APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONNECTING WITH BLUETOOTH DEVICES IN PORTABLE TERMINAL

• US 20120115464A1
• Filed: 11/01/2011
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: JANG, Jin-Ho
• Granted Patent: US 8,903,316 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/426.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

An apparatus and method for connecting with a plurality of Bluetooth devices is provided in a portable terminal. The apparatus includes a position determining unit and a Bluetooth connecting unit. The position determining unit searches for a second Bluetooth device by using a movement direction of the terminal, when performing a call by the second Bluetooth device while maintaining a call. The Bluetooth connecting unit processes the performance of a call using a first Bluetooth device and the second Bluetooth device. When searching the second Bluetooth device, the Bluetooth connecting unit releases the connection of the first Bluetooth device while maintaining the call and performs a connection with the second Bluetooth device.

Claims

1. An apparatus for connecting with a plurality of Bluetooth devices in a portable terminal, comprising:

a position determining unit that searches for a second Bluetooth device by using a movement direction of the terminal, the movement direction being used when performing a call by the second Bluetooth device while maintaining a call; and

a Bluetooth connecting unit for processing the performance of another call using a first Bluetooth device and the second Bluetooth device,

wherein, when searching the second Bluetooth device, the second Bluetooth connecting unit releases the connection of the first Bluetooth device while maintaining the call and performs a connection with the second Bluetooth device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the position determining unit creates a list of a plurality of peripheral devices based on an order of signal strength utilizing Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) values to search the second Bluetooth device.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the position determining unit compares the RSSI values of the plurality of peripheral devices with a predetermined threshold value, and creates a list of peripheral devices having RSSI values greater than the predetermined threshold value.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second Bluetooth device comprise one peripheral device having a good RSSI value from among the list of the peripheral devices.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the position determining unit measures three-dimensional coordinates according to a detected movement of the terminal by using a sensing unit, and determines the movement direction of the terminal by using the 3-D coordinates to search for the second Bluetooth device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the Bluetooth connecting unit searches for the second Bluetooth device, and connects with the second Bluetooth device when it is determined the second Bluetooth device is an authorized device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the Bluetooth connecting unit selects the second Bluetooth device by a user'"'"'s selection and performs a call with the second Bluetooth device.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the Bluetooth connecting unit releases a Service Link Connection (SLC) link and a Synchronous Connection-Oriented (SCO) link with the first Bluetooth device while maintaining the call connection, and performs an SLC connection and an SCO connection with the second Bluetooth device to perform a call by the second Bluetooth.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first Bluetooth device and the second Bluetooth device comprises a headset.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the position determining unit comprises at least one of as gyro sensors or magnetic sensors to detect the movement direction of the portable terminal.

11. A method for connecting with a plurality of Bluetooth devices in a portable terminal, comprising:

performing a call by a first Bluetooth device;

searching a second Bluetooth device according to a detected movement direction of the terminal, when performing a call by the second Bluetooth device while maintaining the call with the first Bluetooth device;

releasing the connection of the first Bluetooth device while maintaining the call when searching for the second Bluetooth device; and

performing a connection with the second Bluetooth device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the searching for the second Bluetooth device comprises creating a list of peripheral devices by using Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSS) values, and storing in a memory or displaying on a display the created list.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the creating of the list of the peripheral devices comprises:

measuring RSSI values of the peripheral devices;

comparing the measured RSSI values with a predetermined threshold value; and

creating the list of peripheral devices corresponding to the RSSI values greater than the predetermined threshold value.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the second Bluetooth device comprises the device having an RSSI value greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold value from among the list of the peripheral devices.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the searching of the second Bluetooth device by the movement direction of the terminal comprises:

operating a sensing unit for sensing a movement of the terminal;

measuring three-dimensional coordinates according to a movement of the terminal; and

determining a movement direction of the terminal by the 3-D coordinates.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

searching the second Bluetooth device and determining whether the second Bluetooth device comprises an authorized device; and

connecting with the second Bluetooth device when it is determined that the second Bluetooth device comprises an authorized device.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising selecting the second Bluetooth device according to a user'"'"'s selection when performing a call by the second Bluetooth device while maintaining the call with the first Bluetooth device.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the performing of the call by the second Bluetooth device while maintaining the call comprises releasing a Service Link Connection (SLC) link and a Synchronous Connection-Oriented (SCO) link with the first Bluetooth device while maintaining the call connection, and performing an SLC connection and an SCO connection with the second Bluetooth device.

19. The method according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the first Bluetooth device and the second Bluetooth device comprises a headset.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein at least one of the first Bluetooth device and the second Bluetooth device comprises a headset.