Method and apparatus for controlling connection between devices

• US 9,781,101 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2011
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Keum-koo, Choo, Hee-jeong, Sung, Ju-yun
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Chirag R
• Application Number:
  US13/298,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20120203919A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,147 Days
• Field of Search: 709227-229, 4554561-4566, 726 2- 12
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling connection between devices includes detecting a first device, determining whether the first device is included in a device list, obtaining information related to the first device from a second device, and establishing a connection with the first device based on the information from the second device.

Claims

1. A method of controlling connection between electronic devices, the method comprising:

detecting a first device;

determining whether the first device is included in a device list;

when the first device is not included in the device list, requesting a second device for authentication information related to the first device;

obtaining the authentication information related to the first device from the second device, the second device storing the authentication information related to the first device; and

establishing a connection with the first device based on the authentication information related to the first device from the second device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the first device comprises:

detecting an existence of the first device within a sensing proximity; and

receiving identification information of the first device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein obtaining the authentication information related to the first device from the second device comprises:

transmitting the identification information of the first device to the second device; and

obtaining the authentication information of the first device from the second device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the identification information of the first device comprises at least one of a Media Access Control (MAC) address, a name, and a model type of the first device.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the authentication information of the first device comprises at least one of a combination of numbers designated by a user of the first device, a pattern input, and biological information of the user of the first device.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein obtaining the authentication information of the first device from the second device comprises selectively obtaining the authentication information of the first device according to a selection level of the second device.

7. A method of controlling connection between devices, the method comprising:

detecting an external device;

determining whether the external device is included in a device list;

when the external device is not included in the device list, obtaining authentication information of the external device from a second device, the second device storing the authentication information of the external device; and

establishing a connection with the external device based on the obtained authentication information of the external device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein detecting the external device comprises:

detecting an existence of the external device within a sensing proximity; and

receiving identification information of the external device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the identification information of the external device comprises at least one of a Media Access Control (MAC) address, a name, and a model type of the external device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the authentication information of the external device comprises at least one of a combination of numbers designated by a user of the external device, a pattern input, and biological information of the user of the external device.

11. An apparatus for controlling connection between devices, the apparatus comprising:

a storage unit for storing a device list;

a communication unit for detecting a first device; and

a control unit for determining whether the first device is included in the device list, when the first device is not included in the device list, requesting a second device for authentication information related to the first device, obtaining the authentication information related to the first device from the second device via the communication unit, the second device storing the authentication information related to the first device, and establishing a connection with the first device based on the authentication information related to the first device obtained from the second device.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the communication unit detects an existence of the first device within a sensing proximity, and receives identification information of the first device.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the communication unit transmits the identification information of the first device to the second device, and obtains the authentication information of the first device from the second device.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the identification information of the first device comprises at least one of a Media Access Control (MAC) address, a name, and a model type of the first device.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the authentication information of the first device comprises at least one of a combination of numbers designated by a user of the first device, a pattern input, and biological information of the user of the first device.

16. An apparatus for controlling connection between devices, the apparatus comprising:

a storage unit for storing a device list;

a communication unit for detecting an external device; and

a control unit for determining whether the external device is included in the device list, when the external device is not included in the device list, obtaining authentication information of the external device from a second device via the communication unit, the second device storing the authentication information of the external device, and establishing a connection with the external device based on the obtained authentication information of the external device.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the communication unit detects an existence of the external device within a sensing proximity, and receives identification information of the external device.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the identification information of the external device comprises at least one of a Media Access Control (MAC) address, a name, and a model type of the external device.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the authentication information of the external device comprises at least one of a combination of numbers designated by a user of the external device, a pattern input, and biological information of the user of the external device.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing a method of controlling connection between devices, the method comprising:

detecting a first device;

determining whether the first device is included in a device list;

when the first device is not included in the device list, requesting a second device for authentication information related to the first device;

obtaining the authentication information related to the first device from the second device, the second device storing the authentication information related to the first device; and

establishing a connection with the first device based on the authentication information related to the first device from the second device.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing a method of controlling connection between devices, the method comprising:

detecting an external device;

determining whether the external device is included in a device list;

when the external device is not included in the device list, obtaining authentication information of the external device from a second device, the second device storing the authentication information of the external device; and

establishing a connection with the external device based on the obtained authentication information of the external device.