IP Library Granted Patent US 11,429,332
Granted Patent B2
US 11,429,332 · App. 17/359,896 · Granted Aug 30, 2022

Communication apparatus, method of controlling same, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium

Inventor: Wahei Sugawara (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
G06F3/1286G06F3/1204G06F3/1236G06F3/1292H04W48/16
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,429,332
App. No.
17/359,896
Granted
Aug 30, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A communication apparatus capable of operating in at least one of a plurality of modes including a first communication mode in which wireless communication is performed with another apparatus via an external access point and a second communication mode in which wireless communication is performed with another apparatus bypassing the external access point, the communication apparatus comprising: a controlling unit configured to control a communication mode of the communication apparatus by enabling or disabling at least one of the plurality of communication modes; and an executing unit configured to execute search processing to search for an external access point near the communication apparatus, wherein in a case where both the first communication mode and the second communication mode are disabled, the second communication mode is enabled and the search processing is executed in the second communication mode.

Claims (59)

1. A communication apparatus capable of operating in at least one of a plurality of modes including a first communication mode in which wireless communication is performed with another apparatus via an external access point and a second communication mode in which wireless communication is performed with another apparatus bypassing the external access point, the communication apparatus comprising:

a controlling unit configured to control a communication mode of the communication apparatus by enabling or disabling at least one of the plurality of communication modes; and

an executing unit configured to execute search processing to search for an external access point near the communication apparatus,

wherein in a case where both the first communication mode and the second communication mode are disabled, the second communication mode is enabled and the search processing is executed in the second communication mode.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

in a case where one or both of the first communication mode and the second communication mode are enabled, the search processing is executed via the first communication mode or the second communication mode without enabling or disabling any communication modes of the plurality of communication modes.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

an antenna used for communication via the first communication mode and an antenna used for communication via the second communication mode are the same antenna.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the plurality of communication modes further include a third communication mode, different from the second communication mode, in which wireless communication is performed with another apparatus bypassing the external access point, and

an antenna used for communication via the first communication mode, an antenna used for communication via the second communication mode, and an antenna used for communication via the third communication mode are the same antenna.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the plurality of communication modes further include a wired communication mode in which wired communication is performed with another apparatus.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein

in a case where both the first communication mode and the second communication mode are disabled and the wired communication mode is enabled, the second communication mode is enabled and the search processing is executed in the second communication mode.

7. The communication apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein

the search processing is executed in the second communication mode while the wired communication mode is maintained.

8. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

in a case where both the first communication mode and the second communication mode are disabled and the search processing is executed at a first frequency band and not executed at a second frequency band different from the first frequency band, the second communication mode is enabled and the search processing is executed in the second communication mode, and

in a case where both the first communication mode and the second communication mode are disabled and the search processing is executed at the second frequency band different from the first frequency band, a communication mode other than the second communication mode is enabled and the search processing is executed in the communication mode other than the second communication mode.

9. The communication apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein

the communication mode other than the second communication mode is the first communication mode.

10. The communication apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein

the communication mode other than the second communication mode is a communication mode, different from the second communication mode, in which wireless communication is performed with another apparatus bypassing the external access point.

11. The communication apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein

the first frequency band is a 2.4 GHz frequency band, and

the second frequency band is a 5 GHz frequency band.

12. The communication apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein

in a case where the controlling unit enables the first communication mode, the controlling unit disables a predetermined communication mode different from the first communication mode.

13. The communication apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein

the plurality of communication modes include a wired communication mode in which wired communication is performed with another apparatus; and

the predetermined communication mode is the wired communication mode.

14. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising

a connecting unit configured to connect the communication apparatus to an external access point from among external access points retrieved by the search processing.

15. The communication apparatus according to claim 14 , further comprising

a display unit configured to display a list of external access points retrieved by the search processing,

wherein an external access point selected from the list by a user and the communication apparatus are connected.

16. The communication apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein

in a case where the user selects an external access point from the list, the first communication mode is enabled, and

communication is performed in the first communication mode via the external access point selected from the list by the user.

17. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the first communication mode is a communication mode used in communication compliant with IEEE 802.11 series.

18. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the second communication mode is a communication mode using Bluetooth Low Energy.

19. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the second communication mode is a communication mode using Wi-Fi Direct.

20. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the second communication mode is a communication mode in which communication apparatus operates as an access point.

21. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

time taken from when processing is executed to enable the second communication mode until the search processing via the second communication mode is able to be executed is less than time taken from when processing is executed to enable the first communication mode until the search processing via the first communication mode is able to be executed.

22. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a printing unit configured to perform printing.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to:

control a communication mode of a communication apparatus by enabling or disabling at least one of a plurality of communication modes; and

execute search processing to search for an external access point near the communication apparatus,

wherein in a case where both a first communication mode and a second communication mode are disabled, the second communication mode is enabled and the search processing is executed in the second communication mode.

24. A method of controlling a communication apparatus capable of operating in at least one of a plurality of modes including a first communication mode in which wireless communication is performed with another apparatus via an external access point and a second communication mode in which wireless communication is performed with another apparatus bypassing the external access point, the method comprising:

controlling a communication mode of the communication apparatus by enabling or disabling at least one of the plurality of communication modes; and

executing search processing to search for an external access point near the communication apparatus,

wherein in a case where both the first communication mode and the second communication mode are disabled, the second communication mode is enabled and the search processing is executed in the second communication mode.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 11, 2021
From: SUGAWARA, WAHEI
To: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 057154/0071 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2018-248376 · Dec 28, 2018 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2019043119 · Nov 1, 2019
Related Publication 20210326090A1 · Oct 21, 2021
Cited By (1)
US 12,317,071