Electronic device and method for controlling wireless communication connection thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11288667-B2
Application number	US-201816492310-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2018
Priority date	Mar 8, 2017
Publication date	Mar 29, 2022
Grant date	Mar 29, 2022

Abstract

Various embodiments of the disclosure relate to an electronic device and a wireless communication connection control method thereof. The method may include: receiving and storing at least one first account information stored in at least one server from a first electronic device via the wireless communication circuit; broadcasting a beacon signal including an indicator indicating that a WiFi access is granted based at least in part on account information related to the server via the wireless communication circuit; receiving at least one second account information from a neighboring electronic device which has received the beacon signal; determining whether the second account information is related to the first account information, based at least in part on data to be exchanged with the server via the wired communication interface; and upon determining that the second account information is related to the first account information, granting the neighboring electronic device an access to the access point in order to use the Internet, without having to request for credential information from the neighboring electronic device. Various other embodiments are also possible.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device for Internet access control, the electronic device comprising:
a housing; and
an access point inside the housing,
wherein the access point comprises:
a wired communication interface configured to be coupled to the Internet;
a wireless communication circuit configured to support a WiFi protocol;
a processor operatively coupled to the wired communication interface and the wireless communication circuit; and
a memory operatively coupled to the processor,
wherein the memory stores instructions, when executed, for allowing the processor to:
receive at least one first account information stored in at least one server from a first electronic device via the wireless communication circuit;
store the first account information in the memory;
broadcast a WiFi beacon signal including an indicator indicating that WiFi access to the access point is granted or grantable based at least in part on account information related to the server via the wireless communication circuit;
receive, in response to the WiFi beacon signal, at least one second account information from a second electronic device via the wireless communication circuit;
determine whether the second account information is related to the first account information, based at least in part on a type of data to be exchanged with the server via the wired communication interface;
based on determining that the second account information is related to the first account information, grant the second electronic device access to the access point in accordance with the first account information, without requesting credential information from the second electronic device, and transmit a signal to the second electronic device indicating that access to the access point is granted;
based on determining that the second account information is not related to the first account information, not grant the second electronic device access to the access point, and transmit a signal to the second electronic device indicating that access to the access point is not granted; and
based on the granting, establish a wireless communication connection with the second electronic device to provide Internet access to the second electronic device via the wired communication interface of the access point.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the beacon signal includes a Vender-Specific Information Element (VSIE) including the indicator.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first account information includes a first user IDentifier (ID), and the second account information includes a second user ID.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the instructions allow the processor to exchange the data with the server by using an Application Programming Interface (API) associated with the server.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the data includes an indication which indicates that the second user ID is linked with the first user ID.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the determining of whether the second account information is related to the first account information comprises determining at least one matched account information based on the number of the first account information and/or the second account information being plural, and determining whether the second account information is related to the first account information using the determined at least one matched account information.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 ,
wherein the first account information and the second account information include a server identifier for identifying a server, and
wherein the matched account information includes the same server identifier.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the determining of whether the second account information is related to the first account information comprises receiving a temporary account verify key from the second electronic device via the wireless communication circuit, and determining whether the second account information is related to the first account information by requesting the server to authenticate the temporary account verify key.

9. An electronic device for Internet access control, the electronic device comprising:
a housing; and
an access point inside the housing,
wherein the access point comprises:
a wired communication interface configured to be coupled to the Internet;
a wireless communication circuit configured to support a WiFi protocol;
a processor operatively coupled to the wired communication interface and the wireless communication circuit; and
a memory operatively coupled to the processor,
wherein the memory stores instructions, when executed, for allowing the processor to:
receive at least one first account information related to at least one reservation server from a first electronic device via the wireless communication circuit;
log in to the reservation server using the at least one account information;
receive an enable request, including at least one first reservation information, for a function which grants WiFi access, based at least in part on reservation information, from the reservation server;
store the first reservation information in the memory;
after enabling the function, broadcast a WiFi beacon signal including an indicator indicating that WiFi access to the access point is granted or grantable based at least in part on reservation information via the wireless communication circuit;
receive, in response to the WiFi beacon signal, at least one second reservation information from a second electronic device via the wireless communication circuit;
determine whether the second reservation information is related to the first reservation information, based at least in part on a type of data to be exchanged with the reservation server via the wired communication interface;
based on determining that the second reservation information is related to the first reservation information, grant the second electronic device access to the access point based on the first reservation information, without requesting credential information from the second electronic device, and transmit a signal to the second electronic device indicating that access to the access point is granted;
based on determining that the second reservation information is not related to the first reservation information, not grant the second electronic device access to the access point, and transmit a signal to the second electronic device indicating that access to the access point is not granted; and
based on the granting, establish a wireless communication connection with the second electronic device to provide Internet access to the second electronic device via the wired communication interface of the access point.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the memory further stores an instruction for allowing the processor to block access of the second electronic device based on receiving an access block request from the reservation server via the wired communication interface.

11. An electronic device for Internet access control, the electronic device comprising:
a housing; and
an access point inside the housing,
wherein the access point comprises:
a wired communication interface configured to be coupled to the Internet;
a wireless communication circuit configured to support a WiFi protocol;
a processor operatively coupled to the wired communication interface and the wireless communication circuit; and
a memory operatively coupled to the processor,
wherein the memory stores instructions, when executed, for allowing the processor to:
connect a communication channel with a first electronic device coupled with a payment se

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kang Min-Ho
• Park Jinhyun
• Yoon Ye-Ji
• Lim Jun-Hak
• Chae Wontae
• Choi Jongmu
• Choi Bokun
• Kang Doo-Suk
• Lee Sun-Kee
• Kim Moonsoo
• Hyun Eun Jung

Classifications

• H04W48/12

  using downlink control channel · CPC title

• H04W12/065 Primary

  Continuous authentication · CPC title

• G06Q20/3255

  using mobile network messaging services for payment, e.g. SMS · CPC title

• H04W48/02

  Access restriction performed under specific conditions · CPC title

• H04W12/069

  using certificates or pre-shared keys · CPC title