Access point scan method, storage medium storing scan program, and station

A station comprising:

• a central processing unit (CPU);
• the CPU configured to perform:
• scanning for a next access point to which the station can be connected at a predetermined scan interval when the station is disconnected from an access point,
• storing, at the station, a scan interval table prestored in memory disposed within the station and which relates a plurality of different access points with look-up data for each of said plurality of different access points indicating a degree to which the possibility of connection with the next access point exists or a degree to which the need for connection to a next access point exists;
• setting, at the station, the predetermined scan interval to be a first scan interval when the possibility of connection to the next access point to which the station can be connected is presumed to be at a first level or a need for connection is presumed to be at the first level, and a second scan interval when the possibility of connection is presumed to be at a second level or the need for connection is presumed to be at the second level, based on information on the access point to which the station being connected just before disconnection or on information on the station, wherein the first level is higher than the second level and the first scan interval is shorter than the second scan interval;
• and
• wherein said information on the station includes information on an application running on said station just before disconnection;
• wherein, at the station, initiating a counter and actively or passively scanning each of a plurality of channels to determine existence of a connectable access point on any one of the plurality of channels;
• wherein, in response to determining that the connectable access point exists, establishing a connection to the connectable access point and in response to determining that the connectable access point does not exist, resetting the counter and waiting for a time equal to the predetermined scan interval;
• repeating said initiating and said actively or said passively scanning;
• and
• wherein, said actively scanning comprises transmitting a probe request on each of the plurality of channels and said passively scanning comprises monitoring a beacon.

A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions for a scan program by which a station disconnected from an access point scans for a next access point to which the station can be connected at a predetermined scan interval, the computer executable instructions cause the computer to perform:

• storing, at the station, a scan interval table that relates a plurality of different access points with look-up data for each of said plurality of different access points indicating a degree to which the possibility of connection with the next access point exists or a degree to which the need for connection to a next access point exists,
• setting, at the station, the predetermined scan interval to be a first scan interval when the possibility of connection to the next access point to which the station can be connected is presumed to be at a first level or a need for connection is presumed to be at the first level, and a second scan interval when the possibility of connection is presumed to be at a second level or the need for connection is presumed to be at the second level, based on information on the access point to which the station being connected just before disconnection or on information on the station, wherein the first level is higher than the second level and the first scan interval is shorter than the second scan interval;
• and
• wherein said information on the station includes information on an application running on said station just before disconnection;
• wherein, at the station, initiating a counter and actively or passively scanning each of a plurality of channels to determine existence of a connectable access point on any one of the plurality of channels;
• wherein, in response to determining that the connectable access point exists, establishing a connection to the connectable access point and in response to determining that the connectable access point does not exist, resetting the counter and waiting for a time equal to the predetermined scan interval;
• repeating said initiating and said actively or said passively scanning;
• and
• wherein, said actively scanning comprises transmitting a probe request on each of the plurality of channels and said passively scanning comprises monitoring a beacon.