Device performing a function depending on connected wireless network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10462652-B2
Application number	US-83976910-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2010
Priority date	Sep 4, 2009
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

Abstract

A device disclosed here is connectable to a first type of wireless network and a second type of wireless network. The device includes a communication section, a function section, a determination section and a function control section. If the determination section determines an external device to be included in one of the first type of wireless network and the second type of wireless network, the function control section permits the external device to use a first function, and if the determination section determines the external device to be included in the other of the first type of wireless network and the second type of wireless network, the function control section prohibits the external device from using the first function.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
a wireless communication interface configured to be used in connecting with a wireless local area network (LAN) and configured to be used in connecting with a wireless personal area network (PAN), wherein the wireless LAN is a wireless network configured by an access point, and the wireless PAN is a wireless network configured by a terminal device having an access point function; and
a controller comprising hardware and configured to:
communicate with an external device via the wireless communication interface;
execute a plurality of functions that can be used by the external device when the external device performs the communication;
receive an execution instruction for a specific function among the plurality of functions from the external device via the wireless communication interface;
determine which of the wireless LAN and the wireless PAN the external device belongs to, upon receiving the execution instruction for the specific function via the wireless communication interface;
specify which among the plurality of functions the specific function is; and
permit or prohibit the use, by the external device, of the specific function based on a result of the determining and a result of the specifying,

wherein:
when it is determined that the external device belongs to the wireless LAN, upon receiving the execution instruction for the specific function from the external device via the wireless communication interface, the specific function being specified to a first function among the plurality of functions, permit the external device to use the first function when an IP address of the external device is included in a specific range, the first function being one of a printing, a scanning and a web server,
when it is determined that the external device belongs to the wireless PAN, upon receiving the execution instruction for the specific function from the external device via the wireless communication interface, the specific function being specified to the first function among the plurality of functions, prohibit the external device to use the first function, and
when the specific function is specified to a second function, permit the external device to use the second function even when it is determined that the external device belongs to either of the wireless LAN and the wireless PAN, upon receiving the execution instruction for the specific function from the external device via the wireless communication interface, the second function being one of the printing, the scanning and the web server, the second function being different from the first function,
wherein the controller is configured to prohibit the external device from using the first function when it is determined that the external device belongs to the wireless LAN upon receiving the execution instruction for the specific function from the external device via the wireless communication interface, the specific function being specified to the first function among the plurality of functions, and the IP address of the external device is not included in the specific range.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the device is connectable to a wired network, and
the controller is further configured to determine which of the wired network and a wireless network includes the external device, and
the controller is configured:
to permit the external device to use the second function among the plurality of functions when it is determined that the external device is included in the wired network.

3. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program which when executed by a processor causes the processor to perform a process comprising:
communicating with an external device through a wireless communication interface, the wireless communication interface configured to be used in connecting with a wireless local area network (LAN) and configured to be used in connecting with a wireless personal area network (PAN), wherein the wireless LAN is a wireless network configured by an access point, and the wireless PAN is a wireless network configured by a terminal device having an access point function;
executing a plurality of functions that can be used by the external device when the external device performs the communication;
receiving an execution instruction for a specific function among the plurality of functions from the external device via the wireless communication interface;
determining which of the wireless LAN and the wireless PAN the external device belongs to, upon receiving the execution instruction for the specific function from the external device via the wireless communication interface;
specifying which among the plurality of functions the specific function is; and
permitting or prohibiting the use, by the external device, of the specific function based on a result of the determining and a result of the specifying,
wherein:
when it is determined that the external device belongs to the wireless LAN, upon receiving the execution instruction for the specific function from the external device via the wireless communication interface, the specific function being specified to a first function among the plurality of functions, the program instructs the processor to permit the external device to use the first function when an IP address of the external device is included in a specific range, the first function being one of a printing, a scanning and a web server,
when it is determined that the external device belongs to the wireless PAN, upon receiving the execution instruction for the specific function from the external device via the wireless communication interface, the specific function being specified to the first function among the plurality of functions, the program instructs the processor to prohibit the external device to use the first function, and
when the specific function is specified to a second function, permit the external device to use the second function even when it is determined that the external device belongs to either of the wireless LAN and the wireless PAN, upon receiving the execution instruction for the specific function from the external device via the wireless communication interface, the second function being one of the printing, the scanning and the web server, the second function being different from the first function,

wherein the program further instructs the processor to prohibit the external device from using the first function when it is determined that the external device belongs to the wireless LAN upon receiving the execution instruction for the specific function from the external device via the wireless communication interface, the specific function being specified to the first function among the plurality of functions, and the IP address of the external device is not included in the specific range.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first function is the scanning function, and wherein the second function is the printing function.

Assignees

• Nogawa Hideki
• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Nogawa Hideki

Classifications

• H04W8/245 Primary

  from a network towards a terminal · CPC title

• H04W88/06

  adapted for operation in multiple networks {or having at least two operational modes}, e.g. multi-mode terminals · CPC title