Electronic device for transmitting pairing support signal and method for operation thereof

Abstract

An electronic device according to various embodiments comprises an input device, a communication circuit, and at least one processor operatively connected to the input device and the communication circuit, wherein the at least one processor may be configured to receive user input for pairing support for at least one of a first earbud and a second earbud through the input device, receive an inquiry packet from an external electronic device through the communication circuit by performing an inquiry scan operation in response to the user input, and transmit an inquiry response packet containing device information of at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud to the external electronic device through the communication circuit in response to the reception of the inquiry packet.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an electronic device that transmits a pairing support signal and a method of operating the same. Background Technology

[0002] Bluetooth communication technology can provide a short-range wireless communication technology that enables electronic devices to connect with each other for the exchange of data or information. Bluetooth communication technology may include Bluetooth legacy (or Bluetooth classic) communication technology or Bluetooth low energy (BLE) communication technology, and may have various connection topologies such as piconets or scatternets.

[0003] Recently, electronic devices utilizing Bluetooth communication technology are widely used. In particular, a pair of earbuds that can be worn on each of a user's ears are widely used as ear-wearable devices. Ear-wearable devices can provide various functions. For example, an ear-wearable device may include a microphone to identify the user's voice and thereby transmit data regarding the user's voice to an electronic device (e.g., a smartphone). Additionally, an ear-wearable device may include a speaker to output audio data received from an electronic device (e.g., a smartphone) through the speaker.

[0004] The wearable device may include a master earbud (e.g., a right earbud) and a slave earbud (e.g., a left earbud) that can be connected to an electronic device (e.g., a smartphone). The master earbud can transmit voice data to the electronic device through a connection with the electronic device, and the electronic device can transmit audio data (or audio content) to the master earbud. The master earbud can transmit audio data (or audio content) received from the electronic device via wireless communication to the slave earbud and can output the audio data through a speaker. The slave earbud can be synchronized with the master earbud and output audio data received from the master earbud or the electronic device through a speaker.

[0005] The master earbud and the slave earbud (hereinafter referred to as "earbuds") may be connected to an electronic device based on Bluetooth communication to perform the above operations. To this end, the earbuds may perform a pairing operation including an inquiry and / or inquiry scan operation, or a BLE advertising and / or BLE scan operation.

[0006] The Inquiry operation may refer to the initial operation of a connection that repeatedly transmits Inquiry packets until a response is received from the target device or a time-out occurs. The Inquiry Scan operation may refer to the operation of monitoring the reception of Inquiry packets on a specified physical channel. Upon receiving an Inquiry packet through the Inquiry Scan operation, the earbud may transmit an Inquiry Response packet containing its own information.

[0007] BLE advertising operation may refer to the operation of periodically broadcasting advertising packets on an advertising physical channel, and BLE scanning operation may refer to the operation of monitoring the reception of advertising packets. The problem to be solved

[0008] Since Bluetooth electronic devices such as earbuds must perform various operations using limited resources, they can be configured to assign priorities to each operation and, in cases where two or more operations must be performed simultaneously, to process the operation with the highest priority first or not perform the operation with the lowest priority.

[0009] For example, when the earbuds first operate, the master earbud and slave earbud may first perform a pairing operation to interconnect, and the pairing operation for the earbuds to connect with an electronic device may be delayed due to a lower priority.

[0010] For example, while the earbuds are connected to an electronic device (e.g., a smartphone), the inquiry scan operation may not occur frequently unless the user intends to; furthermore, to prevent issues regarding earbud scheduling efficiency, battery life, and communication security, the inquiry scan operation may not be performed while the earbuds are connected to an electronic device. Therefore, if a user wishes to connect the earbuds to an external electronic device other than the one currently in use (e.g., a smartphone), the user must stop the action being performed on the earbuds and control the earbuds to enter pairing mode (e.g., inquiry scan mode or BLE advertising scan mode).

[0011] As another example, in order to put the earbuds into pairing mode, the user must control the earbuds to enter pairing mode by using a specific physical user interface of the earbuds (e.g., a button on the earbuds) while the earbuds are placed in a cradle device or worn on the user's body. If the earbuds are currently connected to an electronic device, the user must use a specific physical user interface (e.g., a Bluetooth control app on the electronic device or a button on the earbuds) to disconnect from the currently connected electronic device and then put the earbuds into pairing mode.

[0012] These conventional methods involve the hassle of imprinting a new user experience (UX) on the user and can be confused with other tasks that previously operated on the same user interface. Therefore, there is a need for technology that can intuitively and quickly allow earbuds to enter pairing mode. means of solving the problem

[0013] An electronic device according to various embodiments comprises an input device, a communication circuit, and at least one processor operatively connected to the input device and the communication circuit, wherein the at least one processor may be configured to receive user input for pairing support for at least one of a first earbud and a second earbud through the input device, receive an inquiry packet from an external electronic device through the communication circuit by performing an inquiry scan operation in response to the user input, and transmit an inquiry response packet containing device information of at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud to the external electronic device through the communication circuit in response to the reception of the inquiry packet.

[0014] A method of operation of an electronic device according to various embodiments may include receiving a user input for supporting pairing for at least one of a first earbud and a second earbud, receiving an inquiry packet from an external electronic device by performing an inquiry scan operation in response to the user input, and transmitting an inquiry response packet containing device information of at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud to the external electronic device in response to the reception of the inquiry packet.

[0015] An electronic device according to various embodiments comprises an input device, a communication circuit, and at least one processor operatively connected to the input device and the communication circuit, wherein the at least one processor may be configured to receive user input for pairing support for at least one of a first earbud and a second earbud through the input device, and in response to the user input, transmit a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) advertising packet containing device information of at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud through the communication circuit.

[0016] A method of operation of an electronic device according to various embodiments may include receiving a user input for supporting pairing for at least one of a first earbud and a second earbud, and transmitting a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) advertising packet containing device information of at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud in response to the user input. Effects of the invention

[0017] According to various embodiments, an electronic device capable of storing a pair of wireless earbuds can facilitate user convenience by transmitting a pairing support signal containing device information of the wireless earbuds on behalf of the wireless earbuds in response to user input, thereby pairing the wireless earbuds with an external electronic device without user actions such as removing or wearing the wireless earbuds from the electronic device. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0018] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device in a network environment according to various embodiments. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating examples of connection between a user terminal and a wearable device according to various embodiments. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a pair of earbuds and an electronic device according to various embodiments. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a first earbud according to various embodiments. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an electronic device capable of storing a first earbud and a second earbud according to various embodiments. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the pairing support operation by an electronic device according to various embodiments. FIGS. 7a and 7b are flowcharts illustrating the operation of transmitting a pairing support signal in an electronic device according to various embodiments. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of acquiring device information according to various embodiments. FIGS. 9a, 9b, and 9c are drawings illustrating examples of how a first earbud and a second earbud are connected to an electronic device according to various embodiments. FIG. 10 shows an example of a flowchart illustrating a procedure for performing a pairing support operation according to various embodiments. FIG. 11 is a signal flow diagram for explaining the inquiry scan operation of an electronic device according to various embodiments. FIG. 12 is a timing diagram for explaining the inquiry scan operation of an electronic device according to various embodiments. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the format of a frequency hopping sequence (FHS) packet according to various embodiments. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating the format of an EIR (extended inquiry response) packet according to various embodiments. FIG. 15 shows another example of a flowchart illustrating a procedure for performing a pairing support operation according to various embodiments. FIG. 16 is a signal flow diagram for explaining the BLE advertising operation of an electronic device according to various embodiments. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0019] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device (101) in a network environment (100) according to various embodiments.

[0020] Referring to FIG. 1, in a network environment (100), an electronic device (101) may communicate with an electronic device (102) through a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network) or with an electronic device (104) or a server (108) through a second network (199) (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may communicate with the electronic device (104) through a server (108). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a processor (120), memory (130), input module (150), sound output module (155), display module (160), audio module (170), sensor module (176), interface (177), connection terminal (178), haptic module (179), camera module (180), power management module (188), battery (189), communication module (190), subscriber identification module (196), or antenna module (197). In some embodiments, at least one of these components (e.g., connection terminal (178)) may be omitted from the electronic device (101), or one or more other components may be added. In some embodiments, some of these components (e.g., sensor module (176), camera module (180), or antenna module (197)) may be integrated into a single component (e.g., display module (160)).

[0021] The processor (120) can control at least one other component (e.g., hardware or software component) of the electronic device (101) connected to the processor (120) by executing software (e.g., program (140)), for example, and can perform various data processing or operations. According to one embodiment, as at least part of the data processing or operations, the processor (120) can store commands or data received from other components (e.g., sensor module (176) or communication module (190)) in volatile memory (132), process the commands or data stored in volatile memory (132), and store the resulting data in non-volatile memory (134). According to one embodiment, the processor (120) may include a main processor (121) (e.g., central processing unit or application processor) or an auxiliary processor (123) that can operate independently or together with it (e.g., graphics processing unit, neural processing unit (NPU), image signal processor, sensor hub processor, or communication processor). For example, if the electronic device (101) includes a main processor (121) and an auxiliary processor (123), the auxiliary processor (123) may be configured to use lower power than the main processor (121) or to be specialized for a designated function. The auxiliary processor (123) may be implemented separately from the main processor (121) or as part thereof.

[0022] The auxiliary processor (123) may control at least some of the functions or states associated with at least one component of the electronic device (101) (e.g., display module (160), sensor module (176), or communication module (190)) on behalf of the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, or together with the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an active (e.g., application execution) state. According to one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., image signal processor or communication processor) may be implemented as part of another functionally related component (e.g., camera module (180) or communication module (190)). According to one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., neural network processing unit) may include a hardware structure specialized for processing an artificial intelligence model. The artificial intelligence model may be generated through machine learning. Such learning may be performed, for example, on the electronic device (101) itself where the artificial intelligence is performed, or through a separate server (e.g., server (108)). The learning algorithm may include, for example, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or reinforcement learning, but is not limited to the examples described above. The artificial intelligence model may include a plurality of artificial neural network layers.An artificial neural network may be a deep neural network (DNN), a convolutional neural network (CNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), a restricted Boltzmann machine (RBM), a deep belief network (DBN), a bidirectional recurrent deep neural network (BRDNN), a deep Q-network, or a combination of two or more of the above, but is not limited to the examples described above. In addition to the hardware structure, the artificial intelligence model may include a software structure, either additionally or substantially.

[0023] The memory (130) can store various data used by at least one component of the electronic device (101) (e.g., processor (120) or sensor module (176)). The data may include, for example, input data or output data for software (e.g., program (140)) and related commands. The memory (130) may include volatile memory (132) or non-volatile memory (134).

[0024] The program (140) may be stored as software in memory (130) and may include, for example, an operating system (142), middleware (144), or an application (146).

[0025] The input module (150) can receive commands or data to be used for a component of the electronic device (101) (e.g., processor (120)) from outside the electronic device (101) (e.g., user). The input module (150) may include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard, a key (e.g., a button), or a digital pen (e.g., a stylus pen).

[0026] The sound output module (155) can output a sound signal to the outside of the electronic device (101). The sound output module (155) may include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker may be used for general purposes, such as multimedia playback or recording playback. The receiver may be used to receive incoming calls. According to one embodiment, the receiver may be implemented separately from the speaker or as part thereof.

[0027] The display module (160) can visually provide information to an external (e.g., user) of the electronic device (101). The display module (160) may include, for example, a display, a holographic device, or a projector and a control circuit for controlling said device. According to one embodiment, the display module (160) may include a touch sensor configured to detect a touch, or a pressure sensor configured to measure the intensity of the force generated by said touch.

[0028] The audio module (170) can convert sound into an electrical signal or, conversely, convert an electrical signal into sound. According to one embodiment, the audio module (170) can acquire sound through the input module (150) or output sound through the sound output module (155) or an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)) (e.g., speaker or headphones) connected directly or wirelessly to the electronic device (101).

[0029] The sensor module (176) can detect the operating state of the electronic device (101) (e.g., power or temperature) or the external environmental state (e.g., user state) and generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the detected state. According to one embodiment, the sensor module (176) may include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an accelerometer sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an IR (infrared) sensor, a biosensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

[0030] The interface (177) may support one or more specified protocols that can be used for the electronic device (101) to be connected directly or wirelessly to an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)). According to one embodiment, the interface (177) may include, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, an SD card interface, or an audio interface.

[0031] The connection terminal (178) may include a connector through which the electronic device (101) can be physically connected to an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)). According to one embodiment, the connection terminal (178) may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).

[0032] The haptic module (179) can convert an electrical signal into a mechanical stimulus (e.g., vibration or movement) or an electrical stimulus that the user can perceive through tactile or kinesthetic senses. According to one embodiment, the haptic module (179) may include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electric stimulation device.

[0033] The camera module (180) can capture still images and video. According to one embodiment, the camera module (180) may include one or more lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.

[0034] The power management module (188) can manage the power supplied to the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, the power management module (188) can be implemented, for example, as at least part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

[0035] The battery (189) can supply power to at least one component of the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, the battery (189) may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell.

[0036] The communication module (190) can support the establishment of a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between an electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102), electronic device (104), or server (108)), and the performance of communication through the established communication channel. The communication module (190) may include one or more communication processors that operate independently of the processor (120) (e.g., application processor) and support direct (e.g., wired) communication or wireless communication. According to one embodiment, the communication module (190) may include a wireless communication module (192) (e.g., cellular communication module, short-range wireless communication module, or GNSS (global navigation satellite system) communication module) or a wired communication module (194) (e.g., LAN (local area network) communication module, or power line communication module). The corresponding communication module among these communication modules can communicate with an external electronic device (104) through a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, WiFi (wireless fidelity) direct, or IrDA (infrared data association)) or a second network (199) (e.g., a legacy cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a LAN or WAN). These various types of communication modules may be integrated into a single component (e.g., a single chip) or implemented as multiple separate components (e.g., multiple chips). The wireless communication module (192) can identify or authenticate the electronic device (101) within a communication network such as the first network (198) or the second network (199) using subscriber information (e.g., International Mobile Subscriber Identifier (IMSI)) stored in the subscriber identification module (196).

[0037] The wireless communication module (192) can support 5G networks and next-generation communication technologies following 4G networks, for example, new radio access technology. NR access technology can support high-speed transmission of high-capacity data (enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB)), minimization of terminal power and connection of multiple terminals (massive machine type communications (mMTC)), or high reliability and low latency (ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (URLLC)). The wireless communication module (192) can support a high-frequency band (e.g., mmWave band) to achieve a high data transmission rate, for example. The wireless communication module (192) can support various technologies for securing performance in the high-frequency band, such as beamforming, massive MIMO (multiple-input and multiple-output), full-dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, analog beam-forming, or large-scale antenna. The wireless communication module (192) can support various requirements specified in the electronic device (101), external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (104)), or network system (e.g., second network (199)). According to one embodiment, the wireless communication module (192) can support a Peak data rate (e.g., 20 Gbps or more) for realizing eMBB, loss coverage (e.g., 164 dB or less) for realizing mMTC, or U-plane latency (e.g., downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) each 0.5 ms or less, or round trip 1 ms or less) for realizing URLLC.

[0038] An antenna module (197) can transmit a signal or power to or from an external source (e.g., an external electronic device). According to one embodiment, the antenna module (197) may include an antenna comprising a radiator made of a conductor or a conductive pattern formed on a substrate (e.g., a PCB). According to one embodiment, the antenna module (197) may include a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna). In this case, at least one antenna suitable for a communication method used in a communication network, such as a first network (198) or a second network (199), may be selected from the plurality of antennas, for example, by a communication module (190). A signal or power may be transmitted or received between the communication module (190) and an external electronic device through the selected at least one antenna. According to some embodiments, in addition to the radiator, other components (e.g., a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) may be additionally formed as part of the antenna module (197).

[0039] According to various embodiments, the antenna module (197) may form a mmWave antenna module. According to one embodiment, the mmWave antenna module may include a printed circuit board, an RFIC disposed on or adjacent to a first surface (e.g., bottom surface) of the printed circuit board and capable of supporting a specified high frequency band (e.g., mmWave band), and a plurality of antennas (e.g., array antennas) disposed on or adjacent to a second surface (e.g., top surface or side surface) of the printed circuit board and capable of transmitting or receiving a signal of the specified high frequency band.

[0040] At least some of the above components can be connected to each other via a communication method between peripheral devices (e.g., bus, GPIO (general purpose input and output), SPI (serial peripheral interface), or MIPI (mobile industry processor interface)) and exchange signals (e.g., commands or data) with each other.

[0041] According to one embodiment, commands or data may be transmitted or received between the electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (104) through a server (108) connected to a second network (199). Each of the external electronic devices (102, or 104) may be the same or different type of device as the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, all or part of the operations performed on the electronic device (101) may be performed on one or more of the external electronic devices (102, 104, or 108). For example, if the electronic device (101) needs to perform a function or service automatically or in response to a request from a user or another device, the electronic device (101) may request one or more external electronic devices to perform at least part of the function or service instead of performing the function or service itself or additionally. One or more external electronic devices that receive the above request may execute at least part of the requested function or service, or additional function or service related to the request, and transmit the result of the execution to the electronic device (101). The electronic device (101) may provide the result as is or additionally processed as at least part of the response to the request. For this purpose, for example, cloud computing, distributed computing, mobile edge computing (MEC), or client-server computing technology may be used. The electronic device (101) may provide ultra-low latency services using, for example, distributed computing or mobile edge computing. In another embodiment, the external electronic device (104) may include an Internet of Things (IoT) device. The server (108) may be an intelligent server using machine learning and / or neural networks. According to one embodiment, the external electronic device (104) or the server (108) may be included within the second network (199).The electronic device (101) can be applied to intelligent services (e.g., smart home, smart city, smart car, or healthcare) based on 5G communication technology and IoT-related technology.

[0042] Examples of electronic devices according to various embodiments are described below.

[0043] FIG. 2 is a drawing for illustrating examples of connection between a user terminal (e.g., electronic device (101)) and a wearable device (200) according to various embodiments.

[0044] Referring to FIG. 2, a user terminal (e.g., electronic device (101)) may be wirelessly connected to a wearable device (200). The user terminal (e.g., electronic device (101)) may include a smartphone as shown in FIG. 2, but may be implemented as various types of devices (e.g., notebook computers, laptop computers, tablet computers, or desktop computers including standard notebooks, ultrabooks, netbooks, and tabbooks) without being limited to those described and / or illustrated. The user terminal (e.g., electronic device (101)) may be implemented as described above in FIG. 1, and accordingly may include the configurations (e.g., various modules) shown in FIG. 1, so redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0045] The wearable device (200) may be implemented as wireless earbuds as illustrated in FIG. 2, but may also be implemented as various types of devices (e.g., smartwatches, head-mounted display devices, devices for measuring biosignals (e.g., electrocardiogram patches)) that are equipped with at least one electrode and sensor device described below, without being limited to those described and / or illustrated. According to one embodiment, if the wearable device (200) is wireless earbuds, the wearable device (200) may include a pair of devices (e.g., a first earbud (202) and a second earbud (204)). According to one embodiment, the pair of devices (e.g., a first earbud (202) and a second earbud (204)) may be implemented to include identical or similar configurations (e.g., configurations described in FIG. 4).

[0046] According to various embodiments, a user terminal (e.g., electronic device (101)) and a wearable device (200) may establish a communication connection with each other and transmit and / or receive data with each other. For example, each of the user terminal (e.g., electronic device (101)) and the wearable device (200) may establish a communication connection with each other using D2D communication such as Wi-Fi Direct or Bluetooth (e.g., using a communication circuit that supports such communication method), but is not limited thereto and may use various types of communication (e.g., communication method such as Wi-Fi using an access point (AP), cellular communication method using a base station, or wired communication method).

[0047] In one embodiment, when the wearable device (200) is a wireless earbud, the user terminal (e.g., electronic device (101)) may establish a communication connection with either one of the pair of devices (e.g., first earbud (202) and second earbud (204)) (e.g., master earbud), but may also establish a communication connection with both of the pair of devices (e.g., first earbud (202) and second earbud (204)) without being limited to as described. In one embodiment, the user terminal (e.g., electronic device (101)) may communicate with another device (e.g., slave earbud) through either one of the pair of devices (e.g., first earbud (202) and second earbud (204)) (e.g., master earbud).

[0048] According to various embodiments, when the wearable device (200) is a wireless earbud, a pair of devices (e.g., a first earbud (202) and a second earbud (204)) may establish a communication connection with each other and transmit and / or receive data (e.g., audio data and / or control data) to each other. The communication connection may be established using D2D communication such as Wi-Fi Direct or Bluetooth as described above (e.g., using a communication circuit that supports such communication), but is not limited thereto.

[0049] In one embodiment, one of a pair of devices (e.g., a first earbud (202) and a second earbud (204)) becomes a master device (or primary device, or main device) and the other device becomes a slave device (or secondary device), and the master device (or main device) can transmit data to the slave device. For example, when a pair of devices (e.g., a first earbud (202) and a second earbud (204)) establish a communication connection with each other, one of the pair of devices (e.g., a first earbud (202) and a second earbud (204)) may be randomly selected as the master device and the other device as the slave device.

[0050] For example, when a pair of devices (e.g., a first earbud (202) and a second earbud (204)) establish a communication connection with each other, the device that is first detected to be worn (e.g., a value indicating wear is detected using a sensor for wear detection (e.g., a proximity sensor, a touch sensor, a 6-axis tilt sensor, a 9-axis sensor)) may be selected as the master device, and the remaining device may be selected as the slave device. In one embodiment, the master device may transmit data received from a user terminal (e.g., an electronic device (101)) to the slave device. For example, the first earbud (202), which is the master device, may not only output audio to a speaker based on audio data received from a user terminal (e.g., an electronic device (101)), but also transmit said audio data to the second earbud (204), which is the slave device. In one embodiment, the slave device can receive audio data transmitted from a user terminal (e.g., electronic device (101)) to the master device via sniffing, based on connection information provided by the master device.

[0051] In one embodiment, the first earbud (202), which is the master device, can transmit data (e.g., audio data or control data) received from the second earbud (204), which is the slave device, to a user terminal (e.g., electronic device (101)). For example, when a touch event occurs in the second earbud (204), which is the slave device, control data including information about the occurred touch event may be transmitted by the first earbud (202), which is the master device, to a user terminal (e.g., electronic device (101)). However, not limited to what is described above, the slave device and the user terminal (e.g., electronic device (101)) may establish a communication connection with each other, and accordingly, the transmission and / or reception of data between the slave device and the user terminal (e.g., electronic device (101)) may be performed directly.

[0052] In one embodiment, the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) may be wired and / or wirelessly connected to an electronic device (300) having one or more storage spaces having sizes and shapes corresponding to the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204). In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may be an earbud case or cradle device that stores and charges the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204). In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may establish a communication connection with the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) and transmit and / or receive data to each other. In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may establish a communication connection with a user terminal (e.g., electronic device (101)) and transmit and / or receive data to each other. For example, the electronic device (300) can transmit information about the state of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) (e.g., whether they are operating) and / or the state of the electronic device (300) (e.g., whether the cover is open or closed, or whether the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204) are stored) to a user terminal (e.g., electronic device (101)).

[0053] Examples of wearable devices (200) according to various embodiments will be described below. For convenience of explanation, the following description will be based on the case where the wearable device (200) is a pair of earbuds (202, 204), but the following description may also apply to various types of wearable devices (200) (e.g., smartwatches, head-mounted display devices, or devices for measuring biosignals).

[0054] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a pair of earbuds (202, 204) and an electronic device (300) according to various embodiments.

[0055] Referring to FIG. 3, the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) may be ear wearable devices. In one embodiment, where the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) are separate wireless earphones (e.g., TWS (true wireless stereo)), the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) may be connected to each other via a short-range wireless communication technology (e.g., Bluetooth legacy or BLE). Each of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) may be, for example, the external electronic device (102) of FIG. 1 or the external electronic device (104) of FIG. 1.

[0056] In one embodiment, the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) may each include a first electric contact (316) and a second electric contact (318) (e.g., an interface (480) described below) which are connected to electric contacts (e.g., electric contacts (310, 312)) of an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (300)) and used to charge power. The first electric contact (316) and the second electric contact (318) may be connected to electric contacts (e.g., electric contacts (310, 312)) of an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (300)) and used to charge power.

[0057] In one embodiment, each of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) may include a first sensor (320) and a second sensor (322) (e.g., a sensor module (440) described later) used to determine whether the cover of an electronic device (e.g., an electronic device (300)) is open or closed.

[0058] In one embodiment, if the first sensor (320) and the second sensor (322) are magnetic sensors (e.g., Hall sensors), it can be determined whether the cover of an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (300)) is open or closed based on whether the strength of the magnetic force detected by the first sensor (320) and / or the second sensor (322) is above a threshold value. The first sensor (320) and / or the second sensor (322) can detect magnetic force from a magnetic material included in the cover of the electronic device (e.g., electronic device (300)). In one embodiment, it can be determined that the cover of the electronic device (e.g., electronic device (300)) is closed if the detected magnetic force is above a threshold value, and it can be determined that the cover of the electronic device (e.g., electronic device (300)) is open if the detected magnetic force is below a threshold value.

[0059] In one embodiment, where the first sensor (320) and the second sensor (322) are light detection sensors (or illuminance sensors), it can be determined whether the cover of the electronic device (e.g., electronic device (300)) is open or closed based on whether the amount of light detected by the first sensor (320) and / or the second sensor (322) is above a threshold value. In one embodiment, it can be determined that the cover of the electronic device (e.g., electronic device (300)) is open if the amount of detected light is above a threshold value, and it can be determined that the cover of the electronic device (e.g., electronic device (300)) is closed if the amount of detected light is below a threshold value.

[0060] The electronic device (300) may be a cradle device used to store or / or charge at least one or both of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204), and may include a cover (302) and a body (304). The body (304) of the electronic device (300) may include a first mounting portion (306) and a second mounting portion (308) in which the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204), as shown in FIG. 3, can each be mounted.

[0061] The first mounting portion (306) and the second mounting portion (308) may each include a third electric contact (310) and a fourth electric contact (312). The third electric contact (310) and the fourth electric contact (312) may each be in direct or close contact with the first electric contact (316) of the first earbud (202) and the second electric contact (318) of the second earbud (204). In one embodiment, when the first electric contact (316) of the first earbud (202) is in contact with the third electric contact (310), the electronic device (300) can determine that the first earbud (202) is mounted on the first mounting part (306) of the electronic device (300), and when the first electric contact (316) of the first earbud (202) is detached from the third electric contact (310), the electronic device (300) can detect that the first earbud (202) has been detached from the first mounting part (306) of the electronic device (300). Likewise, in one embodiment, when the second electrical contact (318) of the second earbud (204) is in contact with the fourth electrical contact (312), the electronic device (300) can determine that the second earbud (202) is mounted on the second mounting part (308) of the electronic device (300), and when the second electrical contact (318) of the second earbud (204) is detached from the fourth electrical contact (312), the electronic device (300) can detect that the second earbud (204) has been detached from the second mounting part (308) of the electronic device (300).

[0062] Although not illustrated in FIG. 3, the electronic device (300) may include a power supply circuit, and may provide power supplied from the outside, for example through a USB port or a charging cable, or power from a battery mounted on the electronic device (300), to the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) through the third electric contact (310) and the fourth electric contact (308). The first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) may receive power provided from the third electric contact (310) and the fourth electric contact (312) through the first electric contact (316) and the second electric contact (318).

[0063] The electronic device (300) may include a sensor (not shown) (e.g., a magnetic sensor) for identifying the open or closed state of the cover (302). The electronic device (300) may identify whether the cover (302) is in an open or closed state based on information identified by the sensor, and may provide information indicating whether the cover (302) is in an open or closed state to the first earbud (202) or the second earbud (204). Information indicating whether the cover (302) is in an open or closed state may be provided to the first earbud (202) or the second earbud (204) based on a request from the first earbud (202) or the second earbud (204).

[0064] In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may communicate with the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204) based on a wired communication method using, for example, a local area network (LAN) or a programmable logic controller (PLC), or a wireless communication method using Bluetooth legacy or BLE communication technology. In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may communicate with a user terminal (e.g., electronic device (101)) based on a wireless communication method using, for example, Bluetooth legacy or BLE communication technology. Accordingly, the electronic device (300) may include a communication interface for wired communication or wireless communication.

[0065] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a first earbud (202) according to various embodiments. In one embodiment, the first earbud (202) may be a master earbud that can be connected to an electronic device (101) (e.g., a smartphone) shown in FIG. 1, and the second earbud (204) may be a slave earbud that can be connected to the master earbud.

[0066] The first earbud (202) may include a component identical or similar to at least one of the components (e.g., modules) of the electronic device (101) shown in FIG. 1. The first earbud (202) may include a communication circuit (420) (e.g., communication module (190) of FIG. 1), an input device (430) (e.g., input module (150) of FIG. 1), a sensor (440) (e.g., sensor module (176) of FIG. 1), an audio processing module (450) (e.g., audio module (170) of FIG. 1), a memory (490) (e.g., memory (130) of FIG. 1), a power management module (460) (e.g., power management module (188) of FIG. 1), a battery (470) (e.g., battery (189) of FIG. 1), an interface (480) (e.g., interface (177) of FIG. 1), and a processor (410) (e.g., processor (120) of FIG. 1).

[0067] According to various embodiments, the communication circuit (420) may include at least one of a wireless communication module (e.g., Bluetooth communication module, cellular communication module, Wi-Fi (wireless-fidelity) communication module, NFC (near field communication) communication module, or GNSS (global navigation satellite system) communication module) or a wired communication module (e.g., LAN (local area network) communication module, or power line communication (PLC) communication module).

[0068] The communication circuit (420) can communicate directly or indirectly with at least one of an electronic device (101) (e.g., a smartphone), an electronic device (300) (e.g., a charging device such as a cradle), or a second earbud (204) (e.g., a slave earbud) through a first network (e.g., the first network (198) of FIG. 1) using at least one communication module included therein. The second earbud (204) may be a component of an ear wearable device (200) formed as a pair with the first earbud (202). The communication circuit (420) may operate independently of the processor (410) and may include one or more communication processors that support wired or wireless communication.

[0069] According to various embodiments, the communication circuit (420) may be connected to one or more antennas capable of transmitting a signal or information to or receiving from another electronic device (e.g., at least one of the electronic device (101), the electronic device (300), or the second earbud (204)). According to one embodiment, at least one antenna suitable for a communication method used in a communication network, such as a first network (e.g., the first network (198) of FIG. 1) or a second network (e.g., the second network (199) of FIG. 2), may be selected from the plurality of antennas, for example, by the communication circuit (420). The signal or information may be transmitted or received between the communication circuit (420) and the other electronic device through the selected at least one antenna.

[0070] According to various embodiments, the input device (430) may be configured to generate various input signals that can be used for operation of the first earbud (202). The input device (430) may include at least one of a touch pad, a touch panel, or a button. The touch pad may recognize touch input in at least one of, for example, capacitive, resistive, infrared, or ultrasonic methods. If a capacitive touch pad is provided, physical contact or proximity recognition may be possible. The touch pad may further include a tactile layer. A touch pad including a tactile layer may provide a tactile response to the user. The button may include, for example, a physical button or an optical key.

[0071] According to various embodiments, the input device (430) may generate user input regarding the on or off of the first earbud (202). According to one embodiment, the input device (430) may receive user input for a communication connection between the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204). According to one embodiment, the input device (430) may receive user input associated with audio data (or audio content). For example, the user input may be associated with functions such as starting playback of audio data, pausing playback, stopping playback, adjusting playback speed, adjusting playback volume, or muting. The operation of the first earbud (202) may be controlled by various gestures, such as tapping the surface where the touchpad is installed or swiping up and down. According to one embodiment, the input device (430) may receive user input initiating pairing between the first earbud (202) and the electronic device (101). For example, in response to the above user input, the processor (410) can operate the first earbud (202) in pairing mode (e.g., inquiry scan mode or BLE advertising scan mode).

[0072] According to various embodiments, the sensor (440) may identify the position or operating state of the first earbud (202) or identify whether the cover (302) of the electronic device (300) is open or closed. The sensor (440) may convert the measured or identified information into an electrical signal. The sensor (440) may include, for example, at least one of a magnetic sensor, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a geomagnetic sensor, a proximity sensor, a gesture sensor, a grip sensor, or a biosensor. In one embodiment, the sensor (440) may further include a light sensor. The light sensor may include a light-emitting part (e.g., a light-emitting diode (LED)) that outputs light of at least one wavelength band. The light sensor may include a light-receiving part (e.g., a photodiode) that receives light of one or more wavelength bands scattered or reflected from an object and generates an electrical signal.

[0073] According to various embodiments, the audio processing module (450) may support an audio data collection function and may play the collected audio data. According to one embodiment, the audio processing module (450) may include an audio decoder (not shown) and a D / A converter (not shown). The audio decoder may convert audio data stored in memory (490) or received from an electronic device (101) through a communication circuit (420) into a digital audio signal. The D / A converter may convert the digital audio signal converted by the audio decoder into an analog audio signal. According to various embodiments, the audio decoder may convert audio data received from an electronic device (101) through a communication circuit (420) and stored in memory (490) into a digital audio signal. A speaker may output the analog audio signal converted by the D / A converter. According to one embodiment, the audio processing module (450) may include an A / D converter (not shown). An A / D converter can convert an analog voice signal transmitted through a microphone into a digital voice signal.

[0074] According to various embodiments, the audio processing module (450) can play various audio data set during the operation of the first earbud (202). For example, the processor (410) may be designed to detect through the sensor (440) whether the first earbud (202) is attached to or removed from the user's ear, and to play audio data regarding sound effects or guidance sounds through the audio processing module (450). The output of sound effects or guidance sounds may be omitted according to user settings or the designer's intention.

[0075] According to various embodiments, the memory (490) may store various data used by at least one component of the first earbud (202) (e.g., processor (410) or sensor (440)). The data may include, for example, input data or output data for software and related commands. According to one embodiment, the data may include audio data received from the electronic device (101), information on the cover state (e.g., open state or closed state) of the electronic device (300), location information of the second earbud (204) received from the electronic device (300) or the second earbud (204), or information on role information and at least one parameter required for connection with the second earbud (204). The memory (490) may include volatile memory or non-volatile memory.

[0076] According to various embodiments, the power management module (460) can manage power supplied to the first earbud (202). According to one embodiment, the power management module (460) may be implemented, for example, as at least part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC). According to one embodiment, the power management module (460) may include a battery charging module. According to one embodiment, when another electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101), electronic device (300), second earbud (204), or one of other electronic devices) is electrically connected (wireless or wired) to the first earbud (202), the power management module (460) may receive power from said other electronic device to charge the battery (470).

[0077] According to various embodiments, the battery (470) can supply power to at least one component of the first earbud (202). According to one embodiment, the battery (470) may include, for example, a rechargeable cell. According to one embodiment, when the first earbud (202) is mounted within the electronic device (300), the first earbud (202) can turn on the power of the first earbud (202) or turn on at least a part of the communication circuit (310) after charging the battery (470) to a predetermined charge level.

[0078] According to various embodiments, the interface (480) may support one or more specified protocols that can be used to connect the first earbud (202) directly (e.g., wired) with the electronic device (101), the electronic device (30), the second earbud (204), or other electronic devices. According to one embodiment, the interface (480) may include at least one of, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a USB interface, an SD card interface, a power line communication (PLC) interface, or an audio interface. According to one embodiment, the interface (480) may include at least one connection port (e.g., connection ports (316, 318)) for forming a physical connection with the electronic device (300).

[0079] According to various embodiments, the processor (410) may, for example, execute software to control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware or software component) of the first earbud (202) connected to the processor (410) and may perform various data processing or operations. According to one embodiment, as at least part of the data processing or operations, the processor (410) may load commands or data received from other components (e.g., a sensor (440) or a communication circuit (420)) into a volatile memory (490), process the commands or data stored in the volatile memory (490), and store the resulting data in a non-volatile memory.

[0080] According to one embodiment, the processor (410) can determine whether an electrical connection has been formed between the first earbud (202) and the electronic device (300) through the sensor (440) or the interface (480). If an electrical connection has been formed between the first earbud (202) and the electronic device (300), the processor (410) can receive location information of the second earbud (204) from the electronic device (300).

[0081] According to one embodiment, the processor (410) can identify whether the cover (302) of the electronic device (300) is open or closed by recognizing a magnetic body installed in the electronic device (300) through a magnetic sensor included in the sensor (440).

[0082] According to one embodiment, the processor (410) can determine whether an electrical connection has been formed between the first earbud (202) and the electronic device (300) by recognizing that a connection port (e.g., an electrical contact (316)) included in the interface (480) has come into contact with the third electrical contact (310) or the fourth electrical contact (312) of the electronic device (300).

[0083] According to one embodiment, the processor (410) can form a communication connection with the electronic device (101) through a communication circuit (420) and can receive data (e.g., audio data) from the electronic device (101) through the formed communication connection. According to one embodiment, the processor (410) can transmit the data received from the electronic device (101) to the second earbud (204) through the communication circuit (420).

[0084] According to one embodiment, the processor (410) can perform the operations of the first earbud (202) described below.

[0085] According to various embodiments, the first earbud (202) may further include various modules depending on the form in which it is provided. Although variations are so diverse due to the convergence trend of digital devices that they cannot all be listed, components equivalent to the components mentioned above may be additionally included in the first earbud (202). Furthermore, according to one embodiment, the first earbud (202) may exclude certain components from the above components or replace them with other components depending on the form in which it is provided. This will be easily understood by those skilled in the art.

[0086] According to various embodiments, a second earbud (204) configured as a pair with a first earbud (202) may include components included in the first earbud (202) in the same or similar manner and may perform all or part of the operation of the second earbud (204) described in the drawings below.

[0087] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an electronic device (300) capable of storing a first earbud (202) and a second earbud (204) according to various embodiments.

[0088] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (300) may be a cradle device configured to store a first earbud (202) and a second earbud (204). The electronic device (300) may include a processor (510), a communication circuit (520), a sensor (530), at least one charge indicator (540), an input device (550), an interface (515), a power interface (590), a memory (580), a power management module (570), and a battery (560).

[0089] The processor (510) can, for example, execute software to control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware or software component) of the electronic device (300) connected to the processor (510) and can perform various data processing or operations. According to one embodiment, as at least part of the data processing or operations, the processor (510) can load commands or data received from other components (e.g., a sensor (530) or a communication circuit (520)) into a volatile memory (580), process the commands or data stored in the volatile memory (580), and store the resulting data in a non-volatile memory.

[0090] The communication circuit (520) may include at least one of a wireless communication module (e.g., a cellular communication module, a WiFi (wireless fidelity) communication module, a Bluetooth (near field communication) communication module, or a GNSS (global navigation satellite system) communication module) or a wired communication module (e.g., a LAN (local area network) communication module, or a power line communication module). The corresponding communication module among these may communicate with at least one of an electronic device (e.g., an electronic device (101)) (e.g., a user terminal) or earbuds (202 and 204) through a first network (e.g., the first network (198) of FIG. 1) or a second network (e.g., the second network (199) of FIG. 1). The communication circuit (520) may include one or more communication processors that operate independently of the processor (510) and support direct (e.g., wired) communication or wireless communication.

[0091] According to various embodiments, the communication circuit (520) may be connected to one or more antennas that transmit a signal or power to or receive from another electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101) or earbuds (202 and 204)). According to one embodiment, at least one antenna suitable for a communication method used in a communication network, such as a first network (e.g., the first network (198) of FIG. 1) or a second network (e.g., the second network (199) of FIG. 2), may be selected from the plurality of antennas, for example, by the communication circuit (520). The signal or power may be transmitted or received between the communication circuit (520) and the other electronic device through the selected at least one antenna.

[0092] In one embodiment, the communication circuit (520) is connected to the electronic device (101) and / or earbuds (202 and 204) using a wireless communication method such as Bluetooth or WiFi, and can transmit or receive signals or data with the electronic device (101) or transmit or receive signals or data with the earbuds (202 and 204).

[0093] According to various embodiments, the sensor (530) may measure a physical quantity or detect the operating state of the electronic device (300). The sensor (530) may convert the measured or detected information into an electrical signal. The sensor (530) may include, for example, at least one of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a geomagnetic sensor, a magnetic sensor, a proximity sensor, a gesture sensor, a grip sensor, a light sensor, or a biosensor. According to one embodiment, the sensor (530) may detect whether one or more of the earbuds (202 and 204) are mounted within the electronic device (300).

[0094] According to various embodiments, the sensor (530) can detect whether the cover (e.g., cover (302)) of the electronic device (300) is in an open state and whether the cover is in a closed state. According to one embodiment, the processor (510) can be electrically connected to the sensor (530) and can receive a signal from the sensor (530) indicating that the cover (e.g., cover (302)) is in an open state or a closed state. The processor (510) can generate a signal to turn on the communication circuit (e.g., communication circuit (420)) of the earbuds (202 and 204) when one or more of the earbuds (202 and 204) are located within the electronic device (300) and the cover (e.g., cover (302)) changes from a closed state to an open state, and can generate a signal to turn off the communication circuit (e.g., communication module (420)) of the earbuds (202 and 204) when one or more of the earbuds (202 and 204) are located within the electronic device (300) and the cover (e.g., cover (302)) changes from an open state to a closed state. According to one embodiment, the sensor (530) may trigger the processor (510) to perform an operation (hereinafter referred to as a pairing support operation) to transmit a pairing support signal for pairing support for the earbuds (202 and 204) according to the embodiments described below when the cover (e.g., cover (302)) is in an open state and / or when the earbuds (202 and 204) are mounted.

[0095] According to various embodiments, at least one charge indicator (540) may indicate the charge level of the battery (560) and / or the battery (e.g., battery (470)) of the earbuds (202 and 204). A user may check the charge amount of the battery (560) of the electronic device (300) or the charge amount of the battery (e.g., battery (470)) of the earbuds (202 and 204) through the charge indicator (540) on the surface of the electronic device (300). The charge indicator (540) may be implemented as a display or as a light-emitted diode (LED).

[0096] According to various embodiments, the input device (550) may be configured to generate various input signals that can be used for the operation of the electronic device (300). The input device (550) may include at least one of a touch pad, a touch panel, or a button. The touch pad may recognize touch input in at least one of, for example, capacitive, resistive, infrared, or ultrasonic methods. If a capacitive touch pad is provided, physical contact or proximity recognition may be possible. The touch pad may further include a tactile layer. A touch pad including a tactile layer may provide a tactile response to the user. The button may include, for example, a physical button or an optical key. According to one embodiment, the processor (510) may detect a user intent to support pairing of the earbuds (202, 204) through the input device (550) and decide to transmit a pairing support signal for the earbuds (202, 204).

[0097] According to various embodiments, the interface (515) may support one or more specified protocols that can be used for the electronic device (300) to be connected to the earbuds (202 and 204) via wired or wireless connection. According to one embodiment, the interface (515) may include at least one of, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a USB interface, an SD card interface, a PLC interface, or an audio interface. According to one embodiment, the interface (515) may include at least one connection port (e.g., electrical contacts (310, 312)) for forming a physical connection with the earbuds (202 and 204). In one embodiment, the interface (515) may include at least one connection port (e.g., electrical contacts (310, 312)) capable of physically contacting the electrical contact of the first earbud (202) (e.g., electrical contact (316)) and the electrical contact of the second earbud (204) (e.g., electrical contact (318)).

[0098] According to various embodiments, the processor (510) can determine whether a physical connection has been formed between the electronic device (300) and the earbuds (202 and 204) through the interface (515). According to one embodiment, if the processor (510) determines physical contact between the first external electronic device (301) and the electronic devices (201 and 202) through the interface (515), the processor (510) can generate a charging signal to initiate charging of the earbuds (202 and 204). According to one embodiment, the processor (510) can determine through the interface (515) that either or both of the earbuds (202 and 204) have been removed from the electronic device (300), and the processor (510) can generate a removal signal to stop charging of the removed earbuds (202 and / or 204). According to one embodiment, the processor (510) detects through the interface (515) that both or at least one of the earbuds (202, 204) is mounted on mounting portions (e.g., a first mounting portion (306) and a second mounting portion (308)) provided in the housing of the electronic device (300), and may decide to transmit a pairing support signal for the earbuds (202, 204).

[0099] The power interface (590) may support one or more designated protocols that can be used for the electronic device (300) to be connected directly or wirelessly to the power source (595) or the electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101)). The power interface (590) according to one embodiment may include at least a portion of a receptacle connector for a USB connector, a lightning connector, or other connector capable of providing power to the electronic device (300). The power interface (590) according to one embodiment may adopt a structure including an antenna to receive power wirelessly from the power source (595) or the electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101)).

[0100] According to various embodiments, the memory (580) may store various data used by at least one component of the electronic device (300) (e.g., processor (510) or sensor (530)). The data may include, for example, input data or output data for software and related commands. The memory (580) may include volatile memory and / or non-volatile memory.

[0101] According to various embodiments, the memory (580) may store configuration information regarding a Bluetooth communication connection. The configuration information may include at least one of identification information of the electronic device (300) or device information of the earbuds (202 and 204). According to one embodiment, the identification information of the electronic device (300) may include a Bluetooth device address (e.g., BD_ADDR) of the electronic device (300) or LE address information generated based on the Bluetooth device address. According to one embodiment, the identification information of the electronic device (300) may include communication address information (e.g., MAC address) of the electronic device (300) or unique identification information such as a serial number set by the manufacturer of the electronic device (300). The identification information of the electronic device (300) is not limited to the above examples and may include information in various formats capable of identifying the electronic device (300).

[0102] According to one embodiment, the device information of the earbuds (202 and 204) may include a Bluetooth device address (e.g., BD_ADDR) of at least one or both of the earbuds (202 and 204), or LE address information generated based on the Bluetooth device address. According to one embodiment, the device information may further include device type information of at least one or both of the earbuds (202 and 204). The device type information may indicate either a master role or a slave role. According to one embodiment, each Bluetooth device address may be a Bluetooth device address in one of various formats. According to one embodiment, the device information may include identification information (e.g., MAC address or serial number) in one of various formats capable of identifying at least one or both of the earbuds (202 and 204).

[0103] According to one embodiment, the device information is additional information related to the connection with the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204), and may further include, for example, at least one of a device name, Bluetooth version, class of device (CoD), battery level, clock information, current connection status, page scan mode information, transmission power level, service class, at least one universally unique identifier (UUID), or manufacturer's data. In the present disclosure, the device address is information related to the connection with the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204), and the remaining information excluding the Bluetooth device address may be referred to as additional device information.

[0104] In one embodiment, the device information may further include request information indicating a Bluetooth type (e.g., whether Bluetooth legacy is supported, whether BLE is supported, or both) and / or a Bluetooth type (e.g., either Bluetooth legacy or BLE) to be used for connection with an external electronic device, as additional information related to connection with the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204).

[0105] According to various embodiments, the memory (580) may store information regarding the use of at least one of an NFC (near field communication) tag, an RFID (radio frequency identification) tag, an MST (magnetic secure transmission) device, a QR (quick response) code, or a barcode. According to various embodiments, at least one of an NFC tag, an RFID tag, an MST device, a QR code, or a barcode may be included in one of the illustrated components of the electronic device (300) or implemented as a separate component within the electronic device (300). At least one of an NFC tag, an RFID tag, an MST device, a QR code, or a barcode may store at least one of identification information of the electronic device (300) or device information of the earbuds (202 and 204).

[0106] According to various embodiments, the power management module (570) can manage power supplied to the electronic device (300). According to one embodiment, the power management module (570) may be implemented, for example, as at least part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC). According to one embodiment, the power management module (570) may include a battery charging module. According to one embodiment, the power management module (570) may charge the battery (560) by receiving power wirelessly or wired from a power source (595) or an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) under the control of the processor (510). According to one embodiment, the power management module (570) may provide power from the battery (560) wirelessly or wired to the earbuds (202 and 204) through at least one antenna of the interface (515) or communication circuit (520) under the control of the processor (510).

[0107] The battery (560) can supply power to at least one component of the electronic device (300). According to one embodiment, the battery (560) may include, for example, at least one of a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell.

[0108] According to various embodiments, at least one of the earbuds (202 and 204) can identify at least one of the identification information of the electronic device (300) stored in at least one of a memory (580), an NFC tag, an RFID tag, an MST device, a QR code, or a barcode from the electronic device (300) through a communication circuit (e.g., a communication circuit (420)) or a sensor (e.g., a sensor (440)) and establish communication with the electronic device (300).

[0109] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (300) may further include various modules depending on the form in which it is provided. Although variations are so diverse due to the convergence trend of digital devices that they cannot all be listed, components equivalent to the components mentioned above may be additionally included in the electronic device (300). Furthermore, according to one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may exclude certain components from the above components or replace them with other components depending on the form in which it is provided. This will be easily understood by those skilled in the art.

[0110] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a pairing support operation by an electronic device (300) according to various embodiments.

[0111] Referring to FIG. 6, the electronic device (300) can store the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204), determine the state (e.g., battery state) of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) and charge them, check the placement state of the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204), or communicate with the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204) using a wired or wireless communication method. In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) can acquire, store, update, and / or delete device information (605) (e.g., Bluetooth device address (BD_ADDR)) of the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204).

[0112] In one embodiment, the device information (605) may include the Bluetooth device address of the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204). In one embodiment, the device information (605) may be provided to the electronic device (300) using a wired or wireless communication method. In one embodiment, the device information may be transmitted from the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204) to the electronic device (300). In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may store the device information (605) of the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204) in advance, or receive it from an external electronic device (e.g., an external electronic device (630) or a server).

[0113] The electronic device (300) can confirm the user's intention to pair the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204) with an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101) or external electronic device (630)) through an input device (314) (e.g., input device (550)) (e.g., including at least one of a button, touchpad, touch panel, or switch), and transmit a pairing support signal (620) including device information (605) of the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204) so ​​that the external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101) or external electronic device (630)) can receive it. In one embodiment, a pairing support signal (620) may be transmitted from an electronic device (300) to support a Bluetooth connection (e.g., Bluetooth legacy communication connection or BLE communication connection) between an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101) or external electronic device (630)) and a first earbud (202) and / or a second earbud (204).

[0114] In one embodiment, the pairing support signal (620) may be an inquiry response packet transmitted to support establishing Bluetooth legacy communication between the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204) and an external electronic device (630). The electronic device (300) may enter an inquiry scan mode in response to confirming the user's intent, and upon receiving a search signal (610) (e.g., an inquiry packet for Bluetooth legacy communication) transmitted from the external electronic device (630) in the inquiry scan mode, it may transmit an inquiry response packet containing device information (605) of the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204) in response to the reception of the inquiry packet. The external electronic device (630) obtains device information (605) of the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204) from the inquiry response packet and can establish Bluetooth legacy communication with the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204) using the device information (605).

[0115] In one embodiment, the pairing support signal (620) may be an advertising packet transmitted in BLE advertising mode to support establishing BLE communication between the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204) and an external electronic device (630). The electronic device (300) may enter an advertising mode for BLE communication in response to confirming the user's intention and transmit an advertising packet containing device information (605) of the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204) in the advertising mode. The external electronic device (630) may obtain the device information (605) of the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204) from the advertising packet and establish BLE communication with the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204) using the device information (605).

[0116] FIGS. 7a and 7b are flowcharts illustrating procedures for transmitting a pairing support signal in an electronic device (300) according to various embodiments. According to various embodiments, the operations illustrated in FIGS. 7a and 7b may be performed in various orders, not limited to the order illustrated. According to various embodiments, more operations than those illustrated in FIGS. 7a and 7b may be performed, or at least some operations may be omitted. According to various embodiments, the operations illustrated in FIGS. 7a and 7b may be implemented as instructions executed by a processor (e.g., processor (510)) included in the electronic device (300).

[0117] FIG. 7a illustrates an example of a procedure for transmitting a pairing support signal from an electronic device (300).

[0118] Referring to FIG. 7a, in operation 705, the electronic device (300) may obtain device information (e.g., device information (605)) for a pair of wireless earbuds (200) (or at least one of a first earbud (202) and a second earbud (204)) that can be mounted on the electronic device (300). In one embodiment, the device information may include the Bluetooth device address of either the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) (e.g., a master earbud). In one embodiment, the device information may include the Bluetooth device addresses of both the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204). In one embodiment, the device information may further include at least one of additional device information for at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204), for example, an LE address, device type, identification information, device name, Bluetooth version, device class, battery level, clock information, current connection status, page scan mode information, transmission power level, service class, UUID, or manufacturer data.

[0119] In one embodiment, the device information may be transmitted via wireless communication from the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) to the electronic device (300) before either of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) is mounted on the electronic device (300). In one embodiment, the device information may be transmitted via wired or wireless communication from the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) to the electronic device (300) when either of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) is mounted on the electronic device (300) or while it is mounted. In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) can obtain device information from either the first earbud (202) or the second earbud (204) via wired communication (e.g., PLC communication) when the cover (302) changes from an open state to a closed state while either the first earbud (202) or the second earbud (204) is mounted on the electronic device (300).

[0120] In one embodiment, the device information may be stored in the memory (e.g., memory (580)) of the electronic device (300) by at least one of the manufacturer, user, or engineer. In one embodiment, the device information may be received from the server (e.g., server (108) of FIG. 1) or the external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101) or electronic device (630)) to the electronic device (300) by an intended action of a user using a specific application (e.g., wearable application) of an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101) or electronic device (630)).

[0121] In operation 710, the electronic device (300) can determine whether there is user input intended for pairing the wireless earbuds (200). In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) can directly detect said user input through an input device (e.g., an input device (314)) provided in the housing. In one embodiment, said input device (314) may be a physical button, a touch pad, or a switch, and if a long push or touch or switch-on of a predetermined amount of time is detected, the electronic device (300) can determine that user input intended for pairing the wireless earbuds (200) has been received.

[0122] If no user input is detected, it may return to operation 710. If user input is detected, it may proceed to operation 715. In one embodiment, if user input is detected, the electronic device (300) may skip operation 715 and proceed to operation 720.

[0123] In one embodiment, instead of directly detecting user input through the input device (314) in operation 710, the electronic device (300) may receive a request signal intended for pairing of wireless earbuds (200) from a user terminal (e.g., electronic device (101)). In one embodiment, the user terminal (e.g., electronic device (101)) may receive user input requesting to connect the wireless earbuds (200) to another external electronic device (e.g., external electronic device (630)) and transmit a request signal intended for pairing of wireless earbuds (200) to the electronic device (300). To do this, the user terminal (e.g., electronic device (101)) may establish a communication connection (e.g., Bluetooth legacy communication connection or BLE communication connection) with the electronic device (300). In response to the reception of the request signal, the electronic device (300) may proceed to operation 715, or skip operation 715 and proceed to operation 720.

[0124] In operation 715, the electronic device (300) can determine whether the wireless earbuds (200) (or either the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204)) are mounted on the electronic device (300). In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) can determine whether the wireless earbuds (200) (or either the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204)) are mounted on mounting portions (e.g., the first mounting portion (306) and the second mounting portion (308)) provided in the housing of the electronic device (300).

[0125] In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) can determine that at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) is mounted when at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) is in contact with an electrical contact of the electronic device (300) (e.g., at least one of the electrical contacts (310, 312)). In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) can determine that at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) is mounted on the electronic device (300) if at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) is in contact with an electrical contact of the electronic device (300) (e.g., at least one of the electrical contacts (310, 312)) and PLC communication is possible through a wired communication method, or if at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) is capable of wireless communication through a short-range wireless communication method (e.g., Bluetooth legacy or BLE).

[0126] In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) can detect through an interface (e.g., interface (515)) (e.g., including electrical contacts (310, 312)) whether at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) included in the wireless earbuds (200) is mounted on at least one of the first mounting portion (306) and the second mounting portion (308). If at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) included in the wireless earbuds (200) is not mounted, it can return to operation 710. In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) can return to operation 710 if both the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) are not mounted.

[0127] In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may proceed to operation 720 when at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) is mounted. In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may proceed to operation 720 when both the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) are mounted. In one embodiment, when both the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) are not mounted, the electronic device (300) may measure the location of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) according to a given method (e.g., may include an operation of detecting a signal from the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204)), and proceed to operation 720 when it is confirmed that the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) are located within a given distance from the electronic device (300).

[0128] In operation 720, the electronic device (300) may transmit a pairing support signal (e.g., a pairing support signal (620)) containing device information of the wireless earbuds (200). In one embodiment, the device information may include the Bluetooth device address of the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204). In one embodiment, the device information may further include additional device information related to the connection with the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204) (e.g., at least one of an LE address, device type, identification information, device name, Bluetooth version, device class, battery level, clock information, current connection status, page scan mode information, transmission power level, service class, UUID, or manufacturer data).

[0129] In one embodiment, if the electronic device (300) obtains device information of either the first earbud (202) or the second earbud (204) in operation 705, it may include only the device information of either the first earbud (202) or the second earbud (204) in the pairing support signal. In one embodiment, if the electronic device (300) obtains device information of both the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) in operation 705, it may include the device information of both the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) in the pairing support signal.

[0130] FIG. 7b illustrates another embodiment of the procedure for transmitting a pairing support signal from an electronic device (300).

[0131] Referring to FIG. 7b, in operation 725, the electronic device (300) can determine whether there is user input intended for pairing of the wireless earbuds (200). In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) can directly detect the user input through an input device (e.g., input device (314)) provided in the housing. If no user input is detected, the process can return to operation 725. If user input is detected, the process can proceed to operation 730.

[0132] In one embodiment, instead of directly detecting user input in operation 725, the electronic device (300) may receive a request signal from a user terminal (e.g., electronic device (101)) intending to pair the wireless earbuds (200). The electronic device (300) may proceed to operation 730 in response to receiving the request signal.

[0133] In operation 730, the electronic device (300) can determine whether device information of the wireless earbuds (200) (or either the first earbud (202) or the second earbud (204)) exists. If the device information is stored in the memory of the electronic device (300) (e.g., memory (580)), the electronic device (300) can proceed to operation 745. On the other hand, if the device information does not exist in the electronic device (300), the electronic device (300) can proceed to operation 735.

[0134] In operation 735, the electronic device (300) can determine whether the wireless earbuds (200) (or either the first earbud (202) or the second earbud (204)) are mounted on the electronic device (300). In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) can determine that at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) is mounted if at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) is in contact with an electrical contact of the electronic device (300) (e.g., at least one of the electrical contacts (310, 312)). If at least one or both of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) included in the wireless earbuds (200) are mounted on the electronic device (300), the electronic device (300) can proceed to operation 740.

[0135] In operation 740, the electronic device (300) can receive device information from at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204). In one embodiment, the device information can be transmitted via wired communication (e.g., PLC communication) between the electronic device (300) and at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204).

[0136] In operation 735, if it is determined that at least one or both of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) included in the wireless earbuds (200) are not mounted on the electronic device (300), the electronic device (300) may proceed to operation 750. In another embodiment, if at least one or both of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) included in the wireless earbuds (200) are not mounted on the electronic device (300), the electronic device (300) may determine that the pairing support operation is impossible, skip operation 750, and terminate the procedure.

[0137] In operation 750, the electronic device (300) can determine whether it is possible to communicate with at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204). In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) can determine whether a communication connection (e.g., a Bluetooth legacy communication connection or a BLE communication connection) is established with at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204). If it is possible to communicate with at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204), the electronic device (300) proceeds to operation 740 and can receive device information from at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) through the communication connection. If necessary, the electronic device (300) can perform a procedure to establish a communication connection with at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204). In operation 750, if communication with at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) is not possible, the electronic device (300) may determine that the pairing support operation is impossible and terminate the procedure.

[0138] After receiving device information in operation 740, in operation 745, the electronic device (300) may transmit a pairing support signal (e.g., a pairing support signal (620)) containing device information of the wireless earbuds (200). In one embodiment, the device information may include the Bluetooth device address of the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204). In one embodiment, the device information may further include additional device information related to the connection with the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204) (e.g., at least one of an LE address, device type, identification information, device name, Bluetooth version, device class, battery level, clock information, current connection status, page scan mode information, transmission power level, service class, UUID, or manufacturer data).

[0139] In one embodiment, if the electronic device (300) obtains device information of either the first earbud (202) or the second earbud (204) in operation 740, it may include only the device information of either the first earbud (202) or the second earbud (204) in the pairing support signal. In one embodiment, if the electronic device (300) obtains device information of both the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) in operation 740, it may include the device information of both the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) in the pairing support signal.

[0140] In one embodiment, the pairing support signal transmitted in operation 720 or operation 745 may be an inquiry response packet transmitted in response to an inquiry packet received in an inquiry scan mode for Bluetooth legacy communication. In one embodiment, the pairing support signal may be an advertising packet transmitted in BLE advertising mode. In one embodiment, the pairing support signal transmitted in operation 720 or operation 745 may be transmitted so that it can be received by an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101) or electronic device (630)) located around the electronic device (300). In one embodiment, the electronic device (630) may obtain device information (e.g., Bluetooth device address) of the wireless earbuds (200) through the reception of the pairing support signal, and may be connected to the wireless earbuds (200) by performing paging for pairing with the wireless earbuds (200) using the device information.

[0141] In various embodiments, the electronic device (300) may transmit a pairing support signal including the device information and output a user indication indicating that the device information has been transmitted. In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may notify the user that a pairing support operation (e.g., an operation including transmitting a pairing support signal including the device information of the wireless earbuds (200)) is being performed by changing an LED (specific color, and / or blinking), generating vibration, or playing a specific sound.

[0142] In various embodiments, the electronic device (300) may use various methods to determine a pairing support operation that transmits a pairing support signal (e.g., a pairing support signal (620)) containing device information of the wireless earbuds (200). In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may determine whether to perform a pairing support operation based on at least one of the user input of operation 710, the mounting state of operation 715, or the open state of the cover of the electronic device (300) (e.g., cover (302)). In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may determine to perform a pairing support operation when a user input intending a pairing operation is received while the cover (302) is open. In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may determine to perform a pairing support operation when a user input intending a pairing operation is received while the cover (302) is open and the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204) is mounted. In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may determine to perform a pairing support operation when it detects that the cover (302) is opened after detecting a user input intended for a pairing operation.

[0143] In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) can perform a pairing support operation when at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) is mounted on the electronic device (300) while detecting that the user intends to perform a pairing operation based on user input and / or the open state of the cover (302). In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) can perform a pairing support operation when the battery status of the electronic device (300) is above a specified battery level while detecting that the user intends to perform a pairing operation based on user input and / or the open state of the cover (302).

[0144] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an operation for acquiring device information according to various embodiments. According to various embodiments, the operations illustrated in FIG. 8 may correspond to operation 705 of FIG. 7a or operation 740 of FIG. 7b.

[0145] Referring to FIG. 8, in operation 805, the electronic device (300) can establish a communication link with a pair of wireless earbuds (200) (or at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204). In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may establish a communication link based on a wired communication method (e.g., PLC) or a wireless communication method (e.g., Bluetooth legacy or BLE) with at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) at any one of various times, including at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) being attached to the electronic device (300), at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) being detached from the electronic device (300), at least one of the cover (e.g., cover (302)) of the electronic device (300) being opened or closed, at least one of the charging of the electronic device (300) being started or stopped, or at least one of the time when the electronic device (300) detects user input intended for pairing the wireless earbuds (200).

[0146] In one embodiment, when at least one of a first earbud (202) and a second earbud (204) is mounted on an electronic device (300), an electrical contact for charging the electronic device (300) (e.g., at least one of the electrical contacts (310 and 312)) and an electrical contact for charging at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) (e.g., the first electrical contact (316) or the second electrical contact (318)) may come into contact to form a wired communication link. The electronic device (300) can confirm that at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) is mounted by detecting contact with the electrical contact (e.g., at least one of the electrical contacts (310 and 312)). In one embodiment, at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) can be charged by the power of the electronic device (300) by being connected to the electric contact (e.g., at least one of the electric contacts (310 and 312)), and a communication link based on a PLC method can be established with the electronic device (300) through the electric contact (e.g., at least one of the electric contacts (310 and 312)).

[0147] In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) can establish a wireless communication link based on a wireless communication method, such as Bluetooth legacy or BLE, with at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) at any one of the various points in time.

[0148] In operation 810, the electronic device (300) can receive device information of at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204). In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) can receive device information of at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) through a communication link formed in operation 805 at any one of various time intervals that may include the time when at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) is first mounted on the electronic device (300). In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) can receive device information including the Bluetooth device address of at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) through a first communication link established with the first earbud (202) via a wired or wireless communication method and / or a second communication link established with the second earbud (204) via a wired or wireless communication method.

[0149] In one embodiment, instead of performing operations 805 and 810 individually, the electronic device (300) may obtain the device information in the process of forming a wireless communication link based on a wireless communication method such as Bluetooth legacy or BLE with the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204). In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may obtain the device information from an inquiry response packet or an advertising packet transmitted from the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204).

[0150] In one embodiment, the device information may include at least one piece of information necessary for the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) to be paired with an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101) or electronic device (630)) in response to an inquiry operation or a BLE scan operation of an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101) or electronic device (630)). In one embodiment, the device information may include at least one of a Bluetooth device address, Bluetooth version, device class, battery level, clock information, or current connection status for at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204).

[0151] In operation 815, the electronic device (300) can check the received device information and store it in memory (e.g., memory (580)). In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) can update or delete previous device information stored in memory (580) based on the received device information.

[0152] In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may receive, store, update, and / or manage only the device information of the master earbud (e.g., the first earbud (202)) that directly operates the link with the main device. In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may receive, store, update, and / or manage device information for both the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204).

[0153] According to various embodiments, when the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) use a sniffing topology or a relay topology using a Bluetooth legacy method, the electronic device (300) can check, store, and update only the device information of the first earbud (202) (e.g., master earbud) that directly establishes a communication link with and operates with the master device (e.g., electronic device (101) or electronic device (630)) among the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204). According to various embodiments, when the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) use an audio over BLE (AoBLE) topology, the electronic device (300) can check, store, and update device information of both the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204).

[0154] FIGS. 9a, FIGS. 9b, and FIGS. 9c are drawings illustrating examples of how a first earbud (202) and a second earbud (204) are connected to an electronic device (101) according to various embodiments.

[0155] Referring to FIG. 9a, the electronic device (101) can form a first communication link (Link 1) (902) and a second communication link (Link 2) (904) with each of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204). For example, the electronic device (101) can form a first communication link (902) and a second communication link (904) with the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204), respectively, using the TWS Plus method, and can transmit and receive data through the first and second communication links (902, 904). In one embodiment, the electronic device (101) can transmit bidirectional audio to the first earbud (202) through the first communication link (902) and transmit and receive bidirectional audio to the second earbud (204) through the second communication link (904). The first earbud (202) can extract and play the desired unidirectional audio from the received bidirectional audio, and likewise the second earbud (204) can extract and play the desired unidirectional audio from the received bidirectional audio.

[0156] In one embodiment, unidirectional media (e.g., left media) and bidirectional voice may be transmitted through the first communication link (902), and unidirectional media (e.g., right media) and bidirectional voice may be transmitted through the second communication link (904). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may divide and manage frequency and / or time resources for transmitting and receiving data with the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204).

[0157] According to various embodiments, when the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) are configured to communicate with a parent device (e.g., electronic device (101)) using a topology such as FIG. 9a, the electronic device (300) may transmit a pairing support signal containing device information of both the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204). An external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101) or electronic device (630)) receives device information of both the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) from the electronic device (300) and uses said device information to be paired with the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204), respectively, and can form a communication link with the first earbud (202) (e.g., a first communication link (902)) and a communication link with the second earbud (e.g., a second communication link (904)).

[0158] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (300) can transmit pairing support signals in a specified order based on information of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204). For example, the electronic device (300) can alternately transmit pairing support signals based on information of the first earbud (202) and pairing support signals based on information of the second earbud (204). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (300) can transmit pairing support signals according to priority based on information of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204). For example, the electronic device (300) can repeatedly transmit pairing support signals based on information of the device with higher priority (e.g., the first earbud (202)) for a specified time or a specified number of times.

[0159] Referring to FIG. 9b, the electronic device (101) can transmit and receive data with the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) through a first communication link (Link 1) (912) formed between the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204). For example, the electronic device (101) can transmit and receive data (e.g., two-way audio) for both the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) through the first communication link (912) formed with the first earbud (202). The second earbud (204) can sniff (916) at least a portion of the data transmitted from the electronic device (101) to the first earbud (202) using a sniffing method.

[0160] To this end, the first earbud (202) can form a second communication link (Link 2) (914) with the second earbud (204). The second earbud (204) can obtain connection information regarding the first communication link (912) between the first earbud (202) and the electronic device (101) from the first earbud (202) through the second communication link (914). The second communication link (914) can be used for the transmission of connection information rather than audio data. According to one embodiment, the second earbud (204) can share the first communication link (912) with the first earbud (201) to receive data transmitted from the electronic device (201) through sniffing (916). This is merely an example, and the second earbud (204) can sniff (916) data from the electronic device (101) by sharing connection information of the first communication link (912) according to various sniffing topologies.

[0161] In one embodiment, the second earbud (204) can obtain connection information for the first communication link (912) from the electronic device (101). In one embodiment, the second earbud (204) can obtain connection information for the first communication link (912) through an external electronic device (not shown) (e.g., electronic device (300)). In one embodiment, the second earbud (204) can obtain connection information for the first communication link (912) by receiving a signal broadcast by the first earbud (202). In one embodiment, the second earbud (204) can obtain connection information for the first communication link (912) by receiving a connection request signal sent by the electronic device (101) together with the first earbud (202).

[0162] According to various embodiments, connection information for the first communication link (912) may include address information (e.g., a Bluetooth device address of a master device of the first communication link (912) (e.g., the first earbud (202)), a Bluetooth device address of an electronic device (101), and / or a Bluetooth device address of the first earbud (202)), piconet (or topology) clock information (e.g., a clock native (CLKN) of a master device of the first communication link (912) (e.g., the first earbud (202))), a logical transport (LT) address (e.g., assigned by a master device of the first communication link (912) (e.g., the first earbud (202))), a used channel map, a link key, service discovery protocol (SDP) information (e.g., information on a service and / or profile associated with the first communication link (912)), and / or a supported feature. The connection information associated with the first communication link (912) may further include, for example, an extended inquiry response (EIR) packet. The EIR packet may include resource control information of the first communication link (912) and / or information about the manufacturer.

[0163] According to various embodiments, the second earbud (204) can determine the frequency hopping channel of the first communication link (912) through addresses and a clock, and can decrypt encrypted data packets on the first communication link (912) through a link key. In one embodiment, the second earbud (204) can generate an access code (or channel access code) and an address (e.g., LT address) corresponding to the first communication link (912) based on connection information associated with the first communication link (912), and transmit a response message containing the generated access code and address to the electronic device (101).

[0164] According to various embodiments, when the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) are configured to communicate with a parent device (e.g., electronic device (101)) using a topology such as that of FIG. 9b, the electronic device (300) may transmit a pairing support signal containing device information of the first earbud (202). An external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101) or electronic device (630)) may receive device information of the first earbud (202) from the electronic device (300), and use said device information to pair with the first earbud (202) and form a communication link (e.g., a first communication link (912)) with the first earbud (202).

[0165] In a topology such as FIG. 9b, the electronic device (300) may transmit a pairing support signal containing device information of both the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204). An external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101) or electronic device (630)) may receive device information of both the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) from the electronic device (300), and use said device information to pair with the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204), respectively, form a communication link with the first earbud (202) (e.g., a first communication link (912)), form a third communication link (not shown) with the second earbud (204), and provide connection information for the first communication link (912) to the second earbud (204) through the third communication link.

[0166] Referring to FIG. 9c, the electronic device (101) can form a first communication link (Link 1) (922) with the first earbud (201) without a connection to the second earbud (204). For example, the electronic device (101) can form a first communication link (922) with the first earbud (202) using the TWS method and transmit and receive data (e.g., two-way audio) through the first communication link (922). The electronic device (101) can transmit and receive data with the second earbud (204) through the first earbud (202). Unlike the sniffing (916) of FIG. 9b, the second earbud (204) forms a second communication link (924) capable of transmitting audio data between itself and the first earbud (202), and can receive relay audio data from the first earbud (202) through the second communication link (924).

[0167] The first earbud (202) can transmit the remainder (e.g., left audio for the second earbud (204)) excluding some of the two-way audio received through the first communication link (922) (e.g., right audio for the first earbud (202)) to the second earbud (204) through the second communication link (924). Additionally, the first earbud (202) can transmit audio data and / or control data received from the second earbud (204) through the first communication link (924) to the electronic device (101) through the first communication link (22).

[0168] According to various embodiments, when the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) are configured to communicate with a parent device (e.g., electronic device (101)) using a topology such as that of FIG. 9c, the electronic device (300) may transmit a pairing support signal containing device information of the first earbud (202). An external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101) or electronic device (630)) may receive device information of the first earbud (202) from the electronic device (300), and use said device information to pair with the first earbud (202) and form a communication link (e.g., a first communication link (912)) with the first earbud (202).

[0169] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of a flowchart describing a procedure for performing pairing support operations according to various embodiments. According to various embodiments, the operations illustrated in FIG. 10 may be performed in various orders, not limited to the order illustrated. According to various embodiments, more operations than those illustrated in FIG. 10 may be performed, or at least some operations may be omitted. According to various embodiments, the operations illustrated in FIG. 10 may be implemented as instructions executed by a processor (e.g., processor (510)) included in the electronic device (300). According to various embodiments, the operations illustrated in FIG. 10 may be implemented as instructions executed by a processor (e.g., processor (510)) included in the electronic device (300).

[0170] Referring to FIG. 10, in operation 1005, the electronic device (300) can detect that a pairing support operation is triggered. In one embodiment, for example in Bluetooth legacy communication, the pairing support operation may include operations 1010, 1015, and 1020 described below.

[0171] In one embodiment, the triggering of the pairing support operation may be determined by at least one of operation 710 or 715 of FIG. 7A. In one embodiment, the pairing support operation may be triggered when user input is present in operation 710 and when at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) is detected to be mounted on the electronic device (300) in operation 715. In one embodiment, the pairing support operation may be triggered when user input is present in operation 710 and when at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) is detected to be mounted on the electronic device (300) in operation 715, and / or when the cover of the electronic device (300) (e.g., cover (302)) is detected to be open.

[0172] In one embodiment, the triggering of the pairing support operation may be determined by at least one of operation 725, operation 730, operation 735, or operation 750 of FIG. 7B. In one embodiment, the pairing support operation may be triggered when user input is present in operation 725 and device information is stored in the electronic device (300) in operation 730. In one embodiment, the pairing support operation may be triggered when user input is present in operation 725 and device information is received by the electronic device (300) from at least one of the first earbud (20) and the second earbud (204) in operations 735 and 740. In addition, the pairing support operation may be triggered according to various other embodiments.

[0173] In operation 1010, the electronic device (300) may perform an inquiry scan operation for Bluetooth legacy communication for at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204). In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may perform operation 1010 by preset. In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may perform operation 1010 based on device information received from at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204), for example, Bluetooth type and / or request information. In one embodiment, if it is determined based on the request information that Bluetooth legacy communication is being used in the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204), the electronic device (300) may perform operation 1010. In one embodiment, if it is determined that BLE communication is available in the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) based on the request information, the electronic device (300) can proceed to operation 1510 of FIG. 15.

[0174] In operation 1015, the electronic device (300) can determine whether an inquiry packet is received from a surrounding external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101) or electronic device (630)) through the inquiry scan operation. Although not illustrated, if no inquiry packet is received, the electronic device (300) may repeat the inquiry scan operation in operation 1015 a specified number of times or for a specified time interval. If no inquiry packet is received despite the inquiry scan operation for a specified number of times or for a specified time interval, the electronic device (300) may terminate the pairing support operation. If an inquiry packet is received, the electronic device (300) may proceed to operation 1020.

[0175] In operation 1020, the electronic device (300) may transmit an inquiry response packet corresponding to the received inquiry packet, including device information of at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204). The inquiry response packet containing the device information may be received by an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101) or electronic device (630)) that sent the inquiry packet. After transmitting the inquiry response packet, the electronic device (300) may proceed to operation 1025.

[0176] In operation 1025, the electronic device (300) may determine whether to stop the pairing support operation. In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may decide to stop the pairing support operation (e.g., the inquiry scan operation) if a specified time has elapsed since the pairing support operation was triggered in operation 1005, if a specified time has elapsed since the inquiry scan operation was started in operation 1010, if a user input to cancel the pairing support operation (e.g., inquiry scan operation) is received, if a stop command is received from at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204), if at least one or both of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) are removed from the electronic device (300), or if the battery status of at least one of the electronic device (300) and / or the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) (e.g., below a specified battery level). If it is not decided to stop the pairing support operation, the electronic device (300) can return to operation 1010 and continue to perform the inquiry scan operation.

[0177] If it is decided to stop the pairing support operation, the electronic device (300) can proceed to operation 1030 to stop the pairing support operation (e.g., inquiry scan operation).

[0178] In various embodiments, the electronic device (300) can perform an inquiry scan operation to confirm the user's intention to support pairing of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) and to respond to a search request from an external electronic device located nearby (e.g., electronic device (101) or electronic device (630)). The electronic device (300) can transmit device information (e.g., including a Bluetooth device address) of at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) to the external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101) or electronic device (630)) through an inquiry response packet.

[0179] FIG. 11 is a signal flow diagram for explaining the inquiry response operation of an electronic device (300) according to various embodiments.

[0180] Referring to FIG. 11, in operation 1105, at least one earbud (e.g., first earbud (202)) can transmit device information to an electronic device (300). In one embodiment, the device information may include device information of at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204). In one embodiment, the device information may include a Bluetooth device address of at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204). In one embodiment, the device information includes device information of the first earbud (202), and although not illustrated, device information of the second earbud (204) may be transmitted from the second earbud (204) to the electronic device (300). In another embodiment, the device information may be received by the electronic device (300) from at least one of an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101) or electronic device (630)), a user, a manufacturer, or a server.

[0181] In one embodiment, the device information may be transmitted from the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204) to the electronic device (300), for example via PLC communication, when a user input intending a pairing support operation is detected while the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204) are mounted on the electronic device (300) and the cover (302) of the electronic device (300) is closed. In one embodiment, the device information may be transmitted from the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204) to the electronic device (300), for example via PLC communication, when the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204) are mounted on the electronic device (300) and the cover (302) of the electronic device (300) is closed. In one embodiment, the device information may be transmitted from the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204) to the electronic device (300) after user input is detected in operation 1120. Additionally, operation 1105 may be performed at various other times.

[0182] In operation 1110, the external electronic device (630) (e.g., electronic device (101)) decides to perform a search operation to search for nearby Bluetooth devices, and in operations 1115, 1130, and 1135, it may periodically and / or repeatedly transmit an inquiry packet for search, e.g., an ID packet.

[0183] In operation 1120, the electronic device (300) may detect user input indicating a user's intention to support pairing of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204). In one embodiment, the user input may be detected through an input device of the electronic device (300) (e.g., input device (314) or input device (550)). In one embodiment, instead of directly detecting the user input in operation 1120, the electronic device (300) may receive a request signal for pairing of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) from a user terminal (e.g., electronic device (101)).

[0184] In operation 1125, the electronic device (300) may decide to perform an inquiry scan operation included in the pairing support operation of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) according to the user input and the various embodiments described above. In the various embodiments, the electronic device (300) may decide to perform an inquiry scan operation in conjunction with the user input if at least one additional condition is satisfied, for example, that the cover of the electronic device (300) (e.g., cover (302)) is in an open state, that both or at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) is mounted on the mounting part of the electronic device (300) (e.g., first mounting part (306) and / or second mounting part (308)), or that the battery state of the electronic device (300) is above a specified battery level. Through the above inquiry scan operation, the electronic device (300) can monitor the reception of an ID packet transmitted from any Bluetooth device (e.g., an external electronic device (630)).

[0185] In operation 1140, the electronic device (300) can receive the ID packet of operation 1135 among the ID packets transmitted from the external electronic device (630).

[0186] In operation 1145, the electronic device (300) may transmit an inquiry response packet, for example, a frequency hopping sequence (FHS) packet, to an external electronic device (630) in response to the reception of the ID packet. The FHS packet may include device information obtained in operation 1105, for example, a Bluetooth device address BT_Addr. The device information includes at least one Bluetooth device address among the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204), and may optionally include additional device information.

[0187] As an optional operation, in operation 1150, the electronic device (300) may transmit an extended inquiry response (EIR) packet following the FHS packet. If the device information of at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) is not included in the FHS packet of operation 1140, the device information, for example, the Bluetooth device address BT_Addr, may be included in the EIR packet. The device information includes at least the Bluetooth device address of at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204), and may optionally include additional device information. In one embodiment, the FHS packet includes the Bluetooth device address of at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204), and the EIR packet may include additional device information.

[0188] In operation 1155, the external electronic device (630) may display at least some of the device information obtained through at least one of the FHS packet or the EIR packet, for example, the device name of the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204). In operation 1160, the external electronic device (630) may establish a communication connection (e.g., Bluetooth legacy communication connection) with the first earbud (202) using the device information, either in response to a user input requesting pairing with the first earbud (202) (or the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204)) or automatically.

[0189] In one embodiment, an external electronic device (630) may request a direct connection to the first earbud (202) (or the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204)) using the Bluetooth address of the first earbud (202) (or the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204)). In one embodiment, if the first earbud (202) (or the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204)) has an existing paired device (e.g., electronic device (101)), the first earbud (202) may disconnect from the device and establish a Bluetooth connection with the external electronic device (630) in response to the connection request of the external electronic device (630).

[0190] In one embodiment, an external electronic device (630) may transmit a connection request to the first earbud (202) using the device information, and may be connected to the first earbud (202) if the first earbud (202) responds to the connection request. Although not illustrated, if the electronic device (630) uses a connection method such as that shown in FIG. 9a, for example, the electronic device (630) may be connected to the second earbud (204) using the device information, or may be connected to the second earbud (204) using additional information received from the first earbud (202) after being paired with the first earbud (202).

[0191] FIG. 12 is a timing diagram for explaining the inquiry scan operation of an electronic device (300) according to various embodiments.

[0192] Referring to FIG. 12, an external electronic device (630) (e.g., electronic device (101)) can search for nearby Bluetooth devices through an inquiry operation. The external electronic device (630) performing the inquiry operation can continuously transmit inquiry packets, e.g., ID packets (1205), generated based on a general inquiry access code (GIAC) during a given inquiry interval (e.g., at least one master-to-slave slot). In one embodiment, each ID packet (1205) can be transmitted in at least one time interval (e.g., 68μs interval) within at least one master-to-slave slot (e.g., 625μs interval).

[0193] When an electronic device (300) performing an inquiry scan operation receives the ID packet (1205), it may transmit an FHS packet (1210) in response thereto through a channel determined by a given hopping function hop f(k') in a given inquiry response interval (e.g., at least one slave-to-master slot). In one embodiment, through the FHS packet (1210), an external electronic device (630) may obtain device information (e.g., device information of the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204)) included in the FHS packet (120). If the FHS packet (1210) indicates the presence of a next packet, the electronic device (300) may transmit an EIR packet (1215) through the same channel in the next slave-to-master slot. In one embodiment, if the FHS packet (1210) does not contain device information, the external electronic device (630) can obtain device information (e.g., device information of the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204)) from the EIR packet (1215). The external electronic device (630) can use the various information included in the FHS packet (1210) and / or the EIR packet (1215) to display information (e.g., device name) of the queried Bluetooth device (e.g., the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204)) through the user experience (UX).

[0194] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the format of an FHS packet (1210) according to various embodiments.

[0195] Referring to FIG. 13, the FHS packet (1210) may include at least one of a parity bit, a LAP (lower address part) field (1305), an EIR bit, an SR (scan repetition) field, an SP (scan period) field, an UAP (upper address part) field (1310), a NAP (non-significant address part) field (1315), a device class field, an LT_ADDR (logical transport address) field, a clock field, or a page scan mode field. In one embodiment, at least one of the LAP field (1305), the UAP field (1310), or the NAP field (1315) may include the Bluetooth device address of the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204) instead of the Bluetooth device address of the electronic device (300) transmitting the FHS packet (1210). In one embodiment, the FHS packet (1210) may include additional field(s) containing device information (e.g., Bluetooth device address) of the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204). If additional device information is to be transmitted in addition to the FHS packet (1210), the electronic device (300) may set an EIR bit within the FHS packet (1210) and transmit the additional device information in the EIR packet (e.g., EIF packet (1215) of FIG. 14) in the next slave-master slot.

[0196] FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating the format of an EIR packet (1215) according to various embodiments.

[0197] Referring to FIG. 14, an EIR packet (1215) may include a significant part and a non-significant part. The significant part may include at least one EIR data structure (1405), and each EIR data structure (1405) may include a length field (1410) and a data field (1415). The data field (1415) may include an EIR data type field (1420) and an EIR data field (1425). In one embodiment, the EIR data field (1425) within at least one EIR data structure (1405) may include device information of a first earbud (202) and / or a second earbud (204). In one embodiment, if the FHS packet (1210) includes the Bluetooth device address of the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204), the EIR data field (1425) may include additional device information of the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204). In one embodiment, the EIR data field (1425) may include all device information, including the Bluetooth device address of the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204).

[0198] An external electronic device (630) performing an inquiry operation receives an FHS packet (1210) and an EIR packet (1215) from an electronic device (300), and can facilitate an easy connection for the user by displaying to the user information (e.g., at least one of a Bluetooth device address, device name, or device type) of the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204) obtained from the FHS packet (1210) and / or the EIR packet (1215). In one embodiment, when the user performs a device search in the Bluetooth settings of the external electronic device (630), the external electronic device (630) can display the discovered first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204) to the user in a UX manner according to certain criteria.

[0199] FIG. 15 illustrates another example of a flowchart describing a procedure for performing pairing support operations according to various embodiments. According to various embodiments, the operations illustrated in FIG. 15 may be performed in various orders, not limited to the order illustrated. According to various embodiments, more operations than those illustrated in FIG. 15 may be performed, or at least some operations may be omitted. According to various embodiments, the operations illustrated in FIG. 15 may be implemented as instructions executed by a processor (e.g., processor (510)) included in the electronic device (300).

[0200] Referring to FIG. 15, in operation 1505, the electronic device (300) can detect that a pairing support operation is triggered. In one embodiment, for example in BLE communication, the pairing support operation may include operation 1510 described below. In one embodiment, the triggering of the pairing support operation may be determined by at least one of operation 710 or operation 715 of FIG. 7a. In one embodiment, the triggering of the pairing support operation may be determined by at least one of operation 725, operation 730, operation 735, or operation 750 of FIG. 7b. In addition, the pairing support operation may be triggered according to various other embodiments.

[0201] In operation 1510, the electronic device (300) may transmit an advertising packet for BLE communication for at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204). In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may perform operation 1510 by preset. In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may perform operation 1510 based on device information received from at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204), for example, Bluetooth type and / or request information. In one embodiment, if it is determined that BLE communication is being used in the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) based on the request information, the electronic device (300) may perform operation 1510. In one embodiment, if it is determined that Bluetooth legacy communication is being used in the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) based on the request information, the electronic device (300) can proceed to operation 1010 of FIG. 10.

[0202] In operation 1515, the electronic device (300) may determine whether to stop the pairing support operation. In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may decide to stop the pairing support operation (e.g., transmission of advertising packet) depending on whether a specified time has elapsed since the pairing support operation was triggered in operation 1505, whether a specified time has elapsed since the transmission of an advertising packet began in operation 1510, whether a user input to cancel the pairing support operation (e.g., transmission of an advertising packet) is received, whether a stop command is received from at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204), whether at least one or both of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) are removed from the electronic device (300), or depending on the battery status of at least one of the electronic device (300) and / or the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) (e.g., below a specified battery level). If it is not decided to stop the pairing support operation, the electronic device (300) can return to operation 1510 and continue transmitting advertising packets.

[0203] If it is decided to stop the pairing support operation, the electronic device (300) may proceed to operation 1520 to stop the pairing support operation (e.g., transmission of advertising packets).

[0204] In various embodiments, the electronic device (300) can confirm the user's intention to support pairing of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) and transmit an advertising packet to notify an external electronic device located nearby (e.g., electronic device (101) or electronic device (630)) of the presence of the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204). Through the advertising packet, the electronic device (300) can transmit device information (e.g., including a Bluetooth device address) of at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) to the external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101) or electronic device (630)).

[0205] FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating the BLE advertising operation of an electronic device (300) according to various embodiments.

[0206] Referring to FIG. 16, in operation 1605, at least one earbud (e.g., first earbud (202)) can transmit device information to an electronic device (300). In one embodiment, the device information may include device information of at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204). In one embodiment, the device information may include a Bluetooth device address of at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204). In one embodiment, the device information may be transmitted from the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204) to the electronic device (300) after user input is detected in operation 1615. The device information may be transmitted at various points in time according to the embodiments described above.

[0207] In operation 1610, an external electronic device (630) (e.g., electronic device (101)) can initiate an advertising scan operation to search for nearby Bluetooth devices.

[0208] In operation 1615, the electronic device (300) may detect user input indicating a user's intention to support pairing of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204). In one embodiment, in operation 1615, instead of directly detecting user input, the electronic device (300) may receive a request signal for pairing of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204) from a user terminal (e.g., electronic device (101)).

[0209] According to operation 1620, the electronic device (300) determines to initiate a BLE advertising operation to search for nearby Bluetooth devices according to the user input and the various embodiments described above, and may periodically transmit an advertising (Adv) packet in operation 1625. In one embodiment, the advertising packet may include advertising data, and the advertising data may include device information of at least one of the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204), for example, a Bluetooth device address BT_Addr. The device information may further include additional device information.

[0210] In operation 1630, the external electronic device (630) can receive the advertising packet from the electronic device (300), and in operation 1635, it can transmit a scan request (Scan req.) packet corresponding to the advertising packet to the electronic device (300).

[0211] Upon receiving a scan request packet of operation 1635, the electronic device (300) may transmit a scan response packet corresponding to the scan request packet to an external electronic device (630) in operation 1640. In one embodiment, if the advertising packet does not include device information of the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204), the scan response packet may include device information of the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204), for example, a Bluetooth device address BT_addr. In one embodiment, the advertising packet includes device information of the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204), and the scan response packet may include additional device information.

[0212] In one embodiment, in operation 1635, the external electronic device (630) may transmit the scan request packet to the first earbud (202) instead of transmitting it to the electronic device (300), and may receive a scan response packet corresponding to the scan request packet from the first earbud (202).

[0213] According to various embodiments, in operation 1650, the electronic device (300) may continuously and periodically transmit an advertising packet containing device information of the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204). In one embodiment, the transmission of the advertising packet in operation 1650 may continue until the electronic device (300) decides to stop the pairing support operation. In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may decide whether to stop the pairing support operation according to operation 1515 of FIG. 15.

[0214] In operation 1645, the external electronic device (630) may display at least some of the device information obtained from the advertising packet or the scan response packet, for example, the device name of the first earbud (202) and / or the second earbud (204). In operation 1655, the external electronic device (630) may transmit a connection instruction (e.g., connect_ind) packet to initiate a communication connection to the first earbud (202) using the device information, either in response to a user input requesting pairing with the first earbud (202) (or the first earbud (202) and the second earbud (204)) or automatically. If the first earbud (202) responds to the transmission of the connection instruction packet, in operation 1660, the external electronic device (630) may establish a communication connection (e.g., BLE communication connection) with the first earbud (202). In one embodiment, the electronic device (630) may be connected to the second earbud (204) using the device information, or may be connected to the second earbud (204) using additional information received from the first earbud (202) after being paired with the first earbud (202).

[0215] An electronic device (300) according to various embodiments may be configured to include an input device (550), a communication circuit (520), and at least one processor (510) operatively connected to the input device and the communication circuit, wherein the at least one processor may be configured to receive user input for pairing support for at least one of a first earbud and a second earbud through the input device, receive an inquiry packet from an external electronic device through the communication circuit by performing an inquiry scan operation in response to the user input, and transmit an inquiry response packet (620) containing device information (605) of at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud to the external electronic device through the communication circuit in response to the reception of the inquiry packet.

[0216] In one embodiment, the device information may include the address of at least one Bluetooth device among the first earbud and the second earbud.

[0217] In one embodiment, the inquiry response packet may include at least one of a frequency hopping sequence (FHS) packet and an extended inquiry response (EIR) packet.

[0218] In one embodiment, the FHS packet may include the Bluetooth device address of at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud among the device information, and the EIR packet may include at least one of the device name, Bluetooth version, device class (CoD), battery level, clock information, current connection status, page scan mode information, transmit power level, service class, at least one UUID, and manufacturer data among the device information.

[0219] In one embodiment, the at least one processor may be configured to receive the device address from at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud.

[0220] In one embodiment, the at least one processor may determine to perform the inquiry scan operation when the user input is received while at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud is mounted on the electronic device, when the user input is received while the cover provided in the housing of the electronic device is open, when the user input is received while the battery state of the electronic device is above a specified battery level, and / or when a request signal indicating pairing support for at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud is received from a user terminal through the communication circuit.

[0221] In one embodiment, the at least one processor may decide to stop the inquiry scan operation when a specified time has elapsed after the inquiry scan operation has started, when a user input requesting to stop the inquiry scan operation is received, when a stop command is received from at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud, when at least one or both of the first earbud and the second earbud are detached from the electronic device, or when the battery status of the electronic device and / or at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud is below a specified battery level.

[0222] A method of operation of an electronic device (300) according to various embodiments may include an operation (1005; 710, 725) of receiving user input for pairing support for at least one of a first earbud (202) and a second earbud (204), an operation (1015) of receiving an inquiry packet from an external electronic device (630) by performing an inquiry scan operation in response to the user input, and an operation (1020) of transmitting an inquiry response packet (620) containing device information (605) of at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud to the external electronic device in response to the reception of the inquiry packet.

[0223] In one embodiment, the device information may include the address of at least one Bluetooth device among the first earbud and the second earbud.

[0224] In one embodiment, the inquiry response packet may include at least one of a frequency hopping sequence (FHS) packet and an extended inquiry response (EIR) packet.

[0225] In one embodiment, the FHS packet may include the Bluetooth device address of at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud among the device information, and the EIR packet may include at least one of the device name, Bluetooth version, device class (CoD), battery level, clock information, current connection status, page scan mode information, transmit power level, service class, at least one UUID, and manufacturer data among the device information.

[0226] In one embodiment, the method may further include the operation (705, 740) of receiving the device address from at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud.

[0227] In one embodiment, the inquiry scan operation may be performed when the user input is received while at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud is mounted on the electronic device, when the user input is received while the cover provided in the housing of the electronic device is open, when the user input is received while the battery status of the electronic device is above a specified battery level, and / or when a signal indicating pairing support for at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud is received from a user terminal.

[0228] In one embodiment, the method may further include an operation (1030) of stopping the inquiry scan operation when a specified time has elapsed after the inquiry scan operation has started, when a user input requesting to stop the inquiry scan operation is received, when a stop command is received from at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud, when at least one or both of the first earbud and the second earbud are detached from the electronic device, or when the battery status of the electronic device and / or at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud is below a specified battery level.

[0229] An electronic device (300) according to various embodiments comprises an input device (550); a communication circuit (520); and at least one processor (510) operatively connected to the input device and the communication circuit, wherein the at least one processor may be configured to receive user input for pairing support for at least one of a first earbud and a second earbud through the input device, and in response to the user input, transmit a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) advertising packet (620) containing device information (605) of at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud through the communication circuit.

[0230] In one embodiment, the device information may include the address of at least one Bluetooth device among the first earbud and the second earbud.

[0231] In one embodiment, the at least one processor may be configured to receive device information from at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud.

[0232] In one embodiment, the at least one processor may determine to transmit the BLE advertising packet when the user input is received while at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud is mounted on the electronic device, when the user input is received while the cover provided in the housing of the electronic device is open, when the user input is received while the battery state of the electronic device is above a specified battery level, and / or when a request signal indicating pairing support for at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud is received from a user terminal through the communication circuit.

[0233] In one embodiment, the at least one processor may decide to stop the transmission of the BLE advertising packet when a specified time has elapsed since the transmission of the BLE advertising packet began, when a user input requesting to stop the transmission of the BLE advertising packet is received, when a stop command is received from at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud, when at least one or both of the first earbud and the second earbud are removed from the electronic device, or when the battery status of the electronic device and / or at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud is below a specified battery level.

[0234] A method of operation of an electronic device according to various embodiments may include an operation (1505; 710, 725) of receiving user input for pairing support for at least one of a first earbud and a second earbud, and an operation (1510) of transmitting a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) advertising packet (620) containing device information (605) of at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud in response to the user input.

[0235] In one embodiment, the device information may include the address of at least one Bluetooth device among the first earbud and the second earbud.

[0236] In one embodiment, the method may further include an operation (705, 740) of receiving device information from at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud.

[0237] In one embodiment, the operation of transmitting the BLE advertising packet may be performed when the user input is received while at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud is mounted on the electronic device, when the user input is received while the cover provided in the housing of the electronic device is open, when the user input is received while the battery state of the electronic device is above a specified battery level, and / or when a request signal instructing pairing support for at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud is received from a user terminal.

[0238] In one embodiment, the method may further include an operation (1520) of stopping the transmission of the BLE advertising packet when a specified time has elapsed after the transmission of the BLE advertising packet has started, when a user input requesting to stop the transmission of the BLE advertising packet is received, when a stop command is received from at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud, when at least one or both of the first earbud and the second earbud are detached from the electronic device, or when the battery status of the electronic device and / or at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud is below a specified battery level.

[0239] The electronic device according to the various embodiments disclosed in this document may be of various forms. The electronic device may include, for example, a portable communication device (e.g., a smartphone), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a camera, a wearable device, or a consumer electronics device. The electronic device according to the embodiments of this document is not limited to the devices described above.

[0240] The various embodiments of this document and the terms used therein are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, and should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutions of said embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related components. The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of said items unless the relevant context clearly indicates otherwise. In this document, phrases such as "A or B," "at least one of A and B," "at least one of A or B," "A, B or C," "at least one of A, B and C," and "at least one of A, B, or C" may each include any one of the items listed together in the corresponding phrase, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as "first," "second," or "first" or "second" may be used simply to distinguish said components from other said components and do not limit said components in any other aspect (e.g., importance or order). Where any (e.g., 1st) component is referred to as "coupled" or "connected" to another (e.g., 2nd) component, with or without the terms "functionally" or "communicationly," it means that said any component may be connected to said other component directly (e.g., via a wire), wirelessly, or through a third component.

[0241] The term “module” as used in the various embodiments of this document may include a unit implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with terms such as logic, logic block, component, or circuit, for example. A module may be a component formed integrally, or a minimum unit of said component or a part thereof that performs one or more functions. For example, according to one embodiment, a module may be implemented in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0242] Various embodiments of the present document may be implemented as software (e.g., program (140)) comprising one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (e.g., internal memory (136) or external memory (138)) readable by a machine (e.g., electronic device (101)). For example, a processor (e.g., processor (120)) of the machine (e.g., electronic device (101)) may call at least one of the one or more instructions stored in the storage medium and execute it. This enables the machine to be operated to perform at least one function according to the at least one called instruction. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code that can be executed by an interpreter. The storage medium readable by the machine may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, 'non-temporary' simply means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not contain a signal (e.g., electromagnetic waves), and the term does not distinguish between cases where data is stored semi-permanently and cases where it is stored temporarily.

[0243] According to one embodiment, the method according to the various embodiments disclosed herein may be provided by being included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between a seller and a buyer as a product. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a device-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)) or an application store (e.g., Play Store). TM It can be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) through ) or directly between two user devices (e.g., smartphones). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be temporarily stored or temporarily created on a device-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or a relay server.

[0244] According to various embodiments, each component (e.g., module or program) of the components described above may include a singular or multiple entities, and some of the multiple entities may be separated and placed in other components. According to various embodiments, one or more of the components or operations of the aforementioned components may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Generally or additionally, multiple components (e.g., module or program) may be integrated into a single component. In this case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the multiple components in the same or similar manner as those performed by the corresponding component among the multiple components prior to integration. According to various embodiments, operations performed by the module, program, or other components may be executed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

Claims

Claim 1 In an electronic device, an input device; a communication circuit; and at least one processor operatively connected to the input device and the communication circuit; An electronic device comprising a memory for storing instructions, wherein when the instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device receives device information of one or both of a first earbud and a second earbud through the communication circuit, wherein the electronic device is a charging cradle having storage spaces for the first earbud and the second earbud, and while at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud is mounted on the electronic device and the cover of the electronic device is open, the electronic device receives user input through the input device to support pairing the first earbud and the second earbud with an external electronic device, and receives an inquiry packet from the external electronic device through the communication circuit by performing an inquiry scan operation in response to the user input, and transmits an inquiry response packet containing device information of at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud to the external electronic device through the communication circuit in response to the reception of the inquiry packet. Claim 2 An electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the device information includes the address of at least one Bluetooth device among the first earbud and the second earbud. Claim 3 An electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the inquiry response packet comprises at least one of a frequency hopping sequence (FHS) packet and an extended inquiry response (EIR) packet, the FHS packet comprises at least one Bluetooth device address among the first earbud and the second earbud among the device information, and the EIR packet comprises at least one of a device name, Bluetooth version, device class (CoD), battery level, clock information, current connection status, page scan mode information, transmit power level, service class, at least one UUID, and manufacturer data among the device information. Claim 4 An electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to receive device information from at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud. Claim 5 An electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to determine to perform the inquiry scan operation when the user input is received while the battery state of the electronic device is above a specified battery level, and / or when a request signal instructing pairing support for at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud is received from a user terminal through the communication circuit. Claim 6 A method of operating an electronic device, comprising: receiving device information of one or both of a first earbud and a second earbud; wherein the electronic device is a charging cradle having storage spaces for the first earbud and the second earbud; receiving user input to support pairing the first earbud and the second earbud with an external electronic device while at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud is mounted on the electronic device and the cover of the electronic device is open; receiving an inquiry packet from the external electronic device by performing an inquiry scan operation in response to the user input; and transmitting an inquiry response packet containing device information of at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud to the external electronic device in response to the reception of the inquiry packet. Claim 7 A method according to claim 6, wherein the device information comprises the address of at least one Bluetooth device among the first earbud and the second earbud. Claim 8 A method according to claim 6, wherein the inquiry response packet comprises at least one of a frequency hopping sequence (FHS) packet and an extended inquiry response (EIR) packet, wherein the FHS packet comprises at least one Bluetooth device address among the first earbud and the second earbud among the device information, and the EIR packet comprises at least one of the device name, Bluetooth version, device class (CoD), battery level, clock information, current connection status, page scan mode information, transmit power level, service class, at least one UUID, and manufacturer data among the device information. Claim 9 A method according to claim 6, further comprising the operation of receiving device information from at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud. Claim 10 A method according to claim 6, wherein the inquiry scan operation is performed when the user input is received while the battery state of the electronic device is above a specified battery level, and / or when a signal indicating pairing support for at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud is received from the user terminal. Claim 11 A method according to claim 6, further comprising an operation to stop the inquiry scan operation when a specified time has elapsed after the inquiry scan operation has started, when a user input requesting to stop the inquiry scan operation is received, when a stop command is received from at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud, when at least one or both of the first earbud and the second earbud are detached from the electronic device, or when the battery status of the electronic device and / or at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud is below a specified battery level. Claim 12 An electronic device comprising: an input device; a communication circuit; at least one processor operatively connected to the input device and the communication circuit; and a memory for storing instructions, wherein when the instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device receives device information of one or both of a first earbud and a second earbud through the communication circuit, wherein the electronic device is a charging cradle having storage spaces for the first earbud and the second earbud, and while at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud is mounted on the electronic device and the cover of the electronic device is open, the electronic device receives user input through the input device to support pairing the first earbud and the second earbud with an external electronic device, and in response to the user input, transmits a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) advertising packet containing device information of at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud through the communication circuit. Claim 13 An electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the device information includes the address of at least one Bluetooth device among the first earbud and the second earbud. Claim 14 An electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to receive device information from at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud. Claim 15 An electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to determine to transmit the BLE advertising packet when the user input is received while the battery state of the electronic device is above a specified battery level, and / or when a request signal indicating pairing support for at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud is received from a user terminal through the communication circuit. Claim 16 A method of operating an electronic device, comprising: receiving device information of one or both of a first earbud and a second earbud; wherein the electronic device is a charging cradle having storage spaces for the first earbud and the second earbud; receiving user input to support pairing the first earbud and the second earbud with an external electronic device while at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud is mounted on the electronic device and the cover of the electronic device is open; and transmitting a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) advertising packet containing device information of at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud in response to the user input. Claim 17 A method according to claim 16, wherein the device information comprises the address of at least one Bluetooth device among the first earbud and the second earbud. Claim 18 A method according to claim 16, further comprising the operation of receiving device information from at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud. Claim 19 A method according to claim 16, wherein the operation of transmitting the BLE advertising packet is performed when the user input is received while the battery state of the electronic device is above a specified battery level, and / or when a request signal instructing pairing support for at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud is received from the user terminal. Claim 20 A method according to claim 16, further comprising the operation of stopping the transmission of the BLE advertising packet when a specified time has elapsed after the transmission of the BLE advertising packet has started, when a user input requesting to stop the transmission of the BLE advertising packet is received, when a stop command is received from at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud, when at least one or both of the first earbud and the second earbud are detached from the electronic device, or when the battery status of the electronic device and / or at least one of the first earbud and the second earbud is below a specified battery level.

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