# US 11,445,086 B2 · Method and device for controlling image-forming devices, and electronic terminal through network using the method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,445,086 B2 - Document ID: US11445086B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/026,829 - Filed: 2020-09-21 - Published: 2021-01-07 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2018-04-12 - Applicants: Zhuhai Pantum Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Jiade Li - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11445086B2 ## CPC - H04L 67/1021: based on client or server locations - H04N 1/32765: {Initiating a communication} - H04L 67/51: Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services - H04N 1/00307: {with a mobile telephone apparatus (constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00)} - H04N 1/32786: {Ending a communication (H04N1/32614 takes precedence)} - H04W 8/005: {Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals} - H04W 12/06: Authentication - H04W 12/50: Secure pairing of devices - H04W 12/71: Hardware identity - H04W 76/10: Connection setup - H04N 2201/0055: By radio - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A method and a device for controlling image-forming devices, and an electronic terminal using the method are provided in the present disclosure. The method includes acquiring currently-available wireless networks; when a wireless network is provided by an image-forming device, acquiring a first network identifier of the wireless network; when a wireless network is not provided by the image-forming device, connecting to the wireless network and acquiring a first device identifier of the image-forming device connected to the wireless network; adding the first network identifier and the first device identifier acquired to the list of the image-forming devices; according to the list of the image-forming devices, selecting a target image-forming device; and connecting to a wireless network corresponding to the target image-forming device and establishing a communication with the target image-forming device, thereby controlling the target image-forming device to execute an image-forming task. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for controlling image-forming devices, comprising: acquiring currently-available wireless networks, including detecting, by a wireless communication module in a mobile phone, the currently-available wireless networks, and acquiring, by the wireless communication module in the mobile phone, broadcast information transmitted by each wireless access point corresponding to the currently-available wireless networks; searching image-forming devices through the currently-available wireless networks and establishing a list of the image-forming devices; according to the list of the image-forming devices, selecting a target image-forming device; and connecting to a wireless network corresponding to the target image-forming device and establishing a communication with the target image-forming device, thereby controlling the target image-forming device to execute an image-forming task; wherein searching the image-forming devices through the currently-available wireless networks and establishing the list of the image-forming devices include: when one of the currently-available wireless networks is provided by an image-forming device, acquiring a first network identifier of the wireless network; when one of the currently-available wireless networks is not provided by the image-forming device, connecting to the one of the currently-available wireless networks and acquiring the first device identifier of the image-forming device of the wireless network; and adding the first network identifier and the first device identifier acquired to the list of the image-forming devices. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein connecting to the wireless network corresponding to the target image-forming device includes: when the wireless network corresponding to the target image-forming device is not consistent with a currently-connected wireless network, disconnecting the currently-connected wireless network and switching to connecting to the wireless network corresponding to the target image-forming device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further including: according to a predetermined network switching strategy, switching from connecting to the wireless network corresponding to the target image-forming device to connecting to a target wireless network. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3, before searching the image-forming devices, further including: recording a second network identifier of the currently-connected wireless network, wherein according to the predetermined network switching strategy, switching from connecting to the wireless network corresponding to the target image-forming device to connecting to the target wireless network includes: acquiring a wireless network corresponding to a currently-recorded second network identifier as the target wireless network; when a predetermined condition is satisfied, disconnecting the wireless network corresponding to the target image-forming device; and establishing a connection with the target wireless network. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3, wherein according to the predetermined network switching strategy, switching from connecting to the wireless network corresponding to the target image-forming device to connecting to the target wireless network includes: acquiring a wireless network with a strongest signal in all wireless networks as the target wireless network; when a predetermined condition is satisfied, disconnecting the wireless network corresponding to the target image-forming device; and establishing a connection with the target wireless network. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3, wherein according to the predetermined network switching strategy, switching from connecting to the wireless network corresponding to the target image-forming device to connecting to the target wireless network includes: when a predetermined condition is satisfied, establishing and displaying the list of the wireless networks, wherein the list of the wireless networks includes the currently-available wireless networks; acquiring a wireless network selected by a user from the list of the wireless networks as the target wireless network; disconnecting the wireless network corresponding to the target image-forming device; and establishing a connection with the target wireless network. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further including: recording a second device identifier of the target image-forming device; and before searching the image-forming devices, further including: determining whether a communication is able to be established with the target image-forming device corresponding to the recorded second device identifier through the currently-available wireless networks; and when a determination result is “yes”, connecting to the wireless network corresponding to the target image-forming device which corresponds to the recorded second device identifier and establishing a communication with the target image-forming device corresponding to the recorded second device identifier, thereby controlling the target image-forming device to execute the image-forming task; and when the determination result is “no”, executing an operation of searching the image-forming devices. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further including: recording a second device identifier of the target image-forming device and a third network identifier of the wireless network corresponding to the target image-forming device; and before searching the image-forming devices, further including: determining whether a communication is able to be established with the target image-forming device corresponding to the recorded second device identifier through the wireless network corresponding to the third network identifier; and when a determination result is “yes”, establishing the communication with the target image-forming device corresponding to the recorded second device identifier through the wireless network corresponding to the third network identifier, thereby controlling the target image-forming device to execute the image-forming task; and when the determination result is “no”, starting acquiring the currently-available wireless networks and executing an operation of searching the image-forming devices through the currently-available wireless networks; and when the first device identifier corresponding to a searched image-forming device in the established list of the image-forming devices is identified to be same as the recorded second device identifier, automatically selecting the recorded target image-forming device as the target image-forming device from selected target image-forming devices. ### Claim 9 An electronic terminal, comprising: a memory, for storing a computer program; and a processor, coupled to the memory and, when the computer program being executed, configured to: acquire currently-available wireless networks, including detect, by a wireless communication module in a mobile phone, the currently-available wireless networks, and acquire, by the wireless communication module in the mobile phone, broadcast information transmitted by each wireless access point corresponding to the currently-available wireless networks; search image-forming devices through the currently-available wireless networks, and establish a list of the image-forming devices, by performing: when one of the currently-available wireless networks is provided by an image-forming device, acquiring a first network identifier of the wireless network; when one of the currently-available wireless networks is not provided by the image-forming device, connecting to the one of the currently-available wireless networks and acquiring the first device identifier of the image-forming device of the wireless network; and adding the first network identifier and the first device identifier acquired to the list of the image-forming devices; according to the list of the image-forming devices, select a target image-forming device; connect to a wireless network corresponding to the target image-forming device; and establish a communication with the target image-forming device, thereby controlling the target image-forming device to execute an image-forming task. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The terminal according to claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to: when the wireless network corresponding to the target image-forming device is not consistent with a currently-connected wireless network, disconnect the currently-connected wireless network and switch to connecting to the wireless network corresponding to the target image-forming device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The terminal according to claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to: according to a predetermined network switching strategy, switch from connecting to the wireless network corresponding to the target image-forming device to connecting to a target wireless network. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The terminal according to claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to: before searching the image-forming devices, record a second network identifier of the currently-connected wireless network; and acquire a wireless network corresponding to a currently-recorded second network identifier as the target wireless network; when a predetermined condition is satisfied, disconnect the wireless network corresponding to the target image-forming device; and establish a connection with the target wireless network. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The terminal according to claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to: acquire a wireless network with a strongest signal in all wireless networks as the target wireless network; when a predetermined condition is satisfied, disconnect the wireless network corresponding to the target image-forming device; and establish a connection with the target wireless network. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The terminal according to claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to: when a predetermined condition is satisfied, establish and display the list of the wireless networks, wherein the list of the wireless networks includes the currently-available wireless networks; acquire a wireless network selected by a user from the list of the wireless networks as the target wireless network; and disconnect the wireless network corresponding to the target image-forming device and establish a connection with the target wireless network. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The terminal according to claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to: record a second device identifier of the target image-forming device and a third network identifier of the wireless network corresponding to the target image-forming device; and before searching the image-forming devices, determine whether a communication is able to be established with the target image-forming device corresponding to the recorded second device identifier through the wireless network corresponding to the third network identifier, and when a determination result is “yes”, establish the communication with the target image-forming device corresponding to the recorded second device identifier through the wireless network corresponding to the third network identifier, thereby controlling the target image-forming device to execute the image-forming task; and when the determination result is “no”, start acquiring the currently-available wireless networks and execute an operation of searching the image-forming devices through the currently-available wireless networks; and when the first device identifier corresponding to a searched image-forming device in the established list of the image-forming devices is identified to be same as the recorded second device identifier, automatically select the recorded target image-forming device as the target image-forming device from selected target image-forming devices. ### Claim 16 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, containing program instructions for, when executed by a processor, performing a method for controlling image-forming devices, the method comprising: acquiring currently-available wireless networks, including detecting, by a wireless communication module in a mobile phone, the currently-available wireless networks, and acquiring, by the wireless communication module in the mobile phone, broadcast information transmitted by each wireless access point corresponding to the currently-available wireless networks; searching image-forming devices through the currently-available wireless networks and establishing a list of the image-forming devices; according to the list of the image-forming devices, selecting a target image-forming device; and connecting to a wireless network corresponding to the target image-forming device and establishing a communication with the target image-forming device, thereby controlling the target image-forming device to execute an image-forming task; wherein searching the image-forming devices through the currently-available wireless networks and establishing the list of the image-forming devices include: when one of the currently-available wireless networks is provided by an image-forming device, acquiring a first network identifier of the wireless network; when one of the currently-available wireless networks is not provided by the image-forming device, connecting to the one of the currently-available wireless networks and acquiring the first device identifier of the image-forming device of the wireless network; and adding the first network identifier and the first device identifier acquired to the list of the image-forming devices. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The storage medium according to claim 16, wherein connecting to the wireless network corresponding to the target image-forming device includes: when the wireless network corresponding to the target image-forming device is not consistent with a currently-connected wireless network, disconnecting the currently-connected wireless network and switching to connecting to the wireless network corresponding to the target image-forming device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The storage medium according to claim 16, wherein the method further includes: according to a predetermined network switching strategy, switching from connecting to the wireless network corresponding to the target image-forming device to connecting to a target wireless network. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The storage medium according to claim 18, wherein before searching the image-forming devices, the method further includes: recording a second network identifier of the currently-connected wireless network, wherein according to the predetermined network switching strategy, switching from connecting to the wireless network corresponding to the target image-forming device to connecting to the target wireless network includes: acquiring a wireless network corresponding to a currently-recorded second network identifier as the target wireless network; when a predetermined condition is satisfied, disconnecting the wireless network corresponding to the target image-forming device; and establishing a connection with the target wireless network. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The storage medium according to claim 18, wherein according to the predetermined network switching strategy, switching from connecting to the wireless network corresponding to the target image-forming device to connecting to the target wireless network includes: acquiring a wireless network with a strongest signal in all wireless networks as the target wireless network; when a predetermined condition is satisfied, disconnecting the wireless network corresponding to the target image-forming device; and establishing a connection with the target wireless network.