METHOD FOR CONNECTING WITH EXTERNAL DEVICE AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE THEREOF

• US 20140302799A1
• Filed: 04/03/2014
• Published: 10/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KWON, Ki-Hyun, KOH, Myung-Geun
• Granted Patent: US 9,288,609 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/68
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/02 Manually-operated control H03G3/001 and H03G3/002 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

A method for connecting with an external device and an electronic device thereof are provided. The method includes determining whether an input for increasing a volume is received is determined while the volume of the electronic device is at a maximum value. If the input for increasing the volume is received, an external device is detected, the electronic device connects with the external device, and the external device outputs an output associated with a current function of the electronic device.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an electronic device, the method comprising:

determining whether an input for increasing a volume of the electronic device is received;

if the input for increasing the volume is received, determining an external device to connect with;

connecting with the determined external device; and

outputting an output associated with a current function of the electronic device via the connected external device,

wherein the external device comprises at least one of a mobile communication terminal, a smartphone, a tablet Personal Computer (PC), a digital camera, an MP3 player, a navigation, a laptop computer, a netbook, a computer, a television, a refrigerator, and an air conditioner that supports at least one wireless communication.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the connecting with the determined external device comprises:

determining whether the input for increasing the volume is received while the volume of the electronic device is at a maximum value; and

if the input for increasing the volume is received while the volume of the electronic device is at the maximum value, connecting with the determined external device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining of whether the input for increasing the volume is received while the volume of the electronic device is at a maximum value comprises:

determining whether the input for increasing the volume is input a preset number of times while the volume of the electronic device is at the maximum value.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining of whether the input for increasing the volume is received comprises:

determining whether the input for increasing the volume is maintained for a preset time while the volume of the electronic device is at the maximum value.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the external device to connect with comprises:

detecting an external device not connected with the electronic device or determining the external device detected in advance.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the connecting with the determined external device comprises:

connecting the electronic device with the determined external device via a wireless communication link.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the input for increasing the volume is received, determining whether the electronic device is connected to a wireless communication network; and

if the electronic device is not connected to the wireless communication network, displaying a list representing wireless communication networks that can be connected to by the electronic device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the connecting with the determined external device comprises:

identifying an external device that was previously connected with the electronic device from the determined external devices; and

automatically connecting with the identified external device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if a plurality of determined external devices exist, determining an order of priority of the determined external devices; and

automatically connecting with an external device having a highest priority from the determined external devices via a wireless communication link.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the outputting of the output associated with the current function comprises:

if the output associated with the current function comprises sound, outputting the sound via the connected external device at a preset volume.

11. An electronic device comprising:

a processor;

a touchscreen display;

a communication system; and

a memory,

wherein the processor is configured to determine whether an input for increasing a volume is received, if the input for increasing the volume is received, to determine an external device to connect with, and to output an output associated with a current function of the electronic device via the connected external device, and

wherein the external device comprises at least one of a mobile communication terminal, a smartphone, a tablet Personal Computer (PC), a digital camera, an MP3 player, a navigation, a laptop computer, a netbook, a computer, a television, a refrigerator, and an air conditioner that supports at least one wireless communication.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether an input for increasing the volume is received while the volume of the electronic device is at a maximum value, and when the input for the increasing of the volume is received while the volume of the electronic device is at the maximum value, and to connect with the determined external device.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether the input for increasing the volume is input a preset number of times while the volume of the electronic device is at a maximum value.

14. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether the input for increasing the volume is maintained for a preset time while the volume of the electronic device is at a maximum value.

15. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the control is further configured to detect an external device not connected with the electronic device or determine the external device detected in advance.

16. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to connect the electronic device with the determined external device via a wireless communication link.

17. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to, when the input for increasing the volume is received, determine whether the electronic device is connected to a wireless communication network, and when the electronic device is not connected to the wireless communication network, display a list of kinds of wireless communication networks that can be connected to by the electronic device.

18. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to identify an external device that was previously connected with the electronic device from the determined external devices, and automatically connect with the identified external device via a wireless communication link.

19. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to, when a plurality of determined external devices exist, determine an order of priority of the determined external devices, and then automatically connects with an external device having a priority from the determined external devices via a wireless communication link.

20. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to, if the output associated with the current function comprises sound, output the sound via the connected external device at a preset volume.