Electronic device and control method therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11205339-B2
Application number	US-201616074378-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2016
Priority date	Feb 3, 2016
Publication date	Dec 21, 2021
Grant date	Dec 21, 2021

Abstract

An electronic apparatus according to the present invention includes: a communicator configured to communicate with a plurality of electronic devices; and a controller configured to determine a second electronic device capable of displaying information of a user interface (UI) for controlling a first electronic device, among the plurality of electronic devices, based on at least one of information about the plurality of electronic devices and information about a user, in response to an event of the user which makes a request for controlling the first electronic device among the plurality of electronic devices, and control the information of the UI to be transmitted to the determined second electronic device.In such an electronic apparatus, states of a user and peripheral devices are determined to provide a UI optimized to control a device-to-be-controlled, thereby improving user convenience.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:
a communicator configured to communicate with a first electronic device and a plurality of second electronic devices; and
a controller configured to:
identify a second electronic device capable of displaying a user interface (UI) for controlling the first electronic device from among the plurality of second electronic devices, based on at least one of information about the plurality of second electronic devices or information about a user, in response to an event of the user which makes a request for controlling the first electronic device, and
control the identified second electronic device to display the UI.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller determines a control function of the first electronic device based on the at least one of the information about the plurality of second electronic devices or the information about the user, and generates the UI corresponding to the determined control function.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the UI comprises a UI controllable by the user to perform the determined control function.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the controller stores the information about the plurality of second electronic devices corresponding to the event, the information about the user of the first electronic device, the determined control function, information of the UI, and information about the identified second electronic device, and refers to the stored information when a new event occurs.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller gives a score in accordance with a matching degree between each of the plurality of second electronic devices and the UI, and selects the second electronic device, the score of which is equal to or higher than a predetermined level, from among the plurality of second electronic devices.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a storage configured to store information about priority of users of each of the plurality of second electronic devices,
wherein the controller controls the communicator to transmit information of the UI to a device of a first user who generates the event and a device of a second user who has a higher priority than the first user, based on the stored information about the priority of the users with respect to of the first electronic device, and
wherein the device of the first user and the device of the second user are included in the plurality of second electronic devices.

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the controller controls a program for communication between the first user and the second user to be executed in the device of the first user and the device of the second user.

8. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the event comprises a touching input or an aiming input of the user to the first electronic device.

9. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the information about the plurality of second electronic devices comprises information about whether power is supplied to the plurality of second electronic devices and what operation the plurality of second electronic devices is performing.

10. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of second electronic devices comprise a portable terminal and a wearable device for the user.

11. A method comprising:
communicating with a first electronic device and a plurality of second electronic devices;
identifying a second electronic device capable of displaying a user interface (UI) for controlling the first electronic device from among the plurality of second electronic devices, based on at least one of information about the plurality of second electronic devices or information about a user, in response to an event of the user which makes a request for controlling the first electronic device; and
controlling the identified second electronic device to display the UI.

12. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:
determining a control function of the first electronic device based on the at least one of the information about the plurality of second electronic devices or the information about the user; and
generating the UI corresponding to the determined control function.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the UI comprises the UI controllable by the user to perform the determined control function.

14. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising:
storing the information about the plurality of second electronic devices corresponding to the event, the information about the user of the first electronic device, the determined control function, information of the UI, and information about the identified second electronic device; and
referring to the stored information when a new event occurs.

15. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the identifying of the second electronic device comprises:
giving a score in accordance with a matching degree between each of the plurality of second electronic devices and the UI; and
selecting the second electronic device, the score of which is equal to or higher than a predetermined level, from among the plurality of second electronic devices.

16. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:
storing information about priority of users of each of the plurality of second electronic devices; and
transmitting information of the UI to a device of a first user who generates the event and a device of a second user who has a higher priority than the first user, based on the stored information about the priority of the users with respect to the first electronic device,
wherein the device of the first user and the device of the second user are included in the plurality of second electronic devices.

17. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising controlling a program for communication between the first user and the second user to be executed in the device of the first user and the device of the second user.

18. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the event comprises a touching input or an aiming input of the user to the first electronic device.

19. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the information about the plurality of second electronic devices comprises information about whether power is supplied to the plurality of second electronic devices and what operation the plurality of second electronic devices is performing.

20. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the plurality of second electronic devices comprise a portable terminal and a wearable device for the user.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sohn Min Shik
• Kim Dong Seok
• Kim Sun A
• Park Se Hyun
• Lee Ga Eun
• Lee Ye Nah
• Cho Eun Bi

Classifications

• H04M1/725

  Cordless telephones (user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724) · CPC title

• G08C17/02 Primary

  using a radio link · CPC title

• H04W4/00

  Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor · CPC title

• H04W88/02

  Terminal devices · CPC title

• G08C2201/30

  User interface · CPC title