Communication Device, and Non-Transitory Computer-Readable Recording Medium Storing Computer-Readable Instructions for Terminal Device

• US 20190102123A1
• Filed: 09/26/2018
• Published: 04/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Inoue, Takuya, Asakura, Hirotaka
• Granted Patent: US 10,445,036 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

A communication device may set a second value instead of a first value as an upper limit child station number in a case where a first signal including a predetermined character string is received from a first external device under a situation where the first value is set as the upper limit child station number in the communication device and a participating child station number is equal to the first value. In a case where the second value is set instead of the first value as the upper limit child station number, the communication device may establish a wireless connection with the first external device via the first wireless interface so as to cause the first external device to participate as a child station in the wireless network.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising:

a first wireless interface;

a processor; and

a main memory storing computer-readable instructions therein, the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the communication device to;

in a case where a first signal including a predetermined character string is received from a first external device under a situation where a participating child station number is less than an upper limit child station number, establish a wireless connection with the first external device via the first wireless interface so as to cause the first external device to participate as a child station in a wireless network in which the communication device operates as a parent station, the participating child station number being a number of child stations currently participating in the wireless network, and the upper limit child station number being an upper limit of a number of child stations that are allowed to participate in the wireless network;

in a case where a second signal not including the predetermined character string is received from a second external device under the situation where the participating child station number is less than the upper limit child station number, establish a wireless connection with the second external device via the first wireless interface so as to cause the second external device to participate as a child station in the wireless network;

in a case where the first signal is received from the first external device under a situation where a first value is set as the upper limit child station number in the communication device and the participating child station number is equal to the first value, set a second value instead of the first value as the upper limit child station number in the communication device, the second value being greater than the first value, wherein in a case where the second signal is received from the second external device under the situation where the first value is set as the upper limit child station number in the communication device and the participating child station number is equal to the first value, the first value is maintained as the upper limit child station number; and

in a case where the second value is set instead of the first value as the upper limit child station number due to the first signal being received from the first external device under the situation where the participating child station number is equal to the first value, establish a wireless connection with the first external device via the first wireless interface so as to cause the first external device to participate as a child station in the wireless network, wherein in a case where the first value is maintained as the upper limit child station number due to the second signal being received from the second external device under the situation where the participating child station number is equal to the first value, a wireless connection with the second external device is not established.

2. The communication device as in claim 1, further comprising:

a second wireless interface different from the first wireless interface, a maximum distance with which a wireless communication can be executed via the second wireless interface being shorter than a maximum distance with which a wireless communication can be executed via the first wireless interface,

wherein the first signal is received from the first external device via the first wireless interface after a predetermined communication with the first external device has been executed via the second wireless interface, and

the second signal is received from the second external device via the first wireless interface after a predetermined communication with the second external device has been executed via the second wireless interface.

3. The communication device as in claim 2, wherein

the first signal is a first Probe request including an SSID (abbreviation of Service Set Identifier) area in which an SSID is to be described,

the SSID area includes a target SSID that is an SSID of the wireless network and the predetermined character string, and

the second signal is a second Probe request not including either of the target SSID or the predetermined character string.

4. The communication device as in claim 3, wherein

the predetermined communication includes that the second wireless interface sends the target SSID and the predetermined character string.

5. The communication device as in claim 1, wherein

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

in a case where a change request for requesting a change of the upper limit child station number is accepted from a user under the situation where the first value is set as the upper limit child station number in the communication device, set a third value instead of the first value as the upper limit child station number in the communication device, the third value being different from the first value.

6. The communication device as in claim 5, wherein

the third value is less than the first value,

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

in a case where a third signal including the predetermined character string is received from a third external device under a situation where the third value is set as the upper limit child station number in the communication device and the participating child station number is equal to the third value, set the first value instead of the third value as the upper limit child station number in the communication device; and

in a case where the first value is set instead of the third value as the upper limit child station number in the communication device due to the third signal being received from the third external device under the situation where the participating child station number is equal to the third value, establish a wireless connection with the third external device via the first wireless interface so as to cause the third external device to participate as a child station in the wireless network,

wherein in a case where the first signal is received from the first external device under a situation where the participating child station number is equal to the first value after the first value has been set instead of the third value as the upper limit child station number in the communication device, the second value is set instead of the first value as the upper limit child station number in the communication device, and

in a case where the second value is set instead of the first value as the upper limit child station number in the communication device due to the first signal being received from the first external device under the situation where the participating child station number is equal to the first value after the first value has been set instead of the third value as the upper limit child station number in the communication device, the wireless connection with the first external device is established via the first wireless interface so as to cause the first external device to participate as the child station in the wireless network.

7. The communication device as in claim 1, wherein

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

in a case where the first signal is received from the first external device under a situation where the first value is set as the upper limit child station number in the communication device and the participating child station number is less than the upper limit child station number, set the second value instead of the first value as the upper limit child station number in the communication device, wherein in a case where the second signal is received from the second external device under the situation where the first value is set as the upper limit child station number in the communication device and the participating child station number is less than the upper limit child station number, the first value is maintained as the upper limit child station number.

8. The communication device as in claim 1, wherein

the main memory is configured to store a value indicating the upper limit child station number,

the first wireless interface comprises an interface memory configured to store a value indicating the upper limit child station number, and

in a case where the first signal is received from the first external device under a situation where the first value is stored as the upper limit child station number in each of the main memory and the interface memory, and the participating child station number is equal to the first value, the second value is set instead of the first value as the upper limit child station number in the communication device by changing the first value stored in the main memory to the second value and by supplying an instruction for changing the first value stored in the interface memory to the second value to the first wireless interface.

9. The communication device as in claim 1, wherein

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

disconnect the wireless connection with the first external device in a case where a specific communication using the wireless network is completed between the communication device and the first external device after the upper limit child station number has been set to the second value instead of the first value and the first external device has participated in the wireless network as the child station; and

set the first value instead of the second value as the upper limit child station number in the communication device in a case where the wireless connection with the first external device is disconnected.

10. A communication device comprising:

a first wireless interface;

a second wireless interface different from the first wireless interface, a maximum distance with which a wireless communication can be executed via the second wireless interface is shorter than a maximum distance with which a wireless communication can be executed via the first wireless interface,

a processor; and

a main memory storing computer-readable instructions therein, the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the communication device to;

in a case where a first signal is received from a first external device via the second wireless interface under a situation where a participating child station number is less than an upper limit child station number, establish a wireless connection with the first external device via the first wireless interface so as to cause the first external device to participate as a child station in a wireless network in which the communication device operates as a parent station, the participating child station number being a number of child stations currently participating in the wireless network, and the upper limit child station number being an upper limit of a number of child stations that are allowed to participate in the wireless network;

in a case where a second signal is received from a second external device via the first wireless interface, without receiving the first signal from the second external device via the second wireless interface, under the situation where the participating child station number is less than the upper limit child station number, establish a wireless connection with the second external device via the first wireless interface so as to cause the second external device to participate in the wireless network as a child station;

in a case where the first signal is received from the first external device via the second wireless interface under a situation where a first value is set as the upper limit child station number in the communication device and the participating child station number is equal to the first value, set a second value instead of the first value as the upper limit child station number in the communication device, the second value being greater than the first value, wherein in a case where the second signal is received from the second external device via the first wireless interface, without receiving the first signal from the second external device via the second wireless interface, under the situation where the first value is set as the upper limit child station number in the communication device and the participating child station number is equal to the first value, the first value is maintained as the upper limit child station number; and

in a case where the second value is set instead of the first value as the upper limit child station number due to the first signal being received from the first external device via the second wireless interface under the situation where the participating child station number is equal to the first value, establish a wireless connection via the first wireless interface with the first external device so as to cause the first external device to participate as a child station in the wireless network, wherein in a case where the first value is maintained as the upper limit child station number due to the second signal being received from the second external device via the first wireless interface, without receiving the first signal from the second external device via the second wireless interface, under the situation where the participating child station number is equal to the first value, a wireless connection with the second external device is not established.

11. The communication device as in claim 10, wherein

the first signal includes a predetermined character string, and

the second signal does not include the predetermined character string.

12. The communication device as in claim 10, wherein

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

in a case where a change request for requesting a change of the upper limit child station number is accepted from a user under the situation where the first value is set as the upper limit child station number in the communication device, set a third value instead of the first value as the upper limit child station number in the communication device, the third value being different from the first value.

13. The communication device as in claim 12, wherein

the third value is less than the first value,

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

in a case where a third signal is received from a third external device via the second wireless interface under a situation where the third value is set as the upper limit child station number in the communication device and the participating child station number is equal to the third value, set the first value instead of the third value as the upper limit child station number in the communication device, and

in a case where the first value is set instead of the third value as the upper limit child station number in the communication device due to the third signal being received from the third external device via the second wireless interface under the situation where the participating child station number is equal to the third value, establish a wireless connection with the third external device via the first wireless interface so as to cause the third external device to participate as a child station in the wireless network,

wherein in a case where the first signal is received from the first external device via the second wireless interface under a situation where the participating child station number is equal to the first value after the first value has been set instead of the third value as the upper limit child station number in the communication device, the second value is set instead of the first value as the upper limit child station number in the communication device, and

in a case where the second value is set instead of the first value as the upper limit child station number in the communication device due to the first signal being received from the first external device via the second wireless interface under the situation where the participating child station number is equal to the first value after the first value has been set instead of the third value as the upper limit child station number in the communication device, the wireless connection with the first external device is established via the first wireless interface so as to cause the first external device to participate as the child station in the wireless network.

14. The communication device as in claim 10, wherein

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

in a case where the first signal is received from the first external device via the second wireless interface under a situation where the first value is set as the upper limit child station number in the communication device and the participating child station number is less than the upper limit child station number, set the second value instead of the first value as the upper limit child station number in the communication device, wherein in a case where the second signal is received from the second external device via the first wireless interface, without receiving the first signal from the second external device via the second wireless interface, under the situation where the first value is set as the upper limit child station number in the communication device and the participating child station number is less than the upper limit child station number, the first value is maintained as the upper limit child station number.

15. The communication device as in claim 10, wherein

the main memory is configured to store a value indicating the upper limit child station number,

the first wireless interface comprises an interface memory configured to store a value indicating the upper limit child station number, and

in a case where the first signal is received from the first external device under a situation where the first value is stored as the upper limit child station number in each of the main memory and the interface memory, and the participating child station number is equal to the first value, the second value is set instead of the first value as the upper limit child station number in the communication device by changing the first value stored in the main memory to the second value and by supplying an instruction for changing the first value stored in the interface memory to the second value to the first wireless interface.

16. The communication device as in claim 10, wherein

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

disconnect the wireless connection with the first external device in a case where a specific communication using the wireless network is completed between the communication device and the first external device after the upper limit child station number has been set to the second value instead of the first value and the first external device has participated in the wireless network as the child station, and

set the first value instead of the second value as the upper limit child station number in the communication device in a case where the wireless connection with the first external device is disconnected.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing computer-readable instructions for a terminal device,

wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by a processor of the terminal device, cause the terminal device to:

receive a target SSID (abbreviation of Service Set Identifier) from a communication device via a second wireless interface of the terminal device, the target SSID being an SSID of a wireless network in which the communication device operates as a parent station;

send a predetermined signal including the target SSID and a predetermined character string to the communication device via a first wireless interface of the terminal device in a case where the target SSID is received, the predetermined character string being for setting a second value instead of a first value as an upper limit child station number in the communication device, the upper limit child station number being an upper limit of a number of child stations that are allowed to participate in the wireless network, wherein a maximum distance with which a wireless communication can be executed via the second wireless interface is shorter than a maximum distance with which a wireless communication can be executed via the first wireless interface; and

supply an instruction for participating as a child station in the wireless network to the first wireless interface after the predetermined signal has been sent to the communication device.