ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND OPERATING METHOD THEREOF

• US 20120329390A1
• Filed: 09/13/2011
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: KIM, Sunryang
• Granted Patent: US 8,958,745 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• 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

Abstract

A near field communication (NFC) device and corresponding operating method are described. The method according to an embodiment includes establishing a NFC link with a different electronic device, which is executing a first application, through an NFC module of the electronic device; obtaining information related to the first application through the NFC link; and executing a second application related to the first application based on the obtained information.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a near field communication (NFC) module configured to exchange information, via an NFC link, with a different device that is executing a first application; and

a controller operatively connected to the NFC module and configured to

obtain information related to the first application through the NFC link, and

execute a second application related to the first application based on the obtained information.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the NFC module is configured to establish the NFC link with the different device when a distance between the NFC module and the different device decreases to be less than a predetermined distance.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to operate in a reader mode in which electromagnetic waves are radiated by the NFC module to the different electronic device in order to establish the NFC link.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first and second applications are content reproduction applications.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, further comprising:

an output unit operatively connected to the controller,

wherein the controller is configured to

output, through the output unit, one or more types of source information with respect to content being output through the content reproduction application of the different device, and

selectively receive a particular source selection from a user based on the source information.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to perform a handover from the NFC link to another link while the first and second applications are executing.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first application is a message application and the second application is a message reply application.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the message application is one of an SMS (short message service) application, an MMS (multimedia message service) application, an IM (instance message) application, and an e-mail application.

9. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein, when the different device is outputting an original text message through the message application, the controller is configured to transmit a reply message with respect to the original text message through the message reply application.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first application is a video call application and the second application is a call application.

11. The electronic device of claim 10,

wherein, when the second application is executed, the different device outputs video of a video call through the video call application, and

wherein the controller is configured to perform at least one of a counterpart voice output and a user voice output of the same video call through the call application.

12. An electronic device, comprising:

a near field communication (NFC) module configured to exchange information, via an NFC link, with a different device; and

a controller operatively connected to the NFC module and configured to

execute a first application, and

transmit a control signal through the NFC link to allow the different device to execute a second application related to the first application when the NFC link is established and while the electronic device is executing the first application.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the NFC module is configured to establish the NFC link with the different device when a distance between the NFC module and the different device decreases to be less than a threshold distance.

14. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to operate in a reader mode in which electromagnetic waves are radiated by the NFC module to the different device in order to establish the NFC link.

15. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to operate in a card emulation mode in which electromagnetic waves are received from the different device in order to establish the NFC link.

16. A method for operating a first electronic device, the method comprising:

establishing a near field communication (NFC) link with a second electronic device, which is executing a first application, through an NFC module of the first electronic device;

obtaining information related to the first application through the NFC link; and

executing, by the first electronic device, a second application related to the first application based on the obtained information.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the NFC link is established when a distance between the NFC module and the second electronic device decreases to be less than a threshold distance.

18. The method of claim 16,

wherein the first and second applications are content reproduction applications, and

wherein the second application outputs content that is the same as content being output through the first application at a same time.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the first application is a message application and the second application is a message reply application, or the first application is a video call application and the second application is a call application.

20. A method for operating a first electronic device configured to exchange information, via a communication link, with a second electronic device, the method comprising:

executing a first application; and

transmitting a control signal through the communication link to allow the second electronic device to automatically execute a second application related to the first application when the communication link is established and while the first electronic device is executing the first application.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

establishing the communication link being an NFC link with the second electronic device when a distance between the first and second electronic devices decreases to be less than a predetermined distance.