# US 12,120,773 B2 · Non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing application program including computer-readable instructions for terminal device and method for controlling terminal device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,120,773 B2 - Document ID: US12120773B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/480,371 - Filed: 2021-09-21 - Published: 2022-03-31 - Granted: 2024-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2020-09-25 - Assignees: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Tatsuhiko Sone - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12120773B2 ## CPC - H04W 8/22: Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities - H04W 48/18: Selecting a network or a communication service - H04W 8/005: {Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals} - H04W 88/06: adapted for operation in multiple networks {or having at least two operational modes}, e.g. multi-mode terminals - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Computer-readable instructions, when executed by a processor of a terminal device, may cause the terminal device to: repeatedly execute a first-type communication process using first-type communication via Internet, wherein the first-type communication process is for receiving related information which is related to a communication device; and repeatedly execute a second-type communication process using second-type communication not via the Internet, wherein the second-type communication process is for receiving the related information. A first interval for repeatedly executing the first-type communication process may be longer than a second interval for repeatedly executing the second-type communication process. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing an application program including computer-readable instructions for a mobile terminal device, the computer-readable instructions, when executed by a processor of the mobile terminal device, causing the mobile terminal device to: in response to determining a first-type wireless communication is established, repeatedly execute, at a first polling interval which is predetermined, a first-type communication process using the first-type wireless communication not via Internet, wherein the first-type communication process is for receiving related information which is related to a printer, the first-type communication process includes sending a first polling signal to the printer, and the first polling interval being between a timing of sending the first polling signal and a timing of sending the next first polling signal; and in response to determining the first-type wireless communication is not established, and in response to determining a second-type wireless communication is established, repeatedly execute, at a second polling interval which is predetermined, a second-type communication process using the second-type wireless communication via the Internet, wherein the first polling interval is shorter than the second polling interval, wherein the second-type communication process is for receiving the related information related to the printer and includes sending a second polling signal to a server, and the second polling interval being between a timing of sending the second polling signal and a timing of sending the next second polling signal, wherein the predetermined first polling interval and the predetermined second polling interval are determined for and based on the first-type wireless communication and the second-type wireless communication, respectively, prior to the establishment of the first-type wireless communication and the establishment of the second-type wireless communication. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium as in claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the mobile terminal device to: cause a display unit of the mobile terminal device to display a specific screen indicating the related information in a case where the related information is received from the printer or the server. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium as in claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the mobile terminal device to: determine whether the mobile terminal device is capable of executing the first-type wireless communication, wherein in a case where it is determined that the mobile terminal device is not capable of executing the first-type wireless communication, the second-type communication process is executed, in a case where it is determined that the mobile terminal device is capable of executing the first-type wireless communication, the first-type communication process is executed, and in the case where it is determined that the mobile terminal device is capable of executing the first-type wireless communication, the second-type communication process is not executed. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium as in claim 3, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the mobile terminal device to: in the case where it is determined that the mobile terminal device is capable of executing the first-type wireless communication, determine whether the related information is received from the device, wherein in a case where it is determined that the related information is not received from the printer, the second-type communication process is executed. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium as in claim 4, wherein the first-type communication process includes sending the first polling signal to the printer again in a case where a predetermined time has elapsed without the related information being received from the printer since the first polling signal was sent to the printer, and in a case where the first polling signal is sent to the printer for a predetermined number of times and the related information is not received from the printer, it is determined that the related information is not received from the printer, the predetermined number of times being two or more. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium as in claim 4, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the mobile terminal device to: in the case where it is determined that the related information is not received from the printer, determine whether the second polling interval has elapsed since the second-type communication process was executed previously, wherein in a case where it is determined that the second polling interval has elapsed since the second-type communication process was executed previously, the second-type communication process is executed, in a case where it is determined that the second polling interval has not elapsed since the second-type communication process was executed previously, the second-type communication process is not executed, and in a case where it is determined that the second polling interval has not elapsed since the second-type communication process was executed previously and the first polling interval has elapsed since the first-type communication process was executed previously, the first-type communication process is executed. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium as in claim 6, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the mobile terminal device to: cause a display unit of the mobile terminal device to display a specific screen indicating the related information in a case where the related information is received from the printer or the server, wherein in a case where the related information is received from the server, the specific screen includes predetermined information indicating that the related information has been received by the second-type communication process, and in a case where the first-type communication process is executed and it is determined that the related information is not received from the printer in a state where the specific screen including the predetermined information is displayed at the display unit, the specific screen including the predetermined information is continuously displayed without replacing the predetermined information with information indicating that the first-type communication process failed. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium as in claim 1, wherein in a case where the application program is running in a foreground, the first-type communication process is executed, in the case where the application program is running in the foreground, the second-type communication process is executed, and in a case where the application program is running in a background, neither of the first-type communication process nor the second-type communication process is executed. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium as in claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the mobile terminal device to: store one or more pieces of identification information for identifying one or more printers in a memory of the mobile terminal device, wherein the printer is a device that is identified by one piece of identification information selected by a user from among the one or more pieces of identification information in the memory. ### Claim 10 A method for controlling a mobile terminal device, the method comprising: in response to determining a first-type wireless communication is established, repeatedly executing, at a first polling interval which is predetermined, a first-type communication process using the first-type wireless communication not via Internet, wherein the first-type communication process is for receiving related information which is related to a printer, the first-type communication process includes sending a first polling signal to the printer, and the first polling interval being between a timing of sending the first polling signal and a timing of sending the next first polling signal; and in response to determining the first-type wireless communication is not established, and in response to determining a second-type wireless communication is established, repeatedly executing, at a second polling interval which is predetermined, a second-type communication process using the second-type wireless communication via the Internet, wherein the first polling interval is shorter than the second polling interval, wherein the second-type communication process is for receiving the related information related to the printer and includes sending a second polling signal to a server, and the second polling interval being between a timing of sending the second polling signal and a timing of sending the next second polling signal, wherein the predetermined first polling interval and the predetermined second polling interval are determined for and based on the first-type wireless communication and the second-type wireless communication, respectively, prior to the establishment of the first-type wireless communication and the establishment of the second-type wireless communication. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method as in claim 10, further comprising: causing a display unit of the mobile terminal device to display a specific screen indicating the related information in a case where the related information is received from the printer or the server. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method as in claim 10, further comprising: determining whether the mobile terminal device is capable of executing the first-type wireless communication, wherein in a case where it is determined that the mobile terminal device is not capable of executing the first-type wireless communication, the second-type communication process is executed, in a case where it is determined that the mobile terminal device is capable of executing the first-type wireless communication, the first-type communication process is executed, and in the case where it is determined that the mobile terminal device is capable of executing the first-type wireless communication, the second-type communication process is not executed. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method as in claim 12, further comprising: in the case where it is determined that the mobile terminal device is capable of executing the first-type wireless communication, determining whether the related information is received from the printer, wherein in a case where it is determined that the related information is not received from the printer, the second-type communication process is executed. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method as in claim 13, wherein the first-type communication process includes sending the first polling signal to the printer again in a case where a predetermined time has elapsed without the related information being received from the printer since the first polling signal was sent to the printer, and in a case where the first polling signal is sent to the printer for a predetermined number of times and the related information is not received from the printer, it is determined that the related information is not received from the printer, the predetermined number of times being two or more. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method as in claim 13, further comprising: in the case where it is determined that the related information is not received from the printer, determining whether the second polling interval has elapsed since the second-type communication process was executed previously, wherein in a case where it is determined that the second polling interval has elapsed since the second-type communication process was executed previously, the second-type communication process is executed, in a case where it is determined that the second polling interval has not elapsed since the second-type communication process was executed previously, the second-type communication process is not executed, and in a case where it is determined that the second polling interval has not elapsed since the second-type communication process was executed previously and the first polling interval has elapsed since the first-type communication process was executed previously, the first-type communication process is executed. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method as in claim 15, further comprising: causing a display unit of the mobile terminal device to display a specific screen indicating the related information in a case where the related information is received from the printer or the server, wherein in a case where the related information is received from the server, the specific screen includes predetermined information indicating that the related information has been received by the second-type communication process, and in a case where the first-type communication process is executed and it is determined that the related information is not received from the printere in a state where the specific screen including the predetermined information is displayed at the display unit, the specific screen including the predetermined information is continuously displayed without replacing the predetermined information with information indicating that the first-type communication process failed. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The method as in claim 10, further comprising running an application program for controlling the mobile terminal device, wherein in a case where the application program is running in a foreground, the first-type communication process is executed, in the case where the application program is running in the foreground, the second-type communication process is executed, and in a case where the application program is running in a background, neither of the first-type communication process nor the second-type communication process is executed. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The method as in claim 10, further comprising: storing one or more pieces of identification information for identifying one or more printers in a memory of the terminal device, wherein the printer is a device that is identified by one piece of identification information selected by a user from among the one or more pieces of identification information in the memory.