Patent Publication Number: US-2022236936-A1

Title: Non-transitory computer readable storage medium, control method, and mobile terminal

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/978,758, filed on May 14, 2018, which claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-100156 filed on May 19, 2017. These applications are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Field 
     The present disclosure relates to a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, a control method, and a mobile terminal. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     A mobile terminal including wireless LAN functionality can be connected to an access point to perform a search for a printing apparatus through the access point. The mobile terminal can then transmit a print job to the printing apparatus designated by a user from among the search results. The printing apparatus that receives the print job can perform a print process based on the received print job on a sheet. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2014-11671 discloses a configuration in which a mobile terminal connects sequentially to a plurality of access points to perform a search for a printing apparatus through the plurality of access points. 
     A user can transmit a print job from a mobile terminal to the printing apparatus in front of the user. In this case, in order for the mobile terminal to search and find the printing apparatus, the printing apparatus may be required to participate in the wireless LAN network in which the mobile terminal is participating. However, the printing apparatus may not participate in the wireless LAN network in which the mobile terminal is participating, or the printing apparatus primarily may not connect to any access point. In this case, the printing apparatus cannot be found through the search performed by the mobile terminal. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer readable storage medium for storing a computer program for causing a computer of a mobile terminal to execute a control method, the control method includes an obtaining step of obtaining an SSID of an access point to which the mobile terminal is connected; and a screen displaying step of displaying, in accordance with receiving a screen display instruction for displaying a guide screen for causing a printing apparatus to participate in a wireless network in which the mobile terminal is participating, the guide screen, wherein the SSID obtained in the obtaining step is displayed in the guide screen. 
     Further features will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a hardware configuration of a mobile terminal. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a software configuration of the mobile terminal. 
         FIGS. 3A to 3D  illustrate screens to be displayed on the mobile terminal. 
         FIGS. 4A and 4B  illustrate screens to be displayed on the mobile terminal. 
         FIG. 5  is a flowchart illustrating processing to be executed by the mobile terminal. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     Exemplary embodiments for implementing the present disclosure will be described below with reference to drawings. It should be understood that the following embodiments are not intended to limit aspects of the present disclosure and that all of combinations of features according to the embodiments are not necessarily required for implementation of the aspects of the present disclosure. 
     Embodiments 
     First, with reference to  FIG. 1 , a hardware configuration of a mobile terminal  100  will be described. The mobile terminal  100  according to an embodiment is assumed to be a smart phone. However, embodiments of the present disclosure are applicable to an apparatus including wireless LAN functionality and any other apparatuses such as a digital camera, a digital game machine, and a laptop personal computer (PC). 
     A CPU  101  is configured to read out a control program stored in a flash memory  103  and to execute various processes for controlling operations of the mobile terminal  100 . A RAM  102  is usable as a temporary storage area such as a main memory and a work area for the CPU  101 . The flash memory  103  can be a nonvolatile storage medium configured to store a control program for the mobile terminal  100  and various kinds of data such as images and electronic documents. 
     While the present embodiment is described with one CPU  101  in the mobile terminal  100  configured to execute processes illustrated in a flowchart described below, other configurations are also applicable. For example, a plurality of CPUs can cooperate with each other to execute processes illustrated in the below-described flowchart. Some processes in the below-described flowchart can be executed by a hardware circuit such as an ASIC. 
     A control panel  104  includes a touch panel function that detects a touch operation performed by a user and is configured to display screens. A user can input a touch operation through the control panel  104  to input a desired instruction to the mobile terminal  100 . The mobile terminal  100  can include a hardware key (not illustrated) so that a user can use the hardware key to input an operating instruction to the mobile terminal  100 . 
     A speaker  106  and a microphone  107  can be used by a user to make telephone calls. A camera  108  is configured to capture an image in response to an image-capture instruction from a user. The image captured by the camera  108  is stored in a predetermined area in the flash memory  103 . 
     A Bluetooth® I/F  109  is configured to implement Bluetooth® wireless communication. An NFC I/F  110  is configured to implement near field radio communication (NFC). 
     A wireless LAN I/F  105  is configured to implement IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac wireless LAN communication. The wireless LAN I/F  105  can connect to an external access point to participate in a wireless LAN network including the access point. 
     A software configuration of the mobile terminal  100  will be described with reference to  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 2  is a functional block diagram implemented by a control program stored in the flash memory  103  and executed by the CPU  101 . 
     An OS  201  is a software application configured to control operations performed by the mobile terminal  100 . Various applications including a print application  202 , which will be described below, can be installed in the mobile terminal  100 . The OS  201  can control operations of the mobile terminal  100  in response to an instruction from an application or a user&#39;s operating instruction input through the control panel  104 . 
     The print application  202  is configured to provide a print function to a user. The print application  202  can instruct the OS  201  to perform a search for a printing apparatus, generate a print job, and transmit the generated print job. The mobile terminal  100  also includes various applications in addition to the print application  202 , but descriptions of these other applications is omitted. 
     User operating procedures and screens displayed on the mobile terminal  100  will be described with reference to  FIGS. 3A to 3D  and  FIGS. 4A and 4B . 
       FIG. 3A  illustrates a search screen  300  displayed on the control panel  104  in response to an instruction from the print application  202 . The search screen  300  is used to instruct start of a search for a printing apparatus. If a user selects (or touches the touch panel) a search start button  301 , the mobile terminal  100  starts a search for a printing apparatus. The search for a printing apparatus can be implemented by transmission of a search packet from the wireless LAN I/F  105  through an access point to which the mobile terminal  100  is connected. When the search for a printing apparatus starts, the mobile terminal  100  displays an in-searching screen  310  in  FIG. 3B . 
       FIG. 3B  illustrates the in-searching screen  310  displayed on the control panel  104  in response to an instruction from the print application  202 . The in-searching screen  310  displays a message  312  indicating that a search for a printing apparatus is being executed. If a user selects a guide screen display button  311 , the mobile terminal  100  ends the search for a printing apparatus and displays a guide screen  400  in  FIG. 4A  or an error screen  410  in  FIG. 4B . The guide screen  400  and the error screen  410  will be described below. If a printing apparatus is found as a result of the search, the mobile terminal  100  displays a search result screen  320  as illustrated in  FIG. 3C . If no printing apparatus is found as a result of the search, the mobile terminal  100  displays a search result screen  330  as illustrated in  FIG. 3D . 
     The search result screen  320  in  FIG. 3C  is displayed on the control panel  104  in response to an instruction from the print application  202 . The search result screen  320  displays a list of identification information (such as a model name or an IP address) of the printing apparatuses found as a result of the search. If a user selects a desired printing apparatus and selects an ENTER button  322 , the print application  202  identifies the printing apparatus selected by the user as a destination of the print job. If the user selects a guide screen display button  321 , the mobile terminal  100  displays the guide screen  400  in  FIG. 4A  or the error screen  410  in  FIG. 4B . The guide screen  400  and the error screen  410  will be described below. 
     The search result screen  330  in  FIG. 3D  is displayed on the control panel  104  in response to an instruction from the print application  202 . The search result screen  330  displays a message  332  indicating that no printing apparatus has been found. If the user selects a guide screen display button  331 , the mobile terminal  100  displays the guide screen  400  in  FIG. 4A  or the error screen  410  in  FIG. 4B . The guide screen  400  and the error screen  410  will be described below. 
     The guide screen  400  in  FIG. 4A  is displayed on the control panel  104  in response to an instruction from the print application  202 . The guide screen  400  is displayed if one of the guide screen display buttons  311 ,  321 , and  331  is selected by a user when the mobile terminal  100  connects to the access point. If no desired printing apparatus has been found as a result of the search, there is a high possibility that the printing apparatus is not present within the wireless LAN network in which the mobile terminal  100  is participating. The guide screen  400  displays an SSID  401  of the access point to which the mobile terminal  100  connects and displays a message  402  prompting a user to connect the printing apparatus to the SSID  401 . A user can check the guide screen  400  so that the desired printing apparatus can be caused to participate in the wireless LAN network in which the mobile terminal  100  is participating. The guide screen  400  displays a manual check button  403 . If a user selects the manual check button  403 , the mobile terminal  100  displays a manual that describes an operating procedure for defining a wireless LAN setting for the printing apparatus. 
     The error screen  410  in  FIG. 4B  is displayed on the control panel  104  in response to an instruction from the print application  202 . The error screen  410  is displayed if one of the guide screen display buttons  311 ,  321 ,  331  is selected by a user when the mobile terminal  100  does not connect to the access point. The error screen  410  displays a message  411  prompting a user to connect the mobile terminal  100  to the access point. 
     Next, processing to be executed by the mobile terminal  100  will be described with reference to  FIG. 5 . Steps in the flowchart in  FIG. 5  are implemented by a control program stored in the flash memory  103 , extracted into the RAM  102 , and executed by the CPU  101 . The processing illustrated in the flowchart in  FIG. 5  is executed when a user selects one of the guide screen display buttons  311 ,  321 , and  331 . 
     In step S 501 , the print application  202  determines whether a search for a printing apparatus is being performed. If the search for a printing apparatus is being performed, the processing moves to step S 502 . If the search for a printing apparatus is not being performed, the processing moves to step S 503 . 
     In step S 502 , the print application  202  ends the search for a printing apparatus. 
     In step S 503 , the print application  202  determines whether the mobile terminal  100  is in connection with the access point. The print application  202  inquires of the OS  201  whether the mobile terminal  100  is in connection with the access point. The print application  202  can check a reply to the inquiry from the OS  201  so that the processing in step S 503  can be performed. If the mobile terminal  100  is in connection with the access point, the processing moves to step S 504 . If the mobile terminal  100  is not in connection with the access point, the processing moves to step S 505 . 
     In step S 504 , the print application  202  instructs the OS  201  to display the guide screen  400 . Under control of the OS  201 , the control panel  104  displays the guide screen  400 . The print application  202  obtains from the OS  201  the SSID of the access point to which the mobile terminal  100  is connected. The guide screen  400  displays the SSID obtained from the OS  201 . A user can check the guide screen  400  to facilitate determination on the access point to which the printing apparatus is to be connected so that a wireless LAN communication can be established between the mobile terminal  100  and the printing apparatus. 
     In step S 505 , the print application  202  instructs the OS  201  to display the error screen  410 . Under control of the OS  201 , the control panel  104  displays the error screen  410 . 
     Other Embodiments 
     Embodiment(s) can also be realized by a computer of a system or apparatus that reads out and executes computer executable instructions (e.g., one or more programs) recorded on a storage medium (which may also be referred to more fully as a ‘non-transitory computer-readable storage medium’) to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s) and/or that includes one or more circuits (e.g., application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)) for performing the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s), and by a method performed by the computer of the system or apparatus by, for example, reading out and executing the computer executable instructions from the storage medium to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s) and/or controlling the one or more circuits to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s). The computer may comprise one or more processors (e.g., central processing unit (CPU), micro processing unit (MPU)) and may include a network of separate computers or separate processors to read out and execute the computer executable instructions. The computer executable instructions may be provided to the computer, for example, from a network or the storage medium. The storage medium may include, for example, one or more of a hard disk, a random-access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a storage of distributed computing systems, an optical disk (such as a compact disc (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD), or Blu-ray Disc (BD)™), a flash memory device, a memory card, and the like. 
     While exemplary embodiments have been described, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.