METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PEER-TO-PEER CONNECTION USING WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORK (LAN) IN MOBILE COMMUNICATION TERMINAL

• US 20150009981A1
• Filed: 09/25/2014
• Published: 01/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: CHOI, Jong-Mu, HAN, Jeong-Hoon
• Granted Patent: US 10,708,750 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1061 using node-based peer discovery mechanisms static access to replicated servers H04L67/1006; service discovery H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for Peer-to-Peer (P2P) connection using a wireless Local Area Network (LAN) in a mobile communication terminal are provided. The method includes detecting a P2P connection attempt of a new terminal not connected to P2P communication, during P2P communication with at least one terminal, determining whether the mobile communication terminal operates as a slave terminal or a group owner in the P2P connection, and when the mobile communication terminal operates as the slave terminal, transmitting a signal indicating that the P2P connection attempt of the new terminal is detected, to a terminal operating as the group owner in the P2P connection.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, at a first device during a first connection with a second device, an attempt by a third device for a second connection; and

when the first device does not operate as a host device in the first connection;

transmitting to a device operating as the host device a signal indicating that the attempt is detected;

re-determining the first device as the host device in at least the first connection; and

establishing the second connection with the third device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the device operating as the host device comprises the second device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first connection and the second connection comprises a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) connection using a wireless Local Area Network (LAN).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting comprises receiving a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) discovery signal of the third device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the host device in the first connection comprises a group owner in the first connection.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising exchanging packets with the device operating as the host device or the third device through at least one of the first connection or the second connection.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when the first device operates as the host device, establishing the second connection with the third device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the first device operates as the host device, determining whether the signal indicating that the attempt is detected is received from a device operating as a slave device in the first connection; and

when receiving the signal from the device operating as the slave device, transmitting to the device operating as the slave device a signal indicating that the third device is detected, based at least in part on a determination that an identifier (ID) included in the signal received from the device operating as the slave device is identical to an ID of the third device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising, when the ID of the third device included in the received signal and the ID of the third device detected by the first device are not identical, transmitting a signal indicating that the host device can be re-determined to the device operating as the slave device.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a controller configured to;

detect a second connection attempt of a third device, during communication with a second device using a first connection;

re-determine the apparatus as the host device in at least the first connection; and

establish the second connection with the third device; and

a communication module configured to transmit to a device operating as a host device a signal indicating that the attempt is detected.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the host device is re-determined to receive signals of the at least one the second device and the third device.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the device operating as the host device comprises the second device.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller exchanges packets with at least one of the second device and the third device connected to at least one of the first connection and the second connection.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the communication module receives a signal indicating that the second connection attempt of the third device is detected, from the second device operating as the host device in the first connection.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein, when the apparatus operates as the host device, the communication module performs a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) connection procedure with the third device under the control of the controller.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein, the controller, when the apparatus as the host device determines whether a signal indicating that the second connection attempt of the third device is detected is received from the second device operating as the slave device in the first connection and when receiving the signal indicating that the second connection attempt of the third device is detected, examines whether an IDentifier (ID) of the third device included in the received signal is identical to an ID of the third device by the apparatus, and

wherein, when the ID of the third device included in the received signal and the ID of the third device detected by the apparatus are identical, the communication module transmits a signal indicating that the third device is detected, to the second device operating as the slave device.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein, when the ID of the third device included in the received signal and the ID of the third device detected by the apparatus are not identical, the communication module transmits to a group owner delegable signal to the second device operating as the slave device.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller receives a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) discovery signal of the third device.

19. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein, the controller, when the apparatus operates as the host device, establish the second connection with the third device.

20. A non-transitory machine-readable storage device storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

detecting, at a first device during a first connection with a second device, an attempt by a third device for a second connection; and

when the first device does not operate as a host device in the first connection;

transmitting to a device operating as the host device a signal indicating that the attempt is detected;

re-determining the first device as the host device in at least the first connection; and

establishing the second connection with the third device.