Method for wireless connection and electronic device therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11323880-B2
Application number	US-201816608597-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 6, 2018
Priority date	Apr 28, 2017
Publication date	May 3, 2022
Grant date	May 3, 2022

Abstract

The electronic device according to various embodiments may comprise: a housing; a universal serial bus (USB) connector connected or integrated with the housing; a wireless communication circuit located inside the housing; a processor that is located inside the housing and electrically connected to the USB connector and the wireless communication circuit; and a memory that is located inside the housing and electrically connected to the processor. The memory, when in operation, may store instructions for the processor to determine that the USB connector is electrically connected to a first external electronic device having an identifier, receive the identifier from the first external electronic device via the USB connector, generate a wireless signal packet comprising the identifier, receive a probe request from a second external electronic device via the wireless communication circuit, transmit the wireless signal packet to the second external electronic device via the wireless communication circuit, and configure a wireless communication channel with the second external electronic device, after transmitting the wireless signal packet. Other various embodiments are possible.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a housing;
a universal serial bus (USB) connector configured to be connected to or integrated with the housing;
a wireless communication circuit configured to be located in the housing;
a memory; and
a processor configured to be located in the housing and electrically coupled to the USB connector, the memory and the wireless communication circuit,
wherein the memory stores, when executed, instructions that cause the processor to:
determine whether the USB connector is electrically connected to a first external electronic device having an identifier,
receive the identifier from the first external electronic device through the USB connector,
determine whether a first group corresponding to the identifier is included in a group management list stored in the memory, wherein the first group includes at least one external electronic device for performing wireless communication with the first external electronic device without performing a discovery procedure, an owner determination procedure, or an authentication procedure,
when the first group is included in the group management list, determine the first group as a group for performing the wireless communication, wherein the electronic device operates as a group owner of the first group, and
when the first group is not included in the group management list, generate a second group corresponding to the identifier and store the second group in the group management list, wherein the electronic device operates as a group owner of the second group,

wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:
generate a wireless signal packet including the identifier of the first external electronic device,
receive a probe request from a second external electronic device through the wireless communication circuit,
transmit the wireless signal packet including the identifier of the first external electronic device to the second external electronic device through the wireless communication circuit, and
establish a wireless communication channel with the second external electronic device after transmitting the wireless signal packet.

2. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the wireless signal packet includes a device name field including the identifier.

3. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the wireless signal packet includes an information field including the identifier.

4. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the identifier includes a medium access control (MAC) address of the first external electronic device.

5. A method for operating an electronic device, comprising:
determining whether a USB connector included in the electronic device is electrically connected to a first external electronic device having an identifier;
receiving the identifier from the first external electronic device through the USB connector;
determining whether a first group corresponding to the identifier is included in a group management list stored in a memory included in the electronic device, wherein the first group includes at least one external electronic device for performing wireless communication with the first external electronic device without performing a discovery procedure, an owner determination procedure, or an authentication procedure;
when the first group is included in the group management list, determining the first group as a group for performing the wireless communication, wherein the electronic device operates as a group owner of the first group; and
when the first group is not included in the group management list, generating a second group corresponding to the identifier and store the second group in the group management list, wherein the electronic device operates as a group owner of the second group,
wherein the method further comprises:
generating a wireless signal packet including the identifier of the first external electronic device,
receiving a probe request from a second external electronic device through a wireless communication circuit included in the electronic device;
transmitting the wireless signal packet including the identifier of the first external electronic device to the second external electronic device through the wireless communication circuit; and
establishing a wireless communication channel with the second external electronic device after transmitting the wireless signal packet.

6. The method for operating the electronic device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the wireless signal packet includes a device name field including the identifier.

7. The method for operating the electronic device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the wireless signal packet includes an information field including the identifier.

8. The method for operating the electronic device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the identifier includes a MAC address of the first external electronic device.

9. A system comprising:
an electronic device configured to:
receive, from a first external electronic device having an identifier, the identifier through a USB connector;
determine whether a first group corresponding to the identifier is included in a group management list stored in a memory, wherein the first group includes at least one external electronic device for performing wireless communication with the first external electronic device without performing a discovery procedure, an owner determination procedure, or an authentication procedure;
when the first group is included in the group management list, determine the first group as a group for performing the wireless communication, wherein the electronic device operates as a group owner of the first group; and
when the first group is not included in the group management list, generate a second group corresponding to the identifier and store the second group in the group management list, wherein the electronic device operates as a group owner of the second group, and
a second external electronic device configured to transmit a probe request to the electronic device, wherein
in response to the probe request, the electronic device transmits a wireless signal packet including the identifier of the first external electronic device to the second external electronic device, and the second external electronic device establishes a wireless communication channel with the electronic device based on the identifier of the first external electronic device.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Cho Nam-Ju
• BANG Hye-Jung
• Jung Dong-Jea
• Kim Bum-Jib
• Oh Hyunah
• Choi Bokun
• Jung Bu-Seop
• Kang Doo-Suk

Classifications

• H04W76/11 Primary

  Allocation or use of connection identifiers · CPC title

• H04L2101/622

  Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses · CPC title

• H04W48/14 Primary

  using user query {or user detection} · CPC title

• H04W84/20

  Leader-follower arrangements · CPC title

• H04W92/18

  between terminal devices · CPC title