Electronic device and method for short range wireless communication in electronic device

• US 10,027,380 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2017
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Hong, Seung-Su
• Primary Examiner(s): TRANDAI, CINDY HUYEN
• Application Number:
  US15/411,908
• Publication Number:
  US 20170214434A1
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3888 Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication

Abstract

Disclosed are an electronic device and a method of short range wireless communication in an electronic device. The method of operating the electronic device may include: when a cover is connected to the electronic device through a short range wireless communication connection, determining generation of an event related to the cover. The method further comprises, when the event is generated, supplying power to the cover through wireless communication, when the cover is driven by the supplied power, transmitting event information to the cover through the short range wireless communication connection to display the information related to the generated event on the cover, and, when an operation of the cover according to the event is completed, switching to a standby mode after releasing the short range wireless communication connection with the cover.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a communication unit configured to communicate with a cover connected to the electronic device through short range wireless communication; and

a controller,

wherein the controller is configured to;

determine generation of an event related to the cover;

supply power to the cover through wireless communication when the event is generated;

make a control to transmit event information to the cover through the short range wireless communication to display the event information on the cover when the cover is driven by the supplied power;

calculate an operation time for the cover to complete display of the event information by analyzing the event information;

when the calculated operation time has passed, determine that the cover has completed displaying the event information; and

switch to a standby mode after releasing a communication connection of the short range wireless communication with the cover when the cover has completed displaying the event information.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to ignore another external device while the event information is transmitted to the cover.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

search for the cover during a time interval of a search period corresponding to the cover; and

when the time interval of the search period corresponding to the cover passes, search for another external device corresponding to another time interval of the search period.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to:

transmit the event information to the cover for the time interval corresponding to the cover; and

when the time interval of the search period corresponding to the cover set in accordance with the cover passes and the other time interval of the search period is selected, determine that the cover has completed displaying the event information.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein, even when the communication connection of the short range wireless communication with the cover is released, the controller is configured to continue supplying the power to the cover for a preset time by using a routine different from a routine for connecting the short range wireless communication.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein, when a tag signal including information indicating that the cover has completed displaying the event information is received from the cover, the controller is configured to determine that the cover has completed displaying the event information.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein, when the electronic device releases the communication connection of the short range wireless communication with the cover, switches to the standby mode, and performs an operation in the standby mode, if another external device is not recognized, the controller is configured to continue supplying the power to the cover for a preset standby time.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein, when the cover is driven, the controller is configured to:

receive authentication information of the cover;

perform an authentication; and

perform an operation for the connection of the short range wireless communication with the cover.

9. A method of performing short range wireless communication in an electronic device, the method comprising:

when a cover is connected to the electronic device through a short range wireless communication connection, determining generation of an event related to the cover;

when the event is generated, supplying power to the cover through wireless communication;

when the cover is driven by the supplied power, transmitting event information to the cover through the short range wireless communication connection to display the event information on the cover;

calculating an operation time for the cover to complete display of the event information by analyzing the event information;

when the calculated operation time passes, determining that the cover has completed displaying the event information; and

when the cover has completed displaying the event information, switching to a standby mode after releasing the short range wireless communication connection with the cover.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein transmitting the event information to the cover comprises ignoring another external device while the event information is transmitted to the cover.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

while in the standby mode, searching for the cover during a time interval of a search period corresponding to the cover; and

when the time interval of the search period corresponding to the cover passes, searching for another external device corresponding to another time interval of the search period.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the switching to the standby mode comprises:

transmitting the event information to the cover for the time interval of the search period corresponding to the cover; and

when the time interval of the search period corresponding to the cover set in accordance with the cover passes and the other time interval of the search period is selected, determining that the cover has completed displaying the event information.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the switching to the standby mode further comprises, even when the short range wireless communication connection with the cover is released, maintaining the power supplied to the cover for a preset time by using a routine different from a routine for connecting the short range wireless communication connection.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the switching to the standby mode comprises:

when a tag signal including information indicating that the cover has completed displaying the event information is received from the cover, determining that the cover has completed displaying the event information.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising, when the electronic device releases the short range wireless communication connection with the cover:

switching to the standby mode; and

in the standby mode, if another external device is not recognized, maintaining the power supplied to the cover for a preset standby time.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

when the cover is driven, receiving authentication information of the cover; and

performing an authentication.

17. An accessory device comprising:

a housing including a first surface and a second surface facing an opposite side to the first surface;

a connecting structure connected to the housing and making the second surface attachable to and detachable from one surface of an external electronic device;

a display formed on at least a part of the first surface; and

a control circuit disposed inside the housing and electrically connected to the display, wherein the control circuit comprises;

a conductive pattern arranged inside the housing near the second surface of the housing, the conductive pattern configured to receive a magnetic flux generated from the one surface of the external electronic device or a transmitted signal, the transmitted signal including event information and a predetermined time to display the event information;

a power storage device configured to at least temporarily store power induced by the magnetic flux; and

a memory device configured to temporarily store at least a part of the event information; and

at least a part of the display configured to be activated for the predetermined time using at least the part of the event information and the power,

wherein the conductive pattern of the control circuit is further configured to transmit an indication that display of the information is completed.

18. The accessory device of claim 17, wherein:

the memory device is configured to pre-store data on at least one of an image, text, and a figure pattern to be displayed at least the part of the display; and

the control circuit is configured to;

select at least a part of the data at least partially based on at least the part of the information included in the transmitted signal; and

activate at least the part of the display by using at least the selected part of the data.