Communication control method, electronic device, and storage medium

• US 9,900,921 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2015
• Issued: 02/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Hong, Moon-Ki, Park, Woo-Jin, Park, Min-Ji, Youn, So-Young
• Primary Examiner(s): Lam, Yee
• Application Number:
  US14/815,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20160044728A1
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• 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 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• 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 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A method of controlling communication of an electronic device is provided. The method includes detecting a first peripheral device through a first communication module of the electronic device, which supports a first communication type, acquiring group information on a group of peripheral devices, to which the first peripheral device belongs, based on first identification information of the first peripheral device, and detecting a second peripheral device belonging to the group through a second communication module of the electronic device, which supports a second communication type, based on the group information.

Claims

1. A method of controlling communication of an electronic device, the method comprising:

in response to wirelessly searching for at least one peripheral device by using a first communicator of the electronic device, detecting, by a processor of the electronic device, a first peripheral device through the first communicator, which supports a first communication type;

acquiring group information on peripheral devices in a group, to which the first peripheral device belongs, among at least two groups registered in the electronic device, based on first identification information of the first peripheral device;

detecting a second peripheral device belonging to the group through a second communicator, of the electronic device, which supports a second communication type, based on the group information;

establishing a first communication connection with the first peripheral device through the first communicator;

establishing a second communication connection with the second peripheral device through the second communicator;

detecting a release of the first communication connection through the first communicator after the establishing of the first communication connection and the second communication connection; and

deactivating the second communicator or releasing the second communication connection through the second communicator according to the release of the first communication connection.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the group information comprises the first identification information and second identification information of the second peripheral device, and

wherein the detecting of the second peripheral device comprises:

searching for at least one peripheral device through the second communicator, and

identifying, as the second peripheral device, a peripheral device having the second identification information from among the searched at least one peripheral device.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein the group information comprises:

the first identification information,

first device type information associated with the first peripheral device,

second identification information of the second peripheral device, and

second device type information associated with the second peripheral device, and

wherein the detecting of the second peripheral device comprises;

searching for at least one peripheral device through the second communicator, and

identifying, as the second peripheral device, a peripheral device having the second device type information from among the searched at least one peripheral device, when the peripheral device having the second identification information from among the searched at least one peripheral device does not exist.

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

activating the second communicator based on the group information, and

searching for at least one peripheral device through the activated second communicator.

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

changing a first search period of the second communicator for searching for peripheral devices to a second search period that is shorter than the first search period, and

searching for at least one peripheral device according to the second search period through the second communicator.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying search states of the peripheral devices in the group; and

detecting a selection of at least one of the peripheral devices in the group.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

deactivating a third communicator of the electronic device, which supports a third communication type, based on the group information.

8. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first communicator comprises one of a Bluetooth communicator, a communicator supporting an IEEE 802.11 standard, a Zigbee communicator, and a near field communication (NFC) communicator, and

wherein the second communicator comprises another of the Bluetooth communicator, the communicator supporting the IEEE 802.11 standard, the Zigbee communicator, and the NFC communicator.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

in response to wirelessly searching for at least one peripheral device by using a first communicator of an electronic device, detecting, by a processor of the electronic device, a first peripheral device through the first communicator, which supports a first communication type;

acquiring group information on peripheral devices in a group, to which the first peripheral device belongs, among at least two groups registered in the electronic device, based on first identification information of the first peripheral device;

detecting a second peripheral device belonging to the group through a second communicator, of the electronic device, which supports a second communication type, based on the group information;

establishing a first communication connection with the first peripheral device through the first communicator;

establishing a second communication connection with the second peripheral device through the second communicator;

detecting a release of the first communication connection through the first communicator after the establishing of the first communication connection and the second communication connection; and

deactivating the second communicator or releasing the second communication connection through the second communicator according to the release of the first communication connection.

10. An electronic device comprising:

a first communicator configured to support a first communication type;

a second communicator configured to support a second communication type; and

a processor configured to;

in response to wirelessly searching for at least one peripheral device by using a first communicator of the electronic device, detect a first peripheral device through the first communicator,

acquire group information on peripheral devices in a group, to which the first peripheral device belongs, among at least two groups registered in the electronic device, based on first identification information of the first peripheral device,

detect a second peripheral device belonging to the group through the second communicator based on the group information,

establish a first communication connection with the first peripheral device through the first communicator,

establish a second communication connection with the second peripheral device through the second communicator,

detect a release of the first communication connection through the first communicator after the establishing of the first communication connection and the second communication connection, and

deactivate the second communicator or release the second communication connection through the second communicator according to the release of the first communication connection.

11. The electronic device of claim 10,

wherein the group information comprises the first identification information and second identification information of the second peripheral device, and

wherein the processor is further configured to:

search for at least one peripheral device through the second communicator, and

identify, as the second peripheral device, a peripheral device having the second identification information from among the searched at least one peripheral device.

12. The electronic device of claim 10,

wherein the group information comprises:

the first identification information,

first device type information associated with the first peripheral device,

second identification information of the second peripheral device, and

second device type information associated with the second peripheral device, and

wherein the processor is further configured to;

search for at least one peripheral device through the second communicator, and

identify, as the second peripheral device, a peripheral device having the second device type information from among the searched at least one peripheral device, when the peripheral device having the second device type information from among the searched at least one peripheral device does not exist.

13. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

activate the second communicator based on the group information, and

search for at least one peripheral device through the activated second communicator.

14. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

change a first search period of the second communicator for searching for peripheral devices to a second search period that is shorter than the first search period, and

search for at least one peripheral device according to the second search period through the second communicator.

15. The electronic device of claim 10, further comprising:

a display,

wherein the processor is further configured to display search states of the peripheral devices in the group through the display.

16. The electronic device of claim 10, further comprising:

a display,

wherein the processor is further configured to;

display search states of the peripheral devices in the group through the display, and

detect a selection of at least one of the peripheral devices in the group.

17. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

deactivate a third communicator of the electronic device, which supports a third communication type, based on the group information.