JP6929412B2 - Information processing equipment, control methods and programs - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to information processing devices, control methods and programs.

An information processing device that communicates with a communication device such as a printer by a predetermined application such as a printing application is known. Such an information processing device executes a pairing process for performing authentication between the devices in order to perform highly secure communication. Patent Document 1 describes an information processing device that executes a pairing process with a communication device by Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).

JP-A-2017-10329

As described above, it is preferable that the pairing process is executed as a pre-stage of communication by a predetermined application. Therefore, in order to perform the pairing process as a pre-stage of communication by the predetermined application, the information processing device first receives an execution instruction of the pairing process on the screen displayed by the predetermined application. However, depending on the type of OS installed in the information processing device and the model of the information processing device, the input processing executed by the user for the pairing process is not a screen displayed by a program other than the OS, but by the OS. Must be executed for the screen that is displayed. Here, the OS is an operating system program. That is, even though the execution instruction of the pairing process is received by the screen displayed by the predetermined application, the input process for executing the pairing process must be executed on the screen displayed by the OS. It doesn't become. In such a form, there is a problem that it is difficult for the user to understand what kind of operation should be performed on the screen displayed by the OS as an input process of the pairing process for communicating with a predetermined application.

Therefore, in the present invention, even though the execution instruction of the pairing process is given to the screen displayed by the program other than the OS, the input process for executing the pairing process is the screen displayed by the OS. It is an object of the present invention to improve the operability of the user.

Therefore, in order to achieve the above object, the control method of the present invention is used.
A control method for an information processing device having a predetermined program and a program other than the predetermined program.
A reception step of receiving a predetermined instruction from a user via a screen displayed on a display unit using the predetermined program, and
The screen displayed on the display unit is displayed on the display unit using the other program from the screen displayed on the display unit using the predetermined program, and is displayed on the display unit using the information processing device. To switch to the setting screen for accepting an input from a user for selecting a communication device to be subject to authentication processing for authentication for communication from a plurality of communication devices when the predetermined instruction is received. The switching step of executing the switching process by operating the other program in the foreground, and
The notification area for notifying the user of the communication device displayed on the display unit by the predetermined program and corresponding to the predetermined program and the setting screen displayed on the display unit by the other program are parallel to each other. Then, a display control step for controlling the display of the predetermined program in the background and the other program in the foreground so as to be displayed on the display unit.
After the communication device notified by the notification area is selected on the setting screen, the predetermined program executes a predetermined communication different from the authentication process with the communication device notified by the notification area. Communication steps and
It is characterized by having.

According to the present invention, even though the execution of the pairing process is instructed via the screen displayed by a program other than the OS, the input process for executing the pairing process is displayed on the screen displayed by the OS. On the other hand, the operability of the user can be improved.

It is a figure example of the structure of an information processing apparatus and a communication apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the pairing process which an information processing apparatus executes. This is an example of the screen displayed on the display unit of the information processing device when the print application is started. This is an example of the BT setting screen displayed by the OS. This is an example of a PIN code display screen displayed on the display unit of the communication device. This is an example of the BT setting screen displayed by the OS and the toast displayed by the printing application. This is an example of a screen showing the operation procedure performed by the user on the BT setting screen and the name of the communication device to be selected on the BT setting screen. It is a figure for demonstrating the process of broadcasting advertisement information and receiving connection request information. It is a figure for demonstrating advertisement in BLE. It is a figure which shows the structure of advertisement information.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be exemplified below with reference to the drawings. However, with respect to the present invention, within the scope of the present invention, those which have been appropriately modified or improved with respect to the embodiments described below based on the ordinary knowledge of those skilled in the art are also included in the scope of the present invention. It should be understood to enter.

(First Embodiment)
The information processing device and the communication device included in the communication system of the present embodiment will be described. As the information processing device, a smart phone is exemplified in this embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various devices such as a mobile terminal, a notebook PC, a tablet terminal, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), and a digital camera can be applied. Is. Further, as the communication device, a printer is exemplified in this embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various devices can be applied as long as they can perform wireless communication with the information processing device. For example, if it is a printer, it can be applied to an inkjet printer, a full-color laser beam printer, a monochrome printer, and the like. Further, it can be applied not only to printers but also to copiers, facsimile machines, mobile terminals, smartphones, notebook PCs, tablet terminals, PDAs, digital cameras, music playback devices, televisions and the like. In addition, it can be applied to a multifunction device having a plurality of functions such as a copying function, a fax function, and a printing function.

First, the configuration of the information processing device of the present embodiment and the communication device capable of communicating with the information processing device of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. Further, in the present embodiment, the following configuration is described as an example, but the present embodiment is applicable to a device capable of communicating with a communication device, and particularly limits the functions as shown in this figure. is not it.

The information processing device 101 is the information processing device of the present embodiment. The information processing device 101 includes an input interface 102, a CPU 103, a ROM 104, a RAM 105, an external storage device 106, an output interface 107, a display unit 108, a communication unit 111, a short-range communication unit 112, and the like.

The input interface 102 is an interface for receiving data input and operation instructions from the user by operating the mouse 110 and the keyboard 109.

The CPU 103 is a system control unit and controls the entire information processing apparatus 101.

The ROM 104 stores fixed data such as a control program executed by the CPU 103, a data table, and an embedded operating system (hereinafter referred to as an OS) program. In the present embodiment, each control program stored in the ROM 104 performs software execution control such as scheduling, task switching, and interrupt processing under the control of the embedded OS stored in the ROM 104.

The RAM 105 is composed of an SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) or the like that requires a backup power supply. Since the data is held in the RAM 105 by a primary battery for data backup (not shown), important data such as program control variables can be stored without being volatilized. The RAM 105 is also provided with a memory area for storing the setting information of the information processing device 101, the management data of the information processing device 101, and the like. The RAM 105 is also used as the main memory and the work memory of the CPU 103.

The external storage device 106 stores an application that provides a print execution function, a print information generation program that generates print information that can be interpreted by the communication device 151, and the like. Further, the external storage device 106 stores various programs such as an information transmission / reception control program transmitted / received to / from the communication device 151 connected via the communication unit 111, and various information used by these programs. ..

The output interface 107 is an interface for controlling the display unit 108 for displaying data and notifying the status of the information processing device 101.

The display unit 108 is composed of an LED (light emitting diode), an LCD (liquid crystal display), and the like, and displays data and notifies the state of the information processing device 101. By installing operation units such as a numerical input key, a mode setting key, a decision key, a cancel key, and a power key on the display unit 108, input from the user may be accepted via the display unit 108.

The communication unit 111 is configured to connect to a device such as a communication device 151 or an access point 131 to execute data communication. For example, the communication unit 111 can be connected to an access point (not shown) in the communication device 151. By connecting the communication unit 111 and the access point in the communication device 151, the information processing device 101 and the communication device 151 can communicate with each other. The communication unit 111 may directly communicate with the communication device 151 by wireless communication, or may communicate via an external device existing outside the information processing device 101 or the communication device 151. The external device includes an external access point (access point 131, etc.) existing outside the information processing device 101 and the communication device 151, and a device capable of relaying communication other than the access point. Examples of the wireless communication method include Wi-Fi (WiressFidelity) (registered trademark) and Bluetooth (registered trademark). Further, examples of the access point 131 include devices such as wireless LAN routers. In the present embodiment, a method in which the information processing device 101 and the communication device 151 are directly connected without going through an external access point is called a direct connection method. Further, a method in which the information processing device 101 and the communication device 151 are connected via an external access point is called an infrastructure connection method.

The short-range communication unit 112 is configured to wirelessly connect to a device such as a communication device 151 at a short distance to execute data communication, and communicates by a communication method different from that of the communication unit 111. The short-range communication unit 112 can be connected to, for example, the short-range communication unit 157 in the communication device 151. Examples of the communication method include Bluetooth (registered trademark), WiFi Aware and the like. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the short-range communication unit 112 can execute communication by Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and Bluetooth Classic as a Bluetooth function.

In the present embodiment, the communication unit 111 is configured to be capable of performing higher-speed communication than the short-range communication unit 112. Further, the distance that can be communicated by the communication unit 111 is longer than the distance that can be communicated by the short-range communication unit 112.

The communication device 151 is the communication device of the present embodiment. The communication device 151 includes a ROM 152, a RAM 153, a CPU 154, a print engine 155, a communication unit 156, a short-range communication unit 157, and the like.

The communication unit 156 has an access point for connecting to a device such as the information processing device 101 as an access point inside the communication device 151. The access point can be connected to the communication unit 111 of the information processing device 101. The communication unit 156 may directly communicate with the information processing device 101 by wireless communication, or may communicate via the access point 131. Examples of the communication method include Wi-Fi (registered trademark) and Bluetooth (registered trademark). Further, the communication unit 156 may be provided with hardware that functions as an access point, or may operate as an access point by software for functioning as an access point.

The short-range communication unit 157 is configured to wirelessly connect to a device such as the information processing device 101 at a short distance, and can be connected to, for example, the short-range communication unit 112 in the information processing device 101. Examples of the communication method include Bluetooth, WiFi Aware and the like. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the short-range communication unit 157 can execute communication by BLE and Bluetooth Classic as a Bluetooth function.

In the present embodiment, the communication unit 156 is configured to be capable of performing higher-speed communication than the short-range communication unit 157. Further, the distance that can be communicated by the communication unit 156 is longer than the distance that can be communicated by the short-range communication unit 157.

The RAM 153 is composed of an SRAM or the like that requires a backup power supply. Since the data is held in the RAM 153 by a primary battery for data backup (not shown), important data such as program control variables can be stored without being volatilized. The RAM 153 is also provided with a memory area for storing the setting information of the communication device 151, the management data of the communication device 151, and the like. The RAM 153 is also used as the main memory and the work memory of the CPU 154, and stores a reception buffer and various types of information for temporarily storing the print information received from the information processing apparatus 101 and the like.

The ROM 152 stores fixed data such as a control program, a data table, and an OS program executed by the CPU 154. In the present embodiment, each control program stored in the ROM 152 performs software execution control such as scheduling, task switching, and interrupt processing under the control of the embedded OS stored in the ROM 152.

The CPU 154 is a system control unit and controls the entire communication device 151.

An image that forms an image on a recording medium by adding a recording agent such as ink to a recording medium such as paper based on the information stored in the print engine 155 and the RAM 153 and a print job received from the information processing device 101 or the like. The formation process is executed and the print result is output. The print job is a job for causing the communication device 151 to execute the image forming process. At this time, the print job transmitted from the information processing device 101 or the like is received via the communication unit 156, which can communicate at a higher speed than the short-range communication unit 157, because the amount of data to be transmitted is large and high-speed communication is required. ..

A memory such as an external HDD or an SD card may be attached to the communication device 151 as an optional device, and the information stored in the communication device 151 may be stored in the memory.

Further, the communication device of the present embodiment has a connection mode set by the connection setting process, and communicates with the information processing device according to the connection mode based on the set connection mode. In the communication device of the present embodiment, the infrastructure connection mode is set as the connection mode when communicating by the infrastructure connection, and the direct connection mode is set as the connection mode when communicating by the direct connection.

Here, as an example, the processing sharing between the information processing device 101 and the communication device 151 is shown as described above, but the sharing form is not particularly limited to this sharing form, and other forms may be used.

Further, in the present embodiment, the short-range communication unit 112 and the short-range communication unit 157 will be described as communicating by BLE. In the present embodiment, the short-range communication unit 157 functions as an advertiser (or slave) for broadcasting the advertisement information described later, and the short-range communication unit 112 functions as a scanner (or master) for receiving the advertisement information. .. Further, the communication unit 111 and the communication unit 156 will be described as communicating by a wireless LAN (Wi-Fi). Here, the process of transmitting advertisement information and receiving the BLE connection request in the BLE standard will be described with reference to FIG. In the present embodiment, since the short-range communication unit 157 operates as a slave device as described above, the short-range communication unit 157 performs the above processing.

In the BLE communication method, the short-range communication unit 157 divides the 2.4 GHz frequency band into 40 channels (0 to 39 channels) for communication. The short-range communication unit 157 uses the 37th to 39th channels for transmitting advertisement information and receiving BLE connection requests, and the 0th to 36th channels for data communication (GATT communication, etc.) after BLE connection. doing. In FIG. 8, the vertical axis represents the power consumption of the short-range communication unit 157 and the horizontal axis represents the time, and the power consumption when transmitting advertisement information using one channel is shown for each process. Tx805 indicates the total power consumption in the transmission process, which is a process of broadcasting advertisement information, and Rx806 indicates the total power consumption in the reception process, which is a process of enabling the receiver for receiving the BLE connection request. .. The transmission power 802 indicates the instantaneous power consumption due to the transmission process. Further, the received power 803 indicates the instantaneous power consumption due to the reception process. Further, the microcomputer operating power 801 indicates the instantaneous power consumption when the microcomputer in the short-range communication unit 157 is operating. The reason why the microcomputer operates before and after and between Tx805 and Rx806 is that the microcomputer needs to be started in advance in order to execute or stop the transmission / reception processing. Further, when the advertisement information is transmitted by a plurality of channels, the power consumption increases by the number of channels for transmitting the advertisement information. Further, while the microcomputer is not operating and the short-range communication unit 157 is in the power saving state, the sleep power 804 becomes the instantaneous power consumption of the short-range communication unit 157. In this way, the short-range communication unit 157 performs transmission processing using a predetermined channel, and then performs reception processing for a certain period of time using the same channel, so that the BLE connection request is transmitted from the information processing device 101. Wait for it. When the short-range communication unit 157 receives the BLE connection request from the information processing device 101, the short-range communication unit 157 establishes a BLE connection and performs GATT communication with the information processing device 101.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the short-range communication unit 157 repeats the transmission processing and the reception processing of the advertisement information three times for each channel, and then stops the operation of the microcomputer and enters the power saving state for a certain period of time. Hereinafter, the combination of transmission processing and reception processing of advertisement information by a predetermined channel is referred to as advertisement. Further, the time interval for transmitting advertisement information through a predetermined channel is called an advertisement interval. The number of advertisements repeated from the first advertisement to the power saving state can be arbitrarily changed as long as it is 3 times or less.

FIG. 10 is an example of the structure of advertisement information broadcast by the short-range communication unit 157 to the periphery of the communication device 151.

When the power supply is started, the short-range communication unit 157 performs an initialization process and enters an advertising state. When the short-range communication unit 157 is in the advertising state, the short-range communication unit 157 periodically broadcasts advertisement information to the surroundings based on the advertisement interval. The advertisement information is a signal including basic header information (identification information for identifying a device that transmits the advertisement information, etc.), and is composed of a header 1001 and a payload 1002. The information processing device 101 can recognize the existence of the communication device 151 by receiving the advertisement information. Further, the information processing device 101 can make a BLE connection with the communication device 151 by transmitting a BLE connection request to the communication device 151. The header 1001 is an area for storing information such as the type of advertisement information and the size of the payload 1002. The payload 1002 stores information such as the device name 1003 as identification information, the on-board profile information, the connection information 1004 for BLE connection with the communication device 151, and the transmission power (Tx Power) 1005 of the advertisement information. The communication device identification information 1006 may be included in the advertisement information. The identification information 1006 of the communication device corresponds to the MAC address of the communication device, the service information of the communication device, the SSID of the access point in the communication device, the password, and the like.

In the present embodiment, the short-range communication unit 157 enters the advertising state when the power of the communication device 151 is turned on, and starts transmitting the advertising information. However, the timing at which the short-range communication unit 157 starts transmitting the advertisement information is not limited to the above-described form, and may be, for example, the timing at which a predetermined operation for enabling the BLE function is performed. ..

Further, in the present embodiment, authentication is performed between the information processing device 101 and the communication device 151, and a pairing process for executing reading / writing of data by GATT (Generic Attribute Profile) communication between the devices is performed. The GATT is a profile that controls reading / writing (transmission / reception) of information in the BLE standard. The GATT communication is a communication in which the information processing device 101 plays the role of a GATT client and the communication device 151 plays the role of a GATT server, and information is read / written from the information processing device 101 to the communication device 151 according to the GATT-based profile. be. When the pairing between the information processing device 101 and the communication device 151 is not executed, the communication device 151 is configured not to allow reading and writing of information by GATT communication. By doing so, the information processing device 101 that is not paired and the communication device 151 communicate with each other, and for example, the information held by the communication device 151 is not suitable for the information processing device 101 that is not paired. It is possible to prevent it from being easily acquired. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that there are GATT communication that is permitted without pairing and GATT communication that is not permitted without pairing. Information with low confidentiality can be communicated by GATT communication permitted in a state where pairing is not performed, so that the convenience of communication can be improved. On the other hand, highly confidential information can be communicated only by GATT communication, which is not permitted in the state where pairing is not performed, so that the security of communication can be improved.

In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the information processing device 101 stores a predetermined application in the ROM 104, the external storage device 106, or the like. The predetermined application is, for example, an application program for transmitting a print job for printing image data, document data, etc. in the information processing device 101 to the communication device 151. An application having such a function is hereinafter referred to as a printing application. The print application may have other functions in addition to the print function. For example, the printing application has a function of scanning a document set in the communication device 151 when the communication device 151 has a scanning function, a function of performing other settings of the communication device 151, and a state of the communication device 151. It may be provided with a function for confirming. That is, the print application may have a function of transmitting a scan job or a setting job to the communication device 151 in addition to the print job. Further, the predetermined application is not limited to the printing application, and may be an application program having a function other than printing.

The information processing device 101 may communicate with the communication device 151 by, for example, BLE in order to use the function of the printing application. Specifically, for example, when executing the print function, the information processing device 101 first exchanges connection information for WiFi communication by BLE communication, and then transmits a print job to the communication device 151 by WiFi communication. Therefore, in order to use the function of the printing application, the information processing device 101 preferably executes the pairing process in BLE so that the BLE communication with the communication device 151 can be executed. Therefore, in the present embodiment, it is assumed that the printing application also has a function of performing pairing processing between the information processing device 101 and the communication device 151. Then, the mode of executing the pairing process via the print application will be described below.

FIG. 3 is an example of a screen displayed on the display unit 108 when the printing application is started. Through the activation screen 300, the user can use the functions provided by the communication device, such as printing a desired image and setting the communication device. When the information processing device 101 detects that the photo print button 301 is pressed, the information processing device 101 causes the communication device 151 to display a screen for executing printing. When the information processing device 101 detects that the scan button 301 is pressed, the information processing device 101 causes the communication device 151 to display a screen for executing a scan process, which is a process of reading a document and generating image data. Further, when the information processing device 101 detects that the BLE pairing button 303 is pressed, the information processing device 101 starts the pairing process.

It is assumed that the information processing device 101 of the present embodiment has a setting application (hereinafter referred to as a setting application). The setting application is an application program for setting the functions executed by the OS. For example, the setting application is installed together in a series of processes in which the OS is installed in the information processing device 101, or is pre-installed in the information processing device 101 together with the OS when the information processing device 101 arrives. It is an application program. When pairing with the communication device 151, the information processing device 101 of the present embodiment inputs from the user for pairing to the Bluetooth setting screen (hereinafter referred to as BT setting screen) displayed by the setting application. accept. Specifically, the information processing device 101 receives from the user an input for pairing with respect to the BT setting screen displayed by the setting application. For example, depending on the type of OS installed in the information processing device 101 and the model of the information processing device 101, the pairing process is executed on a program other than the setting application, that is, a screen displayed by the printing application. Because it cannot be done. Therefore, the information processing device 101 also uses the BT setting screen displayed by the setting application when performing the pairing process via the printing application. In the present embodiment, it is possible to improve the usability of the pairing process performed via both the screen displayed by the print application and the screen displayed by a program other than the print application (here, the setting application). The form will be described.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a pairing process executed by the information processing device 101. The flowchart shown in FIG. 2 is realized, for example, by the CPU 103 reading a program stored in the ROM 104, the external storage device 106, or the like into the RAM 105 and executing the program. In this embodiment, the process shown in the flowchart shown in FIG. 2 is executed by the printing application. Further, in the present embodiment, in the print application, various events such as "pairing", "pairing completed", and "pairing failure" have occurred via the BT setting screen displayed by the setting application. It shall be configured to receive the notification of. Whether or not the print application actually receives the event notification can be switched by the notification setting described later. The details of various events will be described later. Further, it is assumed that the process shown in the flowchart shown in FIG. 2 is started when the BLE pairing button 303 is pressed by the user.

First, the CPU 103 determines in S201 whether or not the Bluetooth function of the information processing device 101 is effective. The state in which the Bluetooth function is enabled is a state in which the information processing device 101 can execute communication by Bluetooth or BLE. Further, as described above, the short-range communication unit 112 operates as a scanner in the BLE communication standard. Therefore, in the state in which the information processing device 101 can execute the communication by BLE, the CPU 103 shifts the short-range communication unit 112 to the state in which the advertisement information can be received (scan state), and searches for the advertisement information. When the CPU 103 determines that the Bluetooth function is valid, the process proceeds to S203, and when it is determined that the Bluetooth function is not valid (invalid), the CPU 103 proceeds to S202.

In S202, the CPU 103 activates the disabled Bluetooth function. At this time, the CPU 103 displays a dialog for allowing the user to select whether to enable the Bluetooth function on the display unit 108, and enables the Bluetooth function when an instruction from the user is received via the dialog. May be good.

Subsequently, in S203, the CPU 103 determines whether or not the short-range communication unit 112 has received the advertisement information after receiving the pressing of the BLE pairing button 303. If the CPU 103 determines that the advertisement information has been received, the process proceeds to S204, and if it determines that the advertisement information has not been received, the CPU 103 waits for a predetermined time and then performs the S203 process again to receive the advertisement information. Wait for it to be done.

Subsequently, in S204, the CPU 103 determines whether or not the received advertisement information includes specific identification information. In the present embodiment, when the information processing device 101 performs pairing processing via the printing application, the information processing device 101 communicates with a communication device of a model or vendor that supports the printing application. Therefore, the specific identification information is provided by the communication device that transmitted the received advertisement information is a communication device of a model that supports the printing application and a predetermined vendor that supports the printing application. It is identification information indicating that it is a communication device to be printed. More specifically, the specific identification information is information indicating that the communication device that has transmitted the received advertisement information can provide a printing service (image forming function), or a communication device that has transmitted the received advertisement information. Information such as the model name and vendor name of. The identification information may be any information that can uniquely identify the communication device corresponding to the printing application, and may be, for example, an IP address, a MAC address, an ID information, or the like. When the CPU 103 determines that the specific identification information is included, the process proceeds to S205, and when it is determined that the specific identification information is not included, the CPU 103 advertises by performing the process of S203 again after waiting for a predetermined time. Wait for the information to be received. If the short-range communication unit 112 receives a plurality of advertisement information after receiving the press of the BLE pairing button 303, the CPU 103 determines S204 for each advertisement information. Then, when there is advertisement information including even one specific identification information, the CPU 103 proceeds to S205.

In S205, the CPU 103 displays information on the communication device of the transmission source of the advertisement information including the specific identification information on the display unit 108. The information about the communication device is included in the advertisement information including the specific identification information, and is, for example, information such as the name of the communication device, the IP address, and the MAC address. When a plurality of advertisement information including specific identification information is received, the CPU 103 displays information about the communication device of the transmission source of each advertisement information. The screen for displaying information about the communication device from which the advertisement information including the specific identification information is transmitted is a screen for allowing the user to select the communication device to be paired. That is, here, the print application displays a screen for allowing the user to select the communication device to be paired. Further, since filtering is performed in S204, information about a communication device compatible with the print application (various functions can be executed by the print application) is displayed, and communication not compatible with the print application is displayed. No information about the device is displayed.

Subsequently, in S206, the CPU 103 determines whether or not the user has accepted the selection of the communication device to be paired through the screen displayed in S205. Specifically, the CPU 103 determines whether or not any information regarding the communication device included in the screen displayed in S205 has been selected. If the CPU 103 determines that the selection has been accepted from the user, the process proceeds to S207, and if it determines that the selection has not been accepted from the user, the CPU 103 performs S206 again and waits for the selection from the user. When the CPU 103 determines that the selection is not accepted from the user, the CPU 103 performs the processing after S203 again while displaying the screen for allowing the user to select the communication device to be paired on the display unit 108. Is also good. As a result, it is possible to add information regarding the source of the newly received advertisement information to the screen for allowing the user to select the communication device to be paired. Further, when the CPU 103 determines that the selection has been received from the user, it considers that the execution instruction of the pairing process has been received from the user, and specifies the communication device corresponding to the selected information as the communication device to be paired. Here, the description will proceed assuming that the communication device whose name is "Printer A" is selected by the user.

In S207, the CPU 103 stores information about the communication device to be paired in a predetermined storage area such as the external storage device 106 or the ROM 104. The information regarding the communication device to be paired is, for example, advertisement information transmitted by the communication device to be paired.

Subsequently, in S208, the CPU 103 requests the communication device to be paired to start GATT communication based on the information stored in S207. As a result, for information that can be communicated without pairing, the information processing device 101 and the communication device to be paired are in a state where GATT communication is possible.

Subsequently, in S209, the CPU 103 transmits the identification information regarding the information processing device 101 to the communication device to be paired by GATT communication. At this time, the CPU 103 transmits the identification information by GATT communication permitted in the state where the pairing is not performed. Specifically, the identification information is written in the writable area of the GATT profile without pairing. Further, the identification information regarding the information processing device 101 is, for example, information such as the name, IP address, and MAC address of the information processing device 101. When the CPU 103 succeeds in transmitting the identification information, the CPU 103 terminates the GATT communication and proceeds to S210. Here, the CPU 103 may repeatedly transmit the identification information until the transmission of the identification information is successful. In the meantime, a dialog or the like may be displayed on the display unit 108 to accept the interruption of the process by the user, or the process may be interrupted as a timeout after a predetermined time has elapsed.

When the communication device to be paired receives the identification information transmitted from the information processing device 101 by GATT communication, the communication device to be paired is stored in the storage area of the communication device to be paired. Then, the communication device to be paired accepts the pairing processing request only while the identification information is stored in the storage area. Further, the communication device to be paired accepts only the pairing processing request from the information processing device corresponding to the identification information stored in the storage area. Thereby, the communication device to be paired can be restricted to receive the pairing process request only when the pairing process is executed via the print application. The communication device to be paired determines whether or not the pairing process is completed and whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed since the identification information was saved, and when the result of any of the determination processes is YES. , Delete the identification information from the storage area.

The process executed by the communication device to be paired in receiving the pairing process request is not limited to the above-described form. For example, the communication device to be paired may receive the identification information from the information processing device 101 after receiving the pairing processing request from the information processing device 101. In this case, the communication device to be paired contains the identification information received from the information processing device 101 after receiving the pairing processing request from the information processing device 101 and the information about the information processing device 101 included in the pairing processing request. Determine if they match. Then, the communication device to be paired accepts the pairing processing request and starts the pairing process when the two match, and does not accept the pairing process request and starts the pairing process when the two do not match. Do not start.

Subsequently, in S210, the CPU 103 displays a screen showing the procedure of the operation executed by the user in the pairing process on the display unit 108. As described above, in the present embodiment, operations necessary for pairing processing, such as inputting information necessary for pairing, are performed on the BT setting screen of the setting application running on the information processing device 101. Therefore, in S208, the CPU 103 displays the operation procedure performed by the user on the BT setting screen, the name of the communication device to be selected on the BT setting screen, and the like on the display unit 108 in a dialog or the like. Further, the CPU 103 displays a button for receiving an instruction from the user to proceed to the next step. Specifically, for example, a screen as shown in FIG. 7 is displayed. In S210, when the CPU 103 detects that it has received an instruction to proceed to the next step from the user, it closes the dialog displayed on the display unit 108 and proceeds to S211.

Subsequently, in S211 the CPU 103 enables the event notification setting for the print application. Specifically, the CPU 103 is set so that the print application can receive the notification of the event that occurs in response to the operation on the BT setting screen displayed by the setting application. As a result, the print application can recognize that an event such as "pairing", "pairing completed", or "pairing failed" has occurred according to the operation on the BT setting screen, and performs a predefined process as an event. Can be executed according to the occurrence of.

Subsequently, in S212, the CPU 103 toasts a message prompting the user to select the communication device selected by the user via the screen displayed in S205 on the BT setting screen displayed on the display unit 108 in S211. indicate. That is, here, the CPU 103 displays a toast message prompting the user to select the communication device having the name "PrinterA" on the BT setting screen. As will be described later, the toast displayed at this time continues to be displayed in front of the BT setting screen even if the BT setting screen is displayed, so that the user should select which communication device should be selected on the BT setting screen. It can be grasped quickly and accurately.

The toast is a notification area pop-up displayed on the front surface of the display unit 108 of the information processing device 101. The toast automatically disappears after a certain period of time. The size of the toast is not limited, but it is preferably a part of the area on the display unit so that the screen displayed by the printing application and the BT setting screen are not completely covered and invisible. Even while the toast is being displayed, by operating the area other than the toast, it is possible to perform operations on the screen displayed on the back of the toast, so the interference with user operations is minimized. Toast. Further, since the function of displaying the toast is a function of the OS, when the CPU 103 displays the toast using the printing application, the CPU 103 requests to display the toast together with the content of the message included in the toast. Send to OS. As a result, the CPU 103 can display the toast using the printing application. The CPU 103 can display the toast even if the program requesting the display of the toast has transitioned to the background. The state in which a certain program is transitioning to the background means a state in which a screen displayed by a program other than the certain program is displayed on the display unit 108 while the certain program is operating. On the other hand, the state in which a certain program is transitioning to the foreground means a state in which the screen displayed by the certain program is displayed on the display unit 108 while the certain program is operating.

As described above, the toast is automatically hidden after a certain period of time, but in order to continue displaying the toast for a long time, for example, the CPU 103 has hidden the toast after a certain period of time. May be displayed again. In this case, the CPU 103 may repeat the redisplay a predetermined number of times, or may repeat the redisplay until the toast is hidden by the user operation.

Subsequently, in S213, the CPU 103 switches the screen displayed on the display unit 108 from the screen displayed by the print application to the BT setting screen displayed by the setting application. Then, the CPU 103 shifts the printing application to the background. Specifically, CPU 103 is an instruction by the print application while activating the print application to display a screen to be more displayed setting appli display unit 108.

FIG. 4 is an example of the BT setting screen displayed by the setting application. The BT setting screen is a screen for setting the Bluetooth function of the information processing device 101. Specifically, for example, it is a screen for accepting from the user the selection of the communication device to be paired with the information processing device 101.

First, the CPU 103 displays the BT setting screen 400 shown in FIG. 4A on the display unit 108. On the BT setting screen, the paired device list 410, the pairable device list 420, and the scan button 430 are displayed.

The paired device list 410 is an area in which information about the communication device (paired with the information processing device 101) that has already executed the pairing process with the information processing device 101 is displayed.

The pairable device list 420 is an area in which information about a communication device capable of executing the pairing process by the information processing device 101 is displayed. The communication device on which the information processing device 101 can execute the pairing process is a communication device from which the advertisement information received by the information processing device 101 is transmitted. No particular filtering is performed on the communication device displayed in the pairable device list 420. Therefore, the pairable device list 420 also displays communication devices that do not support the print application (for example, a device other than the printer or a printer that does not support the print application instructing the pairing process). Then, when one of the communication devices displayed in the pairable device list 420 is selected by the user, the pairing process with the selected communication device is started.

The scan button 430 starts the information processing device 101 to search (scan) the advertisement information transmitted from the communication device of the BLE compatible device around the information processing device 101 in order to update the contents of the pairable device list 420. It is a button for.

The back button 440 is a button for redisplaying the screen displayed on the display unit 108 immediately before the currently displayed screen. As described above, the BT setting screen 400 including the back button 440 is a screen displayed by the setting application. If the screen displayed immediately before the BT setting screen 400 is a program other than the setting application , when the back button 440 is pressed, the screen displayed by the program other than the setting application is displayed again. In the present embodiment, the screen displayed immediately before the BT setting screen 400 is the screen displayed by the print application. Therefore, when the back button 440 is pressed, the screen displayed by the print application is displayed again. Is displayed.

The home button 441 is a button for displaying the home screen displayed by the OS. The home screen is, for example, a screen in which icons for starting an application program (printing application, etc.) included in the information processing device 101 are arranged.

The task list button 442 is a button for displaying a screen for selecting a program to be operated in the foreground. Therefore, even if the print application is selected on the screen displayed when the task list button 442 is pressed, the screen displayed by the print application is displayed again.

When the scan button 430 is pressed, the CPU 103 shifts the information processing device 101 to a scanning state in which advertisement information transmitted from communication devices around the information processing device 101 can be received. Next, when the CPU 103 receives the advertisement information, the CPU 103 identifies the name (Complete Local Name) of the communication device that is the source of the advertisement information included in the received advertisement information. Then, the CPU 103 adds the specified name to the pairable device list 420 and displays it, and updates the display contents of the pairable device list 420.

It is assumed that the name of the communication device displayed in the paired device list 410 and the pairable device list 420 is the information included in the received advertisement information. In addition to the name of the communication device, the advertisement information includes identification information (Bluetooth device address: BD_ADDR) for identifying an individual of the short-range communication unit included in the communication device that is the source of the advertisement information. Therefore, the identification information may be displayed in the paired device list 410 and the pairable device list 420. The CPU 103 appropriately stores the advertisement information received from the communication device displayed in the paired device list 410 and the pairable device list 420 in the storage area (RAM 105, external storage device 106, etc.) of the information processing device 101. ..

As described above, when one of the communication devices displayed in the pairable device list 420 is selected by the user, the pairing process with the selected communication device is started. However, as described above, the BT setting screen is a screen displayed by the setting application , and in the display of candidates for the communication device to be paired, filtering for displaying the communication device suitable for the printing application is performed. No. Therefore, in the pairable device list 420, for example, a communication device other than the communication device selected by the user via the screen displayed in S205, or a communication device that does not have a printing function and therefore does not correspond to the printing application. Information will also be displayed. That is, there is a problem that it is difficult for the user to know which communication device should be selected as the communication device to be the target of the pairing process via the print application.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the BT setting screen is displayed on the display unit 108, the CPU 103 displays a toast indicating the procedure of the user operation on the front surface of the BT setting screen by the printing application. Specifically, for example, the CPU 103 displays the BT setting screen 600 shown in FIG. 6A, which is a screen in which the toast 601 is displayed in front of the BT setting screen 400 shown in FIG. 4A. On the toast 601 is displayed a message prompting the user to select "Printer A", which is a communication device selected by the user on the screen displayed in S205. With such a form, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of erroneous operations and improve the convenience of the user.

In the present embodiment, the toast is first displayed in S212, and then the BT setting screen is displayed in S213, but the present embodiment is not limited to this mode. That is, the toast may be displayed after displaying the BT setting screen.

Subsequently, in S214, the CPU 103 determines whether or not the printing application in the background has transitioned to the foreground. Specifically, the CPU 103 determines whether or not the screen displayed on the display unit 108 has been switched from the BT setting screen to the screen displayed by the print application. For example, when the screen displayed by the print application is selected in the selection screen displayed by pressing the back button 440 or the task list button 442, the print application is in the foreground. Transition to. When the CPU 103 determines that the print application has transitioned to the foreground, the process proceeds to S223, and when it determines that the print application has not transitioned to the foreground, the CPU 103 proceeds to S215.

Subsequently, in S215, CPU 103 determines whether the event is notified to the print application via the BT setting screen displayed by the setting app. When the CPU 103 determines that the event has been notified, the CPU 103 performs the following processing according to the content of the notified event. Specifically, the CPU 103 proceeds to S216 when the notified event indicates "pairing". Further, the CPU 103 proceeds to S218 when the notified event indicates "pairing completed". Further, the CPU 103 proceeds to S220 when the notified event indicates "pairing failure". On the other hand, when the CPU 103 determines that the event has not been notified, the CPU 103 executes the process of S214 again.

Here, the details of various events will be described. The event indicating "pairing" is an event that occurs when the execution of the pairing process is instructed via the BT setting screen 600. Specifically, the event indicating "pairing" occurs when the user selects one of the communication devices displayed in the pairable device list 420. When the execution of the pairing process is instructed, the setting application reads the advertisement information received from the communication device selected by the user from the storage area, and the information necessary for the pairing process such as the identification information from the read advertisement information. To identify. Then, the setting application transmits a pairing request to the communication device selected by the user based on the specified information and the BLE communication standard. The communication device that has received the pairing request displays the PIN code display screen 500 as shown in FIG. 5 on the display unit (not shown) of the communication device. On the PIN code display screen 500, the PIN code 501, which is the authentication information used for the pairing process, and the Cancel button 502 for canceling the pairing process are displayed.

Then, when the setting application transmits a pairing request due to the occurrence of an event indicating "pairing in progress", the PIN code input screen 450 shown in FIG. 4B is displayed on the display unit 108. The PIN code input screen 450 is a screen in which the PIN code input dialog 454 is displayed in front of the BT setting screen 400 shown in FIG. 4A. Further, in the PIN code input dialog 454, the PIN code input area 451, the OK button 452, and the Cancel button 453 are displayed. The PIN code input area 451 is an area for receiving the input of the PIN code by the user. The OK button 452 is a button for transmitting the input PIN code to the communication device selected by the user. The Candle button 453 is a button for canceling the pairing process.

Depending on the specifications of the OS, for example, there is a form in which the period during which the PIN code 501 can be input to the PIN code input area 451 (the period during which the input is successful) is determined. The period during which the PIN code 501 can be input to the PIN code input area 451 is, for example, 30 seconds. In that case, if the PIN code 501 is not input and the OK button 452 is not pressed within 30 seconds after the PIN code input screen 450 is displayed, the PIN code 501 is not transmitted to the communication device selected by the user. That is, the pairing process fails.

When the OK button 452 is pressed while the PIN code 501 is input to the PIN code input area 451 within the above period, the setting application selects the information including the input PIN code 501 by the user. Send to the communication device. The communication device selected by the user determines whether or not the PIN code 501 included in the received information matches the PIN code 501 (PIN code corresponding to the communication device) displayed on the PIN code display screen 500. Then, if it is determined that the communication devices selected by the user match, the information processing device 101 is allowed to pair. Specifically, the communication device selected by the user uses the link key created by a predetermined method based on the PIN code 501 to the information processing device 101 using the BLE standard SMP (Security Manager Protocol). Send. In this way, the link key is stored in the storage area (ROM 104, etc.) of the information processing device 101 and the storage area (ROM 152, etc.) of the communication device selected by the user. As a result, pairing is completed and BLE communication is permitted between the devices. Then, when the pairing process is completed (successful) in this way, an event indicating "pairing completed" is generated.

When the pairing process is completed, the setting application displays the BT setting screen 460 shown in FIG. 4C, which hides the PIN code input dialog 454. When the event indicating "pairing completed" occurs, the communication device and the information processing device 101 indicated by "Printer A" are paired. Therefore, the setting application adds "PrinterA" to the paired device list 410 and deletes "PrinterA" from the pairable device list 420.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the PIN code 501 included in the received information does not match the PIN code 501 displayed on the PIN code display screen 500, the pairing fails. Therefore, the communication device selected by the user does not transmit the above-mentioned link key to the information processing device 101. Further, in that case, the communication device selected by the user transmits information indicating that the pairing has failed to the information processing device 101. When the pairing process fails, it is preferable that the pairing process is executed again. Therefore, the setting application displays the BT setting screen 400 shown in FIG. 4A on the display unit 108 again. The case where pairing fails is not limited to the case where the PIN codes do not match. For example, when the Cancel button 453 is pressed on the PIN code input screen 450 of FIG. 4B, or when the Cancel button 502 is pressed on the PIN code display screen of FIG. 5, pairing also fails. Further, for example, even if the PIN code input area 451 is not input for a long time, the pairing fails. When the pairing process fails in this way, an event indicating "pairing failure" occurs.

Based on the above, the process returns to FIG.

In S216, the CPU 103 determines whether or not the communication device selected on the BT setting screen 600 displayed by the setting application matches the communication device selected on the screen displayed by the printing application in S205. .. The event notification indicating "pairing" includes the identification information of the communication device selected on the BT setting screen 600 displayed by the setting application. Therefore, specifically, the CPU 103 performs this determination process by comparing the identification information included in the notification of the event indicating "pairing" with the information saved in S207. If the CPU 103 determines that they match, the process proceeds to S217, and if it determines that they do not match, the CPU 103 returns to S214. If the CPU 103 determines that they do not match, the CPU 103 may display a toast indicating that the communication device selected on the BT setting screen 600 does not match the communication device selected on the screen displayed in S205. Further, the CPU 103 may display, for example, a toast for urging the user to stop the pairing process with the communication device selected on the BT setting screen 600. Further, the CPU 103 may display the toast indicating the selected communication device on the screen displayed in S205 again, for example.

As described above, when an event indicating "pairing" occurs, the PIN code input screen 450 shown in FIG. 4B is displayed on the display unit 108 by the setting application. Further, as described above, depending on the specifications of the OS, for example, there is a form in which the period during which the PIN code 501 can be input to the PIN code input area 451 (the period during which the input is successful) is determined. Therefore, in S217, the CPU 103 controls the display of displaying the toast 603 including the information regarding the period in which the PIN code 501 is successfully input on the front surface of the PIN code input screen 450. As a result, the BT setting screen 602 shown in FIG. 6B is displayed on the display unit 108. Specifically, the toast 603 displays a message for prompting the user to input the PIN code 501 within 30 seconds after the PIN code input screen 450 is displayed, and the number of digits of the PIN code 501 to be input. As a result, the user can execute the operation based on the precautions for inputting the PIN code 501, so that the usability in inputting the PIN code 501 is improved. After S217, the CPU 103 executes the process of S214 again.

In S218, the CPU 103 determines whether or not the communication device that has completed the pairing process with the information processing device 101 matches the communication device selected on the screen displayed by the printing application in S205. The notification of the event indicating "pairing completed" includes the identification information of the communication device that has completed the pairing process with the information processing device 101. Therefore, specifically, the CPU 103 performs this determination process by comparing the identification information included in the notification of the event indicating "pairing" with the information saved in S207. If the CPU 103 determines that they match, the process proceeds to S219, and if it determines that they do not match, the CPU 103 returns to S214. When the CPU 103 determines that they do not match, the CPU 103 displays a toast indicating that the communication device that has completed the pairing process with the information processing device 101 does not match the communication device selected on the screen displayed in S205. Is also good.

As described above, when an event indicating "pairing completed" occurs, the BT setting screen 460 shown in FIG. 4C is displayed on the display unit 108 by the setting application. If the pairing process is completed (successfully) normally (the communication device that has completed the pairing process with the information processing device 101 matches the communication device selected on the screen displayed in S205), the print application. It is preferable that the screen displayed by is displayed again. That is, it is preferable that the back button 440 is pressed and the print application transitions to the foreground. Therefore, in S219, the CPU 103 displays the toast 605 including the notification for transitioning the print application to the foreground on the front surface of the BT setting screen 460. As a result, the BT setting screen 604 shown in FIG. 6C is displayed on the display unit 108. Specifically, the toast 605 displays an operation method (instruction for pressing the back button 440) for transitioning the printing application to the foreground. As a result, the user can smoothly execute the operation for transitioning the print application to the foreground. After S219, the CPU 103 executes the process of S214 again. At this time, the CPU 103 may display information indicating that the pairing process has been normally completed (successful) by toasting.

In S220, the CPU 103 determines whether or not the communication device that has failed in the pairing process with the information processing device 101 matches the communication device selected on the screen displayed by the printing application in S205. The notification of the event indicating "pairing failure" includes the identification information of the communication device that failed in the pairing process with the information processing device 101. Therefore, specifically, the CPU 103 performs this determination process by comparing the identification information included in the notification of the event indicating "pairing failure" with the information saved in S207. If the CPU 103 determines that they match, the process proceeds to S221, and if it determines that they do not match, the CPU 103 returns to S214. When the CPU 103 determines that they do not match, the CPU 103 displays a toast indicating that the communication device that failed in the pairing process with the information processing device 101 does not match the communication device selected on the screen displayed in S205. Is also good.

As described above, when an event indicating "pairing failure" occurs, the BT setting screen shown in FIG. 4A is displayed on the display unit 108 by the setting application so that the pairing process can be executed again. 400 is displayed again. That is, the BT setting screen in a state in which the pairing process with the communication device indicated by "Printer A" has not been completed is displayed. Therefore, in S221, the CPU 103 displays a toast 607 including a notification for urging the user to execute the pairing process again in front of the BT setting screen 400. As a result, the BT setting screen 606 shown in FIG. 6D is displayed on the display unit 108. Specifically, the toast 607 displays a notification indicating that the pairing has failed and an operation method (notification instructing to enter the correct password within 30 seconds) for performing the pairing process normally. .. As a result, even if the pairing process fails, the user can smoothly execute the pairing process again. The CPU 103 may include a notification indicating the cause of the failure of the pairing process in the toast 607.

Subsequently, in S222, the CPU 103 displays a toast 601 including a message prompting the user to select the communication device selected by the user on the BT setting screen via the screen displayed in S205. As a result, the BT setting screen 600 shown in FIG. 6A is displayed again on the display unit 108. As a result, it is possible to notify the user again which communication device should be selected. After S222, the CPU 103 executes the process of S214 again.

In S223, the CPU 103 acquires information on the pairing state of the communication device and the information processing device 101 selected on the screen displayed by the printing application in S205 from the OS. Thereby, the CPU 103 can specify whether or not the pairing between the communication device and the information processing device 101 selected on the screen displayed by the printing application in S205 is completed. The specific method is not limited to the above. For example, the CPU 103 stores, for example, an event indicating "pairing completed" and an event indicating "pairing failure" received via the setting application. Then, the CPU 103 may specify whether or not the pairing between the communication device and the information processing device 101 is completed according to the saved event.

Subsequently, in S224, the CPU 103 displays a toast or a dialog on the display unit 108 according to the specific result in S223. At this time, since the screen displayed by the printing application is displayed on the display unit 108, the CPU 103 displays a toast or a dialog on the front surface of the screen. When the CPU 103 specifies that the pairing between the communication device and the information processing device 101 selected on the screen displayed by the printing application in S205 is completed, a message indicating that the pairing process is completed. Display toasts and dialogs that include. When the CPU 103 specifies that the pairing between the communication device selected and the information processing device 101 has not been completed on the screen displayed by the print application in S205, a message indicating that the pairing process has failed. Display toasts and dialogs that include. If the pairing process has failed, for example, the process from S204 or the like may be performed again, and the pairing process may be executed again.

Subsequently, in S225, the CPU 103 is set so that the print application does not receive the notification of the event that occurs in response to the operation on the BT setting screen displayed by the setting application. As a result, the print application receives the event notification only during the pairing process via the BT setting screen displayed by the setting application , and displays the toast according to the generated event, so that the toast is used at an appropriate timing. Notifications can be made.

After that, the CPU 103 ends the process. At this time, since the screen displayed by the print application is displayed on the display unit 108, the CPU 103 may continue to execute the function of the print application in response to the user instruction. For example, the setting process related to the connection between the paired communication device and the information processing device 101 may be executed via BLE, or the print job may be transmitted to the paired communication device. With such a form, the user can continue to use the print application even after the pairing process is completed.

As described above, in the present embodiment, in order to perform BLE communication by the print application, when the pairing process is performed using the BT setting screen displayed by the setting application, the print application displays the BT setting screen. Various information is displayed as a toast. With such a form, the operation to be executed on the BT setting screen based on the content input on the screen displayed by the printing application can be shown on the BT setting screen displayed by the setting application. , User convenience can be improved. Further, for example, an operation to be executed on the BT setting screen displayed by the setting application for using the printing application can be shown on the BT setting screen displayed by the setting application, which is convenient for the user. Can be improved. As a result, it is possible to suppress erroneous operation by the user on the BT setting screen displayed by the setting application and improve convenience.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention supplies a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiment to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and one or more processors in the computer of the system or device reads and executes the program. It can also be realized by the processing to be performed. It can also be realized by a circuit (for example, ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

101 Information processing device 151 Communication device

Claims (15)

A control method for an information processing device having a predetermined program and a program other than the predetermined program.
A reception step of receiving a predetermined instruction from a user via a screen displayed on a display unit using the predetermined program, and
The screen displayed on the display unit is displayed on the display unit using the other program from the screen displayed on the display unit using the predetermined program, and is displayed on the display unit using the information processing device. To switch to the setting screen for accepting an input from a user for selecting a communication device to be subject to authentication processing for authentication for communication from a plurality of communication devices when the predetermined instruction is received. The switching step of executing the switching process by operating the other program in the foreground, and
The notification area for notifying the user of the communication device displayed on the display unit by the predetermined program and corresponding to the predetermined program and the setting screen displayed on the display unit by the other program are parallel to each other. Then, a display control step for controlling the display of the predetermined program in the background and the other program in the foreground so as to be displayed on the display unit.
After the communication device notified by the notification area is selected on the setting screen, the predetermined program executes a predetermined communication different from the authentication process with the communication device notified by the notification area. Communication steps and
A control method characterized by having. The communication device notified by the notification area is characterized in that the communication device is selected on the selection screen displayed on the display unit by the predetermined program in a state where the predetermined program is operating in the foreground. The control method according to claim 1. The control method according to claim 2, wherein the selection screen is a screen for selecting one from one or a plurality of communication devices corresponding to the predetermined program. The control according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the communication device corresponding to the predetermined program is a communication device capable of executing a predetermined function corresponding to the predetermined program. Method. A claim, wherein a communication device corresponding to the predetermined program is a communication device capable of executing an image forming function of forming an image on a recording medium by a recording agent among the plurality of communication devices. The control method according to any one of 1 to 4. The communication device corresponding to the predetermined program is the communication device provided by the predetermined vendor among the plurality of communication devices, according to any one of claims 1 to 5. Control method. The predetermined program may print job for executing the image forming processing for forming an image using a recording agent on the recording medium to the communication device, Ri program der to transmit to the communication device,
Said predetermined communication control method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the transmission der Rukoto of the print job. The predetermined program is a program for executing a setting process relating to a connection between the communication device and the information processing device via communication by a predetermined communication method.
The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the predetermined communication is the setting process via communication by the predetermined communication method. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the other program is a program installed in the information processing apparatus in advance when the information processing apparatus arrives. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the authentication process is a pairing process. The control method according to claim 10, wherein the authentication process is a pairing process based on Bluetooth. The control method according to claim 10, wherein the authentication process is a pairing process based on Bluetooth Low Energy. The area for notifying the user of the operation method on the setting screen and displayed on the display unit by the predetermined program and the setting screen displayed on the display unit by the other program are arranged in parallel. Claims 1 to 1, further comprising a control step for controlling the display of a predetermined program in the background and the other program in the foreground so as to be displayed on the display unit. The control method according to any one of 12. To the computer of the information processing device which is a predetermined program and has a program other than the predetermined program.
A reception step of receiving a predetermined instruction from a user via a screen displayed on a display unit using the predetermined program, and
The screen displayed on the display unit is displayed on the display unit using the other program from the screen displayed on the display unit using the predetermined program, and is displayed on the display unit using the information processing device. To switch to the setting screen for accepting an input from a user for selecting a communication device to be subject to authentication processing for authentication for communication from a plurality of communication devices when the predetermined instruction is received. The switching step of executing the switching process by operating the other program in the foreground, and
The notification area for notifying the user of the communication device displayed on the display unit by the predetermined program and corresponding to the predetermined program and the setting screen displayed on the display unit by the other program are parallel to each other. Then, a display control step for controlling the display of the predetermined program in the background and the other program in the foreground so as to be displayed on the display unit.
After the communication device notified by the notification area is selected on the setting screen, the predetermined program executes a predetermined communication different from the authentication process with the communication device notified by the notification area. Communication steps and
A program characterized by executing. An information processing device having a predetermined program and a program other than the predetermined program.
A receiving means for receiving a predetermined instruction from a user via a screen displayed on a display unit using the predetermined program.
The screen displayed on the display unit is displayed on the display unit using the other program from the screen displayed on the display unit using the predetermined program, and is displayed on the display unit using the information processing device. To switch to the setting screen for accepting an input from a user for selecting a communication device to be subject to authentication processing for authentication for communication from a plurality of communication devices when the predetermined instruction is received. Switching means for executing the switching process by operating the other program in the foreground, and
The notification area for notifying the user of the communication device displayed on the display unit by the predetermined program and corresponding to the predetermined program and the setting screen displayed on the display unit by the other program are parallel to each other. Then, a display control means for controlling the display of the predetermined program in the background and the other program in the foreground so as to be displayed on the display unit.
After the communication device notified by the notification area is selected on the setting screen, the predetermined program executes a predetermined communication different from the authentication process with the communication device notified by the notification area. Communication means and
A control method characterized by having.

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