APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ESTABLISHING A NETWORK CONNECTION IN A PORTABLE TERMINAL

• US 20120223132A1
• Filed: 03/02/2012
• Published: 09/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lim, Hun
• Granted Patent: US 8,833,641 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0809 Plug-and-play configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2755 by optical scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/06 including a wireless LAN interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

An apparatus and method for establishing a network connection in a portable terminal. The apparatus includes a controller, an image acquisition unit, and a code image analyzer. The controller establishes a network connection with a peripheral terminal using network information acquired through a code image. The image acquisition unit captures the code image generated by the peripheral terminal. The code image analyzer analyzes the code image acquired by the image acquisition unit and acquires the network information of the peripheral terminal. The code image includes at least any one of network information of the peripheral terminal, code image generation information, and information on an automatic execution program to be automatically executed after code image recognition.

Claims

1. An apparatus configured to establish a network connection in a portable terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a controller configured to establish the network connection with a peripheral terminal using network information acquired through a code image;

an image acquisition unit configured to capture the code image generated by the peripheral terminal; and

a code image analyzer configured to analyze the code image acquired by the image acquisition unit and acquire the network information of the peripheral terminal,

wherein the code image comprises at least any one of network information of the peripheral terminal, code image generation information, and information on an automatic execution program to be automatically executed after code image recognition.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, after or before establishing the network connection with the peripheral terminal using the acquired network information, the controller is configured to automatically execute a program corresponding to the automatic execution program information comprised in the code image, and

the automatic execution program comprises at least any one of a program configured for execution mode change, a program configured for a configuration change, and a program configured to be executed after the network connection is established.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, in a case where the code image comprises a code image generated in a licensed program, the controller is configured to establish the network connection with the peripheral terminal and, in a case where the code image does not comprise the code image generated in the licensed program, the controller is configured to stop a network connection process with the peripheral terminal.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the code image analyzer is configured to acquire at least any one of the kind of a network interface supported in the peripheral terminal, an Internet Protocol (IP) address, a GateWay (GW), a NetMask (NM), a Domain Name System (DNS), an accessed Service Set IDentifier (SSID), a Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) key, the code image generation information, and the automatic execution program information.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image acquisition unit comprises a camera module configured in the portable terminal.

5. An apparatus configured to generate a code image for a network connection in a portable terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a controller configured to, if an automatic connection program for automatically configuring a network with a peripheral terminal is executed, generate and output a code image comprising network information;

an information collector configured to extract the network information of the portable terminal and information on the automatic connection program; and

a code image generator configured to generate the code image that comprises the automatic connection program information and network information extracted by the information collector,

wherein the automatic connection program information comprises at least any one of a name of the automatic connection program and version information.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the code image comprises at least any one of the kind of a network interface supported in the portable terminal, an Internet Protocol (IP) address, a GateWay (GW), a NetMask (NM), a Domain Name System (DNS), an accessed Service Set IDentifier (SSID), a Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) key, code image generation information, and information on an automatic execution program automatically executed after code image recognition, and

wherein the automatic execution program information comprises at least any one of a program configured for execution mode change, a program configured for a configuration change, and a program configured to be executed after network connection, and wherein the automatic execution program information comprises any one of a position of an execution file, a file name, and order of execution.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the code image is a code image of at least any one of a one-dimensional barcode, a two-dimensional barcode (i.e., a Quick Response (QR) code), a character string, a numeral string, and a color code.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein, after outputting the code image, if the network connection is not performed during a predetermined time, the controller is configured to change a format of the generated code image and output the changed code image.

18. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the code image is displayed on a screen of the portable terminal.

9. A method for establishing a network connection in a portable terminal, the method comprising:

if an automatic connection program of automatically configuring a network with a peripheral terminal is executed, enabling an image acquisition unit;

capturing a code image through the enabled image acquisition unit and acquiring network information comprised in the code image; and

establishing the network connection with the peripheral terminal using the acquired network information,

wherein the code image comprises at least any one of the network information of the peripheral terminal, code image generation information, and information on an automatic execution program to be automatically executed after code image recognition.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising, after or before establishing the network connection with the peripheral terminal using the acquired network information, automatically executing a program corresponding to the automatic execution program information comprised in the code image, and

the automatic execution program comprising at least any one of a program for execution mode change, a program for configuration change, and a program executed after the network connection.

11. The method of claim 9, comprising:

after acquiring the network information comprised in the code image, identifying if the code image comprises a code image generated in a licensed program;

in a case where the code image is the code image generated in the licensed program, establishing the network connection with the peripheral terminal; and

in a case where the code image does not comprise the code image generated in the licensed program, stopping a network connection process with the peripheral terminal.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein capturing the code image through the enabled image acquisition unit and acquiring the network information comprised in the code image acquires at least any one of the kind of a network interface supported in the peripheral terminal, an Internet Protocol (IP) address, a GateWay (GW), a NetMask (NM), a Domain Name System (DNS), an accessed Service Set IDentifier (SSID), a Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) key, the code image generation information, and the automatic execution program information.

19. The method of claim 9, wherein the code image is captured using a camera module configured in the portable terminal.

13. A method for generating a code image for network connection in a portable terminal, the method comprising:

if an automatic connection program for automatically configuring a network with a peripheral terminal is executed, extracting the network information of the portable terminal;

extracting information on the automatic connection program; and

generating a code image comprising the extracted automatic connection program information and network information,

wherein the automatic connection program information comprises at least any one of a name of the automatic connection program and version information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the code image comprises at least any one of the kind of a network interface supported in the portable terminal, an Internet Protocol (IP) address, a GateWay (GW), a NetMask (NM), a Domain Name System (DNS), an accessed Service Set IDentifier (SSID), a Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) key, code image generation information, and information on an automatic execution program, and

wherein the automatic execution program information comprises at least any one of a program for execution mode change, a program for configuration change, and a program executed after network connection, and comprises any one of a position of an execution file, a file name, and order of execution.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the code image is a code image of at least any one of formats of a one-dimensional barcode, a two-dimensional barcode (i.e., a Quick Response (QR) code), a character string, a numeral string, and a color code.

16. The method of claim 13, comprising:

after outputting the code image, if the network connection is not performed during a predetermined time, changing a format of the generated code image; and

outputting the changed code image.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the code image is displayed on a screen of the portable terminal.