IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,425,267
Granted Patent B2
US 11,425,267 · App. 17/094,379 · Granted Aug 23, 2022

Function executing device and terminal device for executing wireless communication according to bluetooth low energy

Inventors: Hirotaka Asakura (Nagoya, JP); Takuya Inoue (Nisshin, JP); Munehisa Matsuda (Nagoya, JP)
Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
H04N1/00209H04B17/318H04W4/80H04W12/0431H04W60/04H04W76/11H04W76/34H04N2201/006
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,425,267
App. No.
17/094,379
Granted
Aug 23, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A function executing device may comprise a first wireless interface according to a Bluetooth Low Energy scheme being capable of repeatedly sending an advertising signal. The function executing device may after a first advertising signal in which a first radio field intensity is used has been sent from the first wireless interface, receive a specific signal via the first wireless interface from a terminal device, change a radio field intensity used for sending the advertising signal from the first radio field intensity to a second radio field intensity lower than the first radio field intensity, and after a second advertising signal in which the second radio field intensity is used has been sent from the first wireless interface, establish a first wireless connection with the terminal device via the first wireless interface.

Claims (98)

1. A function executing device comprising:

a first wireless interface configured to execute wireless communication according to a Bluetooth (Registered Trademark) Low Energy (BLE) scheme, the first wireless interface being capable of repeatedly sending an advertising signal;

a processor; and

a memory storing computer-readable instructions,

wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the function executing device to:

after a first advertising signal in which a first radio field intensity is used has been sent from the first wireless interface, receive a specific signal via the first wireless interface from a terminal device which received the first advertising signal;

in a case where the specific signal is received from the terminal device, change a radio field intensity used for sending the advertising signal from the first radio field intensity to a second radio field intensity that is lower than the first radio field intensity;

after a second advertising signal in which the second radio field intensity is used has been sent from the first wireless interface, receive a first connection request via the first wireless interface from the terminal device which received the second advertising signal;

in a case where the first connection request is received from the terminal device, establish a first wireless connection with the terminal device via the first wireless interface; and

in a case where the first wireless connection with the terminal device is established, communicate target information with the terminal device via the first wireless interface by using the first wireless connection, the target information being information for using a specific function of the function executing device.

2. The function executing device as in claim 1 , wherein

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

receive a second connection request via the first wireless interface from the terminal device which received the first advertising signal;

in a case where the second connection request is received from the terminal device, establish a second wireless connection with the terminal device via the first wireless interface; and

disconnect the second wireless connection,

wherein the second advertising signal is sent from the first wireless interface after the second wireless connection has been disconnected.

3. The function executing device as in claim 2 , wherein

the specific signal is received from the terminal device by using the second wireless connection.

4. The function executing device as in claim 3 , wherein

the specific signal is a Write Request signal including a changing instruction of the radio field intensity.

5. The function executing device as in claim 2 , wherein

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

receive a disconnection instruction from the terminal device via the first wireless interface by using the second wireless connection,

wherein the second wireless connection is disconnected in a case where the disconnection instruction is received from the terminal device.

6. The function executing device as in claim 2 , wherein

the first advertising signal includes first identification information for identifying the function executing device, and

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

communicate second identification information with the terminal device via the first wireless interface by using the second wireless connection, the second identification information being information for identifying the function executing device and being different from the first identification information, and

the second advertising signal includes the second identification information.

7. The function executing device as in claim 1 , wherein

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

communicate an encryption key with the terminal device via the first wireless interface by using the second wireless connection, and

the target information is encrypted by the encryption key.

8. The function executing device as in claim 1 , further comprising:

a second wireless interface being different from the first wireless interface,

wherein the target information includes information for establishing a third wireless connection between the function executing device and the terminal device via the second wireless interface.

9. The function executing device as in claim 8 , further comprising:

a print executing unit,

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

in a case where the third wireless connection is established, receive image data representing an image to be printed from the terminal device via the second wireless interface by using the third wireless connection; and

in a case where the image data is received from the terminal device, cause the print executing unit to print the image represented by the image data, and

the specific function is a function for printing the image.

10. The function executing device as in claim 1 , wherein

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

after the target information has been communicated, change the radio field intensity used for sending the advertising signal from the second radio field intensity to the first radio field intensity.

11. A function executing device comprising:

a first wireless interface configured to execute wireless communication according to a Bluetooth (Registered Trademark) Low Energy (BLE) scheme, the first wireless interface being capable of repeatedly sending an advertising signal;

a processor; and

a memory storing computer-readable instructions,

wherein

the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the function executing device to:

after a first advertising signal in which a first radio field intensity is used has been sent from the first wireless interface, receive a second connection request via the first wireless interface from a terminal device which received the first advertising signal;

in a case where the second connection request is received from the terminal device, establish a second wireless connection with the terminal device via the first wireless interface;

in a case where the second wireless connection is established with the terminal device, change a radio field intensity used for sending the advertising signal from the first radio field intensity to a second radio field intensity that is lower than the first radio field intensity;

after a second advertising signal in which the second radio field intensity is used has been sent from the first wireless interface, receive a first connection request via the first wireless interface from the terminal device which received the second advertising signal;

in a case where the first connection request is received from the terminal device, establish a first wireless connection with the terminal device via the first wireless interface; and

in a case where the first wireless connection with the terminal device is established, communicate target information with the terminal device via the first wireless interface by using the first wireless connection, the target information being information for using a specific function of the function executing device.

12. The function executing device as in claim 11 , wherein

the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the function executing device to disconnect the second wireless connection, and

the second advertising signal is sent from the first wireless interface after the second wireless connection has been disconnected.

13. The function executing device as in claim 12 , wherein

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

receive a disconnection instruction from the terminal device via the first wireless interface by using the second wireless connection, and

the second wireless connection is disconnected in a case where the disconnection instruction is received from the terminal device.

14. The function executing device as in claim 11 , wherein

the first advertising signal includes first identification information for identifying the function executing device,

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

communicate second identification information with the terminal device via the first wireless interface by using the second wireless connection, the second identification information being information for identifying the function executing device and being different from the first identification information, and

the second advertising signal includes the second identification information.

15. The function executing device as in claim 11 , wherein

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

communicate an encryption key with the terminal device via the first wireless interface by using the second wireless connection, and

the target information is encrypted by the encryption key.

16. The function executing device as in claim 11 , further comprising a second wireless interface being different from the first wireless interface,

wherein the target information includes information for establishing a third wireless connection between the function executing device and the terminal device via the second wireless interface.

17. The function executing device as in claim 16 , further comprising:

a print executing unit,

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

in a case where the third wireless connection is established, receive image data representing an image to be printed from the terminal device via the second wireless interface by using the third wireless connection; and

in a case where the image data is received from the terminal device, cause the print executing unit to print the image represented by the image data, and

the specific function is a function for printing the image.

18. The function executing device as in claim 11 , wherein

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

after the target information has been communicated, change the radio field intensity used for sending the advertising signal from the second radio field intensity to the first radio field intensity.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing computer-readable instructions for a terminal device,

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

receive a first advertising signal in which a first radio field intensity is used from a function executing device via a wireless interface of the terminal device, the wireless interface being configured to execute wireless communication according to a Bluetooth (Registered Trademark) Low Energy (BLE) scheme;

after the first advertising signal has been received from the function executing device, send a specific signal to the function executing device via the wireless interface;

after the specific signal has been sent to the function executing device, receive a second advertising signal in which a second radio field intensity that is lower than the first radio field intensity is used from the function executing device via the wireless interface;

after the second advertising signal has been received from the function executing device, send a connection request to the function executing device via the wireless interface, wherein a wireless connection is established with the function executing device via the wireless interface in response to the connection request being sent to the function executing device; and

in a case where the wireless connection with the function executing device is established, communicate target information for using a specific function of the function executing device with the function executing device via the wireless interface by using the wireless connection.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing computer-readable instructions for a terminal device,

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

receive a first advertising signal in which a first radio field intensity is used from a function executing device via a wireless interface of the terminal device, the wireless interface being configured to execute wireless communication according to a Bluetooth (Registered Trademark) Low Energy (BLE) scheme;

after the first advertising signal has been received from the function executing device, send a second connection request to the function executing device via the wireless interface, wherein a second wireless connection is established with the function executing device via the wireless interface in response to the second connection request being sent to the function executing device;

after the second wireless connection has been established with the function executing device, receive a second advertising signal in which a second radio field intensity that is lower than the first radio field intensity is used from the function executing device via the wireless interface;

after the second advertising signal has been received from the function executing device, send a first connection request to the function executing device via the wireless interface, wherein a first wireless connection is established with the function executing device via the wireless interface in response to the first connection request being sent to the function executing device; and

in a case where the first wireless connection with the function executing device is established, communicate target information for using a specific function of the function executing device with the function executing device via the wireless interface by using the first wireless connection.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 10, 2020
From: ASAKURA, HIROTAKA; INOUE, TAKUYA; MATSUDA, MUNEHISA
To: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 054326/0903 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2019-205683 · Nov 13, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210144265A1 · May 13, 2021