Method for accessing a network in electronic system and associated portable device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9807806-B2
Application number	US-201514859622-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2015
Priority date	Dec 24, 2014
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

A method for accessing a network in an electronic system and associated portable device are provided. The portable device includes; a transceiver, supporting a plurality of predetermined communication protocols; and a processor, configured to connect the portable device to a connectivity service device in an electronic system via the transceiver when the portable device enters a coverage region of the connectivity service device. The connectivity service device retrieves service information from a plurality of electronic devices that are connected to the connectivity service device, to build a service list. The processor retrieves the service list from the connectivity service device, and determines a service from the service list to be used for communicating with the plurality of the electronic devices.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A portable device, comprising;
a transceiver, supporting a plurality of predetermined communication protocols; and
a processor, configured to connect the portable device to a connectivity service device in an electronic system via the transceiver when the portable device enters a coverage region of the connectivity service device, wherein the processor retrieves a service list from the connectivity service device, the service list comprising services available for use in the coverage region, wherein each of the services corresponds to a communications protocol, and wherein the processor further determines a service from the service list to be used for communicating with a plurality of electronic devices in the coverage region,
wherein the portable device, the connectivity service device, and the electronic devices in the coverage region are within a local area network,
wherein the service list comprises one or more wireless communications protocols and/or types of sensors employed on the plurality of electronic devices,
wherein the determined service is selected from one of the predetermined communication protocols used by the portable device, and the portable device turns off radio frequency circuitry of the portable device which is not associated with the determined service, and transceives radio frequency signals from one of the electronic devices through the connectivity service device according to the service list.

2. The portable device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the connectivity service device retrieves service information from a plurality of electronic devices, that are connected to the connectivity service device, to build the service list.

3. The portable device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the processor retrieves the service list from the connectivity service device using a low-power communication protocol in the plurality of predetermined communication protocols.

4. The portable device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the low-power communication protocol is Bluetooth Low Energy.

5. The portable device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the determined service is selected from one of the types of sensors, and the portable device turns off the remaining types of the sensors on the portable device and retrieves sensor data from the sensors employed on the plurality of electronic devices associated with the determined service through the connectivity service device according to the service list.

6. The portable device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the determined service is one of the plurality of predetermined communication protocols used by the portable device to communicate with the plurality of electronic devices in the coverage region.

7. A method for accessing a network in an electronic system, wherein the electronic system comprises a connectivity service device and a plurality of electronic devices, and the plurality of electronic devices are connected to the connectivity service device, the method comprising:
connecting a portable device to a connectivity service device in an electronic system when the portable device enters a coverage region of the connectivity service device;
retrieving the service list from the connectivity service device by the portable device, the service list comprising services available for use in the coverage region, wherein each of the services corresponds to a communications protocol; and
determining a service from the service list to be used for communicating the portable device with a plurality of electronic devices in the coverage region; and
connecting the portable device with the plurality of electronic devices using the predetermined communication protocol of the determined service,
wherein the portable device, the connectivity service device, and the electronic devices in the coverage region are within a local area network,
wherein the portable device retrieves the service list from the connectivity service device using a low-power communication protocol in the plurality of predetermined communication protocols,
wherein the determined service is one of the predetermined communication protocols used by the portable device, and the method further comprises:
turning off radio frequency circuitry of the portable device which is not associated with the determined service; and
transceiving radio frequency signals from one of the electronic devices through the connectivity service device by the portable device according to the service list.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the connectivity service device retrieves service information from a plurality of electronic devices, that are connected to the connectivity service device, to build the service list.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the portable device retrieves the service list from the connectivity service device using a low-power communication protocol in the plurality of predetermined communication protocols.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the low-power communication protocol is Bluetooth Low Energy.

11. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the determined service is selected from one of the types of sensors, and the method further comprises:
turning off a plurality of sensors on the portable device; and
utilizing the portable device to retrieve sensor data from the sensors used by the plurality of electronic devices associated with the determined service through the connectivity service device according to the service list.

12. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the determined service is one of the plurality of predetermined communication protocols used by the portable device to communicate with the plurality of electronic devices in the coverage region.

Assignees

• Mediatek Inc

Inventors

• Chen Po-Yu
• Hsiao Chih-Hsiang
• Wu Hua
• Lin Chi-Hsuan

Classifications

• H04W52/0209

  in terminal devices · CPC title

• H04W76/02 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W48/18 Primary

  Selecting a network or a communication service · CPC title

• Y02B60/50

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• H04W4/008

  Electricity · mapped topic