Electronic device for providing AP list and method for operating electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11622319-B2
Application number	US-202117165038-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 2, 2021
Priority date	Aug 29, 2018
Publication date	Apr 4, 2023
Grant date	Apr 4, 2023

Abstract

An electronic device and method are disclosed herein. The electronic device includes a communication module, a display, a memory and a processor which implements the method. The method includes receiving access point (AP) information from at least one AP through the communication module, generating an AP list including an AP communicatively connectable with the electronic device based on the received AP information, storing the AP list in the memory, identifying a state of the electronic device, determining an arrangement criterion for arranging a display order of Aps included in the AP list based on state information about the electronic device, and controlling the display to arrange the AP list according to the determined arrangement criterion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A portable communication device, comprising:
a display;
a memory;
a wireless communication circuit configured to perform short range wireless communication;
a processor operatively connected to the display, the memory and the wireless communication circuit, the processor configured to:
receive access point (AP) information via the wireless communication circuit;
generate an AP list including one or more APs communicatively connectable with the portable communication device based on the AP information;
determine a display order of the one or more APs included in the AP list based on at least one of a plurality of arrangement criterions including a first arrangement criterion and a second arrangement criterion, the first arrangement criterion related to connection history between the portable communication device and a corresponding AP of the one or more APs, and the second arrangement criterion related to a security type of the corresponding AP indicating whether the corresponding AP is available without authentication; and
display, via the display, the one or more APs based on the display order.

2. The portable communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
perform the determining of the display order further based on a first priority for the first arrangement criterion and a second priority for the second arrangement criterion.

3. The portable communication device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more APs includes a first AP available without authentication and a second AP available after authentication, and wherein the processor is configured to:
perform the determining of the display order such that the first AP is to be located below the second AP in the display order.

4. The portable communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
perform the receiving of the AP information using a first short range wireless communication protocol; and
transmit another AP information corresponding to the one or more APs to another portable communication device other than the one or more APs using a second short range wireless communication protocol different from the first short range wireless communication protocol.

5. The portable communication device of claim 4 , wherein the first short range wireless communication protocol includes a WiFi-based protocol, and the second short range wireless communication protocol includes a Bluetooth-based protocol.

6. The portable communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
receive, as at least part of the AP information, first AP information related to the corresponding AP from the corresponding AP using a first short range wireless communication protocol, and second AP information related to the corresponding AP from another portable communication device other than the corresponding AP using a second short range wireless communication protocol.

7. The portable communication device of claim 6 , wherein the second short range wireless communication protocol includes a Bluetooth-based protocol.

8. The portable communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
display information associated with the security type indicating whether the corresponding AP is available without authentication, as a part of the AP list.

9. The portable communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
display information indicating that suspicious activity is detected in related with the corresponding AP, as a part of the AP list.

10. The portable communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
change the display order based at least in part on network state information corresponding to a network connected with the portable communication device via the corresponding AP.

11. The portable communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
transmit the AP list to another portable communication device other than the one or more APs such that the AP list is to be displayed via the other portable communication device.

12. The portable communication device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to:
select an AP from the one or more APs based at least in part on a user input received via the other portable communication device; and
establish a short range wireless communication connection between the portable communication device and the selected AP.

13. An operating method of a portable communication device, comprising:
receiving access point (AP) information via a wireless communication circuit;
generating an AP list including one or more APs communicatively connectable with the portable communication device based on the AP information;
determining a display order of the one or more APs included in the AP list based on at least one of a plurality of arrangement criterions including a first arrangement criterion and a second arrangement criterion, the first arrangement criterion related to connection history between the portable communication device and a corresponding AP of the one or more APs, and the second arrangement criterion related to a security type of the corresponding AP indicating whether the corresponding AP is available without authentication; and
displaying, via a display, the one or more APs based on the display order.

14. The operation method of claim 13 , further comprising:
performing the determining of the display order further based on a first priority for the first arrangement criterion and a second priority for the second arrangement criterion.

15. The operation method of claim 13 , wherein the one or more APs includes a first AP available without authentication and a second AP available after authentication, and wherein the method further comprises:
performing the determining of the display order such that the first AP is to be located below the second AP in the display order.

16. The operation method of claim 13 , further comprising:
performing the receiving of the AP information using a first short range wireless communication protocol; and
transmitting another AP information corresponding to the one or more APs to another portable communication device other than the one or more APs using a second short range wireless communication protocol different from the first short range wireless communication protocol.

17. The operation method of claim 16 , wherein the first short range wireless communication protocol includes a WiFi-based protocol, and the second short range wireless communication protocol includes a Bluetooth-based protocol.

18. The operation method of claim 13 , further comprising:
receiving, as at least part of the AP information, first AP information related to the corresponding AP from the corresponding AP using a first short range wireless communication protocol, and second AP information related to the corresponding AP from another portable communication device other than the corresponding AP using a second short range wireless communication protocol.

19. The operation method of claim 18 , wherein the second short range wireless communication protocol includes a Bluetooth-based protocol.

20. The operation method of claim 13 , further comprising:
displaying information associated with the security type indicating whether the corresponding AP is available without authentication, as a part of the AP list.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Choi Jongmu
• Kim Sooji
• Kim Moonsoo
• Choi Bokun
• Cho Seongyu

Classifications

• H04M17/02

  Coin-freed or check-freed systems {, e.g. mobile- or card-operated phones, public telephones or booths} · CPC title

• H04W88/06

  adapted for operation in multiple networks {or having at least two operational modes}, e.g. multi-mode terminals · CPC title

• H04M15/8055

  Selecting cheaper transport technology for a given service · CPC title

• H04M15/8044

  Least cost routing · CPC title

• H04M17/026

  Constructional features · CPC title