Electronic device and operating method using bluetooth

• US 9,826,566 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2016
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Sung-Geun
• Primary Examiner(s): Yun, Eugene
• Application Number:
  US15/367,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20170086245A1
• Time in Patent Office: 354 Days
• Field of Search: 455 411, 455 412
• 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 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A Bluetooth pairing method in an electronic device is provided. The method includes detecting a change of a switching state of a switch of the electronic device, selecting a Bluetooth Device (BD) address according to the changed switching state among a plurality of stored BD addresses, and applying the selected BD address to a Bluetooth pairing. The method can facilitate Bluetooth pairing to selectable types of host devices.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a Bluetooth communication unit;

a switching unit; and

a processor configured to control the Bluetooth communication unit to;

establish a Bluetooth communication with a first external device by using a Bluetooth address of the first external device;

transmit a signal which is generated from the electronic device to the first external device via the established Bluetooth communication;

establish a Bluetooth communication with a second external device by using a Bluetooth address of the second external device, if the second external device is selected by the switching unit; and

transmit a signal which is generated from the electronic device to the second external device via the established Bluetooth communication,

wherein the Bluetooth addresses of the first external device and the second external device are storable in the electronic device, and wherein the electronic device comprises at least one visual output unit to indicate which one of the first external device and the second external device that the electronic device has established Bluetooth communication.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the Bluetooth communication unit drops the Bluetooth communication with the first external device, if the second external device is selected by the switching unit.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a body, wherein the body includes a mark indicating to select at least one of the first external device and second external device, and wherein the mark is printed on at least one region related with the switching unit.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the switch unit comprises a toggle switch or a slide bar.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a memory, and wherein the memory stores the Bluetooth addresses of the first external device and the second external device.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the stored Bluetooth addresses of the first external device and the second external device in the memory are maintained when the first external device and the second external device are turned off or the electronic device is out of a range of the Bluetooth communication.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a keyboard.

8. An electronic device comprising:

a Bluetooth communication unit;

a switching unit; and

a processor configured to control the Bluetooth communication unit to;

establish a Bluetooth communication with a first external device by using a Bluetooth address of the first external device;

transmit a signal which is generated from the electronic device to the first external device via the established Bluetooth communication;

establish a Bluetooth communication with a second external device by using a Bluetooth address of the second external device, if the second external device is selected by the switching unit; and

transmit a signal which is generated from the electronic device to the second external device via the established Bluetooth communication,

wherein the Bluetooth addresses of the first external device and the second external device are storable in the electronic device, and wherein the electronic device comprises at least one output unit to indicate, responsive to the selection of the switching unit, which one of the first external device and the second external device that the electronic device is to establish a Bluetooth communication.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the electronic device comprises a memory, and wherein the memory stores the Bluetooth addresses of the first external device and the second external device.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the stored Bluetooth addresses of the first external device and the second external device in the memory are maintained when the first external device and the second external device are turned off or the electronic device is out of a range of the Bluetooth communication.

11. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the electronic device comprises a body, wherein the body includes a mark indicating to select at least one of the first external device and second external device, and wherein the mark is printed on at least one region related with the switching unit.