IP Library Granted Patent US 11,044,770
Granted Patent B2
US 11,044,770 · App. 16/727,568 · Granted Jun 22, 2021

Communication device, non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing computer-readable instructions for communication device, and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing computer-readable instructions for first external device

Inventor: Satoshi Suzuki (Nagoya, JP)
Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
H04W76/14H04W4/80H04W8/005H04W12/04H04L9/0841
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,044,770
App. No.
16/727,568
Granted
Jun 22, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A communication device may supply a first public key and specific information to a first wireless interface, send a first authentication response to the first external device in a case where a first authentication request is received from the first external device after the first public key and the specific information have been sent to the first external device. The communication device may receive first connection information from the first external device after the first authentication response has been sent to the first external device, establish the second wireless connection in a case where the first connection information is received from the first external device, and establish the third wireless connection in a case where a specific signal including the specific information is received from the first external device after the first public key and the specific information have been sent to the first external device.

Claims (72)

1. A communication device comprising:

a first wireless interface;

one or more wireless interfaces different from the first wireless interface;

a processor; and

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

establish a first wireless connection with a first external device via the first wireless interface; and

supply a first public key that is a public key of the communication device and specific information to the first wireless interface,

the first public key and the specific information being sent to the first external device by using the first wireless connection via the first wireless interface;

in a case where a first authentication request in which the first public key is used is received from the first external device via a second wireless interface among the one or more wireless interfaces after the first public key and the specific information have been sent to the first external device:

send a first authentication response that is a response to the first authentication request to the first external device via the second wireless interface;

receive first connection information from the first external device via the second wireless interface after the first authentication response has been sent to the first external device, the first connection information being for establishing a second wireless connection between the communication device and a second external device via the second wireless interface; and

in a case where the first connection information is received from the first external device, establish, according to a first connection scheme, the second wireless connection between the communication device and the second external device via the second wireless interface by using the first connection information; and

in a case where a specific signal including the specific information is received from the first external device via a third wireless interface among the one or more wireless interfaces after the first public key and the specific information have been sent to the first external device,

establish, according to a second connection scheme different from the first connection scheme, a third wireless connection between the communication device and the first external device via the third wireless interface.

2. The communication device as in claim 1 , wherein

the second external device is an access point different from the first external device, and

in the case where the first connection information is received from the first external device, the second wireless connection via the second wireless interface is established between the communication device and the second external device that is the access point by using the first connection information so as to participate as a child station in a wireless network in which the second external device operates as a parent station.

3. 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 third wireless connection is established between the communication device and the first external device, execute communication of object data with the first external device by using the third wireless connection and without using an access point.

4. The communication device as in claim 1 , wherein

in a case where the first wireless connection is established between the communication device and the first external device under a situation where a wireless connection via the second wireless interface is not being established between the communication device and an access point, the first public key and the specific information are supplied to the first wireless interface, and

in a case where the first wireless connection is established between the communication device and the first external device under a situation where the wireless connection via the second wireless interface is being established between the communication device and the access point, the first public key is not supplied to the first wireless interface.

5. The communication device as in claim 4 , wherein

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

in a case where a shift instruction for shifting an operation mode of the communication device is accepted under the situation where the wireless connection via the second wireless interface is being established between the communication device and the access point, shift the operation mode of the communication device from a first mode to a second mode, the first mode being a mode in which the second wireless connection cannot be established between the communication device and the second external device according to the first connection scheme, and the second mode being a mode in which the second wireless connection can be established between the communication device and the second external device according to the first connection scheme,

wherein in a case where the first wireless connection is established between the communication device and the first external device under a situation where the wireless connection via the second wireless interface is being established between the communication device and the access point and the operation mode of the communication device is in the first mode, the first public key is not supplied to the first wireless interface, and

in a case where the first wireless connection is established between the communication device and the first external device under a situation where the wireless connection via the second wireless interface is being established between the communication device and the access point and the operation mode of the communication device is in the second mode, the first public key and the specific information are supplied to the first wireless interface.

6. The communication device as in claim 4 , wherein

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

in a case where the first wireless connection is established between the communication device and the first external device under the situation where the wireless connection via the second wireless interface is being established between the communication device and the access point, supply the specific information and determination information to the first wireless interface, the determination information being for determining whether the communication device and the first external device are capable of communicating with each other via the access point, wherein the specific information and the determination information are sent to the first external device by using the first wireless connection via the first wireless interface.

7. The communication device as in claim 1 , wherein

in a case where the first wireless connection is established between the communication device and the first external device under a situation where a wireless connection via the second wireless interface is not being established between the communication device and an access point, the first public key and the specific information are supplied to the first wireless interface, and

in a case where the first wireless connection is established between the communication device and the first external device under a situation where a wireless connection via the second wireless interface is being established between the communication device and the access point, the first public key and the specific information are not supplied to the first wireless interface,

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

in the case where the first wireless connection is established between the communication device and the first external device under the situation where the wireless connection via the second wireless interface is being established between the communication device and the access point, receive a second public key that is a public key of the first external device from the first external device by using the first wireless connection via the first wireless interface;

in a case where the second public key is received from the first external device, send a second authentication request in which the second public key is used to the first external device via the second wireless interface;

receive a second authentication response that is a response to the second authentication request from the first external device via the second wireless interface after the second authentication request has been sent to the first external device; and

in a case where the second authentication response is received from the first external device, send second connection information to the first external device via the second wireless interface, the second connection information being for establishing a wireless connection between the first external device and the access point.

8. The communication device as in claim 1 , wherein

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

shift an operation state of the communication device from a non-respondent state to a respondent state after the first public key and the specific information have been sent to the first wireless interface, the non-respondent state being a state of not sending the first authentication response to the first external device even when the first authentication request is received from the first external device, and the respondent state being a state of sending the first authentication response to the first external device in response to receiving of the first authentication request from the first external device,

wherein in the case where the first authentication request is received from the first external device after the operation state of the communication device has been shifted from the non-respondent state to the respondent state, the first authentication response is sent to the first external device via the second wireless interface,

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

in a case where the third wireless connection is established between the communication device and the first external device, shift the operation state of the communication device from the respondent state to the non-respondent state.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing computer-readable instructions for a communication device,

wherein the communication device comprises a first wireless interface and one or more wireless interfaces different from the first wireless interface, and

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

establish a first wireless connection with a first external device via the first wireless interface; and

supply a first public key that is a public key of the communication device and specific information to the first wireless interface, the first public key and the specific information are sent to the first external device by using the first wireless connection via the first wireless interface;

in a case where a first authentication request in which the first public key is used is received from the first external device via a second wireless interface among the one or more wireless interfaces after the first public key and the specific information have been sent to the first external device:

send a first authentication response that is a response to the first authentication request to the first external device via the second wireless interface;

receive first connection information from the first external device via the second wireless interface after the first authentication response has been sent to the first external device, the first connection information being for establishing a second wireless connection via the second wireless interface between the communication device and a second external device; and

in a case where the first connection information is received from the first external device, establish, according to a first connection scheme, the second wireless connection via the second wireless interface between the communication device and the second external device by using the first connection information; and

in a case where a specific signal including the specific information is received from the first external device via a third wireless interface among the one or more wireless interfaces after the first public key and the specific information have been sent to the first external device:

establish, according to a second connection scheme different from the first connection scheme, a third wireless connection via the third wireless interface between the communication device and the first external device.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing computer-readable instructions for a first external device, wherein the first external device comprises a first wireless interface and one or more wireless interfaces different from the first wireless interface, and the computer-readable instructions, when executed by a processor of the first external device, cause the first external device to:

establish a first wireless connection with a communication device via the first wireless interface;

receive a public key of the communication device and specific information from the communication device by using the first wireless connection via the first wireless interface; and

in a case where the public key and the specific information are received from the communication device, determine which of a second wireless connection and a third wireless connection is to be established;

in a case where it is determined that the second wireless connection is to be established:

send an authentication request in which the public key is used to the communication device via a second wireless interface among the one or more wireless interfaces;

in a case where the authentication request is sent to the communication device, receive an authentication response that is a response to the authentication request from the communication device via the second wireless interface; and

in a case where the authentication response is received from the communication device, send connection information to the communication device via the second wireless interface, the connection information being for establishing the second wireless connection according to a first connection scheme between the communication device and a second external device, wherein in the communication device, the second wireless connection is established between the communication device and the second external device by using the connection information in a case where the connection information is received from the first external device; and

in a case where it is determined that the third wireless connection is to be established:

send a specific signal including the specific information to the communication device via a third wireless interface among the one or more wireless interfaces; and

establish, according to a second connection scheme different from the first connection scheme, the third wireless connection via the third wireless interface between the communication device and the first external device after the specific signal has been sent to the communication device.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium as in claim 10 , wherein

the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor of the first external device, further cause the first external device to:

in a case where the public key and the specific information are received from the communication device, display a selection screen on a display unit of the first external device, the selection screen being for selecting one of the first connection scheme and the second connection scheme,

in a case where the first connection scheme is selected on the selection screen, it is determined that the second wireless connection is to be established, and

in a case where the second connection scheme is selected on the selection screen, it is determined that the third wireless connection is to be established.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 26, 2019
From: SUZUKI, SATOSHI
To: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 051370/0993 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2018-247065 · Dec 28, 2018 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200214059A1 · Jul 2, 2020
Cited By (3)
US 12,323,794 US 12,335,723 US 12,402,187