ELECTRONIC DEVICE MANAGEMENT METHOD, AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND HOST ELECTRONIC DEVICE USING THE METHOD

• US 20100077337A1
• Filed: 09/04/2009
• Published: 03/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Hwang, Sang Woong, Cho, Bong Hyun, Kwahk, Ji Young, YANG, Gyung Hye, Lim, Eun Young
• Granted Patent: US 9,606,600 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/168 Details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems, e.g. browsing and visualisation, 2d or 3d GUIs query results presentation G06F16/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2003/0697 device management, e.g. handlers, drivers, I/O schedulers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2206/1008 Graphical user interface [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0601 Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0625 Power saving in storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0643 Management of files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0671 In-line storage system
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/322 used signal is digitally coded

Abstract

An electronic device managing method and system, and a host electronic device using the method are disclosed. A plurality of client electronic devices may be connected to the host electronic device. The host electronic device may perform file storage state management, remaining battery capacity management, and file reproduction management, thereby integrally and efficiently managing the plurality of client electronic devices. The file storage state management may include managing file storage states corresponding to the memories of the plurality of client electronic devices, respectively. The remaining battery capacity management may include managing the remaining capacity of the batteries of the plurality of client electronic devices. The file reproduction management may include reproducing at least one of the files stored in the plurality of client electronic devices.

Claims

1. An electronic device managing method, the method comprising:

receiving at least one of information regarding a file storage state, information regarding remaining battery capacity, and information regarding a list of files from a first client electronic device connected to a host electronic device; and

displaying, on a display unit of the host electronic device, the received information as a graphic user interface object corresponding to the received information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the graphic user interface object is associated with a shape, color, position, and/or direction, and

wherein displaying the received information comprises displaying a graphical representation corresponding to the first client electronic device in at least one of the shape, color, position, and/or direction associated with the graphic user interface object.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the received information comprises displaying, on the display unit, a geometric diagram corresponding to the information regarding the file storage state.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the geometric diagram is a two- or three-dimensional geometric diagram.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein displaying the received information comprises:

displaying geometric diagrams corresponding to first memory spaces of the first client electronic device; and

displaying a file geometric diagram corresponding to a file stored in the first memory spaces.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving, via an input unit or touch screen of the host electronic device, an input signal for selecting the file geometric diagram;

receiving a movement input signal for moving the file geometric diagram to a second geometric diagram corresponding to a memory space in second memory spaces of a second client electronic device connected to the host electronic device, the memory space in the second memory spaces having a same or larger size as a memory space corresponding to the file geometric diagram; and

moving, if the file geometric diagram can not be moved to the second geometric diagram, the file geometric diagram to an empty geometric diagram corresponding to a memory space in the second client electronic device having a same or larger size as the memory space corresponding to the file geometrical diagram.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving, via an input unit or touch screen of the host electronic device, an input signal for selecting the file geometric diagram; and

moving or copying the file geometric diagram to an empty geometric diagram corresponding to a memory space in second memory spaces of a second client electronic device connected to the host electronic device, a memory space corresponding to the file geometric diagram having the same or smaller size than the memory space corresponding to the empty geometric diagram.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

deleting, if a memory of the second client electronic device does not have sufficient space to store the file geometric diagram, a geometric diagram corresponding to at least one file stored in the memory of the second client electronic device, according to a set condition; and

placing the file geometric diagram in a memory space corresponding to the deleted geometric diagram.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein deleting a geometric diagram further comprises at least one of the following steps of:

selecting and deleting an oldest geometric diagram of geometric diagrams corresponding to files stored in the second memory spaces; and

selecting and deleting a geometric diagram having a lowest use frequency of geometric diagrams corresponding to files stored in the second memory spaces.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein deleting a geometric diagram further comprises:

determining whether the second memory spaces comprise a protection area from which files cannot be deleted and a non-protection area from which files can be deleted; and

deleting, if the second memory spaces comprise the non-protection area, at least one geometrical diagram corresponding to at least one file stored in the non-protection area.

11. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

displaying detailed information regarding a selected geometric diagram;

or

displaying detailed information regarding all geometric diagrams stored in the first client electronic device and/or a second client device connected to the host electronic device.

12. The method of claim 3, wherein displaying the received information comprises displaying, on the display unit, first geometric diagrams corresponding to the first client electronic device in a first color and second geometric diagrams corresponding to a second client electronic device connected to the host electronic device in a second color different than the first color.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

moving a file from a memory of the first client electronic device to a memory of the second client electronic device, according to an input signal of the input unit, the file corresponding to a file geometric diagram having the first color, and wherein the file geometric diagram retains the first color while moving to the memory of the second client electronic device; and

changing, after moving the file geometric diagram, the color of the file geometric diagram to the second color associated with geometric diagrams of the second client electronic device.

14. An electronic device managing method, the method comprising:

receiving information regarding remaining battery capacity from at least one client electronic device connected to a host electronic device;

displaying, on a display unit of the host electronic device, the received information regarding the remaining battery capacity;

determining, from the received information regarding the remaining battery capacity, if the remaining battery capacity of the at least one client electronic device is sufficient; and

recharging, using a power supply of the host electronic device, a battery of the at least one client electronic device, according to a set condition.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein displaying the received information further comprises at least one of the following steps of:

displaying a ratio of the remaining battery capacity to a total battery capacity of the at least one client electronic device; and

receiving information regarding a remaining battery operating time of the at least one client electronic device, and displaying the remaining battery operating time.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein determining if the remaining battery capacity is sufficient and recharging a battery of the at least one client electronic device comprises one of the following steps of:

determining the remaining battery capacity of the at least one client electronic device, and setting a client electronic device of the at least one client electronic device having a lowest remaining battery capacity to a highest battery recharge order of priority;

determining use history information regarding the at least one client electronic device, and setting a client electronic device of the at least one client electronic device having a use history information matching at least one of a current time, date, and/or day, to a highest battery recharge order of priority;

determining use history information regarding the at least one client electronic device, and performing a setting operation to recharge only one client electronic device of the at least one client electronic device having use history information matching at least one of a current time, date, and/or day; and

determining a total electric power for supplying power to the at least one client electronic device, and performing a setting operation to distribute the total electric power for recharging the at least one client electronic device, according to a power setting condition.

17. An electronic device managing method, the method comprising:

receiving a list of files from at least one client electronic device connected to a host electronic device;

receiving, via an input unit of the host electronic device, an input signal for searching a file;

determining whether a first client electronic device, of the at least one client electronic device, storing the file can reproduce the file; and

instructing the first client electronic device storing the file to reproduce the file.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein determining whether a first client electronic device storing the file can reproduce the file comprises:

determining a remaining battery capacity of the first client electronic device storing the file; and

recharging the first client electronic device storing the file, if the remaining battery capacity of the first client electronic device storing the file is equal to or less than a threshold value, and

wherein instructing the first client electronic device to reproduce the file comprises instructing the first client electronic device to reproduce the file if the recharging of the first client electronic device is complete.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

accessing an Internet server if the file does not exist in the at least one client electronic device;

downloading the file from the Internet server; and

reproducing the downloaded file in one of the at least one client electronic device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the one of the at least one electronic device comprises a client electronic device having a communication module connected to the Internet server and a largest remaining battery capacity, or a client electronic device designated by an input signal.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the downloaded file is stored in a memory of the one of the at least one client electronic device.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein reproducing the downloaded file comprises:

searching for a second client electronic device of the at least one client electronic device having the same file as the file in the first client electronic device, if the remaining battery capacity of the first client electronic device having the searched file is equal to or less than a set value; and

reproducing the same file in the second client electronic device.

23. An electronic device managing system, the system comprising:

at least one client electronic device; and

a host electronic device, connected to the at least one client electronic device, the host electronic device to perform at least one of remaining battery capacity management, file storage state management, and file reproduction management of the at least one client electronic device, wherein the host electronic device comprises;

a connecting interface to connect to the at least one client electronic device;

a display unit to display at least one of information related to a remaining battery capacity, information related to a file storage state, and information related to a file reproduction;

a power supply to recharge and supply electric power to at least one battery of the at least one client electronic device; and

a controller to control at least one of the remaining battery capacity management, file storage state management, and file reproduction management of the at least one client electronic device,

wherein;

the remaining battery capacity management comprises determining the remaining battery capacity of the at least one client electronic device and determining a battery recharge order of priority according to the determined remaining battery capacity;

the file storage state management comprises displaying, on the display unit, a file storage state of the at least one client electronic device, and moving, copying, and/or deleting files, stored in the at least one client electronic device, according to a storage input signal; and

the file reproduction management comprises searching for a file, according to a search signal input to an input unit, and, if one of the at least one client electronic device comprises the searched file, reproducing the searched file in the one of the at least one client electronic device, according to a set condition.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising a touch screen,

wherein the touch screen detects at least one of a touch event corresponding to the storage input signal if a file storage state is displayed, a touch event corresponding to the search input signal for selecting a file to be reproduced, and a touch event corresponding to a recharge input signal for selecting a client electronic device that needs a recharge.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the controller displays at least one of geometric diagrams corresponding to memory spaces in the at least one client electronic device and a file geometric diagram corresponding to a file stored in the memory space of at least one of the at least one client electronic devices.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the file geometric diagram is selected by the controller,

wherein the storage input signal for moving or copying the selected file geometric diagram to an empty geometric diagram corresponding to a memory space of second memory spaces in a second client electronic device of the at least one client electronic device, is received by the controller,

wherein at least one geometric diagram selected according to a delete condition, from geometric diagrams corresponding to the second memory spaces is deleted by the controller if the second memory spaces have no empty space, and

wherein the selected file geometric diagram is placed, by the controller, in a space made available by the deleted geometric diagram, or the selected file geometric diagram is moved or copied, by the controller, to the second memory spaces.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein an oldest geometric diagram or a geometric diagram having a lowest use frequency of geometric diagrams corresponding to files stored in the second memory spaces is selected and deleted by the controller

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the memory space of the second client electronic device comprises a protection area in which files can not be deleted and a non-protection area in which files can be deleted, and wherein the controller deletes at least one geometric diagram from geometric diagrams corresponding to files stored in a non-protection area.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the controller displays detailed information regarding a selected file geometric diagram or detailed information regarding all geometric diagrams stored in the at least one client electronic devices.

30. The system of claim 23, wherein the display unit displays a ratio of the remaining battery capacity in the at least one client electronic device to a total battery capacity of the at least one client electronic device, or displays a remaining battery operation time of the at least one client electronic device, the remaining battery operation time being obtained from information regarding a battery remaining state.

31. The system of claim 23, wherein the controller performs one of the following operations:

determining the remaining battery capacity of the at least one client electronic device, and setting one client electronic device of the at least one client electronic device having a lowest remaining battery capacity to a highest battery recharge order of priority;

determining use history information regarding the at least one client electronic device, and setting one client electronic device of the at least one client electronic device having a use history information matching at least one of a current time, date, and/or day to a highest battery recharge order of priority;

determining use history information regarding the at least one client electronic device, and performing a setting operation to recharge only one client electronic device of the at least one client electronic device having use history information matching at least one of a current time, date, and/or day; and

determining a total electric power for supplying power to the at least one client electronic device, and performing a setting operation to distribute the total electric power for recharging the at least one client electronic device, according to a power setting condition.

32. The system of claim 23, wherein the controller:

determines a remaining battery capacity of a first client electronic device of the at least one client electronic device, the first client electronic device storing the searched file;

reproduces the searched file in a second client electronic device if the remaining battery capacity of the first client electronic device is equal to or less than a set value; and

recharges the first client electronic device and reproduces the searched file in the first client electronic device if the remaining battery capacity of the first client electronic device is equal to or greater than the set value, or reproduces the same file as the searched file in a second client electronic device storing the same file.

33. The system of claim 23, wherein the controller accesses an Internet server if the searched file does not exist in the at least one client electronic devices, downloads the searched file from the Internet server;

and reproduces the downloaded file in one of the at least one client electronic device.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the controller reproduces the downloaded file in the one of the at least one client electronic device having a communication module connected to the Internet server and a largest remaining battery capacity, or the one of the at least one electronic device designated by an input signal.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the controller stores the downloaded file in the one of the at least one client electronic device.

36. The system of claim 23, wherein the display unit displays, during the file storage state management, first geometric diagrams corresponding to first memory spaces in a first client electronic device of the at least one client electronic device in a first color and second geometric diagrams corresponding to second memory spaces in a second client electronic device of the at least one client electronic device in a second color different from the first color.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein, if a file is moved from a memory of the first client electronic device to a memory of the second client electronic device, the controller retains the first color of moved geometric diagrams corresponding to the moved file, and, after completing the move of the moved geometric diagrams, changes the first color of the moved geometric diagrams to the second color, according to a color setting input signal.

38. A host electronic device, comprising:

a connecting interface to receive at least one of information regarding file storage state, information regarding remaining battery capacity, and information regarding a list of files from at least one client electronic device connected to the connecting interface;

a display unit to display the received information as a graphic user interface object;

a controller to control reception and display of the received information.

39. The host electronic device of claim 38, wherein the graphic user interface object is associated with a shape, color, position, and/or direction, and wherein the display unit displays the received information by, at least, displaying a graphical representation corresponding to the at least one client electronic device in at least one of the same shape, color, position, and/or direction associated with the graphic user interface object.

40. The host electronic device of claim 38, wherein the display unit displays a geometric diagram corresponding to the information regarding file storage state transmitted from the at least one client electronic device.

41. The host electronic device of claim 40, wherein the geometric diagram is a two- or three-dimensional geometric diagram.

42. The host electronic device of claim 38, wherein the controller displays geometric diagrams corresponding to memory spaces of the at least one client electronic devices, and a file geometric diagram corresponding to a file stored in the first memory spaces.

43. The host electronic device of claim 42, further comprising an input unit or touch screen to generate at least one of a first input signal to select the file geometric diagram, and a second input signal to move the selected file geometric diagram to a second geometric diagram corresponding to a copy memory space having a same or larger size than a size of a file memory space corresponding to the selected file geometric diagram.

44. The host electronic device of claim 43, wherein, according to the input signal generated by the input unit or the touch screen, the controller moves the selected file geometric diagram to an empty geometric diagram corresponding to the copy memory space, or copies the selected file geometric diagram to an empty geometric diagram corresponding to the copy memory space, the file memory space being situated in a first client electronic device of the at least one client electronic device, and the copy memory space being situated in a second client electronic device of the at least one client electronic device.

45. The host electronic device of claim 44, wherein, if a memory of the second client electronic device does not have sufficient space to store the file geometric diagram, the controller deletes at least one geometric diagram corresponding to at least one file stored in the memory of the second client electronic device, according to a set condition, and the controller places the selected file geometric diagram in a memory space corresponding to the deleted geometric diagram.

46. The host electronic device of claim 45, wherein the controller selects and deletes an oldest geometric diagram of the geometric diagrams corresponding to files stored in the memory spaces of the second client electronic device, or a geometric diagram having a lowest use frequency of geometric diagrams corresponding to files stored in the memory space of the second client electronic device.

47. The host electronic device of claim 45, wherein, the memory of the second client electronic device comprises a protection area from which files cannot be deleted and a non-protection area from which files can be deleted, the controller deleting the at least one geometric diagram corresponding to at least one file stored in the non-protection area.

48. The host electronic device of claim 40, wherein, the information regarding file storage states is received from the at least one client electronic device, the display unit displaying detailed information regarding a selected geometric diagram, or detailed information regarding all geometric diagrams stored in the at least one client electronic device.

49. The host electronic device of claim 48, wherein the display unit displays the first geometric diagrams corresponding to a first client electronic device of the at least one client electronic device in a first color and second geometric diagrams corresponding to a second client electronic device of the at least one client electronic device in a second color different than the first color.

50. The host electronic device of claim 48, wherein, if a file is moved from a memory of the first client electronic device to a memory of the second client electronic device, the controller retains the first color of moved geometric diagrams corresponding to the move file, and, after completing the move of the moved geometric diagrams, changes the first color of the moved geometric diagrams to the second color, according to a color setting input signal.

51. The host electronic device of claim 48, wherein the controller performs one of the following steps:

determining the remaining battery capacity of the at least one client electronic device, and setting a client electronic device of the at least one client device having a lowest remaining battery capacity to a highest battery recharge order of priority;

determining use history information regarding the at least one client electronic device, and setting a client electronic device of the at least one client electronic device having a use history information matching at least one of a current time, date, and/or day, to a highest battery recharge order of priority;

determining use history information regarding the at least one client electronic device, and performing a setting operation to recharge only one client electronic device of the at least one client electronic device having use history information matching at least one of a current time, date, and/or day; and

determining a total electric power for supplying power to the at least one client electronic device, and performing a setting operation to distribute the total electric power for recharging the at least one client electronic device, according to a power setting condition.

52. The host electronic device of claim 38, wherein, if an input signal is received to reproduce a file stored in a first client electronic device of the at least one client electronic device, the controller determines a remaining battery capacity of the first client electronic device storing the file, and, if the determined remaining battery capacity is equal to or less than a threshold value, a power supply of the host electronic device recharges the first client electronic device.

53. The host electronic device of claim 38, wherein, if an input signal for searching a file is received, and the file to be searched for does not exist in the at least one client electronic device, the controller accesses an Internet server, downloads the file from the Internet server, and reproduces the downloaded file in one of the at least one client electronic device.