Apparatus and method for controlling bluetooth in portable terminal

• US 8,204,436 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2007
• Issued: 06/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Bang, Hyo-Sik
• Primary Examiner(s): Yun, Eugene
• Application Number:
  US11/856,554
• Publication Number:
  US 20080070503A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,737 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/419, 455/410, 455/411, 455/412.1, 726/2
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Provided are an apparatus and a method for controlling a Bluetooth in a portable terminal. The method includes receiving a Bluetooth connection request signal; determining whether a current state is a communicable state in which a Bluetooth control message can be received; if it is determined that the current state is the communicable state, determining whether a correct Bluetooth control message has been received and stored; and if it is determined that the correct Bluetooth control message has not been received and stored, establishing a connection of a Bluetooth communication.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a Bluetooth module in a portable terminal, the method comprising:

receiving a Bluetooth connection request signal;

determining whether a correct Bluetooth control message has been received from a remote location and stored;

if it is determined that the correct Bluetooth control message has not been received and stored, establishing a connection of a Bluetooth communication; and

if it is determined that the correct Bluetooth control message has been received and stored;

receiving authentication information from a user,

comparing the received authentication information with a stored control authentication information, and

if the received authentication information is the same as the stored control authentication information, establishing the connection of the Bluetooth communication.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if a received PIN is not the same as a stored PIN, controlling so as not to connect to establish the Bluetooth communication.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if it is determined that the Bluetooth control message has been received, extracting received control authentication information from the Bluetooth control message;

comparing the received control authentication information with stored control authentication information; and

if the received control authentication information is the same as the stored control authentication information, storing the Bluetooth control message as the correct Bluetooth control message.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising if the received control authentication information is the same as the stored control authentication information, generating and transmitting a Bluetooth control completion message as a response message to a remote place which has transmitted the Bluetooth control message.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising if the received control authentication information is not the same as the stored control authentication information, outputting a warning message about a reception of an incorrect Bluetooth control message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the Bluetooth control message comprises an IDentification (ID) number, control information, and a control authentication number of the portable terminal to be controlled.

7. An apparatus for controlling a Bluetooth module in a portable terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a communicator receiving a Bluetooth control message from a remote location;

a memory storing information regarding a registered Bluetooth device and a correct Bluetooth control message;

a Bluetooth unit receiving a Bluetooth connection request signal from the registered Bluetooth device and providing a Bluetooth communication;

a controller controlling so as to establish connection of the Bluetooth communication through the Bluetooth unit if the memory has not stored the correct Bluetooth control message; and

an input unit through which a user enters authentication information,

wherein the memory stores a control authentication information and, if the memory has stored the correct Bluetooth control message, the controller controls a connection to the Bluetooth communication through the Bluetooth unit when receiving authentication information and the received authentication information is the same as the control authentication information stored in the memory.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein if the memory has stored the correct Bluetooth control message, the controller controls so as not to connect to establish the Bluetooth communication.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein if a received PIN is not the same as a stored PIN, the controller controls so as not to connect to the Bluetooth communication.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein:

the controller compares received control authentication information of the Bluetooth control message with the control authentication information stored in the memory if the Bluetooth control message is received through the communicator, and controls such that the Bluetooth control message is stored as the correct Bluetooth control message in the memory if the received control authentication information is the same as the stored control authentication information.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein if the received control authentication information is the same as the stored control authentication information, the controller controls such that a Bluetooth control completion message is generated and transmitted as a response message to the remote location which has transmitted the Bluetooth control message.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a display outputting a warning message about reception of the correct Bluetooth control message, wherein if the received control authentication information is not the same as the stored control authentication information, the controller controls such that the warning message is output to the display.

13. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the Bluetooth control message comprises an ID number, control information, and a control authentication number of the portable terminal to be controlled.

14. An apparatus for controlling a Bluetooth module in a portable terminal, comprising:

means for receiving a Bluetooth connection request signal;

means for determining whether a current state is a communicable state in which a Bluetooth control message can be received;

means for determining whether a correct Bluetooth control message has been received from a remote location and stored;

means for, if the correct Bluetooth control message has not been received and stored, establishing a connection of a Bluetooth communication; and

means for, if the correct Bluetooth control message has been received and stored;

receiving authentication information from a user,

comparing the received authentication information with a stored control authentication information, and

if the received authentication information is the same as the stored control authentication information, establishing the connection of the Bluetooth communication.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

means for receiving the Bluetooth control message;

means for extracting received control authentication information from the Bluetooth control message;

means for comparing the received control authentication information with stored control authentication information; and

means for storing the Bluetooth control message as the correct Bluetooth control message.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for controlling a Bluetooth module in a portable terminal, the computer-readable recording medium comprising:

a first code segment, receiving from a Bluetooth unit a Bluetooth connection request signal;

a second code segment, determining whether a current state is a communicable state in which a Bluetooth control message can be received;

a third code segment, determining whether a correct Bluetooth control message has been received from a remote location and stored;

a fourth code segment, if the correct Bluetooth control message has not been received and stored, establishing a connection of a Bluetooth communication; and

a fifth code segment for, if the correct Bluetooth control message has been received and stored;

receiving authentication information from a user,

comparing the received authentication information with a stored control authentication information, and

if the received authentication information is the same as the stored control authentication information, establishing the connection of the Bluetooth communication.