Communication apparatus and control method thereof

• US 9,591,674 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2013
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Uchikawa, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne, Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hurst, Andrea
• Application Number:
  US13/886,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20140006633A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,404 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00315 with a radio transmission apparatus with a cordless telephone H04N1/00305; systems or arrangements for the transmission of a picture signal specially adapted for transmission via radio H04N1/00103; H04N1/00307 takes precedence; radio transmission systems H04B7/00; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0044 Connecting to a plurality of different apparatus; Using a plurality of different connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A mobile terminal communicable with a service providing apparatus via an access point, comprises: an access unit configured to access a designated access point by wireless connection; a receiving unit configured to switch, if a service search instruction is received, the wireless connection with the designated access point by the access unit to wirelessly connect to another access point, and receive information of a service provided by a service providing apparatus communicable via the other access point; and a display unit configured to display a selection screen for enabling to select, based on the received information, between a service provided by a service providing apparatus communicable via the designated access point and a service provided by a service providing apparatus communicable via the other access point.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus that searches a service providing apparatus, comprising:

a display unit configured to display a search result of the service providing apparatus;

one or more processors; and

at least one memory coupled to the one or more processors, the at least one memory having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the communication apparatus to;

if a search instruction for searching the service providing apparatus is received from a user, connect a plurality of access points to the communication apparatus in order and search the service providing apparatus via each of the plurality of access points; and

if the search of the service providing apparatus via each of the plurality of access points is completed and an access point to which the communication apparatus is connected does not coincide with an access point to which the communication apparatus was previously connected before the search of the service providing apparatus was performed, a connection destination is returned to the access point to which the communication apparatus was previously connected before the search of the service providing apparatus was performed.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of access points includes at least a first access point and a second access point, and

the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the communication apparatus to:

connect the first access point and search the service providing apparatus via the first access point, and

if a search of the service providing apparatus via the first access point is completed, switch an access point as a connection destination from the first access point to the second access point, and search the service providing apparatus via the second access point.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the communication apparatus to manage the searched service providing apparatus in relation to an access point which has been connected when searching the service providing apparatus, and

wherein if a user selects a service providing apparatus from the search result, the communication apparatus connects an access point corresponding to the service providing apparatus selected by the user.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the communication apparatus to determine whether or not an access point to which the communication apparatus is connecting matches an access point corresponding to the service providing apparatus selected by the user, and

wherein if a determination is made that the access point to which the communication apparatus is connecting does not match the access point corresponding to the service providing apparatus selected by the user, the communication apparatus disconnects a wireless connection to the access point to which the communication apparatus is connecting, and connects the access point corresponding to the service providing apparatus selected by the user.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the communication apparatus to:

generate an access point list indicating a plurality of access points,

connect a plurality of access points based on the access point list, and

search a service providing apparatus via each of the plurality of access points.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 5, wherein if the search instruction is received from the user, the access point list is generated by searching surrounding access points.

7. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication apparatus is a mobile terminal.

8. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a service providing apparatus which is searched is a printing apparatus.

9. A method for controlling a communication apparatus that searches a service providing apparatus, comprising:

if a search instruction for searching a service providing apparatus is received from a user, connecting a plurality of access points to the communication apparatus in order and searching the service providing apparatus via each of the plurality of access points;

displaying a search result of the service providing apparatus in the searching; and

if the search of the service providing apparatus via each of the plurality of access points is completed and an access point to which the communication apparatus is connected does not coincide with an access point to which the communication apparatus was previously connected before the search of the service providing apparatus was performed, returning a connection destination to the access point to which the communication apparatus was previously connected before the search of the service providing apparatus was performed.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein

the plurality of access points include at least a first access point and a second access point,

in the searching, the first access point is connected and the service providing apparatus is searched via the first access point, and

if a search of the service providing apparatus via the first access point is completed, in the searching, an access point as a connection destination is switched from the first access point to the second access point, and the service providing apparatus is searched via the second access point.

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

managing the service providing apparatus searched in the searching in relation to an access point which has been connected when searching the service providing apparatus,

wherein if a user selects a service providing apparatus from the search result, the communication apparatus connects an access point corresponding to the service providing apparatus selected by the user.

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

determining whether or not an access point to which the communication apparatus is connecting matches an access point corresponding to the service providing apparatus selected by the user,

wherein if it is determined in the determining that the access point to which the communication apparatus is connecting does not match the access point corresponding to the service providing apparatus selected by the user, the communication apparatus disconnects a wireless connection to the access point to which the communication apparatus is connecting, and connects the access point corresponding to the service providing apparatus selected by the user.

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

generating an access point list indicating a plurality of access points,

wherein in the searching, a plurality of access points are connected based on the access point list, and a service providing apparatus is searched via each of the plurality of access points.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein if the search instruction is received from the user, in the generating, the access point list is generated by searching surrounding access points.

15. The method according to claim 9, wherein the communication apparatus is a mobile terminal.

16. The method according to claim 9, wherein a service providing apparatus which is searched in the searching is a printing apparatus.