Method and apparatus for connecting wireless network in a digital device

• US 9,794,964 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2015
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Hahm, Seong-Il, Park, Woo-Jin, Kang, Woo-Shik, Shim, Seung-Seop, Lee, Jin-Wook, Yoon, Eung-Sik
• Primary Examiner(s): Morlan, Robert M
• Application Number:
  US14/861,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20160014823A1
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5058 Service discovery by the service manager
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for automatically connecting a wireless Local Area Network (LAN) between digital devices and executing an application program based on the wireless LAN, and more particularly, an apparatus and a method for generating device information indicating attributes in a digital device and obtaining attributes of a peripheral device by analyzing device information of the peripheral device. The apparatus includes a device information generation part configured to generate device information including information about attributes by analyzing the attributes of the digital device. The apparatus also includes a device recognition part configured, when receiving device information of a peripheral device, to obtain attribute information of a device corresponding to the received device information. The apparatus further includes a controller configured to control to transmit the device information generated by the device information generation part, to the peripheral device.

Claims

1. An apparatus in a digital device to connect to a wireless network, the apparatus comprising:

a communication unit configured to receive device information from at least one peripheral device, wherein the device information comprises information about attributes of each of the at least one peripheral devices; and

a controller configured to;

determine a threshold used to determine a proximity of the peripheral device using the received device information,

measure a receive signal strength of the peripheral device,

control the communication unit to establish a connection with the peripheral device if the measured receive signal strength is greater than the threshold, and

output information requesting to move close to the peripheral device if the measured receive signal strength is less than or equal to the threshold.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to generate digital device information associated with the digital device and control a transmission of the generated digital device information to the at least one peripheral device, and wherein the generated digital device information is used to determine information about attributes of the digital device by the at least one peripheral device.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to transmit the digital device information to the at least one peripheral device by adding the digital device information to a management frame.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the threshold using the received device information.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to connect to the at least one peripheral device by prioritizing a peripheral device according to a priority of a service provided by the peripheral device using analyzed device information.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to connect to the at least one peripheral device by prioritizing the peripheral device as a function of a number of devices connected to the peripheral device using the analyzed device information.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device information comprises at least one of a device type, a reference distance, a reference signal strength, a number of connected devices, a year of production, or device model information.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to output information requesting to move close to the peripheral device by displaying, to a user, a message requesting to move to a reference distance of the digital device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to filter a list of peripheral devices available for connection based on a user input selection.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein controller is configured to obtain attribute information of the digital device, store the obtained attribute information, and provide information for the request using pre-stored attribute information after detecting an information request for a particular device.

11. A method used by a digital device to connect to a wireless network, the method comprising:

receiving device information from at least one peripheral device, wherein the device information comprises information about attributes of each of the at least one peripheral devices; and

determining a threshold used to determine a proximity of the peripheral device using the received device information,

measuring a receive signal strength of the peripheral device,

controlling a communication unit to establish a connection with the peripheral device if the measured receive signal strength is greater than the threshold, and

outputting information requesting to move close to the peripheral device if the measured receive signal strength is less than or equal to the threshold.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating digital device information associated with the digital device; and

controlling a transmission of the generated digital device information to the at least one peripheral device, wherein the generated digital device information is used to determine information about attributes of the digital device by the at least one peripheral device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein transmitting the digital device information to the peripheral device comprises:

adding the digital device information to a management frame.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

adjusting the threshold using the received device information.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein establishing a connection with the peripheral device comprises:

connecting to the at least one peripheral device by prioritizing a peripheral device according to a priority of a service provided by the peripheral device using analyzed device information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein establishing a connection with the peripheral device comprises:

connecting to the at least one peripheral device by prioritizing the peripheral device as a function of a number of devices connected to the peripheral device using the analyzed device information.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the device information comprises at least one of a device type, a reference distance, a reference signal strength, a number of connected devices, a year of production, or device model information.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein outputting information requesting to move close to the peripheral device comprises:

displaying, to a user, a message requesting to move to a reference distance of the digital device.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

filtering a list of peripheral devices available for connection based on a user input selection.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

after obtaining attribute information of the device, storing the obtained attribute information; and

after detecting an information request for a particular device, providing information for the request using pre-stored attribute information.