Electronic device and operating method using bluetooth

• US 10,257,877 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2018
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Sung-Geun
• Primary Examiner(s): Yun, Eugene
• Application Number:
  US16/054,086
• Publication Number:
  US 20180343696A1
• Time in Patent Office: 249 Days
• Field of Search: 455 412
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A Bluetooth pairing method in an electronic device is provided. The method includes detecting a change of a switching state of a switch of the electronic device, selecting a Bluetooth Device (BD) address according to the changed switching state among a plurality of stored BD addresses, and applying the selected BD address to a Bluetooth pairing. The method can facilitate Bluetooth pairing to selectable types of host devices.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device comprising:

an input device;

wireless communication circuitry capable of supporting a wireless connection;

a switch to select a first external device or a second external device in response to a single input received via the switch; and

a processor adapted to;

establish, using the wireless communication circuitry, the wireless connection with the first external device if the single input corresponds to the first external device;

establish, using the wireless communication circuitry, the wireless connection with the second external device if the single input corresponds to the second external device;

receive another input via the input device after the establishing of the wireless connection with a corresponding external device of the first external device and the second external device;

transmit, via the wireless connection, a first command generated in response to the other input to the first external device if the wireless connection is established with the first external device and not with the second external device; and

transmit, via the wireless connection, a second command generated in response to the other input to the second external device if the wireless connection is established with the second external device and not with the first external device.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the input device comprises a keypad including one or more keys.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the switch comprises a slide bar movable between a first position and a second position, and wherein the processor is adapted to:

select, in response to the single input, the first external device if the slide bar is located in the first position; and

select, in response to the single input, the second external device if the slide bar is located in the second position.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is adapted to:

if another wireless connection using the wireless communication circuitry exists between the portable electronic device and other external device of the first external device and the second external device that is not selected, release the other wireless connection in response to the first user input.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a memory to store first identification information corresponding to the first external device, and second identification information corresponding to the second external device, wherein the processor is adapted to:

establish the wireless connection using corresponding identification information of the first identification information and the second identification information based at least in part on the single input.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising an output device, wherein the processor is adapted to:

display an indication indicative of the wireless connection via the output device.

7. An apparatus comprising:

one or more keys;

wireless communication circuitry capable of supporting a wireless connection;

a switch to receive a first user input corresponding to a selection of a first external device or a second external device; and

a processor adapted to;

establish, using the wireless communication circuitry, the wireless connection with the first external device if the first user input corresponds to the first external device;

establish, using the wireless communication circuitry, the wireless connection with the second external device if the first user input corresponds to the second external device;

receive a second user input via at least one key of the one or more keys;

if the wireless connection is established with the first external device and not with the second external device, transmit a signal corresponding to the second user input to the first external device such that a first command is to be performed by the first external device based at least in part on the signal; and

if the wireless connection is established with the second external device and not with the first external device, transmit the signal corresponding to the second user input to the second external device such that a second command is to be performed by the second external device based at least in part on the signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor is adapted to:

if another wireless connection using the wireless communication circuitry exists between the apparatus and other external device of the first external device and the second external device that is not selected, release the other wireless connection in response to the first user input.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the switch comprises a toggle switch, and wherein the processor is adapted to:

select, in response to the first user input, the first external device if the toggle switch corresponds to a first state; and

select, in response to the first user input, the second external device if the toggle switch corresponds to a second state.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor is adapted to:

obtain first identification information from the first external device, and second identification information from the second external device prior to the establishing.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a memory, wherein the processor is adapted to:

store the first identification information in the memory based at least in part on a determination that a strength of a signal received from the first external device falls within a specified range; and

store the second identification information in the memory based at least in part on a determination that the strength of the signal received from the second external device falls within the specified range.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor is adapted to:

perform the transmitting of the signal such that a character, a number, or a symbol corresponding to the signal is displayed via a corresponding external device of the first external device and the second external device as the second user input is received at the apparatus.

13. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a speaker, wherein the processor is adapted to:

reproduce, via the speaker, content received from a corresponding external device of the first external device and the second external device.

14. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor is adapted to:

as at least part of the transmitting, perform a first function compatible to the first external device if first external device is selected or perform a second function compatible to the second external device if the second external device is selected.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first function is not compatible with the second external device, and the second function is not compatible with the first external device.

16. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising an interface to connect with a storage device external to the apparatus, wherein the processor is adapted to:

obtain data from the storage device via the interface; and

transmit the data to a corresponding external device of the first external device and the second external device.

17. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising an output device, wherein the processor is adapted to:

display an indication indicative of the wireless connection via the output device.

18. An apparatus comprising:

one or more keys;

communication circuitry capable of supporting a wireless connection;

a switch to receive a first user input corresponding to a selection of a first external device or a second external device; and

a processor adapted to;

establish, using the communication circuitry, the wireless connection with the first external device if the first user input corresponds to the first external device;

establish, using the communication circuitry, the wireless connection with the second external device if the first user input corresponds to the second external device;

receive a second user input via at least one key of the one or more keys;

if the wireless connection is established with the first external device, transmit a signal corresponding to the second user input to the first external device such that a first command is to be performed by the first external device based at least in part on the signal; and

if the wireless connection is established with the second external device, transmit the signal corresponding to the second user input to the second external device such that a second command is to be performed by the second external device based at least in part on the signal.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processor is adapted to:

if another wireless connection using the communication circuitry exists between the apparatus and other external device of the first external device and the second external device that is not selected, release the other wireless connection in response to the first user input.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising an output device, wherein the processor is adapted to:

present, via the output device, content received from the corresponding external device of the first external device and the second external device.