently belongs to a target network for executing a wireless communication using the second type of interface; and

a communication executing unit configured to;

execute a wireless communication of object data with the mobile device via a first target network using the second type of interface after executing a sending process of sending a wireless setting, for causing the mobile device to belong the first target network, to the mobile device using the first type of interface in a first case where the communication device is determined as currently belonging to the first target network; and

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 second case where the communication device is determined as currently not belonging to the target network.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions for a communication device comprising a first type of interface for executing a wireless communication with a mobile device and a second type of interface for executing 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 target network for executing a wireless communication using the second type of interface; and

executing a wireless communication of object data with the mobile device via a first target network using the second type of interface after executing a sending process of sending a wireless setting, for causing the mobile device to belong the first target network, to the mobile device using the first type of interface in a first case where the communication device is determined as currently belonging to the first target network; and

executing 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 second case where the communication device is determined as currently not belonging to the target network.