METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IDENTIFYING NEIGHBORING DEVICE

• US 20090011707A1
• Filed: 01/28/2008
• Published: 01/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KO, Chang-seog, Park, Hyun-cheol, Kim, Young-sun, Choi, Yoo-jin
• Granted Patent: US 9,002,382 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• 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 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

A method and apparatus for identifying a neighboring device are provided. The method of identifying a neighboring device, which is performed in a user terminal, includes: obtaining identification information and location information of a plurality of neighboring devices that can wirelessly communicate with the user terminal; extracting the identification information of one of the neighboring devices, the neighboring device being in the actual location range within the field of vision of the user terminal; and using the extracted identification information to request that the neighboring device perform wireless communication with the user terminal. According to the method and apparatus, identification information of a neighboring device with which a user terminal desires to perform wireless communication can be obtained using a viewfinder or liquid crystal display of the user terminal.

Claims

1. A method of identifying a neighboring device, which is performed in a user terminal, the method comprising:

obtaining an actual location range within a field of vision of the user terminal;

receiving identification information and location information of a plurality of neighboring devices that can wirelessly communicate with the user terminal, from the neighboring devices;

extracting the identification information of a neighboring device among the neighboring devices based on the actual location range within the field of vision of the user terminal and the location information and the identification information of the neighboring devices, the neighboring device being in the actual location range within the field of vision of the user terminal; and

requesting, based on the extracted identification information, the neighboring device located within the field of vision of the user terminal to perform wireless communication with the user terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining the actual location range within the field of vision of the user terminal comprises:

obtaining the location information of the user terminal;

obtaining the field of vision of the user terminal; and

obtaining the actual location range within the field of vision of the user terminal based on the location information and the field of vision of the user terminal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the extracting the identification information of the neighboring device within the field of vision of the user terminal comprises:

selecting a neighboring device, which is located in the actual location range within the field of vision of the user terminal, among the neighboring devices that can perform wireless communication with the user terminal; and

extracting the identification information of the selected neighboring device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

photographing neighboring devices within the field of vision of the user terminal and generating a media signal; and

requesting the neighboring devices within the field of vision of the user terminal to perform wireless communication with the user terminal and transmitting the media signal to the neighboring devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information of the neighboring device comprises at least one of latitude, longitude, direction of the field of vision, and altitude.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication comprises short-distance wireless communication using at least one of wireless local area network, Bluetooth, ZigBee, and WiBro technologies.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the requesting the neighboring device located within the field of vision of the user terminal to perform wireless communication with the user terminal comprises:

displaying on a viewfinder of the user terminal the neighboring devices located within the field of vision of the user terminal;

receiving a selection of a neighboring device, which is to be requested to perform wireless communication with the user terminal, among the displayed neighboring devices within the field of vision; and

requesting the selected neighboring device to perform wireless communication with the user terminal.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the displaying the neighboring devices comprises:

converting the locations of the neighboring devices to locations on the viewfinder, based on the location information of the neighboring devices within the field of vision, the location information of the user terminal, a viewing angle of the user terminal, and a size of the viewfinder of the user terminal; and

displaying the neighboring devices on the converted locations on the viewfinder.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the receiving the selection of the neighboring device is performed using one of a keyboard, a touchpad, a touch screen, a joystick, a mouse, and a remote controller.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the obtaining the location information of the user terminal comprises:

receiving a global positioning system (GPS) signal from a satellite; and

obtaining the location information of the user terminal based on the received GPS signal.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the obtaining the location information of the user terminal comprises:

receiving a wireless signal from a base station; and

obtaining the location information of the user terminal based on the received wireless signal.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein the location information of the user terminal comprises at least one of latitude, longitude, direction of the field of vision, and altitude.

13. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

obtaining from the neighboring device identification information of other devices belonging to the user of the neighboring device which is requested to perform wireless communication with the user terminal; and

, requesting, based on the obtained identification information of the other devices, the other devices to perform wireless communication with the user terminal.

14. The method of claim 4, wherein the wireless communication comprises short-distance wireless communication using at least one of wireless local area network, Bluetooth, ZigBee, and WiBro technologies.

15. A method of identifying a neighboring device, which is performed in a user terminal, the method comprising:

focusing on a neighboring device, which is to be requested to perform communication with the user terminal, among a plurality of neighboring devices that can perform wireless communication with the user terminal;

obtaining location information of the neighboring device;

obtaining identification information of the neighboring device based on the location information of the neighboring device; and

requesting the neighboring device to perform wireless communication with the user terminal based on the identification information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the requesting the neighboring device to perform wireless communication comprises:

displaying the neighboring device on the user terminal; and

receiving a request for wireless communication with the displayed neighboring device from a user using one of a keyboard, a touchpad, a touch screen, a joystick, a mouse, and a remote controller.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the location information of the neighboring device comprises at least one of latitude, longitude, direction of a field of vision, and altitude.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the wireless communication comprises short-distance wireless communication using at least one of wireless local are network, Bluetooth, ZigBee, and WiBro technologies.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the obtaining the identification information of the neighboring device which is focused on comprises:

transmitting the location information to the neighboring devices that can perform wireless communication with the user terminal, and requesting the neighboring device at the location indicated by the location information to transmit identification information; and

receiving the identification information of the neighboring device from the neighboring device at the location indicated by the location information.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the wireless communication comprises short-distance wireless communication using at least one of wireless local area network, Bluetooth, ZigBee, and WiBro technologies.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the obtaining the location information of the neighboring device which is focused on comprises:

obtaining the location information of the user terminal; and

obtaining the location information of the neighboring device which is focused on, based on the location information of the user terminal.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the obtaining of the location information of the user terminal comprises:

receiving a GPS signal from a satellite; and

obtaining the location information of the user terminal based on the received GPS signal.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the obtaining the location information of the user terminal comprises:

receiving a wireless signal from a base station; and

obtaining the location information of the user terminal the received wireless signal based on the received wireless signal.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the location information of the user terminal comprises at least one of latitude, longitude, direction of the field of vision, and altitude.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

obtaining from the neighboring device identification information of other devices belonging to the user of the neighboring device which is requested to perform wireless communication with the user terminal; and

requesting, the obtained identification information of the other devices, the other devices to perform wireless communication with the user terminal.

26. A method of transmitting the identification information performed by a user terminal, the method comprising:

obtaining location information of the user terminal;

receiving a request to transmit identification information of the user terminal from the neighboring device that can perform wireless communication with the user terminal if a difference between the location information of the user terminal and the location information transmitted from the neighboring device is within a predetermined range; and

if the difference is within the predetermined range, transmitting the identification information of the user terminal to the neighboring device.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the wireless communication comprises short-distance wireless communication using at least one of wireless local area network, Bluetooth, ZigBee, and WiBro technologies.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising, if the difference is within the predetermined range, requesting the neighboring device to perform wireless communication with the user terminal.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the wireless communication comprises short-distance wireless communication using at least one of wireless local area network, Bluetooth, ZigBee, and WiBro technologies.

30. A user terminal for identifying a neighboring device, the apparatus comprising:

a location information processing unit which obtains an actual location range within a field of vision of the user terminal, and extracts, based on identification information and location information of a neighboring device received from the neighboring device, the identification information of the neighboring device in the actual location range within the field of vision of the user terminal;

a wireless communication unit which receives the identification information and location information of from the neighboring device from the neighboring device, and requests, based on the identification information of the neighboring device within the field of vision of the user terminal, the neighboring device located within the field of vision to perform wireless communication with the user terminal; and

a media signal processing unit which photographs a view within a field of vision of the user terminal and generates a media signal.

31. The user terminal of claim 30, wherein the location information of the neighboring device comprises at least one of latitude, longitude, direction of the field of vision, and altitude.

32. The user terminal of claim 30, wherein the wireless communication comprises short-distance wireless communication using at least one of wireless local are network, Bluetooth, ZigBee, and WiBro technologies.

33. The user terminal of claim 30, wherein the wireless communication unit obtains from the neighboring device identification information of other devices belonging to the user of the neighboring device which is requested to perform wireless communication with the user terminal, requests, based on the obtained identification information of the other devices, the other devices to perform wireless communication with the user terminal.

34. The user terminal of claim 30, wherein the location information processing unit comprises:

a global positioning system (GPS) signal reception unit which receives a GPS signal from a GPS satellite;

a location calculation unit which obtains the location information of the user terminal by using the received GPS signal, and obtains, based on the location information of the user terminal, the actual location range within the field of vision of the user terminal; and

a neighboring device location processing unit which stores the identification information and location information of the neighboring device received from the neighboring device, and extracts identification information of a plurality of neighboring devices in the location range within the field of vision of the user terminal.

35. The user terminal of claim 34, wherein the location information of the user terminal comprises at least one of latitude, longitude, the direction of the field of vision, and altitude.

36. The user terminal of claim 34, further comprising:

an input and output unit which displays the neighboring devices located within the field of vision of the user terminal on a viewfinder of the user terminal, and receives a selection of a neighboring device, which is to be requested to perform wireless communication with the user terminal, among the displayed neighboring devices;

a control unit which controls the apparatus so that identification information of the neighboring devices located within the field of vision can be obtained and the neighboring device can be requested to perform wireless communication with the user terminal; and

a memory unit which stores programs required for controlling the apparatus.

37. The user terminal of claim 36, wherein the neighboring device location processing unit converts the location of the neighboring device located within the field of vision of the user terminal into the location on the viewfinder of the user terminal, and

the input and output unit displays the neighboring device at the converted location.

38. The user terminal of claim 36, wherein the wireless communication comprises short-distance wireless communication using at least one of wireless local area network, Bluetooth, ZigBee, and WiBro technologies.

39. A user terminal for identifying a neighboring device, the user terminal comprising:

a location information processing unit which obtains location information of a user terminal, and obtains, based on the location information of the user terminal, location information of a neighboring device on which the user terminal is focused;

a wireless communication unit which transmits the location information of the neighboring device on which the user terminal is focused to a plurality of neighboring devices that can perform wireless communication with the user terminal, requests the neighboring device at the location indicated by the location information to transmit identification information, receives the identification information of the neighboring device from the neighboring device at the location indicated by the location information, and requests, based on the identification information, the neighboring device on which the user terminal is focused to perform wireless communication with the user terminal; and

a media signal processing unit which photographs a view within a field of vision of the user terminal and generates a media signal.

40. The user terminal of claim 39, wherein the location information processing unit comprises:

a global positioning system (GPS) signal reception unit which receives a GPS signal from a GPS satellite;

a location calculation unit which obtains the location information of the user terminal by using the received GPS signal, and obtains, based on the location information of the user terminal, the location information which includes the actual location of the neighboring device on which the user terminal is focused; and

a neighboring device location processing unit which generates a message requesting the neighboring device to transmit the identification information of the neighboring device, on a condition of being located at the location indicated by the location information of the neighboring device on which the user terminal is focused.

41. The user terminal of claim 39, wherein the wireless communication comprises short-distance wireless communication using at least one of wireless local area network, Bluetooth, ZigBee, and WiBro technologies.

42. The user terminal of claim 39, wherein the wireless communication unit obtains identification information of other devices belonging to the user of the neighboring device which is requested to perform wireless communication with the user terminal through communication with the neighboring device, and requests, based on the obtained identification information of the other devices, the other devices to perform wireless communication with the user terminal.

43. The user terminal of claim 39, wherein the location information of the neighboring device comprises at least one of latitude, longitude, direction of the field of vision, and altitude.

44. The user terminal of claim 40, wherein the location information of the user terminal comprises at least one of latitude, longitude, direction of the field of vision, and altitude.