Communication apparatus, control method thereof, and storage medium
地域：
Tokyo
摘要
A communication apparatus comprises: a communication unit configured to communicate with external communication apparatuses; a storage unit configured to store history information related to an external communication apparatus with which connection has been established in the past; and a display control unit configured to, during display for selection of an external communication apparatus, display information indicating one or more services provided by the external communication apparatuses, wherein the communication unit receives information related to the services provided by the external communication apparatuses, and based on the received information related to the services provided by the external communication apparatuses and on the history information, the display control unit changes a display appearance used in displaying the information indicating one or more services provided by the external communication apparatuses.
說(shuō)明書(shū)
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Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication apparatus, a control method thereof, and a storage medium.
Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a wireless communication function is provided not only in mobile personal computers (so-called notebook PCs), but also in various other apparatuses including printers, mobile information terminals, digital cameras, mobile telephones, and smartphones. Especially, an increase in apparatuses that comply with such standards as Wi-Fi Direct? and Bluetooth? has made inter-apparatus connection easier. For example, Wi-Fi Direct enables apparatuses to operate as wireless LAN access points or wireless LAN stations, and thus does not require access points to be prepared separately; this has made inter-apparatus connection easier.
With an increase in peripheral apparatuses that are capable of wireless communication, it becomes necessary to search for a connection partner from a list of many apparatuses with communication capabilities, and selection of a desired apparatus becomes no longer easy. In view of this, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2011-101231 suggests a technique to facilitate selection of an apparatus serving as a connection destination when Bluetooth? is used, by searching for peripheral apparatuses capable of wireless communication and reordering the searched apparatuses in a list based on the strengths of signals received from the searched apparatuses (in ascending order of distances to the searched apparatuses).
權(quán)利要求
What is claimed is:1. A communication apparatus comprising:a communication unit configured to communicate with external communication apparatuses; a storage unit configured to store history information related to one or more external communication apparatuses with which connection has been established in the past; and a display control unit configured to, before allowing a user to select an external communication apparatus to serve as a connection partner, display a plurality of candidates for services that the communication apparatus utilizes so as to be selectable by the user, wherein the communication unit receives provided service information that relates to the services provided by the external communication apparatuses in response to a service search signal, and based on the received provided service information and on the stored history information, the display control unit changes a display appearance used in displaying the plurality of candidates for services for each candidate. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,wherein, in displaying the plurality of candidates for services, the display control unit displays information indicating the service that is provided by an external communication apparatus with which connection has been established in the past and information indicating the service that is provided by an external communication apparatus with which connection has not been established in the past, with different display appearances. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,wherein, in response to a user instruction for selecting a service that the apparatus utilizes from among the plurality of candidates for services, the display control unit displays information indicating the external communication apparatus that provides the selected service, and the display control unit displays the information indicating the external communication apparatus that provides the selected service in different display appearances between when connection has been established with the external communication apparatus in the past and when connection has not been established with the external communication apparatus in the past. 4. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,wherein the storage unit stores, in the history information, an identifier of an external communication apparatus with which connection has been established in the past and an identifier of a service provided during the past period when the apparatus established a connection to the external communication apparatus, in association with each other. 5. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,wherein, when the display control unit further displays information indicating a service that is not provided by the external communication apparatuses, the display control unit displays a warning in response to a user instruction for the service that is not provided by the external communication apparatuses. 6. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,wherein, before forming a network with external communication apparatuses, the communication unit transmits a control signal for searching for the provided service information to the external communication apparatuses, and receives the provided service information. 7. The apparatus according to claim 6 ,wherein when a user instruction for selecting an external communication apparatus that serves as a connection partner has been issued via the display that allows the user to select an external communication apparatus that serves as a connection partner, the communication unit forms a network with the selected external communication apparatus. 8. The apparatus according to claim 6 ,wherein the communication unit forms a network with one of the connected communication apparatuses operating as an access point. 9. The apparatus according to claim 6 ,wherein the communication unit transmits the control signal in response to a user instruction for implementing the display that allows the user to select an external communication apparatus that serves as a connection partner. 10. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,wherein the service is provided at an application layer by the external communication apparatus. 11. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,wherein the apparatus is a mobile phone device. 12. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,wherein the apparatus is a tablet terminal. 13. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,wherein the apparatus is a vehicle-mounted device. 14. A control method of a communication apparatus, the control method comprising:communicating with external communication apparatuses; storing history information related to one or more external communication apparatuses with which connection has been established in the past; and before allowing a user to select an external communication apparatus to serve as a connection partner, displaying a plurality of candidates for services that the communication apparatus utilizes so as to be selectable by the user, wherein in the communicating, provided service information that relates to the services provided by the external communication apparatuses is searched, and in the displaying, based on the provided service information obtained by the search and on the stored history information, a display appearance used in displaying the plurality of candidates for services for each candidate is changed. 15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, for causing a computer to function as a communication processing apparatus, the computer program comprising:a code to cause a communication unit to communicate with external communication apparatuses, a code to cause a storage unit to store history information related to one or more external communication apparatuses with which connection has been established in the past; and a code to cause a display control unit to, before allowing a user to select an external communication apparatus to serve as a connection partner, display a plurality of candidates for services that the communication apparatus utilizes so as to be selectable by the user, wherein the program includes code to cause the communication unit to search for provided service information that relates to the services provided by the external communication apparatuses, and based on the provided service information obtained by the search and on the stored history information, the code to cause the display control unit to display causes the display control unit to change a display appearance used in displaying the plurality of candidates for services for each candidate. 16. A communication apparatus comprising:a communication unit configured to communicate with external communication apparatuses; a storage unit configured to store history information related to one or more external communication apparatuses with which connection has been established in the past; and a display control unit configured to display a service menu including a plurality of candidates for services that the communication apparatus utilizes so as to be selectable by the user, wherein the communication unit receives service information related to services provided by the external communication apparatuses in response to a service search signal, and wherein the display control unit changes individually a display appearance of the plurality of candidates for services in the service menu based on the received service information and the stored history information. 17. The apparatus according to claim 16 ,wherein, in displaying the plurality of candidates for services, the display control unit displays information indicating the service that is provided by an external communication apparatus with which connection has been established in the past and information indicating the service that is provided by an external communication apparatus with which connection has not been established in the past, with different display appearances. 18. The apparatus according to claim 16 ,wherein the display control unit configured to display the service menu including a plurality of icons that indicate the plurality of candidates for services that the communication apparatus utilizes. 19. The apparatus according to claim 18 ,wherein the display control unit configured to change color of the plurality of icons in the service menu based on the received service information and the stored history information.
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