Method and apparatus for establishing wireless local area network link between portable terminals

• US 9,241,369 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2013
• Issued: 01/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jung, Jae-hoon, Kim, Young-ri, Kim, Jae-hwan, Hahm, Seong-il, Kim, Hyeong-seok
• Primary Examiner(s): ROSE, KERRI M
• Application Number:
  US13/740,414
• Publication Number:
  US 20130182695A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A method of connecting a plurality of portable terminal over a wireless local area network (WLAN), the method including: a user selecting at least one contact from a contact list displayed on a screen of a first portable terminal, transmitting, from the first portable terminal to an external server over a cellular network, connection information necessary for establishing a WLAN link to the first portable terminal; pushing the connection information from the external server to a second portable terminal corresponding to the selected contact; a user pressing a connection authentication button on a selection menu displayed on the second portable terminal, and establishing the WLAN link to the first portable terminal from the second portable terminal by using the connection information.

Claims

1. A method for a first portable terminal to communicate with a second portable terminal, the method comprising:

displaying a contact list on a screen of the first portable terminal;

the first portable terminal receiving a user input indicating a selection of at least one contact from the contact list;

the first portable terminal transmitting, over a mobile communication network to the second portable terminal, connection information necessary for the second portable terminal to establish a wireless local area network (WLAN) link with the first portable terminal;

the first portable terminal receiving a WLAN connection request from the second portable terminal through a WLAN interface; and

the first portable terminal establishing the WLAN link to the second portable terminal in response to the connection request;

wherein a mode of the WLAN link is determined based on a type of an executed application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection information comprises a service set identifier of the WLAN, a channel number, and a security key.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining mode information corresponding to one of an ad hoc mode and an infrastructure mode,

wherein the connection information comprises the determined mode information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the establishing of the WLAN link comprises:

establishing the WLAN link according to the mode information; and

wherein, if the mode information is the infrastructure mode, the first portable terminal serves as an access point (AP), and the second portable terminal serves as a non-AP station.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing an application that displays the contact list,

wherein the connection information comprises an identifier of an application corresponding to the executed application.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the identifier of the application corresponds to an application of the second portable terminal capable of executing contents transmitted by the first portable terminal.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting contents from the first portable terminal to the second portable terminal by using the established WLAN link.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting the connection information comprises:

transferring the connection information to the second portable terminal over an external server according to a push mechanism.

9. A method for a second portable terminal to communicate with a first portable terminal, the method comprising:

the second portable terminal receiving, in a push mechanism from an external server, connection information necessary for the second portable terminal to communicate with the first portable terminal over a wireless local area network (WLAN);

displaying a selection menu for establishing a WLAN link to the first portable terminal on a screen of the second portable terminal;

the second portable terminal receiving, through the displayed selection menu, an input indicating a request for a connection to the first portable terminal; and

in response to the input, establishing the WLAN link to the first portable terminal through a WLAN interface by using the connection information;

wherein a mode of the WLAN link is determined based on a type of an executed application.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the connection information comprises a service set identifier SSID of the WLAN, a channel number, and a security key.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the connection information comprises mode information corresponding to one of an ad hoc mode and an infrastructure mode,

wherein the establishing the WLAN link is performed based on the mode information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, if the mode information is the infrastructure mode, the first portable terminal serves as an access point (AP), and the second portable terminal serves as a non-AP station.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

executing an application corresponding to an identifier of an application included in the connection information.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the establishing the WLAN link comprises:

if a WLAN function of the second portable terminal is idle, activating the WLAN function.

15. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing a method for a first portable terminal to communicate with a second portable terminal, the method comprising:

displaying a contact list on a screen of the first portable terminal;

the first portable terminal receiving a user input indicating a selection of at least one contact from the contact list;

the first portable terminal transmitting, over a mobile communication network to the second portable terminal, connection information necessary for the second portable terminal to establish a wireless local area network (WLAN) link with the first portable terminal;

the first portable terminal receiving a WLAN connection request from the second portable terminal through a WLAN interface; and

the first portable terminal establishing the WLAN link to the second portable terminal in response to the connection request;

wherein a mode of the WLAN link is determined based on a type of an executed application.

16. A portable terminal device comprising:

a memory which stores at least one program; and

a processor which executes the at least one program in such a way that a first portable terminal and a second portable terminal establish a WLAN link therebetween,

wherein the at least one program comprises instructions for;

displaying a contact list on a screen of the first portable terminal;

the first portable terminal receiving a user input indicating a selection of at least one contact from the contact list;

the first portable terminal transmitting, over a mobile communication network to the second portable terminal, connection information necessary for the second portable terminal to establish a wireless local area network (WLAN) link with the first portable terminal;

the first portable terminal receiving a WLAN connection request from the second portable terminal through a WLAN interface; and

the first portable terminal establishing the WLAN link to the second portable terminal in response to the connection request;

wherein a mode of the WLAN link is determined based on a type of an executed application.

17. The portable terminal device of claim 16, wherein the connection information comprises service set identifier of the WLAN, a channel number, and a security key.

18. The portable terminal device of claim 16, wherein the at least one program further comprises:

instructions for determining mode information corresponding to one of an ad hoc mode and an infrastructure mode,

wherein the connection information comprises the determined mode information.

19. The portable terminal device of claim 18, wherein the establishing of WLAN link comprises:

establishing the WLAN link according to the mode information; and

wherein, if the mode information is the infrastructure mode, the first portable terminal serves as an access point (AP), and the second portable terminal serves as a non-AP station.

20. The portable terminal device of claim 16, wherein the at least one program further comprises:

instructions for executing an application that displays the contact list,

wherein the connection information comprises an identifier of an application corresponding to the executed application.

21. The portable terminal device of claim 20, wherein the identifier of the application corresponds to an application of the second portable terminal capable of executing contents transmitted by the first portable terminal.

22. A portable terminal device comprising:

a memory which stores at least one program; and

a processor which executes the at least one program in such a way that the portable terminal, which is a first portable terminal, and a second portable terminal establish a WLAN link therebetween,

wherein the at least one program comprises instructions for;

the portable terminal device receiving, in a push mechanism from an external server, connection information necessary for the portable terminal device to communicate with another portable terminal device over a wireless local area network (WLAN);

displaying a selection menu for establishing a WLAN link to the another portable terminal device on a screen of the portable terminal device;

the portable terminal receiving, through the displayed selection menu, an input indicating a request for a connection to the another portable terminal device; and

in response to the input, establishing the WLAN link to the another portable terminal device through a WLAN interface by using the connection information;

wherein a mode of the WLAN link is determined based on a type of an executed execution.

23. The portable terminal device of claim 22, wherein the connection information comprises mode information corresponding to one of an ad hoc mode and an infrastructure mode,

wherein the establishing the WLAN link is performed based on the mode information.

24. The portable terminal device of claim 23, wherein, if the mode information is the infrastructure mode, the another portable terminal device serves as an access point (AP), and the portable terminal device serves as a non-AP station.

25. The portable terminal device of claim 22, wherein the at least one program further comprises:

instructions for executing an application corresponding to an identifier of an application included in the connection information.

26. The portable terminal device of claim 22, wherein the at least one program further comprises:

instructions for, if a WLAN function of the portable terminal device is idle, activating the WLAN function.

27. A method for a server to communicate with a plurality of portable terminals over a mobile communication network, the method comprising:

the server transmitting, to a first portable terminal, contact information registered in connection with the first portable terminal;

the server receiving, from the first portable terminal, at least one contact selected from the contact information and connection information necessary for establishing a wireless local area network (WLAN) link to the first portable terminal; and

the server transmitting the connection information to a second portable terminal corresponding to the selected at least one contact according to a push mechanism;

wherein a mode of the WLAN link is determined based on a type of an executed application.