Electronic device sharing peripheral device with external electronic device and method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11889581-B2
Application number	US-202218091508-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2022
Priority date	Oct 28, 2019
Publication date	Jan 30, 2024
Grant date	Jan 30, 2024

Abstract

A processor of an electronic device connects a first short-range wireless communication circuit with a peripheral device, forms a cluster including the electronic device and at least one external electronic device, wherein the electronic device and the at least one external electronic device are registered to a same user account, transmits information associated with the peripheral device to the at least one external device included in the cluster through the second short-range wireless communication, selects an external electronic device responding to the transmitted information, from among the at least one device included in the cluster, establishes a wireless data communication path with the selected external electronic device, receives input information from the peripheral device through the short-range wireless communication circuit, and transmits the received input information or control information corresponding to the received input information to the external electronic device through the wireless data communication path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
at least one wireless communication circuit; and
a processor connected with the at least one wireless communication circuit,
wherein the processor is configured to:
receive a user input from a peripheral device through a first connection between the electronic device and the peripheral device,
transmit a request associated with a share function for the peripheral device to the at least one external device near the electronic device,
receive a response to the request from the at least one external electronic device,
determine whether the at least one external electronic device is registered to a same user account as the electronic device,
determine whether the share function for the peripheral device is allowed at the at least one external electronic device, and
in case that the at least one external electronic device is registered to the same user account as the electronic device and the share function for the peripheral device is allowed at the at least one external electronic device, establish a second connection for sharing the peripheral device between the electronic device and the at least one external electronic device,

wherein the processor is configured to transmit input information or control information received from the peripheral device to the at least one external electronic device based on the user input corresponding to a predetermined gesture.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to form a cluster including the electronic device and the at least one external electronic device,
wherein a trigger event to form the cluster includes at least one of:
a first event indicating that the trigger event is sensed by using a sensor provided in a coupling structure in which the peripheral device is capable of being mounted indicating that the peripheral device is detached from the coupling structure,
a second event indicating that a user input of executing a command allowing data to be transmitted to outside is received, or
a third event indicating that the electronic device is within a specified region.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , further comprising a display device,
wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine at least one candidate device included in the cluster,
control the display device so as to display a device list for the at least one candidate device,
receive a user input for selecting the at least one external electronic device in the device list, and
select the at least one external electronic device from among the at least one candidate device based on the user input for selecting the at least one external electronic device.

4. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
receive a user input for enabling the share function of a peripheral device, and
form the cluster in response to the user input for enabling the share function.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the share function includes an air mouse function.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
receive information about an operation state of the at least one external electronic device from the at least one external electronic device, and
determine whether to transmit the input information based on the information about the operation state.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the information about the operation state includes information about whether the at least one external electronic device is executing an application providing a service associated with the peripheral device.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine a category, to which the input information belongs, from among input classification categories set to the electronic device, and
determine whether to transmit the input information based on the determined category.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
when the determined category is a first category, transmit the input information to the external electronic device through the wireless communication circuit, and
when the determined category is a second category, execute instructions corresponding to the input information.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the input information includes movement information obtained by sensing a physical movement of the peripheral device, and
wherein the operation includes moving a cursor displayed on a display of the at least one external electronic device.

11. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined gesture includes a gesture which move towards a location where the at least one external electronic device is placed.

12. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein a communication protocol of the first connection is different from a communication protocol of the second connection.

13. A method in which an electronic device shares a peripheral device, the method comprising:
receiving a user input from a peripheral device through a first connection between the electronic device and the peripheral device;
transmitting a request associated with a share function for the peripheral device to the at least one device near the electronic device;
receiving a response to the request from the at least one external electronic device;
determining whether the at least one external electronic device is registered to a same user account as the electronic device;
determining whether the share function for the peripheral device is allowed at the at least one external electronic device; and
in case that the at least one external electronic device is registered to the same user account as the electronic device and the share function for the peripheral device is allowed at the at least one external electronic device, establishing a second connection for sharing the peripheral device between the electronic device and the at least one external electronic device,
wherein transmitting the input information comprises transmitting input information or control information received from the peripheral device to the at least one external electronic device based on the user input corresponding to a predetermined gesture.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
forming a cluster including the electronic device and the at least one external electronic device,
wherein the forming the cluster comprises:
sensing an occurrence of the trigger event; and
forming the cluster when the trigger event occurs,
wherein sensing the occurrence of the trigger event comprises:
sensing that the peripheral device is detached from the electronic device;
receiving a user input of executing a command allowing data to be transmitted to outside the electronic device; or
sensing that the electronic device is within a specified region.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
determining at least one candidate device included in the cluster;
displaying a device list for the at least one candidate device through a display of the electronic device;
receiving a user input for selecting the at least one external electronic device in the device list; and
selecting the at least one external electronic device from among the at least one candidate device based on the user input for selecting the at least one external electronic device.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the share function includes an air mouse function.

17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Oh Haewook
• Kang Doosuk
• Kim Yongju
• Yoo Youngmin
• Lee Seongjun
• Jung Buseop
• Choi Kunyoung

Classifications

• H04W76/14

  Direct-mode setup · CPC title

• H04W88/06

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

• G06F3/03545

  Pens or stylus · CPC title

• G06F3/038

  Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry · CPC title

• G06F3/017

  Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883) · CPC title