ELECTRONIC APPARATUS, SERVER, AND CONTROL METHOD OF SYSTEM

• US 20140101270A1
• Filed: 06/17/2013
• Published: 04/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: WOO, Hong-uk, KIM, Hong-soo, HONG, Ran-kyung
• Granted Patent: US 9,992,140 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

An electronic apparatus connected to a server providing real-time messaging through a messaging channel to communicate therewith is provided. The apparatus includes a client communication unit for communicating with the server and at least one external device, the electronic apparatus and the at least one external device forming a client group, and a client controller for classifying the electronic apparatus and the at least one external device in the client group into a header client connected with the messaging channel to the server and a node client, and for controlling the header client to transmit a message about the node client from the server to the node client when the message from the server is transmitted to the header client through the messaging channel.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus connected to a server providing real-time messaging through a messaging channel to communicate therewith, the electronic apparatus comprising:

a client communication unit for communicating with the server and at least one external device, the electronic apparatus and the at least one external device forming a client group; and

a client controller for classifying the electronic apparatus and the at least one external device in the client group into a header client connected with the messaging channel to the server and a node client, and for controlling the header client to transmit a message about the node client from the server to the node client when the message from the server is transmitted to the header client through the messaging channel.

2. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a user input unit,

wherein the client controller selects any one device in the client group selected by the user input unit as the header client.

3. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the client controller collects battery residual value information from each of the electronic apparatus and the at least one external device in the client group, and selects one device in the client group having the highest battery residual value as the header client.

4. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the client controller determines network availability of each of the electronic apparatus and the at least one external device in the client group, and selects one device in the client group as the header client based on frequency in use of a network.

5. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the client controller selects one device in the client group having a record of a header client as the header client.

6. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the message from the server is transmitted from an application server providing an application to the server, and the electronic apparatus or the external device is able to receive the message when the application is installed.

7. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the client controller maintains a messaging channel with the header client and blocks a messaging channel with the node client if the header client is selected while each of the electronic apparatus and the at least one external device in the client group is connected to the server through the messaging channel.

8. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the client controller controls the header client to temporarily store the message in the electronic apparatus when the node client is offline while the header client receives the message about the node client, and controls the header client to transmit the temporarily stored message to the node client when the node client is reconnected.

9. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the client controller selects a new header client when the existing header client in the client group is offline with respect to the server or a new external device in the client group is connected for communication.

10. A server providing real-time messaging to a client through a messaging channel, the server comprising:

a server communication unit for communicating with the client; and

a server controller for controlling a header client to transmit a message about a node client to the node client by transmitting the message to the header client, if the message is received,

wherein at least two clients in a client group are classified into the header client and at least one of the node client, the header client being connected to the server communication unit through the messaging channel.

11. The server of claim 10, wherein the server controller determines the header client in the client group based on information about selection of the header client when the information is received from any one client in the client group.

12. The server of claim 11, wherein the server controller maintains a messaging channel with the header client and blocks a messaging channel with the node client when the header client is identified while the messaging channels with the respective clients in the client group are connected.

13. The server of claim 10, wherein the server communication unit is connected to an application server providing an application, and the server controller transmits the message received from the application server to the header client.

14. A control method of a system providing real-time messaging from a server to a client through a messaging channel, the control method comprising:

setting at least one client group comprising at least two clients from a plurality of clients;

classifying the clients in the client group into a header client connected with the messaging channel to the server and at least one node client other than the header client and selecting the header client;

transmitting a message from the server to the header client through the messaging channel when the message is to be transmitted from the server to the node client; and

transmitting the message received from the server from the header client to the node client.

15. The control method of claim 14, wherein the selecting of the header client comprises selecting any one client in the client group selected by a user as the header client.

16. The control method of claim 14, wherein the selecting of the header client comprises collecting battery residual value information from each of the clients in the client group and selecting one of the clients in the client group having the highest battery residual value of the client group as the header client.

17. The control method of claim 14, wherein the selecting of the header client comprises determining network availability of each of the clients in the client group and selecting one of the clients in the client group as the header client based on frequency in use of a network.

18. The control method of claim 14, wherein the selecting of the header client comprises determining whether the clients in the client group have a record of a header client and selecting one of the clients in the client group having a record of a header client as the header client.

19. The control method of claim 14, wherein the message from the server is transmitted from an application server providing an application to the server, and the clients are able to receive the message when the application is installed.

20. The control method of claim 14, wherein the selecting of the header client comprises:

maintaining a messaging channel with the header client; and

blocking a messaging channel with the node client when the header client is selected while each of the clients in the client group is connected to the server using the messaging channel.

21. The control method of claim 14, wherein the transmitting of the message from the header client to the node client comprises:

temporarily storing the message in the header client when the node client is offline; and

transmitting the temporarily stored message to the node client when the node client is reconnected.

22. The control method of claim 14, wherein the selecting of the header client comprises selecting a new header client when the existing header client in the client group is offline with respect to the server or a new external device in the client group is connected for communication.