Electronic device and wlan relay function control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019380065-A1
Application number	US-201916429261-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 3, 2019
Priority date	Jun 12, 2018
Publication date	Dec 12, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electronic device and a method are provided for wireless local area network (WLAN) relay connection control. A cellular communication connection is established between the electronic device and a network. A WLAN communication connection is established between the electronic device and at least one external device. Policy information related to the WLAN relay function is checked. A bandwidth of at least one of the electronic device and the at least one external device is determined based on at least part of the policy information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device, comprising:
at least one communication circuit supporting wireless local area network (WLAN) communication and cellular communication; and a processor functionally connected to the at least one communication circuit and configured to:
establish a cellular communication connection between the electronic device and a network;
establish a WLAN communication connection between the electronic device and at least one external device via a WLAN relay function of the electronic device;
check for policy information related to the WLAN relay function; and
determine a bandwidth of at least one of the electronic device and the at least one external device based on at least part of the policy information.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the policy information comprises a priority of at least one of the electronic device and the at least one external device.

3 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to provide a graphic user interface (GUI) for configuring the priority and determine the policy information including the priority according to a user input made through the GUI.

4 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to assign a highest priority to the electronic device.

5 . The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the processor is further configured to check for an allocable bandwidth based on a current bandwidth allocated to the electronic device being narrower than a minimum bandwidth required for data transmission of the electronic device, and reduce the bandwidth allocated to the at least one external device based on the allocable bandwidth being narrower than the bandwidth allocated to the at least one external device.

6 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to prioritize the at least one external device based on the at least part of the policy information.

7 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine cellular communication bandwidths to be allocated to the electronic device and the at least one external device based on the at least part of the policy information.

8 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine WLAN communication bandwidths to be allocated to the electronic device and the at least one external device based on the at least part of the policy information.

9 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to identify applications related to data being transmitted by the electronic device and the at least one external device, and determine priorities of the electronic device and the at least one external device according to priorities of the applications based on the at least part of the policy information.

10 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to block WLAN relay connections of additional external devices based on a number of the at least one external device connected to the electronic device via the WLAN relay function and the at least part of the policy information.

11 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to provide the at least one external device connected to the electronic device via the WLAN relay function with location information of the electronic device.

12 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to provide the at least one external device connected to the electronic device via the WLAN relay function with information on cellular communication signal strength.

13 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to provide the at least one external device connected to the electronic device via the WLAN relay function with information on a battery status of the electronic device.

14 . A wireless local area network (WLAN) relay connection control method of an electronic device, the method comprising:
establishing a cellular communication connection between the electronic device and a network; establishing a WLAN communication connection between the electronic device and at least one external device via a WLAN relay function of the electronic device; checking for policy information related to the WLAN relay function; and determining a bandwidth of at least one of the electronic device and the at least one external device based on at least part of the policy information.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the policy information comprises a priority of at least one of the electronic device and the at least one external device.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
providing a graphic user interface (GUI) for configuring the priority; and determining the policy information including the priority according to a user input made through the GUI.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein checking for policy information comprises assigning a highest priority to the electronic device, and
wherein determining the bandwidth comprises:
checking for an allocable bandwidth based on a current bandwidth allocated to the electronic device being narrower than a minimum bandwidth required for data transmission of the electronic device; and
reducing the bandwidth allocated to the at least one external device based on the allocable bandwidth being narrower than the bandwidth allocated to the at least one external device.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein determining the bandwidth comprises at least one of:
determining cellular communication bandwidths to be allocated to the electronic device and the at least one external device based on the at least part of the policy information; or determining wireless local communication network communication bandwidths to be allocated to the electronic device and the at least one external device based on the at least part of the policy information.

19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein checking for the policy information comprises:
identifying applications related to data being transmitted by the electronic device and the at least one external device; and determining priorities of the electronic device and the at least one external device according to priorities of the applications based on the at least part of the policy information.

20 . The method of claim 14 , wherein checking for the policy information comprises determining the policy information based on at least one of a current location or a current time of the electronic device.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Hongshik
• Kanagarathinam Madhan Raj
• Kim Sungin
• Natarajan Harikrishnan

Classifications

• H04W28/20 Primary

  Negotiating bandwidth · CPC title

• H04L41/22

  comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI] · CPC title

• H04L47/20

  Traffic policing · CPC title

• H04W40/22

  using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point · CPC title

• H04W28/0221

  power availability or consumption · CPC title