Communication device

• US 9,973,914 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2015
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Vuong, Quochien B
• Application Number:
  US14/789,644
• Publication Number:
  US 20150304805A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: 455 411, 455 412, 4555521, 4555523, 370338
• 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: H04L 45/44 Distributed routing
• 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 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/006 Using near field communication, e.g. an inductive loop
• 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 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• 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 include a first type of interface and a second type of interface. The communication device may execute the communication of object data with a mobile device using the second type of interface after executing a specific process for causing the communication device to shift to a communication-enabled state, in a case where it is determined that the communication device is not currently in the communication-enabled state. Also, the communication device may execute the communication of the object data with the mobile device using the second type of interface without executing the specific process, in a case where it is determined that the communication device is currently in the communication-enabled state.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising:

a first type of interface configured to execute a communication with a mobile device and to send a specific wireless setting to the mobile device;

a second type of interface configured to execute a 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;

executing the communication of object data with the mobile device using the second type of interface after executing a specific process for causing the communication device to shift to a communication-enabled state using the specific wireless setting sent to the mobile device, in a case where it is determined that the communication device is not currently in the communication-enabled state, the communication-enabled state being a state in which the communication device is currently capable of executing a communication of the object data with the mobile device by the second type of interface; and

executing the communication of the object data with the mobile device using the second type of interface without executing the specific process, in a case where it is determined that the communication device is currently in the communication-enabled state.

2. The communication device as in claim 1, wherein

the second type of interface executes a specific wireless communication,

the specific wireless communication is a wireless communication that the communication device and the mobile device execute without using the specific wireless setting sent to the mobile device, and

the specific process includes a process that the communication device and the mobile device execute the specific wireless communication by the second type of interface.

3. The communication device as in claim 2, wherein

the specific process includes a process of newly constructing a second wireless network using the specific wireless setting sent to the mobile device, and

the second wireless network is a network for the communication device to execute the specific wireless communication, and is a network to which the communication device and the mobile device are to belong.

4. The communication device as in claim 3, 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 wireless network and a non-parent station state in which the communication device does not function as the parent station of the wireless network,

the specific process includes a process of determining that the state of the communication device is to shift to the parent station state from the non-parent station state, and

the communication device that operates in the parent station state belongs to the second wireless network.

5. The communication device as in claim 1, wherein

the first type of interface is configured to execute a wireless communication according to a Near Field Communication system, and

the second type of interface is configured to execute a wireless communication according to a system based on IEEE 802.11 standard.

6. The communication device as in claim 1, wherein a communication speed of the second type of interface is faster than a communication speed of the first type of interface.

7. A first communication device comprising:

a first type of interface configured to execute a communication with a second communication device and to receive specific information from the second device;

a second type of interface configured to execute a communication with the second communication 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 first communication device to execute;

determining, using the specific information, whether or not the first communication device is currently in a communication-enabled state in which the first communication device is currently capable of executing a communication of object data with the second communication device by the second type of interface;

executing the communication of the object data with the second communication device by the second type of interface after executing a specific process for causing the first communication device to shift to the communication-enabled state, in a case where it is determined that the first communication device is not currently in the communication-enabled state; and

executing the communication of the object data with the second communication device by the second type of interface without executing the specific process, in a case where it is determined that the first communication device is currently in the communication-enabled state.

8. The first communication device as in claim 7, wherein

the determining includes determining whether or not the first communication device is currently in the communication-enabled state by confirming, using the specific information, whether or not the second communication device currently belongs to a specific network to which the first communication device currently belongs, and

the specific network is a network for the first communication device to execute a communication using the second type of interface.

9. The first communication device as in claim 8, wherein

the specific network to which the first communication device currently belongs is a second wireless network,

the specific information includes an identifier of a first network to which the second communication device currently belongs, and

the determining includes determining whether or not the second communication device currently belongs to the second wireless network to which the first communication device currently belongs by confirming whether or not the identifier of the wireless network included in the specific information and a specific identifier for identifying the second wireless network are identical.

10. The first communication device as in claim 9, wherein the determining includes determining that the second communication device does not currently belong to the specific network in a case where a wireless network identifier is not included in the specific information.

11. The first communication device as in claim 8, wherein in a case where identification information for identifying the second communication device is included in the specific information, the determining includes:

determining that the second communication device currently belongs to the specific network in a case where the identification information is acquired via the specific network by executing the communication by the second type of interface; and

determining that the second communication device does not currently belong to the specific network in a case where the identification information is not acquired via the specific network by executing the communication by the second type of interface.

12. The first communication device as in claim 8, wherein in a case where an IP address of the second communication device is included in the specific information, the determining includes:

sending an inquiry in which the IP address is indicated as a destination to the specific network by executing the communication by the second type of interface; and

determining as being in the communication-enabled state in a case where a response from the second communication device is received responsive to the inquiry, and

determining as not being in the communication-enabled state in a case where the response from the second communication device is not received responsive to the inquiry.

13. The first communication device as in claim 8, wherein in a case where a MAC address of the second communication device is included in the specific information, the determining includes:

sending an inquiry to the specific network by executing the communication by the second type of interface; and

determining, using the MAC address, whether or not the first communication device is currently in the communication-enabled state based on a response in a case where the response from the second communication device is received responsive to the inquiry.

14. The first communication device as in claim 7, wherein

the second type of interface is configured to execute a wireless communication of the object data with the second communication device,

the specific information includes a first wireless setting for the first communication device to belong to a first wireless network to which the second communication device currently belongs, and

in a case where it is determined that a current state of the first communication device is not the communication-enabled state, the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the first communication device to execute, using the first wireless setting, the specific process for causing the first communication device to belong to the first wireless network.

15. The first communication device as in claim 7, wherein

the first type of interface is configured to execute a wireless communication according to a Near Field Communication system, and

the second type of interface is configured to execute a wireless communication according to a system based on IEEE 802.11 standard.

16. The first communication device as in claim 7, wherein a communication speed of the second type of interface is faster than a communication speed of the first type of interface.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions for a first communication device configured to comprise a first type of interface configured to execute a communication with a second communication device and to receive specific information from the second communication device, and a second type of interface configured to execute a communication with the second communication device, the computer-readable instructions, when executed by one or more processors mounted on the first communication device, causing the first communication device to execute:

determining, using the specific information, whether or not the first communication device is currently in a communication-enabled state in which the first communication device is currently capable of executing a communication of object data with the second communication device by the second type of interface;

executing the communication of the object data with the second communication device by the second type of interface after executing a specific process for causing the first communication device to shift to the communication enabled state, in a case where it is determined that the first communication device is not currently in the communication-enabled state; and

executing the communication of the object data with the second communication device by the second type of interface without executing the specific process, in a case where it is determined that the first communication device is currently in the communication-enabled state.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as in claim 17, wherein

the determining includes determining whether or not the first communication device is currently in the communication-enabled state by confirming, using the specific information, whether or not the second communication device currently belongs to a specific network to which the first communication device currently belongs, and

the specific network is a network for the first communication device to execute a communication by the second type of interface.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as in claim 18, wherein

the specific network to which the first communication device currently belongs is a second wireless network,

the specific information includes an identifier of a first wireless network to which the second communication device currently belongs, and

the determining includes determining whether or not the second communication device currently belongs to the second wireless network to which the first communication device currently belongs by confirming whether or not the identifier of the first wireless network included in the specific information and a specific identifier for identifying the second wireless network are identical.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as in claim 19, wherein the determining includes determining that the second communication device does not currently belong to the specific network in a case where a wireless network identifier is not included in the specific information.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as in claim 18, wherein in a case where identification information for identifying the second communication device is included in the specific information, the determining includes:

determining that the second communication device currently belongs to the specific network in a case where the identification information is acquired via the specific network by executing the communication by the second type of interface; and

determining that the second communication device does not currently belong to the specific network in a case where the identification information is not acquired via the specific network by executing the communication by the second type of interface.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as in claim 18, wherein in a case where an IP address of the second communication device is included in the specific information, the determining includes:

sending an inquiry in which the IP address is indicated as a destination to the specific network by executing the communication by the second type of interface; and

determining as being in the communication-enabled state in a case where a response from the second communication device is received responsive to the inquiry, and

determining as not being in the communication-enabled state in a case where the response from the second communication device is not received responsive to the inquiry.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as in claim 18, wherein in a case where a MAC address of the second communication device is included in the specific information, the determining includes:

sending an inquiry to the specific network by executing the communication by the second type of interface; and

determining, using the MAC address, whether or not the first communication device is currently in the communication-enabled state based on a response in a case where the response from the second communication device is received responsive to the inquiry.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as in claim 17, wherein

the second type of interface is configured to execute a wireless communication of the object data with the second communication device,

the specific information includes a first wireless setting for the first communication device to belong to a first wireless network to which the second communication device currently belongs, and

in a case where it is determined that a current state of the first communication device is not the communication-enabled state, the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the first communication device to execute, using the first wireless setting, the specific process for causing the first communication device to belong to the first wireless network.