Electronic device for performing neighbor awareness networking communication and method of operating the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12452763-B2
Application number	US-202318095683-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 11, 2023
Priority date	Dec 13, 2021
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

Abstract

An electronic device may include a communication circuit; and a processor operatively connected to the communication circuit, wherein the processor may be configured to perform synchronization with neighbor awareness networking (NAN) based on NAN cluster information included in a signal broadcast by an external electronic device included in the NAN, to determine whether to switch to a second communication mode operable with lower power than that of the first communication mode based on a state of the electronic device while operating in the first communication mode capable of transmitting and/or receiving data each interval having a first value, to search for an external electronic device capable of performing a function of a proxy server among external electronic devices included in the NAN corresponding to determining to switch to the second communication mode, to transmit a proxy registration request signal to the found external electronic device, and to operate in the second communication mode corresponding to completion of registration to the external electronic device, wherein the proxy registration request signal may include information related to a function to be performed by the external electronic device instead of the electronic device while operating in the second communication mode. In addition, various embodiments are possible.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
a communication circuit; and
a processor operatively connected to the communication circuit,
wherein the processor is configured to:
perform synchronization with neighbor awareness networking (NAN) based on NAN cluster information included in a signal broadcast by an external electronic device included in the NAN,
determine whether to switch to a second communication mode operable with lower power than that of a first communication mode based on a state of the electronic device while operating in the first communication mode capable of transmitting and/or receiving data each interval having a first value,
search for an external electronic device capable of performing a function of a proxy server among external electronic devices included in the NAN based on determination of switching to the second communication mode,
transmit a proxy registration request signal to the external electronic device, and
operate in the second communication mode based on a completion of registration to the external electronic device, and
wherein the proxy registration request signal comprises information related to a function to be performed by the external electronic device, instead of the electronic device, while operating in the second communication mode.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second communication mode comprises a communication mode capable of transmitting and/or receiving data each interval having a second value greater than the first value.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to not support a communication comprising performing data transmission and/or reception through another communication technique performed using the communication circuit between intervals having the second value while operating in the second communication mode.

4. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured so that the external electronic device performs instead a configuration procedure for performing data transmission and/or reception through another communication technique through the communication circuit between intervals having the second value while operating in the second communication mode.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured so that the external electronic device performs instead a scan operation for searching for another external electronic device related to the NAN while operating in the second communication mode.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured to perform an operation of merging the NAN with another network based on a scan result performed by the external electronic device.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
control the communication circuit to transmit a signal for identifying a connection state between the external electronic device and the electronic device to the external electronic device every designated cycle while operating in the second communication mode, and
determine whether to maintain the second communication mode based on whether a response signal corresponding to the signal is received.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to control to transmit performance information of the electronic device to the external electronic device while operating in the second communication mode, and
performance information of the electronic device to be transmitted while operating in the second communication mode is configured to be different from that of the electronic device operating in the first communication mode.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the number of frequency bands supported by the communication circuit while operating in the second communication mode is configured to be smaller than that of frequency bands supported by the communication circuit while operating in the first communication mode.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the number of antennas in which the electronic device may use while operating in the second communication mode is smaller than that of antennas supported by the communication circuit while operating in the first communication mode.

11. A method of operating an electronic device, the method comprising:
performing synchronization with neighbor awareness networking (NAN) based on NAN cluster information included in a signal broadcast by an external electronic device included in the NAN;
determining whether to switch to a second communication mode operable with lower power than that of a first communication mode based on a state of the electronic device while operating in the first communication mode capable of transmitting and/or receiving data each interval having a first value;
searching for an external electronic device capable of performing a function of a proxy server among external electronic devices included in the NAN based on determining to switch to the second communication mode;
transmitting a proxy registration request signal to the searched external electronic device; and
operating in the second communication mode based on completion of registration to the external electronic device,
wherein the proxy registration request signal comprises information related to a function to be performed by the external electronic device, instead of the electronic device, while operating in the second communication mode.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second communication mode is a communication mode capable of transmitting and/or receiving data each interval having a second value greater than the first value.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the second communication mode is a mode that does not support a communication method of performing data transmission and/or reception through another communication method using the communication circuit between intervals having the second value.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the second communication mode is a mode in which the external electronic device performs instead a configuration procedure for performing data transmission and/or reception through another communication method through the communication circuit between intervals having the second value.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving, from the external electronic device, a result of performing a scan operation for searching for another external electronic device related to the NAN instead of the electronic device while operating in the second communication mode; and
merging the NAN with another network based on a scan result performed by the external electronic device.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
transmitting a signal for identifying a connection state between the external electronic device and the electronic device to the external electronic device every designated cycle while operating in the second communication mode; and
determining whether to maintain the second communication mode based on whether a response signal corresponding to the signal is received.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising transmitting performance information of the electronic device to the external electronic device while operating in the second communication mode,
wherein performance information of the electronic device transmitted while operating in the second communication mode is different from that of the electronic device operating in the first communication mode.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the number of frequency bands supported by the electr

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jung Buseop
• Lee Sunkee

Classifications

• H04W60/04

  using triggered events · CPC title

• H04W88/182

  Network node acting on behalf of an other network entity, e.g. proxy · CPC title

• H04W88/06

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

• H04W8/005 Primary

  Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals · CPC title

• H04W88/18

  Service support devices; Network management devices · CPC title