Image processing apparatus and method for the same

• US 9,479,657 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2015
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Inoue, Etsuteru, Tanaka, Nobumasa, Ohashi, Tsuyoshi, Misumi, Kazuhito, Fujishiro, Wataru, Nagai, Takuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, II, Jerome
• Application Number:
  US14/868,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20160094734A1
• Time in Patent Office: 392 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1236 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1292 Mobile client, e.g. wireless printing
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/00 Near-field transmission systems, e.g. inductive or capacitive transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception
• 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

Abstract

An image processing apparatus including a wireless communication unit, an image processing unit, and a controller configured to establish a wireless connection to perform wireless signal communication between the wireless communication unit and an external device, acquire a reception intensity of a wireless signal received from the external device via the wireless communication unit, determine whether the reception intensity is more than a threshold value, when determining that the reception intensity is more than the threshold value, control the image processing unit to execute an image processing instruction received from the external device via the wireless communication unit, and when determining that the reception intensity is not more than the threshold value, transmit an instruction to display a warning on the external device, to the external device via the wireless communication unit, without controlling the image processing unit to execute the image processing instruction.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a wireless communication unit;

an image processing unit; and

a controller configured to;

when the wireless communication unit receives a wireless signal from an external device, begin a connection operation to establish a wireless connection and perform wireless signal communication between the wireless communication unit and the external device;

acquire a reception intensity of the wireless signal received from the external device via the wireless communication unit;

determine whether the acquired reception intensity is more than a first threshold value;

when determining that the acquired reception intensity is more than the first threshold value, control the image processing unit to execute an image processing instruction received from the external device via the wireless communication unit; and

when determining that the acquired reception intensity is not more than the first threshold value, transmit a warning display instruction to display a warning on the external device, to the external device via the wireless communication unit, without controlling the image processing unit to execute the image processing instruction.

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

a display; and

operable members,

wherein the controller is further configured to;

while determining that the acquired reception intensity is not more than the first threshold value, control the display to display prompting information to prompt a user to operate a particular operable member of the operable members;

while the prompting information is displayed on the display, detect whether the particular operable member has been operated; and

when detecting that the particular operable member has been operated, control the image processing unit to execute the image processing instruction received from the external device via the wireless communication unit.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the controller is further configured to:

when detecting that the particular operable member has not been operated, determine whether a particular period of time has elapsed since the transmission of the warning display instruction; and

when determining that the particular period of time has elapsed since the transmission of the warning display instruction, terminate the wireless connection between the wireless communication unit and the external device.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a near-field wireless communication unit,

wherein the controller is further configured to:

when a near-filed wireless connection has been successfully established between the near-field wireless communication unit and the external device,

establish the wireless connection between the wireless communication unit and the external device, and

control the image processing unit to execute the image processing instruction received from the external device via the wireless communication unit.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the controller is further configured to:

accept area specifying information via the operable members, the area specifying information specifying an area such that the image processing unit is allowed to execute the image processing instruction received from the external device positioned within the specified area; and

change the first threshold value to a value corresponding to the area specified by the accepted area specifying information.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the image processing unit comprises:

a first image processing unit configured to execute a first image processing operation; and

a second image processing unit configured to execute a second image processing operation, and

wherein the controller is further configured to;

when the image processing instruction is an instruction to execute the first image processing operation, control the first image processing unit to execute the first image processing operation; and

when the image processing instruction is an instruction to execute the second image processing operation, in response to determining that the reception intensity is more than a second threshold value higher than the first threshold value, control the second image processing unit to execute the second image processing operation.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein the first image processing unit is an image forming unit configured to execute a printing operation, and

wherein the second image processing unit is a facsimile communication unit configured to execute a facsimile transmission operation.

8. A method adapted to be implemented on a processor coupled with an image processing apparatus comprising a wireless communication unit and an image processing unit, the method comprising:

when the wireless communication unit receives a wireless signal from an external device, beginning a connection operation to establish a wireless connection and perform wireless signal communication between the wireless communication unit and the external device;

acquiring a reception intensity of the wireless signal received from the external device via the wireless communication unit;

determining whether the acquired reception intensity is more than a first threshold value;

when determining that the acquired reception intensity is more than the first threshold value, controlling the image processing unit to execute an image processing instruction received from the external device via the wireless communication unit; and

when determining that the acquired reception intensity is not more than the first threshold value, transmitting a warning display instruction to display a warning on the external device, to the external device via the wireless communication unit, without controlling the image processing unit to execute the image processing instruction.

9. The method according to claim 8,

wherein the image processing apparatus further comprises a display and operable members, and

wherein the method further comprises:

while determining that the acquired reception intensity is not more than the first threshold value, controlling the display to display prompting information to prompt a user to operate a particular operable member of the operable members;

while the prompting information is displayed on the display, detecting whether the particular operable member has been operated; and

when detecting that the particular operable member has been operated, controlling the image processing unit to execute the image processing instruction received from the external device via the wireless communication unit.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

when detecting that the particular operable member has not been operated, determining whether a particular period of time has elapsed since the transmission of the warning display instruction; and

when determining that the particular period of time has elapsed since the transmission of the warning display instruction, terminating the wireless connection between the wireless communication unit and the external device.

11. The method according to claim 10,

wherein the image processing apparatus further comprises a near-field wireless communication unit,

wherein the method further comprises:

when a near-filed wireless connection has been successfully established between the near-field wireless communication unit and the external device,

establishing the wireless connection between the wireless communication unit and the external device, and

controlling the image processing unit to execute the image processing instruction received from the external device via the wireless communication unit.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

accepting area specifying information via the operable members, the area specifying information specifying an area such that the image processing unit is allowed to execute the image processing instruction received from the external device positioned within the specified area; and

changing the first threshold value to a value corresponding to the area specified by the accepted area specifying information.

13. The method according to claim 11,

wherein the image processing unit comprises:

a first image processing unit configured to execute a first image processing operation; and

a second image processing unit configured to execute a second image processing operation, and

wherein the method further comprises;

when the image processing instruction is an instruction to execute the first image processing operation, controlling the first image processing unit to execute the first image processing operation; and

when the image processing instruction is an instruction to execute the second image processing operation, in response to determining that the reception intensity is more than a second threshold value higher than the first threshold value, controlling the second image processing unit to execute the second image processing operation.

14. The method according to claim 13,

wherein the first image processing unit is an image forming unit configured to execute a printing operation, and

wherein the second image processing unit is a facsimile communication unit configured to execute a facsimile transmission operation.