Electronic device and method for controlling wireless communication connection thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11966919-B2
Application number	US-202217694561-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2022
Priority date	Mar 8, 2017
Publication date	Apr 23, 2024
Grant date	Apr 23, 2024

Abstract

Various example 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; 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; 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; 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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
wired communication circuitry configured to support a connection with Internet;
wireless communication circuitry configured to support a WiFi protocol; and
at least one processor operatively coupled with the wired communication circuitry and the wireless communication circuitry, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
transmit, via the wireless communication circuitry, a first signal including an indication indicating that a WiFi access to the electronic device is grantable based at least in part on information related to a user account with respect to a service provided by a first server across the Internet to one or more external electronic devices;
in response to the first signal, receive, from an external electronic device among the one or more external electronic devices, first information related to a first user account via the wireless communication circuitry;
transmit, to a second server, the first information for authentication of the first user account with respect to the first server via the wired communication circuitry;
receive, from the second server, an outcome of the authentication of the first user account via the wired communication circuitry, the outcome of the authentication being identified from the first server based at least part on a determination that the first information corresponds to second information related to the first user account and stored in the first server;
in response to receiving the outcome of the authentication from the second server, transmit, to the external electronic device, a second signal indicating that an access to the electronic device is granted; and
establish a wireless communication connection with the external electronic device such that an access to the Internet is available to the external electronic device via the wired communication circuitry.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
receive a uniform resource location (URL) corresponding to the first user account as at least part of the first information.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the first information includes at least one of the URL corresponding to the first user account, a password or an access token associated with the first user account.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
transmit, as at least part of the first signal, another indication indicating that the electronic device is operable based at least in part on a Hotspot 2.0 protocol.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
receive, from the second server, an outcome of the authentication of the first user account via the wired communication circuitry, the outcome of the authentication being identified from the first server based at least in part on a determination that the first information does not correspond to the second information; and
transmit, to the external electronic device, a third signal indicating that the access to the electronic device is not granted.

6. A mobile electronic device comprising:
wireless communication circuitry configured to support a WiFi protocol; and
at least one processor coupled with the wireless communication circuitry, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
receive, from an external electronic device, a first signal including an indication indicating that a WiFi access to the external electronic device is grantable based at least in part on information related to a user account with respect to a service provided by a first server across the Internet, via the wireless communication circuitry;
transmit, to the external electronic device, first information related to a first user account such that the external electronic device transmits the first information to a second server for authentication of the first user account with respect to the first server, via the wireless communication circuitry;
receive, from the external electronic device, a second signal indicating that an access to the external electronic device is granted; and
establish a wireless communication connection with the external electronic device such that an access to the Internet is available via the external electronic device.

7. The mobile electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
transmit, to the external electronic device, a uniform resource location (URL) corresponding to the first user account as at least part of the first information.

8. The mobile electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the first information includes at least one of the URL corresponding to the first user account, a password or an access token associated with the first user account.

9. The mobile electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
receive, as at least part of the first signal, another indication indicating that the external electronic device is operable based at least in part on a Hotspot 2.0 protocol.

10. The mobile electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
obtain, from the first server, an access token associated with the first user account; and
transmit, to the external electronic device, the first information based at least in part on the access token.

11. A method for controlling a wireless communication connection in an electronic device, the method comprising:
transmitting, via wireless communication circuitry, a first signal including an indication indicating that a WiFi access to the electronic device is grantable based at least in part on information related to a user account with respect to a service provided by a first server across the Internet to one or more external electronic devices;
in response to the first signal, receiving, from an external electronic device among the one or more external electronic devices, first information related to a first user account via the wireless communication circuitry;
transmitting, to a second server, the first information for authentication of the first user account with respect to the first server via wired communication circuitry;
receiving, from the second server, an outcome of the authentication of the first user account via the wired communication circuitry, the outcome of the authentication being identified from the first server based at least in part on a determination that the first information corresponds to second information related to the first user account and stored in the first server;
in response to receiving the outcome of the authentication from the second server, transmitting, to the external electronic device, a second signal indicating that an access to the electronic device is granted; and
establishing a wireless communication connection with the external electronic device such that an access to the Internet is available to the external electronic device via the wired communication circuitry.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving a uniform resource location (URL) corresponding to the first user account as at least part of the first information.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first information includes at least one of the URL corresponding to the first user account, a password or an access token associated with the first user account.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
transmitting, as at least part of the first signal, another indication indicating that the electronic device is operable based at least in pa

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

• G06Q20/40 Primary

  Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists · CPC title

• G06Q20/32

  using wireless devices · CPC title

• G06Q20/382

  insuring higher security of transaction · CPC title

• H04W12/069

  using certificates or pre-shared keys · CPC title

• H04W48/02

  Access restriction performed under specific conditions · CPC title