Electronic device and operation method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12144040-B2
Application number	US-202117530093-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2021
Priority date	Nov 18, 2020
Publication date	Nov 12, 2024
Grant date	Nov 12, 2024

Abstract

Provided is an electronic device including a Wi-Fi module and a processor. The Wi-Fi module includes circuitry including a first communication interface operating as a Wi-Fi station and configured to perform communication, and a second communication interface configured to perform communication based on Wi-Fi Direct. The processor is configured to execute at least one instruction. The processor is configured to: control the Wi-Fi module to set an operation mode of the second communication interface to a first mode for performing communication by operating as the Wi-Fi station, and perform communication connection with a second access point (AP) via the second communication interface in the first mode while connection with a first AP is maintained through the first communication interface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A first electronic device comprising:
a Wi-Fi module comprising circuitry including a first communication interface and a second communication interface, each of the first communication interface and the second communication interface being operable in a first mode as a Wi-Fi station and in a second mode for Wi-Fi Direct communication; and
memory storing one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are executable by at least one processor and include instructions for:
setting an operation mode of the first communication interface to the first mode and an operation mode of the second communication interface to the second mode;
establishing a first communication connection with a first access point (AP) through the first communication interface while the first communication interface operates in the first mode;
setting an operation mode of the second communication interface to the first mode;
establishing a second communication connection with a second AP included in a second electronic device through the second communication interface while the second communication interface operates in the first mode and while the first communication connection with thea first AP is maintained through the first communication interface; and
transmitting data to the second electronic device using the second communication connection for enabling the second electronic device to establish a communication connection to the first AP.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs include instructions for:
searching for an AP; and
changing the operation mode of the second communication interface from the second mode to the first mode, based on identifying an AP during the searching.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs includes instructions for:
scan searching for electronic devices including activated APs at specified time intervals; and
based on identifying the second electronic device as an electronic device including an activated AP, changing the operation mode of the second communication interface from the second mode to the first mode.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a user interface configured to receive an input,
wherein the one or more programs include instructions for:
scan searching for electronic devices including activated APs, based on an input received through the user interface, and
based on identifying the second electronic device as an electronic device including an activated APincluding the second AP, changing the operation mode of the second communication interface from the second mode to the first mode.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a user interface configured to receive an input,
wherein the one or more programs include instructions for:
scan searching for electronic devices including activated APs, based on an input received through the user interface, and
based on identifying the second electronic device as an electronic device including an activated AP, outputting a user interface screen image for a communication connection with respect to the second AP.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs include instructions for:
scan searching for electronic devices including activated APs using the first communication interface connected to the first AP,
based on identifying the second electronic device as an electronic device including an activated AP, disabling a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) listen operation performed by the second communication interface to a stand-by communication connection based on Wi-Fi Direct, and
changing the operation mode of the second communication interface from the second mode to the first mode.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs include instructions for, based on the first communication interface being in the first mode and the second communication interface being in the second mode, searching for electronic devices including activated APs using the first communication interface.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs include instructions for transmitting Wi-Fi connection information to the second electronic device.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more programs include instructions for transmitting server registration information for the second electronic device to the second electronic device through the second communication connection.

10. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more programs include instructions for, based on completing transmitting of the Wi-Fi connection information, disconnecting the second communication connection.

11. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the one or more programs include instructions for:
based on disconnecting the second communication connection, changing the operation mode of the second communication interface from the second mode to the first mode,
wherein the second communication interface is further configured to perform a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) listen operation to a stand by communication connection based on Wi-Fi Direct, in the second mode.

12. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the one or more programs include instructions for, based on changing the operation mode of the second communication interface:
performing a search for electronic devices having activated APs through the second communication interface, and
based on identifying the second electronic device as an electronic device having an activated AP, establishing the second communication connection.

13. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first electronic device is configured to operate as a mediator within an Internet of Things (IOT) platform,
the second electronic device is an enrollee electronic device to be registered in an IoT server to implement the IoT platform, and
the first AP is or is connected to an enroller supporting communication between the IoT server and at least one of the first electronic device or the second electronic device.

14. The electronic device of claim 1 , comprising a multi-band AP device configured to perform Wi-Fi communication in each of a plurality of frequency bands.

15. A method of operating a first electronic device including a Wi-Fi module comprising circuitry including a first communication interface and a second communication interface, each of the first communication interface and the second communication interface being operable in a first mode as a Wi-Fi station and a second mode for Wi-Fi Direct communication, the method comprising:
setting an operation mode of the first communication interface to the first mode and an operation mode of the second communication interface to the second mode;
establishing a first communication connection with a first access point (AP) through the first communication interface while the first communication interface operates in the first mode;
setting an operation mode of the second communication interface to the first mode;
establishing a second communication connection with a second AP included in a second electronic device through the second communication interface while the second communication interface operates in the first mode and while the first communication connection with the first AP is maintained through the first communication interface; and
transmitting data to the second electronic device using the second communication connection for enabling the second electronic device to establish a communication connection to the first AP.

16. The method of clai

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Jinho
• Kim Minji
• Sim Jaejun
• Yu Geunyoung
• Lee Minju

Classifications

• H04W76/25

  Maintenance of established connections · CPC title

• H04W60/04

  using triggered events · CPC title

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04W88/04

  adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user · CPC title

• H04W76/15

  Setup of multiple wireless link connections · CPC title