Electronic device and control method thereof

Abstract

An electronic device is disclosed. The electronic device includes: a communication interface; a memory storing at least one instruction; and one or more processors connected to the communication interface and the memory to execute the at least one instruction. The one or more processors control the communication interface to operate in an AP mode based on the first AP information, and if communication between the at least one external device and the communication interface is connected while the communication interface is operating in the AP mode, control the communication interface to operate in the AP mode. And if yes, controlling the communication interface to send second AP information different from the first AP information to at least one external device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electronic device and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to an electronic device configured to perform Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) communication and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] The 21st century is known as the information age. In the information age, it is essential to obtain more information as quickly as possible. In the past, vehicle-mounted terminals such as desktop computers were used as representative data communication devices, but in the 21st century, portable small terminals such as notebook computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs) or smartphones have become popular.

[0003] Wireless communication technologies for various portable small terminals are being developed. Among them, Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) communication makes computer local area network (LAN) communication wireless, and has the advantages of compatibility with various devices and high communication speed. Summary of the invention

[0004] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic device includes: a communication interface; a memory storing at least one instruction; and one or more processors operably connected to the communication interface and the memory. The one or more processors are configured to execute at least one instruction to: cause the communication interface to operate in an access point (AP) mode based on first AP information, and based on a communication connection with at least one external device during operation of the communication interface in the AP mode, send second AP information different from the first AP information to at least one external device through the communication interface.

[0005] One or more processors may also be configured to execute at least one instruction to: control the communication interface to terminate the AP mode based on a preset event; wherein the preset event includes at least one of the following events: an event in which a preset time has passed after operating in the AP mode; an event in which a preset time has passed after sending the second AP information to the at least one external device; an event in which the second AP information is sent to each device in the target device list; or an event in which a request to end the AP mode is identified.

[0006] The target device list may be a list stored in memory.

[0007] One or more processors can also be configured to execute at least one instruction to: obtain the second AP information based on the communication connection being released according to the first AP information; communicate with the AP device through the communication interface based on the second AP information; and control the communication interface to operate in AP mode based on the first AP information.

[0008] One or more processors may also be configured to execute at least one instruction to: enable the communication interface to operate in AP mode based on first AP information and a preset event; wherein the preset event includes at least one of the following events: an event in which a communication connection is identified as being released based on the first AP information; or an event in which a user command for operating in AP mode is identified based on the first AP information.

[0009] The one or more processors may also be configured to execute at least one instruction to: based on the communication connection being released according to the first AP information, obtain the second AP information from the user terminal through Wi-Fi communication by executing the soft AP function, and obtain the target device list through Wi-Fi communication; or, obtain the target device list from the user terminal through a communication method different from Wi-Fi communication.

[0010] One or more processors can also be configured to execute at least one instruction to: control the communication interface to send a request signal to the user terminal, the request signal requesting whether to send the second AP information to at least one external device; and receive a target device list from the user terminal through the communication interface based on the request signal.

[0011] The one or more processors may also be configured to execute at least one instruction to: based on the second AP information, communicate with the server via the AP device through the communication interface to obtain a target device list from the server.

[0012] One or more processors may also be configured to execute at least one instruction to: identify a device that has not received the second AP information from devices included in a target device list after the second AP information is sent to at least one external device and the AP mode ends, communicate with the AP device based on the second AP information, and control the communication interface to send information related to the identified device to a server.

[0013] One or more processors may also be configured to execute at least one instruction to: enable the communication interface to operate in AP mode based on a preset event; wherein the preset event includes at least one of the following events: an event in which the communication connection based on the first AP information is released in the at least one external device; or an event in which a user command for operating in the AP mode is identified based on the first AP information.

[0014] The electronic device may also include: a display; wherein, one or more processors may also be configured to execute at least one instruction to: after the AP mode is terminated, control the display to display a user interface, the user interface including devices included in the target device list that are not connected through Wi-Fi communication based on the second AP information.

[0015] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method for controlling an electronic device includes: enabling a communication interface of the electronic device to operate in an access point (AP) mode based on first AP information; and sending second AP information different from the first AP information to at least one external device based on a communication connection with at least one external device during operation of the communication interface in the AP mode.

[0016] The method may also include: terminating the AP mode based on a preset event, wherein the preset event includes at least one of the following events: an event in which a preset time has passed after operating in the AP mode; an event in which a preset time has passed after sending the second AP information to the at least one external device; an event in which the second AP information is sent to each device in the target device list; or an event in which a request to end the AP mode is identified.

[0017] The target device list may be a list stored in memory.

[0018] Enabling the communication interface of the electronic device to operate in AP mode may also include: acquiring the second AP information based on the communication connection being released according to the first AP information; communicating with the AP device based on the second AP information; and enabling the communication interface to operate in AP mode based on the first AP information.

[0019] The method may further include: acquiring second AP information from the user terminal through Wi-Fi communication by executing a soft AP function based on the first AP information being released; and acquiring a target device list through Wi-Fi communication.

[0020] The method may further include acquiring the target device list from the user terminal through a communication method different from Wi-Fi communication.

[0021] The method may further include: transmitting a request signal to the user terminal, the request signal requesting whether to transmit the second AP information to at least one external device; and receiving a target device list from the user terminal based on the request signal.

[0022] The method may further include: communicating with a server via the AP device based on the second AP information to acquire a target device list from the server.

[0023] The method may also include: after sending the second AP information to at least one external device and ending the AP mode, identifying a device that has not received the second AP information from the devices included in the target device list, communicating with the AP device based on the second AP information to send information related to the identified device to the server through the communication interface.

[0024] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable medium stores computer-readable program code or instructions, which can be executed by a processor to perform a method of controlling an electronic device. The method includes: based on first AP information, operating a communication interface of the electronic device in an access point (AP) mode; and based on a communication connection with at least one external device during operation of the communication interface in the AP mode, sending second AP information different from the first AP information to at least one external device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] 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:

[0026] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the operation of an electronic system according to an embodiment;

[0027] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an electronic device according to an embodiment;

[0028] Figure 3 It shows Figure 2 A flow chart of a communication method of an electronic device shown;

[0029] Figure 4 It specifically shows Figure 3 A sequence diagram of a communication method of an electronic device shown;

[0030] Figure 5a , Figure 5b and Figure 5c is a diagram showing a method for acquiring a target device list by an electronic apparatus according to an embodiment;

[0031] Figure 6a and Figure 6b is a diagram illustrating a method of terminating an AP mode by an electronic device according to an embodiment;

[0032] Figure 7 is a diagram showing a method of terminating an AP mode by an electronic device (100) according to another embodiment;

[0033] Figure 8 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an electronic device according to an embodiment;

[0034] Fig. 9 It shows Figure 8 A diagram of a communication method of an electronic device shown;

[0035] Fig.10 It specifically shows Fig. 9 A sequence diagram of a communication method of an electronic device shown;

[0036] Fig.11a and Fig.11b is a diagram illustrating a method of terminating an AP mode by an electronic device according to an embodiment;

[0037] Fig.12a and Figure 12b is a diagram showing various types of information according to an embodiment;

[0038] Fig.13 is a block diagram showing an example of an electronic device according to an embodiment; and

[0039] Fig.14 is a block diagram showing an example of an electronic device according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals consistently denote corresponding features throughout.

[0041] The terms used in the present disclosure and claims are general terms determined in consideration of the functions of various embodiments of the present disclosure. However, these terms may vary according to the intentions of technicians in the relevant fields, technical interpretations, the emergence of new technologies, etc. Unless there is a specific definition of a term, the term can be understood based on the overall content and the technical understanding of technicians in the relevant fields.

[0042] In the present disclosure, the expressions “have”, “may have”, “include” or “may include” may be used to indicate the existence of features (eg, components such as values, functions, operations, parts, etc.) and do not exclude the existence of additional features.

[0043] In the present disclosure, the expressions "A or B", "at least one of A and / or B", or "one or more of A and / or B", etc. include all possible combinations of the listed items. For example, "A or B", "at least one of A and B", or "at least one of A or B" includes (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, and (3) at least one A and at least one B.

[0044] In addition, the expressions “first”, “second”, etc. used in the present disclosure may indicate various components regardless of the order and / or importance of the components and are merely used to distinguish one component from other components without limiting the corresponding components.

[0045] In addition, the description that one element (e.g., a first element) is “(operably or communicatively) coupled to” or “connected to” another element (e.g., a second element) should be interpreted as including the following two cases: the one element is directly coupled to the other element, and the one element is coupled to the other element through another element (e.g., a third element).

[0046] In this document, the expression "configured to" may be used interchangeably with, for example, "suitable for", "capable of", "designed to", "suitable for", "made to", or "capable of". The expression "configured to" does not necessarily mean "specifically designed to" in the hardware sense.

[0047] On the contrary, in some cases, "a device is configured to" may indicate that such a device can perform an action together with another device or component. For example, the expression "a processor configured (or set) to perform A, B, and C" may represent a dedicated processor (e.g., an embedded processor) that performs the corresponding operations, or a general-purpose processor (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU) or an application processor (AP)) that can perform the corresponding actions by executing one or more software programs stored in a memory device.

[0048] Unless otherwise specified, singular expressions include plural expressions. It should be understood that terms such as "including" or "consisting of..." are used herein to indicate the existence of features, quantities, steps, operations, elements, components or combinations thereof, without excluding the possibility of the existence or addition of one or more other features, quantities, steps, operations, elements, components or combinations thereof.

[0049] In example embodiments, terms such as "module", "unit", "component", etc. may be used to refer to an element that performs at least one function or operation, and such an element may be implemented as hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software. In addition, except when each of a plurality of "modules", "units", "components", etc. needs to be implemented in separate hardware, these components may be integrated in at least one module or chip and may be implemented in at least one processor.

[0050] It is to be understood that the various elements and regions in the drawings may not be shown to scale. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited by the relative sizes or spacings drawn in the drawings.

[0051] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the electronic system according to the embodiment.

[0052] Reference Figure 1 , the electronic system may include a plurality of devices 10 , 20 , 30 , a user terminal 40 , a server 50 , and an AP device 60 .

[0053] The plurality of devices 10, 20, 30 may be various Internet of Things (IoT) devices, which may be controlled by an application installed in the user terminal 40. For example, the plurality of devices 10, 20, 30 may be implemented as various household appliances such as a television, an air purifier, a washing machine, a refrigerator, a dryer, an oven, etc. According to an embodiment, the plurality of devices (e.g., the first device 10, the second device 20, the third device 30) may be IoT devices supporting a Wi-Fi module. The Wi-Fi module may include Wi-Fi firmware and a Wi-Fi driver capable of identifying the corresponding Wi-Fi firmware in the operating system of the electronic device 100. Here, the Wi-Fi firmware (or wireless LAN card) is hardware and may be installed inside the body of the plurality of devices 10, 20, 30 or on the plurality of devices 10, 20, 30 by using an interface (e.g., a universal serial bus (USB)). For example, the Wi-Fi firmware may be implemented as at least one of PCI, PCI Express, PCMCIA, or USB.

[0054] The user terminal 40 can download the application from the server providing the application and install the application. For example, the application can be an IoT application for registering and managing multiple devices 10, 20, 30 in the server 50. The application is software used directly by the user on the OS and can be provided on the screen of the user terminal 40 in the form of an icon interface.

[0055] In this example, the user can execute an application (hereinafter referred to as “IoT application”) in the user terminal 40 , input a user account, and log in to the server 50 through the input user account, and the user terminal 40 can communicate with the server 50 based on the logged in user account.

[0056] The server 50 can manage multiple devices 10, 20, 30 registered to the user account. Here, the server 50 can be implemented by a cloud server, but is not limited thereto.

[0057] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the user terminal 40 can connect multiple devices 10, 20, 30 to the server 50 by using the easy setting technology and register with the server 50. According to the easy setting technology, multiple devices 10, 20, 30 can operate in AP mode, and beacon signals including identification information (e.g., SSID) sent by multiple devices 10, 20, 30 can be scanned in the user terminal 40. In this case, the user terminal 40 can provide a UI including identification information corresponding to the scanned beacon signal, and when one of the identification information is selected, the user terminal 40 can communicate with the device corresponding to the selected identification information. The user terminal 40 sends the information required for onboarding to the multiple devices 10, 20, 30 through the communication connection, so that the Internet connection of the multiple devices 10, 20, 30 and the registration with the server 50 can be conveniently performed.

[0058] In the embodiment, the easy setup technology can be divided into: D2D, in which the user terminal 40 is connected to each of the multiple devices 10, 20, 30 through a D2D channel, and the user terminal 40 sends information required to connect the multiple devices 10, 20, 30 (for example, information related to the AP device 60); and D2S, which is used to connect the multiple devices 10, 20, 30 to the AP device 60 and the server 50 based on the received information. For example, the user terminal 40 that completes the D2D can remain in a standby state until the D2S of the multiple devices 10, 20, 30 is completed and a registration completion notification is received from the server 50.

[0059] When a plurality of devices 10, 20, 30 are registered in a user account through the easy setting technology, the server 50 may transmit data received from the plurality of devices 10, 20, 30 to the user terminal 40 communicating with the server 50 based on the user account in which the plurality of devices 10, 20, 30 are registered. In addition, when a control command for the plurality of devices 10, 20, 30 is received from the user terminal 40, the server 50 may transmit a control signal corresponding to the received control command to the plurality of devices 10, 20, 30. In this case, the user terminal 40 implemented as a smart phone, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, etc. may be connected to the server 50 through a mobile communication network such as LTE, 5G, etc., or may access the server 50 through the AP device 60 or another AP device, and may transmit a control command for the plurality of devices 10, 20, 30 to the server 50 through an IoT application installed in the user terminal 40.

[0060] According to an embodiment, Wi-Fi communication of multiple devices 10, 20, 30 may be disconnected. For example, when the SSID and / or password of the AP device 60 is changed for security reasons, when the AP device 60 is changed to another AP device (due to being taken back by a communication company), when the SSID and password of other AP devices 60 need to be reset, etc., based on the AP information before the change, the Wi-Fi communication of the devices performing Wi-Fi communication may all be disconnected, and therefore, the communication with the server 50 may be disconnected. In this case, a method is required in which multiple devices 10, 20, 30 can automatically access the new AP information and connect to the server 50. Although Figure 1 Three devices 10, 20 and 30 are shown in FIG. 1 , but in some embodiments, for ease of description, it is assumed that the number of the plurality of devices 10 and 20 is two.

[0061] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an electronic device according to an embodiment.

[0062] Reference Figure 2 , the electronic device 100 includes a communication interface 110 , a memory 120 and one or more processors 130 .

[0063] In an embodiment, the electronic device 100 may be Figure 1 1. The electronic device 100 is one of the plurality of devices 10, 20, 30 shown in FIG.

[0064] The communication interface 110 can communicate with an external device. The communication interface 110 may include a Wi-Fi module that supports a Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi, wireless LAN network) communication method based on an AP. The embodiment is not limited thereto, and the communication interface 110 may also include a communication module that supports communication methods such as Bluetooth, near field communication (NFC), Zigbee, wired / wireless local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), Ethernet, IEEE 1394, mobile high-definition link (MHL), advanced encryption standard (AES) / European Broadcasting Union (EBU), optical fiber, coaxial, etc.

[0065] The memory 120 may be electrically connected to one or more processors 130, and may store data required by various embodiments of the present disclosure. Depending on the purpose of data use, the memory 120 may be implemented as a memory embedded in the electronic device 100, or may be implemented as a removable or modular memory in the electronic device 100. For example, data for driving the electronic device 100 may be stored in a memory embedded in the electronic device 100, and data for additional functions of the electronic device 100 may be stored in a memory detachable from the electronic device 100. The memory embedded in the electronic device 100 may be a volatile memory, such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a static random access memory (SRAM), a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), or a non-volatile memory, such as a one-time programmable ROM (OTPROM), a programmable ROM (PROM), an erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), a mask ROM, a flash ROM, a flash memory (e.g., NAND flash or NOR flash), a hard disk drive or a solid state drive (SSD), etc. In the case where the memory is detachably installed to the electronic device 100, the memory can be implemented as a memory card (e.g., Compact Flash (CF), Secure Digital (SD), Micro Secure Digital (micro-SD), Mini Secure Digital (mini-SD), Extreme Digital (xD), MultiMedia Card (MMC), etc.), an external memory connectable to a USB port (e.g., a USB memory), etc., but the memory is not limited thereto.

[0066] According to an embodiment, the memory 120 may store at least one instruction for controlling the electronic device 100 or a computer program including the instruction.

[0067] According to an embodiment, the memory 120 may store the first AP information. The first AP information may include service set identifier (SSID) information and password information. In addition, the first AP information may also include frequency band information, channel information, etc. For example, since the electronic device 100 is in a Wi-Fi communication connection state based on the first AP information, the first AP information may be stored in the memory 120. For example, the first AP information may be related to Figure 1 AP information corresponding to the AP device 60 shown in .

[0068] According to an embodiment, the memory 120 may store a target device list received from at least one of the user terminal 40, the server 50, or the AP device 60. The target device list may include identification information of the device. Here, the identification information may include various types of information capable of identifying the device. For example, the information may be in various forms such as name, model, device token, etc.

[0069] For example, the target device list may include information related to a target device that is communicatively connected based on the first AP information. In an embodiment, the target device list may include IoT devices registered in the same user account among target devices (i.e., devices located in a specific space) that are communicatively connected based on the first AP information. For example, when a device located in a predetermined space and connected to the first AP information is registered in another user account, the device may not be included in the target device list. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto, and depending on the circumstances, any target device that is communicatively connected based on the first AP information may be included in the target device list regardless of the user account. For example, when a target device list is received from the AP device 60 and all devices that are communicatively connected based on the first AP information are included in the list received from the AP device 60 regardless of the account, only devices registered in the same user account may not necessarily be included in the target device list.

[0070] According to an embodiment, the memory 120 may be implemented as a single memory for storing data generated in various operations according to the present disclosure. However, according to an embodiment, the memory 120 may be implemented to include multiple memories, each storing different types of data or storing data generated in different stages.

[0071] In the above-mentioned embodiments, it has been described that various data are stored in the memory 120 outside the one or more processors 130, but according to an implementation example of the electronic device 100 or at least one of the one or more processors 130, at least some of the above-mentioned data may be stored in the internal memory of at least one processor 130.

[0072] The at least one processor 130 may perform operations of the electronic device 100 according to various embodiments by executing at least one instruction stored in the memory 120 .

[0073] The one or more processors 130 may control the overall operation of the electronic device 100. Specifically, the one or more processors 130 may be electrically connected to each configuration of the electronic device 100 and control the overall operation of the electronic device 100. For example, the one or more processors 130 may be electrically connected to the communication interface 110 and the memory 120, and may control the overall operation of the electronic device 100. The one or more processors 130 may be composed of one or more processors.

[0074] At least one processor 130 may include one or more of a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an accelerated processing unit (APU), a majority integrated core (MIC), a digital signal processor (DSP), a neural processing unit (NPU), a hardware accelerator, or a machine learning accelerator. The one or more processors 130 may control one or any combination of other components of the electronic device, and may perform communication-related operations or data processing. The one or more processors 130 may execute one or more programs or instructions stored in a memory. For example, the one or more processors may execute a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure by executing one or more instructions stored in a memory.

[0075] When the method according to the embodiment of the present disclosure includes multiple operations, the multiple operations may be performed by one processor, or may be performed by multiple processors. For example, when the first operation, the second operation, and the third operation are performed by the method according to the embodiment, the first operation, the second operation, and the third operation may all be performed by the first processor, the first operation and the second operation may be performed by the first processor (e.g., a general-purpose processor), and the third operation may be performed by the second processor (e.g., an artificial intelligence dedicated processor).

[0076] The one or more processors 130 may be implemented as a single-core processor including one core, or may be implemented as one or more multi-core processors including multiple cores (e.g., homogeneous multi-cores or heterogeneous multi-cores). When the one or more processors 130 are implemented as a multi-core processor, each of the multiple cores included in the multi-core processor may include a processor internal memory (such as a cache memory and an on-chip memory), and the multi-core processor may include a common cache shared by the multiple cores. In addition, each of the multiple cores (or a portion of the multiple cores) included in the multi-core processor may independently read and execute program commands for implementing the method of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and may be combined with all (or a portion) of the multiple cores to read and execute program commands for implementing the method according to the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0077] When the method of the embodiment of the present disclosure includes multiple operations, the multiple operations can be performed by one of the multiple cores included in the multi-core processor, or can be performed by multiple cores. For example, when the first operation, the second operation, and the third operation are performed by the method according to the embodiment, the first operation, the second operation, and the third operation can all be performed by the first core included in the multi-core processor, and the first operation and the second operation can be performed by the first core included in the multi-core processor, and the third operation can be performed by the second core included in the multi-core processor.

[0078] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a processor may refer to a system on chip (SoC) integrating one or more processors and other electronic components, a single-core processor, a multi-core processor, or a core included in a single-core processor or a multi-core processor, wherein the core may be implemented as a CPU, a GPU, an APU, a MIC, a DSP, an NPU, a hardware accelerator, or a machine learning accelerator, but the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, at least one processor 130 may be referred to as a processor 130.

[0079] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method of an electronic device according to an embodiment.

[0080] Reference Figure 3 When the communication connection based on the first access point (AP) information is released in operation S310:, in operation S320, the processor 130 may control the communication interface 110 to acquire the second AP information and perform communication with the AP device based on the second AP information. Here, the communication interface 110 may perform Wi-Fi communication through a Wi-Fi communication module.

[0081] In an embodiment, the communication connection based on the first AP information may be via Figure 1 The AP device 60 shown in FIG. 1 is connected, but the AP device connected based on the second AP information communication may be connected to Figure 1 The second AP information may be the same AP device as the AP device 60 shown or a different AP device. However, the second AP information may be information different from the first AP information. For example, at least one of the SSID or password included in the second AP information may be different from at least one of the SSID or password included in the first AP information. Subsequently, in operation S330, the processor 130 may control the communication interface 110 to operate in AP mode based on the first AP information. However, if the second AP information is acquired, the processor 130 may control the communication interface 110 to operate in AP mode based on the first AP information without performing communication with an AP device (not shown). That is, the processor 130 may perform operation S330 without performing some operations in operation S320.

[0082] In an embodiment, when the processor 130 is in communication connection with the AP device based on the second AP information, the processor 130 may control the communication interface 110 to operate in the AP mode. For example, after confirming that the second AP information is valid AP information capable of communication connection, the processor 130 may control the communication interface 110 to operate in the AP mode. For example, when the processor 130 is in communication connection with the server 50 based on the second AP information, the processor 130 may identify that the second AP information is valid AP information capable of communication connection. However, the operation of checking whether the second AP information is valid AP information is not necessary, and the communication interface 110 may be controlled to operate in the AP mode immediately based on the first AP information without checking whether to attempt a communication connection with the AP device based on the second AP information (or after obtaining the second AP information).

[0083] Thereafter, if in operation S340: yes, at least one external device is communicatively connected while operating in the AP mode based on the first AP information, then in operation S350, the processor 130 may send second AP information to the at least one external device to which the communication is connected.

[0084] In an embodiment, the processor 130 may update (or change) the first AP information stored in the at least one external device to the second AP information, or send a command (or signal) for adding the second AP information as new AP information together with the second AP information to the at least one external device. In this case, the at least one external device may update (or change) the pre-stored first AP information to the second AP information or add the second AP information as new AP information (e.g., AP information with the highest priority when communication is connected) based on the command (or signal) received together with the second AP information.

[0085] In an embodiment, when new AP information (i.e., second AP information) is received from the electronic device 100 while communicating with the electronic device 100 in the AP mode based on the first AP information, the at least one external device may update (or change) the pre-stored first AP information to the second AP information or add the second AP information as new AP information. In other words, even without a separate command received together with the second AP information, the at least one external device may update (or change) the pre-stored first AP information to the second AP information or add the second AP information as new AP information based on receiving the new AP information.

[0086] Figure 4 is a sequence diagram specifically illustrating a communication method of an electronic device according to an embodiment.

[0087] Reference Figure 4 , the same reference numerals will be used for Figure 3 The operation of the electronic device 100 shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown, the electronic device 100 is assumed to be Figure 1 . In addition, for convenience of description, only the second device 20 other than the first device 10 is assumed and described. However, the same operation as that of the second device 20 can be performed even in the third device 30.

[0088] In an embodiment, in a state where the electronic apparatus 100 and the second device 20 can perform Wi-Fi communication based on the first AP information, if an event that a communication connection cannot be performed is generated based on the first AP information, the Wi-Fi communication connection of the electronic apparatus 100 and the second device 20 may be released in operations S310 and S410. For example, when the SSID and password of an AP device are changed for security reasons, etc., if the AP device is changed to another AP device (such as due to the reason of being taken back by a communication company), and the SSID and password of the other AP device should be reset, etc., then based on the first AP information (i.e., the AP information before the change), the communication connection of the device performing Wi-Fi communication may be released.

[0089] When the communication connection based on the first AP information is released in operation S310, the electronic device 100 may perform the soft AP function in operation S420. For example, the soft AP function may be performed manually or automatically according to a preset event.

[0090] In an embodiment, the user may select one of the devices including the electronic device 100 and the second device 20 whose communication connection is released to operate the soft wireless AP function. For example, the soft AP function may be executed by pressing a soft mobile AP function button provided in the electronic device 100 or by manipulating a menu displayed on the display of the electronic device 100. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto, and the soft AP function may be executed based on various methods (such as a remote control signal through a remote controller, remote control in a user terminal executing an application having a remote control function, a user voice command, a user gesture command, and user gaze recognition, etc.). Here, the user terminal may be Figure 1 user terminal 40 or another user terminal.

[0091] In an embodiment, when the communication connection based on the first AP information is released, a device (e.g., a master device) that performs the soft AP function may be preset. For example, when the communication connection based on the first AP information is released, the electronic device 100 is preset as a master device that performs the soft AP function, and the soft AP function may be automatically performed.

[0092] In an embodiment, the soft AP function may be performed when the electronic device 100 receives a signal from the user terminal 40 that causes the electronic device 100 to perform the soft AP function through other communication methods (e.g., Bluetooth) other than Wi-Fi communication. In this case, the user terminal 40 may automatically send a signal for performing the soft AP function to the electronic device 100 according to various events rather than a user command.

[0093] For example, when it is identified that the Wi-Fi communication connection of the electronic device 100 registered in the application is released, the user terminal 40 may send a signal for executing the soft AP function to the electronic device 100. For another example, when the user terminal 40 is in a Wi-Fi communication connection state based on the first AP information and identifies that the Wi-Fi communication connection has been released, it may identify that the Wi-Fi communication connections of the multiple devices 10, 20, 30 have been released, and send a signal for executing the soft AP function to the electronic device 100. In this case, the user terminal 40 may identify a specific device among the multiple devices 10, 20, 30 that has released the communication connection as a specific device for executing the soft connection AP function. For example, information related to a specific device may be pre-stored in the electronic device 100 based on a user command or a signal received from the server 50. For example, a specific device may be selected and stored through a menu set in an IoT application. In operation S430, when the electronic device 100 executes the soft AP function and operates in AP mode, the user terminal 40 may be connected to the electronic device 100 for communication. For example, a device-to-device (D2D) communication channel may be formed between the electronic device 100 and the user terminal 40 by broadcasting a specific SSID by the electronic device 100 and scanning and joining the specific SSID by the user terminal 40 .

[0094] When the user terminal 40 is communicatively connected with the electronic device 100 in operation S430, in operation S440, the user terminal 40 may send the second AP information to the electronic device. For example, the user terminal 40 may send the second AP information to the electronic device 100 through the D2D channel. In this case, the user terminal 40 may send the pre-stored second AP information to the electronic device 100, or send the second AP information received from the server 50 to the electronic device 100. For example, the user may scan the SSID of the second AP information by using the user terminal 40, and the second AP information may be pre-stored in the user terminal 40 by inputting a password known to the user. In an embodiment, the user may store the second AP information by inputting both the SSID and the password of the second AP information to the user terminal 40. In an embodiment, the server 50 may already know the second AP information, and the user terminal 40 may receive the second AP information from the server 50 and send the second AP information to the electronic device 100.

[0095] Therefore, the operation of the electronic device 100 receiving the second AP information from the user terminal 40 by executing the soft AP function can use the existing simple setup technology, but the present embodiment is not limited thereto, and various technologies can be applied within the limitation that the electronic device 100 can receive the second AP information from the user terminal 40. For example, a separate function can be implemented separately instead of the simple setup function of the prior art, that is, the function that the electronic device 100 can receive AP information from the user terminal 40 by executing the soft AP function.

[0096] In an embodiment, the electronic device 100 may receive the second AP information from the user terminal 40 through a communication method other than the Wi-Fi communication method, such as Bluetooth, NFC, etc. The event of receiving the second AP information from the user terminal 40 through another communication method, such as Bluetooth, NFC, etc., when not operating in the AP mode may be various. For example, the electronic device 100 may request the second AP information from the user terminal 40, or the user terminal 40 may send the second AP information to the electronic device 100 without the electronic device 100 requesting it.

[0097] In an embodiment, when the electronic device 100 requests the second AP information from the user terminal 40, a specific button set in the electronic device 100 may be pressed, or a user command may be input through a menu displayed on the display of the electronic device 100. The embodiment is not limited thereto, and the electronic device 100 may request the second AP information from the user terminal 40 based on various methods (such as a remote control signal in a user terminal that is executing an application capable of executing a remote control signal or a remote control function through a remote controller, a user voice command, a user gesture command, and user gaze recognition, etc.). Here, the user terminal may be Figure 1 In an embodiment, the electronic device 100 may be preset to request the user terminal 40 for the second AP information when the communication connection based on the first AP information is released.

[0098] According to another embodiment, when the user terminal 40 sends the second AP information to the electronic device 100 without a request from the electronic device 100, the user terminal 40 may send the second AP information to the electronic device 100 when recognizing that the Wi-Fi communication connection of the electronic device 100 registered in the application is released. For another example, when the user terminal 40 is in a Wi-Fi communication connection state based on the first AP information and recognizes that the Wi-Fi communication connection is released, it may recognize that the Wi-Fi communication connection of the plurality of devices 10, 20, 30 is released, and the second AP information may be sent to the electronic device 100. In this case, the user terminal 40 may recognize a specific device among the plurality of devices 10, 20, 30 whose communication connection is released as a specific device for sending the second AP information. For example, information related to a specific device may be pre-stored in the electronic device 100 based on a user command or a signal received from the server 50. For example, a specific device may be selected and stored through a menu set in an IoT application.

[0099] In operation S320, the electronic device 100 may perform a communication connection with the AP device based on the second AP information received from the user terminal 40. In an embodiment, when the first AP information is Figure 1 When the information corresponding to the AP device 60 shown in FIG. 1 is displayed, the AP device may be Figure 1 The AP device 60 shown in FIG. 1 is the same AP device or a different AP device. For example, when the second AP information is Figure 1 When the AP information of the AP device 60 shown in FIG. 6 is changed, the AP device may be Figure 1 In an embodiment, when the second AP information is the AP information of a new AP device, the AP device may be the same as the AP device 60 shown in FIG. Figure 1 The AP device 60 shown in FIG. 1 is a different AP device.

[0100] In an embodiment, the electronic device 100 may operate in the AP mode based on the first AP information according to the following events.

[0101] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the user terminal 40 may send the second AP information to the electronic apparatus 100 and request the electronic apparatus 100 to operate in the AP mode to transmit the second AP information to the second device 20. That is, the electronic apparatus 100 may operate in the AP mode based on the request signal received from the user terminal 40.

[0102] According to another embodiment, the user terminal 40 may request the server 50 for a Wi-Fi update that requires the second device 20, and the server 50 may request the second device 20 to operate in AP mode for transmitting the second AP information to the second device 20. The electronic device 100 is communicatively connected with the AP device based on the second AP information, and thus may communicate with the server 50. That is, the electronic device 100 may operate in AP mode based on the request signal received from the server 50.

[0103] According to another embodiment, the server 50 may request the electronic apparatus 100 to operate in the AP mode for transmitting the second AP information to the second device 20. That is, since the server 50 stores the target device list and can communicate with the electronic apparatus 100 based on the second AP information, the server 50 may request the electronic apparatus 100 to operate in the AP mode for transmitting the second AP information to the second device 20.

[0104] Because when the Wi-Fi communication connection is released based on the first AP information, the second device 20 performs a scanning operation for the Wi-Fi communication connection based on the first AP information known to the second device 20, when the electronic apparatus 100 operates in the AP mode based on the first AP information, the second device 20 can be communicatively connected with the electronic apparatus 100. For example, the electronic apparatus 100 can broadcast the first SSID included in the first AP information, and the second device 20 can scan the first SSID and connect to the electronic apparatus 100 based on the password included in the first AP information, so that a device-to-device (D2D) communication channel can be formed between the electronic apparatus 100 and the second device 20.

[0105] When the electronic apparatus 100 is communicatively connected with the second device 20 in operation S340 , the electronic apparatus 100 may transmit second AP information to the second device 20 in operation S350 .

[0106] In an embodiment, in operation S460, the electronic device 100 may terminate the AP mode according to a preset event.

[0107] The preset event may include at least one of the following events: an event in which a preset time has passed after the electronic device 100 operates in AP mode; an event in which a preset time has passed after the second AP information is sent to the second device 20; an event in which the second AP information is sent to all target devices included in the target device list; or an event in which a request to end the AP mode is recognized.

[0108] In an embodiment, when a preset time has passed after operating in AP mode, the electronic device 100 may terminate the AP mode. Here, the preset time may be a time set when the electronic device 100 is manufactured, or may be a time received from at least one of the user terminal 40 or the server 50.

[0109] In an embodiment, when the electronic device 100 receives the AP mode request signal from at least one of the user terminal 40 or the server 50 , information related to the preset time may be received together.

[0110] In an embodiment, when it is recognized that a preset time has passed after the second AP information is sent to the second device 20, the electronic apparatus 100 may terminate the AP mode. Here, the preset time may be a time set when the electronic apparatus 100 is manufactured, or may be a time received from at least one of the user terminal 40 or the server 50. In an embodiment, when the electronic apparatus 100 receives an AP mode request signal from at least one of the user terminal 40 or the server 50, information related to the preset time may be received together.

[0111] In an embodiment, if it is recognized that the second AP information is transmitted to all target devices included in the target device list, the electronic device 100 may terminate the AP mode. Here, the target device list may be pre-stored in the memory 120 of the electronic device 100, or may be received from the user terminal 40 or the server 50. When the target device list is pre-stored in the electronic device 100, the electronic device 100 may receive and store the target device list before the Wi-Fi communication connection with the server 50 based on the first AP information is released, or may be received from an AP device (e.g., an AP device 60, Figure 1 ) receives and stores a list of target devices.

[0112] In an embodiment, when an end request of the AP mode is recognized, the electronic device 100 may terminate the AP mode. For example, a specific button provided in the electronic device 100 may be pressed, or a user command may be input through a menu displayed on a display of the electronic device 100. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto, and the AP mode end request may be received based on various methods (such as a remote control signal of a remote controller, a remote control signal at a user terminal that is executing a remotely controllable application, a user voice command, a user gesture command, and user gaze recognition, etc.). Here, the user terminal may be Figure 1 In an embodiment, the electronic device 100 may receive the end request signal from the user terminal 40 through another communication method (eg, Bluetooth) other than Wi-Fi communication.

[0113] In an embodiment, in operation S450, the second device 20 may be communicatively connected with the AP device based on the second AP information received from the electronic apparatus 100. For example, after the communication connection with the server 50 is released in operation S410, the second device 20 may be communicatively connected with the server 50 again based on the second AP information.

[0114] In an embodiment, the second device 20 may update (or change) the stored first AP information to the second AP information, or receive a command (or signal) for adding the second AP information as new AP information together with the second AP information. In this case, the second device 20 may update (or change) the pre-stored first AP information to the second AP information or add the second AP information as new AP information (e.g., AP information with the highest priority during the communication connection) based on the command (or signal) received together with the second AP information.

[0115] In an embodiment, when new AP information (i.e., second AP information) is received from the electronic device 100 while communicating with the electronic device 100 in the AP mode based on the first AP information, the second device 20 may update (or change) the pre-stored first AP information to the second AP information or add the second AP information as new AP information. That is, even if a separate command is not received together with the second AP information, the second device 20 may update (or change) the pre-stored first AP information to the second AP information or add the second AP information as new AP information based on receiving the new AP information.

[0116] Figure 5a , Figure 5b and Figure 5c is a diagram illustrating a method of acquiring a target device list by an electronic apparatus according to an embodiment.

[0117] Reference Figure 5a , Figure 5b and Figure 5c , the same reference numerals will be used for Figure 3 and Figure 4 The operation of the electronic device 100 shown in FIG.

[0118] Reference Figure 5a If the electronic device 100 performs the soft AP function and operates in the AP mode, the user terminal 40 may be communicatively connected with the electronic device 100 in operation S420.

[0119] Because the user terminal 40 can Figure 1The IoT application described in the description stores a target device list, or can receive a target device list from the server 50, so in operation S430, when the user terminal 40 is communicatively connected with the electronic device 100, the user terminal 40 can not only send the second AP information to the electronic device 100, but also send the target device list to the electronic device 100.

[0120] In an embodiment, in operation S430, when the user terminal 40 is connected to the electronic device 100 for communication, the second AP information and the target device list may be automatically sent. That is, even after the user terminal 40 is connected to the electronic device 100 for communication, without a separate request from the electronic device 100, the user terminal 40 may send the second AP information and the target device list to the electronic device 100. For example, when it is necessary to send the second AP information to the electronic device 100 according to the various examples described above, the user terminal 40 may identify that a target device list is required in the electronic device 100. For example, when it is necessary to send the second AP information to the electronic device 100, the target device list may also be preset to be sent (e.g., a setting at the time of manufacturing or a user command). In an embodiment, when the second AP information is sent to the electronic device 100, a user command capable of sending the target device list may be received through a UI (e.g., a pop-up UI) provided by the IoT application. In an embodiment, when the second AP information is sent to the electronic device 100, the second AP information and the target device list may be sent to the electronic device 100 by receiving a signal from the server 50 that also sends the target device list.

[0121] In an embodiment, the user terminal 40 sends the second AP information and the target device list to the electronic apparatus 100 at the same time (e.g., one signal or continuous signals without an intermediate intervening signal or another signal), but is not necessarily limited thereto. For example, the user terminal 40 may send a signal requiring a Wi-Fi update of the second device 20 and a target device list after sending the second AP information to the electronic apparatus 100. In this case, the signal requiring a Wi-Fi update of the second device 20 and the target device list may be sent at the same time (i.e., through one signal), or a signal indicating that a Wi-Fi update of the second device 20 is required may be sent first, and then the target device list may be sent.

[0122] In an embodiment, after the user terminal 40 is communicatively connected with the electronic apparatus 100 , when the user terminal 40 receives a request for new AP information and a target device list from the electronic apparatus 100 , the corresponding information may be sent.

[0123] Thereafter, in operation S320, the electronic apparatus 100 may be communicatively connected with the AP device based on the second AP information.

[0124] Reference Figure 5bIf the electronic device 100 operates in the AP mode by executing the soft AP function in operation S420, the user terminal 40 may be communicatively connected with the electronic device 100 in operation S430.

[0125] When the user terminal 40 is communicatively connected with the electronic device 100 in operation S430, in operation S440, the user terminal 40 may send the second AP information to the electronic device 100. In an embodiment, when the user terminal 40 is communicatively connected with the electronic device 100, a function of sending only the second AP information may be implemented. That is, even after the user terminal 40 is communicatively connected with the electronic device 100, without a separate request from the electronic device 100, the user terminal 40 may send the second AP information to the electronic device 100. In an embodiment, if the user terminal 40 is communicatively connected with the electronic device 100, a request for the second AP information may be received from the electronic device 100, and the second AP information may be sent to the electronic device 100 in response thereto.

[0126] In an embodiment, in operation S510, the electronic device 100 may request a target device list from the user terminal 40. That is, after receiving the second AP information, the electronic device 100 may request the user terminal 40 for a list including information of the target device to which the second AP information is to be sent. In operation S520, the user terminal 40 may send the target device list to the electronic device 100 in response to the request from the electronic device 100. According to another embodiment, the electronic device 100 may send a signal to the user terminal 40 asking whether other devices need to update Wi-Fi, and the user terminal 40 may include the target device list in a response signal indicating that Wi-Fi update of other devices is required, and send the response signal to the electronic device 100. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto, and the form of the request signal for receiving the target device list from the user terminal 40 may be various.

[0127] Thereafter, in operation S320, the electronic apparatus 100 may be communicatively connected with the AP device based on the second AP information.

[0128] Reference Figure 5c , in operation S320 , when the electronic apparatus 100 communicates normally with the AP device based on the second AP information, the electronic apparatus 100 may communicate with the server 50 .

[0129] In an embodiment, in operation S530, the electronic apparatus 100 may request the target device list from the server 50. In this case, in operation S540, the server 50 may transmit the target device list to the electronic apparatus 100 in response to the request.

[0130] Thereafter, in operation S330, the electronic apparatus 100 may operate in the AP mode based on the first AP information to transmit second AP information to the devices included in the target device list.

[0131] In an embodiment, even if the electronic device 100 does not request the target device list from the server 50, the server 50 may send the target device list to the electronic device 100. For example, the user terminal 40 may send a signal to the server 50 indicating that the second AP information is sent to the electronic device 100, and the server 50 may send the target device list to the electronic device 100 based on the corresponding signal. In an embodiment, since the server 50 is able to communicate with the IoT application, it may identify that a Wi-Fi update of the second device 20 is required and send the target device list to the electronic device 100. In an embodiment, when the electronic device 100 is connected to the server 50 for communication based on the second AP information, the electronic device 100 may identify that a Wi-Fi update of the second device 20 is required and send the target device list to the electronic device 100.

[0132] Figure 6a and Figure 6b is a diagram illustrating a method of terminating an AP mode by an electronic device according to an embodiment.

[0133] Figure 6a is a diagram illustrating an embodiment in which the AP mode is terminated by the electronic device 100 after a preset time has passed.

[0134] Reference Figure 6a and Figure 6b , the same reference numerals will be used for Figure 3 and Figure 4 The operation of the electronic device 100 shown in FIG.

[0135] Reference Figure 6a In operation S330, the electronic device 100 may operate in the AP mode based on the first AP information according to a preset event. Figure 3 Events in which the electronic device 100 operates in the AP mode are described in detail, and thus further description thereof will be omitted.

[0136] When the electronic apparatus 100 operates in the AP mode based on the first AP information, the second device 20 may be communicatively connected with the electronic apparatus 100 .

[0137] When the electronic apparatus 100 is communicatively connected with the second device 20 in operation S340 , the electronic apparatus 100 may transmit second AP information to the second device 20 in operation S350 .

[0138] In operation S460, the electronic device 100 may terminate the AP mode according to a preset event. The preset event may include at least one of the following events: an event in which a preset time has passed after the electronic device 100 operates in the AP mode; an event in which a preset time has passed after the second AP information is sent to the second device 20; an event in which the second AP information is sent to all target devices included in the target device list; or an event in which an end request for the AP mode is recognized. Since the detailed examples of these events are similar to Figure 3 The contents described in are repeated, so the additional description will be omitted.

[0139] Then, in operation S470, the electronic apparatus 100 may be communicatively connected with the AP device based on the second AP information.

[0140] In operation S620, the electronic device 100 may identify whether there is a device that has not received the second AP information from the target device list after the AP mode ends. When the electronic device 100 operates in the AP mode and then ends the AP mode after a predetermined time, some target devices included in the target device list may not receive the second AP information. For example, in various situations such as an error in the Wi-Fi module of a specific device, power off, an error in the communication channel, etc., some devices may not receive the second AP information. When a communication channel with a specific device is not formed, if an error is identified in the corresponding communication channel, a response signal is not received from the specific device, etc., the electronic device 100 may identify that the specific device has failed to receive the second AP information. However, operation S620 may be performed before operation S470.

[0141] In operation S630, when it is identified in operation S620 that a specific device (e.g., device 30) among the target devices included in the target device list does not receive the AP information, the electronic apparatus 100 may transmit information related to the identified device to the server 50. Since the electronic apparatus 100 is communicatively connected with the AP device based on the second AP information, the electronic apparatus 100 may communicate with the server 50.

[0142] The server 50 may send the device information received from the electronic apparatus 100 to the user terminal 40. In this case, in operation S650, the user terminal 40 may provide a UI including the device information received from the server 50. Therefore, the user may identify a device that is not connected to Wi-Fi communication based on the second AP information among the devices included in the target device list. In this case, the user may perform subsequent measures on the corresponding device. For example, the user may perform a soft AP function at the corresponding device to allow the corresponding device to receive the second AP information from the user terminal 40 or directly input the second AP information to the corresponding device.

[0143] Figure 6b is a diagram illustrating an embodiment in which the electronic apparatus terminates the AP mode based on a target device list.

[0144] Reference Figure 6b In operation S330, when the electronic device 100 is in communication connection with the AP device based on the second AP information, the electronic device 100 may operate in the AP mode based on the first AP information. In operation S340, when the electronic device 100 is in communication connection with the AP device based on the first AP information, the second device 20 may be in communication connection with the electronic device 100.

[0145] When the electronic apparatus 100 is communicatively connected with the second device 20 in operation S340 , the electronic apparatus 100 may transmit second AP information to the second device 20 in operation S350 .

[0146] In operation S660, the electronic device 100 may identify whether the second AP information is transmitted to all target devices included in the target device list. For example, when a response signal is received from the corresponding device 20 after the second AP information is transmitted to the second device 20, the electronic device 100 may identify that the second AP information is transmitted. Here, as described above, the target device list may be pre-stored in the electronic device 100, or may be received from the user terminal 40 or the server 50.

[0147] When it is identified in operation S660 that the second AP information is transmitted to all target devices included in the target device list, the electronic apparatus 100 may terminate the AP mode in operation S460.

[0148] Thereafter, in operation S470, the electronic apparatus 100 may perform a communication connection with the AP device based on the second AP information.

[0149] Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating a method of terminating an AP mode by an electronic device according to an embodiment.

[0150] Reference Figure 7 In operation S330, when the electronic device 100 is communicatively connected with the AP device based on the second AP information, the electronic device 100 may operate in the AP mode based on the first AP information. When the electronic device 100 is operating in the AP mode based on the first AP information, the second device 20 may be communicatively connected with the electronic device 100.

[0151] When the electronic apparatus 100 is communicatively connected with the second device 20 in operation S340 , the electronic apparatus 100 may transmit second AP information to the second device 20 in operation S350 .

[0152] In operation S710, the second device 20 may perform communication connection based on the second AP information received from the electronic apparatus 100. That is, the second device 20 enables Wi-Fi communication with the AP device based on the second AP information and thus may communicate with the server 50.

[0153] In operation S720, the second device 20 may transmit a signal for making a Wi-Fi communication connection based on the second AP information to the server 50.

[0154] In operation S730, when receiving the signal from the second device 20, the server 50 may transmit a signal notifying the communication connection of the second device 20 to the user terminal 40. For example, the server 50 may transmit the signal to the user terminal 40 through a mobile communication network such as LTE, 5G, or Wi-Fi communication (for example, when the user terminal 40 is capable of Wi-Fi communication with the server 50).

[0155] In operation S740, when receiving the signal from the server 50, the user terminal 40 may transmit a signal notifying the communication connection of the second device 20 to the electronic apparatus 100. In this case, the user terminal 40 may transmit a signal indicating the communication connection of the second device 20 to the electronic apparatus 100 by other communication methods other than the Wi-Fi communication method, but may also transmit a signal notifying the communication connection of the second device 20 to the electronic apparatus 100 in the Wi-Fi communication method.

[0156] In an embodiment, when the electronic device 100 supports a single Wi-Fi communication channel, since the AP mode between the user terminal 40 and the electronic device 100 is terminated and Wi-Fi communication cannot be performed, the user terminal 40 may send a signal indicating the communication connection of the second device 20 to the electronic device 100 through other communication methods other than the Wi-Fi communication method. For example, when the electronic device 100 and the user terminal 40 support at least one of Bluetooth communication or NFC communication, the user terminal 40 may send a signal notifying the communication connection of the second device 20 to the electronic device 100 through the corresponding communication. In an embodiment, when the electronic device 100 supports multiple Wi-Fi communication channels, the user terminal 40 may send a signal indicating the communication connection of the second device 20 to the electronic device 100 in the Wi-Fi communication method. For example, the user terminal 40 may be in a state of maintaining communication with the electronic device 100 through any one of the multiple Wi-Fi communication channels (e.g., maintaining Figure 4The electronic device 100 may perform a communication connection with the second device 20 (e.g., operation S430 described in the above) and perform a communication connection with the second device 20 through another one of the plurality of Wi-Fi communication channels (e.g., S340). However, even if the electronic apparatus 100 supports a plurality of Wi-Fi communication channels, a signal notifying the communication connection of the second device 20 may be transmitted to the electronic apparatus 100 through another communication method other than Wi-Fi communication. In operation S460, when the signal notifying the communication connection of the second device 20 is received from the user terminal 40, the electronic apparatus 100 may terminate the AP mode.

[0157] Thereafter, in operation S470, the electronic apparatus 100 may be communicatively connected with the AP device based on the second AP information.

[0158] Figure 8 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an electronic device according to an embodiment.

[0159] Reference Figure 8 , the electronic device 200 includes a communication interface 210 , a memory 220 , and one or more processors 330 .

[0160] In an embodiment, the electronic device 200 may be implemented as Figure 1 The user terminal 40 is shown. For example, the electronic device 200 may be implemented as various devices, such as a smart phone, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, etc. However, for ease of description, it is assumed that the electronic device 200 is implemented as a smart phone.

[0161] The electronic device 200 may execute an IoT application, and may provide various information and screens related to the IoT application. The IoT application may be an application for registering and managing a plurality of devices 10, 20, 30 in the server 50. In this case, the user may log in to the server 50 via the input user account by executing the IoT application in the electronic device 200 and inputting the user account, and the electronic device 200 may communicate with the server 50 based on the logged-in user account. The electronic device 200 may access the server 50 through a mobile communication network such as LTE, 5G, etc., or may access the server 50 through an AP device 60.

[0162] The implementation forms of the communication interface 210 , the memory 220 , and the one or more processors 330 are the same / similar to those of the communication interface 110 , the memory 120 , and the one or more processors 230 , and repeated descriptions will be omitted.

[0163] In an embodiment, the memory 220 may store Figure 1 The IoT applications and related information.

[0164] For example, the memory 220 may store the first AP information. In addition, the memory 120 may store the second AP information. Here, the second AP information may be information different from the first AP information. For example, at least one of the SSID or the password included in the second AP information may be different from at least one of the SSID or the password included in the first AP information.

[0165] For example, the memory 220 may store a target device list. The target device list may include information related to devices registered through the IoT application. Here, the information about the device may include identification information, and the identification information may be in various forms, such as name, model, device token, etc. In an embodiment, the target device list may include Figure 1 The target device list may include devices registered in an IoT application using the simple setup technology described in the description, but is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the target device list may include information of devices connected to the first AP information communication. In an embodiment, the target device list may include IoT devices registered in the same user account among target devices (i.e., devices located in a specific space) connected based on the first AP information communication. In an embodiment, the target device list may be directly acquired by the electronic device 200 through the simple setup technology, or received from the server 50. In an embodiment, the list may be obtained from the AP device (60, Figure 1 )take over.

[0166] In an embodiment, in a state where multiple devices 10, 20, 30 are capable of Wi-Fi communication based on the first AP information, when the first AP information is updated by the second AP information, the Wi-Fi communication connection of the multiple devices 10, 20, 30 can be released. For example, when the SSID and password of the AP device are changed for security reasons, etc., if the AP device is changed to another AP device (such as a reason for being taken back by a communication company), and the SSID and password of the other AP device need to be reset, then based on the first AP information (which is the AP information before the AP device needs to be reset), the communication connection of the device performing Wi-Fi communication can be released. In this case, in order to send the second AP information to the multiple devices 10, 20, one or more processors 230 (hereinafter may be referred to as processor 230) may control the communication interface 210 to operate in AP mode. Here, the communication interface 210 may include a Wi-Fi communication module.

[0167] Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating a communication method of an electronic device according to an embodiment.

[0168] Reference Fig. 9 , in operation S910, the processor 230 may acquire first AP information and second AP information.

[0169] In an embodiment, the processor 230 may obtain the first AP information through user input or receive the first AP information from the server 50. For example, since the process of registering the plurality of devices 10, 20, 30 in the server 50 by the simple setting technology based on the first AP information has been executed, the electronic device 200 may obtain the first AP information in the corresponding process. In an embodiment, the first AP information may be received from the server 50 that is communicatively connected to the plurality of devices 10, 20, 30 based on the first AP information.

[0170] In an embodiment, the processor 230 may acquire the second AP information through user input or receive the second AP information from the server 50. For example, the user may scan the SSID of the second AP information using the electronic device 200, and pre-store the second AP information in the user terminal 40 by inputting a password known to the user. In an embodiment, the user may input both the SSID and the password of the second AP information to the electronic device 200. In an embodiment, the server 50 may know the second AP information, and the electronic device 200 may receive the second AP information from the server 50. The acquired second AP information may be stored in the memory 220.

[0171] In operation S930, when a preset event is identified in operation S920: Yes, the processor 230 may control the communication interface (210) to operate in AP mode based on the first AP information. Here, the preset event may include at least one of the following events: an event in which a communication connection based on the first AP information is identified as being released from at least one external device; or an event in which a user command is identified. The user command may be a command that allows the electronic device 200 to operate in AP mode based on the first AP information. For example, the user command may be a command for sending second AP information to an external device, so that an external device that performs a communication connection based on the first AP information changes the first AP information to the second AP information and performs a communication connection. The processor 230 may operate in AP mode based on the first AP information to send the second AP information to the external device. In an embodiment, the processor 230 may control the communication interface 210 to operate in AP mode after confirming that the second AP information is valid AP information that can be connected for communication, but a corresponding operation is not necessarily required.

[0172] Then, if at least one external device is communicatively connected through the communication interface 210 while operating in the AP mode based on the first AP information, the processor 230 may transmit second AP information to the at least one external device connected to the communication interface 210 in operation S950.

[0173] Fig.10is a sequence diagram specifically illustrating a communication method of an electronic device according to an embodiment.

[0174] Reference Fig.10 , in operation S910, the electronic device 200 may acquire first AP information and second AP information.

[0175] Then, when a preset event is identified in operation S920: yes, in operation S930, the electronic device 200 may operate in the AP mode based on the first AP information. That is, the electronic device 200 may operate in the AP mode so as to send updated AP information (i.e., second AP information) to the plurality of devices 10, 20, 30. For example, the electronic device 200 may operate in the AP mode according to the preset event.

[0176] In an embodiment, when it is recognized that the Wi-Fi communication connection of the plurality of devices 10, 20, 30 registered in the application is released, the electronic device 200 may operate in the AP mode based on the first AP information. For example, the electronic device 200 may recognize through the application that the Wi-Fi communication connection of the plurality of devices 10, 20, 30 has been released, and operate in the AP mode. In an embodiment, when a signal notifying that the Wi-Fi communication connection of the plurality of devices 10, 20, 30 has been released is received from the server 50, the electronic device 200 may operate in the AP mode based on the first AP information.

[0177] In an embodiment, the electronic device 200 may operate in the AP mode based on the first AP information according to a user command. For example, the communication interface 210 may control the communication interface 210 to operate in the AP mode based on the first AP information by executing a soft AP function provided in the electronic device 200.

[0178] In an embodiment, when the communication interface 210 is in a Wi-Fi communication connection state based on the first AP information, the electronic device 200 can recognize that the Wi-Fi communication connection through the communication interface 210 has been released, recognize that the Wi-Fi communication connections of multiple devices 10, 20, and 30 have been released, and operate in AP mode based on the first AP information.

[0179] For example, after identifying the second AP information as AP information capable of communication, the electronic device 200 may operate in the AP mode based on the first AP information, but the operation is not necessarily limited thereto.

[0180] In operation S1010, when the electronic device 200 operates in the AP mode based on the first AP information, the plurality of devices 10, 20, 30 may be communicatively connected with the electronic device 200. This is because, when the Wi-Fi communication connection is released based on the first AP information, the plurality of devices 10, 20, 30 perform a scanning operation for the Wi-Fi communication connection based on the first AP information known to the plurality of devices 10, 20, 30. For example, the electronic device 200 may broadcast the first SSID included in the first AP information, and the plurality of devices 10, 20, 30 may scan the first SSID and connect to the electronic device 200 based on the password included in the first AP information, so that a device-to-device (D2D) communication channel may be formed between the electronic device 200 and the plurality of devices 10, 20, 30.

[0181] When the plurality of devices 10, 20, 30 are communicatively connected with the electronic apparatus 200 in operation S1010, in operation S950, the electronic apparatus 200 may send updated AP information (ie, second AP information) to the plurality of devices 10, 20, 30. For example, the electronic apparatus 200 may send the second AP information to the electronic apparatus 100 through a D2D channel.

[0182] In operation S1030, the electronic device 200 may terminate the AP mode according to a preset event. For example, the electronic device 200 may terminate the AP mode according to the following preset event.

[0183] In an embodiment, when a preset time has passed after identifying that the operation in the AP mode has been performed, the electronic device 200 may terminate the AP mode. Here, the preset time may be a time set when the electronic device 200 is manufactured, or may be a time received from the server 50. In an embodiment, when the electronic device 200 receives an AP mode request signal from the server 50, information about the preset time may be received together. In an embodiment, if it is identified that a preset time has passed after the second AP information is sent to a plurality of devices 10, 20, the electronic device 200 may terminate the AP mode. Here, the preset time may be a time set when the electronic device 200 is manufactured, or may be a time received from the server 50. In an embodiment, when the electronic device 200 receives an AP mode request signal from the server 50, information about the preset time may be received together.

[0184] In an embodiment, if it is identified that the second AP information is transmitted to all target devices included in the target device list, the electronic device 200 may terminate the AP mode. Here, the target device list may be pre-stored in the memory 220 of the electronic device 200, or may be received from the server 50. For example, the target device list may be stored in the memory 220 of the electronic device 200, or may be received from the server 50. Figure 8 Get the target device list in the same way as described.

[0185] In an embodiment, in operation S1020, the plurality of devices 10, 20, 30 may communicate with the AP device based on the second AP information received from the electronic apparatus 200. For example, when the communication connection with the server 50 is released by changing the AP information, the plurality of devices 10 and 20 may communicate with the server 50 again based on the newly acquired second AP information.

[0186] Fig.11a and Fig.11b is a diagram illustrating a method of terminating an AP mode by an electronic device according to an embodiment.

[0187] Fig.11a is a diagram illustrating an embodiment in which the electronic device 200 terminates the AP mode after a preset time has passed.

[0188] Reference Fig.11a In operation S930, the electronic device 200 may operate in the AP mode based on the first AP information. In operation S1010, when the electronic device 200 operates in the AP mode based on the first AP information, the plurality of devices 10, 20, 30 may be communicatively connected with the electronic device 100.

[0189] When the electronic apparatus 200 is communicatively connected with the plurality of devices 10 , 20 , 30 in operation S1010 , the electronic apparatus 200 may transmit second AP information to the plurality of devices 10 , 20 , 30 in operation S950 .

[0190] The electronic device 200 operates in the AP mode, and then, when it is identified in operation S1110: yes that the preset time has passed, in operation S1030, the electronic device 200 may terminate the AP mode. In an embodiment, if it is identified that the preset time has passed after the second AP information is sent to the plurality of devices 10, 20, in operation S1030, the electronic device 200 may terminate the AP mode.

[0191] In an embodiment, in operation S1120, the electronic device 200 may identify whether there is a device that has not received the second AP information from the target device list after the AP mode ends. Since the AP mode is terminated after a preset time has passed after the electronic device 200 operates in the AP mode or sends the second AP information, some target devices included in the target device list may not receive the second AP information. For example, in various situations such as if an error occurs in the Wi-Fi module of a specific device, if the power is turned off, or if an error occurs in the communication channel, some devices may not receive the second AP information. The electronic device 100 can identify that a specific device has not received the second AP information based on examples such as not forming a communication channel with a specific device, identifying an error in the corresponding communication channel, not receiving a response signal from a specific device, etc. However, it is obvious that operation S1120 can be performed before operation S1110.

[0192] If it is identified in operation S1120 that a specific device among the target devices included in the target device list has not received the AP information, the electronic device 200 may provide a UI including the identified device information in operation S1130. Therefore, the user can identify the device that is not connected to the Wi-Fi communication based on the updated AP information among the devices included in the target device list. In this case, the user can perform subsequent measures on the corresponding device.

[0193] Fig.11b is a diagram illustrating an embodiment in which the electronic apparatus 200 terminates the AP mode based on the target device list.

[0194] Reference Fig.11b In operation S930, the electronic apparatus 200 may operate in the AP mode based on the first AP information. In operation S1010, if the electronic apparatus 200 operates in the AP mode based on the first AP information, the plurality of devices 10, 20, 30 may be communicatively connected with the electronic apparatus 200.

[0195] When the electronic apparatus 200 is communicatively connected with the plurality of devices 10 , 20 , 30 in operation S1010 , the electronic apparatus 200 may transmit second AP information to the plurality of devices 10 , 20 , 30 in operation S950 .

[0196] In operation S1140, the electronic device 200 may identify whether the second AP information is sent to all target devices included in the target device list. For example, when a response signal is received from the corresponding device 10, 20 after sending the second AP information to the plurality of devices 10, 20, the electronic device 200 may identify that the second AP information is sent or the corresponding device 10, 20 has received the second AP information.

[0197] In operation S1030, when it is identified in operation S1140 that the second AP information is transmitted to all target devices included in the target device list, the electronic apparatus 200 may terminate the AP mode.

[0198] Fig.12a and Figure 12b is a diagram showing various types of information according to an embodiment.

[0199] Reference Fig.12a , the plurality of devices 10, 20, 30 may store identification information of the pre-connected AP device and device identification information (eg, media access control (MAC) address, device token, etc.) for connecting to the AP device. For example, SSID1 and the password may correspond to the first AP information.

[0200] Reference Figure 12b , when the plurality of devices 10, 20, 30 receive the second AP information and connect to an AP device (not shown), the second AP information may be updated in the plurality of devices 10, 20, 30. For example, SSID2 and passwords stored in the plurality of devices 10, 20, 30 may correspond to the second AP information.

[0201] Fig.13 is a block diagram showing an example of an electronic device according to an embodiment.

[0202] Reference Fig.13 , the electronic device 100' may include a communication interface 110, a memory 120, one or more processors 130, a user interface 140, a display 150, a speaker 160, a camera 170, and a microphone 180. Fig.13 In the configuration shown, the Figure 2 The configuration shown overlays a detailed description of the configuration.

[0203] The user interface 140 may be implemented as a device such as a button, a touch panel, a mouse, and a keyboard, or a touch screen capable of performing the above-mentioned display function and operation input function, etc. According to an embodiment, the user interface 140 may be implemented as a remote control transceiver and may receive a remote control signal. The remote control transceiver may receive a remote control signal from an external remote controller through at least one communication method (such as infrared communication, Bluetooth communication, or Wi-Fi communication), or may send a remote control signal.

[0204] The display 150 may be implemented as a display including a self-luminous element or a display including a non-self-luminous element and a backlight. For example, the display 150 may be implemented as various types of displays, such as but not limited to a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, a light emitting diode (LED), a micro LED, a mini LED, a plasma display panel (PDP), a quantum dot (QD) display, a quantum dot light emitting diode (QLED), etc. In the display 150, a backlight unit, a driving circuit that may be implemented as an amorphous silicon TFT, a low temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) TFT, an organic TFT (OTFT), etc. may also be included. The display 150 may be implemented as a touch screen coupled to a touch sensor, a flexible display, a rollable display, a three-dimensional (3D) display, a display in which multiple display modules are physically connected, etc.

[0205] The speaker 160 outputs audio data. For example, the speaker 160 may convert digital audio data processed by the processor 130 into analog audio data, amplify and output the analog audio data. For example, the speaker 160 may include at least one speaker unit, a D / A converter, an audio amplifier, etc., and may output at least one channel. In an embodiment, the speaker 160 may be implemented to output various multi-channel sound signals. For example, the processor 130 may output feedback signals related to various operations of the electronic device 100' through the speaker 160. For example, a feedback signal corresponding to the operation of performing an operation may be output through the speaker 160.

[0206] The camera 170 may perform shooting by being turned on according to a predetermined event. The camera 170 may convert the captured image into an electrical signal and generate image data based on the converted signal. For example, the subject may be converted into an electrical image signal by a charge coupled device (CCD) sensor, and the converted image signal may be converted into an amplified signal and a digital signal, and then processed. According to an embodiment, the processor 130 may recognize a user's gesture command based on the image captured by the camera 170 to execute the soft AP function of the electronic device 100'.

[0207] The microphone 180 is configured to receive user voice or other sounds and convert the user voice or other sounds into audio data. In an embodiment, the processor 130 may receive a user's voice command through the microphone 180 to execute the soft AP function of the electronic device 100'. According to another embodiment, the electronic device 100' may receive a user's voice input through an external device through the communication interface 110.

[0208] Fig.14 is a block diagram showing an example of an electronic device according to an embodiment.

[0209] Reference Fig.14, the electronic device 200' includes a communication interface 210, a memory 220, one or more processors 230, a user interface 240, a display 250, a speaker 260, a camera 270, and a microphone 280. Fig.14 In the configuration shown, as with Figure 8 The detailed description of the communication interface 210, the memory 220, and the one or more processors 230 of the configurations shown overlapping will be omitted. Fig.14 The remaining configuration shown in FIG. 2 , namely the user interface 240, the display 250, the speaker 260, the camera 270 and the microphone 280 may be configured in the same manner as Fig.13 The user interface 140, the display 150, the speaker 160, the camera 170, and the microphone 180 shown in FIG. 1 are implemented in the same / similar manner, and thus a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0210] In an embodiment, the processor 230 may control the display 250 to display a UI screen. Here, the UI may include various content playback screens (such as images, videos, texts, music, etc.), application execution screens including various contents, web browser screens, graphical user interface (GUI) screens, etc.

[0211] In an embodiment, the processor 230 may provide a UI including various information related to the multiple devices 10, 20, 30 and the server 50. In this case, a corresponding UI screen may be provided by an IoT application. In an embodiment, the UI screen provided by the IoT application may provide various information related to the operation of the multiple devices 10, 20, 30, and may be used as a control panel capable of input and output to control the multiple devices 10, 20, 30. That is, the UI screen may include an input interface for receiving a user's input and an output interface for displaying information (e.g., control information) according to the user input, as a configuration of the user interface.

[0212] In an embodiment, the processor 230 may control the display 250 to provide Fig.11a . That is, the processor 230 may provide a UI including the device information received from the server 50. Here, the device information may include devices included in the target device list that are not connected to Wi-Fi communication based on the updated AP information. For example, the UI may be provided through an execution screen of an IoT application. In an embodiment, the UI may be provided in the form of a notification provided by the IoT application.

[0213] According to the various exemplary embodiments described above, when AP information is updated and Wi-Fi connections of a plurality of devices are released, AP information of the plurality of devices may be automatically updated and Wi-Fi connections may be made, thereby improving user convenience.

[0214] The methods according to the various embodiments of the present disclosure described above can be implemented in the form of an application that can be installed in an existing electronic device. In an embodiment, at least some of the methods according to the various embodiments of the present disclosure described above can be performed using an artificial intelligence model (or deep artificial neural network) based on deep learning (i.e., a learning network model).

[0215] The methods according to the various embodiments described above may be implemented as software upgrade or hardware upgrade for an existing electronic device.

[0216] The various embodiments described above may be performed by an embedded server provided in the electronic device, or an external server of at least one electronic device and the display apparatus.

[0217] Various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in the form of software, which includes instructions stored on a machine-readable storage medium that can be read by a machine (e.g., a computer). A device may call instructions from a storage medium and execute the called instructions, including an image processing device (e.g., electronic device A) according to a disclosed embodiment. When an instruction is executed by a processor, the processor may use other components directly or under the control of the processor to perform a function corresponding to the instruction. The instruction may include code generated by a compiler or code executable by an interpreter. The machine-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Herein, a "non-transitory" storage medium may not include a signal but is tangible, and does not distinguish between a case where data is semi-permanently stored in a storage medium and a case where data is temporarily stored in a storage medium.

[0218] In an embodiment, the method according to the above embodiment may be included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between a seller and a consumer as a product. The computer program product may be distributed online 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 ) or directly distributed online. In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be at least temporarily stored or temporarily generated in a machine-readable storage medium such as a memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or a relay server.

[0219] According to various embodiments, each of the above-mentioned elements (e.g., a module or a program) may include a single entity or multiple entities. According to an embodiment, at least one element or operation of the above-mentioned corresponding elements may be omitted, or at least one other element or operation may be added. In an embodiment or additionally, multiple components (e.g., a module or a program) may be combined to form a single entity. In this case, the integrated entity may perform the function of at least one function of each of the multiple elements in the same or similar manner as the corresponding element in the multiple elements before integration. According to various embodiments, modules, program modules, or operations performed by other elements may be performed continuously, in parallel, repeatedly, or heuristically, or at least some operations may be performed in different orders, may be omitted, or other operations may be added thereto.

[0220] Although example embodiments have been shown and described with reference to various embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments or drawings, and those skilled in the art will understand that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, including the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising: Communication interface; A memory storing at least one instruction; as well as one or more processors operably connected to the communication interface and the memory and configured to execute the at least one instruction to: Based on the first access point AP information, controlling the communication interface to operate in AP mode, and Based on a communication connection with at least one external device during the operation of the communication interface in the AP mode, the communication interface is controlled to send second AP information different from the first AP information to the at least one external device.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The one or more processors are further configured to execute the at least one instruction to: Based on a preset event, controlling the communication interface to terminate the AP mode, Among them, the preset event includes at least one of the following events: an event that a preset time has passed after operation in the AP mode; an event that a preset time has passed after the second AP information is sent to the at least one external device; an event that the second AP information is sent to each device in the target device list; or an event that an end request for the AP mode is identified.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein: The target device list is a list stored in the memory.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The one or more processors are further configured to execute the at least one instruction to: acquiring the second AP information based on that the communication connection according to the first AP information is released; Based on the second AP information, controlling the communication interface to perform communication with the AP device; as well as Based on the first AP information, the communication interface is controlled to operate in the AP mode.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The one or more processors are further configured to execute the at least one instruction to: Based on the first AP information and a preset event, controlling the communication interface to operate in the AP mode; The preset event includes at least one of the following events: an event in which a communication connection based on the first AP information is identified as being released; or an event in which a user command for operating in AP mode is identified based on the first AP information.

6. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein: The one or more processors are further configured to execute the at least one instruction to: Based on the communication connection according to the first AP information being released, acquiring the second AP information from the user terminal through Wi-Fi communication by executing a soft AP function, and acquiring the target device list through the Wi-Fi communication; or The target device list is acquired from the user terminal through a communication method different from the Wi-Fi communication.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein: The one or more processors are further configured to execute the at least one instruction to: Controlling the communication interface to send a request signal to the user terminal, wherein the request signal requests whether to send the second AP information to the at least one external device; as well as The target device list is received from the user terminal through the communication interface as a response to the request signal.

8. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein: The one or more processors are further configured to execute the at least one instruction to: Based on the second AP information, the communication interface is used to communicate with the server via the AP device to obtain the target device list from the server.

9. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein: The one or more processors are further configured to execute the at least one instruction to: After the second AP information is sent to the at least one external device and the AP mode ends, a device that has not received the second AP information is identified from the devices included in the target device list, the communication interface is controlled to communicate with the AP device based on the second AP information, and the communication interface is controlled to send information related to the identified device to the server.

10. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The one or more processors are further configured to execute the at least one instruction to: Based on a preset event, controlling the communication interface to operate in the AP mode; The preset event includes at least one of the following events: an event in which a communication connection based on the first AP information is released in the at least one external device; or an event in which a user command for operating in the AP mode is identified based on the first AP information.

11. The electronic device according to claim 2, further comprising: monitor; Wherein, the one or more processors are further configured to execute the at least one instruction to: After the AP mode is terminated, the display is controlled to display a user interface including devices that are not connected through Wi-Fi communication based on the second AP information among the devices included in the target device list.

12. A method for controlling an electronic device, the method comprising: Based on the first access point AP information, the communication interface of the electronic device operates in the AP mode; as well as Based on a communication connection with at least one external device during operation of the communication interface in the AP mode, second AP information different from the first AP information is sent to the at least one external device.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising: terminating the AP mode based on a preset event, Among them, the preset event includes at least one of the following events: an event that a preset time has passed after operation in the AP mode; an event that a preset time has passed after the second AP information is sent to the at least one external device; an event that the second AP information is sent to each device in the target device list; or an event that an end request for the AP mode is identified.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein: Enabling the communication interface of the electronic device to operate in the AP mode includes: acquiring the second AP information based on that the communication connection according to the first AP information is released; communicating with the AP device based on the second AP information; and The communication interface is caused to operate in the AP mode based on the first AP information.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium for storing computer readable program code or instructions, the computer readable program code or instructions being executable by a processor to perform a method of controlling an electronic device, the method comprising: Based on the first access point AP information, the communication interface of the electronic device operates in the AP mode; as well as Based on a communication connection with at least one external device during operation of the communication interface in the AP mode, second AP information different from the first AP information is sent to the at least one external device.

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