Method of searching for device between electronic devices

• US 9,516,489 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2015
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kang, Min Gu, Bang, Hye Jung, Kim, Su Hyun
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hai V
• Application Number:
  US14/627,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20150245194A1
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

A method of searching for an electronic device between electronic devices is provided. The method includes advertising, by a first electronic device, a request signal, receiving, by the first electronic device, a response signal from a second electronic device having received the request signal, updating, by the first electronic device, the request signal to include identification information identifying at least part of the second electronic device, advertising, by the first electronic device, the updated request signal, and receiving, by the first electronic device, the response signal from the at least part of the second electronic device.

Claims

1. A method of searching for an electronic device, the method comprising:

advertising, by a first electronic device, a request signal;

receiving, by the first electronic device, a response signal from a second electronic device having received the request signal;

updating, by the first electronic device, the request signal to include identification information identifying at least part of the second electronic device;

advertising, by the first electronic device, the updated request signal; and

receiving, by the first electronic device, a response signal from the remaining second electronic device except for the at least part of the second electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the updating of the request signal comprises:

determining, by the first electronic device, the at least part of the second electronic device based on an intensity of the received response signal; and

updating, by the first electronic device, the request signal to include the identification information identifying the at least part of the second electronic device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining of the at least part of the second electronic device further comprises determining, by the first electronic device, as the at least part of the second electronic device, an electronic device transmitting the response signal of more than a predetermined reference intensity.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining of the at least part of the second electronic device further comprises determining, by the first electronic device, a predetermined number in the second electronic device as the at least part of the second electronic device.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining of the at least part of the second electronic device further comprises determining, by the first electronic device, a predetermined ratio in the second electronic device as the at least part of the second electronic device.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the intensity of the response signal is determined by the first electronic device based on a number or an amount of packets received for a predetermined time.

7. The method of claim 1,

wherein the request signal comprises at least one field of reception rejection, transmission stop or transmission resetting, and

wherein the at least one field is configured to store identification information identifying the at least part of the second electronic device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, advertising, by the first electronic device, a function execution signal for a specific second electronic device based on a reception result of the response signal.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed through short range wireless communication including Bluetooth low energy (BLE).

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the response signal comprises identification information identifying the second electronic device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the identification information corresponds to information identifying an electronic device such as a media access control (MAC) address or an identification (ID) of the second electronic device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertising of the request signal includes advertising the request signal to a plurality of unspecified electronic devices within a specific range of the first electronic device.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having a program for controlling an operation of an electronic device recorded thereon, the program causing the electronic device to execute the method of claim 1.

14. A method of searching for an electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving, by a second electronic device, a request signal from a first electronic device;

advertising, by the second electronic device, a response signal including identification information;

receiving, by the second electronic device, an updated request signal from the first electronic device;

checking, by the second electronic device, whether identification information identifying the second electronic device is included in the updated request signal; and

when the identification information identifying the second electronic device is not included in the updated request signal, advertising, by the second electronic device, a response signal.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising, when the identification information identifying the second electronic device is included in the updated request signal, advertising, by the second electronic device, a response signal after a preset time or a time included in the updated request signal.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising, when the identification information identifying the second electronic device is included in the updated request signal, advertising, by the second electronic device, a response signal with a preset transmission power or a transmission power less than that of the updated request signal.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising, when the identification information identifying the second electronic device is included in the updated request signal, stopping, by the second electronic device, a response signal from being advertised.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising, when the identification information identifying the second electronic device is included in the updated request signal, advertising, by the second electronic device, a response signal at a preset period or a period included in the updated request signal.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising, when the identification information identifying the second electronic device is included in the updated request signal, advertising, by the second electronic device, a response signal as the first electronic device receives an additional request signal.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the identification information corresponds to information identifying an electronic device such as a media access control (MAC) address or an identification (ID) of the second electronic device.

21. The method according to claim 14, wherein the device searching method is performed through short range wireless communication including Bluetooth low energy (BLE).

22. An electronic device for searching for a device, the electronic device comprising:

a communication interface; and

a processor,

wherein the communication interface is configured to;

advertise a request signal, and

receive a response signal from another electronic device having received the request signal,

wherein the processor is configured to update the request signal to include identification information identifying at least part of the other electronic device, and

wherein the communication interface is further configured to;

advertise the updated request signal, and

receive a response signal from the remaining second electronic device except for the at least part of the other electronic device.