METHOD AND DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING USE OF EXTERNAL DATA NETWORK VIA MOBILE ACCESS POINT

• US 20140274021A1
• Filed: 03/05/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: JANG, Keum-Ju, HWANG, Sun-Min, LEE, Ju-Seung, PARK, Su-Young
• Granted Patent: US 9,642,001 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1435 volume-based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/145 trading network capacity or selecting route based on tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/39 Arrangements for preventing metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/888 severing connection after predetermined time or data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• 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 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/30 Connection release
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points

Abstract

A method and a device for controlling external data network use via a mobile Access Point (AP) are provided. A host device set as the mobile AP determines whether a data-less mode is set, blocks a client device from using the external data network via the mobile AP, if the data-less mode is set, and permits the client device to use the external data network via the mobile AP, if the data-less mode is released. A client device connected to a mobile AP determines whether a data-less mode is set for a host device set as the mobile AP, if the client device is connected to the host device in a state of being connected to a wireless data network, maintains the connection to the wireless data network, if the data-less mode is set, and releases the connection to the wireless data network, if the data-less mode is released.

Claims

1. A method for controlling external data network use of a client device via a mobile Access Point (AP) by a host device set as the mobile AP, the method comprising:

determining whether a data-less mode is set;

blocking the client device from using the external data network via the mobile AP, if the data-less mode is set; and

permitting the client device to use the external data network via the mobile AP, if the data-less mode is released.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data-less mode is set and released depending on at least one of each client device and each data sharing application.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if an allowed usage is set for each client device:

releasing the data-less mode for a client device whose external data network usage is less than the allowed usage; and

setting the data-less mode for a client device whose external data network usage has reached the allowed usage.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if an allowed usage is set for each data sharing application:

releasing the data-less mode for a client device in which an external data network usage of a data sharing application is less than the allowed usage; and

setting the data-less mode for a client device in which the external data network usage of the data sharing application has reached the allowed usage.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

releasing the data-less mode upon connection to a fixed AP when the data-less mode is set; and

setting the data-less mode upon release of the connection to the fixed AP.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

notifying the client device of whether the data-less mode is set.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a setting state of the data-less mode through a mobile AP indicator.

8. A method for controlling external data network use via a mobile Access Point (AP) by a client device connected to the mobile AP, the method comprising:

determining whether a data-less mode is set for a host device set as the mobile AP, if the client device is connected to the host device in a state of being connected to a wireless data network;

maintaining the connection to the wireless data network if the data-less mode is set; and

releasing the connection to the wireless data network if the data-less mode is released.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining of whether the data-less mode is set comprises:

performing a ping operation with respect to a particular web page via the mobile AP; and

determining whether the data-less mode is set for the host device, based on whether a response is received to the ping operation.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the performing of the ping operation comprises performing the ping operation by using a Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) address of the particular web page,

wherein the particular web page is one of a web page which the client device has accessed most recently, a web page which the client device visits most frequently, and a web page set as a home page.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining of whether the data-less mode is set comprises:

performing the ping operation with respect to a preset external network server via the mobile AP; and

determining whether the data-less mode is set for the host device, based on whether a response is received to the ping operation.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining of whether the data-less mode is set comprises:

determining reception of notification from the host device of whether the data-less mode is set; and

determining whether the data-less mode is set for the host device based on the notification.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

displaying a setting state of the data-less mode through a mobile AP indicator.

14. A method for controlling external data network use via a mobile Access Point (AP) by a client device of the mobile AP, the method comprising:

determining whether a current operation mode is a data sharing application mode, if the client device is connected to a host device set as the mobile AP in a state of being connected to a wireless data network;

maintaining the connection to the wireless data network, if the current operation mode is the data sharing application mode; and

releasing the connection to the wireless data network, if the current operation mode is not the data sharing application mode.

15. A method for controlling external data network use via a mobile Access Point (AP) by a client device connected to the mobile AP, the method comprising:

determining whether a current operation mode is a data sharing application mode, if the client device is connected to a host device set as the mobile AP in a state of being connected to a wireless data network;

determining whether a data-less mode is set for the host device, if the current operation mode is the data sharing application mode;

maintaining the connection to the wireless data network, if the data-less mode is set; and

releasing the connection to the wireless data network, either if the current operation mode is not the data sharing application mode or if the data-less mode is released.

16. A host device set as a mobile Access Point (AP), the host device comprising:

a wireless short-range communication unit for forming a mobile AP network with a client device based on a wireless short-range communication;

a wireless communication unit for performing wireless data communication with a wireless data network, which is an external data network with respect to the mobile AP network; and

a controller for blocking the client device from using the wireless data network, if a data-less mode is set, and for permitting the client device to use the wireless data network, if the data-less mode is released.

17. The host device of claim 16, wherein the data-less mode is set and released depending on at least one of each client device and each data sharing application.

18. The host device of claim 16, wherein, if an allowed usage is set for each client device, the controller releases the data-less mode for a client device whose external data network usage is less than the allowed usage, and sets the data-less mode for a client device whose external data network usage has reached the allowed usage.

19. The host device of claim 16, wherein, if an allowed usage is set for each data sharing application, the controller releases the data-less mode for a client device in which an external data network usage of a data sharing application is less than the allowed usage, and sets the data-less mode for a client device in which the external data network usage of the data sharing application has reached the allowed usage.

20. The host device of claim 16, further comprising:

a wireless short-range communication unit connected to a fixed AP through the wireless short-range communication,

wherein, if the data-less mode is set, the controller releases the data-less mode upon connection to a fixed AP and sets the data-less mode upon release of the connection to the fixed AP.

21. The host device of claim 16, wherein the controller notifies the client device of whether the data-less mode is set.

22. The host device of claim 16, further comprising:

a display for displaying a setting state of the data-less mode through a mobile AP indicator indicating an operation state of the mobile AP under control of the controller.

23. A client device connected to a mobile Access Point (AP), the client device comprising:

a wireless short-range communication unit for forming a mobile AP network with a host device set as the mobile AP based on a wireless short-range communication;

a wireless communication unit for performing a wireless data communication with a wireless data network; and

a controller for determining whether a data-less mode is set for the host device, if the client device is connected to the host device in a state of being connected to the wireless data network, for maintaining the connection to the wireless data network, if the data-less mode is set, and for releasing the connection to the wireless data network, if the data-less mode is released.

24. The client device of claim 23, wherein the controller performs a ping operation with respect to a particular web page via the mobile AP, and determines whether the data-less mode is set for the host device, based on whether a response is received to the ping operation.

25. The client device of claim 24, wherein the controller performs the ping operation by using a Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) address of the particular web page,

wherein the particular web page is one of a web page which the client device has accessed most recently, a web page which the client device visits most frequently, and a web page set as a home page.

26. The client device of claim 23, wherein the controller performs the ping operation with respect to a preset external network server via the mobile AP, and determines whether the data-less mode is set for the host device, based on whether a response is received to the ping operation.

27. The client device of claim 23, wherein the controller is notified by the host device of whether the data-less mode is set, and determines whether the data-less mode is set for the host device based on the notification.

28. The client device of claim 23, further comprising:

a display for displaying a setting state of the data-less mode through a mobile AP indicator indicating an operation state of the mobile AP.

29. A client device of a mobile Access Point (AP), the client device comprising:

a wireless short-range communication unit for forming a mobile AP network with a host device set as the mobile AP based on a wireless short-range communication;

a wireless communication unit for performing a wireless data communication with a wireless data network; and

a controller for determining whether a current operation mode is a data sharing application mode, if the client device is connected to a host device set as the mobile AP in a state of being connected to a wireless data network, for maintaining the connection to the wireless data network, if the current operation mode is the data sharing application mode, and for releasing the connection to the wireless data network, if the current operation mode is not the data sharing application mode.

30. A client device connected to a mobile Access Point (AP), the client device comprising:

a wireless short-range communication unit for forming a mobile AP network with a host device set as the mobile AP based on a wireless short-range communication;

a wireless communication unit for performing a wireless data communication with a wireless data network; and

a controller for determining whether a current operation mode is a data sharing application mode, if the client device is connected to a host device set as the mobile AP in a state of being connected to a wireless data network, for determining whether a data-less mode is set for the host device, if the current operation mode is the data sharing application mode, for maintaining the connection to the wireless data network, if the data-less mode is set, and for releasing the connection to the wireless data network, either if the current operation mode is not the data sharing application mode or if the data-less mode is released.