Method for establishing wireless connection of image forming device by using mobile terminal, and image forming device for performing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10855879-B2
Application number	US-201916393160-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2019
Priority date	Nov 25, 2016
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

A wireless connection establishment method of an image forming apparatus using a mobile terminal is provided. The wireless connection establishment method includes, while the image forming apparatus is operating in a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) Direct mode, receiving a request to switch to a wireless setup mode, terminating the Wi-Fi Direct mode and connecting to a mobile terminal by entering the wireless setup mode, receiving access point (AP) connection information from the mobile terminal, establishing a connection to an AP by using the received AP connection information, and starting the Wi-Fi Direct mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wireless connection establishment method of an image forming apparatus using a mobile terminal, the wireless connection establishment method comprising:
while the image forming apparatus operates in a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) Direct communication mode, receiving a request to switch to a wireless setup communication mode;
terminating the Wi-Fi Direct communication mode;
wirelessly connecting to the mobile terminal by entering the wireless setup communication mode;
receiving access point (AP) connection information from the mobile terminal using the wireless setup communication mode;
establishing a connection to an AP by using the received AP connection information; and
starting a new Wi-Fi Direct communication mode.

2. The wireless connection establishment method of claim 1 , wherein the wirelessly connecting to the mobile terminal by entering the wireless setup communication mode comprises:
turning off a Wi-Fi Direct function and operating Soft AP; and
connecting to the mobile terminal by using the Soft AP.

3. The wireless connection establishment method of claim 2 , wherein the establishing of the connection to the AP comprises:
terminating the Soft AP; and
requesting connection while transmitting the AP connection information to the AP.

4. The wireless connection establishment method of claim 2 , wherein the establishing of the connection to the AP comprises:
while maintaining connection to the mobile terminal by using the Soft AP, transmitting the AP connection information to the AP and requesting connection;
transmitting, to the mobile terminal, a result of the connection to the AP; and
terminating the Soft AP.

5. The wireless connection establishment method of claim 1 , wherein the starting of the new Wi-Fi Direct communication mode comprises:
starting the new Wi-Fi Direct communication mode using a channel that is the same as that used in the connection to the AP.

6. The wireless connection establishment method of claim 1 , wherein the AP connection information comprises credential information for accessing the AP.

7. The wireless connection establishment method of claim 1 , wherein, when there is no connection to the mobile terminal within a certain time period after the entry into the wireless setup communication mode or the AP connection information is not received in spite of there being a connection to the mobile terminal, the image forming apparatus terminates the wireless setup communication mode and starts the new Wi-Fi Direct communication mode.

8. An image forming apparatus comprising:
an input/output interface to receive a user input;
a communicator to perform communication with a mobile terminal; and
a controller,
wherein, when the image forming apparatus receives a request to switch to a wireless setup communication mode via the input/output interface while operating in a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) Direct communication mode, the controller is to:
terminate the Wi-Fi Direct communication mode and wirelessly connect to the mobile terminal by entering the wireless setup communication mode, and
when access point (AP) connection information is received from the mobile terminal, establish a connection to an AP by using the received AP connection information and start a new Wi-Fi Direct communication mode.

9. The image forming apparatus of claim 8 , wherein, when the image forming apparatus enters the wireless setup communication mode, the controller is to turn off a Wi-Fi Direct function and operate Soft AP.

10. The image forming apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the controller is to terminate the Soft AP to establish the connection to the AP and request connection while transmitting the AP connection information to the AP.

11. The image forming apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the controller is to:
while maintaining connection to the mobile terminal by using the Soft AP to establish the connection to the AP, transmit the AP connection information to the AP and request connection, and
transmit a result of the connection to the AP to the mobile terminal and terminate the Soft AP.

12. The image forming apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the controller is to start the new Wi-Fi Direct communication mode by using a channel that is the same as that used in the connection to the AP.

13. The image forming apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the AP connection information comprises credential information for accessing the AP.

14. The image forming apparatus of claim 8 , wherein, when there is no connection to the mobile terminal within a certain time period after the entry into the wireless setup communication mode or the AP connection information is not received in spite of there being a connection to the mobile terminal, the controller is to terminate the wireless setup communication mode and start the new Wi-Fi Direct communication mode.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having instructions recorded thereon for performing a wireless connection establishment method of an image forming apparatus using a mobile terminal, the non-transitory computer-readable recording medium comprising:
instructions for, while the image forming apparatus operates in a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) Direct communication mode, receiving a request to switch to a wireless setup communication mode;
instructions for terminating the Wi-Fi Direct communication mode and wirelessly connecting to the mobile terminal by entering the wireless setup communication mode;
instructions for receiving access point (AP) connection information from the mobile terminal;
instructions for establishing a connection to an AP by using the received AP connection information; and
instructions for starting a new Wi-Fi Direct communication mode.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Park Hyun-Wook
• Park Sungjoon

Classifications

• H04W76/23

  Manipulation of direct-mode connections · CPC title

• H04W48/08

  Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery (signalling during connection H04W76/00) · CPC title

• H04W88/02

  Terminal devices · CPC title

• H04W76/14 Primary

  Direct-mode setup · CPC title

• H04N1/00307

  with a mobile telephone apparatus (constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00) · CPC title