JP7714874B2 - Information processing device and information processing program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing device and an information processing program.

In the past, information processing devices have been proposed that have multiple modules (a collection of parts that perform a certain function, also called units) built in, with communication between the modules being carried out wirelessly. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an electronic device that has multiple device configuration units built in and transmits data between the device configuration units via UWB (Ultra Wide Band) wireless communication. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a blade server that has multiple modules built in and communicates between the modules via wireless communication.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-220264 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-184659

In an information processing device that has a wireless communication module built in, consider a situation in which a first wireless communication module communicates wirelessly with multiple second wireless communication modules other than the first wireless communication module. In such a case, the first wireless communication module communicates wirelessly with the multiple second wireless communication modules over a single wireless communication channel.

Here, the data capacity of data transmitted wirelessly between the first wireless communication module and each of the multiple second wireless communication modules may differ. In such cases, it is desirable for the communication speed between the first wireless communication module and each of the multiple second wireless communication modules to be a speed that corresponds to the data capacity of data transmitted between the first wireless communication module and each of the multiple second wireless communication modules.

The object of the present invention is to set the communication speed between a first wireless communication module and each of multiple second wireless communication modules to a speed corresponding to the data volume of data transmitted between the first wireless communication module and each of the second wireless communication modules when wireless communication is performed between the first wireless communication module and each of the second wireless communication modules over a single communication channel.

The invention of claim 1 is an information processing device comprising a processor, a first wireless communication module, and a plurality of second wireless communication modules, wherein the second wireless communication module, which is the communication partner of the first wireless communication module, varies depending on the attributes of a processing command input to the information processing device, and the processor sets a communication bandwidth between the first wireless communication module and each of the plurality of second wireless communication modules within a pre-selected available communication channel used for the wireless communication depending on the data capacity of each data transmitted by wireless communication between the first wireless communication module and each of the plurality of second wireless communication modules, and changes the communication bandwidth between the first wireless communication module and the second wireless communication module, which is the communication partner of the first wireless communication module, depending on the attributes of the processing command input to the information processing device.
The invention of claim 2 is an information processing device described in claim 1, characterized in that the processor executes a measurement process to measure the communication performance of wireless communication using the first wireless communication module for each communication channel, and selects the communication channel to be used from the multiple communication channels based on the results of the measurement process.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the information processing device according to the second aspect, wherein the processor executes the measurement process when the information processing device is started up.
A fourth aspect of the present invention is the information processing apparatus according to the second or third aspect, characterized in that the processor executes the measurement process after operating components within the information processing apparatus.
The invention of claim 5 is an information processing device as described in claim 2, characterized in that the communication performance includes receiving sensitivity and communication speed, and the processor selects the communication channel to be used by prioritizing either the receiving sensitivity or the communication speed among the communication performances depending on the data volume of data transmitted in wireless communication using the first wireless communication module.
The invention of claim 6 is an information processing device described in any one of claims 1 to 5 , characterized in that the first wireless communication module is capable of communicating with the multiple second wireless communication modules in multiple frequency bands.
The invention of claim 7 is an information processing program comprising a first wireless communication module and a plurality of second wireless communication modules, wherein the second wireless communication module, which is the communication partner of the first wireless communication module, changes depending on the attributes of a processing command input to the computer; the information processing program sets a communication bandwidth between the first wireless communication module and each of the plurality of second wireless communication modules within a pre -selected communication channel used for the wireless communication depending on the data capacity of each data transmitted by wireless communication between the first wireless communication module and each of the plurality of second wireless communication modules; and changes the communication bandwidth between the first wireless communication module and the second wireless communication module, which is the communication partner of the first wireless communication module, depending on the attributes of the processing command input to the computer.

According to the invention of claim 1 or 7 , when wireless communication is performed between a first wireless communication module and each of a plurality of second wireless communication modules over one available communication channel, the communication speed between the first wireless communication module and each of the second wireless communication modules can be set to a speed corresponding to the data volume of data transmitted between the first wireless communication module and each of the second wireless communication modules. Furthermore, the communication speed between the first wireless communication module and each of the second wireless communication modules can be dynamically changed in accordance with changes in the second wireless communication module with which the first wireless communication module is communicating, based on attributes of processing commands input to the information processing device.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the communication channel to be used can be selected in accordance with the communication performance of each communication channel in wireless communication using the first wireless communication module.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to select a communication channel to be used in accordance with the most recent communication performance of each communication channel in wireless communication using the first wireless communication module.
According to the invention of claim 4 , the communication channel to be used can be selected taking into consideration a decrease in the communication performance of the wireless communication of the first wireless communication module due to the operation of components within the information processing device.
According to the invention of claim 5 , the communication channel to be used can be selected by prioritizing either reception sensitivity or communication speed based on the data volume of data transmitted by wireless communication using the first wireless communication module.
According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the first wireless communication module can simultaneously transmit and receive data to and from one second wireless communication module.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a detailed schematic diagram of the configuration of a reading module, a printing module, and a control module according to the present embodiment. 10 is a table showing communication performance for each communication channel in wireless communication using a wireless master device. 10 is a table showing communication speeds between each wireless master device and each wireless slave device. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing how wireless communication is performed between each wireless master device and each wireless slave device. 10 is a flowchart showing a processing flow of the image processing apparatus according to the present embodiment.

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the configuration of an information processing device 10 according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, the information processing device 10 is a device that executes processing related to a job in response to a job as a processing command input by a user. A typical example of the information processing device 10 is a multifunction peripheral that has a print function, a scan (image reading) function, a copy function, a fax sending function, etc. However, the information processing device 10 may also be any other device as long as it has multiple wireless communication modules internally and performs wireless communication between the wireless communication modules.

The communication interface 12 includes, for example, a network adapter. The communication interface 12 performs the function of communicating with other devices (e.g., user terminals used by users) via communication lines such as a LAN (Local Area Network).

In particular, the communication interface 12 receives jobs containing data to be processed from the user terminal. Such jobs include, for example, print jobs that cause the information processing device 10 to perform printing processing.

The input/output interface 14 includes an input interface such as a touch panel or buttons, and an output interface such as a display or speaker.

The input interface is used by the user to input various instructions to the information processing device 10. For example, a user can place a paper document in a paper tray (not shown) of the information processing device 10 and then input a scan job from the input interface to have the scanner (not shown) of the information processing device 10 perform a scan process. Similarly, a user can input from the input interface a copy job to have the information processing device 10 perform a copy process (a process of printing image data obtained by scanning a paper document onto a print medium) or a fax job to have the information processing device 10 perform a fax transmission process (a process of sending image data obtained by scanning a paper document by fax).

The output interface is used by the information processing device 10 to output various information to the user. For example, various screens are displayed on the display serving as the output interface.

Memory 16 may include, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), an embedded multi-media card (eMMC), a read-only memory (ROM), or a random access memory (RAM). Memory 16 stores information processing programs for operating each component of information processing device 10, as well as various data necessary for processing by information processing device 10.

The information processing device 10 is provided with multiple modules. As described above, a module is a collection of components that perform a certain function. Each module may include software. As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment is provided with multiple modules, including a reading module 18, a printing module 20, and a control module 22. As will be described in more detail below, data is transmitted between the modules wirelessly.

The reading module 18 optically reads paper media set in a paper tray and generates read image data corresponding to the paper media. The reading module 18 includes a light source such as a white fluorescent lamp, an image sensor such as a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device), and a document transport device such as a drive roller. In the reading module 18, the paper media is transported by the document transport device, and light is irradiated from the light source onto the paper media during transport. The image sensor receives the light reflected from the paper media, generating read image data.

The printing module 20 is a module that executes the printing process to print on the print medium. Specifically, the printing module 20 is composed of a photosensitive drum, an LED print head, toner, a fixing device, a print controller that performs various processes related to the printing process, a print medium transport device that transports the print medium, and more. An image is written onto the photosensitive drum by the LED print head based on the print image data, toner is attached to the photosensitive drum according to the written image, and the toner transferred to the print medium is fixed to the print medium by the fixing device.

The control module 22 is a module that controls each module (the reading module 18 and the printing module 20 in this embodiment) provided within the information processing device 10. Note that in this embodiment, the modules that are controlled by the control module 22 are the reading module 18 and the printing module 20, but the number of modules that are controlled by the control module 22 within the information processing device 10 may be one or three or more.

The communication interface 12, input/output interface 14, and memory 16 are connected to the control module 22 via a bus line. In addition, the reading module 18 is connected to the control module 22 so as to be able to communicate wirelessly, and the printing module 20 is connected to the control module 22 so as to be able to communicate wirelessly.

Figure 2 is a detailed schematic diagram of the reading module 18, printing module 20, and control module 22 according to this embodiment. With reference to Figure 2, details of the reading module 18, printing module 20, and control module 22, as well as wireless communication between the control module 22 and the reading module 18, and between the control module 22 and the printing module 20, will be described.

Of the elements included in the reading module 18, image sensor F30, image sensor B32, and document transport device 34 are representatively illustrated in Figure 2. Image sensor F30 is an image sensor that receives light reflected from the front surface of the paper medium, and image sensor B32 is an image sensor that receives light reflected from the back surface of the paper medium.

Of the elements included in the printing module 20, Figure 2 representatively illustrates the LPH (LED Print Head)-Y40, LPH-M42, LPH-C44, LPH-K46, and print controller 48. Because the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment is a color multifunction device, the printing module 20 is provided with four LPHs: LPH-Y40 corresponding to yellow, LPH-M42 corresponding to magenta, LPH-C44 corresponding to cyan, and LPH-K46 corresponding to the key plate. Note that if the information processing device 10 is a monochrome multifunction device, the printing module 20 will be provided with only one LPH (LPH-K46).

Each element included in the reading module 18 has a wireless slave device 50 as a second wireless communication module. The wireless slave device 50 is configured to include, for example, an antenna, a wireless chip, and peripheral circuits, and is a module for wireless communication with a wireless master device (described below) provided in the control module 22. Specifically, image sensor F30 has wireless slave device 50a, image sensor B32 has wireless slave device 50b, and document feeder 34 has wireless slave device 50c. This allows image sensor F30, image sensor B32, and document feeder 34 to each communicate wirelessly with the control module 22 (more specifically, the wireless master device).

Each element included in the printing module 20 also has a wireless slave device 50 as a second wireless communication module. Specifically, the LPH-Y40 has wireless slave device 50d, the LPH-M42 has wireless slave device 50e, the LPH-C44 has wireless slave device 50f, the LPH-K46 has wireless slave device 50g, and the printing controller 48 has wireless slave device 50h. This allows the LPH-Y40, LPH-M42, LPH-C44, LPH-K46, and the printing controller 48 to each communicate wirelessly with the control module 22 (more specifically, the wireless master device).

Of the elements included in the control module 22, Figure 2 shows a representative example of the wireless base station 60 and processor 62 as the first wireless communication module.

The wireless master device 60 is a module that includes, for example, an antenna, a wireless chip, and peripheral circuits, and is used for wireless communication with one or more wireless slave devices 50. This allows the control module 22 to perform wireless communication with the reading module 18 and each part of the control module 22 (more specifically, the wireless slave devices 50 provided in each part).

Wireless communication is possible between the wireless master device 60 and the wireless slave device 50 over multiple frequency bands. Furthermore, multiple communication channels can be selected within each frequency band between the wireless master device 60 and the wireless slave device 50, and wireless communication is possible using the selected communication channel. Here, a communication channel refers to the width of frequencies required for data transmission, which is narrower than the frequency band. In this embodiment, wireless communication is performed between the wireless master device 60 and the wireless slave device 50 over Wi-Fi (registered trademark). Specifically, wireless communication is possible between the wireless master device 60 and the wireless slave device 50 over two frequency bands: the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band. In the 2.4 GHz band, 13 communication channels are selectable, and in the 5 GHz band, 19 communication channels are selectable. In particular, in this embodiment, the 2.4 GHz band is used to transmit data from the wireless master device 60, and the 5 GHz band is used to receive data from the wireless master device 60. This allows data to be sent and received simultaneously between the pair of wireless master device 60 and wireless slave device 50. Note that a 5 GHz frequency band may be used when sending data from the perspective of the wireless master device 60, and a 2.4 GHz frequency band may be used when receiving data from the perspective of the wireless master device 60. The communication channel used by the wireless master device 60 is selected in advance by the processor 62 (more specifically, the channel setting unit 66), which will be described later.

In this embodiment, the control module 22 has multiple wireless master devices 60. That is, the control module 22 has wireless master device A 60a, wireless master device B 60b, wireless master device C 60c, and wireless master device D 60d. When wireless master devices A to D 60a to 60d are not distinguished from each other, they are collectively referred to as wireless master devices 60. Note that the control module 22 does not necessarily have to have multiple wireless master devices 60, and may have only one wireless master device 60.

Each wireless master device 60 has predetermined wireless slave devices 50 that are potential communication partners for wireless communication. For example, the communication partner candidates for wireless master device A 60a are wireless slave device 50a, wireless slave device 50c, wireless slave device 50d, and wireless slave device 50h. The communication partner candidates for wireless master device B 60b are wireless slave device 50b, wireless slave device 50c, wireless slave device 50e, and wireless slave device 50h. The communication partner candidates for wireless master device C 60c are wireless slave device 50c, wireless slave device 50f, and wireless slave device 50h. The communication partner candidates for wireless master device D 60d are wireless slave device 50c, wireless slave device 50g, and wireless slave device 50h. That is, a wireless master device A60a is used when wireless communication is performed between the control module 22 and the image sensor F30, the document transport device 34, the LPH-Y40, and the print controller 48, a wireless master device B60b is used when wireless communication is performed between the control module 22 and the image sensor B32, the document transport device 34, the LPH-M42, and the print controller 48, a wireless master device C60c is used when wireless communication is performed between the control module 22 and the document transport device 34, the LPH-C44, and the print controller 48, and a wireless master device D60d is used when wireless communication is performed between the control module 22 and the document transport device 34, the LPH-K46, and the print controller 48. As will be described later, the wireless slave device 50 that is the communication partner of each wireless master device 60 may change depending on the operating state of the information processing device 10, but regardless of the operating state, each wireless master device 60 does not perform wireless communication with any wireless slave device 50 other than the wireless slave device 50 that is the communication partner candidate. In this specification, the "communication partner" from the perspective of the wireless master device 60 refers to the wireless slave device 50 that actually transmits data.

Processor 62 refers to a processor in a broad sense and is configured to include at least one of a general-purpose processor (e.g., a CPU (Central Processing Unit)) and a dedicated processing device (e.g., a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or programmable logic device). Processor 62 may not be configured as a single processing device, but may be configured as multiple processing devices working together in physically separate locations. As shown in Figure 2, processor 62 performs the functions of a communication performance measurement unit 64, a channel setting unit 66, and a bandwidth setting unit 68 using an information processing program stored in memory 16.

The communication performance measurement unit 64 performs a measurement process to measure the communication performance of wireless communication using the wireless master device 60 for each wireless master device 60 for each communication channel in multiple frequency bands. In this specification, the term "wireless communication using the wireless master device 60" encompasses wireless communication between the wireless master device 60 and one or more wireless slave devices 50. In this embodiment, the communication performance measurement unit 64 measures the reception sensitivity (RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator)) and communication speed as communication performance. The higher the RSSI value, the better the reception sensitivity. The communication performance of the wireless master device 60 may vary depending on the wireless slave device 50 with which it communicates. Therefore, if there are multiple wireless slave devices 50 with which the wireless master device 60 communicates, the communication performance measurement unit 64 measures the communication performance (RSSI and communication speed) between the wireless master device 60 and each of the multiple wireless slave devices 50 with which it communicates, and calculates the communication performance of the wireless master device 60 based on the measured communication performance. Specifically, the communication performance measurement unit 64 determines a representative value obtained from the multiple measured RSSIs as the RSSI for wireless communication using the wireless base station 60, and determines a representative value obtained from the multiple measured communication speeds as the communication speed for wireless communication using the wireless base station 60. The representative value obtained from the multiple RSSIs may be the minimum, average, or mode of the multiple measured RSSIs. Similarly, the representative value obtained from the multiple communication speeds may be the minimum, average, or mode of the multiple measured communication speeds.

For example, in the case of the wireless master device A60a, the communication performance measurement unit 64 measures the communication performance of the wireless communication between the wireless master device A60a and the wireless slave device 50a, the communication performance of the wireless communication between the wireless master device A60a and the wireless slave device 50c, the communication performance of the wireless communication between the wireless master device A60a and the wireless slave device 50d, and the communication performance of the wireless communication between the wireless master device A60a and the wireless slave device 50h, and sets the representative value of these as the communication performance of the wireless master device A60a.

Conventional methods can be used to measure communication performance. For example, test data may be sent from the wireless master device 60 to the wireless slave device 50, which then measures the RSSI and sends the measured RSSI to the wireless master device 60. Alternatively, the wireless slave device 50 may send test data to the wireless master device 60, which then measures the RSSI. Alternatively, the wireless master device 60 may send test data to the wireless slave device 50, which may then return a response signal (ACK) to the test data, and the wireless master device 60 may calculate the communication speed based on the time between when the test data was sent and when the ACK was received.

The measurement process performed by the communication performance measurement unit 64 acquires the RSSI and communication speed for each communication channel in multiple frequency bands for each wireless base station 60. Figure 3 shows the RSSI and communication speed for each communication channel in the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band for one wireless base station 60 (e.g., wireless base station A 60a).

The communication performance measurement unit 64 may perform the measurement process when the information processing device 10 is started up. Startup includes when the information processing device 10 is switched from a power-off state to a power-on state, and when the information processing device 10 returns from a standby state to an operating state. The communication performance related to wireless communication for each wireless base station 60 may vary due to various factors. Examples of such factors include fluctuations in the radio wave environment near the information processing device 10 (e.g., the arrival of a device emitting powerful radio waves nearby) or fluctuations in the configuration within the information processing device 10 (e.g., the addition of a new module). By having the communication performance measurement unit 64 of the wireless base station 60 perform the measurement process when the information processing device 10 is started up, the communication performance of each wireless base station 60 is measured each time the information processing device 10 is started up. As described below, the channel setting unit 66 selects a communication channel to be used for wireless communication based on the communication performance of the wireless communication using the wireless base station 60. By having the communication performance measurement unit 64 perform measurement processing when the information processing device 10 starts up, the channel setting unit 66 can select a communication channel based on the most recent communication performance of each wireless base station 60, which may vary.

Furthermore, the communication performance measurement unit 64 may perform the above measurement process after operating the components within the information processing device 10. More preferably, the measurement process may be performed after operating each component within the information processing device 10 to its maximum capacity (for example, rotating a motor at its maximum rotation speed). When a component within the information processing device 10 operates, jamming radio waves may be emitted from that component, which may degrade the communication performance of wireless communication between the wireless master device 60 and the wireless slave device 50. Therefore, by performing the above measurement process after operating the components within the information processing device 10, it is possible to measure the wireless communication performance of each wireless master device 60 while taking into account the degradation of wireless communication performance due to the operation of the components within the information processing device 10.

Furthermore, for example, an administrator of the information processing device 10 can predetermine the required receiving sensitivity for each wireless master device 60. In this case, the communication performance measurement unit 64 determines whether the measured RSSI for the wireless master device 60 is equal to or greater than the required receiving sensitivity. Here, the communication performance measurement unit 64 determines that the RSSI for the wireless master device 60 is equal to or greater than the required receiving sensitivity if the representative value of the RSSIs of the multiple measured wireless channels is equal to or greater than the required receiving sensitivity. The representative value may be, for example, a minimum value (in this case, the RSSI for all communication channels must be equal to or greater than the required receiving sensitivity), a maximum value (in this case, it is sufficient that the RSSI for at least one communication channel is equal to or greater than the required receiving sensitivity), an average value, a mode value, etc.

If the RSSI for the wireless base station 60 is below the required reception sensitivity, the communication performance measurement unit 64 may determine that wireless communication using the wireless base station 60 cannot be performed reliably or that there is a risk of this being the case, and may notify the user (for example, by displaying an error message on the input/output interface 14) and then cancel processing. Note that if the RSSI for the wireless base station 60 is above the required reception sensitivity, the communication performance measurement unit 64 will not issue the above notification or cancel processing.

Furthermore, if the RSSI for the wireless base station 60 is below the required receiving sensitivity, the communication performance measurement unit 64 may determine whether the information processing device 10 can operate with limited functions, and if so, may cause the information processing device 10 to operate in a limited-function state. Whether the information processing device 10 can operate with limited functions can be determined, for example, by querying the user. For example, if the RSSI for the wireless base station 60 is below the required receiving sensitivity, there is a possibility that suitable wireless communication between the control module 22 and the print module 20 will not be possible and suitable printing processing will not be possible. In this case, the user is queried as to whether it is okay to accept only scan jobs and not print or copy jobs (for example, by displaying a query screen on the input/output interface 14). Furthermore, if there is a possibility that suitable wireless communication between the control module 22 and the reading module 18 will not be possible, the user is queried as to whether it is okay to accept only scan jobs with a resolution below a predetermined value (for example, 600 dpi or less). If the user gives permission in response to the query, the information processing device 10 operates in a limited-function state. If the user does not give permission, the process will be aborted after notifying the user.

The channel setting unit 66 selects a communication channel (hereinafter referred to as a "used communication channel") to be used for wireless communication by the wireless master device 60 for each wireless master device 60 based on the measurement results of the communication performance related to wireless communication of each wireless master device 60 by the communication performance measurement unit 64. In more detail, the channel setting unit 66 selects a used communication channel for each frequency band (in this embodiment, for each of the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band).

The channel setting unit 66 basically selects, as the communication channel to be used, the communication channel with the highest RSSI or communication speed among multiple communication channels. For example, if the measurement results of the communication performance for wireless communication of the wireless base station A60a are as shown in Figure 3, the channel setting unit 66 selects, as the communication channel for the 2.4 GHz band, communication channel "13," which has the highest RSSI and communication speed among multiple communication channels. Also, for example, the channel setting unit 66 selects, as the communication channel for the 5 GHz band, communication channel "136," which has the highest communication speed among multiple communication channels.

The channel setting unit 66 sets the selected communication channel to each wireless master device 60. As a result, each wireless master device 60 performs wireless communication with each wireless slave device 50 using the communication channel selected by the channel setting unit 66. If the communication performance of each wireless master device 60 differs from one another, different communication channels to be used may be set for each wireless slave device 50.

The channel setting unit 66 may select a communication channel to be used for the wireless master device 60 by prioritizing RSSI or communication speed among communication performance factors, depending on the data volume of data transmitted in wireless communication using the wireless master device 60. Basically, the channel setting unit 66 prioritizes communication speed when the data volume of data transmitted in wireless communication using the wireless master device 60 is large (for example, when the data volume is equal to or greater than a predetermined data volume threshold), and prioritizes RSSI when the data volume of data transmitted in wireless communication using the wireless master device 60 is small (for example, when the data volume is less than a predetermined data volume threshold).

If the data volume of data to be transmitted in wireless communication using the wireless base station 60 could be obtained in advance, the channel setting unit 66 could select a communication channel to use, prioritizing RSSI or communication speed based on the obtained data volume. However, there are cases in which the channel setting unit 66 is unable to obtain in advance the exact data volume of data to be transmitted in wireless communication using the wireless base station 60. Therefore, in this embodiment, the channel setting unit 66 selects a communication channel to use, prioritizing RSSI or communication speed based on the type of data to be transmitted in wireless communication using the wireless base station 60. This is because, in general, the data volume of the data can be roughly estimated based on the type of data. For example, control signals have a fairly small data volume, print image data has a larger data volume than control signals, and scanned image data has a larger data volume than print image data. Even when selecting a communication channel to be used by giving priority to RSSI or communication speed depending on the type of data transmitted in wireless communication using the wireless master device 60, it can be said that the channel setting unit 66 indirectly selects a communication channel to be used by the wireless master device 60 by giving priority to RSSI or communication speed depending on the data volume of data transmitted in wireless communication using the wireless master device 60.

For example, if the data transmitted via wireless communication using the wireless base station A 60a consists solely of control signals (e.g., signals for issuing instructions to the document transport device 34 or the print controller 48), the communication channel to be used may be selected by prioritizing RSSI over communication speed among the communication performance factors. This allows for more reliable transmission of control signals with small data volumes. On the other hand, if the data transmitted via wireless communication using the wireless base station A 60a includes actual data related to a job (e.g., scanned image data or image data to be printed), the communication channel to be used may be selected by prioritizing communication speed over RSSI among the communication performance factors. This allows actual data, which has a larger data volume at least than control signals, to be transmitted between modules more quickly, thereby improving job processing speed at least compared to when RSSI is always prioritized over communication speed.

In particular, if the type of data transmitted in wireless communication using a wireless master device 60 changes as the wireless slave device 50 with which the wireless master device 60 communicates changes depending on the operating state of the information processing device 10, the channel setting unit 66 may dynamically change the communication channel used by the wireless master device 60 accordingly.

For example, as described above, the wireless master device A60a is used for wireless communication between the control module 22 and the image sensor F30, document feeder 34, LPH-Y40, and print controller 48. However, if a print job instructing monochrome printing is input to the information processing device 10, the image sensor F30, document feeder 34, and LPH-Y40 are not used in processing the print job. Therefore, the wireless master device A60a's only communication partner is the print controller 48 (specifically, the wireless slave device 50h). In this operating state, the wireless communication using the wireless master device A60a (i.e., the wireless communication between the wireless master device A60a and the wireless slave device 50h) does not transmit scanned image data or print image data, but only control signals. Therefore, when processing the print job, the channel setting unit 66 prioritizes RSSI over communication speed when selecting a communication channel to use. On the other hand, when a print job instructing color printing is input to the information processing device 10, the image sensor F30 and document feeder 34 are not used in processing the print job, but the LPH-Y 40 is. Therefore, the communication partners of the wireless master device A 60a are the LPH-Y 40 (specifically, wireless slave device 50d) and the print controller 48 (specifically, wireless slave device 50h). In this operating state, print image data is transmitted between the wireless master device A 60a and wireless slave device 50d. Therefore, when processing the print job, the channel setting unit 66 prioritizes communication speed over RSSI when selecting a communication channel to use.

In this way, the channel setting unit 66 can select the communication channel to be used for each wireless master device 60 according to the operating state of the information processing device 10 (in the above example, according to the attributes of the input job (i.e., the type and settings of the job)). When selecting the communication channel to be used for each wireless master device 60 according to the attributes of the input job, the channel setting unit 66 preferably selects the communication channel to be used for each wireless master device 60 according to the attributes of the job each time a job is input to the information processing device 10.

In addition, the administrator of the information processing device 10 can set the required communication speed in advance between each wireless master device 60 and each wireless slave device 50. This is to ensure that data is transmitted at high speed (i.e., at a speed higher than the required communication speed) between each wireless master device 60 and each wireless slave device 50. The required communication speed may be determined based on the type of data transmitted between the wireless master device 60 and the wireless slave device 50. For example, control signals are transmitted between the wireless master device A 60a and the wireless slave device 50c (document transport device 34), and the data volume is not very large, so the required communication speed can be set to a relatively low 10 (Mbps). Furthermore, print image data is transmitted between the wireless master device A 60a and the wireless slave device 50d (LPH-Y40), and the data volume is larger than that of the control signal, so the required communication speed can be set to 45 (Mbps). Furthermore, scanned image data is transmitted between the wireless master device A 60a and the wireless slave device 50a (image sensor F30), and because the data volume is larger than that of print image data, the required communication speed can be set to 100 Mbps. In this manner, in this embodiment, the type of data (i.e., the approximate data volume) transmitted between each wireless master device 60 and each wireless slave device 50 is predetermined, so the required communication speed can be set in advance between each wireless master device 60 and each wireless slave device 50 according to the data volume of the data transmitted.

The channel setting unit 66 selects a communication channel to be used so that the communication speed of the communication channel is greater than the sum of the required communication speeds between the wireless master device 60 and each of the wireless slave devices 50 with which the wireless master device 60 communicates. As described above, the wireless slave device 50 with which a given wireless master device 60 communicates may change depending on the operating state of the information processing device 10 (e.g., the attributes of an input job). Therefore, the sum of the required communication speeds between the wireless master device 60 and each of the wireless slave devices 50 with which the wireless master device 60 communicates may vary depending on the operating state of the information processing device 10.

A specific example will be described in which the communication capabilities of the wireless master device A60a are as shown in Figure 3. For example, when a print job instructing color printing is input to the information processing device 10, as described above, the communication partners of the wireless master device A60a are the LPH-Y40 (specifically, wireless slave device 50d) and the print controller 48 (specifically, wireless slave device 50h). Here, assume that the required communication speed between the wireless master device A60a and wireless slave device 50d is 45 Mbps, and the required communication speed between the wireless master device A60a and wireless slave device 50h is 10 Mbps. In this case, the channel setting unit 66 selects a communication channel (e.g., communication channel "13") with a communication speed of 45 + 10 = 55 Mbps or higher from among the 2.4 GHz band communication channels as the communication channel to be used.

If there is no communication channel in the 2.4 GHz band with a communication speed of 55 Mbps or higher, the wireless base station A60a may exchange the transmission frequency band and the reception frequency band (i.e., the transmission frequency band may be 5 GHz and the reception frequency band may be 2.4 GHz), and a communication channel in the 5 GHz band with a communication speed of 55 Mbps or higher may be selected as the communication channel to use.

When one wireless master device 60 communicates wirelessly with multiple wireless slave devices 50, the band setting unit 68 sets the communication band between the wireless master device 60 and each of the multiple wireless slave devices 50 within one communication channel in accordance with the data volume of each piece of data transmitted in the wireless communication between the wireless master device 60 and each of the multiple wireless slave devices 50. Existing technology can be used to divide one communication channel into multiple communication bands corresponding to the multiple wireless slave devices 50. For example, OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) technology can be used to divide one communication channel into multiple communication bands. The wider the width of the divided communication bands, the higher the communication speed of the wireless communication between the wireless slave device 50 and the wireless master device 60 corresponding to that communication band.

The bandwidth setting unit 68 increases the width of the communication bandwidth corresponding to the wireless slave device 50 as the data volume of data transmitted wirelessly between the wireless master device 60 and the wireless slave device 50 increases. As a result, the communication speed between the wireless master device 60 and the wireless slave device 50 can be increased as the data volume of data transmitted wirelessly between the wireless master device 60 and the wireless slave device 50 increases, enabling faster data transmission.

If the data capacity of each piece of data transmitted via wireless communication between the wireless master device 60 and each of the multiple wireless slave devices 50 can be obtained in advance, the bandwidth setting unit 68 can set the communication bandwidth between the wireless master device 60 and each of the multiple wireless slave devices 50 in accordance with the obtained data capacity. However, there are cases in which the bandwidth setting unit 68 is unable to obtain in advance the exact data capacity of each piece of data transmitted via wireless communication between the wireless master device 60 and each of the multiple wireless slave devices 50. Therefore, in this embodiment, the bandwidth setting unit 68, like the channel setting unit 66, sets the communication bandwidth between the wireless master device 60 and each wireless slave device 50 in accordance with the type of data transmitted via wireless communication between the wireless master device 60 and each wireless slave device 50. Even when the communication bandwidth between the wireless master device 60 and each wireless slave device 50 is set according to the type of data transmitted in wireless communication between the wireless master device 60 and each wireless slave device 50, it can be said that the bandwidth setting unit 68 indirectly sets the communication bandwidth between the wireless master device 60 and each of the multiple wireless slave devices 50 according to the data capacity of each piece of data transmitted in wireless communication between the wireless master device 60 and each of the multiple wireless slave devices 50.

For each wireless master device 60, the bandwidth setting unit 68 sets the communication bandwidth between the wireless master device 60 and each of the multiple wireless slave devices 50. Figure 4 shows the communication speeds between wireless master devices A-D 60a-d and wireless slave devices 50a-h (i.e., image sensor F30, image sensor B32, document feeder 34, LPH-Y40, LPH-M42, LPH-C44, LPH-K46, and print controller 48). Figure 4 also shows the communication speeds between each wireless master device 60 and each wireless slave device 50 in an operating state (hereinafter referred to as the "current operating state") in which a scan job instructing double-sided scanning and a print job instructing color printing are simultaneously input to the information processing device 10.

The following explanation focuses on the transmitting side of the wireless base station A60a. Here, let's assume that the channel setting unit 66 has set the communication channel used on the transmitting side (2.4 GHz band) of the wireless base station A60a to "13."

The communication bandwidth between image sensor F30 (wireless slave device 50a) is "-", which means that on the transmitting side of wireless master device A60a, wireless slave device 50a is not a communication partner and has not been assigned a communication bandwidth. In other words, during the scan process, scanned image data is sent from wireless slave device 50a to wireless master device A60a, so on the receiving side of wireless master device A60a, wireless slave device 50a is a communication partner (communication bandwidth "100" is assigned to the communication channel used on the receiving side (5 GHz band) of wireless master device A60a). However, because no data is sent from wireless master device 60a to wireless slave device 50a, wireless slave device 50a is not a communication partner on the transmitting side of wireless master device A60a.

The communication band between image sensor B32 (wireless slave device 50b) is blacked out, which means that wireless slave device 50b is not a candidate for communication with wireless master device A60a.

The communication bandwidth with the document transport device 34 (wireless slave device 50c) is also "-". This is because, in this operating state, data transmission between the control module 22 and the document transport device 34 is sufficient via wireless communication between wireless master devices C 60c and D 60d, and therefore, in this operating state, wireless slave device 50c is not a communication partner of wireless master device A 60a.

In this operating state, the LPH-Y40 (wireless slave device 50d) and the print controller 48 (wireless slave device 50h) are both communication partners of the wireless master device A60a, and therefore have been assigned communication bandwidths. Here, print image data is transmitted between the wireless master device A60a and the wireless slave device 50d, and control signals are transmitted between the wireless master device A60a and the wireless slave device 50h. Therefore, while the communication speed of the communication channel "13" is approximately 55 Mbps, the bandwidth setting unit 68 sets the communication bandwidth so that the communication speed between the wireless master device A60a and the wireless slave device 50d is 45 Mbps, and the communication speed between the wireless master device A60a and the wireless slave device 50h is 10 Mbps. Of course, the bandwidth setting unit 68 assigns communication bandwidths to each wireless slave device 50 so that the total communication speed between each wireless slave device 50 does not exceed the communication speed of the communication channel being used. Information indicating what communication speed can be achieved by allocating a certain communication bandwidth is stored in advance in memory 16, etc., and the bandwidth setting unit 68 sets the communication bandwidth corresponding to the desired communication speed based on this information.

Figure 5 is a conceptual diagram showing how wireless communication is performed between each wireless master device 60 and each wireless slave device 50 when the communication bandwidth between each wireless master device 60 and each wireless slave device 50 is set to achieve the communication speed shown in Figure 4. Note that Figure 5 does not illustrate wireless communication between all of the wireless master devices 60 and wireless slave devices 50 shown in Figure 4.

As described above, when a required communication speed is set between each wireless master device 60 and each wireless slave device 50, the band setting unit 68 sets the communication band between each wireless master device 60 and each wireless slave device 50 so that the communication speed is equal to or higher than the required communication speed. For example, if the required communication speed between wireless master device A60a and wireless slave device 50d is 45 (Mbps), the band setting unit 68 sets the communication band so that the communication speed between wireless master device A60a and wireless slave device 50d is 45 (Mbps) or higher.

Furthermore, as described above, the wireless slave device 50 with which each wireless master device 60 communicates changes depending on the operating state of the information processing device 10. Therefore, the band setting unit 68 may change the communication band between the wireless master device 60 and the wireless slave device 50 with which the wireless master device 60 communicates depending on the operating state of the information processing device 10.

For example, Figure 4 shows the communication speeds between each wireless master device 60 and each wireless slave device 50 in an operating state in which a scan job instructing double-sided scanning and a print job instructing color printing are input simultaneously. However, in an operating state in which only a print job instructing color printing is input, no wireless communication occurs between the control module 22 and the reading module 18. Therefore, for example, focusing on the receiving side of the wireless master device A 60a, in an operating state in which a scan job instructing double-sided scanning and a print job instructing color printing are input simultaneously, a communication bandwidth is allocated between the wireless master device A 60a and the image sensor F30 (wireless slave device 50a) so that the communication speed is 100 Mbps. However, in an operating state in which only a print job instructing color printing is input, there is no need to allocate a communication bandwidth between the wireless master device A 60a and the wireless slave device 50a. In this case, a communication bandwidth of 100 Mbps can be allocated to the other wireless slave device 50. For example, the communication bandwidth allocation can be changed so that the communication speed between the wireless master device A60a and the LPH-Y40 (wireless slave device 50d) is 125 (Mbps), and the communication speed between the wireless master device A60a and the print controller 48 (wireless slave device 50h) is 30 (Mbps).

In particular, if the operating state of the information processing device 10 varies depending on the attributes of the job input to the information processing device 10, the bandwidth setting unit 68 may change the communication bandwidth between the wireless master device 60 and the wireless slave device 50 with which the wireless master device 60 communicates, depending on the attributes of the input job. For example, focusing on the receiving side of the wireless master device A 60a, if a print job instructing monochrome printing is input to the information processing device 10, wireless communication is not performed between the wireless master device A 60a and the LPH-Y40 (wireless slave device 50d). Therefore, there is no need to allocate a communication bandwidth between the wireless master device A 60a and the wireless slave device 50d. In this case, a communication bandwidth of 45 (Mbps) can be allocated to another wireless slave device 50. For example, the communication bandwidth allocation can be changed so that the communication speed between the wireless master device A 60a and the print controller 48 (wireless slave device 50h) is 55 (Mbps).

The information processing device 10 according to this embodiment has been outlined above. In the information processing device 10, wireless communication is performed between one wireless master device 60 and each of multiple wireless slave devices 50. The bandwidth setting unit 68 sets the communication bandwidth between the wireless master device 60 and each of the multiple wireless slave devices 50 within one available communication channel in accordance with the data capacity of each piece of data transmitted in the wireless communication between the wireless master device 60 and each of the multiple wireless slave devices 50. This allows the communication speed between the wireless master device 60 and each wireless slave device 50 to be set to a speed in accordance with the data capacity of the data transmitted between the wireless master device 60 and each wireless slave device 50.

Furthermore, in the information processing device 10, communication is performed between each wireless master device 60 and each wireless slave device 50 via Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi has a communication distance at least longer than UWB. Therefore, compared to when wireless communication is performed between modules using UWB, each module can be physically placed farther apart. This increases the degree of freedom in module placement within the information processing device 10.

The processing flow of the information processing device 10 will be explained below according to the flowchart shown in Figure 6.

In step S10, when the information processing device 10 starts up, the processor 62 operates the components within the information processing device 10 to the maximum extent possible. At this time, the components provided in the reading module 18 and printing module 20 are operated by sending control signals from each wireless master device 60 to each wireless slave device 50. At this time, the communication channel and communication band between each wireless master device 60 and each wireless slave device 50 use predetermined (default) communication channels and communication bands.

In step S12, the communication performance measurement unit 64 measures the communication performance (RSSI and communication speed) of each wireless master device 60 for each communication channel in multiple frequency bands (in this embodiment, the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band).

In step S14, the communication performance measurement unit 64 determines whether the RSSI for each wireless master device 60 is equal to or greater than the required reception sensitivity based on the RSSI of each wireless master device 60 measured in step S12. If the RSSI for each wireless master device 60 is equal to or greater than the required reception sensitivity, the process proceeds to step S22; if the RSSI for each wireless master device 60 is less than the required reception sensitivity, the process proceeds to step S16.

In step S16, the communication performance measurement unit 64 queries the user to determine whether the information processing device 10 can be operated with limited functionality. If the information processing device 10 can be operated with limited functionality, the process proceeds to step S20; if the information processing device 10 cannot be operated with limited functionality, the process proceeds to step S18.

In step S18, the communication performance measurement unit 64 displays an error message on the input/output interface 14 to notify the user, and then terminates processing.

In step S20, the communication performance measurement unit 64 displays a notification message on the input/output interface 14 to notify the user that the information processing device 10 will be operating in a functionally limited state.

In step S22, the information processing device 10 accepts a job from the user. Based on the attributes of the job, the operating state of the information processing device 10, or more specifically, the wireless slave device 50 with which each wireless master device 60 will communicate, is determined.

In step S24, the channel setting unit 66 selects and sets the communication channel to be used for each wireless base station 60 based on the communication performance of each wireless base station 60 determined in step S12.

In step S24, the channel setting unit 66 determines whether the communication speed of the communication channel set in step S24 is greater than the sum of the required communication speeds between the wireless master device 60 and each of the wireless slave devices 50 with which the wireless master device 60 communicates. If the communication speed of the communication channel satisfies the condition, the process proceeds to step S28; if the condition is not met, the process returns to step S24, and the channel setting unit 66 sets the communication channel to be used again. For example, the frequency band on the transmitting side (e.g., 2.4 GHz) and the frequency band on the receiving side (e.g., 5 GHz) are swapped, and the communication channel to be used is set again. Note that if there is no communication channel to be used that satisfies the condition, the channel setting unit 66 may end the process after notifying the user.

In step S28, the bandwidth setting unit 68 sets the communication bandwidth between each wireless master device 60 and each wireless slave device 50 according to the type of data (i.e., data capacity) transmitted in the wireless communication between the wireless master device 60 and each wireless slave device 50.

In step S30, wireless communication is performed between each wireless master device 60 and each wireless slave device 50 using the communication channel set in step S24 and the communication bandwidth set in step S28, thereby executing the job entered in step S22.

The above describes an embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

For example, in this embodiment, the processor 62 is provided in the control module 22, but the processor 62 does not necessarily have to be provided in the control module 22 and may be provided outside the control module 22.

10 Information processing device, 12 Communication interface, 14 Input/output interface, 16 Memory, 18 Reading module, 20 Printing module, 22 Control module, 30 Image sensor F, 32 Image sensor B, 34 Document transport device, 40 LPH-Y, 42 LPH-M, 44 LPH-C, 46 LPH-K, 48 Printing controller, 50, 50a-h Wireless client devices, 60 Wireless base station, 60a Wireless base station A, 60b Wireless base station B, 60c Wireless base station C, 60d Wireless base station D, 62 Processor, 64 Communication performance measurement unit, 66 Channel setting unit, 68 Bandwidth setting unit.

Claims (7)

An information processing device including a processor, a first wireless communication module, and a plurality of second wireless communication modules,
the second wireless communication module, which is a communication partner of the first wireless communication module, varies depending on an attribute of a processing command input to the information processing device;
The processor:
setting a communication band between the first wireless communication module and each of the plurality of second wireless communication modules within one available communication channel selected in advance for use in the wireless communication in accordance with a data capacity of each piece of data transmitted by wireless communication between the first wireless communication module and each of the plurality of second wireless communication modules;
changing a communication band between the first wireless communication module and the second wireless communication module, which is a communication partner of the first wireless communication module, according to an attribute of a processing command input to the information processing device;
1. An information processing device comprising: The processor:
performing a measurement process for measuring communication performance of wireless communication using the first wireless communication module for each communication channel;
selecting the communication channel to be used from the plurality of communication channels based on the result of the measurement process;
2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The processor:
The measurement process is executed when the information processing device is started up.
3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein: The processor:
Executing the measurement process after operating components within the information processing device.
4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the information processing apparatus is a computer . the communication performance includes reception sensitivity and communication speed;
The processor:
selecting the communication channel to be used by giving priority to either the reception sensitivity or the communication speed among the communication performances according to a data volume of data transmitted in wireless communication using the first wireless communication module;
3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein: the first wireless communication module is capable of communicating with the second wireless communication modules in a plurality of frequency bands;
6. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the information processing device is a computer. a computer including a first wireless communication module and a plurality of second wireless communication modules, wherein the second wireless communication module, which is a communication partner of the first wireless communication module, changes in accordance with an attribute of a processing command input to the computer ;
setting a communication band between the first wireless communication module and each of the plurality of second wireless communication modules within one available communication channel selected in advance for use in the wireless communication in accordance with a data capacity of each piece of data transmitted by wireless communication between the first wireless communication module and each of the plurality of second wireless communication modules;
changing a communication band between the first wireless communication module and the second wireless communication module, which is a communication partner of the first wireless communication module, according to an attribute of a processing command input to the computer;
An information processing program characterized by: