COMMUNICATION APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20150355875A1
• Filed: 06/03/2015
• Published: 12/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Matsushita, Takeshi, Konji, Mitsuru
• Application Number:
  US14/729,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20150355875A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1236 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1292 Mobile client, e.g. wireless printing
• 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

Abstract

A communication apparatus capable of performing near field communication acquires communication information of a target apparatus through the near field communication, determines whether or not the target apparatus is connected to an access point to which the communication apparatus is connected, on the basis of the communication information, and accepts the target apparatus as a target to which the communication apparatus is to be connected by using a peer-to-peer communication system, when it is determined that the target apparatus is not connected to the access point to which the communication apparatus is connected.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus capable of performing near field communication, the communication apparatus comprising:

an acquiring unit configured to acquire communication information of a target apparatus through the near field communication;

a determination unit configured to determine whether or not the target apparatus is connected to an access point to which the communication apparatus is connected, on the basis of the communication information; and

an accepting unit configured to accept the target apparatus as a target to which the communication apparatus is to be connected by using a peer-to-peer communication system, when it is determined that the target apparatus is not connected to the access point to which the communication apparatus is connected.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an issuing unit configured to issue a device search request via the access point to which the communication apparatus is connected,

wherein the determination unit determines whether or not the target apparatus is connected to the access point to which the communication apparatus is connected, on the basis of at least one response to the device search request and the obtained communication information.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an instruction unit configured to instruct the target apparatus to switch to the peer-to-peer communication system, when it is determined that the target apparatus is not connected to the access point to which the communication apparatus is connected,

wherein, after the switching instruction is supplied, the accepting unit accepts the target apparatus as a connection target in the peer-to-peer communication system.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein, when a WiFi setting is disabled, the accepting unit accepts the target apparatus as a connection target in the peer-to-peer communication system without determining whether or not the target apparatus is connected to the access point to which the communication apparatus is connected.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein, when it is determined that the target apparatus is operating in the peer-to-peer communication system on the basis of the communication information, the accepting unit accepts the target apparatus as a connection target in the peer-to-peer communication system without determining whether or not the target apparatus is connected to the access point to which the communication apparatus is connected.

6. A control method performed in a communication apparatus capable of performing near field communication, the method comprising:

acquiring communication information of a target apparatus through the near field communication;

determining whether or not the target apparatus is connected to an access point to which the communication apparatus is connected, on the basis of the communication information; and

accepting the target apparatus as a target to which the communication apparatus is to be connected by using a peer-to-peer communication system, when it is determined that the target apparatus is not connected to the access point to which the communication apparatus is connected.

7. The control method according to claim 6, further comprising:

issuing a device search request via the access point to which the communication apparatus is connected,

wherein whether or not the target apparatus is connected to the access point to which the communication apparatus is connected is determined on the basis of at least one response to the device search request and the obtained communication information.

8. The control method according to claim 6, further comprising:

instructing the target apparatus to switch to the peer-to-peer communication system, when it is determined that the target apparatus is not connected to the access point to which the communication apparatus is connected,

wherein, after the switching instruction is supplied, the target apparatus is accepted as a connection target in the peer-to-peer communication system.

9. The control method according to claim 6,

wherein, when a WiFi setting is disabled, the target apparatus is accepted as a connection target in the peer-to-peer communication system without determining whether or not the target apparatus is connected to the access point to which the communication apparatus is connected.

10. The control method according to claim 6,

wherein, when it is determined that the target apparatus is operating in the peer-to-peer communication system on the basis of the communication information, the target apparatus is accepted as a connection target in the peer-to-peer communication system without determining whether or not the target apparatus is connected to the access point to which the communication apparatus is connected.

11. A storage medium storing a program executed in a communication apparatus capable of performing near field communication, the program activating a process comprising:

acquiring communication information of a target apparatus through the near field communication;

determining whether or not the target apparatus is connected to an access point to which the communication apparatus is connected, on the basis of the communication information; and

accepting the target apparatus as a target to which the communication apparatus is to be connected by using a peer-to-peer communication system, when it is determined that the target apparatus is not connected to the access point to which the communication apparatus is connected.

12. The storage medium according to claim 11, the process further comprising:

issuing a device search request via the access point to which the communication apparatus is connected,

wherein whether or not the target apparatus is connected to the access point to which the communication apparatus is connected is determined on the basis of at least one response to the device search request and the obtained communication information.

13. The storage medium according to claim 11, the process further comprising:

instructing the target apparatus to switch to the peer-to-peer communication system, when it is determined that the target apparatus is not connected to the access point to which the communication apparatus is connected,

wherein, after the switching instruction is supplied, the target apparatus is accepted as a connection target in the peer-to-peer communication system.

14. The storage medium according to claim 11,

wherein, when a WiFi setting is disabled, the target apparatus is accepted as a connection target in the peer-to-peer communication system without determining whether or not the target apparatus is connected to the access point to which the communication apparatus is connected.

15. The storage medium according to claim 11,

wherein, when it is determined that the target apparatus is operating in the peer-to-peer communication system on the basis of the communication information, the target apparatus is accepted as a connection target in the peer-to-peer communication system without determining whether or not the target apparatus is connected to the access point to which the communication apparatus is connected.