TETHERING PROVIDING SYSTEM AND METHOD USING SHORT DISTANCE COMMUNICATION

• US 20150304800A1
• Filed: 08/07/2013
• Published: 10/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SK Planet Co., Ltd. (SK Telecom Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: SK Planet Co., Ltd. (SK Telecom Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Son, Dae Lim, Lee, Eun Bok
• Granted Patent: US 9,402,149 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/24 for communication between two or more posts wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• 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 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0277 according to available power supply, e.g. switching off when a low battery condition is detected
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0293 having a sub-controller with a low clock frequency switching on and off a main controller with a high clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Provided are a tethering providing system and method using short distance communication. More particularly, second short distance communication tethering between a vehicle terminal device and a communication terminal device is set in accordance with whether first short distance communication is established, activated when the vehicle terminal device and the communication terminal device are re-connected through the first short distance communication, and deactivated when the first short distance communication is terminated, thereby providing high-speed data connection through the second short distance communication tethering while reducing battery consumption of the communication terminal device.

Claims

1. A tethering providing system using short distance communication, comprising:

a vehicle terminal device that requests setting of second short distance communication tethering in advance through first short distance communication, and receives, when the second short distance communication tethering is activated through re-connection of the first short distance communication, service connection or service data through the activated second short distance communication tethering;

a communication terminal device that sets the second short distance communication tethering through the first short distance communication with the vehicle terminal device, activates the set second short distance communication tethering when re-connected with the vehicle terminal device through the first short distance communication, and relays service connection or service data through the activated second short distance communication tethering; and

a service providing device that provides service connection or service data to the vehicle terminal device through the relayed communication terminal device.

2. A vehicle terminal device comprising:

a first short distance communication unit that communicates with a communication terminal device through first short distance communication;

a second short distance communication unit that communicates with the communication terminal device through second short distance communication;

a storage unit that stores tethering setting information for setting second short distance communication tethering; and

a control unit that requests setting of the second short distance communication tethering in advance from the communication terminal device through the first short distance communication unit to store the tethering setting information in the storage unit, transmits the stored tethering setting information to the communication terminal device through re-connection of the first short distance communication with the communication terminal device, and receives, when the second short distance communication tethering is activated, service connection or service data through the activated second short distance communication tethering.

3. The vehicle terminal device of claim 2, wherein, when communication with the communication terminal device is terminated and then re-connection with the communication terminal device is established through the first short distance communication unit, the control unit displays communication termination information received from the communication terminal device so as to notify a user of the displayed information, and requests service re-connection in accordance with the communication termination information from the communication terminal device in response to a request of the user.

4. A communication terminal device comprising:

a first short distance communication unit that communicates with a vehicle terminal device through first short distance communication;

a second short distance communication unit that communicates with the vehicle terminal device through second short distance communication;

a communication unit that communicates with a service providing device through a communication network;

a storage unit that stores identification information of the vehicle terminal device and tethering setting information for setting second short distance communication tethering; and

a control unit that sets the second short distance communication tethering with the vehicle terminal device through the first short distance communication unit, activates the set second short distance communication tethering by verifying the identification information of the vehicle terminal device and the tethering setting information when re-connected with the vehicle terminal device through the first short distance communication unit, and relays service connection or service data between the vehicle terminal device and the service providing device through the activated second short distance communication tethering.

5. The communication terminal device of claim 4, wherein, when the second short distance communication tethering with the vehicle terminal device is activated and then first short distance communication with the vehicle terminal device is terminated, the control unit deactivates the activated second short distance communication tethering.

6. The communication terminal device of claim 5, wherein the control unit stores communication termination information about the service connection or service data provided from the service providing device when the activated second short distance communication tethering is deactivated, and transmits the stored communication termination information to the vehicle terminal device when re-connection of the first short distance communication with the vehicle terminal device is established.

7. The communication terminal device of claim 4, wherein, when a plurality of vehicle terminal devices are provided, the control unit allocates a mutually different communication channel of second short distance communication to each of the plurality of vehicle terminal devices, and provides the second short distance communication tethering to the plurality of vehicle terminal devices through the allocated mutually different communication channels.

8. The communication terminal device of claim 4, wherein, when a charge amount of a battery provided in the communication terminal device is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value, the control unit deactivates the activated second short distance communication tethering, and transmits a deactivation notifying message of the second short distance communication tethering to the vehicle terminal device.

9. A tethering providing method comprising:

requesting setting of second short distance communication tethering in advance from a communication terminal device through first short distance communication;

setting the second short distance communication tethering by storing tethering setting information generated by the requesting of the setting;

requesting the second short distance communication tethering by transmitting the stored tethering setting information to the communication terminal device through re-connection of first short distance communication with the communication terminal device; and

receiving, when the second short distance communication tethering is activated in the communication terminal device, service connection or service data through the activated second short distance communication tethering.

10. The tethering providing method of claim 9, further comprising:

terminating communication with the communication terminal device;

establishing re-connection of the first short distance communication with the communication terminal device;

displaying communication termination information received from the communication terminal device so as to notify a user of the displayed information; and

requesting service re-connection in accordance with the communication termination information from the communication terminal device in response to a request of the user.

11. A tethering providing method comprising:

performing connection with a vehicle terminal device through first short distance communication;

setting second short distance communication tethering with the vehicle terminal device through the first short distance communication;

performing re-connection with the vehicle terminal device through the first short distance communication;

activating the set second short distance communication tethering by verifying identification information of the vehicle terminal device and tethering setting information; and

relaying service connection or service data between the vehicle terminal device and the service providing device through the activated second short distance communication tethering.

12. The tethering providing method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining whether the first short distance communication with the vehicle terminal device is terminated after the second short distance communication tethering with the vehicle terminal device is activated; and

deactivating the activated second short distance communication tethering when the first short distance communication with the vehicle terminal device is terminated.

13. The tethering providing method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving and storing communication termination information about the service connection or service data provided from the service providing device when the activated second short distance communication tethering is deactivated;

performing re-connection of the first short distance communication with the vehicle terminal device; and

transmitting the stored communication termination information to the vehicle terminal device.

14. The tethering providing method of claim 11, wherein, when a plurality of vehicle terminal devices are provided, the relaying of the service connection or service data includes allocating a mutually different communication channel of second short distance communication to each of the plurality of vehicle terminal devices, and providing the second short distance communication tethering to the plurality of vehicle terminal devices through the allocated mutually different communication channels.

15. The tethering providing method of claim 11, wherein, when a charge amount of a battery provided in the communication terminal device is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value, the deactivating of the activated second short distance communication tethering includes deactivating the activated second short distance communication tethering, and transmitting a deactivation notifying message of the second short distance communication tethering to the vehicle terminal device.

16. A computer readable recording medium which records a program for executing a method comprising:

requesting setting of second short distance communication tethering in advance from a communication terminal device through first short distance communication;

setting the second short distance communication tethering by storing tethering setting information generated by the requesting of the setting;

requesting the second short distance communication tethering by transmitting the stored tethering setting information to the communication terminal device through re-connection of first short distance communication with the communication terminal device; and

receiving, when the second short distance communication tethering is activated in the communication terminal device, service connection or service data through the activated second short distance communication tethering.

17. A computer readable recording medium which records a program for executing a method comprising:

performing connection with a vehicle terminal device through first short distance communication;

setting second short distance communication tethering with the vehicle terminal device through the first short distance communication;

performing re-connection with the vehicle terminal device through the first short distance communication;

activating the set second short distance communication tethering by verifying identification information of the vehicle terminal device and tethering setting information; and

relaying service connection or service data between the vehicle terminal device and the service providing device through the activated second short distance communication tethering.

18. A computer readable recording medium which records a program for executing a method comprising:

setting second short distance communication tethering in advance by storing tethering setting information through first short distance communication;

performing re-connection through the first short distance communication;

activating the set second short distance communication tethering by verifying the second short distance communication tethering and the stored tethering setting information through re-connection of the first short distance communication; and

receiving service connection or service data by communicating with the service providing device through the activated second short distance communication tethering.