JP2012109790A - Radio communication apparatus, information processor, communication system, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide technique for easily specifying the cause of a failure when radio connection fails.SOLUTION: When radio communication with an access point 50 fails, a printer 10 transmits a first setting value used in the radio communication to a PC 30 without using the access point 50, so that whether the first setting value is the appropriate value or not is determined in the PC 30 (a possibility that the first setting value is erroneous is evaluated, for example). Besides, when the radio communication with the access point 50 fails, the printer 10 transmits the intensity of a signal from the access point 50 to the PC 30, so that whether the failure is caused by the signal intensity or not is determined in the PC 30. When the radio communication with the access point 50 fails by using the first setting value, the printer 10 receives a second setting value form the PC 30 so as to perform the radio communication using the access point 50 through the use of the second setting value.

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique of wireless communication.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, a technique for transmitting and receiving data between a printer device and a terminal device using wireless communication such as a wireless LAN is known. As a wireless LAN system, there are an infrastructure mode in which communication between devices is performed via an access point, and an ad hoc mode in which devices directly communicate with each other without using an access point.

  In order to connect a device to an access point or the like via a wireless LAN, it is necessary to make settings such as an SSID (Service Set Identifier) and an encryption key.

JP 2008-182439 A

  However, when the user sets the wireless LAN for the device, the connection with the access point may fail. In such a case, for example, whether the failure is caused by a setting error of the wireless setting value, or It may be difficult to determine the cause for other reasons such as weak signal strength.

  The present invention has been completed based on the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technique for easily identifying the cause when wireless connection fails.

  A wireless communication device disclosed in this specification includes a first communication execution unit for executing wireless communication using an access point using a wireless setting value, and an information processing device without using the access point. And when the first communication execution unit fails to perform wireless communication with the access point using the first wireless setting value, the first information is transmitted to the information processing apparatus. In order to determine whether the wireless setting value is appropriate, the first communication control unit includes a first transmission control unit that causes the second communication execution unit to transmit the first wireless setting value to the information processing apparatus.

  In the wireless communication device, when the first transmission control unit fails in wireless communication with the access point, the first transmission control unit further sends the second communication execution unit from the access point to the second communication execution unit. The signal intensity detection result may be transmitted to the information processing apparatus.

  In the wireless communication device, when the second communication execution unit fails to perform wireless communication with the access point, the information processing device further transmits the first wireless setting value. A configuration may be employed in which different second wireless setting values are received, and the first transmission control unit causes the first communication execution unit to execute wireless communication using the access point using the second wireless setting values.

  The wireless communication device further includes a wireless interface, the first communication execution unit performs wireless communication using the access point via the wireless interface, and the second communication execution unit includes: A configuration may be employed in which direct wireless communication with the information processing apparatus is executed via the wireless interface without using the access point.

  The wireless communication apparatus further includes a wireless interface and a wired interface, and the first communication execution unit executes wireless communication using the access point via the wireless interface, and The two-communication execution unit may execute wired communication with the information processing apparatus via the wired interface without using the access point.

  Further, in the wireless communication device, the first communication execution unit can further perform direct wireless communication with the information processing device through the wireless interface without using the access point, When the first communication execution unit fails in wireless communication using the access point, the first communication execution unit is connected to the information processing apparatus without using the access point via the wireless interface. The first communication control unit that executes the direct wireless communication may be further provided.

  An information processing device disclosed in this specification includes a third communication execution unit for executing wireless communication using an access point using a wireless setting value, and a wireless communication device without using the access point. When the wireless communication using the access point using the first wireless setting value in the wireless communication device fails in the fourth communication executing unit and the third communication executing unit for executing the communication, A trial control unit that causes the fourth communication execution unit to try the wireless communication using the access point using the first wireless setting value received from the wireless communication device.

  In addition to the first wireless setting value, the information processing apparatus stores a second wireless setting value used for wireless communication using the access point, and the first received from the wireless communication apparatus. A second transmission control unit that causes the third communication execution unit to transmit the second wireless setting value to the wireless communication device when the first wireless setting value does not match the second wireless setting value; It may be configured.

  The information processing apparatus includes a storage unit that stores a second wireless setting value used for wireless communication using the access point, in addition to the first wireless setting value, and the trial control unit further includes: When the first wireless setting value received from the wireless communication device does not match the second wireless setting value, the third communication execution unit uses the second wireless setting value to use the access point. When the wireless communication using the second wireless setting value is executed and the wireless communication using the second wireless setting value fails, the wireless communication using the access point using the first wireless setting value is performed by the third communication execution unit. It may be configured to try communication.

  Further, in the information processing apparatus, the third communication execution unit can further execute direct wireless communication with the wireless communication apparatus without using the access point, and the access point in the wireless communication apparatus A second communication control unit that causes the third communication execution unit to execute direct wireless communication with the wireless communication device without using the access point when the wireless communication using the wireless communication fails. It may be configured.

  It should be noted that the present invention relates to a wireless communication device, an information processing device, a communication system, a wireless communication method, a computer program for realizing the functions or methods of these devices and systems, and a recording medium on which the computer program is recorded. It can be realized in a manner.

  According to the present invention, when wireless communication with an access point fails, the first wireless setting value used for the wireless communication is transmitted to the information processing device without using the access point. It can be determined whether the first wireless setting value is an appropriate value.

1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a communication system according to Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2. Flowchart of printer-side diagnosis processing in Embodiment 1 Flowchart of PC-side diagnosis processing in the first embodiment The figure which shows the example of the display screen of the comprehensive diagnosis result in Embodiment 1. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a part of printer-side diagnosis processing according to the second embodiment. The flowchart which shows a part of PC side diagnostic process in Embodiment 2. The block diagram which shows the whole structure of the communication system in Embodiment 3. Flowchart of printer-side diagnosis processing in Embodiment 3 Flowchart of PC-side diagnosis processing in Embodiment 3

<Embodiment 1>
Next, Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

(Configuration of communication system)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the communication system of the present embodiment.
The communication system includes a printer 10 (an example of a wireless communication apparatus), a computer 30 (an example of an information processing apparatus, hereinafter referred to as a PC), and an access point 50.

  The printer 10 includes a CPU 11, a ROM 12, a RAM 13, an NVRAM (nonvolatile memory) 14, a printing unit 15, a wireless LAN interface 16, a USB interface 17, a display unit 18, and an operation unit 19.

  The ROM 12 and the NVRAM 14 store programs for executing various operations of the printer 10 such as a printer-side diagnosis process described later, and the CPU 11 (first communication execution unit, second communication execution unit, first transmission control unit). An example of the first communication control unit controls each unit in accordance with a program read from the ROM 12 or the NVRAM 14. The printing unit 15 prints an image on a sheet based on print data received from the PC 50 or the like via the wireless LAN interface 16 or the USB interface 17 under the control of the CPU 11.

  The wireless LAN interface 16 (an example of a wireless interface) includes an infrastructure mode in which communication is performed indirectly with an external device via the access point 50, and an ad hoc mode in which communication is performed directly without using the access point 50. It is possible to operate with either. The NVRAM 14 stores wireless setting values (hereinafter referred to as setting values) such as an SSID, an authentication method, and an encryption key used when the wireless LAN interface 16 performs communication in each operation mode. The CPU 11 switches the operation mode of the wireless LAN interface 16 and controls communication using the stored setting value.

  The USB interface 17 (an example of a wired interface) can be directly connected to the PC 30 via the USB cable 52, thereby enabling communication with the PC 30. The display unit 18 includes a display, a lamp, and the like, and can display various setting screens and operation states of the apparatus. The operation unit 19 includes a plurality of buttons, and can be operated to input various instructions by the user.

  On the other hand, the PC 30 is a portable type (notebook type) or desktop type computer, and includes a CPU 31, ROM 32, RAM 33, HDD (hard disk drive) 34, wireless LAN interface 35, USB interface 36, display unit 37, and operation unit. 38.

  The ROM 32 stores a program such as BIOS. The HDD 34 (an example of a storage unit) stores an OS, a printer driver, a program for executing a PC-side diagnosis process to be described later, and the like. The CPU 31 (an example of a third communication execution unit, a fourth communication execution unit, a trial control unit, a second transmission control unit, and a second communication control unit) controls each unit according to a program read from the ROM 32 or the HDD 34.

  The wireless LAN interface 35 (an example of a wireless interface) includes an infrastructure mode in which communication is performed indirectly with an external device via the access point 50, and an ad hoc mode in which communication is performed directly without using the access point 50. It is possible to operate with either. The HDD 34 stores setting values such as an SSID, an authentication method, and an encryption key used when the wireless LAN interface 35 performs communication in each operation mode. The CPU 31 switches the operation mode of the wireless LAN interface 35 and controls communication using the stored setting value.

  The USB interface 36 (an example of a wired interface) can be directly connected to the printer 10 via the USB cable 52, thereby enabling communication with the printer 10. The display unit 37 includes a display and displays various images under the control of the CPU 31. The operation unit 38 includes a keyboard and a pointing device, and the user can input various instructions to the CPU 31 using the operation unit 38.

  The access point 50 is connected to a network line 51 such as a wired LAN, and is connected to an external network. As described above, the access point 50 has a function of relaying communication from the printer 10 or the PC 30 to an external device.

(Diagnosis process operation)
Next, the operation of a diagnostic process that is executed to diagnose the situation when wireless communication between the printer 10 and the access point 50 has failed will be described. This diagnosis process is composed of a printer-side diagnosis process executed in the printer 10 and a PC-side diagnosis process executed in the PC 30.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the printer-side diagnosis process, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the PC-side diagnosis process. 2 indicates transmission / reception of data with the PC 30, and a broken-line arrow in FIG. 3 indicates transmission / reception of data with the printer 10.

  For example, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the diagnosis process is executed mainly in a state where the printer 10 and the PC 30 are disposed within a range where wireless communication with the access point 50 is possible. However, it is assumed that one or both of the printer 10 and the PC 30 are not arranged within a range where wireless communication with the access point 50 is possible, and such a situation is one factor that causes wireless communication to fail. Also, there may be an access point 50 different from the illustrated access point 50 within a range where the printer 10 or the PC 30 can perform wireless communication.

  The printer-side diagnosis process is executed, for example, immediately after a setting process for wirelessly connecting to the wireless LAN access point 50 connected to the network line 51 such as a wired LAN in the infrastructure mode in the printer 10. Is done. In this setting process, various setting values and the like are input from the operation unit 19 of the printer 10 by the user, and the input setting values are stored in the NVRAM 14 as setting values for the infrastructure mode.

  The printer-side diagnosis process may be executed when the printer 10 is turned on, for example, immediately after the setting process, or may be periodically executed while the printer 10 is turned on.

  When the printer-side diagnosis process shown in FIG. 2 is started, the CPU 11 of the printer 10 reads the first setting value (an example of the first communication setting value) that is the setting value for the infrastructure mode stored in the NVRAM 14. A connection request is transmitted to the access point 50 using one set value (S101).

  Then, the CPU 11 determines whether the wireless connection with the access point 50 is successful (S102). If the wireless connection is successful (S102: YES), the printer-side diagnosis process is terminated.

  Further, when the wireless connection with the access point 50 fails (S102: NO), the CPU 11 performs a diagnosis on the state of the wireless connection (hereinafter referred to as wireless diagnosis) (S103). Here, as a case where the wireless connection fails, for example, there are a case where there is no response from the access point 50 and a case where the connection cannot be established even if there is a response. If the connection cannot be established even if there is a response, for example, if each setting value used for the wireless connection does not match the setting value set on the access point 50 side, or the strength of the transmitted signal is insufficient Because of this, there are cases where communication is unstable. If there is no response, it is determined that wireless connection has failed after a predetermined period of time (S102: NO), and wireless diagnosis is performed (S103).

  When the CPU 11 normally receives a response from the access point 50 during the wireless diagnosis, the CPU 11 matches the set value set on the access point 50 side for each set value based on information included in the response. Determine whether or not. In addition, the CPU 11 detects the strength of the signal from the access point 50 detected by the wireless LAN interface 16.

  In this way, the CPU 11 obtains the collected information and the determined result as the diagnosis result by the wireless diagnosis. The diagnosis result includes, for example, whether or not there is a response from the access point 50, whether or not each setting value used when there is a response matches the setting value on the access point 50 side, and a signal from the access point 50 Information such as the intensity detection result is included.

  Then, the CPU 11 transmits the first setting value and the diagnosis result to the PC 30 connected to the USB interface 17 via the USB cable 52 (S104). Here, when the printer-side diagnosis process is started in a state where the PC 30 is not connected to the USB interface 17 in advance, for example, a message that prompts connection by the USB cable 52 of the PC 30 is displayed on the display unit 37. The PC 30 may be connected to the user with the USB cable 52.

  On the other hand, in the PC 30, when an execution instruction for the PC-side diagnosis process is input from the operation unit 38 by the user, the CPU 31 starts the PC-side diagnosis process shown in FIG. 3 in response to the execution instruction. In the PC-side diagnosis process, the CPU 31 first receives the first setting value and the diagnosis result transmitted from the printer 10 via the USB interface 36 (S201).

  Subsequently, the CPU 31 receives the first setting value received from the printer 10 and the second setting value (second communication setting) which is the setting value for the infrastructure mode stored in the HDD 34 (before receiving the first setting value). It is determined whether or not all of the example values agree with each other (S202). Since this second set value is desirably used for wireless connection with the access point 50 prior to the start of the PC-side diagnosis process, the set value (the first set value) with which the SSID is normally matched. And the same setting value for communication with the access point 50). However, this is not necessarily the case. For example, when there is no setting value with the same SSID, a setting value with a different SSID may be used as the second setting value.

  If at least one of the first setting value and the second setting value does not match (S202: NO), the CPU 31 transmits a connection request to the access point 50 using the second setting value by the wireless LAN interface 35 (S202: NO). S203). Then, it is determined whether the connection with the access point 50 is successful (connection is established) (S204). If the connection is successful (S204: YES), the second setting value is set via the USB interface 36. The data is transmitted to the printer 10 (S205).

  That is, here, communication with the access point 50 is attempted using the second setting value stored in advance in the PC 30. If the communication is successful, the second setting value is It is more likely that the value can be used for connection. Therefore, the second setting value is transmitted to the printer 10 in order to cause the printer 10 to perform wireless connection with the access point 50 using the second setting value.

  The CPU 11 of the printer 10 waits for the reception of the second setting value from the PC 30 after transmitting the first setting value and the diagnosis result to the PC 30 in S104 of FIG. 2, and does not receive the second setting value within a predetermined period. In the case (S105: NO), this printer side diagnosis processing is terminated. When the second set value is received (S105: YES), a connection request is transmitted to the access point 50 using the second set value (S106). That is, here, wireless communication with the access point 50 is tried using the second setting value instead of the first setting value.

  Subsequently, the CPU 11 determines whether or not the connection with the access point 50 is successful (S107). If the connection is unsuccessful (S107: NO), the CPU 11 performs a wireless diagnosis on the wireless connection status (S108). The CPU 11 obtains a diagnosis result by this wireless diagnosis in the same manner as the above-described wireless diagnosis. Then, the diagnosis result is transmitted to the PC 30 via the USB interface 17 (S109), and this printer side diagnosis process is terminated.

  If the wireless diagnosis is successful (S107: YES), a connection success notification for notifying that the connection with the access point 50 is successful using the second setting value is transmitted to the PC 30 via the USB interface 17. (S110), the printer-side diagnosis process is terminated.

  On the other hand, in the PC 30, the CPU 31 transmits the second set value in S205 of FIG. 3 and then waits for reception of the diagnosis result or the connection success notification from the printer 10, and the diagnosis result and the connection success via the USB interface 36. Either one of the notifications is received (S206). If the diagnosis result or the connection success notification is not received while waiting for a predetermined period, the process of S206 is terminated without receiving and the process proceeds to the next process.

  Further, when the first setting value received from the printer 10 and the second setting value stored in the PC 30 all match each other in S202 of FIG. 3 (S202: YES), the CPU 31 determines the first setting value. A connection request is transmitted to the access point 50 using (second set value) (S207). Then, it is determined whether the connection with the access point 50 is successful (S208). If the connection is unsuccessful (S208: NO), the same wireless diagnosis as described above is performed and the diagnosis result is obtained ( S209).

  Further, when the connection with the access point 50 using the second set value fails in S204 (S204: NO), the CPU 31 performs a radio diagnosis and obtains the diagnosis result (S210). Subsequently, the process proceeds to S207, where a connection request is transmitted to the access point 50 using the first set value, and if the connection fails (S208: NO), a wireless diagnosis is performed (S209).

  If the CPU 31 receives the diagnosis result or the connection success notification from the printer 10 in S206 or does not receive it during the predetermined period of time, the CPU 31 connects to the access point 50 using the first set value in S208. If successful (S208: YES), or if wireless diagnosis is performed in S209, the situation is summarized based on the results of all wireless diagnosis executed by the printer 10 and the PC 30 and the result of successful connection. A comprehensive diagnosis is performed, and the result of the comprehensive diagnosis is displayed on the display unit 37 as a display screen M1 (S211), and the PC-side diagnosis process is terminated.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the comprehensive diagnosis result display screen M1.
On the upper part of the display screen M1, a table 55 showing the collected information and the determination result based on the result of the wireless diagnosis and the result of the successful connection is displayed.

  In Table 55, when the connection is requested to the access point 50 using the first setting value (“printer side setting value”) in each of the printer 10 and the PC 30, the values of the SSID, the authentication method, and the encryption key are shown. Whether it matches the setting value on the access point 50 side (“OK”) or does not match (“NG”), the signal strength is strong or weak, or the connection with the access point 50 is successful (“OK”) Whether it failed (“NG”) is indicated. Further, in the same table 55, similar information when the connection is requested to the access point 50 using the second setting value (“PC side setting value”) in each of the printer 10 and the PC 30 is also shown.

  In Table 55 above, for example, information not obtained when the connection to the access point 50 using the second setting value is not performed or when a response is not obtained from the access point 50 is not yet obtained. “Acquired” (“−”) is displayed. If the connection with the access point 50 is successful, it is determined that all the setting values used for the connection match the setting values of the access point. In Table 55, when the first set value and the second set value match each other, duplicate items may be omitted and displayed.

  In the column 56 provided at the bottom of the display screen M1, a message indicating the cause of the failure of the wireless connection derived as a result of the diagnosis of the situation by the CPU 31 and a solution to the problem is displayed. That is, the CPU 31 narrows down the possibility of the connection failure based on the result of the wireless diagnosis and the result of the connection success, and selects and displays an appropriate one from a plurality of messages incorporated in the program. .

  For example, in the display screen M1 shown in FIG. 4, in Table 55, all setting values when the printer 10 requests connection to the access point 50 using the first setting value are set on the access point 50 side. It is shown that the signal strength is “weak”. Further, since the connection is successful when connecting to the access point 50 using the same first setting value from the PC 30, it is highly likely that the signal strength between the printer 10 and the access point 50 is not sufficient from these information. And a message to that effect is displayed in the column 56.

  Further, for example, when the printer 10 requests connection to the access point 50 using the first setting value, at least part of the first setting value does not match, and the second setting value is used by both the printer 10 and the PC 30. If the connection with the access point 50 is successful, it can be diagnosed that there is a high possibility of a setting error of the first setting value.

  Further, for example, when the printer 10 fails to connect to the access point 50 using the first setting value and the PC 30 fails to connect using the first setting value and the second setting value, the access point It can be diagnosed that there is a high possibility of a problem on the 50th side (failure, setting error, etc.).

(Effect in Embodiment 1)
As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the wireless communication with the access point 50 fails, the printer 10 transmits the first setting value used for the wireless communication to the PC 30 without using the access point 50. By transmitting, it is possible to determine whether the first setting value is an appropriate value in the PC 30 (for example, evaluate the possibility that the first setting value is incorrect).

  In addition, when the wireless communication with the access point 50 fails, the printer 10 transmits the signal strength from the access point 50 to the PC 30 to determine whether or not the cause of the failure in the PC 30 is due to the signal strength. be able to.

  In addition, when wireless communication with the access point 50 using the first setting value fails, the printer 10 receives the second setting value from the PC 30 and uses the access point 50 using the second setting value. Wireless communication can be executed. When the connection with the access point 50 using the second setting value is successful, it is highly possible that the setting is performed as intended by the user. Therefore, in this case, both diagnosis processes may be terminated without displaying the comprehensive diagnosis result.

  In addition, when wireless communication with the access point 50 using the first setting value fails, the setting value can be transmitted by wired communication with the PC 30 via the USB interface 17.

  Further, when the wireless communication using the access point 50 in the printer 10 fails, the PC 30 receives the first setting value used for the wireless communication from the printer 10 and uses the first setting value to access the access point 50. It is possible to determine whether the first setting value is an appropriate value by trying the wireless communication using.

  Also, the PC 30 sets the second setting value to the printer when the first setting value used when the wireless communication using the access point in the printer 10 fails and the second setting value stored in the PC 30 do not match. 10, the printer 10 can attempt wireless communication with the access point 50 using the second setting value.

  If the first setting value received from the printer 10 does not match the second setting value, the second setting value is used before the wireless communication using the access point 50 is executed using the first setting value. Wireless communication using the access point 50 is attempted. This makes it easier to identify the cause of the wireless communication failure in the printer 10. At this time, when the second setting value is stored in the HDD 34 before the first setting value, the PC 30 and the access point 50 are usually properly stored in many cases. Therefore, it is more likely that the connection will be successful if the wireless communication is tried using the second setting value before the wireless communication is executed using the first setting value.

<Embodiment 2>
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
In the present embodiment, an ad hoc communication is performed between the printer 10 and the PC 30 when the wireless communication using the access point 50 in the printer 10 fails. The configuration of the communication system in the present embodiment is the same as that in FIG.

(Diagnosis process operation)
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a part of the printer side diagnosis process, and FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a part of the PC side diagnosis process.

  These replace the rear part of the printer side diagnostic process of FIG. 2 and the rear part of the PC side diagnostic process of FIG. 3, and the front part of each process shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is the same as in FIGS. It is. In both figures, the same processes as those in FIGS. 2 and 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals. 6 indicates transmission / reception of data with the PC 30, and a broken-line arrow in FIG. 7 indicates transmission / reception of data with the printer 10.

  The CPU 31 of the PC 30 receives a diagnosis result or a connection success notification as a result of requesting a connection to the access point 50 from the printer 10 using the second setting value in the PC-side diagnosis processing shown in FIG. 6, or waits for a predetermined period. After not being received in the meantime (S206), it is determined whether a connection success notification has been received (S401). When the diagnosis result is received or when neither the diagnosis result nor the connection success notification is received (S401: NO), the setting value for ad hoc connection (referred to as ad hoc setting value) stored in the HDD 34 is transferred to the USB interface 36. To the printer 10 (S402).

  Further, the CPU 31 succeeds in connection with the access point 50 using the first set value in S208 (S208: YES), or fails in connection with the access point 50 and performs wireless diagnosis in S209. If so, the ad hoc setting value is transmitted to the printer 10 in S402. This ad hoc setting value may be incorporated in advance in the printer-side diagnosis processing program, or a value input by the user from the operation unit 38 or the like may be stored in the HDD 34.

  After transmitting the ad hoc setting value, the CPU 31 switches the wireless LAN interface 35 to the ad hoc mode, and applies the same ad hoc setting value transmitted to the printer 10 to transmit an ad hoc mode connection request (S403).

  On the other hand, when the CPU 11 of the printer 10 fails to connect to the access point 50 with the second setting value and transmits a diagnosis result in S109, or when the second setting value is not received from the PC 30 within a predetermined period. In (S105: NO), transmission of the ad hoc setting value from the PC 30 is awaited, and the ad hoc setting value is received via the USB interface 36 (S301).

  Subsequently, the CPU 11 switches the wireless LAN interface 16 to the ad hoc mode, applies the received ad hoc setting value, and searches for an ad hoc mode connection request from the PC 30 (S302). Then, it is determined whether the connection with the PC 30 in the ad hoc mode is successful (S303). If the connection is successful (S303: YES), it is confirmed that the connection with the PC 30 through the USB interface 17 in the ad hoc mode is successful. A notification of successful connection is sent (S304). In this case, a connection success notification may be transmitted to the PC 30 via the wireless LAN interface 16.

  If the connection with the PC 30 in the ad hoc mode fails (S303: NO), the CPU 11 performs the same wireless diagnosis as described above (S305), and the diagnosis result is sent to the PC 30 via the USB interface 17. (S306).

  When the CPU 11 transmits a connection success notification that communicates that the connection with the access point 50 is successful using the second setting value in S110, or the S11 notifies that the ad hoc communication with the PC 30 is successful in S304 If the connection success notification is transmitted, if the diagnosis result is transmitted to the PC 30 in S306, or if the connection with the access point 50 is successful using the first set value in S102, the printer side diagnosis process is executed. finish.

  The CPU 31 of the PC 30 transmits an ad hoc mode connection request in S403 of FIG. 6, and then receives a diagnosis result or a connection success notification from the printer 10 via the USB interface 36 (or the wireless LAN interface 35) (S404). Then, the CPU 31 displays the comprehensive diagnosis result display screen M1 on the display unit 37 (S405). In this case, it is possible to diagnose the status of wireless communication based on the result of connection diagnosis in ad hoc mode, the result of successful connection, other diagnostic results, and the result of successful connection, and display the result.

  For example, when the connection in the ad hoc mode is successful, it can be diagnosed that there is a high possibility that there is no problem in the operation of the wireless connection by at least the wireless LAN interfaces 16 and 35 of the printer 10 and the PC 30, respectively.

  In addition, when the CPU 31 receives a connection success notification notifying that the connection with the access point 50 has been successful using the second setting value from the printer 10 in S401 (S401: YES), the CPU 31 transmits the ad hoc setting value. In step S405, the comprehensive diagnosis result display screen M1 is displayed on the display unit 37.

  After displaying the comprehensive diagnosis result display screen M1 in S405, the CPU 31 ends the PC-side diagnosis process.

(Effect of Embodiment 2)
As described above, according to the present embodiment, when wireless communication with the access point 50 fails in the printer 10, the access point 50 is used by switching to communication in the ad hoc mode with the PC 30 (direct wireless communication). As a substitute for wireless communication, direct wireless communication can be executed.

  As described above, when the wireless communication in the ad hoc mode is successful, the USB cable 52 is disconnected, and print data and the like can be transmitted and received between the PC 30 and the printer 10 using a wireless connection.

  Further, a more appropriate diagnosis can be performed by diagnosing the result of connection in the ad hoc mode together with the result of other connections.

<Embodiment 3>
Next, Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
In the first and second embodiments, the first setting value is transmitted from the printer 10 to the PC 30 side by wired communication via the USB cable 52. In the present embodiment, the first setting value is transmitted by wireless communication in the ad hoc mode. Indicates. In the above embodiment, the connection to the access point 50 using the second setting value is shown, but the connection using the second setting value is not performed.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the communication system of the present embodiment.
This communication system includes a printer 60 (an example of a wireless communication device) and a PC 70 (an example of an information processing device). The printer 60 is obtained by omitting the USB interface 17 from the printer 10 of FIG. 1, and the PC 70 is obtained by omitting the USB interface 36 from the PC 30 of FIG. In the printer 60 and the PC 70, the same components as those in FIG.

  Even if the printer is equipped with the USB interfaces 17 and 36 such as the printer 10 and the PC 30 in FIG. 1, the same operation as this embodiment can be realized by not using the direct wired communication by the USB cable 52. .

(Diagnosis process operation)
FIG. 8 is a flowchart of the printer-side diagnosis process, and FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the PC-side diagnosis process.
The CPU 11 of the printer 60 transmits a connection request to the access point 50 using the first set value when the printer-side diagnosis process of FIG. 8 is started (S501). Then, it is determined whether the connection with the access point 50 is successful (S502). If the connection is successful (S502: YES), the printer-side diagnosis process is terminated.

  In addition, when the connection with the access point 50 fails (S502: NO), the CPU 11 performs the above-described wireless diagnosis (S503). Subsequently, the wireless LAN interface 16 is switched to the ad hoc mode, and an ad hoc connection request is transmitted to the PC 70 (S504). At this time, the setting value stored in the NVRAM 14 in advance may be used as the setting value for the ad hoc mode, or the setting value may be used by allowing the user to input the setting value from the operation unit 19.

  Subsequently, the CPU 11 determines whether or not the connection with the PC 70 in the ad hoc mode is successful (S505). If the connection is unsuccessful (S505: NO), a wireless diagnosis is performed (S506). Then, the situation is diagnosed by combining the result of the wireless diagnosis in S503 and the result of the wireless diagnosis in S506, the diagnosis result is printed on the sheet (S507), and this printer-side diagnosis process is terminated. The diagnosis result may be displayed on the display unit 18 of the printer 60.

  If the connection with the PC 70 in the ad hoc mode is successful (S505: YES), the CPU 11 transmits the first set value and the result of the wireless diagnosis in S503 to the PC 70 through the wireless LAN interface 16 (S508). ).

  On the other hand, in the PC 70, for example, the user inputs an instruction from the operation unit 38, and upon receiving the instruction, the CPU 31 starts the PC-side diagnosis process of FIG. In the PC-side diagnosis process, the CPU 31 first searches for an ad hoc connection request from the printer 10 (S601). Note that a setting value stored in advance in the HDD 34 may be used as the setting value for the ad hoc mode, or the setting value may be used by allowing the user to input the setting value from the operation unit 38.

  Then, the CPU 31 determines whether or not the connection with the PC 70 in the ad hoc mode is successful (S602). If the connection in the ad hoc mode has failed (S602: NO), error information notifying that the connection in the ad hoc mode has failed is displayed on the display unit 37 (S603), and the PC-side diagnosis process is terminated.

  When the connection with the PC 70 in the ad hoc mode is successful (S602: YES), the first setting value and the diagnosis result transmitted from the printer 10 are received by the wireless LAN interface 35 (S604).

  Subsequently, the CPU 31 transmits a connection request to the access point 50 using the received first setting value (S605). Then, it is determined whether the connection with the access point 50 is successful (S606). If the connection is unsuccessful (S606: NO), a wireless diagnosis is performed (S607). If the wireless diagnosis is successful in S606 (S606: YES), or if the wireless diagnosis is performed in S607, the overall diagnosis is based on the diagnosis result received from the printer 10 and the connection result in S605. Diagnosis is performed, and comprehensive diagnosis result data (print data) for printing the result is generated and transmitted to the printer 60 (S608).

  The CPU 11 of the printer 60 receives the comprehensive diagnosis result data from the PC 70 after transmitting the first set value and the diagnosis result to the PC 70 side in S508 (S509). Then, the comprehensive diagnosis result data is printed on the sheet by the printing unit 15 (S510), and this printer side diagnosis process is terminated. The contents of the comprehensive diagnosis result data may be displayed on the display unit 18.

(Effect of Embodiment 3)
As described above, according to the present embodiment, when wireless communication with the access point 50 fails in the printer 60, direct wireless communication with the PC 70 can be executed in the ad hoc mode.

  In addition, the printer 60 receives the result of the comprehensive diagnosis from the PC 70 and prints or displays the contents thereof, so that the user can know the result of the diagnosis on the printer 60 side.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

(1) In diagnosis processing, the contents of information to be acquired such as diagnosis results, the contents of judgment based on the information (determination of the cause of the problem, etc.), and the display contents of the comprehensive diagnosis result are not limited to those described above, but are changed as appropriate be able to.

  For example, when determining whether or not the first setting value is an appropriate value in the PC 30, it is compared whether the first setting value matches the second setting value. If they do not match, the setting value is incorrect. It may be determined that there is a high possibility of being, and if they match, it may be determined that the possibility of an appropriate value is high. Further, the contents of the first set value and the second set value may be displayed on the display screen of the comprehensive diagnosis result, or the coincidence / mismatch of both set values may be indicated.

  Further, for example, only the contents corresponding to one of the table 55 and the column 56 displayed on the comprehensive diagnosis result display screen M1 of FIG. 4 may be displayed.

(2) In the above embodiment, in the wireless diagnosis, the mismatch of the set values and the signal strength are diagnosed, but the contents of the diagnosis can be changed as appropriate. For example, it can be determined whether signals have been received from a plurality of access points having overlapping SSIDs.

(3) In the third embodiment, the connection using the second setting value is not performed. However, the connection may be attempted using the second setting value in these devices. For example, in the PC 70, the CPU 31 transmits the second setting value to the printer 60 in the ad hoc mode. In the printer 60, the CPU 11 tries to connect to the access point 50 in the infrastructure mode using the second setting value. The result is transmitted to the PC 70 in the ad hoc mode. If the connection using the second setting value fails in the printer 60, the ad-hoc mode may be restored.

(4) In the above embodiment, as the means for notifying the user of the diagnosis result, the one for displaying the diagnosis result and the one for printing are shown. However, the present invention is not limited to this.

(5) In the above embodiment, the first communication execution unit, the second communication execution unit, the first transmission control unit, the first communication control unit, or the third communication execution unit, the fourth communication execution unit, the trial control unit, Although the example which implement | achieves both a 2nd transmission control part and a 2nd communication control part by the same CPU was shown, according to this invention, these can be comprised by a mutually different CPU, ASIC, or another circuit. it can.

(6) In the above embodiment, the wireless LAN infrastructure mode, ad hoc mode, and communication using USB are shown. However, the present invention is a communication means other than these standards, for example, Wi-Fi communication ( Wi-Fi can also be applied to those using communication standards such as registered trademark) and infrared communication.

(7) In the above embodiment, the communication system is composed of a printer and a computer. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and according to the present invention, the wireless communication device can be a scanner, facsimile, digital camera, computer, for example. The information processing apparatus can be configured by a scanner, a facsimile, or the like.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10,60 ... Printer, 11 ... CPU, 16 ... Wireless LAN interface, 17 ... USB interface, 30, 70 ... Computer, 31 ... CPU, 34 ... HDD, 35 ... Wireless LAN interface, 36 ... USB interface, 50 ... Access point

Claims (13)

A first communication execution unit for executing wireless communication using an access point using a wireless setting value;
A second communication execution unit for executing communication with the information processing apparatus without using the access point;
In order for the information processing apparatus to determine whether the first wireless setting value is appropriate when the first communication execution unit fails in wireless communication with the access point using the first wireless setting value, A first transmission control unit that causes the second communication execution unit to transmit the first wireless setting value to the information processing device;
A wireless communication device. The wireless communication device according to claim 1,
When the first communication execution unit fails in wireless communication with the access point, the first transmission control unit further sends a detection result of signal strength from the access point to the second communication execution unit. A wireless communication device for transmitting to the information processing device. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The second communication execution unit further receives a second wireless setting value different from the first wireless setting value from the information processing apparatus when the first communication execution unit fails in wireless communication with the access point. And
The first transmission control unit causes the first communication execution unit to execute wireless communication using the access point using the second wireless setting value. The wireless communication apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising:
With a wireless interface,
The first communication execution unit executes wireless communication using the access point via the wireless interface,
The second communication execution unit is a wireless communication device that performs direct wireless communication with the information processing device via the wireless interface without using the access point. The wireless communication apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising:
A wireless interface;
A wired interface;
With
The first communication execution unit executes wireless communication using the access point via the wireless interface,
The second communication execution unit is a wireless communication device that executes wired communication with the information processing device via the wired interface without using the access point. The wireless communication device according to claim 4 or 5,
The first communication execution unit is further capable of executing direct wireless communication with the information processing apparatus via the wireless interface without using the access point,
When the first communication execution unit fails in wireless communication using the access point, the first communication execution unit is connected to the information processing apparatus without using the access point via the wireless interface. A wireless communication apparatus further comprising a first communication control unit that executes direct wireless communication. A communication system,
The wireless communication apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
An information processing device,
The information processing apparatus includes:
A third communication execution unit for executing wireless communication using the access point using the wireless setting value;
A fourth communication execution unit for executing communication with the wireless communication device without using the access point;
A trial control unit that causes the third communication execution unit to attempt a wireless communication using the access point using the first wireless setting value received from the wireless communication device by the fourth communication execution unit;
A communication system comprising: A third communication execution unit for executing wireless communication using the access point using the wireless setting value;
A fourth communication execution unit for executing communication with a wireless communication device without using the access point;
When the wireless communication using the access point using the first wireless setting value in the wireless communication device fails in the third communication executing unit, the fourth communication executing unit receives the wireless communication device from the wireless communication device. A trial control unit that causes the wireless communication using the access point to try using the first wireless setting value;
An information processing apparatus comprising: The information processing apparatus according to claim 8,
In addition to the first wireless setting value, a storage unit that stores a second wireless setting value used for wireless communication using the access point;
When the first wireless setting value received from the wireless communication device does not match the second wireless setting value, the third communication execution unit transmits the second wireless setting value to the wireless communication device. A second transmission control unit;
An information processing apparatus comprising: The information processing apparatus according to claim 8,
In addition to the first wireless setting value, the storage unit stores a second wireless setting value used for wireless communication using the access point,
The trial control unit further includes the second radio setting in the third communication execution unit when the first radio setting value received from the radio communication device does not match the second radio setting value. When the wireless communication using the access point is executed using the value and the wireless communication using the second wireless setting value fails, the first wireless setting value is used for the third communication execution unit. An information processing apparatus for trying wireless communication using the access point. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 8 to 10,
The third communication execution unit can further execute direct wireless communication with the wireless communication device without using the access point,
When wireless communication using the access point fails in the wireless communication device, the third communication execution unit causes the wireless communication device to execute direct wireless communication with the wireless communication device without using the access point. 2. An information processing apparatus further comprising a communication control unit. A first communication execution unit for executing wireless communication using an access point using a wireless setting value, and a second communication execution unit for executing communication with an information processing device without using the access point And a wireless communication device having
In order for the information processing apparatus to determine whether the first wireless setting value is appropriate when the first communication execution unit fails in wireless communication with the access point using the first wireless setting value, The program which makes a said 2nd communication execution part perform the process which transmits a said 1st wireless setting value to the said information processing apparatus. A third communication execution unit for executing wireless communication using an access point using a wireless setting value, and a fourth communication execution unit for executing communication with a wireless communication device without using the access point In an information processing apparatus comprising:
When the wireless communication using the access point using the first wireless setting value in the wireless communication device fails in the third communication executing unit, the fourth communication executing unit receives the wireless communication device from the wireless communication device. A program for executing a process of trying a wireless communication using the access point using a first wireless setting value.

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