Electronic apparatus, server, and control method of system

• US 9,992,140 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2013
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Woo, Hong-uk, Hong, Ran-kyung, Kim, Hong-soo
• Primary Examiner(s): Gillis, Brian J
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOREAU, AUSTIN J
• Application Number:
  US13/919,150
• Publication Number:
  US 20140101270A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,814 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

An electronic apparatus connected to a server providing real-time messaging through a messaging channel to communicate therewith is provided. The apparatus includes a client communication unit for communicating with the server and at least one external device, the electronic apparatus and the at least one external device forming a client group, and a client controller for classifying the electronic apparatus and the at least one external device in the client group into a header client connected with the messaging channel to the server and a node client, and for controlling the header client to transmit a message about the node client from the server to the node client when the message from the server is transmitted to the header client through the messaging channel.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus connected to a server providing real-time messaging through a messaging channel and to at least one other electronic apparatus, the electronic apparatus comprising:

a client transceiver configured to communicate with the server and the at least one other electronic apparatus, wherein the electronic apparatus and the at least one other electronic apparatus form a client group;

a client processor; and

a client memory storing instructions, which when executed by the client processor, cause the client processor to;

recognize the electronic apparatus either as a header client or as a node client through communication within the client group including the at least one other electronic apparatus, wherein one electronic apparatus among the client group broadcasts a message indicating a start of a process of selecting the header client to other electronic apparatuses among the client group, receiving unique information from the other electronic apparatuses, and selecting the electronic apparatus as the header client based on the unique information,

select one of the electronic apparatus and the at least one other electronic apparatus as the header client based on one of a frequency in use of a network or whether one of the electronic apparatus and the at least one other electronic apparatus has a record of the header client,

in response to the electronic apparatus being recognized as the header client,

establish a push channel with the server,

transmit role information indicating that the electronic apparatus is the header client and the at least one other electronic apparatus is the at least one node client to the server,

receive cluster identification information from the server which assigns the cluster identification information indicating that the electronic apparatus and the at least one other electronic apparatus are clustered within the client group, and

control the client transceiver to transmit a message destined to the at least one node client to the at least one node client when the message is received from the server, the at least one node client being clustered with the header client within the client group indicated by the cluster identification information, and

in response to the electronic apparatus being recognized as the node client, while a push channel is not established between the node client and the server, receive from a header client, which is selected from among the client group, a message destined to the electronic apparatus,

wherein the client processor temporarily stores the message in the header client when the node client is offline while the header client receives the message about the node client, and controls the header client to transmit the temporarily stored message to the node client when the node client is reconnected.

2. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a user input interface,

wherein the client processor is further configured to select the electronic apparatus as the header client by the user input interface.

3. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the client processor is further configured to:

collect battery residual value information from each of the electronic apparatus and the at least one other electronic apparatus in the client group, and

select one of the electronic apparatus and the at least one other electronic apparatus in the client group having the highest battery residual value as the header client.

4. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the client processor is further configured to:

determine network availability of each of the electronic apparatus and the at least one other electronic apparatus in the client group.

5. The electronic apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the message from the server is transmitted from an application server providing an application to the server, and

wherein the electronic apparatus or the at least one other electronic apparatus is able to receive the message when the application is installed.

6. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the client processor is further configured to:

maintain a messaging channel with the header client, and

block a messaging channel with the node client if the header client is selected while each of the electronic apparatus and the at least one other electronic apparatus in the client group is connected to the server through the messaging channel.

7. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the client processor is further configured to select a new header client when the existing header client in the client group is offline with respect to the server or a new external electronic apparatus in the client group is connected for communication.

8. A server providing real-time messaging to a client group through a messaging channel, the client group comprising an electronic apparatus and at least one other electronic apparatus, the server comprising:

a server transceiver configured to communicate with the client group through the messaging channel;

a server processor; and

a server memory storing instructions which when executed by the server processor cause the server processor to;

receive information indicating that the electronic apparatus is a header client and the at least one other electronic apparatus is at least one node client among the client group,

establish a push channel with the header client,

transmit cluster identification information indicating that the electronic apparatus and the at least one other electronic apparatus are clustered within the client group,

control the server transceiver to transmit a message to the header client through the message channel, and

when the message is destined for the at least one node client, use the cluster identification information and transmit the message to the header client for distribution to the at least one node client,

wherein one electronic apparatus among the client group, other than the header client, broadcasts a message indicating a start of a process of selecting the header client to other electronic apparatuses among the client group, receiving unique information from the other electronic apparatuses, and selecting the electronic apparatus as the header client based on the unique information,

wherein the message is temporarily stored in the header client when the node client is offline while the header client receives the message about the node client, and the temporarily stored message is transmitted from the header client to the node client when the node client is reconnected, and

wherein one of the electronic apparatus and the at least one other electronic apparatus is selected as the header client based on one of a frequency in use of a network or whether one of the electronic apparatus and the at least one other electronic apparatus has a record of the header client.

9. The server of claim 8, wherein the server processor is further configured to receive information indicating that the header client in the client group is determined among the client group based on a user selection of the header client.

10. The server of claim 9, wherein the server processor is further configured to maintain a messaging channel with the header client and blocks a messaging channel with the node client when the header client is identified while the messaging channel with the node client is connected.

11. The server of claim 8,

wherein the server transceiver is connected to an application server providing an application, and

wherein the server processor is further configured to control the server transceiver to transmit the message received from the application server to the header client.

12. A control method of a system providing real-time messaging from a server to a client group through a messaging channel, the client group comprising an electronic apparatus and at least one other electronic apparatus, the control method comprising:

recognizing, by the electronic apparatus, that the electronic apparatus is a header client or a node client through communications among the client group including the at least one other electronic apparatus, wherein one apparatus among the client group broadcasts a message indicating a start of a process of selecting the header client to other apparatuses among the client group, receiving unique information from the other apparatuses, and selecting the electronic apparatus as the header client based on the unique information;

selecting one of the electronic apparatus and the at least one other electronic apparatus as the header client based on one of a frequency in use of a network or whether one of the electronic apparatus and the at least one other electronic apparatus has a record of the header client;

transmitting, by the electronic apparatus, information indicating that the electronic apparatus is the header client and the at least one other electronic apparatus is the at least one node client to the server;

transmitting, by the server, cluster identification information indicating that the electronic apparatus and the at least one other electronic apparatus are clustered within the client group;

establishing a push channel between the server and the header client;

using, by the server, when a message is destined for the at least one node client, the cluster identification information;

transmitting, by the server, the message to the header client through the messaging channel; and

distributing, by the header client, the message received from the server to the at least one node client within the client group,

wherein the header client temporarily stores the message in the header client when the node client is offline while the header client receives the message about the node client, and controls the header client to transmit the temporarily stored message to the node client when the node client is reconnected.

13. The control method of claim 12, wherein the determining of the header client comprises selecting, by one of the electronic apparatus and the at least one other electronic apparatus, the header client by a user input from the header client.

14. The control method of claim 12, wherein the determining of the header client comprises collecting, by one of the electronic apparatus and the at least one other electronic apparatus, battery residual value information from each client in the client group and selecting a client in the client group having the highest battery residual value of the client group as the header client.

15. The control method of claim 12, wherein the determining of the header client comprises determining, by one of the electronic apparatus and the at least one other electronic apparatus, network availability of each client in the client group.

16. The control method of claim 12, wherein the message from the server is transmitted from an application server providing an application to the server, and the clients are able to receive the message when the application is installed.

17. The control method of claim 12, wherein the determining of the header client comprises:

maintaining the messaging channel with the header client; and

blocking the messaging channel with the node client.

18. The control method of claim 12, wherein the determining of the header client comprises selecting, by one of the electronic apparatus and the at least one other electronic apparatus, a new header client when the existing header client in the client group is offline with respect to the server.

19. An electronic apparatus connected to a server providing real-time messaging through a messaging channel and to at least one other electronic apparatus, the electronic apparatus comprising:

a client transceiver configured to communicate with the server and the at least one other electronic apparatus, wherein the electronic apparatus and the at least one other electronic apparatus form a client group;

a client processor; and

a client memory storing instructions, which when executed by the client processor, cause the client processor to;

recognize the electronic apparatus either as a header client or as a node client through communication within the client group including the at least one other electronic apparatus, wherein one electronic apparatus among the client group broadcasts a message indicating a start of a process of selecting the header client to other electronic apparatuses among the client group, receiving unique information from the other electronic apparatuses, and selecting the electronic apparatus as the header client based on the unique information,

select one of the electronic apparatus and the at least one other electronic apparatus as the header client based on one of a frequency in use of a network or whether one of the electronic apparatus and the at least one other electronic apparatus has a record of the header client,

in response to the electronic apparatus being recognized as the header client;

establish a push channel with the server,

transmit role information indicating that the electronic apparatus is the header client and the at least one other electronic apparatus is the at least one node client to the server,

receive cluster identification information from the server which assigns the cluster identification information indicating that the electronic apparatus and the at least one other electronic apparatus are clustered within the client group, and

control the client transceiver to transmit a message destined to the at least one node client to the at least one node client when the message is received from the server, the at least one node client being clustered with the header client within the client group indicated by the cluster identification information,

wherein the client processor temporarily stores the message in the header client when the node client is offline while the header client receives the message about the node client, and controls the header client to transmit the temporarily stored message to the node client when the node client is reconnected.