Electronic device supporting proximity communication service and method for obtaining information of short-range communication device using the same

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an electronic device according to certain embodiments, including a first communication circuit configured to support a first communication protocol; a display; and at least one processor operably connected to the first communication circuit and the display, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: configure a cluster with at least one external electronic device based on the first communication protocol through the first communication circuit, receive information identifying at least one short-range communication device connected to the at least one external electronic device via a second communication protocol from the at least one external electronic device through the first communication circuit, and control the display to display at least one indicator of the at least one short-range communication device based on the information received from the at least one external electronic device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Certain embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an electronic device supporting a proximity communication service and a method of obtaining information of a short-range communication device using the electronic device. Background Art

[0002] Proximity services can utilize low-power short-range communications. For example, proximity services can exchange data through a proximity network. Proximity services can include low-power proximity services based on neighbor awareness networking (NAN) (or Wi-Fi awareness) based on wireless local area networks (WLANs) or low-power proximity services using Bluetooth low energy (BLE) beacons. Summary of the invention

[0003] Technical issues

[0004] In order to perform NAN communication and communication excluding NAN communication (e.g., Bluetooth, near field communication (NFC) and / or Wi-Fi Direct) with an external electronic device, the electronic device should search for the external electronic device by activating NAN communication supporting the communication and communication excluding NAN. In addition, for the communication connection with the searched external electronic device, the electronic device should enter a pairing mode, or should perform an inquiry and paging operation to cause inconvenience.

[0005] Technical Solution

[0006] An electronic device according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure may receive and display information about at least one external electronic device and at least one short-range communication device connected through communication excluding NAN communication from at least one external electronic device connected through NAN communication.

[0007] According to certain embodiments, an electronic device includes a first communication circuit configured to support a first communication protocol; a display; and at least one processor operably connected to the first communication circuit and the display, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: configure a cluster with at least one external electronic device based on the first communication protocol through the first communication circuit, receive information identifying at least one short-range communication device connected to the at least one external electronic device via a second communication protocol from the at least one external electronic device through the first communication circuit, and control the display to display at least one indicator of the at least one short-range communication device based on the information received from the at least one external electronic device.

[0008] According to certain embodiments, an electronic device includes a first communication circuit configured to support a first communication protocol; a second communication circuit configured to support a second communication protocol; and at least one processor operably connected to the first communication circuit and the second communication circuit, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: establish a connection with at least one short-range communication device via the second communication protocol using the second communication circuit, configure a cluster with an external electronic device via the first communication circuit via the first communication protocol, generate information identifying at least one short-range communication device connected via the second communication protocol, and send the generated information of at least one short-range communication device to the external electronic device via the first communication circuit.

[0009] According to certain embodiments, a method for obtaining information of a short-range communication device using an electronic device supporting a proximity communication service includes: configuring a cluster with at least one external electronic device based on a first communication protocol through a first communication circuit; receiving information identifying at least one short-range communication device connected to the at least one external electronic device based on a second communication protocol from the at least one external electronic device through the first communication circuit; and displaying at least one indicator indicating the at least one short-range communication device based on the information received from the at least one external electronic device.

[0010] According to certain embodiments, a method for obtaining information of a short-range communication device using an electronic device supporting a proximity communication service includes: establishing a connection with at least one short-range communication device via a second communication protocol through a second communication circuit; configuring a cluster with an external electronic device via a first communication circuit via a first communication protocol; generating information identifying at least one short-range communication device connected via the second communication protocol; and sending the generated information of at least one short-range communication device to at least one external electronic device through the first communication circuit.

[0011] Effects that can be obtained in the present disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other unmentioned effects can be clearly understood from the following description by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains.

[0012] Beneficial Effects

[0013] An electronic device according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure may receive information of at least one short-range communication device from at least one external electronic device connected through NAN communication.

[0014] According to certain embodiments of the present disclosure, an electronic device can receive information from at least one external electronic device connected via NAN communication to at least one short-range communication device connected to the at least one external electronic device via communication excluding NAN communication, thereby increasing the availability of the at least one external electronic device and the at least one short-range communication device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of certain embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0016] Figure 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device in a network environment according to some embodiments.

[0017] Figure 2 is a diagram explaining an example of a system configuration according to some embodiments.

[0018] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a signal transmission protocol in a proximity network according to some embodiments.

[0019] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of data transmission and reception in a cluster according to some embodiments.

[0020] Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device according to some embodiments.

[0021] Figure 6 is a flowchart explaining a method for obtaining and displaying information of a short-range communication device connected to an electronic device supporting a proximity communication service according to some embodiments.

[0022] Figure 7 is a flowchart explaining a method for generating and transmitting information of a short-range communication device connected based on a second communication protocol according to some embodiments.

[0023] Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating a signal flow between a short-range communication device, an external electronic device, and an electronic device according to some embodiments.

[0024] Fig. 9 is a diagram explaining a method for obtaining information of a short-range communication device connected to an electronic device supporting a proximity communication service according to some embodiments.

[0025] Fig.10 is a flowchart explaining a method for obtaining and displaying information of a short-range communication device connected to an electronic device supporting a proximity communication service according to some embodiments.

[0026] Fig.11 is a diagram illustrating a signal flow between a first short range communication device, an external electronic device, an electronic device, and a second short range communication device according to some embodiments.

[0027] Fig.12ais a diagram explaining a method for obtaining and displaying information of a short-range communication device connected to an electronic device supporting a proximity communication service according to some embodiments.

[0028] Figure 12b is a diagram explaining a method for obtaining and displaying information of a short-range communication device connected to an electronic device supporting a proximity communication service according to some embodiments.

[0029] Fig.12c is a diagram explaining a method for obtaining and displaying information of a short-range communication device connected to an electronic device supporting a proximity communication service according to some embodiments.

[0030] Fig.12d is a diagram explaining a method for obtaining and displaying information of a short-range communication device connected to an electronic device supporting a proximity communication service according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device 101 in a network environment 100 according to various embodiments.

[0032] Reference Figure 1 , the electronic device 101 in the network environment 100 may communicate with the electronic device 102 via the first network 198 (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network), or communicate with the electronic device 104 or the server 108 via the second network 199 (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). According to an embodiment, the electronic device 101 may communicate with the electronic device 104 via the server 108. According to an embodiment, the electronic device 101 may include a processor 120, a memory 130, an input device 150, a sound output device 155, a display device 160, an audio module 170, a sensor module 176, an interface 177, a haptic module 179, a camera module 180, a power management module 188, a battery 189, a communication module 190, a user identification module (SIM) 196, or an antenna module 197. In some embodiments, at least one of the components (e.g., the display device 160 or the camera module 180) may be omitted from the electronic device 101, or one or more other components may be added to the electronic device 101. In some embodiments, some of the components may be implemented as a single integrated circuit.For example, the sensor module 176 (eg, a fingerprint sensor, an iris sensor, or an illumination sensor) may be implemented to be embedded in the display device 160 (eg, a display).

[0033] The processor 120 may run, for example, software (e.g., program 140) to control at least one other component (e.g., hardware component or software component) of the electronic device 101 connected to the processor 120, and may perform various data processing or calculations. According to one embodiment, as at least part of the data processing or calculation, the processor 120 may load a command or data received from another component (e.g., sensor module 176 or communication module 190) into the volatile memory 132, process the command or data stored in the volatile memory 132, and store the resultant data in the non-volatile memory 134. According to an embodiment, the processor 120 may include a main processor 121 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU) or an application processor (AP)) and an auxiliary processor 123 (e.g., a graphics processing unit (GPU), an image signal processor (ISP), a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor (CP)) that is operationally independent or combined with the main processor 121. Additionally or alternatively, the auxiliary processor 123 may be adapted to consume less power than the main processor 121, or adapted to be specifically used for a specified function. The auxiliary processor 123 may be implemented separately from the main processor 121 , or as part of the main processor 121 .

[0034] When the main processor 121 is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, the auxiliary processor 123 may control at least some of the functions or states related to at least one component (e.g., display device 160, sensor module 176, or communication module 190) among the components of the electronic device 101 (not the main processor 121), or when the main processor 121 is in an active state (e.g., running an application), the auxiliary processor 123 may control at least some of the functions or states related to at least one component (e.g., display device 160, sensor module 176, or communication module 190) among the components of the electronic device 101 together with the main processor 121. According to an embodiment, the auxiliary processor 123 (e.g., an image signal processor or a communication processor) may be implemented as part of another component (e.g., camera module 180 or communication module 190) that is functionally related to the auxiliary processor 123.

[0035] The memory 130 may store various data used by at least one component of the electronic device 101 (e.g., the processor 120 or the sensor module 176). The various data may include, for example, software (e.g., the program 140) and input data or output data for commands related thereto. The memory 130 may include a volatile memory 132 or a nonvolatile memory 134.

[0036] The program 140 may be stored as software in the memory 130 , and may include, for example, an operating system (OS) 142 , middleware 144 , or applications 146 .

[0037] The input device 150 may receive commands or data from outside the electronic device 101 (e.g., a user) to be used by other components of the electronic device 101 (e.g., the processor 120). The input device 150 may include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard, or a digital pen (e.g., a stylus).

[0038] The sound output device 155 can output a sound signal to the outside of the electronic device 101. The sound output device 155 may include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker can be used for general purposes such as playing multimedia or playing records, and the receiver can be used for incoming calls. Depending on the embodiment, the receiver can be implemented as a separate part from the speaker, or as a part of the speaker.

[0039] The display device 160 may visually provide information to the outside of the electronic device 101 (e.g., a user). The display device 160 may include, for example, a display, a holographic device, or a projector, and a control circuit for controlling a corresponding one of the display, the holographic device, and the projector. According to an embodiment, the display device 160 may include a touch circuit adapted to detect a touch or a sensor circuit (e.g., a pressure sensor) adapted to measure the strength of a force caused by a touch.

[0040] The audio module 170 may convert sound into an electrical signal, or vice versa. According to an embodiment, the audio module 170 may obtain sound via the input device 150, or output sound via the sound output device 155 or an earphone of an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device 102) directly (e.g., wired) or wirelessly connected to the electronic device 101.

[0041] The sensor module 176 may detect an operating state (e.g., power or temperature) of the electronic device 101 or an environmental state (e.g., a state of a user) outside the electronic device 101, and then generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the detected state. According to an embodiment, the sensor module 176 may include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, an atmospheric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illumination sensor.

[0042] The interface 177 may support one or more specific protocols to be used to connect the electronic device 101 directly (e.g., wired) or wirelessly to an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device 102). According to an embodiment, the interface 177 may include, for example, a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, a secure digital (SD) card interface, or an audio interface.

[0043] The connection end 178 may include a connector, wherein the electronic device 101 can be physically connected to an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device 102) via the connector. According to an embodiment, the connection end 178 may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).

[0044] The haptic module 179 may convert the electrical signal into mechanical stimulation (eg, vibration or motion) or electrical stimulation that can be recognized by the user via his sense of touch or kinesthetic sense. According to an embodiment, the haptic module 179 may include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulator.

[0045] The camera module 180 may capture still images or moving images. According to an embodiment, the camera module 180 may include one or more lenses, an image sensor, an image signal processor, or a flash.

[0046] The power management module 188 may manage power supply to the electronic device 101. According to an embodiment, the power management module 188 may be implemented as, for example, at least a part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

[0047] The battery 189 may power at least one component of the electronic device 101. According to an embodiment, the battery 189 may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell.

[0048] The communication module 190 may support establishing a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the electronic device 101 and an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device 102, electronic device 104, or server 108), and perform communication via the established communication channel. The communication module 190 may include one or more communication processors capable of operating independently from the processor 120 (e.g., an application processor (AP)) and supporting direct (e.g., wired) communication or wireless communication. According to an embodiment, the communication module 190 may include a wireless communication module 192 (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module 194 (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module or a power line communication (PLC) module). A corresponding one of these communication modules can communicate with an external electronic device via a first network 198 (e.g., a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) Direct, or Infrared Data Association (IrDA)) or a second network 199 (e.g., a long-range communication network such as a cellular network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a LAN or a wide area network (WAN))). These various types of communication modules can be implemented as a single component (e.g., a single chip), or these various types of communication modules can be implemented as multiple components separated from each other (e.g., multiple chips). The wireless communication module 192 can identify and authenticate the electronic device 101 in a communication network (such as the first network 198 or the second network 199) using user information (e.g., an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI)) stored in the user identification module 196.

[0049] The antenna module 197 may transmit or receive a signal or power to or from the outside of the electronic device 101 (e.g., an external electronic device). According to an embodiment, the antenna module 197 may include an antenna including a radiating element formed of a conductive material or a conductive pattern formed in or on a substrate (e.g., a PCB). According to an embodiment, the antenna module 197 may include a plurality of antennas. In this case, at least one antenna suitable for a communication scheme used in a communication network (such as the first network 198 or the second network 199) may be selected from the plurality of antennas by, for example, the communication module 190 (e.g., the wireless communication module 192). A signal or power may then be transmitted or received between the communication module 190 and the external electronic device via the selected at least one antenna. According to an embodiment, another component (e.g., a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) other than the radiating element may be additionally formed as a part of the antenna module 197.

[0050] At least some of the above components may be connected to each other via an inter-peripheral communication scheme (e.g., a bus, general purpose input output (GPIO), serial peripheral interface (SPI), or mobile industry processor interface (MIPI)) and communicatively transmit signals (e.g., commands or data) therebetween.

[0051] According to an embodiment, a command or data may be sent or received between the electronic device 101 and the external electronic device 104 via the server 108 connected to the second network 199. Each of the electronic device 102 and the electronic device 104 may be a device of the same type as the electronic device 101, or a device of a different type from the electronic device 101. According to an embodiment, all or some operations to be executed in the electronic device 101 may be executed in one or more of the external electronic device 102, the external electronic device 104, or the server 108. For example, if the electronic device 101 should automatically execute a function or service or should execute a function or service in response to a request from a user or another device, the electronic device 101 may request the one or more external electronic devices to execute at least part of the function or service instead of executing the function or service, or the electronic device 101 may request the one or more external electronic devices to execute at least part of the function or service in addition to executing the function or service. The one or more external electronic devices that receive the request may execute the requested at least part of the function or service, or execute another function or another 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 at least a partial reply to the request with or without further processing the result. To this end, for example, cloud computing technology, distributed computing technology, or client-server computing technology may be used.

[0052] Figure 2 is a diagram 200 illustrating an example of a system configuration according to some embodiments.

[0053] For example, Figure 2 A configuration example of a neighbor awareness network (NAN) cluster 201 of a neighbor network according to some embodiments may be shown. In the following description, the cluster 201 may represent a collection of electronic devices 210, 220, 230, and 240 constituting a neighbor network, so that the electronic devices (or NAN devices) 210, 220, 230, and 240 can send and receive data to each other. For example, according to the NAN standard, the cluster 201 may be referred to as a NAN cluster.

[0054] refer to Figure 2, the cluster 201 may be composed of a plurality of electronic devices 210, 220, 230, and 240. The electronic devices 210, 220, 230, and 240 included in the cluster 201 may send and receive beacons (or discovery beacons) and service discovery frames (SDF) (hereinafter referred to as "SDF") in a synchronized time duration (or communication duration) (e.g., discovery window (DW)). For example, the electronic devices 210, 220, 230, and 240 in the cluster 201 have clocks synchronized with each other, so they may send beacons and SDFs to each other and receive beacons and SDFs from each other in the same discovery window. According to an embodiment, an electronic device supporting a low-power near field communication technology based on NAN may broadcast a discovery signal (e.g., beacon) for discovering other electronic devices in each predetermined first interval (e.g., approximately 100 milliseconds), and it may receive discovery signals broadcasted from other electronic devices by performing scanning in each predetermined second interval (e.g., approximately 10 milliseconds). According to an embodiment, the electronic device may identify at least one other electronic device located around the electronic device based on the discovery signal received through scanning, and the electronic device may perform time and channel synchronization with the identified at least one other electronic device.

[0055] For example, Figure 2 As shown, each of the plurality of electronic devices 210, 220, 230, and 240 may form a cluster 201 by transmitting beacons to and receiving beacons from other electronic devices 210, 220, 230, and 240, and the electronic devices 210, 220, 230, and 240 in the cluster 201 may perform time and channel synchronization.

[0056] In an embodiment, time and channel synchronization may be performed based on the time and channel of the electronic device with the highest master preference in the cluster 201. For example, the electronic devices 210, 220, 230, and 240 in the cluster 201 formed by discovery may mutually exchange signals for master preference information indicating a preference for operating as an anchor master, and through the exchanged signals, they may determine the electronic device with the highest master preference as the anchor master (or master device).

[0057] According to an embodiment, the anchor master may refer to an electronic device that becomes the basis for time and channel synchronization of the electronic devices 210, 220, 230, and 240 in the cluster 201. The anchor master may be changed according to the master preference of the electronic device. According to an embodiment, in a discovery window (or discovery interval) repeated according to a predetermined interval, each of the time / channel synchronized electronic devices 210, 220, 230, and 240 may send beacons and SDFs to other electronic devices and receive beacons and SDFs from other electronic devices.

[0058] According to an embodiment, beacons may be periodically transmitted and received for each discovery window in order to continuously maintain time and channel synchronization of the electronic devices 210 , 220 , 230 , and 240 in the cluster 201 .

[0059] According to an embodiment, the SDF may be transmitted and received in the discovery window according to the necessity of providing services to the discovered electronic devices 210, 220, 230, and 240. According to an embodiment, among the time / channel synchronized electronic devices 210, 220, 230, and 240, the electronic device operating as an anchor master may transmit a beacon in an interval between discovery windows to detect a new electronic device.

[0060] According to an embodiment, each of the electronic devices 210, 220, 230, and 240 in the cluster 201 can reduce current consumption in such a way that it operates in an active state only during a discovery window and operates in a low power state (e.g., a sleep state) during the remaining intervals other than the discovery window. For example, the discovery window corresponds to a time (e.g., milliseconds) during which the electronic device is in an active state (or awake state) to cause a large amount of current consumption, and the interval excluding the discovery window corresponds to a time during which the electronic device remains in a sleep state to enable low power discovery. Therefore, the electronic devices 210, 220, 230, and 240 in the cluster 201 can be activated simultaneously at the start time of the discovery window (e.g., DW start) synchronized by time synchronization, and they can be switched to a sleep state simultaneously at the end time of the discovery window (e.g., DW end).

[0061] According to an embodiment, the electronic devices 210, 220, 230, and 240 included in the cluster 201 may use Figure 3 The protocol shown is used to perform discovery, synchronization, and data exchange operations.

[0062] Figure 3 is a diagram 300 illustrating an example of a signaling protocol in a proximity network according to some embodiments.

[0063] For example, Figure 3 may be an example diagram of a discovery window according to some embodiments. Figure 3, which is included in a cluster (e.g., Figure 2 Electronic devices in cluster 201) send signals through a specific channel (eg, channel 6 (Ch 6)) based on the NAN standard.

[0064] refer to Figure 3 , the electronic devices included in one cluster may send a synchronization beacon 310 and an SDF 320 in a synchronization discovery window (DW) 325. In another interval 340 (e.g., an interval between discovery windows) excluding the discovery window 325, a discovery beacon 330 may be sent by at least one electronic device. According to an embodiment, the electronic device may send the synchronization beacon 310 and the SDF 320 based on competition. For example, the synchronization beacon 310 and the SDF 320 may be sent between the respective electronic devices belonging to the cluster based on competition. According to an embodiment, each electronic device belonging to the cluster may have a higher transmission priority of the beacon 310 than the SDF 320.

[0065] According to an embodiment, for data exchange between various electronic devices, the discovery window 325 may be an interval in which the corresponding electronic device is activated from a sleep state corresponding to a power saving mode to a wake-up state. For example, the discovery window 325 may be divided into time units (TUs) in milliseconds. According to an embodiment, the discovery window 325 for sending and receiving synchronization beacons 310 and SDF 320 may occupy 16 time units (TUs), and it may have a cycle (or interval) repeated in 512 time units (TUs).

[0066] According to an embodiment, the discovery beacon 330 may indicate a signal transmitted so that other electronic devices that cannot join the cluster can discover the cluster. For example, the discovery beacon 330 is a signal for notifying the existence of the cluster, and an electronic device that has not joined the cluster can discover and join the cluster by performing passive scanning to receive the discovery beacon 330.

[0067] According to an embodiment, the discovery beacon 330 may include information necessary for synchronization with the cluster. For example, the discovery beacon 330 may include a frame control (FC) field indicating the function of the signal (e.g., beacon), a broadcast address, a media access control (MAC) address of the transmitting electronic device, a cluster identifier (ID), a sequence control field, a timestamp of the beacon frame, a beacon interval indicating the transmission interval of the discovery beacon 330, and at least one of the capability information of the transmitting electronic device. According to an embodiment, the discovery beacon 330 may include information elements related to at least one neighboring network (or cluster). In an embodiment, information related to a neighboring network may be referred to as attribute information.

[0068] According to an embodiment, the synchronization beacon 310 may represent a signal for maintaining synchronization between synchronized electronic devices in the cluster. The synchronization beacon 310 may be sent by a synchronization device in the electronic devices in the cluster. For example, the synchronization device may include an anchor master device, a master device, or a non-master synchronization device defined in the NAN standard.

[0069] According to an embodiment, the synchronization beacon 310 may include information required for the electronic devices in the synchronization cluster. For example, the synchronization beacon 310 may include at least one of the FC field indicating the function of the signal (e.g., beacon), the broadcast address, the MAC address of the transmitting electronic device, the cluster identifier, the sequence control field, the timestamp of the beacon frame, the beacon interval indicating the interval between the starting points of the discovery window 325, and the capability information of the transmitting electronic device. According to an embodiment, the synchronization beacon 310 may include information elements related to at least one neighboring network (or cluster). For example, the neighboring network related information may include the content of the service provided by the neighboring network.

[0070] According to an embodiment, SDF 320 may represent a signal for exchanging data through a neighboring network. According to an embodiment, SDF 320 may represent a vendor specific public action frame, and it may include various fields. For example, SDF 320 may include a category or action field, and it may include at least one neighboring network related information.

[0071] As described above, the synchronization beacon 310, the SDF 320, and the discovery beacon 330 may include neighboring network related information. In an embodiment, the neighboring network related information may include an identifier indicating the type of information, the length of the information, and a body field as the corresponding information. According to an embodiment, the corresponding information may include at least one of main indication information, cluster information, service identifier list information, service descriptor information, connection capability information, wireless LAN infrastructure information, peer-to-peer (P2P) operation information, independent basic service set (IBSS) information, mesh information, further neighboring network service discovery information, further availability mapping information, country code information, ranging information, cluster discovery information, and vendor-specific information.

[0072] Figure 4 is a diagram 400 illustrating an example of data transmission and reception in a cluster according to some embodiments.

[0073] For example, Figure 4An example is shown in which a first electronic device 410, a second electronic device 420, and a third electronic device 430 form a cluster (eg, Figure 2 The NAN cluster 201 is formed, and the respective electronic devices 410, 420, and 430 can send and receive beacons and / or SDFs to each other. Figure 4 , it can be illustrated that among the electronic devices 410 , 420 , and 430 constituting the cluster, the first electronic device 410 serves as a master electronic device.

[0074] refer to Figure 4 , the first electronic device 410 may transmit a beacon and an SDF in the discovery window 450. According to an embodiment, the first electronic device 410 may broadcast a beacon and an SDF in each discovery window 450 repeated at each predetermined interval (eg, interval 460).

[0075] According to an embodiment, the second electronic device 420 and the third electronic device 430 may receive the beacon and the SDF transmitted by the first electronic device 410. According to an embodiment, the second electronic device 420 and the third electronic device 430 may receive the beacon and the SDF broadcasted from the first electronic device 410 in each discovery window 450.

[0076] According to an embodiment, the beacon transmitted in the discovery window 450 may represent a synchronization beacon, and may include information for maintaining synchronization between the electronic devices 410, 420, and 430. For example, if the electronic devices 410, 420, and 430 are included in a cluster, the master electronic device (e.g., the first electronic device 410) may be synchronized with the clock, and thus the discovery window 450 may be activated at the same time.

[0077] According to an embodiment, in an interval (e.g., interval 460) not including the discovery window 450, the electronic devices 410, 420, and 430 may remain in a sleep state in order to reduce current consumption. For example, the electronic devices 410, 420, and 430 may reduce current consumption by operating in an awake state only in the interval of the discovery window 450 based on a synchronized clock.

[0078] Figure 5 is a block diagram 500 illustrating an electronic device 501 in accordance with some embodiments.

[0079] refer to Figure 5 , electronic device 501 (eg, Figure 1 The electronic device 101 may include a communication circuit 510 (eg, Figure 1 communication module 190), memory 520 (e.g., Figure 1 Memory 130), touch screen display 530 (e.g., Figure 1display device 160) and a processor 540 (e.g., Figure 1 The term "processor" should be understood to refer to both the singular and plural contexts.

[0080] According to an embodiment, the communication circuit 510 (eg, Figure 1 The communication module 190 may include a first communication circuit 511 and a second communication circuit 513. In an embodiment, the first communication circuit 511 may support a first communication protocol, and the second communication circuit 513 may support a second communication protocol. For example, the first communication protocol may include low-power short-range communication (e.g., Wi-Fi sense) based on a neighbor awareness network (NAN). The second communication protocol may include short-range communication different from the first communication protocol. The second communication protocol may include any one of Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Near Field Communication (NFC), Wi-Fi Direct, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), Zigbee, Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), ad-hoc, ultra wideband (UWB) and / or hotspot.

[0081] According to an embodiment, the memory 520 (eg, Figure 1 The memory 130 of the electronic device 501 may store a program for supporting the configuration of a cluster with at least one external electronic device based on the first communication protocol through the first communication circuit 511. The memory 520 may store a program for receiving and displaying information (such as indicating at least one indicator) about at least one short-range communication device connected to at least one external electronic device via the second protocol through the first communication circuit 511. In some embodiments, the memory 520 may store a program for displaying information (such as indicating at least one other indicator) of at least one other short-range communication device connected (or searched) with the electronic device 501 via the second protocol. In some embodiments, the memory 520 may store a program for displaying information (such as indicating at least one other indicator) of at least one other short-range communication device, which may be connectable, or connected and connectable to the electronic device 501 via the second protocol.

[0082] Touch screen display 530 (e.g., Figure 1The display device 160 of the embodiment of the present invention may be configured as a whole to include a display 531 and a touch panel 533. The touch screen display 530 displays images under the control of the processor 540, and may be implemented by any one of a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light-emitting diode (LED), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, a microelectromechanical system (MEMS), and an electronic paper display. However, the touch screen display is not limited thereto.

[0083] The display 531 may display a screen for configuring short-range communication (e.g., Bluetooth communication) under the control of the processor 540. The display 531 may display at least one indicator indicating at least one short-range communication device based on information received from at least one external electronic device in the cluster. The display 531 may also display at least one other indicator under the control of the processor 540, which indicates at least one short-range communication device connected or connectable or both based on the second communication protocol. In some embodiments, at least one indicator and at least one other indicator may be selectable objects corresponding to specific devices in at least one short-range communication device and at least one other short-range communication device. The touch panel 533 may detect user input for selecting at least one short-range communication device displayed on the display 531 and / or user input for controlling the short-range communication device under the control of the processor 540 (e.g., user input related to service execution).

[0084] According to an embodiment, the processor 540 (e.g., Figure 1 The processor 120 of the electronic device 501 can control the overall operation of the electronic device 501 and the signal flow between the internal components of the electronic device 501, perform data processing, and control the power supply from the battery ( Figure 1 The battery 189) supplies power to the constituent elements.

[0085] In an embodiment, the processor 540 may configure a cluster with at least one external electronic device based on a first communication protocol through the first communication circuit 511. The processor 540 may receive information (such as identification information) of at least one short-range communication device connected to at least one external electronic device in the cluster from at least one external electronic device through the first communication circuit 511. The information identifying at least one short-range communication device received from at least one external electronic device may include at least one of address information, capability information, location information, identification information (e.g., name) of the short-range communication device, attributes (e.g., type and specifications), status information (e.g., on / off), battery remaining information, communication strength information, and communication protocol type information. The processor 540 may display at least one indicator of at least one short-range communication device on the display 531 based on the information received from at least one external electronic device. The at least one indicator may include at least one selectable object corresponding to a specific device in at least one short-range communication device.

[0086] When a user input for selecting a short-range communication device for executing a specific service from among at least one short-range communication device displayed on the display 531 is detected, the processor 540 may transmit data related to the specific service to the selected short-range communication device through an external electronic device communicatively connected to the selected short-range communication device. In some embodiments, the user input for selecting the short-range communication device may be a touch input of an object corresponding to the selected short-range communication device.

[0087] In an embodiment, the processor 540 may perform a search operation to identify whether there is at least one short-range communication device based on the second communication protocol through the second communication circuit 513. The processor 540 may determine whether a connection is established with at least one other short-range communication device based on the second communication protocol. Note that at least one other short-range communication device may be, but not necessarily, the same as at least one short-range communication device connected to an external electronic device. In addition, at least one other short-range communication device and at least one short-range communication device may overlap. If a connection is made with at least one short-range communication device based on the second communication protocol through the second communication circuit 513, the processor 540 may display on the display 531 an indicator of at least one short-range communication device connected to at least one external electronic device via the second communication protocol, at least one other short-range communication device searched based on the second communication protocol, and / or at least one short-range communication device connected to the electronic device 501 based on the second communication protocol.

[0088] The processor 540 can separately display on the display 531 at least one indicator indicating a short-range communication device connected via the second communication protocol, and at least one other indicator indicating at least one other external electronic device and at least one short-range communication device connected to the electronic device 501 based on the second communication protocol.

[0089] According to an embodiment, the electronic device 501 includes: a first communication circuit 511 configured to support a first communication protocol, a display 531, and a processor 540 operably connected to the first communication circuit 511 and the display 531, wherein the processor 540 is configured with a cluster with at least one external electronic device based on the first communication protocol through the first communication circuit 511, receives information from at least one external electronic device through the first communication circuit 511, identifies at least one short-range communication device connected to the at least one external electronic device via a second communication protocol, and controls the display 531 to display at least one indicator of the at least one short-range communication device based on the information received from the at least one external electronic device. According to some embodiments, the first communication protocol supports low-power short-range communication based on a neighbor awareness network (NAN), and the second communication protocol supports short-range communication different from the first communication protocol.

[0090] According to an embodiment, the electronic device 501 also includes a second communication circuit 513 supporting a second communication protocol, wherein the processor 540 is configured to: search for at least one other short-range communication device based on the second communication protocol through the second communication circuit, and control the display 531 to display at least one other indicator indicating at least one other short-range communication device.

[0091] According to some embodiments, controlling the display to display at least one other indicator indicating at least one other short-range communication device includes controlling the display to display the at least one other indicator of the at least one other short-range communication device separately from at least one indicator of at least one external electronic device and at least one searched short-range communication device.

[0092] According to some embodiments, the processor 540 is configured to send a request to search for at least one short-range communication device to at least one external electronic device through the first communication circuit 511 .

[0093] According to some embodiments, when an input for selecting one of at least one indicator indicating at least one short-range communication device is detected, the processor 540 is configured to send a signal to at least one external electronic device and the selected short-range communication device among the external electronic devices through the first communication circuit.

[0094] According to an embodiment, the electronic device 501 includes: a first communication circuit 511 configured to support a first communication protocol, a second communication circuit 513 configured to support a second communication protocol, and a processor 540 operably connected to the first communication circuit 511 and the second communication circuit 513, wherein the processor 540 is configured to: establish a connection with at least one short-range communication device based on the second communication protocol through the second communication circuit 513, configure a cluster with at least one external electronic device based on the first communication protocol through the first communication circuit 511, generate information of at least one short-range communication device connected based on the second communication protocol, and send the generated information of at least one short-range communication device to at least one external electronic device through the first communication circuit 511.

[0095] According to an embodiment, the information of at least one short-range communication device includes at least one of address information, capability information, location information, identification information, device type, status information, battery remaining amount information, communication strength information, and communication protocol type information.

[0096] According to an embodiment, in the case where a signal for requesting information of at least one short-range communication device is received from at least one external electronic device through the first communication circuit 511, the processor 540 is configured to generate information of at least one short-range communication device connected based on the second communication protocol, and send the information to at least one external electronic device that has requested the information through the first communication circuit 511.

[0097] According to an embodiment, in the case where a signal requesting to search for at least one short-range communication device is received from at least one external electronic device through the first communication circuit 511, the processor 540 is configured to generate at least one of information of at least one short-range communication device connected based on the second communication protocol or information of at least one short-range communication device in which the strength of the received communication signal exceeds a specified value, and send the generated information to at least one external electronic device for which the search has been requested through the first communication circuit 511.

[0098] Figure 6 is a flowchart 600 explaining a method for obtaining and displaying information of a short-range communication device connected to an electronic device supporting a proximity communication service according to some embodiments.

[0099] refer to Figure 6 In operation 601, an electronic device (eg, Figure 5 The electronic device 501) can communicate with the first communication circuit (for example, Figure 5The first communication circuit 511) configures a cluster with at least one external electronic device based on a first communication protocol. The first communication protocol may support low-power short-range communication (eg, Wi-Fi awareness) based on a neighbor awareness network (NAN).

[0100] In an embodiment, if at least one external electronic device is detected through Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), or execution of a proximity communication service (e.g., execution of a service based on Bluetooth communication (e.g., IoT service)) is detected, the electronic device 501 may activate a communication function for supporting a first communication protocol (e.g., a low-power short-range communication function based on NAN), and may configure a cluster with at least one external electronic device around the electronic device (e.g., Figure 2 Cluster 201).

[0101] For example, according to Figure 2 In the above-described embodiment, the electronic device 501 supporting low-power short-range communication can broadcast a search signal (e.g., a discovery beacon) for discovering at least one external electronic device in each first predetermined time period (e.g., approximately 100 milliseconds), and can receive the search signal broadcast from at least one external electronic device by performing scanning in each second predetermined time period (e.g., approximately 10 milliseconds). The electronic device 501 can identify at least one external electronic device located around the electronic device 501 based on the received search signal by scanning, and can configure a cluster 201 with the identified external electronic device. The electronic devices in the cluster 201 (e.g., the electronic device 501 and at least one external electronic device) can perform time and channel synchronization. The electronic device 501 and at least one external electronic device whose time and channel have been synchronized can send and receive information (e.g., beacons and SDF) through the same discovery window.

[0102] In an embodiment, the electronic device 501 may configure a cluster with at least one external electronic device that satisfies specified conditions. For example, the electronic device 501 may identify specified conditions including account information, contact information, services being executed, services that can be supported, and / or proximity service requests from a user of the electronic device, and may configure a cluster with at least one external electronic device that satisfies the specified conditions.

[0103] The cluster configuration is not limited thereto, and in an embodiment, when the electronic device 501 is located at a designated location, the electronic device 501 may activate a low-power short-range communication function based on NAN, and may configure a cluster with at least one external electronic device around the electronic device. The designated location may include a location specified by a user. For example, the designated location may include a house, an office, a reserved location at a scheduled time (e.g., a restaurant, Uber, a hospital, an art gallery, or a cinema), or location information registered in a schedule.

[0104] In an embodiment, at operation 603 , the electronic device 501 may receive information identifying at least one short-range communication device connected to the at least one external electronic device via the second communication protocol from the at least one external electronic device through the first communication circuit 511 .

[0105] In an embodiment, the information identifying at least one short-range communication device received from at least one external electronic device may include at least one of address information, capability information, location information, identification information (e.g., name), attributes (e.g., type and specifications), status information (e.g., on / off), battery remaining information, communication strength information, and communication protocol type information of the short-range communication device.

[0106] In an embodiment, the electronic device 501 may receive information identifying at least one short-range communication device connected to the at least one external electronic device based on a second communication protocol from at least one external electronic device based on various time points and / or conditions. For example, the electronic device 501 may receive information of at least one short-range communication device from at least one external electronic device in response to the configuration of the cluster based on the first communication protocol with the at least one external electronic device through the first communication circuit.

[0107] As another example, the electronic device 501 may receive information identifying at least one short-range communication device from at least one external electronic device in response to detecting user input for requesting a specified time period or information of at least one short-range communication device, sensing the execution of a specific application or a specific function (e.g., entering a short-range communication (e.g., Bluetooth) configuration screen, music playback, file sharing, execution of a file preparation function, and / or execution of an Internet of Things (IoT) service), or detecting user input for selecting an external electronic device through a user interface including at least one external electronic device connected based on a first communication protocol.

[0108] As another example, if the electronic device 501 is within a specified range, the electronic device 501 may receive information identifying at least one short-range communication device from at least one external electronic device. For example, the electronic device 501 may receive information identifying at least one short-range communication device from at least one external electronic device via ultra-wideband (UWB), NFC, or a wireless charging coil based on whether the electronic device 501 is located at a specified place (e.g., in a vehicle or in a house) or whether the electronic device 501 is placed on a vehicle (e.g., using a sensor unit (not shown) (e.g., an acceleration sensor) to determine whether the user of the electronic device 501 is on the vehicle based on whether the moving speed of the electronic device 501 exceeds a predetermined speed).

[0109] As another example, the electronic device 501 may send authentication information, such as account information or subscription information, to an external electronic device (or server), and if the authentication is recognized, the electronic device may receive information of a short-range communication device connected to the external electronic device from the external electronic device (or server).

[0110] In an embodiment, at operation 605, the electronic device 501 may display at least one indicator indicating at least one short-range communication device based on information received from at least one external electronic device. For example, the electronic device 501 may configure a user interface including at least one short-range communication device based on information of at least one short-range communication device received from at least one external electronic device, and may display at least one indicator indicating at least one short-range communication device on a display (e.g., Figure 5 As another example, the electronic device 501 may display information of an external electronic device (e.g., an external electronic device connected to at least one short-range communication device based on a second communication protocol) and at least one short-range communication device in association with each other.

[0111] In an embodiment, the electronic device 501 may display guide information to control at least one short-range communication device. Guide information may be displayed when a user input requesting guide information output is detected, or when a specified condition is met (e.g., the time when a user interface including a short-range communication device is first connected to a selected short-range communication device for communication). In an embodiment, the electronic device 501 may receive guide information from at least one external electronic device or a corresponding short-range communication device, and may display the received guide information. In another embodiment, the electronic device 501 may display guide information to control a short-range communication device based on information search of a short-range communication device.

[0112] In some embodiments, although not shown, the electronic device 501 may detect a user input for selecting a short-range communication device for a user interface including at least one short-range communication device displayed on the display 531 to perform a specific service. The electronic device 501 may transmit data related to the specific service to an external electronic device connected to the selected short-range communication device based on the second communication protocol through the first communication circuit 511. The external electronic device may transmit data related to the specific service through the second communication circuit (e.g., Figure 5 The second communication circuit 513 of the external electronic device 501 transmits data related to a specific service received from the electronic device 501 to the selected short-range communication device. The selected short-range communication device may perform the specific service based on the data related to the specific service received through the external electronic device.

[0113] According to an embodiment, a method for obtaining information of a short-range communication device using an electronic device 501 supporting a proximity communication service includes: configuring a cluster with at least one external electronic device based on a first communication protocol through a first communication circuit 511, receiving information of at least one short-range communication device connected to at least one external electronic device based on a second communication protocol from at least one external electronic device through the first communication circuit 511, and displaying at least one short-range communication device based on the information received from the at least one external electronic device.

[0114] According to an embodiment, the first communication protocol supports low-power short-range communication based on a Neighbor Awareness Network (NAN), and the second communication protocol supports short-range communication different from the first communication protocol.

[0115] According to an embodiment, a method for obtaining information of a short-range communication device using an electronic device 501 supporting a proximity communication service, the method also includes: searching for at least one other connected, connectable, or both short-range communication devices through a second communication circuit 513 supporting a second communication protocol, and displaying at least one other indicator indicating at least one other short-range communication device.

[0116] According to an embodiment, at least one short-range communication device connected, connectable, or both connected with at least one external electronic device via the second communication protocol and at least one searched short-range communication device are separately displayed.

[0117] According to an embodiment, a method for obtaining information of a short-range communication device using an electronic device 501 supporting a proximity communication service further includes transmitting a signal for requesting to search for at least one short-range communication device to at least one external electronic device through a first communication circuit 511 .

[0118] According to an embodiment, a method for obtaining information of a short-range communication device using an electronic device 501 supporting a proximity communication service, the method also includes detecting an input for selecting one of at least one short-range communication device displayed on a display 531 based on the received information, and sending a signal of the detected input to the short-range communication device selected from at least one external electronic device and an external electronic device connected based on a second communication protocol through a first communication circuit 511.

[0119] Figure 7 is a flowchart 700 explaining a method for generating and transmitting information of a short-range communication device connected based on a second communication protocol according to some embodiments.

[0120] refer to Figure 7 In operation 701, an electronic device (eg, Figure 5 The electronic device 501) can communicate with the second communication circuit (for example, Figure 5 The second communication circuit 513) establishes a connection with at least one short-range communication device based on the second communication protocol. For example, the second communication protocol can support short-range communication excluding low-power short-range communication based on NAN, such as Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Near Field Communication (NFC), Wi-Fi Direct, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), ZigBee, Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), ad-hoc, Ultra-Wideband (UWB) and / or hotspot

[0121] In an embodiment, at operation 703, the electronic device 501 may communicate with the user through the first communication circuit ( Figure 5 The first communication circuit 511 configures a cluster (eg, Figure 2 Cluster 201). For example, the first communication protocol may support low-power short-distance communication based on NAN. Figure 2 In the above-described embodiment, the electronic device 501 may configure a cluster 201 with at least one external electronic device that satisfies specified conditions (eg, account information, contact information, ongoing services, supported services, and / or proximity service requests from users).

[0122] In an embodiment, at operation 705, the electronic device 501 may generate information of at least one short-range communication device based on the second communication protocol. The information of the short-range communication device may include at least one of address information, capability information, location information, identification information (e.g., name), attributes (e.g., type and specification), status information (e.g., on / off), battery remaining amount information, communication strength information, and communication protocol type information of the short-range communication device. At operation 707, the electronic device 501 may send the generated information of at least one short-range communication device to at least one external electronic device through the first communication circuit 511.

[0123] In an embodiment, information of at least one short-range communication device connected with the electronic device based on the second communication protocol may be exchanged through a service discovery frame (SDF).

[0124] In an embodiment, if the cluster is configured with at least one external electronic device based on the first communication protocol, the electronic device 501 may send a publication type SDF within the discovery window DW.

[0125] In another embodiment, the electronic device 501 may publish information of at least one short-range communication device based on the second communication protocol to at least one external electronic device present in the cluster. For example, the electronic device 501 may publish information of at least one short-range communication device to at least one external electronic device present in the cluster, regardless of receiving a signal for requesting information of at least one short-range communication device from at least one external electronic device present in the cluster.

[0126] In another embodiment, the electronic device 501 may publish information of at least one short-range communication device in response to a subscription type SDF in the cluster. The subscription type SDF may be sent within the discovery window DW to grasp the presence of short-range communication devices located around at least one external electronic device when the short-range communication device needs to be used. For example, when a short-range communication device such as a Bluetooth speaker and / or a Bluetooth keyboard needs to be used, at least one external electronic device may send a subscription type SDF to at least one electronic device in the cluster. At least one electronic device that has received the subscription type SDF may determine whether at least one short-range communication device connected based on the second communication protocol exists. If there is at least one connected short-range communication device, the corresponding electronic device may publish information of at least one short-range communication device to the external electronic device to which the subscription type SDF has been sent.

[0127] In an embodiment, the electronic device 501 may publish information of at least one short-range communication device to at least one external electronic device present in the cluster through the NAN SDF frame format as shown in Table 1 below. The NAN SDF frame may include fields such as category, action, organizationally unique identifier (organizationally unique identifier, OUI), OUI type, and NAN attribute. Among the fields included in the NAN SDF frame, the NAN attribute field may include one or more attributes corresponding to the purpose. The electronic device 501 may publish an SDF having a NAN attribute field to at least one external electronic device present in the cluster, the NAN attribute field including one or more attributes corresponding to the purpose.

[0128]

Table 1

[0129]

[0130]

[0131] For example, one or more attributes corresponding to the purpose that may be included in the NAN attribute field may include at least one of the following: a master indication attribute, a cluster attribute, a service ID list attribute, a service descriptor attribute, a NAN connection capability attribute, a wireless LAN (WLAN) infrastructure attribute, a peer-to-peer (P2P) operation attribute, an independent basic service set (IBSS) attribute, a mesh attribute, a further neighboring network (NAN) service discovery attribute, a further availability mapping attribute, a country code attribute, a ranging attribute, a cluster discovery attribute, a service descriptor extension attribute, a device capability attribute, a NAN data path (NDP) attribute, a NAN data cluster (NDC) attribute, a NAN data link (NDL) attribute, an NDL quality of service (QoS) attribute, an unaligned scheduling attribute, a ranging information attribute, a ranging setting attribute, a fine timing measurement (fine timing measurement) attribute. The attribute may be a wireless LAN (WLAN) infrastructure attribute, an extended peer-to-peer (P2P) operation attribute, an extended independent basic service set (IBSS) attribute, an extended mesh attribute, a cipher suite information attribute, a security context information attribute, a shared key descriptor attribute, a public availability attribute, or a vendor specific attribute.

[0132] In an embodiment, the electronic device 501 may transmit information of at least one short-range communication device to at least one external electronic device existing in the cluster using a service descriptor attribute or a service descriptor extended attribute among the attributes that may be included in the above-mentioned NAN attribute field.

[0133] In an embodiment, the format of the service descriptor attributes may be as shown in Table 2 below.

[0134]

Table 2

[0135]

[0136]

[0137] In an embodiment, the format of the service descriptor extension attribute may be as shown in Table 3 below.

[0138]

Table 3

[0139]

[0140]

[0141] In an embodiment, the format of the service descriptor attribute in Table 2 and the format of the service descriptor extended attribute in Table 3 may include a service information field capable of defining service specific information.

[0142] In an embodiment, information of at least one short-range communication device connected to the electronic device based on the second communication protocol may be included in the service information field. The electronic device 501 may define information of at least one short-range communication device in the service information field, and may send an SDF including a service descriptor attribute or a service descriptor extension attribute defining the information to at least one external electronic device present in the group through the first communication circuit 511.

[0143] According to an embodiment, it has been described that the service information field includes information of at least one connected short-range communication device, but the service information field is not limited thereto. For example, the service information field may further include action type information, which includes an operation to be performed by the electronic device. The action type of the operation to be performed by the electronic device having a specific value may be a value agreed upon between electronic devices having the same service. For example, in the case where a specific electronic device among the electronic devices constituting a cluster sends a subscription message to at least one electronic device existing in the cluster other than the specific electronic device in order to search for a communication device located within a short distance, the action type may be a value indicating that information of the short-range communication device is being searched for. In response to a subscription message received from a specific electronic device, at least one electronic device having a specified value identical to the specified value of the action type in at least one electronic device existing in the cluster may publish information of at least one short-range communication device connected to the electronic device that has sent the subscription message.

[0144] In an embodiment, the electronic device 501 may identify whether the state of the connected short-range communication device changes at a specified time interval. For example, the state of the short-range communication device may include a state of maintaining a connection with the electronic device 501, a state of releasing a connection with the electronic device 501, and / or a state of searching for a new short-range communication device. If the state of the short-range communication device changes, the electronic device 501 may send information including the changed state of the short-range communication device to at least one external electronic device present in the cluster.

[0145] In accordance with the embodiment Figure 7In the embodiment, although it has been described that the electronic device 501 establishes a connection with at least one short-range communication device based on the second communication protocol in operation 701, and then configures a cluster with at least one external electronic device based on the first communication protocol in operation 703, the operation of the electronic device is not limited thereto. For example, in operation 703, the electronic device 501 may configure a cluster with at least one external electronic device based on the first communication protocol, and then in operation 701, may establish a connection with at least one short-range communication device based on the second communication protocol.

[0146] According to an embodiment, although it has been described that the electronic device 501 configures a cluster with at least one external electronic device in operation 703, and then generates and transmits information of a short-range communication device, the operation of the electronic device is not limited thereto. For example, the electronic device 501 may perform a search operation to identify whether a short-range communication device is located around the electronic device 501 within each specified time period. If at least one new short-range communication device is searched through the search operation, the electronic device 501 may generate and transmit information of at least one newly searched short-range communication device. As another example, if a signal for requesting information of at least one short-range communication device is received from an external electronic device, the electronic device 501 may generate and transmit information of at least one short-range communication device based on a second communication protocol. As yet another example, if a signal for requesting information of at least one short-range communication device is received from an external electronic device, the electronic device 501 may generate and transmit not only information of the connected short-range communication device, but also information of a short-range communication device (e.g., a short-range communication device having a communication signal strength exceeding a specified value) located near the external electronic device searched through a search operation (e.g., a search operation for identifying whether a short-range communication device is located around the electronic device 501).

[0147] According to an embodiment, a method for obtaining information of a short-range communication device using an electronic device 501 supporting a proximity communication service includes: establishing a connection with at least one short-range communication device based on a second communication protocol through a second communication circuit 513, configuring a cluster with at least one external electronic device based on a first communication protocol through a first communication circuit 511, generating information of at least one short-range communication device connected based on the second communication protocol, and sending the generated information of at least one short-range communication device to at least one external electronic device through the first communication circuit 511.

[0148] According to an embodiment, the information of at least one short-range communication device includes at least one of address information, capability information, location information, identification information, device type, status information, battery remaining amount information, communication strength information, and communication protocol type information.

[0149] According to an embodiment, a method for obtaining information of a short-range communication device using an electronic device 501 supporting a proximity communication service, the method also includes: receiving a signal for requesting information of at least one short-range communication device from at least one external electronic device through a first communication circuit 511, generating information of at least one short-range communication device connected based on a second communication protocol, and sending the information to at least one external electronic device requesting the information through the first communication circuit 511.

[0150] According to an embodiment, a method for obtaining information of a short-range communication device using an electronic device 501 supporting a proximity communication service, the method also includes: receiving a signal for requesting a search for at least one short-range communication device from at least one external electronic device through a first communication circuit 511, and generating at least one of information of at least one short-range communication device connected based on a second communication protocol or information of at least one short-range communication device in which the strength of the received communication signal exceeds a specified value, and sending the generated information to at least one external electronic device for which a search has been requested through the first communication circuit 511.

[0151] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram 800 illustrating signal flow between a short-range communication device 810 , an external electronic device 820 , and an electronic device 830 , according to some embodiments.

[0152] refer to Figure 8 , at operation 840, the short-range communication device 810 and the external electronic device 820 may be connected to each other via short-range communication. For example, the short-range communication connection may include a communication connection based on a second communication protocol, including short-range communication excluding low-power short-range communication based on NAN. For example, in addition to low-power short-range communication based on NAN, the second communication protocol may include short-range communication (e.g., Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Near Field Communication (NFC), Wi-Fi Direct, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), ZigBee, Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), ad-hoc, Ultra-Wideband (UWB) and / or hotspot).

[0153] In accordance with the embodiment Figure 8 In the embodiment, although it has been described that the external electronic device 820 is connected to one short-range communication device 810 through short-range communication, the connection of the external electronic device is not limited thereto. For example, the external electronic device 820 may be connected to a plurality of short-range communication devices including the short-range communication device 810 through short-range communication.

[0154] In an embodiment, at operation 845, the external electronic device 820 and the electronic device 830 may configure a cluster based on a first communication protocol. For example, the first communication protocol may include low-power short-range communication based on NAN (e.g., Wi-Fi sense). In an embodiment, if the execution of a proximity communication service is detected, or if the electronic device 830 is located at a designated place, the electronic device 830 may configure a cluster with the external electronic device 820.

[0155] In an embodiment, in response to detecting user input requesting a specified time period or information of at least one short-range communication device, detecting the execution of a specific application or a specific function, the location of the electronic device 501 at a specified location, or detecting user input for selecting an external electronic device through a user interface including at least one external electronic device connected based on a first communication protocol, information identifying at least one short-range communication device is requested from at least one external electronic device.

[0156] In an embodiment, at operation 850, the external electronic device 820 may generate information of the short-range communication device 810. In an embodiment, at operation 855, the external electronic device 820 may communicate with the short-range communication device 810 through a first communication circuit (eg, Figure 5 The first communication circuit 511) sends the generated information of the short-range communication device 810 to the electronic device 830.

[0157] In an embodiment, at operation 860, the electronic device 830 may display a display (eg, Figure 5 The electronic device 830 may display an indicator indicating the short-range communication device 810 on the display 531 of the electronic device 830. For example, the electronic device 830 may display identification information (e.g., name), properties (e.g., type and specifications), status information (e.g., on / off), battery remaining amount information, communication strength information, or communication protocol type information of the short-range communication device 810, and / or may display the short-range communication device 810 and the external electronic device 820 connected based on the second communication protocol in association with each other.

[0158] In an embodiment, when a user input selects one of the displayed short-range communication devices 810, the electronic device 830 may send data related to the execution of a specific service to the selected short-range communication device 810 through the external electronic device 820. In some embodiments, the user input for selecting one of the displayed short-range communication devices may be a touch input of an object associated with the selected short-range communication device. The data transmission of the electronic device 830 is not limited thereto, and if the electronic device 830 is within a specified range, the electronic device 830 may send data related to the execution of a specific service to the short-range communication device 810 through the external electronic device 820.

[0159] In an embodiment, in operation 840, the short-range communication device 810 can not only generate information of a short-range communication device that is communicatively connected, but also generate information of a short-range communication device adjacent to the external electronic device 820 (for example, a short-range communication device having a communication signal strength exceeding a specified value), and can send the generated information to the electronic device 830 through the first communication circuit 511.

[0160] Fig. 9 is a diagram 900 explaining a method for obtaining information of a short range communication device connected to an electronic device supporting a proximity communication service according to some embodiments.

[0161] In accordance with the embodiment Fig. 9 In the present invention, the description will be made on the assumption that a short-range communication device (e.g., a Bluetooth speaker 960) based on the second communication protocol is connected to the electronic device 940. However, the short-range communication device is not limited thereto, and may include a device in a vehicle (e.g., a display device or an audio device), a desktop PC, a laptop PC, a tablet PC, or a keyboard.

[0162] refer to Fig. 9 , among the electronic devices 910, 920, 930, and 940, the electronic device 940 may be present in the same short-range wireless communication coverage 970 (e.g., the shaded area from the lower left side to the upper right side) (e.g., Bluetooth coverage) as the short-range communication device (e.g., Bluetooth speaker 960). The electronic device 940 may be communicatively connected with the Bluetooth speaker 960 present in the short-range wireless communication coverage 970 based on a second communication protocol (e.g., Bluetooth, BLE, or UWB).

[0163] In an embodiment, the electronic devices 910, 920, 930, and 940 may configure a cluster 950 based on a first communication protocol. The cluster 950 allows the electronic devices to send and receive data to each other. For example, if at least one external electronic device is detected through Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), or if the execution of a proximity communication service is detected, one of the electronic devices 910, 920, 930, and 940 may activate a communication function for supporting the first communication protocol (e.g., a low-power short-range communication function based on NAN), and the cluster 950 may be configured with at least one external electronic device around the electronic device.

[0164] By way of example and not limitation, after the electronic device 940 is connected to the Bluetooth speaker 960 based on the second communication protocol (e.g., Bluetooth, BLE, or UWB), the electronic devices 910, 920, 930, and 940 configure the cluster 950 (e.g., the shaded area from the lower right to the upper left) based on the first communication protocol (e.g., Figure 2The Bluetooth speaker 960 is present in the short-range wireless communication coverage 970.

[0165] For example, with the activation of a communication function for supporting a first communication protocol (e.g., a low-power short-range communication function based on NAN), the electronic devices 910, 920, 930, and 940 can configure the cluster 950 based on the first communication protocol. If the low-power short-range communication function based on NAN is activated, the second communication protocol of the electronic device (e.g., short-range communication excluding low-power short-range communication based on NAN, such as Bluetooth, LBE, or UWB) can be activated, and based on the activated second communication protocol (e.g., Bluetooth, BLE, or UWB), the electronic device (e.g., electronic device 940) can be connected to the Bluetooth speaker 960 present in the short-range wireless communication coverage 970 for communication.

[0166] In an embodiment, if the cluster 950 includes electronic devices 910 , 920 , 930 , 940 , the electronic device 940 may generate information of the Bluetooth speaker 960 connected for communication existing in the short-range wireless communication coverage 970 , and may transmit the generated information to the electronic devices 910 , 920 , 930 .

[0167] In another embodiment, in the electronic device, the electronic device 910 may send a subscription message for requesting to search for a short-range communication device to the electronic devices 910, 920, 930, 940 in the cluster based on a first communication protocol (e.g., NAN-based low-power short-range communication (e.g., Wi-Fi sense)). Among the electronic devices that have received the subscription message, the electronic device 940 connected to the Bluetooth speaker 960 using Bluetooth communication may generate information identifying the Bluetooth speaker 960, and may send the generated information to the electronic device 910.

[0168] As another example, when executing a music application to play music, the electronic device 910 may request information of the Bluetooth speaker 960 from an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device 940) present in the cluster that is connected to the Bluetooth speaker 960 (or headphones) for short-range communication, and may receive the information of the Bluetooth speaker 960 from the electronic device 940 in response to the request.

[0169] As another example, the first electronic device 910 may request information of a short-range communication device (e.g., a Bluetooth speaker 960 or a Bluetooth keyboard (not shown)) from other external electronic devices present in the cluster based on a currently executed service (e.g., music playback or document preparation) or the type of executable service. In response, the electronic device 910 may receive information of the short-range communication device from the electronic devices 920, 930, 940.

[0170] According to certain embodiments as described above, the electronic device 910 (or the electronic devices 920, 930) may receive information of the Bluetooth speaker 960 from the electronic device 940. When a signal for communication connection with the Bluetooth speaker 960 is received, the first electronic device 910 may transmit data related to a specific service to the Bluetooth speaker 960 through the electronic device 940. For example, the electronic device 910 may transmit an audio signal for music playback to the electronic device 940 through the first communication circuit. The electronic device 940 may transmit the audio signal for music playback received from the electronic device 910 through the first communication circuit to the Bluetooth speaker 960 through the second communication circuit. The Bluetooth speaker 960 may output music based on the audio signal received from the fourth electronic device 940.

[0171] In another embodiment, the short-range communication device may include a pair of short-range communication devices. For example, the pair of short-range communication devices may include a Bluetooth speaker including a first Bluetooth speaker and a second Bluetooth speaker, or a Bluetooth headset including a first Bluetooth headset and a second Bluetooth headset.

[0172] For example, in accordance with Fig. 9 The embodiment of the Bluetooth speaker 960 includes a first Bluetooth speaker and a second Bluetooth speaker (such as a stereo speaker) for the case of description. If a signal for a communication connection with a pair of short-range communication devices (e.g., Bluetooth speaker 960) is detected, the electronic device 910 can use the first communication circuit to send a first audio signal (e.g., a left stereo channel) for music playback to the electronic device 940 through the first Bluetooth speaker, and send a second audio signal (e.g., a right stereo channel) for music playback to the electronic device 940 through the second Bluetooth speaker. The electronic device 940 can send the first audio signal and the second audio signal for music playback received from the electronic device 910 through the first communication circuit to the Bluetooth speaker 960, for example, the first audio signal is sent to the first Bluetooth speaker through the second communication circuit, and the second audio signal is sent to the second Bluetooth speaker. The first Bluetooth speaker and the second Bluetooth speaker can output music based on the first audio signal and the second audio signal received from the electronic device 940.

[0173] Fig.10 is a flowchart 1000 explaining a method for obtaining and displaying information of a short-range communication device connected to an electronic device supporting a proximity communication service according to some embodiments.

[0174] According to the embodiment, because Fig.10 Operations 1001, 1003 and 1009 may be similar to those described above. Figure 6 Operations 601, 603 and 605.

[0175] refer to Fig.10 In operation 1001, an electronic device (eg, Figure 5 The electronic device 501) can communicate with the first communication circuit (for example, Figure 5 The electronic device 501 may configure a cluster with at least one external electronic device based on a first communication protocol through the first communication circuit 511. In operation 1003, the electronic device 501 may receive information identifying at least one short-range communication device connected to at least one external electronic device based on a second communication protocol from at least one external electronic device in the cluster through the first communication circuit 511.

[0176] In operation 1005, the electronic device 501 may determine that the second communication circuit (eg, Figure 5 The electronic device 501 determines whether to establish a connection with at least one short-range communication device based on the second communication protocol. In an embodiment, if the second communication circuit 513 is in a deactivated state, the electronic device 501 activates the second communication circuit 513, and can establish a connection based on the second communication protocol with at least one short-range communication device through the second communication circuit 513.

[0177] In an embodiment, if a connection with at least one short-range communication device based on the second communication protocol is established through the second communication circuit 513, then at operation 1007, the electronic device 501 may display the display (eg, Figure 5 The electronic device 501 may display, on the display 531, at least one indicator indicating at least one short-range communication device connected to at least one external electronic device based on the second communication protocol, and at least one other indicator indicating at least one short-range communication device connected to the electronic device 501 based on the second communication protocol. For example, the electronic device 501 may separately display, on the display 531, at least one indicator indicating at least one external electronic device identified using information of the short-range communication device received from the external electronic device and at least one other indicator indicating at least one other external electronic device.

[0178] In an embodiment, if a connection with at least one short-range communication device based on the second communication protocol is not established through the second communication circuit 513, the electronic device 501 may display an indicator indicating at least one short-range communication device on the display 531 based on information received from at least one external electronic device at operation 1009. For example, the electronic device 501 may display identification information (e.g., name), attributes (e.g., type and specifications), status information (e.g., on / off), battery remaining amount information, communication strength information, or communication protocol type information of at least one short-range communication device, or may display at least one short-range communication device and an external electronic device connected based on the second communication protocol in association with each other.

[0179] In the embodiment, although it has been described that the electronic device 501 displays on the display 531 at least one short-distance communication device connected through the second communication circuit 513 based on the second communication protocol, the display operation is not limited thereto. For example, the electronic device 501 can not only display at least one short-distance communication device connected, but also display a short-distance communication device located near the electronic device 501 (e.g., a short-distance communication device having a communication signal strength exceeding a specified value) searched by a search operation for short-distance communication devices located around the electronic device 501.

[0180] Fig.11 is a diagram 1100 illustrating a signal flow between a first short range communication device 1110 , an external electronic device 1120 , an electronic device 1130 , and a second short range communication device 1140 according to some embodiments.

[0181] refer to Fig.11 At operation 1150, the first short-range communication device 1110 and the external electronic device 1120 may be connected to each other through short-range communication based on the second communication protocol. For example, the short-range communication connection based on the second communication protocol may include a short-range communication connection excluding the low-power short-range communication based on NAN. Fig.11 In the embodiment, although it has been described that the external electronic device 1120 is connected to one short-range communication device 1110 through short-range communication, the connection of the external electronic device is not limited thereto. For example, the external electronic device 1120 may be connected to a plurality of short-range communication devices including the short-range communication device 1110 through short-range communication.

[0182] In an embodiment, at operation 1155, the external electronic device 1120 and the electronic device 1130 (eg, Figure 5 The electronic device 501 may configure the cluster based on a first communication protocol. For example, the first communication protocol may include low-power short-distance communication based on NAN.

[0183] In the embodiment, although it has been described that in operation 1150, the first short-range communication device 1110 and the external electronic device 1120 are connected to each other based on the second communication protocol, and then in operation 1155, the external electronic device 1120 and the electronic device 1130 configure a cluster based on the first communication protocol, the operation of the electronic device is not limited thereto. For example, in operation 1155, the external electronic device 1120 and the electronic device 1130 may configure a cluster based on the first communication protocol, and then in operation 1150, the first short-range communication device 1110 and the external electronic device 1120 may be connected to each other based on the second communication protocol.

[0184] In an embodiment, at operation 1160, the external electronic device 1120 may generate information of the first short-range communication device 1110 connected based on the second communication protocol. At operation 1165, the external electronic device 1120 may communicate with the first short-range communication device 1110 through the first communication circuit (eg, Figure 5 The first communication circuit 511 of the external electronic device 1120 sends the information generated by the first short-range communication device 1110 to the electronic device 1130. For example, if the external electronic device 1120 configures a cluster with the electronic device 1130, the external electronic device 1120 may generate information of the first short-range communication device 1110 connected based on the second communication protocol, and may send the generated information to the electronic device 1130. As another example, if a signal for requesting information of the first short-range communication device 1110 is received from the electronic device 1130 in the cluster, the external electronic device 1120 may generate information of the first short-range communication device 1110 and send it to the electronic device 1130.

[0185] In an embodiment, at operation 1170, the electronic device 1130 may search for a short-range communication device based on the second communication protocol. For example, the electronic device 1130 may search for a short-range communication device through a second communication circuit (e.g., Figure 5 The electronic device 1130 may perform a search operation (e.g., an inquiry operation) on the second communication circuit 513 of the electronic device 1130 to identify whether a short-range communication device that can connect for communication or can provide a specific service is located around the electronic device 1130. After configuring the short-range communication device for a short-range communication connection (e.g., a Bluetooth communication connection) in a searchable mode (e.g., activating (e.g., turning on) Bluetooth), the electronic device 1130 may search for a short-range communication device that has entered a pairing mode.

[0186] In an embodiment, if a search operation (e.g., a short-range signal) is received from the electronic device 1130, then in operation 1175, the second short-range communication device 1140 may send a response signal to the electronic device 1130, the response signal including information of the second short-range communication device 1140 (e.g., address information, capability information, location information, identification information of the short-range communication device (e.g., name), attributes (e.g., type and specifications), status information, battery remaining information, communication strength information, or communication protocol type information).

[0187] In an embodiment, at operation 1180, the electronic device 1130 may display a Figure 5 The electronic device 1130 may display an indicator indicating the first short-range communication device 1110 and the second short-range communication device 1140 on the display 531 of the electronic device 1130. For example, the electronic device 1130 may separately display an indicator indicating the first short-range communication device 1110 based on the connection and an indicator indicating the second short-range communication device 1140 searched by the electronic device 1130 based on the second communication protocol.

[0188] In an embodiment, the electronic device 1130 may detect a user input of one of the communication connections between the first short-range communication device 1110 and the second short-range communication device 1140 displayed on the display 531. For example, if a user input for selecting the first short-range communication device 1110 is detected, the electronic device 1130 may transmit data related to a specific service to the first short-range communication device 1110 selected by the external electronic device 1120.

[0189] However, data transmission is not limited thereto, and for example, if an input for selecting the first short-range communication device 1110 is detected, the electronic device 1130 may amplify the output signal of the second communication circuit 513. The electronic device 1130 may be directly communicatively connected with the first short-range communication device 1110 through the second communication circuit 513 whose output signal has been amplified based on the second communication protocol.

[0190] As another example, when a user input for selecting the second short-range communication device 1140 is detected, the electronic device 1130 may be communicatively connected with the second short-range communication device 1140 based on the second communication protocol.

[0191] In another embodiment, if the electronic device 1130 has a history of pre-connection with the second short-range communication device 1140, when the second short-range communication device 1140 is powered on, the electronic device 1130 can automatically communicate and connect with the second short-range communication device 1140 based on the second communication protocol.

[0192] Figures 12a to 12d is a diagram 1200 explaining a method for obtaining and displaying information of a short range communication device connected to an electronic device supporting a proximity communication service according to some embodiments.

[0193] In accordance with certain embodiments Figures 12a to 12d Although the description has been made under the assumption that a list of devices based on Bluetooth communication is displayed through a Bluetooth configuration screen, the display is not limited thereto, and a list of devices based on Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi direct communication may be displayed through a Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi direct configuration screen.

[0194] refer to Fig.12a , electronic devices (e.g. Figure 5 electronic device 501, Figure 8 Electronic device 830 or Fig.11 The electronic device 1130) can receive the first communication circuit 511 through the first communication circuit (for example, Figure 5 The first communication circuit 511) is connected to an external electronic device (for example, Figure 8 External electronic device 820 or Fig.11 or through a second communication circuit (eg, Figure 5 A short-distance communication device (eg, Figure 8 A short-range communication device 810 or Fig.11 A first short-range communication device 1110).

[0195] For example, as shown in reference numeral 1210, when a user input for entering a short-range communication configuration screen (eg, a Bluetooth configuration screen) is detected, the electronic device may display a short-range communication configuration screen (eg, a Bluetooth configuration screen) on a display. Figure 5 The Bluetooth configuration screen may include a registered device list 1211 (e.g., at least one device 1211b is connected to the electronic device and / or at least one device 1211a has a pre-connection history, or has been previously connected within a predetermined amount of time), an indicator indicating a short-range communication device 1213 (e.g., an available device) connected to the external electronic device received from the external electronic device through the first communication circuit 511, and / or an indicator indicating a short-range communication device 1217 searched based on a second communication protocol with the electronic device (e.g., Fig.11 The electronic device may display information indicating that a short-range communication device 1213 is received from an external electronic device that exists in the same cluster as the cluster of the electronic device. For example, a communication protocol type (e.g., Wi-Fi Sense), and identification information of the short-range communication device 1213 (e.g., a name of the short-range communication device 1213 (e.g., Lux)).

[0196] According to some embodiments, although not shown, the electronic device may further display attribute information, status information (eg, on / off), battery remaining amount information, and / or communication strength information of the short-range communication device 1213 .

[0197] In some embodiments, the indicator may be a selectable object.

[0198] In an embodiment, if a user input 1215 (such as a touch input) for selecting a signal to communicate with the short-range communication device 1213 is detected, the electronic device may transmit data related to a specific service to the short-range communication device 1213 through an external electronic device. For example, the electronic device may send data related to a specific service to the external electronic device through the first communication circuit 511 with the short-range communication device 1213. The external electronic device may send data related to a specific service received from the electronic device through the first communication circuit (e.g., the first communication circuit 511) to the short-range communication device 1213 through the second communication circuit (e.g., the second communication circuit 513). In an embodiment, in response to detecting a user input 1215 for selecting the short-range communication device 1213, the electronic device may include the short-range communication device 1213 in a registered device list 1221 to be displayed, so as to indicate that a specific service can be performed through the short-range communication device 1213, as shown in reference numeral 1220. The short-range communication device 1213 may perform a specific service (e.g., music playback) corresponding to a request from the electronic device received through the external electronic device.

[0199] According to some embodiments, although not shown, the electronic device may transmit data related to a specific service to a plurality of short-range communication devices through a plurality of external electronic devices.

[0200] In an embodiment, the electronic device can communicate with a short-range communication device (e.g., GRANDEUR). The short-range communication device GRANDEUR can be connected to the short-range communication device 1213 based on the second communication protocol. The short-range communication device 1213 can be connected to an external electronic device, and can receive a message from the external electronic device (e.g., GRANDEUR) through the first communication circuit 511. Fig.11 An external electronic device 1120) receives information about the short-range communication device 1213. The description will be made under the assumption that the short-range communication device 1213 connected to the external electronic device and the short-range communication device connected based on the second communication protocol according to the embodiment are a Bluetooth speaker and a device (e.g., an audio device) in the vehicle, respectively. The electronic device can send a specific service, for example, an audio signal related to music playback, to the external electronic device through the first communication circuit 511. The external electronic device can send an audio signal related to music playback received from the electronic device to the short-range communication device 1213 through the second communication circuit (e.g., the second communication circuit 513). The electronic device can send an audio signal related to music playback to the short-range communication device through the second communication circuit 513. The short-range communication devices 1213 and 1217 can play music based on the received audio signal related to music playback.

[0201] In an embodiment, the electronic device can communicate with multiple short-range communication devices (e.g., the first and second external electronic devices) connected to the multiple external electronic devices using multiple external electronic devices (e.g., the first and second external electronic devices) received by the first communication circuit 511 supporting the first communication protocol. It will be explained under the assumption that the multiple short-range communication devices connected to the multiple external electronic devices according to the embodiment are multiple Bluetooth speakers. The electronic device can send an audio signal related to a specific service (e.g., music playback) to the first and second external electronic devices through the first communication circuit 511. The first and second external electronic devices can send the audio signal related to music playback received from the electronic device to the first and second short-range communication devices through the second communication circuit 513. The first and second short-range communication devices can play music based on the audio signal related to music playback received from the first and second external electronic devices through the second communication circuit 513.

[0202] According to some embodiments, the electronic device plays music through a plurality of short-range communication devices (eg, a plurality of Bluetooth speakers), and thus can provide an approaching sound to a user.

[0203] Referring to another embodiment Figure 12b As shown in reference numeral 1230, if a user input for entering the Bluetooth configuration screen is detected, the electronic device may display the Bluetooth configuration screen on the display. The Bluetooth configuration screen may include a registered device list 1231 (e.g., at least one device 1231b connected to the electronic device and / or at least one device 1231a having a pre-connection history) and / or a short-range communication device 1233 searched based on a second communication protocol with the electronic device (e.g., Fig.11 a second short-range communication device 1140).

[0204] In an embodiment, if a user input for entering the Bluetooth configuration screen is detected, the electronic device may configure a cluster with at least one external electronic device based on the first communication protocol through the first communication circuit. In an embodiment, if a user input for entering the Bluetooth configuration screen is detected when the first communication circuit 511 is in a deactivated state, after activating the first communication circuit 511 in the deactivated state, the electronic device may configure a cluster with at least one external electronic device based on the first communication protocol.

[0205] In an embodiment, the electronic device may display at least one indicator indicating at least one external electronic device 1241 in the cluster, as well as a registered device list 1231 indicated by reference numeral 1240 and an indicator indicating a short-range communication device 1233 (the short-range communication device 1233 is connected based on the second communication protocol). The electronic device may display information indicating that the cluster has been configured based on the first communication protocol, for example, a communication protocol type (e.g., Wi-Fi Sense) and identification information of the external electronic device 1241 (e.g., a name of the external electronic device 1241 (e.g., note10)).

[0206] In an embodiment, if a user input 1245 for selecting an external electronic device 1241 is detected, the electronic device may display an indicator indicating a short-range communication device 1253 connected to the external electronic device 1241 based on the second communication protocol and a registered device list 1231, as shown by reference numeral 1250 and the external electronic device 1241. The electronic device may display information indicating a short-range communication device 1253 (e.g., “LUX”) received from an external electronic device (e.g., “Note 10”) existing in the same cluster.

[0207] In an embodiment, although not shown, if a user input for selecting a short-range communication device 1253 is detected, the electronic device may transmit data related to a specific service to the selected short-range communication device 1253 using the selected short-range communication device 1253 through the external electronic device 1241. For example, the electronic device may transmit a specific service, for example, an audio signal related to music playback, to the external electronic device 1241 through the first communication circuit 511. The external electronic device 1241 may transmit the audio signal related to music playback received from the electronic device to the selected short-range communication device 1253 through the second communication circuit (for example, the second communication circuit 513). The selected short-range communication device 1253 may play music based on the audio signal related to music playback received through the external electronic device.

[0208] Referring to the Fig.12c, as shown in reference numeral 1260, the electronic device may display a short-range communication device 1263 connected to at least one external electronic device existing in the same cluster as the electronic device (e.g., a cluster configured based on the first communication protocol) based on the second communication protocol through a quick panel window 1261. For example, if a user gesture (e.g., a gesture in a direction from the upper end to the lower end of the electronic device) for outputting the quick panel window 1261 is detected during music playback, the electronic device may display the quick panel window 1261 on at least a portion of the display 531. The quick panel window 1261 may display therein a short-range communication device 1263 capable of performing music playback, which is connected to at least one external electronic device existing in the same cluster as the cluster of the electronic device (e.g., a cluster configured based on the first communication protocol) based on the second communication protocol. However, the display function of the quick panel window 1261 is not limited thereto, and the electronic device may perform a search operation to identify whether a short-range communication device capable of performing a communication connection or providing a specific service is located around the electronic device. The quick panel window 1261 may also display short-range communication devices 1265 capable of performing music playback based on the second communication protocol, which are located around the electronic device searched by the search operation.

[0209] In an embodiment, if a user input 1267 for selecting a short-range communication device 1263 displayed in a quick panel window 1261 is detected, the electronic device may display a screen including music playback information 1275, as shown in reference numeral 1270. For example, the electronic device may send an audio signal related to music playback to an external electronic device through a first communication circuit 511, and the external electronic device may send an audio signal related to music playback received from the electronic device through a first communication circuit (e.g., a first communication circuit 511) to the short-range communication device 1263 through a second communication circuit (e.g., a second communication circuit 513). The short-range communication device 1263 may play music based on an audio signal related to music playback received from an external electronic device. In an embodiment, the service has been described as music playback, but is not limited thereto.

[0210] According to the above embodiment, although it has been described that music is played by a short-distance communication device connected to an external electronic device (e.g., an external electronic device connected based on a first communication protocol) existing in a cluster based on a second communication protocol, the way of music playback is not limited thereto, and a file (e.g., an image file or a document file) can be shared by a short-distance communication device connected to an external electronic device existing in a cluster. For example, an electronic device can execute a photo application in order to share an image file. If a user input for sharing an image file is detected on a screen including at least one image displayed in response to the execution of the photo application, the electronic device can receive information of a short-distance communication device connected to an external electronic device existing in the cluster, and based on this, the electronic device can configure a user interface for sharing an image file with the short-distance communication device. The electronic device can share an image with the short-distance communication device through the external electronic device using the user interface for sharing an image file. If a user input for sharing an image file is detected, the electronic device can send the image file to the external electronic device through the first communication circuit 511 supporting the first communication protocol. The external electronic device can send the image file received from the electronic device to the short-distance communication device through the second communication circuit (e.g., the second communication circuit 513) supporting the second communication protocol.

[0211] According to an embodiment, services that can be performed through the short-range communication device connected based on the second communication protocol may include not only the above-mentioned music playback and file sharing, but also document preparation and Internet of Things (IoT) services.

[0212] Referring to the Fig.12d As shown in reference numeral 1280, the electronic device may display a list 1281 of short-range communication devices, including short-range communication devices (e.g., device 1) based on the searched second communication protocol, and short-range communication devices (e.g., device 2, device 3, and device 4) connected to at least one external electronic device existing in the same cluster as the cluster of the electronic device (e.g., a cluster configured based on the first communication protocol) based on the second communication protocol. The electronic device may display information indicating that a short-range communication device is received from an external electronic device existing in the same cluster as the cluster of the electronic device to which the short-range communication device is connected, such as a communication protocol type (e.g., Wi-Fi Sense) and identification information of the short-range communication device (e.g., device 2, device 3, and device 4). When the communication protocol type is displayed, the short-range communication devices (e.g., device 2, device 3, and device 4) connected to at least one external electronic device existing in the cluster based on the second communication protocol can be distinguished from the short-range communication device (e.g., device 1) searched based on the second communication protocol.

[0213] In an embodiment, the electronic device may receive information of a short-range communication device connected to at least one external electronic device based on a second protocol from at least one external electronic device present in the same cluster, and the received information may include communication signal strength. The electronic device may display the short-range communication devices in the order of their communication signal strengths based on the received communication signal strengths of the short-range communication devices. For example, if it is assumed that the communication signal strength is higher in the order of device 4, device 2, device 3, and device 1, the electronic device may display a list 1291 of short-range communication devices in the order of device 4, device 2, device 3, and device 1, as shown in reference numeral 1290.

[0214] However, the display order is not limited thereto, and the information of the short-range communication device received from at least one external electronic device existing in the same cluster may include a device type (e.g., an audio device, a keyboard, or a PC). The electronic device may display the short-range communication devices in order of high relevance to the function currently being executed (e.g., music playback, data sharing, or document preparation) based on the type of the received short-range communication device.

[0215] The electronic device according to various embodiments may be one of various types of electronic devices. The electronic device may include, for example, a portable communication device (e.g., a smart phone), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a camera, a wearable device, or a household appliance. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device is not limited to those electronic devices described above.

[0216] It should be understood that the various embodiments of the present disclosure and the terms used therein are not intended to limit the technical features set forth herein to specific embodiments, but include various changes, equivalent forms or alternative forms for corresponding embodiments. For the description of the accompanying drawings, similar reference numerals may be used to refer to similar or related elements. It will be understood that the nouns in the singular form corresponding to the term may include one or more things unless the relevant context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, each of the 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 include any one or all possible combinations of the items listed together with the corresponding one of the multiple phrases. As used herein, terms such as "1st" and "2nd" or "first" and "second" may be used to simply distinguish the corresponding component from another component, and do not limit the component in other aspects (e.g., importance or order). It will be understood that if an element (e.g., a first element) is referred to as being “combined with another element (e.g., the second element)”, “combined to another element (e.g., the second element)”, “connected with another element (e.g., the second element)”, or “connected to another element (e.g., the second element)” when the terms “operably” or “communicatively” are used or when the terms “operably” or “communicatively” are not used, it means that the element may be directly (e.g., wired) connected to the other element, wirelessly connected to the other element, or connected to the other element via a third element.

[0217] As used herein, the term "module" may include units implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with other terms (e.g., "logic," "logic block," "portion," or "circuit"). A module may be a single integrated component adapted to perform one or more functions or a minimum unit or portion of the single integrated component. For example, according to an embodiment, a module may be implemented in the form of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0218] The various embodiments described herein may be implemented as software (e.g., program 140) including one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (e.g., internal memory 136 or external memory 138) that can be read by a machine (e.g., electronic device 101). For example, under the control of a processor, 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 the at least one instruction with or without the use of one or more other components. This enables the machine to operate to perform at least one function according to the at least one instruction called. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code that can be run by an interpreter. A machine-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Among them, the term "non-transitory" only means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not include a signal (e.g., an electromagnetic wave), but the term does not distinguish between data being semi-permanently stored in a storage medium and data being temporarily stored in a storage medium.

[0219] According to an embodiment, the method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may be included and provided 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 published in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., a compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM)), or may be published online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) via an application store (e.g., Play StoreTM), or may be distributed (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) directly between two user devices (e.g., smart phones). If published online, at least part of the computer program product may be temporarily generated, or at least part of the computer program product may be at least temporarily stored in a machine-readable storage medium (such as a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or a memory of a forwarding server).

[0220] According to various embodiments, each component (e.g., module or program) in the above-mentioned components may include a single entity or multiple entities. According to various embodiments, one or more components in the above-mentioned components may be omitted, or one or more other components may be added. Alternatively or additionally, multiple components (e.g., module or program) may be integrated into a single component. In this case, according to various embodiments, the integrated component may still perform the one or more functions of each component in the multiple components in the same or similar manner as a corresponding component in the multiple components before integration. According to various embodiments, the operations performed by a module, program or another component may be performed sequentially, in parallel, repeatedly or in a heuristic manner, or one or more operations in the operations may be run or omitted in different orders, or one or more other operations may be added.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising: a first communication circuit configured to support a first short-range communication protocol; monitor; and at least one processor operably connected to the first communication circuit and the display, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: configuring a cluster with at least one external electronic device through a first communication circuit based on a first short-range communication protocol, receiving, from the at least one external electronic device through the first communication circuit, identification information of at least one short-range communication device connected to the at least one external electronic device via a second short-range communication protocol, the second short-range communication protocol being different from the first short-range communication protocol, displaying a user interface including identification information of the at least one short-range communication device on the display, detecting a touch input for selecting a short-range communication device among the at least one short-range communication device, identifying, in the cluster, an external electronic device connected to the selected short-range communication device based on the touch input, and Data related to a specific function of the electronic device is transmitted to the selected short-range communication device via the identified external electronic device using the first communication circuit.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The first short-range communication protocol supports low-power short-range communication based on a Neighbor Awareness Network (NAN).

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising a second short-range communication circuit supporting a second short-range communication protocol, in, The at least one processor is configured to: searching for at least one other short-range communication device connected to the electronic device via a second short-range communication protocol, and The display displays identification information of at least one other short-range communication device that has been searched.

4. The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein: The at least one processor is configured to separately display identification information of the at least one short-range communication device connected to the at least one external electronic device and identification information of the searched at least one other short-range communication device.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one processor is configured to send a request to search for the at least one short-range communication device to the at least one external electronic device through the first communication circuit.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one processor is configured to transmit, in response to the touch input, a signal for the detected first input to an external electronic device connected to the selected short-range communication device through a first communication circuit.

7. A method for obtaining information of a short-range communication device using an electronic device supporting a proximity communication service, the method comprising: configuring a cluster with at least one external electronic device based on a first short-range communication protocol via a first communication circuit; receiving, from the at least one external electronic device through the first communication circuit, identification information of at least one short-range communication device connected to the at least one external electronic device based on a second short-range communication protocol, wherein the second short-range communication protocol is different from the first short-range communication protocol; displaying a user interface including identification information of the at least one short-range communication device on a display; detecting a touch input for selecting a short-range communication device among the at least one short-range communication device; identifying, in the cluster, an external electronic device connected to the selected short-range communication device based on the touch input; as well as Data related to a specific function of the electronic device is transmitted to the selected short-range communication device via the identified external electronic device using the first communication circuit.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein: The first short-range communication protocol supports low-power short-range communication based on a Neighbor Awareness Network (NAN).

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising: searching, through the second communication circuit, for at least one other short-range communication device connected based on a second short-range communication protocol; as well as The identification information of at least one other short-range communication device found is displayed on the display.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein: The identification information of the at least one short-range communication device is displayed distinguishably from the identification information of the searched at least one other short-range communication device. 11 . The method according to claim 7 , further comprising sending a request to search for the at least one short-range communication device to the at least one external electronic device through the first communication circuit.

12. The method according to claim 7, further comprising: In response to detecting the input, a signal for the detected first input is transmitted to an external electronic device connected to the selected short-range communication device.

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