Patent ID: 9244633
Filing Date: 2016-01-26
CPC Classification: G06F

Claim Text:
1. An image forming apparatus in which connection of an external device and a wireless network is controlled, the image forming apparatus comprising: a wireless network interface unit to connect the image forming apparatus to a first wireless network or a second wireless network; a user interface unit in which setting a connection configuration to connect the wireless network interface unit of the image forming apparatus to the second wireless network using an ad-hoc mode according to a request to connect using the ad-hoc mode, the setting being performed while the wireless network interface unit of the image forming apparatus is connected to the first wireless network; a determining unit to determine whether a usage of the image forming apparatus corresponds to a terminating condition included in the connection configuration for terminating the connection of the second wireless network using the ad-hoc mode while the wireless network interface unit of the image forming apparatus is connected to the second wireless network, the terminating condition being independent of a state of the connection of the second wireless network and a time of day; and a controller to control automatic termination of the connection of the second wireless network using the ad hoc mode when the usage corresponds to the terminating condition and to control automatic connection of the wireless network interface unit of the image forming apparatus to a different wireless network, using an infrastructure mode, from the second wireless network according to the set connection configuration, wherein the terminating conditions comprise at least one of the number of pages of a printing medium that can be printed by the image forming apparatus and a fee that is paid by a user of the second wireless network.