Electronic device for re-executing simple setting, user terminal device, and control method thereof

Abstract

An electronic device includes: at least one communication interface; and at least one processor operably coupled with the at least one communication interface and configured to control the electronic device, where the processor may further be configured to control the at least one communication interface to perform a scan to reconnect a first access point based on release of a communication connection with the first access point, and to control the at least one communication interface to perform a scan to reconnect the first access point based on release of the communication connection with the first access point. And controlling the at least one communication interface to operate as a second access point based on receiving a signal containing identification information of the electronic device from a user terminal device through the at least one communication interface.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electronic device, a user terminal device and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to an electronic device, a user terminal device and a control method thereof for re-performing an Easy Setup operation. Background Art

[0002] As electronic technology develops, various types of electronic devices are being developed. Recently, with the provision of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, the convenience of users operating electronic devices has been improved.

[0003] However, since most IoT devices are not equipped with a display, it is difficult to convey information to users. For example, there is the problem of users connecting IoT devices to the Internet.

[0004] The above problems can be solved by smart phones. Specifically, the process of registering IoT devices in IoT servers while being connected to the Internet can be realized by the mediation method of smart phones. The above methods can be called simple setup operations, network configuration or debugging. However, these solutions are time-consuming and inconvenient. For example, since the user does not understand the series of operations required to perform the simple setup operation, it is difficult for the user to re-perform the simple setup operation. Summary of the invention

Technical Solution

[0005] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic device includes: at least one communication interface; and at least one processor, which is operably coupled to the at least one communication interface and is configured to control the electronic device, wherein the processor can also be configured to: based on the release of the communication connection with a first access point, control the at least one communication interface to perform scanning to reconnect the first access point, and based on receiving a signal containing identification information of the electronic device from a user terminal device through the at least one communication interface, control the at least one communication interface to operate as a second access point.

[0006] The at least one processor may also be configured to: after the first access point is released, receive information about the first access point from the user terminal device through the at least one communication interface, and control the at least one communication interface to send a reconnection request to the first access point based on the information about the first access point.

[0007] The at least one processor may also be configured to: after the first access point is released, receive a broadcast Wi-Fi beacon frame or a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) advertising packet from a user terminal device through the at least one communication interface, and control the at least one communication interface to operate as a second access point based on the Wi-Fi beacon frame or the BLE advertising packet containing identification information of the electronic device.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a user terminal device includes: at least one communication interface; and at least one processor, which is operably coupled to the at least one communication interface and configured to control the user terminal device, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: based on identifying that the communication connection between an electronic device and a first access point is released, control the at least one communication interface to broadcast a signal containing identification information of the electronic device, and based on the electronic device operating as a second access point, control the at least one communication interface to send information about the first access point to the electronic device.

[0009] The at least one processor may also be configured to, after identifying that the communication connection is released, control the at least one communication interface to perform broadcasting of a signal within a threshold time, and when the threshold time is exceeded, identify whether the electronic device operates as a second access point.

[0010] The at least one processor may also be configured to, after identifying that the communication connection is released, send information about the first access point to the electronic device based on the electronic device operating as a second access point, and control the at least one communication interface to re-broadcast the signal based on the electronic device not operating as the second access point.

[0011] The at least one processor may be further configured to, based on recognizing that the communication connection between the electronic device and the first access point is released, control the at least one communication interface to broadcast a Wi-Fi beacon frame or a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) advertising packet containing identification information of the electronic device.

[0012] The user terminal device may further include: a memory, wherein the at least one processor may further be configured to: obtain identification information of the electronic device when performing a simple setup operation for the communication connection, store the identification information of the electronic device in the memory, and based on identifying that the communication connection between the electronic device and the first access point is released, control the at least one communication interface to broadcast a signal containing the identification information of the electronic device stored in the memory.

[0013] The user terminal device may further include: a display; and a user interface, wherein the at least one processor may further be configured to: based on identifying that the communication connection between the electronic device and the first access point is released, control the display to display a message indicating that the communication connection has been released, and based on receiving a user command for reconnecting the electronic device to the first access point through the user interface, control the at least one communication interface to perform broadcasting of a signal containing identification information of the electronic device.

[0014] The at least one processor is further configured to: after identifying that the communication connection is released, identify a communication connection state between the electronic device and an access point when executing a preset application or at preset time intervals.

[0015] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a control method of an electronic device includes: performing scanning to reconnect to the first access point based on the release of a communication connection with the first access point; and operating as a second access point based on receiving a signal containing identification information of the electronic device from a user terminal device.

[0016] The control method may further include: receiving information about the first access point from the user terminal device after the first access point is released; and sending a reconnection request to the first access point based on the information about the first access point.

[0017] Operating as a second access point may include: receiving a broadcast Wi-Fi beacon frame or a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) advertising packet from the user terminal device, and operating as the second access point based on the Wi-Fi beacon frame or the BLE advertising packet containing identification information of the electronic device.

[0018] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a control method of a user terminal device includes: based on identifying that a communication connection between an electronic device and a first access point is released, broadcasting a signal containing identification information of the electronic device; and based on the electronic device operating as a second access point, sending information about the first access point to the electronic device.

[0019] Performing the broadcast may include performing the broadcast of the signal within a threshold time, and identifying whether the electronic device operates as a second access point based on exceeding the threshold time. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of certain embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0021] Figure 1is a diagram illustrating an easy setup operation according to one or more embodiments;

[0022] Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating a display system according to one or more embodiments;

[0023] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an electronic device according to one or more embodiments;

[0024] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a user terminal device according to one or more embodiments;

[0025] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of a user terminal device according to one or more embodiments;

[0026] Figure 6 is a diagram showing a screen of an application for managing IoT devices according to one or more embodiments;

[0027] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an electronic device after a communication connection is released according to one or more embodiments;

[0028] Figure 8 is a sequence diagram illustrating re-execution of an easy setup operation according to one or more embodiments;

[0029] Fig. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of an electronic device according to one or more embodiments; and

[0030] Fig.10 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling a user terminal device according to one or more embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The example embodiments of the present disclosure may be modified in many ways. Therefore, specific example embodiments are shown in the drawings and described in detail in the specific embodiments. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to specific example embodiments, but includes all modifications, equivalents and substitutions without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. In addition, well-known functions or configurations are not described in detail because they would obscure the present disclosure with unnecessary details.

[0032] The present disclosure aims to provide an electronic device and a user terminal apparatus and a control method thereof for re-executing all or part of the operations of the simple settings according to the release of the communication connection after the simple settings are completed.

[0033] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0034] The terms used in one or more embodiments of the present disclosure are currently widely used general terms selected in consideration of their functions in this article. However, these terms may change according to the intentions of technicians in the relevant fields, legal or technical interpretations, the emergence of new technologies, etc. In addition, in specific cases, there may be arbitrarily selected terms, and in this case, the meaning of the terms will be disclosed in more detail in the corresponding description. Therefore, the terms used in this article should not be simply understood as their names, but should be understood based on the meaning of the terms and the overall context of the disclosure.

[0035] In the present disclosure, expressions such as “having”, “may have”, “including”, “may include”, etc. are used to specify the existence of corresponding characteristics (for example, elements such as values, functions, operations or components), but do not exclude the existence or possibility of other characteristics.

[0036] The expression “at least one of A or B” should be understood to mean: only “A”, only “B”, or both “A and B”.

[0037] As used herein, expressions such as "first", "second", "1st", "2nd", etc. may be used to refer to various elements regardless of the order and / or importance of the elements, and it should be noted that these expressions are only used to distinguish one element from another without limiting the relevant elements.

[0038] Unless otherwise specified, singular expressions include plural expressions. In the present disclosure, it should be understood that terms such as "formed" or "comprising" are used herein to indicate the presence of features, quantities, steps, operations, elements, components or combinations thereof, without excluding the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, quantities, steps, operations, elements, components or combinations thereof.

[0039] In the present disclosure, the term “user” may refer to a person using an electronic device or an apparatus (eg, an artificial intelligence electronic device) using an electronic device.

[0040] Various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0041] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an easy setup operation according to one or more embodiments.

[0042] IoT devices may be limited in terms of user input because, in many cases, IoT devices do not provide a touch screen compared to other devices such as smartphones. Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult for users to connect IoT devices to the Internet.

[0043] As a solution to this problem, the easy setup operation may be a method of connecting an IoT device to the Internet using a smartphone and registering the IoT device in an IoT server at the same time, which may be referred to as onboarding or commissioning. Devices that assist with onboarding (e.g., smartphones and smart televisions (TVs)) may be referred to as onboarding assistants or commissioners.

[0044] For example, IoT devices (e.g., for ease of description, in Figure 1 ) can automatically change the Wi-Fi state to a soft access point state in the out-of-box experience (OOBE) state, such as Figure 1 As shown. In the soft access point state, the IoT device can send a beacon of a specific SSID (soft AP beacon transmission). The smart phone can form a device-to-device (D2D) communication channel between the smart phone and the IoT device by scanning a specific service set identifier (SSID) and joining a communication session with the IoT device. The smart phone can send the information required for network configuration (SSID / password / connection type of the access point, etc.) to the IoT device through the D2D channel. In one or more examples, the soft access point can be a software-enabled access point that uses software to enable a device or computer to operate as an access point.

[0045] When receiving the information required for network configuration from the smartphone, the IoT device can turn off the soft access point. The IoT device can perform Wi-Fi scanning by turning on station mode and connect to the access point based on the information received from the smartphone. The IoT device can register the IoT device in the IoT server for IoT services and form a device-to-server (D2S) communication channel between the IoT device and the IoT server.

[0046] The smartphone may receive a registration completion notification from the IoT server after completing the D2D channel.

[0047] In the above description, an example has been described for a D2D channel in which an IoT device operates as a soft access point. However, as understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art, this description is non-limiting, and the IoT device may perform Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) advertising.

[0048] As described above, after the initial easy setup operation, the D2D connection may no longer be needed or may not be able to connect to the access point. For example, after the initial easy setup operation, the IoT device may stop soft AP beacon transmission and BLE advertising.

[0049] However, due to reasons such as changing the access point and releasing the access point, the simple setup operation may be needed again. In one or more examples, the user can perform the simple setup operation again by turning on the D2D communication function after the D2D communication function is turned off. For example, the user can operate an input button set in the IoT device to cause the IoT device to perform soft AP beacon transmission or BLE advertising, and control the IoT device to perform the above-mentioned simple setup operation.

[0050] However, since the user is not familiar with the above-mentioned series of operations, it is difficult for the user to re-perform the simple setting operation.

[0051] Figure 2 1 is a block diagram showing a display system 1000 according to one or more embodiments. Figure 2 As shown, the display system 1000 may include an electronic device 100 , a user terminal device 200 , and an access point 300 .

[0052] As an IoT device, the electronic device 100 may be a device connected to the access point 300 with the assistance of the user terminal device 200. For example, the electronic device 100 may be a washing machine, a refrigerator, a freezer, a dishwasher, a robot cleaner, or any other device known to those skilled in the art that can be connected to the Internet.

[0053] The electronic device 100 may perform scanning to reconnect to the access point 300 based on the communication connection with the access point 300 being released, and operate as a soft access point based on receiving a signal including identification information of the electronic device 100 from the user terminal device 200. After receiving the signal including the identification information, the electronic device 100 may reconnect to the access point 300 based on operating as a soft access point due to re-performing the easy setup operation as described above.

[0054] As a device for performing a simple setup operation, the user terminal device 200 may include a display, and may be a device that assists in connecting or reconnecting the electronic device 100 to the access point 300. For example, the user terminal device 200 may be a smart phone, a tablet personal computer (PC), a desktop PC, a notebook computer, a TV, or any other device known to those skilled in the art that includes a display and can be connected to the Internet. However, the user terminal device is not limited thereto, and the user terminal device 200 may be any device known to those skilled in the art that is configured to perform a simple setup operation.

[0055] The user terminal device 200 may perform broadcasting of a signal containing identification information of the electronic device 100 based on the determination that the communication connection between the electronic device 100 and the access point 300 is released. In one or more examples, the user terminal device 200 may guide a user of the communication connection that has been released based on the determination that the communication connection between the electronic device 100 and the access point 300 is released, and when receiving a user command for reconnecting the electronic device 100 to the access point 300, the user terminal device 200 may also perform broadcasting of a signal containing identification information of the electronic device 100. In one or more examples, the user terminal device 200 may store identification information of the electronic device 100 in an initial easy setup operation.

[0056] The user terminal device 200 may re-perform the simple setup operation to reconnect the electronic device 100 to the access point 300 based on the electronic device operating as a soft access point.

[0057] Through the operations of the electronic apparatus 100 and the user terminal device 200 as described above, the user can re-execute the simple setting operation without controlling the electronic apparatus 100 , or re-execute the simple setting operation by controlling the user terminal device 200 .

[0058] The access point 300 may be a device that assists a device configured to perform wireless communication to join a network.

[0059] In one or more examples, the operation of re-performing the easy setup operation may include: Figure 1 However, the operation is not limited thereto, and the operation of re-performing the simple setting operation may include Figure 1 A part of the whole operation or modification Figure 1 For example, if the password or SSID of the access point 300 is changed, the communication connection between the electronic device 100 and the access point 300 is released, the electronic device 100 performs scanning to reconnect to the access point 300, and if a signal containing identification information of the electronic device 100 is received from the user terminal device 200, the electronic device 100 can operate as a soft access point. After the reconnection process is initiated, the user terminal device 200 can provide the electronic device 100 with the changed password or changed SSID of the access point 300 based on the electronic device 100 operating as a soft access point. The electronic device 100 can reconnect to the access point 300 based on the changed password or changed SSID of the access point 300.

[0060] However, the operation is not limited to these actions or configurations, and the operation of re-performing the easy setup operation may be a process 200 including all various interactions between the electronic device 100 and the user terminal apparatus in order to reconnect the electronic device 100 to the access point 300.

[0061] exist Figure 2 , the electronic device 100 has been shown as being connected to the access point 300. The electronic device 100 may also be connected to the IoT server through the access point 300. However, for the convenience of the following description, the electronic device 100 will be described as being connected to the access point 300.

[0062] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an electronic device 100 according to one or more embodiments. Figure 3 , the electronic device 100 may include a communication interface 110 and a processor 120 .

[0063] The communication interface 110 may be configured to perform communication with various types of external devices according to various types of communication methods. For example, the electronic device 100 may perform communication with the user terminal device 200 or the access point 300 through the communication interface 110 .

[0064] The communication interface 110 may include a Wi-Fi module, a Bluetooth module, an infrared communication module, a wireless communication module, or any other suitable communication interface known to those skilled in the art. In one or more examples, each communication module or interface may be implemented in the form of at least one hardware chip.

[0065] The Wi-Fi module and the Bluetooth module can perform communication in the Wi-Fi method and the Bluetooth method, respectively. When using the Wi-Fi module or the Bluetooth module, various connection information such as a service set identifier (SSID) and a session key can be first sent and received, and after the communication connection is made using the various connection information, various information can be sent and received. The SSID can be an identifier of an electronic device. The infrared communication module can perform communication according to infrared communication (Infrared Data Association (IrDA)) technology, which wirelessly transmits data within a short distance by using infrared rays that exist between visible rays and millimeter waves.

[0066] The wireless communication module may include at least one communication chip for performing communication according to various wireless communication standards. In addition to the above-mentioned communication methods, the various wireless communication standards may also be, for example, but not limited to, ZigBee, third generation (3G), third generation partnership project (3GPP), long term evolution (LTE), advanced LTE (LTE-A), fourth generation (4G), fifth generation (5G), or any other communication method known to ordinary technicians in the field.

[0067] In one or more examples, communication interface 110 may include a wired communication interface, such as, but not limited to, HDMI, DP, Thunderbolt, USB, RGB, D-SUB, DVI, or any other suitable wired communication interface known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0068] In addition, the communication interface 110 may also include at least one of wired communication modules that perform communication using a local area network (LAN) module, an Ethernet module, or a pair of cables, coaxial cables or fiber optic cables, or any other communication interface module known to those skilled in the art.

[0069] As understood by those skilled in the art, the communication interface 110 may be implemented as one communication interface or as a plurality of communication interfaces. However, for the convenience of the following description, the expression communication interface 110 will be used to describe the operation of the electronic device 100 .

[0070] The processor 120 may control the overall operation of the electronic device 100. In one or more examples, the processor 120 may control the overall operation of the electronic device 100 by connecting with each configuration of the electronic device 100. For example, the processor 120 may connect with configurations such as the communication interface 110, a display, and a memory, and control the operation of the electronic device 100.

[0071] According to one or more embodiments, the processor 120 may be implemented as a digital signal processor (DSP), a microprocessor, or a time controller (TCON). However, the embodiments are not limited to these configurations or devices, and may include one or more of a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller unit (MCU), a microprocessing unit (MPU), a controller, an application processor (AP), a communication processor (CP), or an ARM processor, or may be defined by corresponding terms. In one or more examples, the processor 120 may be implemented as a system on chip (SoC) or a large-scale integrated circuit (LSI) embedded with a processing algorithm, and may be implemented in the form of a field programmable gate array (FPGA).

[0072] As understood by those skilled in the art, the processor 120 may be implemented as one processor or as a plurality of processors. However, for the convenience of the following description, the expression processor 120 will be used to describe the operation of the electronic device 100.

[0073] The processor 120 may be connected to the access point 300 through a simple setting operation via the user terminal device 200 .

[0074] The processor 120 may control the communication interface 110 to perform scanning to reconnect to the access point 300 based on the communication connection with the access point 300 being released. For example, the processor 120 releases the communication connection with the access point 300 for reasons such as a change in the access point 300 or a change in authentication credentials (e.g., a password). When the communication connection is released, the processor 120 may control the communication interface 110 to perform scanning to reconnect to the access point 300. When the reconnection with the access point 300 is completed, the processor 120 may stop the scanning operation, or when the reconnection with the access point 300 is not completed, the processor 120 may maintain the scanning operation.

[0075] The processor 120 may control the communication interface 110 to operate as a soft access point based on a signal containing identification information of the electronic device 100 received from the user terminal device 200 through the communication interface 110. For example, the user terminal device 200 may receive information that the communication connection between the electronic device 100 and the IoT server has been released. In one or more examples, the user terminal device 200 may identify that the communication connection between the electronic device 100 and the access point has been released based on the fact that the duration of the scanning operation of the electronic device 100 is greater than or equal to a preset time. When it is determined that the communication connection is released, the user terminal device 200 may broadcast a signal containing identification information of the electronic device 100. In one or more examples, the user terminal device 200 may broadcast a Wi-Fi beacon frame or a BLE advertising packet containing identification information of the electronic device 100.

[0076] The processor 120 may control the communication interface 110 to receive a broadcasted Wi-Fi beacon frame or a BLE advertising packet from the user terminal device 200 through the communication interface 110 , and operate as a soft access point based on the Wi-Fi beacon frame or the BLE advertising packet containing identification information of the electronic device 100 .

[0077] The processor 120 may control the communication interface 110 to receive information about the access point 300 from the user terminal device 200 through the communication interface 110, and send a reconnection request 300 to the access point 300 based on the information about the access point. For example, the user terminal device 200 may form a D2D communication channel with the electronic device 100 based on the electronic apparatus 100 operating as a soft access point, and send information about the access point 300 to the electronic apparatus 100. If the information about the access point 300 is received, the processor 120 may shut down the soft access point, and reconnect to the access point 300 based on the information about the access point 300.

[0078] Figure 4 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a user terminal device 200 according to one or more embodiments. Figure 4, the user terminal device 200 may include a communication interface 210 and a processor 220 .

[0079] The communication interface 210 may be configured to perform communication with various types of external devices according to various types of communication methods. For example, the user terminal device 200 may perform communication with the electronic apparatus 100 or the access point 300 through the communication interface 210 .

[0080] The communication interface 210 may include a Wi-Fi module, a Bluetooth module, an infrared communication module, a wireless communication module, or any other communication module known to those skilled in the art. In one or more examples, each communication module may be implemented in the form of at least one hardware chip.

[0081] The Wi-Fi module and the Bluetooth module can perform communication in the Wi-Fi method and the Bluetooth method, respectively. When using the Wi-Fi module or the Bluetooth module, various connection information such as a service set identifier (SSID) and a session key can be first sent and received, and after communication connection is made using the various connection information, various information can be sent and received. The infrared communication module can perform communication according to infrared communication (Infrared Data Association (IrDA)) technology, which wirelessly transmits data within a short distance by using infrared rays existing between visible rays and millimeter waves.

[0082] The wireless communication module may include at least one communication chip for performing communication according to various wireless communication standards. In addition to the above-mentioned communication methods, the various wireless communication standards may also be, for example, but not limited to, ZigBee, third generation (3G), third generation partnership project (3GPP), long term evolution (LTE), advanced LTE (LTE-A), fourth generation (4G), fifth generation (5G), or any other communication method known to ordinary technicians in the field.

[0083] In one or more examples, communication interface 210 may include a wired communication interface, such as, but not limited to, HDMI, DP, Thunderbolt, USB, RGB, D-SUB, DVI, or any other wired communication interface known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0084] In one or more examples, the communication interface 210 may include at least one of a wired communication module that performs communication using a local area network (LAN) module, an Ethernet module, or a pair of cables, coaxial cables or fiber optic cables, or any other wired communication module known to those skilled in the art.

[0085] As understood by those skilled in the art, the communication interface 210 may be implemented as one communication interface or as multiple communication interfaces. However, for the convenience of the following description, the expression communication interface 210 will be used to describe the operation of the user terminal device 200.

[0086] The processor 220 may control the overall operation of the user terminal device 200. In one or more examples, the processor 220 may control the overall operation of the user terminal device 200 by connecting with each configuration of the user terminal device 200. For example, the processor 220 may be connected with configurations such as the communication interface 210, a memory, a display, and a user interface, and control the operation of the user terminal device 200.

[0087] According to one or more embodiments, the processor 220 may be implemented as a digital signal processor (DSP), a microprocessor, or a time controller (TCON). However, as will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, the embodiments are not limited to these configurations or circuits, and may include one or more of a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller unit (MCU), a microprocessing unit (MPU), a controller, an application processor (AP), a communication processor (CP), or an ARM processor, or may be defined by corresponding terms. In one or more examples, the processor 220 may be implemented as a system on chip (SoC) or a large-scale integrated circuit (LSI) embedded with a processing algorithm, and may be implemented in the form of a field programmable gate array (FPGA).

[0088] As understood by those skilled in the art, the processor 220 may be implemented as one processor or as a plurality of processors. However, for the convenience of the following description, the processor 220 will be used to describe the operation of the user terminal device 200.

[0089] The processor 220 may establish a communication connection between the electronic device 100 and the access point 300 through a simple setup operation.

[0090] For example, the electronic device 100 may further include a memory, and the processor 220 may obtain identification information of the electronic device 100 when performing an easy setup operation for a communication connection, and store the identification information of the electronic device 100 in the memory.

[0091] The processor 220 may control the communication interface 210 to perform broadcasting of a signal containing identification information of the electronic device 100 stored in the memory based on the determination that the communication connection between the electronic device 100 and the access point 300 is released.

[0092] For example, the processor 220 may control the communication interface 210 to perform broadcasting of a Wi-Fi beacon frame or a BLE advertising packet including identification information of the electronic device 100 based on the determination that the communication connection between the electronic device 100 and the access point 300 is released.

[0093] The processor 220 may control the communication interface 210 to perform the broadcasting of the signal within a threshold time, and when the threshold time is exceeded, identify whether the electronic device 100 operates as a soft access point. If the electronic device 100 operates as a soft access point, the processor 220 may control the communication interface 210 to send information about the access point 300 to the electronic device 100, and if the electronic device 100 does not operate as a soft access point, repeat the broadcasting of the signal.

[0094] The processor 220 may control the communication interface 210 to transmit information about the access point 300 to the electronic device 100 based on the determination that the electronic device 100 operates as a soft access point. The electronic device 100 may reconnect to the access point 300 based on the information about the access point 300. For example, the easy setup operation may be re-executed, wherein user convenience may be advantageously improved because the re-execution of the easy setup operation does not require user intervention.

[0095] In the above description, the processor 220 has been described as automatically re-performing the easy setup operation based on the determination that the communication connection between the electronic device 100 and the access point 300 is released, but is not limited thereto. For example, the user terminal device 200 may further include a display and a user interface, and the processor 220 may control the display to display a message indicating that the communication connection has been released based on the determination that the communication connection between the electronic device 100 and the access point 300 is released, and control the communication interface 210 to perform broadcasting of a signal containing identification information of the electronic device 100 based on a user command for reconnecting the electronic device 100 to the access point 300 received through the user interface. For example, the easy setup operation may be re-performed based on the control of the user, and the user may re-perform the easy setup operation through the user terminal device 200, which has a higher usability than the electronic device 100, thereby providing the user with a choice while improving the convenience of the user.

[0096] The processor 220 may identify the communication connection status of the electronic device 100 and the access point 300 when executing a preset application or at a preset time interval. For example, the processor 220 may identify the communication connection status of the IoT device registered in the application based on the application being executed for controlling the IoT device including the electronic device 100. In one or more examples, the processor 220 may identify the communication connection status of the electronic device 100 and the access point 300 at a preset time interval.

[0097] Figure 5 2 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of a user terminal device 200 according to one or more embodiments. The user terminal device 200 may include a communication interface 210 and a processor 220. In one or more examples, reference Figure 5 The user terminal device 200 may also include a memory 230, a display 240, a user interface 250, a microphone 260, a speaker 270, and a camera 280. Figure 5 The units shown are Figure 4 Detailed description of the overlapping portions of the units shown.

[0098] The memory 230 may refer to hardware that stores information such as data in an electrical or magnetic form for access by the processor 220, etc. For example, the memory 230 may be implemented as at least one hardware of a non-volatile memory, a volatile memory, a flash memory, a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD), a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), or any other memory structure known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0099] In the memory 230, at least one instruction required for the operation of the user terminal device 200 or the processor 220 may be stored. For example, the instruction may be a code unit that instructs the operation of the user terminal device 200 or the processor 220, and may be prepared in a machine language that is a language that a computer can understand. In one or more examples, the memory 230 may store a plurality of instructions for performing a specific work of the user terminal device 200 or the processor 220 as an instruction set.

[0100] The memory 230 may store data, which is information in bits or bytes, which may represent characters, numbers, images, etc. For example, the memory 230 may store information about the electronic device 100, information about the access point 300, or any other suitable information.

[0101] The memory 230 may be accessed by the processor 220 , and reading, writing, modifying, deleting, updating, etc. of instructions, instruction sets, or data may be performed by the processor 220 .

[0102] The display 240 may be configured to display an image, and may be implemented as various forms of displays, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, and a plasma display panel (PDP). In the display 240, a driving circuit, a backlight unit, or any other backlight structure known to those of ordinary skill in the art may be included, wherein the driving circuit may be implemented in the form of an a-si TFT, a low temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) TFT, an organic TFT (OTFT), or any other TFT structure known to those of ordinary skill in the art. The display 240 may be implemented as a touch screen coupled to a touch sensor, a flexible display, a three-dimensional display (3D display), or any other display structure known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0103] The user interface 250 may be implemented as a button, a touch pad, a mouse, a keyboard, or any other input device known to those skilled in the art, or may be implemented as a touch screen configured to perform a display function and an operation input function together with the user interface 160. In one or more examples, the button may be various types of buttons formed at random areas at the front surface portion or the side surface portion, the rear surface portion, etc., of the exterior of the body of the user terminal device 200, such as a mechanical button, a touch pad, or a scroll wheel.

[0104] The microphone 260 may be configured to receive sound and convert it into an audio signal. The microphone 260 may be electrically connected to the processor 220 and may receive sound by the control of the processor 220.

[0105] For example, the microphone 260 may be formed as an integrated type integrated into the upper side or front surface direction, the side direction, or any other suitable direction of the user terminal device 200. In one or more examples, the microphone 260 may be provided in a remote controller or the like separated from the user terminal device 200. In one or more examples, the remote controller may receive sound through the microphone 260 and provide the received sound to the user terminal device 200.

[0106] Microphone 260 may include various configurations, such as a microphone that collects sound in analog form, an amplifier circuit that amplifies the collected sound, an A / D converter circuit that samples the amplified sound and converts it into a digital signal, a filter circuit that removes noise components from the converted digital signal, or any other suitable configuration known to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

[0107] The microphone 260 may be implemented in the form of a sound sensor, and may be of any method as long as it is a configuration capable of collecting sound.

[0108] The speaker 270 may be a unit that outputs not only various audio data processed in the processor 220 but also various notification sounds, voice messages, or any other suitable audio data.

[0109] In addition, the user terminal device 200 may further include a camera 280. The camera 280 may be configured to capture still images or moving images. The camera 280 may capture still images at a specific time point. In one or more examples, the camera 280t may be configured to continuously capture one or more still images.

[0110] As described above, after the communication connection with the access point 300 has been released, the electronic device 100 can operate as a soft access point and re-execute the simple setup operation based on receiving a signal containing identification information of the electronic device 100 from the user terminal device 200, thereby improving user convenience.

[0111] The following will be Figures 6 to 9 The operation of the electronic device 100 and the user terminal device 200 is described in more detail. Figures 6 to 9 In the following, various embodiments will be described. Figures 6 to 9 The various embodiments of the present invention may be implemented or carried out in any combination.

[0112] Figure 6 is a diagram showing a screen of an application for managing IoT devices according to one or more embodiments. Figure 6 In the present invention, for the convenience of description, the electronic device 100 is described as a washing machine. Figure 6 The screen displayed in may be displayed on a user terminal device 200 such as a smart phone.

[0113] The processor 220 of the user terminal device 200 may display the following information based on the application for managing IoT devices being executed: Figure 6 The screen (600A) shown on the left side of . For example, the processor can identify the communication connection status of IoT devices such as washing machines and dryers based on the application being executed, and display the washing machine and dryer to be displayed on the screen as being offline.

[0114] If the user selects a graphical user interface (GUI) 610 corresponding to a washing machine, the processor 220 may display a screen including detailed information about the washing machine, such as Figure 6 In one or more examples, detailed information about the washing machine may include a GUI 620 that provides a connection status of the washing machine, previous operation information, and a setting menu of the washing machine.

[0115] If the user selects the GUI 620 providing a setting menu of the washing machine, the processor 220 may provide a detailed setting menu, such as Figure 6 For example, the specific setting menu may include user guide, select country / region, information, home care manager, and perform reconnection 630. In one or more examples, when it is determined that the connection between the electronic device and the access point is released, perform reconnection 630 may automatically appear on the display of the user terminal.

[0116] If the user chooses to perform reconnection 630, the processor 220 may perform broadcasting of a Wi-Fi beacon frame or a BLE advertising packet having an SSID or a vendor-specific field containing information (e.g., a serial number) that may specify the washing machine. In one or more examples, Wi-Fi beacon transmission may be required when a network sharing function is performed in a smart phone, and Wi-Fi beacon transmission is a function supported by a user terminal such as a smart phone.

[0117] The washing machine may continuously perform scanning to reconnect to the access point 300 based on the release of the communication connection with the access point 300. When the communication connection between the washing machine and the access point 300 is released, the washing machine may receive the Wi-Fi beacon frame or the BLE advertising packet broadcasted by the user terminal device 200 and start soft AP beacon transmission or BLE advertising when identifying the information of the designated washing machine therefrom, so as to change to a state for reconnecting the communication connection.

[0118] In one or more examples, the washing machine and the user terminal device 200 can be connected by Figure 1 Repeat the Easy Setup procedure.

[0119] exist Figure 6 In the embodiment, the user terminal device 200 has been described as assisting the reconnection of the electronic device 100 according to the control of the user, however, as understood by those skilled in the art, the embodiments are not limited to these configurations. For example, the user terminal device 200 may periodically identify the communication connection state of the electronic device 100, and when the communication connection of the electronic device 100 has been released, assist the reconnection of the electronic device 100 without the need for user control.

[0120] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the electronic device 100 after the communication connection is released according to one or more embodiments. When it is determined that the communication connection between the electronic device 100 and the access point 300 is released, a Figure 7 The process shown.

[0121] The processor 120 of the electronic device 100 may continuously perform scanning to reconnect to the access point 300 based on the determination that the communication connection of the access point 300 is released. For example, the processor 120 may continuously perform scanning for Wi-Fi beacon frames or BLE advertising packets (S710). In one or more examples, the processor 120 may scan Wi-Fi beacon frames and BLE advertising packets at the same time.

[0122] The processor 120 may identify whether the Wi-Fi beacon frame or the BLE advertising packet broadcasted by the user terminal device 200 contains information (eg, a serial number) specifying the electronic apparatus 100 based on receiving the Wi-Fi beacon frame or the BLE advertising packet ( S720 ).

[0123] The processor 120 may perform soft AP beaconing or BLE advertising when the Wi-Fi beacon frame or the BLE advertising packet includes information specifying the electronic device 100 ( S730 ), and maintain a scanning operation when the Wi-Fi beacon frame or the BLE advertising packet does not include information capable of specifying the electronic device 100 .

[0124] For example, the electronic device 100 may re-execute the easy setup operation by performing soft AP beacon transmission or BLE advertising based on the Wi-Fi beacon frame or BLE advertising packet broadcasted from the user terminal device 200 containing information specifying the electronic device 100. In one or more examples, the easy setup operation may be re-executed without the user operating the electronic device 100.

[0125] Figure 8 is a sequence diagram illustrating a re-execution operation of an easy setup operation according to one or more embodiments.

[0126] The connection of the electronic device 100 with the access point 300 may be released (S810). In one or more examples, when the connection with the access point 300 is released, the electronic device 100 may continuously perform scanning to reconnect to the access point 300 (S820).

[0127] The user terminal device 200 may recognize the release of the electronic device 100 (S830) and provide corresponding information to the user. For example, the user terminal device 200 may display a message indicating that the connection between the electronic device 100 and the access point 300 is released. The user terminal device 200 may perform Wi-Fi beacon transmission or BLE advertising, which includes identification information (e.g., device-specific information) of the electronic device 100 (S850) based on the "perform reconnection" option being selected (S840).

[0128] The electronic apparatus 100 may receive a Wi-Fi beacon frame or a BLE advertising packet broadcasted from the user terminal device 200 ( S860 ), and perform soft AP beaconing or BLE advertising when the received information contains identification information of the electronic apparatus 100 ( S870 ).

[0129] The user terminal device 200 may repeatedly perform Wi-Fi or BLE scanning within a preset time (S880). If the electronic device 100 performs soft AP beacon transmission or BLE advertising, the user terminal device 200 may check whether the electronic device 100 is in a state where it can rejoin the connection with the access point through scanning (S890), and re-execute the simple setup operation. In one or more examples, the user terminal device 200 may repeatedly perform Wi-Fi beacon transmission or BLE advertising containing identification information of the electronic device 100 based on failure to check whether the electronic device 100 is in a state where it can connect through scanning.

[0130] Fig. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of an electronic device according to one or more embodiments. Fig. 9 The illustrated process may be performed by the electronic device 100 .

[0131] When the communication connection with the access point is released, scanning may be performed to reconnect to the access point (S910). When a signal containing identification information of the electronic device is received from the user terminal equipment, the electronic device may operate as a soft access point (S920).

[0132] In one or more examples, the method may further include: receiving information about an access point from a user terminal device, and sending a reconnection request to the access point based on the information about the access point.

[0133] In operation (S920), the electronic device may operate as a soft access point based on receiving a broadcasted Wi-Fi beacon frame or a BLE advertising packet from a user terminal device and the Wi-Fi beacon frame or the BLE advertising packet contains identification information of the electronic device.

[0134] Fig.10 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling a user terminal device according to one or more embodiments. Fig.10 The process shown may be performed by the user terminal device 200 .

[0135] When it is determined that the communication connection between the electronic device and the access point is released, a signal containing identification information of the electronic device may be broadcast (S1010). After broadcasting the signal, when the electronic device operates as a soft access point, information about the access point may be sent to the electronic device (S1020).

[0136] In one or more examples, performing the broadcast (S1010) may include performing the broadcast of the signal within a threshold time, and identifying whether the electronic device operates as a soft access point based on exceeding the threshold time.

[0137] If the electronic device does not operate as a soft access point, performing broadcasting (S1010) may include re-performing broadcasting, and if the electronic device operates as a soft access point, transmitting (S1020) may include transmitting information about the access point to the electronic device.

[0138] The performing of the broadcast ( S1010 ) may include performing broadcast of a Wi-Fi beacon frame or a BLE advertising packet containing identification information of the electronic device based on a determination that the communication connection between the electronic device and the access point is released.

[0139] In one or more examples, it may also include: obtaining identification information of the electronic device and storing the identification information of the electronic device when performing a simple setup operation for a communication connection; and performing broadcasting (S1010) may include: based on a determination that the communication connection between the electronic device and the access point is released, performing broadcasting of a signal containing the stored identification information of the electronic device.

[0140] Performing the broadcast (S1010) may include: based on a determination that the communication connection between the electronic device and the access point is released, displaying a message indicating that the communication connection has been released; and based on receiving a user command for reconnecting the electronic device to the access point, performing broadcasting of a signal containing identification information of the electronic device.

[0141] In one or more examples, the method may further include: identifying a communication connection state between the electronic device and the access point when a preset application is executed or at a preset time interval.

[0142] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure as described above, the electronic device can operate as a soft access point and re-execute a simple setup operation based on receiving a signal containing identification information of the electronic device from a user terminal device after the communication connection with the access point is released, thereby improving user convenience.

[0143] The user terminal device may broadcast a signal including identification information of the electronic device based on the determination that the communication connection between the electronic device and the access point is released, thereby improving user convenience by performing a simple setup operation guided by the electronic device.

[0144] According to one or more embodiments, the various embodiments described above may be implemented with software including instructions stored in a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., a computer). The machine may call the instructions stored in the storage medium, and as a device capable of operating according to the called instructions, may include an electronic device according to the above embodiments (e.g., electronic device (A)). Based on the instructions being executed by the processor, the processor may directly execute the function corresponding to the instruction, or use other units under the control of the processor to execute the function corresponding to the instruction. The instruction may include code generated by a compiler or executed by an interpreter. The machine-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. In this article, "non-transitory" only means that the storage medium is tangible and does not include signals, and the term does not distinguish whether the data is semi-permanently or temporarily stored in the storage medium.

[0145] In addition, according to one or more embodiments, the methods according to the various embodiments described above may be provided and included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be exchanged between sellers and buyers as a commodity. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., a compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM)) or through an application store (e.g., PLAYSTORE TM ) Online distribution. In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be at least temporarily stored in a storage medium (eg, a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or a memory of a relay server) or temporarily generated.

[0146] In addition, according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the above-mentioned various embodiments can be implemented in a recordable medium readable by a computer or a device similar to a computer using software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. In some cases, the embodiments described herein can be implemented by the processor itself. According to software implementation, embodiments such as the processing and functions described herein can be implemented as separate software. Each software can perform one or more functions and operations described herein.

[0147] Computer instructions for performing processing operations in the devices according to the various embodiments described above may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium. When the computer instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium are executed by a processor of a specific device, the specific device may perform processing operations of the device according to the various embodiments described above. A non-transitory computer-readable medium may refer to a medium (such as a register, a cache, a memory, etc.) that stores data semi-permanently rather than for a very short time, and can be read by a device. Specific examples of non-transitory computer-readable media may include a compact disc (CD), a digital versatile disc (DVD), a hard disk, a Blu-ray disc, a USB, a memory card, a ROM, etc.

[0148] In addition, each unit (e.g., module or program) according to the various embodiments described above may be formed by a single entity or multiple entities, and some of the sub-units described above may be omitted, or other sub-units may be included in various embodiments. Alternatively or additionally, some units (e.g., modules or programs) may be integrated into one entity and perform the same or similar functions performed by each corresponding unit before integration. According to various embodiments, the operations performed by a module, program, or another unit may be performed sequentially, in parallel, repeatedly, or heuristically, or at least some operations may be performed in a different order, omitted, or different operations may be added.

[0149] Although the present disclosure has been illustrated and described with reference to various embodiments of the present disclosure, it will be understood that the various embodiments are intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the true spirit and full scope of the present disclosure, including the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising: at least one communication interface; as well as at least one processor operably coupled to the at least one communication interface and configured to control the electronic device, Wherein, the processor is further configured to: Based on the release of the communication connection with the first access point, controlling the at least one communication interface to perform scanning to reconnect with the first access point, and Based on receiving a signal including identification information of the electronic device from a user terminal device through the at least one communication interface, the at least one communication interface is controlled to operate as a second access point.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one processor is further configured to: after the first access point is released, receiving information about the first access point from the user terminal device through the at least one communication interface, and Based on the information about the first access point, the at least one communication interface is controlled to send a reconnection request to the first access point.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one processor is further configured to: after the first access point is released, receiving a broadcast Wi-Fi beacon frame or a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) advertising packet from the user terminal device via the at least one communication interface, and Based on the Wi-Fi beacon frame or the BLE advertising packet containing identification information of the electronic device, the at least one communication interface is controlled to operate as the second access point.

4. A user terminal device, comprising: at least one communication interface; as well as at least one processor, operably coupled to the at least one communication interface and configured to control the user terminal device, Wherein, the at least one processor is further configured to: Based on recognizing that the communication connection between the electronic device and the first access point is released, controlling the at least one communication interface to perform broadcasting of a signal including identification information of the electronic device, and Based on the electronic device operating as a second access point, the at least one communication interface is controlled to send information about the first access point to the electronic device.

5. The user terminal device according to claim 4, wherein: The at least one processor is further configured to: after identifying that the communication connection is released, controlling the at least one communication interface to perform broadcasting of the signal within a threshold time, and When the threshold time is exceeded, it is identified whether the electronic device operates as the second access point.

6. The user terminal device according to claim 5, wherein: The at least one processor is further configured to: after identifying that the communication connection is released, Based on the electronic device operating as the second access point, sending information about the first access point to the electronic device, and Based on the electronic device not operating as the second access point, the at least one communication interface is controlled to re-perform broadcasting of the signal.

7. The user terminal device according to claim 4, wherein: The at least one processor is further configured to: Based on recognizing that the communication connection between the electronic device and the first access point is released, the at least one communication interface is controlled to broadcast a Wi-Fi beacon frame or a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) advertising packet including identification information of the electronic device.

8. The user terminal device according to claim 4, further comprising: Memory, Wherein, the at least one processor is further configured to: obtaining identification information of the electronic device when performing a simple setup operation for the communication connection, storing identification information of the electronic device in the memory, and Based on recognizing that the communication connection between the electronic device and the first access point is released, the at least one communication interface is controlled to perform broadcasting of a signal including identification information of the electronic device stored in the memory.

9. The user terminal device according to claim 4, further comprising: monitor; as well as User interface, Wherein, the at least one processor is further configured to: based on recognizing that the communication connection between the electronic device and the first access point is released, controlling the display to display a message indicating that the communication connection has been released, and Based on receiving a user command through the user interface for reconnecting the electronic device to the first access point, the at least one communication interface is controlled to perform broadcasting of a signal including identification information of the electronic device.

10. The user terminal device according to claim 4, wherein: The at least one processor is further configured to: after identifying that the communication connection is released, When executing a preset application or at preset time intervals, the communication connection status between the electronic device and the access point is identified.

11. A control method for an electronic device, the control method comprising: Based on the release of the communication connection with the first access point, performing scanning to reconnect with the first access point; as well as Based on receiving a signal containing identification information of the electronic device from a user terminal device, operating as a second access point.

12. The control method according to claim 11, further comprising: After the first access point is released, receiving information about the first access point from the user terminal device; as well as Based on the information about the first access point, a reconnection request is sent to the first access point.

13. The control method according to claim 11, wherein: Operating as the second access point includes: receiving a broadcast Wi-Fi beacon frame or a Bluetooth low energy BLE advertising packet from the user terminal device, and Based on the Wi-Fi beacon frame or the BLE advertising packet containing the identification information of the electronic device, the electronic device operates as the second access point.

14. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The second access point is a soft access point.

15. The user terminal according to claim 4, wherein: The second access point is a soft access point.

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