Communication method and device

• US 9,769,686 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2014
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kang, Hyuk, Lee, Geun-ho, Lee, Sang-hyup
• Primary Examiner(s): WEST, LEWIS G
• Application Number:
  US14/277,868
• Publication Number:
  US 20140342670A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,223 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2755 by optical scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• 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 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data

Abstract

A communication method used by a first device that communicates with a second device is provided. The method includes detecting an occurrence of a predetermined event related to a device scan, scanning the second device that provides identifier information and capability information, establishing a first communication link with the scanned second device by using a first communication method, determining a second communication method for communicating data with the second device via the first communication link, and establishing a second communication link with the second device by using the determined second communication method.

Claims

1. A communication method used by a first device that communicates with a second device, the method comprising:

detecting an occurrence of a predetermined event related to a device scan;

scanning the second device that provides identifier information and capability information through a plurality of communication methods based on the occurrence of the predetermined event;

establishing a first communication link with the scanned second device by using a first communication method from among the plurality of communication methods;

determining a second communication method for communicating data with the second device via the first communication link; and

establishing a second communication link with the second device by using the determined second communication method.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting of the occurrence of the predetermined event comprises:

detecting at least one of an event of unlocking a lock screen, an event of executing a preset application, and an event of selecting a preset button.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, in the detecting of the occurrence of the predetermined event, the predetermined event is detected based on at least one of magnetic field information obtained through a magnetic sensor, color information obtained through a Red, Green, Blue (RGB) sensor, and sound information obtained through a microphone.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting of the second device comprises:

switching a communication unit in an inactive state to an active state based on the occurrence of the predetermined event; and

receiving from the second device the identifier information and the capability information through the communication unit that is switched to the active state.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the detecting of the second device comprises:

switching a plurality of communication units in an inactive state to an active state based on the occurrence of the predetermined event; and

receiving from the second device the identifier information and the capability information through the plurality of communication units that are switched to the active state.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishing of the first communication link comprises:

determining the first communication method from among the plurality of communication methods based on at least one of power consumption amount information and latency information; and

transmitting at least one of the identifier information, the capability information, and information about a preferred communication method to the second device through the determined first communication method.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the second communication method comprises:

selecting the second communication method based on the capability information received from the second device; and

transmitting a connection request or a negotiation request regarding the selected second communication method to the second device via the first communication link.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the selecting of the second communication method comprises:

receiving from the second device at least one of information about a state of the second device and information about a preferred communication method; and

selecting the second communication method by considering at least one of the information about a state of the second device and the information about a preferred communication method.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting data to the second device via the second communication link; and

determining at least one of whether to terminate the second communication link, and whether to maintain the first communication link, when the data transmission is completed.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a request for establishing the terminated second communication link from the second device via the first communication link; and

reestablishing the second communication link in response to the request.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an occurrence of an error in the second communication link; and

re-determining the second communication method for communicating data with the second device via the first communication link.

12. The method of claim 1,

wherein the plurality of communication methods comprise at least two of a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication method, an ANT+ communication method, a Near Field Communication (NFC) method, a sound communication method, a ZigBee communication method, a two-dimensional barcode method, and a touch code communication method,

wherein the first communication method comprises at least one of the BLE communication method, the ANT+ communication method, the NFC method, the sound communication method, and the ZigBee communication method, and

wherein the second communication method comprises at least one of a Bluetooth communication method, a Wi-Fi communication method, a UWB communication method, and a mobile communication network.

13. A computer readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing the method of claim 1.

14. A first device comprising:

a sensing unit configured to detect an occurrence of a predetermined event related to a device scan;

a communication unit configured to scan a second device that that provides identifier information and capability information through a plurality of communication methods based on the occurrence of the predetermined event; and

a control unit configured to;

establish a first communication link with the scanned second device by using a first communication method among the plurality of communication methods,

determine a second communication method for communicating data with the second device, via the first communication link, and

establish a second communication link with the second device by using the determined second communication method.

15. The first device of claim 14, wherein the control unit is further configured to determine the first communication method among the plurality of communication methods based on at least one of power consumption amount information and latency information.

16. The first device of claim 14,

wherein the control unit is further configured to select the second communication method based on the capability information received from the second device, and

wherein the communication unit is further configured to transmit a connection request or a negotiation request regarding the selected second communication method to the second device via the first communication link.

17. The first device of claim 14,

wherein the communication unit is further configured to transmit data to the second device via the second communication link, and

wherein the control unit is further configured to determine at least one of whether to terminate the second communication link, and whether to maintain the first communication link, when the data transmission is completed.

18. The first device of claim 14, wherein the control unit is further configured to:

detect occurrence of an error in the second communication link, and

re-determine the second communication method for communicating data with the second device via the first communication link.

19. A method of operating an electronic apparatus, the method comprising:

monitoring at least one of physical states outside the electronic apparatus, which is performed by the electronic apparatus, via at least one of a microphone, an optical sensor, and a geomagnetic sensor;

determining whether a monitored physical state satisfies a selected condition, which is performed by the electronic apparatus;

switching at least one communication unit of communication units to an active state based on at least a part of the physical state satisfying the selected condition, which is performed by the electronic apparatus; and

discovering, by using the switched at least one communication unit to the active state, other electronic apparatuses outside the electronic apparatus.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the determining of whether a monitored physical state satisfies a selected condition comprises:

determining whether a value indicating the monitored physical state is greater than or equal to or exceeds a threshold.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the determining of whether a monitored physical state satisfies a selected condition comprises:

determining whether a state in which a value indicating the monitored physical state is greater than or equal to or exceeds a threshold is maintained for more than a selected time.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein, in the discovering of other electronic apparatuses outside the electronic apparatus, a first communication module using a first communication method is used.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the first communication method comprises at least one of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Ant+, sound, Near Field Communication (NFC), and Zigbee.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

after the discovering other electronic apparatuses outside the electronic apparatus, establishing a communication link by using a second communication module using a second communication method, which is performed by the electronic apparatus.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the second communication method comprises at least one of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ultra WideBand (UWB), and mobile communication.

26. An electronic apparatus comprising:

at least one sensor;

at least one antenna; and

at least one processor,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to;

monitor at least one of physical states outside the electronic apparatus via the sensor,

determine whether a monitored physical state satisfies a selected condition,

switch at least one communication unit of communication units to an active state based on at least a part of the physical state satisfying the selected condition, and

discover, by using the switched at least one communication unit to the active state, other electronic apparatuses outside the electronic apparatus.

27. A communication method for communication between a first device and a second device, the method comprising:

scanning, upon detection of a predetermined event, for at least one of identifier information and capability information being provided by the second device via a plurality of communication technologies;

establishing a first communication link with the scanned second device by using a first communication technology from among the plurality of communication technologies;

determining a common communication technology by which data is to be communicated between the first device and the scanned second device as a second communication technology; and

establishing a second communication link with the scanned second device by using the second communication technology.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the predetermined event is based on at least one of user input from the user of the first device, and automatic detection of the second device within proximity of the first device.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the scanning for the at least one of the identifier and the capability information provided by the second device comprises:

sequentially activating one of the plurality of communication technologies,

scanning for the at least one of the identifier and the capability information, and

deactivating the one of the plurality of communication technologies, until the earlier of the at least one of the identifier and the capability information is received and all of the plurality of communication technologies have been activated, used for scanning, and deactivated.