JP2018112976A - Information processing device, communication system, communication method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information processing device capable of detecting an electronic device capable of communication. An information processing device that communicates with one or more electronic devices, the first communication means communicating with the electronic devices via a network, and device communication information related to the network to which the electronic devices are connected. The electronic device and the information processing device compare the communication information about the second communication means acquired by using the short-range radio, the communication information about the network to which the first communication means is connected, and the device communication information, and the electronic device and the information processing device. It has a determination means for determining whether or not communication is possible, and a display means for displaying information of the electronic device determined by the determination means to be communicable on a display device. [Selection diagram] Fig. 3

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, a communication system, a communication method, and a program.

  Electronic devices such as projectors and printers that support network communication can be used via an information processing apparatus such as a notebook PC (Personal Computer) or a smartphone. When the electronic device supports wireless communication, the user can use the electronic device without directly connecting the information processing apparatus to the electronic device with a wired cable, which is highly convenient. For example, if the information processing device is wirelessly communicated with an electronic device in a conference room in which the user carries the information processing device, the user can use the electronic device in a meeting.

  In order for an information processing device to use an electronic device connected to a network, the information processing device must communicate with the electronic device wirelessly. However, the user knows the IP address of the electronic device, etc. The IP address of the electronic device is not always set. For this reason, the information processing apparatus needs to acquire the IP address of the electronic device by some method. As one method, there is a method in which the information processing apparatus searches for surrounding electronic devices. Since the electronic device in the search range transmits its own IP address and the type as the electronic device to the information processing apparatus, the user can select and communicate with the electronic device used by the user and can use it for a conference or the like.

  However, the search range of the electronic device is limited to the range where the broadcast can reach. The broadcast address includes a limited broadcast address and a directed broadcast address, but a directed broadcast address is generally used. Directed broadcasts only search for electronic devices with the same network address. There are various reasons for this, but in limited broadcast, search requests are sent to all electronic devices in the network, and a large number of electronic devices are detected by the search, or the network is congested. It is to do.

  In this way, although directed broadcasts can only search for electronic devices with the same network address as the information processing device, for example, an electronic device that a user in a conference room wants to use and the information processing device have the same network address. Not necessarily. In this case, even if there is an electronic device desired to be used near the user, it is not included in the search result.

  As another method for the information processing apparatus to detect the IP address or the like of the electronic device, there is a method in which the information processing apparatus uses short-range wireless communication (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Since short-range wireless communication is not restricted by a search using a network address or directed broadcast, the information processing apparatus can communicate with an electronic device within a range where radio waves can reach. Patent Document 1 discloses a system that receives affiliation information of an electronic device transmitted from an electronic device by short-range wireless communication, displays the information of the electronic device acquired from a server by specifying the affiliation information.

  However, there is a problem that an information processing apparatus cannot always communicate with an electronic device acquired by short-range wireless communication. That is, even if the information processing device can acquire an IP address or the like from the electronic device by short-range wireless communication, the electronic device and the information processing device do not necessarily belong to the same network. An information processing apparatus cannot always communicate.

  In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an information processing apparatus capable of detecting an electronic device capable of communication.

  The present invention is an information processing apparatus that communicates with one or more electronic devices, the first communication means that communicates with the electronic device via a network, and device communication information related to the network to which the electronic device is connected. The electronic device and the information processing apparatus compare the communication information about the second communication means acquired using short-range wireless communication, the communication information related to the network to which the first communication means is connected, and the device communication information. Determining means for determining whether or not communication is possible; and display means for displaying information on the electronic device that is determined to be communicable by the determination means on a display device.

  An information processing apparatus capable of detecting an electronic device capable of communication can be provided.

It is an example of the figure explaining the inconvenience of communication when a subnet differs. It is an example of the figure explaining a subnet. It is an example of the figure explaining schematic operation | movement of information processing apparatus. It is an example of the schematic block diagram of a communication system. It is an example of the hardware block diagram of information processing apparatus. It is an example of the hardware block diagram of an electronic device. It is an example of the figure explaining the data structure etc. of near field communication. It is an example of the functional block diagram which shows the function of the information processing apparatus and electronic device which a communication system contains in a block form. FIG. 3 is an example of a sequence diagram illustrating a procedure in which the information processing apparatus receives device communication information from an electronic device and requests processing from the electronic device. It is an example of the flowchart figure which shows the procedure in which an information processing apparatus produces the list | wrist of an electronic device. It is a figure which shows an example of the apparatus communication information which an information processing apparatus receives. It is an example of the list screen of the electronic device which an information processing apparatus displays on a display apparatus. It is an example of a list screen when an electronic device connected to the same network as the information processing apparatus cannot be found. It is a figure which shows an example of the apparatus communication information of the network for guests. FIG. 11 is an example of a flowchart illustrating a procedure for creating a list including an electronic device connected to a guest network by the information processing apparatus. It is an example of the list screen which an information processing apparatus displays with the apparatus communication information of FIG. It is an example of the sequence diagram which shows the procedure in which information processing apparatus receives apparatus communication information from an electronic device by near field communication. It is an example of the flowchart figure which shows the procedure which produces the list of the electronic devices 30 connected to the network which the information processing apparatus has connected in the past. It is an example of the list screen on which a list of electronic devices connected to a network to which the information processing apparatus has been connected in the past is displayed. It is an example of the flowchart figure which shows the procedure in which an information processing apparatus produces the list of electronic devices using a non-display condition. It is a figure which shows the system configuration example in case apparatuses other than an electronic device provide apparatus communication information.

  Hereinafter, a communication system and a communication method performed by the communication system for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<Regarding problems with conventional technology>
The problems of the prior art will be supplemented using FIGS. FIG. 1 is an example of a diagram illustrating inconvenience of communication when subnet SNs are different, and FIG. 2 is an example of a diagram illustrating subnet SNs.

  FIG. 1A shows an example of a subnet SN in a corporate network.

  Information processing apparatus 10: connected to the subnet SN_B.

  Electronic device 30A: connected to subnet SN_A.

  Electronic device 30B: connected to subnet SN_B.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, the IP address is divided into a network part and a host part. The subnet mask determines how far the network part is and where the host part is. FIG. 2B shows an example of the IP address, subnet mask, network address, and directed broadcast address of the information processing apparatus 10 and the electronic devices 30A and 30B. The subnet mask is determined by an administrator such as a company in consideration of ease of management. In FIG. 2B, “255.255.255.0” having the upper 24 bits of 1 is the subnet mask. Therefore, the upper 24 bits of the IP address are the network part, and the lower 8 bits are the host part.

  The network portion of the IP address is called a network address, and the network address is obtained by AND calculation of the IP address and the subnet mask. The network address of the information processing apparatus 10 and the electronic device 30B is “192.168.1.0”, and the network address of the electronic device 30A is “192.168.2.0”. Since the subnet refers to a network having the same network address, as shown in FIG. 1A, the information processing apparatus 10 and the electronic device 30B are connected to the same subnet SN_B, and the electronic device 30A is connected to the subnet SN_A. You can see that

  Since the directed broadcast address is an address of “network address + host part is all 1”, the information processing apparatus 10, the electronic device 30B, and the electronic device 30A are different. Therefore, when the information processing apparatus 10 searches for surrounding electronic devices 30 (electronic devices 30A and 30B) by directed broadcast, the electronic device 30B is a search target, but the electronic device 30A is not a search target. Such a situation can occur when: In a network in an enterprise, an administrator often places electronic devices 30 in a specific department in the same subnet, such as all the electronic devices 30 in a specific department are in the same subnet. However, it is considered that a user who uses a portable information processing device 10 such as a smartphone or a notebook PC may want to connect to the electronic device 30 at a destination, and in such a case, the user is close to the information processing device 10. A situation may occur in which the subnet of the electronic device 30 is different.

  A user who has the information processing apparatus 10 is close to himself / herself, but cannot search for the electronic device 30A in the subnet SN_A. In order for the information processing apparatus 10 to use the electronic device 30A of the subnet SN_A, it is necessary to directly input the IP address of the electronic device 30A. However, since the information is not easily detected unless it is detected by a search, convenience is impaired.

  Such an inconvenience can be solved by the information processing apparatus 10 searching for the surrounding electronic device 30 by short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark; hereinafter, omitted) as will be described later.

  Next, a case where the network to which the information processing apparatus 10 and the electronic device 30B are connected is different from the network to which the electronic device 30A is connected will be described with reference to FIG. Similar disadvantages occur in this case. FIG. 1B shows an example of a network NW divided in a company.

  Electronic device 30A: connected to network NW_A.

  Electronic device 30B: connected to network NW_B.

  Information processing apparatus 10: connected to the network NW_B.

  First, “the network is the same (same)” in the present embodiment means that the SSID (Service Set Identifier) is the same, and that the networks are different means that the SSID is different. The SSID is an identification name that identifies a network in a wireless LAN. From the operational aspect, the data reach can be said to be the same network. In FIG. 1B, the information processing device 10 and the electronic device 30A cannot communicate with each other because the information processing device 10 and the electronic device 30A have different networks. Of course, the search by the directed broadcast is not possible (the electronic device 30A is not a search target), and even if the user knows the IP address of the electronic device 30A, the information processing apparatus 10 communicates with the electronic device 30A. I can't do it.

  Such inconvenience is difficult to solve even if the information processing apparatus 10 searches for the surrounding electronic device 30 by short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth. Even if the electronic device 30A is included in the search result and the user selects the electronic device 30A, there is no substitute for being unable to communicate by wireless LAN because the network is different. For this reason, even if an electronic device can be detected by short-range wireless communication, the user has to confirm whether or not communication can be performed one by one, which may be troublesome.

<Schematic operation of the information processing apparatus 10 of this embodiment>
FIG. 3 is an example of a diagram illustrating a schematic operation of the information processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment. First, in FIG. 3, the information processing apparatus 10 and the electronic devices 30A and 30B will be described as being connected to the following network.

Information processing apparatus 10: SSID = B
Electronic device 30A: SSID = A
Electronic device 30B: SSID = B
(1) The information processing apparatus 10 acquires device communication information from the surrounding electronic device 30 by short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth. This device communication information includes the IP address and SSID of the electronic device 30.
(2) The information processing apparatus 10 determines whether there is an electronic device 30 having the same SSID as that of the information processing apparatus 10.
(3) The information processing apparatus 10 displays only the electronic device 30 having the same SSID as the information processing apparatus 10. In the example of FIG. 3, only the electronic device 30B is displayed.

  In this way, the information processing apparatus 10 receives the device communication information by short-range wireless communication and displays only the electronic device 30 connected to the same network as the information processing apparatus 10, so that the user can communicate with the wireless LAN. The electronic device 30 can be selected. Also, since device communication information is received by short-range wireless communication, there is no restriction on the search range by subnet.

<Terminology>
The network in the claims refers to a cable or a wireless network through which computers (information processing devices) can send data and access other computers. For example, LAN, WAN, wide area Ethernet, etc.

  Short-range radio refers to radio with a relatively short radio wave reach. The short distance means that the distance that can be communicated is shorter than the long distance communication such as 3G, LTE, 4G, and WiMAX. As a guideline, wireless communication is possible at a distance of 100 meters or less. It may be referred to as wireless that does not require a relay device such as a base station. Specifically, there are Bluetooth, ZigBee (registered trademark), NFC (Near Field Communication), and the like.

  “Communication is possible” means that the other side can receive data transmitted by one side. It may be referred to as accessible. In other words, communication is possible when the other is connected to a network through which data transmitted by one reaches. In one aspect, communication is possible when the network to which one is connected and the network to which the other is connected are the same.

  The electronic device information is information provided for the user to select an electronic device. It is often included in the above device communication information. For example, the name of the electronic device, the SSID, and the like.

<System configuration example>
FIG. 4 is an example of a schematic configuration diagram of the communication system 100 of the present embodiment. The communication system 100 includes the information processing apparatus 10 and one or more electronic devices 30A to 30C. When the arbitrary electronic device 30 is shown among the electronic devices 30A to 30C, it is simply referred to as “electronic device 30”. The number of electronic devices 30 may be one, four or more, and is not limited to three.

  The information processing apparatus 10 and the electronic devices 30A to 30C can communicate with each other via the network N1. The network N1 of the present embodiment is a network that uses near field communication such as Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, NFC (Near Field Communication). In addition to this, any network that can perform communication, such as infrared communication, visible light communication, and ZigBee, without mainly having connection information (information for communication) in advance at a short distance may be used.

  The information processing apparatus 10 and the electronic devices 30A to 30C can communicate with each other via the network N2. The network N2 of this embodiment is a LAN constructed in a facility where the electronic devices 30A to 30C are installed. The facility is, for example, a corporate office, and the electronic device 30 is used by corporate employees. When the network N2 has a plurality of LANs, the network N2 is called a WAN. The LAN may include a wide area Ethernet. The network N2 may be constructed by either wired or wireless, and wired and wireless may be combined.

  In the present embodiment, description will be made assuming that the information processing apparatus 10 and the electronic devices 30A to 30C to the access point 9 can communicate wirelessly. Users no longer need to connect to the network with a wired cable. That is, for convenience of explanation, the electronic devices 30A to 30C are described as being wirelessly connected to the network N2, but one or more of the electronic devices 30A to 30C may be connected to the network N2 by wire. The case of wired connection will be described later.

  The access point 9 is a wireless communication device that connects a wireless LAN client to a wired LAN. One or more SSIDs can be set for the access point 9. For example, when the network N2 has three different networks, three SSIDs are set in the access point 9. The network to which the information processing apparatus 10 and the electronic devices 30A to 30C are connected can change depending on which SSID is used to connect to the access point 9. That is, in the present embodiment, when the networks are referred to as being the same or different, it means that the network N2 is the same network or a different network.

  The information processing apparatus 10 is preferably a portable information processing apparatus 10, and specifically, a smartphone, a mobile phone, a tablet terminal, a game machine, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a digital camera, a wearable PC (Personal Computer), a notebook Although it is PC etc., it is not restricted to these.

  In the information processing apparatus 10, application software (hereinafter simply referred to as an application) is operating. The application has a function of receiving device communication information to be described later from the electronic device 30 using short-range wireless communication, a function of displaying the electronic device 30 having the same SSID as the SSID of the information processing apparatus 10, and the like.

  The electronic device 30 may be a device that uses the function of the information processing apparatus 10. For example, a multifunction device, a projector, an electronic blackboard, a video conference terminal, and the like can be given. When the electronic device 30 is a multifunction peripheral, the user operates the information processing apparatus 10 to transmit document data to the multifunction peripheral, and causes the multifunction peripheral to print the document data. When the electronic device 30 is a projector, the user operates the information processing apparatus 10 to transmit image data to the projector, and causes the projector to project image data. When the electronic device 30 is an electronic blackboard, the user operates the information processing apparatus 10 to transmit image data such as presentation software to the electronic blackboard, and displays the image data on the electronic blackboard. When the electronic device 30 is a video conference terminal, the user operates the information processing apparatus 10 to transmit image data of a document serving as a document to the video conference terminal, and the image data is transmitted to the video conference terminal at another base in the video conference terminal. Send it. Thus, the electronic device 30 may be any device that can use the electronic data transmitted by the information processing apparatus 10.

  The multi-function peripheral may be called an MFP (Multi-Function Peripheral), a copier, a copier, an image forming apparatus, an image processing apparatus, or a printer. The projector may be called a projection device. An electronic blackboard is sometimes called an electronic information board or an electronic whiteboard.

  Further, the electronic device 30 may not be a device having a function that requires dedicated hardware such as a print function. The electronic device 30 may be the information processing apparatus 10 such as a PC or a server. When the electronic device 30 is a PC or server, the user operates the information processing apparatus 10 to communicate with the PC or server using browser software to acquire necessary information or perform various processing on the PC or server using a Web application. Can be executed.

<Hardware configuration>
<< Information processing device 10 >>
FIG. 5 is an example of a hardware configuration diagram of the information processing apparatus 10. As illustrated, the information processing apparatus 10 has the functions of the information processing apparatus 10. The information processing apparatus 10 includes a CPU 101, a RAM 102, an input device 103, an external I / F 104, a camera 105, an SSD (Solid State Drive) 106, a ROM 107, a display device 108, a wireless communication device 109, an NFC communication device 110, and a BLE module. 111 and the like are connected to each other by a bus B.

  The CPU 101 is an arithmetic unit that realizes control and functions of the entire information processing apparatus 10 by reading a program and data from a storage device such as the ROM 107 and the SSD 106 onto the RAM 102 and executing processing.

  The RAM 102 is a volatile semiconductor memory (storage device) that temporarily stores programs and data.

  The input device 103 is a keyboard or a touch panel, for example, and is used to input each operation signal to the information processing device 10. Note that the input device 103 may include a mouse pointer and a voice input device.

  The external I / F 104 is an interface with an external device. An example of the external device is a storage medium 104a. The storage medium 104a can store an application for realizing the functions of the present embodiment. The information processing apparatus 10 can read and / or write to the storage medium 104a via the external I / F 104.

  The storage medium 104a is a storage medium such as an SD memory card, for example. The storage medium 104a may be a storage medium such as a USB memory (Universal Serial Bus memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), a CD (Compact Disk), or a flexible disk.

  The camera 105 is an image pickup apparatus including a lens for forming an image, a diaphragm, an image pickup element such as a CMOS or a CCD. It can capture moving images as well as still images.

  The SSD 106 is a nonvolatile storage device that stores programs and data. The stored programs and data include, for example, an OS (Operating System) that is basic software for controlling the entire information processing apparatus 10 and applications that provide various functions on the OS. Note that the information processing apparatus 10 may include a hard disk drive (HDD) or the like instead of the SSD 106 or in combination with the SSD 106.

  The ROM 107 is a nonvolatile semiconductor memory (storage device) that can retain programs and data even when the power is turned off. The ROM 107 stores programs and data such as BIOS (Basic Input / Output System), OS settings, and network settings that are executed when the information processing apparatus 10 is started.

  The display device 108 is an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), for example, and displays a processing result by the information processing device 10. The display device 108 includes a touch panel.

  The wireless communication device 109 is an interface for performing wireless communication, and communicates with the electronic device 30 according to a communication standard such as a wireless LAN. Note that there are Wi-Fi Direct, ad hoc mode, and the like as wireless LAN communication standards that do not pass through the access point 9, and the information processing apparatus 10 may communicate with the electronic device 30 using these. Further, the wireless communication device 109 may be an interface for connecting to a mobile phone network such as LTE (Long Term Evolution).

  The NFC communication apparatus 110 performs communication according to a communication standard using an IC chip such as NFC or Transfer Jet (registered trademark). That is, it is a reader / writer for the RF tag.

  The BLE module 111 is a communication device that performs communication in accordance with the Bluetooth Low Energy communication standard.

<< Electronic equipment 30 >>
FIG. 6 is an example of a hardware configuration diagram of the electronic device 30. In FIG. 6, the hardware configuration of a multifunction peripheral as the electronic device 30 will be described. The electronic device 30 has a function as an information processing apparatus, and has a function of dedicated hardware such as a printer. The electronic device 30 has a controller 320. The controller 320 includes a CPU 301, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) 305, an SDRAM 302, a flash memory 303, an HDD 304, and a network interface card (NIC) 306.

  The ASIC 305 is a multifunction device board including a CPU interface, an SDRAM interface, a local bus interface, a PCI bus interface, a MAC (Media Access Controller), an HDD interface, and the like.

  The CPU 301 reads and executes various programs (for example, a usage management program) from the HDD 304 via the ASIC 305.

  The SDRAM 302 functions as a program memory that stores various programs, a work memory that is used when the CPU 301 executes various programs, and the like. Note that a DRAM or SRAM may be used instead of the SDRAM 302.

  The flash memory 303 is a non-volatile memory, and stores a boot loader (boot program) for starting up the electronic device 30 and an OS. It also functions as an application memory that stores each program. The flash memory 303 functions as a service memory that stores software for each service (copy service, print service, facsimile service). Further, the flash memory 303 functions as a firmware memory that stores firmware, and a data memory that stores network addresses, model numbers, and the like.

  Instead of the flash memory 303, another nonvolatile memory such as a nonvolatile RAM in which a backup circuit using a RAM and a battery is integrated or an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) may be used.

  The HDD 304 is a non-volatile storage medium that stores data regardless of whether the electronic device 30 is powered on or off. The HDD 304 records programs and data other than the programs and data stored in the flash memory 303. The HDD 304 may be used as a farm memory.

  The NIC 306 is an interface for communicating with the information processing apparatus 10 via the network N (for example, an Ethernet (registered trademark) card). The NIC 306 can communicate with a so-called wireless LAN or Wi-Fi that performs wireless communication according to a standard such as IEEE802.11b / 11a / 11g / 11n / 11ac.

  An operation panel 307 is connected to the controller 320. The operation panel 307 has various operation keys, an LCD (Liquid crystal display) or CRT character display as a display device, and a touch panel, and is used when a user inputs various instructions to the electronic device 30.

  Further, a fax control unit 308, a USB 309 to which a storage medium 309 a can be attached and removed, an IEEE 1394 (310), a plotter engine 311, a scanner engine 312, and a BLE module 111 are connected to the controller 320 via a PCI bus 330. Thereby, the electronic device 30 can provide services such as a copy service, a print service, and a facsimile service. The plotter engine 311 may employ either an electrophotographic system or an inkjet system.

  The BLE module 111 is a communication device that communicates with the information processing apparatus 10 according to a communication standard called Bluetooth Low Energy. It is an extended specification of the short-range wireless communication technology Bluetooth, and one of the features is that it can communicate with extremely low power. Although it depends on the environment, the communication distance is a short distance of several meters to several tens of meters.

  The illustrated configuration is merely an example, and the hardware configuration of the electronic device 30 is not limited to the configuration in FIG. For example, the NIC 306 may be connected to the PCI bus 330.

  Furthermore, a DSU (Digital Service Unit) or a modem connected to the telephone line network may be provided together with the NIC 306. You may have a communication apparatus connected to a mobile telephone network.

<One aspect of near field communication>
In Bluetooth Low Energy, the information processing apparatus 10 and the electronic device 30 communicate with each other. A device that provides a service (electronic device 30 in the present embodiment) is referred to as a peripheral, and a device that uses a service (information processing apparatus 10 in the present embodiment) is referred to as a central. The relationship between the two is not fixed and may be reversed.

  The peripheral and central communicate according to a list of data held by the peripheral. As shown in FIG. 7A, one piece of data has ATT Handle, ATT Type (UUID: Universally Unique Identifier), ATT Value, and ATT Permission. ATT is an abbreviation of Attribute and is a unit of data transmission / reception. The ATT Handle is information for identifying the ATT. ATT Type is information for identifying data having a data structure possessed by a peripheral. ATT Value is an area where data is stored. ATT Permission stores data access rights, read permission, write permission, and the like. Data stored in ATT Value and sent and received between the peripheral and central is called characteristic.

  Peripherals transmit UUID advertising packets indicating service contents at regular intervals, and Central receives advertising packets when entering a radio wave reachable range. If the central determines that the service is the target service based on the UUID, the central acquires the data list from the peripheral, thereby acquiring the data list access method and the like. Central then declares the start of communication. Thereafter, communication for confirming the existence of each other is performed at regular intervals until the end of communication is declared.

  Data transmission / reception is performed by specifying a characteristic. For example, when the central acquires data from the peripheral, “Read Characteristic” is used, and when the central transmits data to the peripheral, “Write Characteristic” is used.

FIG. 7B illustrates an example of a sequence diagram of a procedure for the information processing apparatus 10 to search for the electronic devices 30A to 30C using Bluetooth Low Energy.
S1 to S3: The electronic devices 30A to 30C periodically transmit an advertising packet around a range where radio waves reach.
S4 to S6: The electronic devices 30A to 30C periodically transmit an advertising packet around a range where radio waves reach.

  S7 to S9: The advertising packet includes an ID for identifying a service called UUID, and when the application of the information processing apparatus 10 detects the UUID set in its own device, the electronic devices 30A to 30C Connect. Central obtains a data list from the peripheral, reads / writes the characteristic and sends / receives information.

  Bluetooth (low energy) allows 1 (central) to N (peripheral) communication, but there are few inconveniences even if it is 1 to 1 communication.

  The UUID in the present embodiment means a service for the information processing apparatus 10 to search for and display the electronic device 30. When the information processing device 10 and the electronic devices 30A to 30C are connected, the information processing device 10 can acquire device communication information from the electronic devices 30A to 30C.

<About functions>
FIG. 8 is an example of a functional block diagram illustrating the functions of the information processing apparatus 10 and the electronic device 30 included in the communication system 100 in a block form.

<< Information processing device 10 >>
The information processing apparatus 10 includes a display unit 11, an operation reception unit 12, a print data generation unit 13, a short-range wireless communication unit 14, a connection availability determination unit 15, and a network communication unit 16. Each of these functional units is a function or means realized by any one of the constituent elements shown in FIG. 5 operating according to a command from the CPU 101 according to an application stored in the SSD 106, the ROM 107, or the RAM 102. .

  In addition, the information processing apparatus 10 includes a storage unit 19 constructed by any one or more of the SSD 106, the ROM 107, and the RAM 102 illustrated in FIG. The storage unit 19 stores login information 191, connection history information 192, communication information 193, and an application (application software 194). The application is distributed by being stored in the storage medium 104a or downloaded from a server that distributes the program. The login information 191, connection history information 192, and communication information 193 stored in the storage unit 19 will be described.

表１は、記憶部１９に記憶されているログイン情報１９１を模式的に示す。ログイン情報１９１には、電子機器３０にユーザがログインするためのユーザＩＤ及びパスワードが登録されている。この例では電子機器３０Ａ〜３０Ｃに対しユーザＩＤとパスワードが共通であるが、電子機器３０Ａ〜３０Ｃごとに異なってもよい。この場合、電子機器３０Ａ〜３０Ｃを識別するための識別情報に対応付けてユーザＩＤとパスワードが登録されている。また、ログインに使用されるＩＣカードの番号や指紋などの生体情報がログイン情報であってもよい。

Table 1 schematically shows login information 191 stored in the storage unit 19. In the login information 191, a user ID and a password for a user to log in to the electronic device 30 are registered. In this example, the user ID and the password are common to the electronic devices 30A to 30C, but may be different for each of the electronic devices 30A to 30C. In this case, a user ID and a password are registered in association with identification information for identifying the electronic devices 30A to 30C. In addition, biometric information such as an IC card number and a fingerprint used for login may be login information.

表２は、記憶部１９に記憶されている接続履歴情報１９２を模式的に示す。接続履歴情報１９２には、ネットワーク名、ＳＳＩＤ、及び暗号化キーを１つのレコードにして、情報処理装置１０が過去に接続したことがあるネットワークに接続するための情報（過去接続情報）が登録されている。情報処理装置１０の例えばＯＳは一度接続したネットワーク（アクセスポイント９）のネットワーク名、ＳＳＩＤ、及び暗号化キーを自動的に（ユーザが操作しなくても）記憶する。次回、情報処理装置１０がアクセスポイント９の電波の到達範囲に進入するとＳＳＩＤを受信できるため、情報処理装置１０はＳＳＩＤに対応付けられている暗号化キーを使ってネットワークに接続できる。なお、この暗号化キーはネットワークセキュリティキーやパスワードと呼ばれる場合がある。暗号化キーは送受信されるデータを暗号化するために使用される。

Table 2 schematically shows the connection history information 192 stored in the storage unit 19. In the connection history information 192, information for connecting to a network to which the information processing apparatus 10 has connected in the past (past connection information) is registered with the network name, SSID, and encryption key as one record. ing. For example, the OS of the information processing apparatus 10 automatically stores the network name, SSID, and encryption key of the network (access point 9) once connected (even if the user does not operate it). When the information processing apparatus 10 enters the radio wave reachable range of the access point 9 next time, the SSID can be received. Therefore, the information processing apparatus 10 can connect to the network using the encryption key associated with the SSID. This encryption key may be called a network security key or password. The encryption key is used for encrypting transmitted / received data.

表３は、記憶部１９に記憶されている通信情報１９３を模式的に示す。通信情報１９３には現在、情報処理装置１０のネットワーク通信部１６が接続しているネットワークに関する情報が格納されている。例えば、ネットワーク名及びＳＳＩＤが登録されている。通信情報１９３は、情報処理装置１０が接続したことがあるネットワークの情報なので、通信情報１９３と同じ情報が接続履歴情報１９２に含まれている。

Table 3 schematically shows the communication information 193 stored in the storage unit 19. The communication information 193 stores information related to the network to which the network communication unit 16 of the information processing apparatus 10 is currently connected. For example, the network name and SSID are registered. Since the communication information 193 is information on the network to which the information processing apparatus 10 has been connected, the same information as the communication information 193 is included in the connection history information 192.

(Function of information processing device)
The display unit 11 is realized by the CPU 101 illustrated in FIG. 5 executing the application and controlling the display device 108, and displays various screens generated by the application on the display device 108. For example, a list of electronic devices 30 connected to the same network as the information processing apparatus 10 is displayed.

  The operation reception unit 12 is realized by the CPU 101 illustrated in FIG. 5 executing an application and controlling the display device 108, the input device 103, and the like, and receives an operation from a user. In other words, it accepts pressing of hard keys and soft keys pressed by the user. For example, selection of the electronic device 30 to be used is received.

  The print data generation unit 13 is realized by the CPU 101 shown in FIG. 5 executing an application or the like, and converts the document data into print data described in PDL (Printer Description Language) when the electronic device 30 is a multifunction peripheral. To do.

  The short-range wireless communication unit 14 is realized by the CPU 101 illustrated in FIG. 5 executing an application and controlling the BLE module 111, and communicates with the electronic device 30 in accordance with a communication standard called Bluetooth Low Energy. That is, it connects to the network N1 of FIG. The short-range wireless communication unit 14 receives device communication information 391 stored in the storage unit 39 of the electronic device 30 from the electronic device 30.

  Note that the short-range wireless communication unit 14 is capable of communication over a distance of 10 m or more as a capability. However, communication may be performed only with the electronic device 30 within a predetermined distance from the information processing apparatus 10 by communicating with the electronic device 30 only when the radio wave intensity is greater than or equal to the threshold value. Thereby, only the electronic device 30 near the information processing apparatus 10 can be detected. However, the radio wave intensity does not always correctly represent the distance between the information processing apparatus 10 and the electronic device 30 due to the presence of obstacles, reflection of radio waves, and the like, and therefore communicates with the electronic device 30 at a location away from the information processing apparatus 10. In some cases. For this reason, it is effective that the information processing apparatus 10 determines and displays the electronic device 30 in the same network as the information processing apparatus 10 as in the present embodiment.

5 is realized by the CPU 101 shown in FIG. 5 executing an application or the like, and determines whether the information processing apparatus 10 can communicate with the electronic device 30 based on the communication information 193 and the device communication information 391. To do. Specifically, the following is determined.
The information processing apparatus 10 and the electronic device 30 are connected to the same network.

Further, as will be described later, whether or not the information processing apparatus 10 can communicate with the electronic device 30 is determined as follows.
The connection history information 192 includes the network of the electronic device 30.
The electronic device 30 provides a guest network.

  The guest network is a network to which the information processing apparatus 10 can be connected without a user inputting an encryption key, or a network to which an encryption key is provided.

  The network communication unit 16 is realized by the CPU 101 shown in FIG. 5 executing an application and controlling the wireless communication apparatus 109, and communicates with the electronic device 30 via the network N2. Specifically, the network communication unit 16 connects to the network N2 using the device communication information acquired by the short-range wireless communication unit 14, communicates with the electronic device 30, and transmits print data.

<< Electronic equipment 30 >>
The electronic device 30 includes a short-range wireless communication unit 31, a wireless data creation unit 32, a network communication unit 33, and a print execution unit 34. Each of these functional units is realized by any one of the constituent elements shown in FIG. 6 operating according to a command from the CPU 301 according to the device program 392 stored in the HDD 304, the flash memory 303, or the SDRAM 302. It is a function or means.

  Further, the electronic device 30 includes a storage unit 39 constructed by any one or more of the HDD 304, the flash memory 303, and the SDRAM 302 shown in FIG. In the storage unit 39, device communication information 391 and a device program 392 are stored. The device program 392 is distributed while being stored in the storage medium 309a, or downloaded from a server that distributes the program. The device communication information 391 stored in the storage unit 39 will be described.

表４は、記憶部３９に記憶されている機器通信情報３９１を模式的に示す。機器通信情報は、MachineName、IPAddress、ＳＳＩＤ、NetworkLevel、MachineStatus、及びLactionを有する。
MachineName：ユーザが電子機器３０を判別するための電子機器３０の名称である。管理者等により電子機器３０に予め設定されている。
IPAddress：電子機器３０のＩＰアドレスである。ＤＨＣＰサーバにより自動的に付与されるか又は管理者等により電子機器３０に予め設定されている。
ＳＳＩＤ：電子機器３０が接続しているネットワークのＳＳＩＤである。アクセスポイント９から送信される。管理者等により設定される場合がある。
NetworkLevel：電子機器３０が無線ＬＡＮで通信する際の電波強度である。
MachineStatus：電子機器３０の状態である。電子機器３０が稼動しているかどうか、別のジョブを実行中かどうか等、を電子機器３０が監視して設定する。
Location：電子機器３０が設置されている場所である。管理者等により電子機器３０に予め設定されている。

Table 4 schematically shows the device communication information 391 stored in the storage unit 39. The device communication information includes MachineName, IPAddress, SSID, NetworkLevel, MachineStatus, and Laction.
MachineName: The name of the electronic device 30 for the user to identify the electronic device 30. It is preset in the electronic device 30 by an administrator or the like.
IPAddress: The IP address of the electronic device 30. It is automatically assigned by the DHCP server or preset in the electronic device 30 by an administrator or the like.
SSID: SSID of the network to which the electronic device 30 is connected. Sent from the access point 9. It may be set by an administrator.
NetworkLevel: radio wave intensity when the electronic device 30 communicates with a wireless LAN.
MachineStatus: the state of the electronic device 30. The electronic device 30 monitors and sets whether the electronic device 30 is operating, whether another job is being executed, or the like.
Location: The location where the electronic device 30 is installed. It is preset in the electronic device 30 by an administrator or the like.

  It should be noted that the device communication information does not include an encryption key. This is because when the network N2 is a network in an office environment, it is assumed that the user of this embodiment is an employee. Since an employee can obtain an encryption key from an administrator or the like, the device communication information need not include the encryption key. In other words, even if the information processing apparatus 10 of the user other than the employee receives the device communication information, it can be prevented to connect to the network N2.

  On the other hand, the guest device communication information includes an encryption key. The guest device communication information is device communication information including an SSID (network) to which a user other than an employee can connect. Since the non-employee who does not have the authority to acquire the encryption key connects to the network, the device communication information includes the encryption key.

(Functions of electronic devices)
The wireless data creation unit 32 is realized by the CPU 301 shown in FIG. 6 executing a program, etc., and collects settings for the electronic device 30, communication status with the network N2, and status of the electronic device 30 to communicate with the device. Create information.

  The short-range wireless communication unit 31 is realized by the CPU 301 shown in FIG. 6 executing a program and controlling the BLE module 111, and communicates with the information processing apparatus 10 in accordance with a communication standard called Bluetooth Low Energy. For example, the device communication information 391 in the storage unit 39 is stored in the characteristic and transmitted to the information processing apparatus 10.

  The network communication unit 33 is realized by the CPU 301 shown in FIG. 6 executing a program and controlling the NIC 306, and communicates with the information processing apparatus 10 that has acquired the device communication information 391 via the network N2.

  The print execution unit 34 is realized by the CPU 301 shown in FIG. 6 executing a program and controlling the ASIC 305 and the plotter engine 311 and the like, and prints print data transmitted from the information processing apparatus 10.

<Acquisition of device communication information>
FIG. 9 is an example of a sequence diagram illustrating a procedure in which the information processing apparatus 10 receives device communication information from the electronic devices 30 </ b> A to 30 </ b> C and requests the electronic device 30 to perform processing. The process of FIG. 9 will be described assuming that the information processing apparatus 10 and the electronic device 30 are connected in the process of FIG.

  S1: The wireless data creation unit 32 of the electronic device 30 creates device communication information. As described above, device communication information is created according to information preset in the electronic device 30, radio wave intensity, the state of the electronic device 30, and the like. The device communication information is created at the timing when the information processing apparatus 10 is connected, or periodically, for example.

  S2: Since the electronic device 30 and the information processing apparatus 10 are communicating, the short-range wireless communication unit 31 of the electronic device 30 starts transmitting device communication information.

  S3: The user operates the application of the information processing apparatus 10 to display a list of electronic devices 30. The operation reception unit 12 of the information processing apparatus 10 receives this operation.

  S4: The short-range wireless communication unit 14 of the information processing apparatus 10 receives device communication information.

  S4.1: The connection possibility determination unit 15 of the information processing apparatus 10 determines whether or not the electronic apparatus 30 is connected to the same network based on the device communication information and the communication information 193. Details will be described with reference to FIGS.

  S4.2: The display unit 11 of the information processing apparatus 10 displays a list of the electronic devices 30 determined to be connected to the same network on the display apparatus 108.

  S5: The user views the list of electronic devices 30 and selects the electronic device 30 that he / she wants to use. The operation reception unit 12 of the information processing apparatus 10 receives the selection. Since the information processing apparatus 10 is connected to the same network as the electronic device 30, it is not necessary to input an encryption key. The operation reception unit 12 sets the IP address of the device communication information received from the electronic device 30 selected by the user in the network communication unit 16.

  S6: The user performs settings necessary for printing. For example, the document data stored in the information processing apparatus 10 is selected, and the number of copies, page range, printing direction, single-sided / double-sided, color / monochrome, etc. are set. The information processing apparatus 10 can also acquire and print document data stored in the cloud.

  S7: When the user performs an operation to execute printing, the print data generation unit 13 of the information processing apparatus 10 generates print data. Then, the network communication unit 16 logs in using the login information 191 with the electronic device 30 having the IP address of the electronic device 30 selected by the user as the destination. If the login is successful, the network communication unit 16 transmits the print data to the electronic device 30.

  FIG. 10 is an example of a flowchart illustrating a procedure in which the information processing apparatus 10 creates a list of electronic devices 30. FIG. 11 shows an example of device communication information received by the information processing apparatus 10.

  First, the connectivity determination unit 15 of the information processing apparatus 10 determines whether or not device communication information has been received by short-range wireless communication (S10). When the determination in step S10 is No, the connection possibility determination unit 15 waits until device communication information is received.

  When the determination in step S10 is Yes, the connection possibility determination unit 15 determines whether the own device and the electronic device 30 are in the same network based on the SSID (S20). First, the SSID connected to the network communication unit 16 of the own device is read from the communication information 193. The SSID of the electronic device 30 is set to “SSID” of the device communication information. If these SSIDs are the same, it is determined that they are connected to the same network.

  If the determination in step S20 is no, the process proceeds to step S40. When the determination in step S20 is Yes, the connection possibility determination unit 15 adds the electronic device 30 to the list (S30).

  Then, the connectability determination unit 15 determines whether all device communication information has been determined (S40). If the determination in step S40 is No, the information processing apparatus 10 executes the processes in steps S20 and S30. If the determination in step S40 is Yes, the process in FIG. 10 ends.

  An example of determining whether or not the same network is used will be described using the device communication information of FIG. First, it is assumed that the information processing apparatus 10 of the present embodiment is connected to a network whose SSID is “CorporateWAN”.

  The device communication information in FIG. 11A is device communication information of the electronic device 30 connected to the same network as the information processing apparatus 10. Each item is described in Table 4. Since the SSID in FIG. 11A is “CorporateWAN”, it is determined that the electronic device 30 is connected to the same network as the information processing apparatus 10.

  The device communication information in FIG. 11B is device communication information of the electronic device 30 connected to the same network as the information processing apparatus 10 but in a different subnet. Since it is not necessary to determine that the subnets are different in the present embodiment, it is unknown for the information processing apparatus 10 whether the electronic device 30 and the subnet are the same. As described with reference to FIG. 1, if there is an IP address and a subnet mask, it can be determined whether or not they are the same subnet. In this embodiment, since the subnets are different, the electronic device 30 that cannot be searched by the directed broadcast can be detected and communicated.

  The device communication information in FIG. 11C is device communication information of the electronic device 30 connected to a different network from the information processing apparatus 10. Since the SSID in FIG. 11C is “OneWAN”, it is determined that the electronic device 30 is connected to a different network from the information processing apparatus 10.

<Screen example>
FIG. 12 is an example of a list screen 501 of the electronic device 30 displayed on the display device 108 by the information processing apparatus 10. When the information processing apparatus 10 receives device communication information as shown in FIG. 11, the information processing apparatus 10 displays a list screen 501 as shown in FIG.

  Since it is determined that the electronic device 30 is connected to the same network as the information processing apparatus 10 according to the device communication information in FIGS. 11A and 11B, as shown in FIG. The device communication information of (a) and FIG. 11 (b) is displayed on the display device 108. The device communication information of FIG. 11A is displayed in the upper part of the list screen 501 in FIG. 12, and the device communication information of FIG. 11B is displayed in the lower part. “Device Name” corresponds to MachineName, “IP Address” corresponds to IPAddress, “Network Strength” corresponds to NetworkLevel, “Device Status” corresponds to MachineStatus, and “Location” corresponds to Location. . The “network” on the list screen 501 is a determination result of whether or not the information processing apparatus 10 and the electronic device 30 are connected to the same network.

  The list screen 501 has a selection button 503 associated with each electronic device 30. When the user selects the electronic device 30, the user presses the selection button 503. Since the operation reception unit 12 acquires the IP address of the device communication information and sends it to the network communication unit 16, the selected electronic device 30 and the information processing apparatus 10 can communicate with each other.

  On the other hand, since it is determined that the electronic device 30 is not connected to the same network as the information processing apparatus 10 according to the device communication information of FIG. 11C, the electronic device 30 is displayed on the list screen 501 of the display device 108. Not.

FIG. 13 is an example of a list screen 501 when the electronic device 30 connected to the same network as the information processing apparatus 10 is not found. When the electronic device 30 connected to the same network as the information processing apparatus 10 is not found, for example, a message 502 “not found” is displayed. If the electronic device 30 connected to the same network as the information processing apparatus 10 is not found,
(i) When receiving device communication information from only the electronic device 30 connected to a different network from the information processing apparatus 10
(ii) There are two cases where no device communication information can be received. The display unit 11 may display the list screen 501 separately for these two cases. For example, in the case of (i), the display unit 11 displays “an electronic device connected to the same network as the information processing apparatus 10 is not found”, and in the case of (ii), “receives device communication information” Is not possible. " Accordingly, in the case of (i), the user can switch the network to which the information processing apparatus 10 is connected. In the case of (ii), the user can switch the network to which the information processing apparatus 10 is connected. In this case, the user can take measures such as moving the place.

  Thus, the user can select the electronic device 30 connected to the same network as the information processing apparatus 10 from the screen.

<Guest network>
A guest network may be provided. If there is a guest network, the user can connect to the guest network in the destination conference room without holding the encryption key.

  The device communication information in FIG. 14 is device communication information of the electronic device 30 connected to a different network from the information processing apparatus 10. Since the SSID in FIG. 14 is “guestWAN”, it is determined that the electronic device 30 is connected to a different network from the information processing apparatus 10. On the other hand, the device communication information in FIG. 14 has an item “guest”. The guest item is set to true for a network that allows non-employee visitors to connect. It is set to false in the case of a network provided only to employees. Such setting is performed in advance by an administrator or the like.

  Since the device communication information in FIG. 14 is set to “true” in guest, it is determined that the electronic device 30 is connected to the guest network. An arbitrary information processing apparatus 10 can be connected to the guest network (the employee's information processing apparatus 10 may not be connected). In addition, an item “password” is set in the device communication information transmitted by the electronic device 30 connected to the guest network. The information processing apparatus 10 can connect to the network N2 using the encryption key set in password.

  FIG. 15 is an example of a flowchart illustrating a procedure in which the information processing apparatus 10 creates a list including the electronic device 30 connected to the guest network. In the description of FIG. 15, differences from FIG. 10 are mainly described. The processes in steps S10, S20, S30, and S40 in FIG. 15 are the same as those in FIG.

  When the determination in step S20 is No, the connection possibility determination unit 15 determines whether or not the electronic device 30 is connected to the guest network (S22). As described above, it is determined whether or not the item “guest” in the device communication information is “true”.

  When the determination in step S22 is Yes, the connectability determination unit 15 adds the electronic device 30 to the list (S30). Therefore, even if the electronic device 30 is not connected to the same network as the information processing apparatus 10, the electronic device 30 can be displayed on the list screen 501 when connected to the guest network.

  FIG. 16 is an example of a list screen 501 displayed by the information processing apparatus 10 based on the device communication information of FIG. Although this electronic device 30 is not connected to the same network as the information processing apparatus 10, it is connected to the guest network, so that device communication information is displayed on the list screen 501 as shown in FIG. In the description of FIG. 16, differences from FIG. 12 are mainly described. The list screen 501 in FIG. 16 includes an item “guest network”. “Guest network” is a guest setting indicating whether the network to which the electronic device 30 is connected is for a guest without a predetermined authority. It corresponds to guest in FIG. The predetermined authority is an authority to access the network, for example, an employee.

  The user can select the electronic device 30 connected to the guest network. In addition, since it is displayed in FIG. 16 that the network is for a guest, it is possible to determine not to connect in consideration of security.

  By the way, since the information processing apparatus 10 is not currently connected to the guest network, the information processing apparatus 10 needs to switch the network when the user selects the guest network.

  FIG. 17 is an example of a sequence diagram illustrating a procedure in which the information processing apparatus 10 receives device communication information from the electronic devices 30A to 30C by short-range wireless communication. FIG. 17 mainly describes differences from FIG. The processing in steps S1 to S5 is the same as that in FIG.

  S5.1: Since the user has selected a guest network, the user performs an operation to switch the network. The operation accepting unit 12 of the information processing apparatus 10 accepts this operation and switches from the currently connected network to the guest network. The subsequent processing is the same as in FIG.

  Specifically, the user may input the encryption key displayed on the list screen 501 into the information processing apparatus 10. Since the information processing apparatus 10 receives the SSID of the network to which the electronic device 30 is connected by surrounding radio waves, only the encryption key has to be input. Since there is a high possibility that the information processing apparatus 10 has received a plurality of SSIDs by surrounding radio waves, the information processing apparatus 10 preferably highlights and displays the SSID of the network to which the electronic device 30 is connected.

  Alternatively, the network communication unit 16 extracts the SSID and the encryption key from the device communication information and sets them in the information processing apparatus 10. When the network is automatically switched in this way, the information processing apparatus 10 may have a setting or specification for inquiring the user as to whether or not to switch the network. In this case, the user may permit switching for the inquiry.

<When there is a past connection history>
In the case of a network to which the information processing apparatus 10 has been connected in the past, since the encryption key is set in the information processing apparatus 10, the information processing apparatus 10 can connect to this network. Therefore, the information processing apparatus 10 is configured so that the network to which the electronic device 30 is currently connected is different from the network to which the electronic device 30 is connected, and the network to which the electronic device 30 is connected is not a guest network. Preferably it is presented to the user.

  FIG. 18 is an example of a flowchart illustrating a procedure for creating a list of electronic devices 30 connected to a network to which the information processing apparatus 10 has been connected in the past. In the description of FIG. 18, differences from FIG. 15 are mainly described.

  When the determination in step S20 is No, the connection possibility determination unit 15 determines whether or not the electronic device 30 is connected to the guest network (S22).

  If the determination in step S22 is No, the connection possibility determination unit 15 determines whether the network to which the electronic device 30 is connected is a network to which the information processing apparatus 10 has been connected in the past (S24). The connection possibility determination unit 15 determines whether the SSID of the connection history information 192 includes the same SSID as the device communication information.

  When the determination in step S24 is Yes, the connectability determination unit 15 adds the electronic device 30 to the list (S30). Therefore, even when the electronic device 30 is not connected to the same network as the information processing apparatus 10 and is not connected to the guest network, the electronic apparatus 30 is connected to the network to which the information processing apparatus 10 has been connected in the past. The information processing apparatus 10 can display the electronic device 30 that is currently displayed on the list screen.

FIG. 19 is an example of a list screen 501 that displays a list of electronic devices 30 connected to a network to which the information processing apparatus 10 has been connected in the past. The list screen 501 in FIG. 19 has an item “network connection history”, which indicates that the electronic device 30 is connected to a network to which the information processing apparatus 10 has been connected in the past. For this reason,
As shown in FIG. 19, device communication information of the electronic device 30 is displayed on the list screen 501.

  When the user selects an electronic device 30 connected to a network that has been connected in the past, the user does not need to input an encryption key, and thus operates as follows.

  If the setting or specification is such that the information processing apparatus 10 automatically connects to a network when receiving a wireless LAN radio wave that has been connected in the past, the information processing apparatus 10 can connect to the network without pressing the selection button 503. Connect to. Accordingly, when the user presses the selection button 503, the information processing apparatus 10 is connected to the network to which the electronic device selected by the user is connected without triggering the information processing apparatus 10 to connect to the network. Can do.

  If the information processing apparatus 10 does not have a setting or specification for automatic connection even after receiving a wireless LAN wave that has been connected in the past, the user presses the selection button 503 to select the selected device communication information. The network communication unit 16 acquires the SSID and the encryption key from the connection history information 192. The network communication unit 16 connects to the network N to which the electronic device 30 selected by the user is connected using the acquired SSID and encryption key. Since the connection is made in the past, the information processing apparatus 10 can be connected to the network to which the electronic device 30 is connected even if there is no inquiry to the user.

<Other display conditions>
Furthermore, the information processing apparatus 10 may hide the electronic device 30 according to one or more of the following conditions.

-Network strength is below threshold-Device status is error-Location specified by user is different from position of electronic device 30 Information processing device 10 sends print data to any electronic device 30 that satisfies these conditions Since the information processing apparatus 10 does not display, the user can easily select an appropriate electronic device 30. Note that the location specified by the user and the position of the electronic device 30 differ from each other when the location of the device communication information is other than the conference room when the user has previously set, for example, “conference room” in the information processing apparatus 10. (For example, sales department, development department, etc.).

  FIG. 20 is an example of a flowchart illustrating a procedure in which the information processing apparatus 10 creates a list of electronic devices 30 using a non-display condition. In the description of FIG. 20, differences from FIG. 18 are mainly described.

  When the determination in step S10 is Yes, the connection possibility determination unit 15 determines whether the network strength is equal to or less than a threshold value (S12). If the determination in step S12 is yes, the process proceeds to step S40. Therefore, electronic devices with weak network strength are not added to the list.

  When the determination in step S12 is No, the connection possibility determination unit 15 determines whether the device state is an error (S14). If the determination in step S14 is yes, the process proceeds to step S40. Therefore, electronic devices with weak network strength are not added to the list.

  When the determination in step S14 is No, the connection possibility determination unit 15 determines whether or not the location of the electronic device 30 and the information processing apparatus 10 match (S16). If the determination in step S16 is No, the process proceeds to step S40. Therefore, electronic devices with weak network strength are not added to the list. The subsequent steps may be the same as those in FIG.

  When there is no electronic device 30 other than the electronic device 30 that is hidden in steps S12 to S16, the information processing apparatus 10 may display the electronic device 30 that satisfies the non-display condition of steps S12 to S16. . In this case, the user can try to print with these electronic devices 30 although the conditions of communication etc. are bad.

<When devices other than electronic devices provide device communication information>
In the present embodiment, it has been described that each electronic device 30 provides device communication information, but a device other than the electronic device may provide device communication information.

FIG. 21 shows a system configuration example in a case where devices other than electronic devices provide device communication information. (1) The beacon transmission device 8 periodically transmits radio waves. When the information processing device 10 enters the radio wave reception range, the information processing device 10 receives the URL of the server 7 from the beacon transmission device 8.
(2) The electronic device 30 periodically transmits device communication information to the server 7, and the information processing apparatus 10 acquires device communication information of each electronic device 30 from the server 7.
(3) The information processing apparatus 10 determines whether there is an electronic device 30 having the same SSID as that of the information processing apparatus 10.
(4) The information processing apparatus 10 displays only the electronic device 30 having the same SSID as that of the information processing apparatus 10. In the example of FIG. 3, only the electronic device 30B is displayed.
As described above, the information processing apparatus 10 can acquire device communication information from other than the electronic device 30.

  Even when the information processing apparatus 10 receives device communication information by short-range wireless communication, it is not received from the electronic device 30, but is a device separate from the electronic device 30 (for example, the beacon transmission device 8 or an arbitrary PC). ). In this case, the electronic device 30 transmits device communication information to a separate device.

<When one or more of electronic devices 30A to 30C are connected to network N2 by wire>
One or more of the electronic devices 30A to 30C can be connected to the network N2 by wire. That is, the information processing apparatus 10 is connected to the network N2 via a wireless LAN, and one or more of the electronic devices 30A to 30C are connected to the network N2 via a cable. In such a case, a VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) is used to associate the SSID of the wireless LAN with the wired network N2. VLAN is a technology that virtually divides a network at layer 2. For example, when the electronic device 30 </ b> A and the electronic device 30 </ b> B are connected to different networks by wire, different VLAN tags (VLAN IDs) are assigned to the respective networks at the access point 9.

表５はアクセスポイント９において割り当てられているＳＳＩＤとＶＬＡＮ ＩＤの対応を説明する表の一例である（ＶＬＡＮ ＩＤとＳＳＩＤを対応付ける対応情報）。このようにＳＳＩＤとＶＬＡＮが対応付けられていることで、電子機器３０が有線でネットワークＮ２に対応付けられていても、情報処理装置１０は電子機器３０が接続されたネットワークが同一か否かを判断できる。

Table 5 is an example of a table for explaining the correspondence between the SSID assigned to the access point 9 and the VLAN ID (correspondence information associating the VLAN ID with the SSID). By associating the SSID and the VLAN in this way, the information processing apparatus 10 determines whether or not the network to which the electronic device 30 is connected is the same even if the electronic device 30 is associated with the network N2 by wire. I can judge.

  In this case, since the electronic devices 30A and 30B may not know the SSID, the device communication information may include the VLAN ID instead of the SSID. The connection possibility determination unit 15 of the information processing apparatus 10 acquires the SSID corresponding to the VLAN ID from the access point 9 and converts the VLAN ID into the SSID. Then, it is determined whether the network to which the information processing apparatus 10 is connected and the network to which the electronic device 30 is connected are the same.

  Note that the electronic devices 30A and 30B connected to the network N2 by wire may transmit the SSID using device communication information. In this case, if the administrator inputs the SSID corresponding to the electronic device 30, the electronic device 30 connected by wire can transmit the SSID.

<Summary>
As described above, the information processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment receives device communication information by short-range wireless communication, and displays only the electronic device 30 connected to the same network as the information processing apparatus 10. Can select an electronic device 30 that can communicate with the wireless LAN. Also, since device communication information is received by short-range wireless communication, there is no restriction on the search range by subnet.

<Other application examples>
The best mode for carrying out the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. And substitutions can be added.

  Although the case where the network N2 is in the infrastructure mode has been described above, the same determination can be made when the electronic device 30 provides a network such as Wi-Fi Direct or ad hoc mode.

  In the above embodiment, an example in which Bluetooth is mainly used as an example of short-range wireless communication has been described. However, for example, illumination may transmit device communication information by visible light communication. A server connected to the lighting collects device communication information, and distributes the device communication information of the electronic device 30 near the light by visible light. Sound waves may also be used.

  Further, the information included in the device communication information is not limited to that shown in Table 4, and may include the host name, serial number, MAC address, and the like of the electronic device 30.

  The network communication unit 16 is an example of a first communication unit, the short-range wireless communication unit 14 is an example of a second communication unit, the connection availability determination unit 15 is an example of a determination unit, and the display unit 11 Is an example of display means. The connection history information 192 is an example of a storage unit, the operation reception unit 12 is an example of a selection reception unit, the print data generation unit 13 is an example of a processing request unit, and the network communication unit 33 is a third communication unit. The print execution unit 34 is an example of a process execution unit. The SSID of device communication information is an example of first information, and the SSID of communication information is an example of second information.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 9 Access point 10 Information processing apparatus 11 Display part 12 Operation reception part 13 Print data generation part 14 Short-distance wireless communication part 15 Connection possibility judgment part 16 Network communication part 30 Electronic device 31 Short-distance wireless communication part 32 Wireless data creation part 33 Network Communication unit 34 Print execution unit 100 Communication system

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-134006

Claims (15)

An information processing apparatus that communicates with one or more electronic devices,
First communication means for communicating with the electronic device via a network;
Second communication means for acquiring device communication information related to the network to which the electronic device is connected, using short-range wireless;
Determining means for comparing communication information related to the network to which the first communication means is connected and the device communication information to determine whether the electronic device and the information processing apparatus can communicate;
An information processing apparatus comprising: display means for displaying information on the electronic device that is determined to be communicable by the determination means on a display device. The determination means compares the device communication information with the communication information,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus determines whether the electronic device is connected to a network through which data transmitted by the information processing apparatus reaches. The determination means compares the device communication information with the communication information,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus determines whether a network to which the information processing apparatus is connected and a network to which the electronic device is connected are the same. The device communication information includes first information for identifying a network to which the electronic device is connected, and the communication information includes second information for identifying a network to which the information processing apparatus is connected. And
The determination means compares the first information with the second information,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the information processing apparatus determines whether a network to which the information processing apparatus is connected and a network to which the electronic device is connected are the same. The first information is an SSID of a network to which the electronic device is connected, and the second information is an SSID of a network to which the information processing apparatus is connected,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when the two SSIDs are the same, the determination unit determines that the network to which the information processing apparatus is connected and the network to which the electronic device is connected are the same. The device communication information has a guest setting indicating whether the network to which the electronic device is connected is for a guest without a predetermined authority,
The determination unit may determine that the network to which the information processing apparatus is connected and the network to which the electronic device is connected are not the same as a result of the comparison between the first information and the second information.
The said display means displays the information of the said electronic device connected to the network for guests on a display apparatus, when it is set to the network for guests in the said guest setting. Information processing device.   The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the display unit displays, for each electronic device, whether or not the electronic device is connected to a guest network in the list of the electronic devices. The information processing apparatus has storage means for storing past connection information relating to a network connected in the past,
The determination unit may determine that the network to which the information processing apparatus is connected and the network to which the electronic device is connected are not the same as a result of the comparison between the first information and the second information.
When the network to which the electronic device is connected and the network of the past connection information are the same, the display unit displays information on the electronic device connected to the network to which the information processing apparatus has been connected in the past. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, which is displayed on the apparatus.   The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the display unit displays, for each electronic device, whether or not it is connected to the network of the past connection information in the list of the electronic devices. The first information is a VLAN ID of a network to which the electronic device is connected, and the second information is an SSID of a network to which the information processing apparatus is connected,
The determination means converts the VLAN ID into an SSID with correspondence information associating the VLAN ID and SSID acquired from the outside,
5. The information according to claim 4, wherein when the SSID of the second information is the same as the converted SSID, the network to which the information processing apparatus is connected and the network to which the electronic device is connected are determined to be the same. Processing equipment. The device communication information includes information on the radio wave intensity when the electronic device is wirelessly connected to the network,
The determination unit may determine that the network to which the information processing apparatus is connected and the network to which the electronic device is connected are the same,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device is not displayed when the radio wave intensity is less than a threshold value. The device communication information includes information about a location where the electronic device is located,
Even if the determination means determines that the connected network and the network to which the electronic device is connected are the same,
The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the electronic device is not displayed when the information regarding the location does not match the information regarding the location preset in the information processing apparatus. A communication system in which one or more electronic devices communicate with an information processing apparatus,
The information processing apparatus includes:
A first communication means for communicating with an electronic device via a network;
Second communication means for acquiring device communication information related to the network to which the electronic device is connected, using short-range wireless;
Determining means for comparing communication information related to the network to which the first communication means is connected and the device communication information to determine whether the electronic device and the information processing apparatus can communicate;
Display means for displaying on the display device information of the electronic device determined by the determination means to be communicable;
Selection accepting means for accepting selection of an electronic device displayed on the display device;
Processing request means for requesting the electronic device received by the selection receiving means via the first communication means;
The electronic device is
Third communication means for receiving the processing request from the information processing apparatus;
And a processing execution means for performing processing in response to the processing request. A communication method performed by a communication system in which one or more electronic devices communicate with an information processing apparatus,
Performed by the information processing apparatus,
A first communication means communicating with an electronic device via a network;
A second communication unit obtains device communication information related to a network to which the electronic device is connected using near field radio; and
A step of determining whether the electronic device and the information processing apparatus are communicable by comparing the communication information on the network to which the first communication unit is connected with the device communication information;
A step of displaying on the display device information of the electronic device that the display means has determined that the determination means can communicate;
A step of receiving a selection of an electronic device displayed on the display device;
A step of requesting processing via the first communication means to the electronic device received by the selection receiving means;
Performed by the electronic device,
A third communication means receiving the processing request from the information processing apparatus;
A process execution means for performing a process in response to the request for the process. An information processing apparatus that communicates with one or more electronic devices.
A first communication means for communicating with an electronic device via a network;
Second communication means for acquiring device communication information related to the network to which the electronic device is connected, using short-range wireless;
Determining means for comparing communication information related to the network to which the first communication means is connected and the device communication information to determine whether the electronic device and the information processing apparatus can communicate;
A program for functioning as display means for displaying information of the electronic device that is determined to be communicable by the determination means on a display device.

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