Terminal device and mirroring method executed by same

Abstract

A mirroring method performed by a source terminal according to an embodiment may comprise the steps of: identifying a first terminal in which a mirroring function has been deactivated according to a first communication protocol; outputting a terminal list including identification information on the first terminal; when the first terminal is selected from the terminal list, sending an activation request for the mirroring function to the first terminal according to the first communication protocol; and transmitting content to the first terminal in which the mirroring function has been activated in response to the activation request according to a second communication protocol.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a terminal device and a mirroring method performed thereby, and more particularly, to a device and a method for mirroring content output from a source terminal onto a host terminal. Background Art

[0002] Due to the development of wired and wireless communication networks, electronic devices capable of outputting content for users can be interconnected with each other.

[0003] Electronic devices can send and receive various types of data to and from each other through wired and wireless communication networks. For example, one electronic device can remotely control another electronic device, and one electronic device can share the same content with another electronic device for simultaneous display. Mirroring technology is essential for remote control or content sharing between electronic devices.

[0004] Mirroring technology is a technology that allows devices with displays to share screen data with each other. Mirroring technology can be embedded in electronic devices capable of outputting content on a display, such as a portable computer (e.g., laptop, netbook, or tablet PC), a portable terminal (e.g., smartphone or personal digital assistant (PDA)), a smart TV, etc.

[0005] Technologies such as Display as a Service (Daas), Miracast, Airplay, etc. have been developed as mirroring services.

[0006] Generally, users want to share the screen of a device with a small display (e.g., mobile phone, tablet PC, etc.) on a device with a large display (e.g., TV) to view content on the large display.

[0007] In an example, for reasons such as mobility, a user may need to share the screen of a device with a large display on a device with a small display. However, a device with a small display usually deactivates its mirroring function because most of the time, users want to share the screen of a device with a small display on a device with a large display.

[0008] In the case of pre-activating the mirroring function of a device that is unlikely to be used for mirroring, battery consumption will increase, and users may feel inconvenient or uncomfortable when a terminal owned by the user that is not intended for content sharing is included in the list of connectable devices.

[0009] Therefore, a method for more easily performing mirroring on a device with a deactivated mirroring function is needed. Summary of the Invention

[0010] The mirroring method performed by a source terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include identifying a first terminal with a deactivated mirroring function according to a first communication protocol.

[0011] The mirroring method performed by a source terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include outputting a terminal list including the identification information of the first terminal.

[0012] The mirroring method performed by a source terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include: when the first terminal is selected from the terminal list, sending a request for activating the mirroring function to the first terminal according to the first communication protocol.

[0013] The mirroring method performed by a source terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include sending content to the first terminal with an activated mirroring function in response to an activation request according to a second communication protocol.

[0014] The mirroring method performed by a destination terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include sending the capability information of the destination terminal to the source terminal according to the first communication protocol.

[0015] The mirroring method performed by a destination terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include: when the destination terminal is equipped with a mirroring function, receiving a request for activating the mirroring function from the source terminal according to the first communication protocol.

[0016] The mirroring method performed by a destination terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include activating the mirroring function in response to the activation request.

[0017] The mirroring method performed by a destination terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include receiving content from the source terminal according to the second communication protocol.

[0018] The mirroring method performed by a destination terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include outputting the content.

[0019] A source terminal for performing mirroring according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a first communication module configured to identify a first terminal with a deactivated mirroring function according to the first communication protocol.

[0020] A source terminal for performing mirroring according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include an output module configured to output a terminal list including the identification information of the first terminal.

[0021] A source terminal for performing mirroring according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a second communication module configured to perform communication according to the second communication protocol.

[0022] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first communication module of the source terminal for performing mirroring may further be configured to: when the first terminal is selected from the terminal list, send a request for activating the mirroring function to the first terminal according to the first communication protocol.

[0023] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second communication module of the source terminal for performing mirroring may further be configured to: send content to a first terminal having a mirroring function activated in response to an activation request according to a second communication protocol. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 is a diagram showing a mirroring technique according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 2 is a block diagram of the configurations of a source terminal and a destination terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 3 is a diagram showing a method of searching for a terminal capable of mirroring connection performed by a source terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 4 shows a list of terminals output on a source terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] Figure 5 is a diagram showing a process of checking account information of a deactivated terminal performed by a source terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 6 shows a list of terminals output on a source terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] Figure 7 is a diagram showing a process of sending content to a deactivated terminal performed by a source terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 8 is a diagram showing a method of activating a mirroring function of a deactivated terminal performed by a source terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Figure 9 is a flowchart of a method of activating a mirroring function of a deactivated terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Figure 10 is a diagram showing a situation of terminating a mirroring connection according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 11 is a diagram showing a method of deactivating a mirroring function of a deactivated terminal after activating the mirroring function according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 12 is a flowchart of messages transmitted and received between a source terminal and an activated terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] Figure 13It is a flowchart showing messages transmitted and received between a source terminal and a deactivated terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] Figure 14 It is a block diagram of the configuration of a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Description

[0038] Best Mode

[0039] The mirroring method performed by a source terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include identifying a first terminal with a deactivated mirroring function according to a first communication protocol.

[0040] The mirroring method performed by a source terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include outputting a terminal list including the identification information of the first terminal.

[0041] The mirroring method performed by a source terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include: when the first terminal is selected from the terminal list, sending a request for activating the mirroring function to the first terminal according to the first communication protocol.

[0042] The mirroring method performed by a source terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include: in response to the request for activation, sending content to the first terminal that has activated the mirroring function according to a second communication protocol.

[0043] Inventive Mode

[0044] Since the present disclosure can undergo various modifications and has many embodiments, specific embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings and will be described in detail in the detailed description. However, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to its specific embodiments, and it should be understood that the present disclosure covers all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives included within the spirit and technical scope of its many embodiments.

[0045] When describing embodiments of the present disclosure, when it is determined that a detailed description may unnecessarily obscure the essence of the present disclosure, related known technologies will not be described in detail. Additionally, the numbers used in the description of the specification (e.g., first, second, etc.) are merely identification symbols for distinguishing one component from another.

[0046] Throughout the present disclosure, the expression "at least one of a, b, or c" indicates only a, only b, only c, both a and b, both a and c, both b and c, or all of a, b, and c.

[0047] In the present disclosure, it should be understood that when a component is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another component, the component may be directly connected or coupled to the other component, but may also be connected or coupled to the other component via another intermediate component therebetween, unless there is a specific description to the contrary.

[0048] In the present disclosure, for components expressed as "units", "modules", etc., two or more components may be combined into a single component, or a single component may be divided into two or more components according to the subdivided functions. In addition, in addition to its main function, each of the components described below may also perform some or all of the functions performed by another component, and some of the main functions of each component may be entirely performed by another component.

[0049] In the present disclosure, a "user" may refer to a person who controls the functions of a terminal device via a control device (such as a keyboard, a mouse, a remote controller, etc.). The user may include a viewer, an administrator, or an installation engineer.

[0050] As used herein, a "source terminal" may refer to a terminal that provides content via a mirroring function, and a "sink terminal" may refer to a terminal that receives content via the mirroring function.

[0051] As used herein, an "activated terminal" may refer to a terminal in which the mirroring function is activated, and a "deactivated terminal" may refer to a terminal in which the mirroring function is deactivated.

[0052] In the present disclosure, "the mirroring function of the terminal is activated" may indicate that the mirroring function built in the terminal is in an on state, and "the mirroring function of the terminal is deactivated" may indicate that the mirroring function built in the terminal is in an off state.

[0053] Figure 1 is a diagram for describing a mirroring technology according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0054] In Figure 1 , the source terminal may be the smart TV 10 being watched by the user 30, and the sink terminal may be the smart phone 20 held by the user 30.

[0055] The user 30 may use the mirroring service provided via the smart TV 10 and the smart phone 20 to experience the content 15 output from the smart TV 10, such as movies, dramas, photos, music, or any other suitable content, on the smart phone 20. In this case, the smart TV 10 may be connected to the smart phone 20 via a certain wired or wireless network.

[0056] Through the mirroring connection between the smart TV 10 and the smart phone 20, the content 15 output from the display of the smart TV 10 can be sent to the smart phone 20, and the content 25 can also be output on the display of the smart phone 20. For example, the user 30 can share the movie content being played via the display of the smart TV 10 to the smart phone 20 to watch the movie content via the display of the smart phone 20. In the example, the smart TV 10 can initiate the mirroring function so that the content output from the smart TV 10 is shared and displayed on the smart phone 20. In the example, the smart phone 20 can initiate the mirroring function so that the content output from the smart phone 20 is shared and displayed on the smart TV 10.

[0057] In the example, a mirroring connection is established and maintained between the smart TV 10 and the smart phone 20 to use the mirroring function. In addition, in the example, to establish a mirroring connection between the smart TV 10 and the smart phone 20, the mirroring function of each of the smart TV 10 and the smart phone 20 is activated.

[0058] Describe an exemplary process in which the user 30 uses the mirroring function via the smart TV 10 and the smart phone 20.

[0059] When the user 30 activates the mirroring function of the smart TV 10, the smart TV 10 can search for terminals with the mirroring function activated according to a predetermined communication protocol. The smart TV 10 can then output a list of the found terminals on the display, and the user 30 can select the smart phone 20 from the list of terminals. The smart TV 10 requests a mirroring connection to the smart phone 20, and when the mirroring connection is established between the smart TV 10 and the smart phone 20, the user 30 can experience the content 15 output from the smart TV 10 on the smart phone 20.

[0060] To enable the smart phone 20 to be discovered by the smart TV 10, it is necessary to activate the mirroring function of the smart phone 20. However, as described above, for mobile terminals with small displays, due to the low usage frequency of the mirroring function on smaller devices and to save battery power, the mirroring function is often deactivated.

[0061] When the mirroring function of the smart phone 20 is deactivated, the user 30 needs to manually activate the mirroring function of the smart phone 20, and thus, there is inconvenience due to the manual activation.

[0062] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the mirroring function is deactivated, the inconvenience to the user 30 can be minimized by automatically activating the mirroring function of the smart phone 20. In the example, the automatic activation of the mirroring function includes activating the mirroring function without manual user input. In addition, in the settings configuration, the user can configure one or more parameters so that the feature of manual activation of the mirroring function is enabled.

[0063] Reference Figure 2 Describe the configurations of a source terminal and a destination terminal according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0064] Figure 2 is a block diagram of the configurations of a source terminal 100 and a destination terminal 200 according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0065] Reference Figure 2 , the source terminal 100 may include a control module 110, an output module 130, a first communication module 150, and a second communication module 170. The destination terminal 200 may include a control module 210, an output module 230, a first communication module 250, and a second communication module 270.

[0066] The control module 110 of the source terminal 100 may control the operations of the output module 130, the first communication module 150, and the second communication module 170. The control module 110 may operate according to at least one instruction stored in a memory.

[0067] The control module 210 of the destination terminal 200 may control the operations of the output module 230, the first communication module 250, and the second communication module 270. The control module 210 may operate according to at least one instruction stored in a memory.

[0068] The control module 110, the first communication module 150, and the second communication module 170 may be implemented as one or more processors or circuits configured to perform the functions of these modules. In addition, the control module 210, the first communication module 250, and the second communication module 270 may be implemented as one or more processors or circuits configured to perform the functions of these modules.

[0069] Although Figure 2 shows that the first communication module 150 and the second communication module 170 are separate components, in embodiments of the present disclosure, the first communication module 150 and the second communication module 170 may be implemented as a single communication module. In addition, although Figure 2 shows that the first communication module 250 and the second communication module 270 are separate components, in embodiments of the present disclosure, the first communication module 250 and the second communication module 270 may be implemented as a single communication module.

[0070] The output module 130 of the source terminal 100 may output certain content.

[0071] The output module 230 of the destination terminal 200 may output the content provided by the source terminal 100 via a mirroring function.

[0072] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the output modules 130 and 230 may each include at least one of a display for outputting visual content (e.g., video) or a speaker for outputting auditory content (e.g., audio).

[0073] The first communication modules 150 and 250 may communicate with each other according to a first communication protocol, and the second communication modules 170 and 270 may communicate with each other according to a second communication protocol.

[0074] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first communication module 150 of the source terminal 100 may transmit data to and receive data from the first communication module 250 of the destination terminal 200 according to the first communication protocol, and the second communication module 170 of the source terminal 100 may transmit data to and receive data from the second communication module 270 of the destination terminal 200 according to the second communication protocol.

[0075] A communication protocol may refer to the format and / or a set of rules of messages sent and received based on a predetermined communication method.

[0076] The first communication protocol may be used to discover a terminal in which the mirroring function is deactivated and activate the mirroring function of the terminal.

[0077] The second communication protocol may be used to discover a terminal that activates the mirroring function and establish and maintain a mirroring connection with the terminal. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second communication protocol may be a communication protocol for a known mirroring function.

[0078] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the communication method for the first communication protocol may be different from the communication method for the second communication protocol. For example, the first communication protocol may be based on Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication, and the second communication protocol may be based on Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) communication.

[0079] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the frequency band for the first communication protocol may be different from the frequency band for the second communication protocol. For example, the first communication protocol may be based on a predetermined first frequency band, and the second communication protocol may be based on a predetermined second frequency band that is higher or lower than the first frequency band.

[0080] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the destination terminal 200 may be an activated terminal (e.g., a terminal in which the mirroring function is activated) or a deactivated terminal (e.g., a terminal in which the mirroring function is not activated), as described below.

[0081] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the deactivated terminal may include Figure 2 the control module 210, output module 230, first communication module 250, and second communication module 270 shown.

[0082] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the activated terminal may include a control module 210, an output module 230, and a second communication module 270, but may not include Figure 2 the first communication module 250 shown in

[0083] The source terminal 100 may search for a terminal capable of mirroring connection based on the first communication protocol and the second communication protocol, as referred to in Figure 3 described.

[0084] Figure 3 FIG.

[0085] Assume that four terminals (e.g., terminal A 200A, terminal B 200B, terminal C 200C, and terminal D 200D) are located near the source terminal 100.

[0086] Referring to Figure 3 , the mirroring function of terminal A 200A can be activated, and the mirroring functions of terminal B 200B and terminal C 200C can be deactivated. In addition, terminal D 200D may not be equipped with a mirroring function.

[0087] In the example, terminal A 200A may send a message indicating that mirroring connection is possible to the source terminal 100 according to the second communication protocol. Terminal A 200A may broadcast a message indicating that mirroring connection is possible according to the second communication protocol, and the source terminal 100 may receive the message broadcast by terminal A 200A to identify that the mirroring function is activated on terminal A 200A.

[0088] In the example, terminal B 200B and terminal C 200C may respectively send messages indicating their respective capability information to the source terminal 100 according to the first communication protocol. The message indicating the capability information may include information indicating that terminal B 200B and terminal C 200C are equipped with a mirroring function.

[0089] Terminal B 200B and terminal C 200C may respectively broadcast messages indicating the capability information according to the first communication protocol, and the source terminal 100 may receive the messages broadcast by terminal B 200B and terminal C 200C to identify that terminal B 200B and terminal C 200C are each equipped with a mirroring function but the mirroring function is deactivated.

[0090] Since terminal D 200D is not equipped with a mirroring function, terminal D 200D may not send a message related to mirroring to the source terminal 100.

[0091] Figure 3It is shown that a message from terminal A 200A is sent to source terminal 100, as indicated by the dashed line, and messages from terminal B 200B and terminal C 200C are sent to source terminal 100, as indicated by the solid line. In the example, the dashed line may represent communication according to a second communication protocol, and the solid line may represent communication according to a first communication protocol.

[0092] As described above, generally, since it is necessary to activate the mirroring function of two terminals to establish a mirror connection between the two terminals, terminal A 200A corresponding to the activated terminal can use the second communication protocol to establish a mirror connection with another terminal (e.g., source terminal 100), so that the mirroring function can be executed between the two connected terminals.

[0093] Terminal B 200B and terminal C 200C corresponding to the deactivated terminals can each notify source terminal 100 that they are equipped with the mirroring function according to a protocol different from the second communication protocol (e.g., according to the first communication protocol).

[0094] Source terminal 100 can identify terminal A 200A corresponding to the activated terminal and terminal B 200B and terminal C 200C corresponding to the deactivated terminals as terminals capable of establishing a mirror connection, and output a terminal list including multiple pieces of identification information about terminal A 200A, terminal B 200B, and terminal C 200C respectively.

[0095] Figure 4 It shows a terminal list 400 output on source terminal 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0096] Reference Figure 4 , source terminal 100 can output terminal list 400 including AAA, BBB, and CCC on the display, where AAA is the identification information of terminal A 200A, BBB is the identification information of terminal B 200B, and CCC is the identification information of terminal C 200C.

[0097] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, source terminal 100 can output terminal list 400 as voice via a speaker, and terminal list 400 includes the identification information of terminal A 200A, the identification information of terminal B 200B, and the identification information of terminal C 200C.

[0098] Since terminal D 200D is not equipped with the mirroring function, terminal list 400 does not include the identification information of terminal D 200D. In the example, terminal list 400 can display terminal D 200D with an indicator indicating that terminal D 200D is not equipped with the mirroring function.

[0099] The source terminal 100 may establish a mirroring connection with a terminal selected by a user from the terminal list 400 and transmit content (eg, screen data) to the terminal with which the mirroring connection is established.

[0100] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the terminal A 200A is selected from the terminal list 400 , the source terminal 100 may establish a mirroring connection with the terminal A 200A according to the second communication protocol and send the content to the terminal A 200A.

[0101] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, when the terminal B 200B or the terminal C 200C is selected from the terminal list 400, it is necessary to activate the mirroring function of the terminal B 200B or the terminal C 200C because the mirroring functions in these devices are deactivated.

[0102] In the example, in order to change the settings of terminal B 200B and terminal C 200C, terminal B 200B and terminal C 200C need to be identified as being associated with source terminal 100. This association may need to be established because it may go against the user's wishes for source terminal 100 to automatically change the settings of a terminal that is completely unrelated to source terminal 100. For example, the user may be a visitor to another household, where only the devices of family members of that household are associated with source terminal 100.

[0103] In an example, the source terminal 100 may obtain pieces of account information from the terminal B 200B and the terminal C 200C, respectively, and determine whether the terminal B 200B and the terminal C 200C are each related to the source terminal 100 based on the obtained pieces of account information.

[0104] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating a process of checking account information of a deactivated terminal, performed by the source terminal 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0105] Reference Figure 5 , the source terminal 100 may send a message requesting account information to the terminal B 200B and the terminal C 200C respectively according to the first communication protocol. The terminal B 200B and the terminal C 200C may both send their account information to the source terminal 100 according to the first communication protocol.

[0106] The account information may be user identification information set on the terminal for identifying the user. For example, the account information may include the email address of the user set on the terminal.

[0107] The source terminal 100 may determine whether the pieces of account information received from the terminal B 200B and the terminal C 200C each correspond to the account information of the source terminal 100 .

[0108] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the account information received from terminal B 200B or terminal C 200C corresponds to the account information of source terminal 100, source terminal 100 may determine that terminal B 200B or terminal C 200C is related to source terminal 100.

[0109] For example, when the account information corresponds to an email address and the email address received from terminal B 200B or terminal C 200C is the same as the email address set on source terminal 100, source terminal 100 may determine that terminal B 200B or terminal C 200C is related to source terminal 100.

[0110] In addition, for example, when the email address received from terminal B 200B or terminal C 200C is used by the user of the email address set on source terminal 100, source terminal 100 may determine that terminal B 200B or terminal C 200C is related to source terminal 100.

[0111] In an example, when the user of the email address received from terminal B 200B or terminal C 200C belongs to the same group as the user of the email address of source terminal 100 (for example, a home group or a company group, etc.), source terminal 100 may determine that terminal B 200B or terminal C 200C is related to source terminal 100.

[0112] The timing for source terminal 100 to send a message requesting account information to terminal B 200B and terminal C 200C and to receive multiple pieces of account information from terminal B 200B and terminal C 200C may be determined in various ways.

[0113] For example, when it is determined during the search process described in Figure 3 that terminal B 200B and terminal C 200C are equipped with a mirroring function, source terminal 100 may send messages requesting their account information to terminal B 200B and terminal C 200C respectively.

[0114] In addition, for example, when the user selects terminal B 200B or terminal C 200C from the Figure 4 shown list of terminals, source terminal 100 may send a message requesting account information to the selected terminal B 200B or terminal C 200C by the user.

[0115] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the account information of terminal B 200B corresponds to the account information of source terminal 100 and the account information of terminal C 200C does not correspond to the account information of source terminal 100, source terminal 100 may output the account information of terminal B 200B in a different way from the account information of terminal C 200C when outputting the list of terminals.

[0116] In addition, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, when outputting the terminal list, the source terminal 100 may output the account information of the terminal B 200B identified as being related to the source terminal 100 in a manner different from the account information of the terminal A200A whose relationship with the source terminal 100 has not been determined.

[0117] For example, outputting the account information of the terminal B 200B in a manner different from the account information of other terminals may include highlighting the display of the account information of the terminal B 200B.

[0118] The reason for highlighting the account information of the terminal B 200B is that in the case where the terminal B 200B is related to the source terminal 100, even when the source terminal 100 arbitrarily changes the settings of the terminal B 200B or outputs content from the source terminal 100 on the terminal B 200B, such a change or output does not violate the will of the user of the terminal B 200B.

[0119] Reference Figure 6 , when the account information of the terminal B 200B corresponds to the account information of the source terminal 100, the source terminal 100 may set the priority of the terminal B 200B in the terminal list 600 to be higher than the priorities of the terminal C 200C and the terminal A200A. As a result, as Figure 6 shown, the identification information of the terminal B 200B may be placed at the top of the terminal list 600.

[0120] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the source terminal 100 highlights the identification information of the terminal B200B in the terminal list 600 so that the user 30 can recognize that the account information of the terminal B 200B corresponds to the account information of the source terminal 100.

[0121] For example, as Figure 6 shown, the source terminal 100 may obscure the identification information of the terminal B 200B. In another example, the source terminal 100 may display the identification information of the terminal B 200B in letters thicker than those of other terminals, or add an emoji to the identification information of the terminal B 200B.

[0122] When the user 30 selects the terminal B 200B from the terminal list 600, refer to Figure 7 the description of the process of establishing a mirror connection with the terminal B 200B performed by the source terminal 100.

[0123] Figure 7 is a diagram showing the process of the source terminal 100 sending content to a deactivated terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0124] When the terminal B 200B is selected from the terminal list 600, the source terminal 100 may send a request for activating the mirroring function to the terminal B 200B according to the first communication protocol. The terminal B 200B may switch the status of the mirroring function from deactivated to activated in response to the request from the source terminal 100.

[0125] When the mirroring function of the terminal B 200B is activated, the source terminal 100 may send the content 190 (e.g., visual content and / or auditory content) to the terminal B 200B according to the second communication protocol, and the terminal B 200B may output the content 290 received from the source terminal 100.

[0126] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the status of the mirroring function of the terminal B 200B is switched from the deactivated state to the activated state, the terminal B 200B may send a message indicating that the mirroring function is activated to the source terminal 100 according to the first communication protocol, and when receiving the corresponding message, the source terminal 100 may send a message requesting to establish a mirroring connection to the terminal B 200B.

[0127] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, after sending a request for activating the mirroring function to the terminal B 200B, if no response is received from the terminal B 200B, the source terminal 100 may repeatedly send a message requesting to establish a mirroring connection to the terminal B 200B at intervals of a predetermined time period. In an example, the source terminal 100 may be configured to send N messages to the terminal B 200B at a predetermined interval. If no response is received from the terminal B 200B after sending N messages, the source terminal 100 may display a message indicating that the mirroring connection to the terminal B 200B has failed.

[0128] When establishing a mirroring connection with the terminal B 200B, the source terminal 100 may send the content 190 to the terminal B 200B.

[0129] As Figure 7 shown, when the source terminal 100 sends the content 190 to the terminal B 200B, the second communication protocol is used. For example, when activating the mirroring function of the terminal B 200B, the second communication protocol may be used to establish and maintain a mirroring connection with the terminal B 200B in a manner similar to that performed for the terminal A 200A.

[0130] When the terminal C 200C determined to be irrelevant to the source terminal 100 is selected from the terminal list 600, a method for activating the mirroring function of the terminal C 200C will be described next.

[0131] Figure 8 is a diagram showing a method for activating the mirroring function of a deactivated terminal performed by the source terminal 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0132] When the terminal C 200C is selected from the terminal list 600, the source terminal 100 may send a request to activate the mirroring function to the terminal C 200C according to the first communication protocol. The terminal C 200C may output a message requesting consent to activate the mirroring function, and when the user 30 consents to activate the mirroring function, the terminal C 200C may switch the status of the mirroring function from deactivated to activated.

[0133] When the mirroring function of the terminal C 200C is activated, the source terminal 100 may send the content 190 (e.g., screen data) to the terminal C 200C according to the second communication protocol, and the terminal C 200C may output the content received from the source terminal 100.

[0134] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the status of the mirroring function of the terminal C 200C is switched from deactivated to activated, the terminal C 200C may send a message indicating that the mirroring function is activated to the source terminal 100 according to the first communication protocol. When receiving the corresponding message, the source terminal 100 may send a message requesting to establish a mirroring connection to the terminal C 200C.

[0135] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, after sending a message requesting consent to activate the mirroring function to the terminal C 200C, the source terminal 100 may repeatedly send a message requesting to establish a mirroring connection to the terminal C 200C at intervals of a predetermined time period. This is for the case where no message indicating that the mirroring function is activated is sent from the terminal C 200C to the source terminal 100. In an example, the source terminal 100 may be configured to send N messages to the terminal C 200C at a predetermined interval. If no response is received from the terminal C 200C after sending N messages, the source terminal 100 may display a message indicating that the activation of the mirroring function in the terminal C 200C has failed.

[0136] When establishing a mirroring connection with the terminal C 200C, the source terminal 100 may send the content 190 to the terminal C 200C.

[0137] Although Figure 8 it is shown that the message requesting consent to activate the mirroring function is output on the display of the terminal C 200C, this configuration is merely an example, and in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the terminal C 200C may also output the message as voice.

[0138] Since the terminal C 200C is determined to be a terminal unrelated to the source terminal 100, the source terminal 100 may advantageously prevent the establishment of a mirroring connection against the will of the user 30 of the terminal C 200C by establishing a mirroring connection with the terminal C 200C only when the user 30 of the terminal C 200C consents.

[0139] Figure 9 It is a flowchart of a method for activating the mirroring function of a deactivated terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0140] In operation S910, the source terminal 100 may receive a user's selection of a deactivated terminal from a list of terminals.

[0141] In operation S920, the source terminal 100 may determine whether the account information of the selected terminal corresponds to the account information of the source terminal 100.

[0142] When the account information of the selected terminal corresponds to the account information of the source terminal 100, in operation S930, the source terminal 100 may send a request for activating the mirroring function to the selected terminal according to a first communication protocol.

[0143] When the status of the mirroring function of the selected terminal switches from deactivated to activated, in operation S940, a mirroring connection may be established between the source terminal 100 and the selected terminal, and the source terminal 100 may send content to the selected terminal. The selected terminal may output the content received from the source terminal 100 via the output module 230.

[0144] When the account information of the selected terminal does not correspond to the account information of the source terminal 100, in operation S950, the source terminal 100 may determine whether the selected terminal is connected to the same network as the source terminal 100.

[0145] In an example, the situation where the source terminal 100 is connected to the same network as the selected terminal may mean that the source terminal 100 and the selected terminal are connected to the same access point (AP). For example, when the source terminal 100 is connected to the selected terminal via the same router, the source terminal 100 may determine that the source terminal 100 and the selected terminal belong to the same network.

[0146] When the selected terminal is connected to the same network as the source terminal 100, in operation S930, the source terminal 100 may send a request for activating the mirroring function to the selected terminal, and in operation S940, the source terminal 100 may send content to the selected terminal.

[0147] When the selected terminal is not connected to the same network as the source terminal 100, in operation S960, the source terminal 100 may send a request for consenting to activate the mirroring function to the selected terminal.

[0148] In operation S970, the source terminal 100 may determine whether the mirroring function of the selected terminal is activated, and when the mirroring function of the selected terminal is activated, in operation S940, the source terminal 100 may send content to the selected terminal.

[0149] According to Figure 9In the process shown, after determining whether the account information of the selected terminal corresponds to the account information of the source terminal 100, the source terminal 100 can determine whether the selected terminal is connected to the same network as the source terminal 100.

[0150] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the source terminal 100 can first determine whether the selected terminal is connected to the same network as the source terminal 100, and when the selected terminal is not connected to the same network as the source terminal 100, the source terminal 100 can then determine whether the account information of the selected terminal corresponds to the account information of the source terminal 100.

[0151] In addition, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the source terminal 100 only determines whether the selected terminal is connected to the same network as the source terminal 100 and whether the account information of the selected terminal corresponds to the account information of the source terminal 100, and when the selected terminal is not relevant to the source terminal 100 according to the determined result, the source terminal 100 can send a request to consent to activate the mirroring function to the selected terminal as in operation S960.

[0152] In the example, a mirroring connection can be established between the source terminal 100 and the terminal B 200B (or the terminal C 200C), and the mirroring connection can be terminated while sending content from the source terminal 100 to the terminal B 200B (or the terminal C 200C) via the mirroring connection.

[0153] Since the mirroring function of the terminal B 200B may initially be deactivated due to battery problems or the like, it is necessary to deactivate the mirroring function of the terminal B 200B again when the mirroring connection between the source terminal 100 and the terminal B 200B is terminated. Refer to Figure 10 and Figure 11 to describe the process.

[0154] Figure 10 is a diagram showing a case of terminating a mirroring connection according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0155] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the application for outputting the content 290 on the terminal B 200B is terminated, the mirroring connection between the source terminal 100 and the terminal B 200B can be terminated.

[0156] Refer to Figure 10 , the user 30 can select the exit menu 292 in the application for displaying the content 290 received from the source terminal 100, and thus, the application can be terminated. When the application is terminated, the mirroring connection between the source terminal 100 and the terminal B 200B can be terminated simultaneously.

[0157] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the application for outputting the content 190 of the source terminal 100 terminates on the source terminal 100, or when the mirroring function of the source terminal 100 is disabled, the mirroring connection between the source terminal 100 and the terminal B 200B can also be terminated.

[0158] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the status of the mirroring function of the terminal B 200B switches from active to disabled, the mirroring connection between the source terminal 100 and the terminal B 200B can also be terminated. And in this case, the source terminal 100 may not change the settings of the terminal B 200B because the status of the mirroring function of the terminal B 200B has been switched to disabled according to the user's selection or any other suitable mechanism for disabling the mirroring function.

[0159] For example, when the application on the terminal B 200B for outputting the content 290 received from the source terminal 100 terminates, when the application for outputting the content 190 of the source terminal 100 terminates on the source terminal 100, and when the mirroring function of the source terminal 100 is disabled, the source terminal 100 needs to disable the mirroring function of the terminal B 200B because the mirroring function of the terminal B 200B is still active.

[0160] Figure 11 FIG. is a diagram showing a method of disabling the mirroring function of a terminal after activating the mirroring function according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0161] When stopping the transmission of the content 190 according to the termination of the mirroring connection with the terminal B 200B, the source terminal 100 may send a request for disabling the mirroring function to the terminal B 200B according to the first communication protocol. Therefore, the status of the mirroring function of the terminal B 200B can be switched from active to disabled. After that, as referred to Figure 3 above, the source terminal 100 may search for terminals capable of mirroring connections and output a list of the found terminals.

[0162] Although Figure 11 shows a case where the mirroring connection between the source terminal 100 and the terminal B 200B is terminated, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, even when the mirroring connection between the source terminal 100 and the terminal C 200C is terminated, the source terminal 100 may send a request for disabling the mirroring function to the terminal C 200C according to the first communication protocol. Therefore, the status of the mirroring function of the terminal C 200C can be switched from active to disabled. Therefore, in this case, even if the mirroring connection between the source terminal 100 and the terminal C 200C is disconnected, the source terminal 100 and the terminal C 200C can still communicate with each other via the first communication protocol.

[0163] Hereinafter, referring to Figure 12 and Figure 13Describe the messages transmitted and received between the source terminal 100 and the active terminal, as well as the messages transmitted and received between the source terminal 100 and the inactive terminal.

[0164] Figure 12 is a flowchart showing the messages transmitted and received between the source terminal 100 and the active terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0165] Refer to Figure 12 , in operation S1210, the terminal A 200A can send a message to the source terminal 100 indicating that a mirror connection is possible (for example, the terminal A is equipped with a mirroring function). In the example, the terminal A200A can broadcast a message indicating that a mirror connection is possible.

[0166] Upon receiving the message indicating that a mirror connection is possible, the source terminal 100 can output a list of terminals capable of making a mirror connection.

[0167] When the terminal A200A is selected from the terminal list, in operation S1220, the source terminal 100 requests a mirror connection from the terminal A200A, and in operation S1230, the terminal A 200A can send approval for the mirror connection to the source terminal 100. A mirror connection can be established between the source terminal 100 and the terminal A 200A via operations S1220 and S1230.

[0168] In operation S1240, the source terminal 100 can send content to the terminal A200A, and the terminal A200A can output the content received from the source terminal 100.

[0169] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the content may include visual content and / or auditory content. The source terminal 100 can encode the content for transmission, and the terminal A 200A can decode the encoded data received from the source terminal 100 to obtain the content.

[0170] When the mirror connection between the source terminal 100 and the terminal A 200A is terminated, the source terminal 100 can stop sending content to the terminal A200A.

[0171] The messages shown can be transmitted and received according to a second communication protocol Figure 12 As described above, since the terminal A 200A corresponds to an active terminal, the messages can be transmitted and received according to the second communication protocol as in the mirroring process.

[0172] Figure 13 is a flowchart showing the messages transmitted and received between the source terminal 100 and the inactive terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0173] Refer to Figure 13, in operation S1310, the terminal B 200B may send its capability information to the source terminal 100. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the terminal B 200B may broadcast its capability information.

[0174] In operation S1320, the source terminal 100 may request account information from the terminal B 200B, and in operation S1330, the terminal B 200B may send its account information to the source terminal 100.

[0175] The source terminal 100 may output a list of terminals including the identification information of the terminal B 200B. In this case, when the account information of the terminal B 200B corresponds to the account of the source terminal 100, the source terminal 100 may output the identification information of the terminal B 200B in a different manner from the identification information of other terminals.

[0176] When the terminal B 200B is selected from the list of terminals and the account information of the terminal B 200B corresponds to the account of the source terminal 100, in operation S1340, the source terminal 100 may send a request for activating the mirroring function to the terminal B 200B.

[0177] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the terminal B 200B is selected from the list of terminals and the account information of the terminal B200B does not correspond to the account information of the source terminal 100, in operation S1350, the source terminal 100 may send a request for consenting to activate the mirroring function to the terminal B 200B.

[0178] When the mirroring function of the terminal B200B is activated based on the request for activating the mirroring function or the request for consenting to activate the mirroring function, in operation S1350, the source terminal 100 may request a mirror connection from the terminal B 200B, and in operation S1360, the terminal B 200B may send approval for the mirror connection to the source terminal 100. A mirror connection may be established between the source terminal 100 and the terminal B 200B via operations S1350 and S1360.

[0179] In operation S1370, the source terminal 100 may send content to the terminal B 200B, and the terminal B 200B may output the content received from the source terminal 100.

[0180] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the content may include visual content and / or auditory content. The source terminal 100 may encode the content for transmission, and the terminal B 200B may decode the encoded data received from the source terminal 100 to obtain the content.

[0181] When the mirroring connection between the source terminal 100 and the terminal B 200B is terminated, in operation S1380, the source terminal 100 may send a request to deactivate the mirroring function to the terminal B 200B, and the terminal B 200B may switch the status of the mirroring function from active to deactivated in response to the deactivation request.

[0182] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, operations S1310, S1320, S1330, S1340, and S1380 may be performed according to a first communication protocol. Further, operations S1350, S1360, and S1370 may be performed according to a second communication protocol. Figure 13 In an embodiment of the present disclosure, operations S1310, S1320, S1330, S1340, and S1380 may be performed according to a first communication protocol. Further, operations S1350, S1360, and S1370 may be performed according to a second communication protocol. Figure 13 In an embodiment of the present disclosure, operations S1310, S1320, S1330, S1340, and S1380 may be performed according to a first communication protocol. Further, operations S1350, S1360, and S1370 may be performed according to a second communication protocol.

[0183] Because Figure 13 operations S1350, S1360, and S1370 are included in the mirroring process, these operations may be performed according to the second communication protocol. Further, because operations S1310, S1320, S1330, S1340, and S1380 may not be included in the mirroring process, these operations may be performed according to a first communication protocol different from the second communication protocol.

[0184] Figure 14 is a block diagram of the configuration of the terminal device 1400 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0185] Figure 14 The terminal device 1400 may include the above-described source terminal 100, an active terminal, or a deactivated terminal.

[0186] Referring to Figure 14 According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the terminal device 1400 may include a tuner 1440, a processor 1410, a display 1420, a communicator 1450, a detector 1430, an input / output (I / O) interface 1470, a video processor 1480, an audio processor 1485, an audio outputter 1460, a memory 1490, and a power supply 1495.

[0187] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the tuner 1440 may tune by performing amplification, mixing, resonance, etc. on a broadcast signal received in a wired or wireless manner and then select only the frequency of a desired reception channel among many radio wave components. The broadcast signal includes audio, video, and additional information (e.g., an electronic program guide (EPG)).

[0188] The tuner 1440 may receive broadcast signals from various sources such as terrestrial broadcasts, cable broadcasts, satellite broadcasts, Internet broadcasts, etc. The tuner 1440 may also receive broadcast signals from sources such as analog broadcasts, digital broadcasts, or any other suitable source.

[0189] The detector 1430 detects the user's voice, image, or interaction, and may include a microphone 1431, a camera 1432, and a light receiver 1433.

[0190] The microphone 1431 may receive the voice emitted by the user. The microphone 1431 may convert the received voice into an electrical signal and output the electrical signal to the processor 1410. The user's voice may include, for example, a voice corresponding to the menu or function of the terminal device 1400.

[0191] The camera 1432 may receive an image or a sequence of images (e.g., consecutive frames).

[0192] The light receiver 1433 receives an optical signal (including a control signal) from an external control device via a light window on the border of the display 1420. The light receiver 1433 may receive a light signal corresponding to a user input (e.g., touch, press, touch gesture, voice, or motion) from the control device. A control signal may be extracted from the received light signal under the control of the processor 1410.

[0193] The I / O interface 1470 receives video (e.g., moving images, etc.), audio (e.g., voice, music, etc.), additional information (e.g., EPG, etc.), etc. from the outside of the terminal device 1400 under the control of the processor 1410. The I / O interface 1470 may include one of a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a mobile high-definition link (MHL), a universal serial bus (USB), a display port (DP), Thunderbolt, a video graphics array (VGA) port, an RGB port, a D-subminiature (D-sub), a digital visual interface (DVI), a component jack, and a PC port.

[0194] In an example, the processor 1410 controls all operations of the terminal device 1400 and the signal flow between internal components of the terminal device 1400, and performs the function of processing data. When there is a user input or a preset and stored condition is satisfied, the processor 1410 may execute an operating system (OS) and various applications stored in the memory 1490.

[0195] The processor 1410 may include a random access memory (RAM) that stores signals or data input from outside the terminal device 1400 or serves as a storage area corresponding to various operations (e.g., image denoising) performed by the terminal device 1400, a read-only memory (ROM) that stores a control program for controlling the terminal device 1400, and a processor.

[0196] The video processor 1480 processes the video data received by the terminal device 1400. The video processor 1480 can perform various types of image processing on the video data, such as decoding, scaling, noise removal, frame rate conversion, resolution conversion, etc.

[0197] The audio processor 1485 processes the audio data. The audio processor 1485 can perform various types of processing on the audio data, such as decoding, amplification, noise removal, etc. In addition, the audio processor 1485 can include multiple audio processing modules to process the audio corresponding to multiple pieces of content.

[0198] The audio outputter 1460 outputs the audio included in the broadcast signal received via the tuner 1440 under the control of the processor 1410. The audio outputter 1460 can output the audio (e.g., voice and sound) input via the communicator 1450 or the I / O interface 1470. In addition, the audio outputter 1460 can output the audio stored in the memory 1490 under the control of the processor 1410. The audio outputter 1460 can include at least one of a speaker, a headphone output terminal, or a Sony / Phillips Digital Interface (S / PDIF) output terminal.

[0199] The power supply 1495 supplies the power input from an external power supply to the internal components of the terminal device 1400 under the control of the processor 1410. The power supply 1495 can also supply the power output from one or more batteries located within the terminal device 1400 to its internal components under the control of the processor 1410.

[0200] The memory 1490 can store various pieces of data, programs, or applications for driving and controlling the terminal device 1400 under the control of the processor 1410. The memory 1490 can include a broadcast receiving module, a channel control module, a volume control module, a communication control module, a voice recognition module, a motion recognition module, a light receiving module, a display control module, an audio control module, an external input control module, a power control module, a power control module for an external device for wireless connection (e.g., via Bluetooth), a voice database (DB), or a motion DB. The modules and DB of the memory 1490 can be implemented in software form to perform functions such as a mirroring function, a broadcast receiving control function, a channel control function, a volume control function, a communication control function, a voice recognition function, a motion recognition function, a light receiving control function, a display control function, an audio control function, an external input control function, a power control function, or a power control function for an external device for wireless connection (e.g., via Bluetooth). The processor 1410 can execute the corresponding functions by using the software stored in the memory 1490.

[0201] In addition, Figure 14The block diagram of the terminal device 1400 shown is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present disclosure. Components in the block diagram may be integrated, added, or omitted according to the specifications of the actually implemented terminal device 1400. In other words, two or more components may be combined into a single component, or a single component may be subdivided into two or more components as necessary. In addition, the functions performed in each block are intended to describe embodiments of the present disclosure, and the specific operations or devices related to the functions do not limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0202] A terminal device and a mirroring method performed thereby according to an embodiment of the present disclosure facilitate establishing a mirroring connection to a terminal when the mirroring function is deactivated.

[0203] In addition, a terminal device and a mirroring method performed thereby according to an embodiment of the present disclosure advantageously prevent the mirroring function of a terminal unrelated to a source terminal from being activated against the user's intention.

[0204] In addition, a terminal device and a mirroring method performed thereby according to an embodiment of the present disclosure advantageously prevent battery consumption of the terminal by deactivating the mirroring function of the terminal after the mirroring function is activated and when the mirroring connection is terminated.

[0205] A mirroring method performed by a source terminal 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include identifying a first terminal for which the mirroring function is deactivated according to a first communication protocol.

[0206] A mirroring method performed by a source terminal 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include outputting a terminal list 400 or 600 including identification information of the first terminal.

[0207] A mirroring method performed by a source terminal 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include: when the first terminal is selected from the terminal list 400 or 600, sending a request for activating the mirroring function to the first terminal according to the first communication protocol.

[0208] A mirroring method performed by a source terminal 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include sending content to the first terminal according to a second communication protocol, wherein the mirroring function of the first terminal is activated in response to the activation request.

[0209] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the identification of the first terminal may include identifying a first terminal equipped with a mirroring function based on capability information received from the first terminal according to the first communication protocol.

[0210] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the mirroring method performed by the source terminal 100 may further include identifying a second terminal for which the mirroring function is activated according to the second communication protocol, and the output of the terminal list 400 or 600 may include outputting a terminal list 400 or 600 including the identification information of the first terminal and the identification information of the second terminal.

[0211] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the mirroring method executed by the source terminal 100 may further include: receiving account information from the first terminal according to the first communication protocol, and the output of the terminal list 400 or 600 may include: when the account information of the first terminal corresponds to the account information of the source terminal 100, outputting the identification information of the first terminal differently from the identification information of the second terminal.

[0212] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the identification information of the first terminal may be placed with a higher priority than the identification information of the second terminal.

[0213] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first terminal may include a plurality of first terminals, and the mirroring method executed by the source terminal 100 may further include receiving multiple account information from the plurality of first terminals according to the first communication protocol, and the output of the terminal list 400 or 600 may include outputting the identification information of the first terminal having account information corresponding to the account information of the source terminal 100 differently from the identification information of the first terminal having account information not corresponding to the account information of the source terminal 100.

[0214] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, sending a request for activating the mirroring function to the first terminal may include: receiving account information from the first terminal according to the first communication protocol, and when the account information of the first terminal corresponds to the account information of the source terminal 100, sending a request for activating the mirroring function to the first terminal.

[0215] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, sending a request for activating the mirroring function to the first terminal may include: when the account information of the first terminal does not correspond to the account information of the source terminal 100, sending a request for consenting to activate the mirroring function to the first terminal, and activating the mirroring function of the first terminal based on the approval of the user of the first terminal.

[0216] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, sending a request for activating the mirroring function to the first terminal may include: when the first terminal is connected to the same network as the source terminal 100, sending a request for activating the mirroring function to the first terminal.

[0217] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the mirroring method may further include: when the mirroring connection between the source terminal 100 and the first terminal is terminated, sending a request for deactivating the mirroring function to the first terminal according to the first communication protocol.

[0218] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the application for outputting content is terminated on the source terminal 100, when the application for outputting content is terminated on the first terminal, or when the mirroring function is deactivated on the source terminal 100, the mirroring connection may be terminated.

[0219] The mirroring method executed by the host terminal 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include sending the capability information of the host terminal 200 to the source terminal 100 according to a first communication protocol.

[0220] The mirroring method executed by the host terminal 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include: when the host terminal 200 is equipped with a mirroring function, receiving a request for activating the mirroring function from the source terminal 100 according to a first communication protocol.

[0221] The mirroring method executed by the host terminal 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include activating the mirroring function in response to the activation request.

[0222] The mirroring method executed by the host terminal 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include receiving content from the source terminal 100 according to a second communication protocol.

[0223] The mirroring method executed by the host terminal 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include outputting the content.

[0224] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the mirroring method executed by the host terminal 200 may further include sending the account information set on the host terminal 200 to the source terminal 100 in response to a request from the source terminal 100.

[0225] The source terminal 100 for performing mirroring according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a first communication module 150 configured to identify a first terminal with the mirroring function deactivated according to a first communication protocol.

[0226] The source terminal 100 for performing mirroring according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include an output module 130 configured to output a terminal list 400 or 600 including the identification information of the first terminal.

[0227] The source terminal 100 for performing mirroring according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a second communication module 170 configured to perform communication according to a second communication protocol.

[0228] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first communication module 150 of the source terminal 100 for performing mirroring may be configured to: when selecting the first terminal from the terminal list 400 or 600, send a request for activating the mirroring function to the first terminal according to a first communication protocol.

[0229] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second communication module 170 of the source terminal 100 for performing mirroring may be configured to: send content to the first terminal having the mirroring function activated in response to the activation request according to a second communication protocol.

[0230] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first communication module 150 of the source terminal 100 for performing mirroring may be configured to identify a first terminal equipped with a mirroring function based on the capability information received from the first terminal.

[0231] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second communication module 170 of the source terminal 100 for performing mirroring may be configured to identify a second terminal with the mirroring function activated according to a second communication protocol, and the output module 130 may be configured to output a terminal list 400 or 600 including the identification information of the first terminal and the identification information of the second terminal.

[0232] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first communication module 150 of the source terminal 100 for performing mirroring may be configured to receive account information from the first terminal according to a first communication protocol, and the output module 130 may be configured to output the identification information of the first terminal differently from the identification information of the second terminal when the account information of the first terminal corresponds to the account information of the source terminal 100.

[0233] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first terminal may include a plurality of first terminals. The first communication module 150 of the source terminal 100 may be configured to receive multiple pieces of account information from the plurality of first terminals according to a first communication protocol, and the output module 130 may be configured to output the identification information of the first terminal having account information corresponding to the account information of the source terminal 100 differently from the identification information of the first terminal having account information not corresponding to the account information of the source terminal 100.

[0234] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first communication module 150 of the source terminal 100 for performing mirroring may be configured to receive account information from the first terminal according to a first communication protocol, and when the account information of the first terminal corresponds to the account information of the source terminal 100, send a request for activating the mirroring function to the first terminal.

[0235] The terminal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure and the mirroring method performed thereby may facilitate establishing a mirroring connection with a terminal in which the mirroring function is deactivated.

[0236] The terminal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure and the mirroring method performed thereby may advantageously prevent the mirroring function of a terminal unrelated to the source terminal from being activated against the user's intention.

[0237] The terminal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure and the mirroring method performed thereby may advantageously prevent battery consumption of the terminal by deactivating the mirroring function of the terminal after the mirroring function is activated and when the mirroring connection is terminated.

[0238] The above embodiments of the present disclosure may be written as a computer-executable program that can be stored in a machine-readable storage medium.

[0239] A machine-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. In this regard, the term "non-transitory storage medium" only means that the storage medium does not include signals (e.g., electromagnetic waves) and is a tangible device, and the term does not distinguish between the location where data is stored semi-permanently in the storage medium and the location where data is temporarily stored in the storage medium. For example, the "non-transitory storage medium" may include a buffer for temporarily storing data.

[0240] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when a computer program product is provided, the method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be included in the computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between a seller and a buyer as a product. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a compact disc (CD)-ROM), or distributed online via an app store (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) or directly between two user devices (e.g., a smart phone). For online distribution, at least a part of the computer program product (e.g., a downloadable app) may be stored or generated at least temporarily in a computer-readable storage medium (such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an app store's server, or a relay server).

[0241] Although certain embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and those of ordinary skill in the art can make various modifications and changes within the scope of the technical concept of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A mirroring method performed by a source terminal (100), the mirroring method comprising: Identifying a first terminal with a deactivated mirroring function according to a first communication protocol; Outputting a terminal list (400, 600) including the identification information of the first terminal; Based on selecting the first terminal from the terminal list (400, 600), sending a request for activating the mirroring function to the first terminal according to the first communication protocol; And According to a second communication protocol, sending content to the first terminal with the mirroring function activated in response to the activation request.

2. The mirroring method according to claim 1, wherein identifying the first terminal comprises: Identifying the first terminal with the mirroring function based on the capability information received from the first terminal according to the first communication protocol.

3. The mirroring method according to any one of claims 1 and 2, further comprising: Identifying a second terminal with the activated mirroring function according to the second communication protocol, wherein outputting the terminal list (400, 600) includes: Outputting the terminal list (400, 600) including the identification information of the first terminal and the identification information of the second terminal.

4. The mirroring method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: Receiving the account information of the first terminal from the first terminal according to the first communication protocol, wherein outputting the terminal list (400, 600) includes: Based on the account information of the first terminal corresponding to the account information of the source terminal (100), outputting the identification information of the first terminal in a manner different from the identification information of the second terminal, such that the display of the identification information of the first terminal is different from the display of the identification information of the second terminal.

5. The mirroring method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, Placing the identification information of the first terminal in the terminal list such that the identification information of the first terminal has a higher priority than the identification information of the second terminal.

6. The mirroring method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The first terminal includes a plurality of first terminals, and wherein the mirroring method further comprises: Receiving one or more pieces of account information from the plurality of first terminals according to the first communication protocol, and wherein outputting the terminal list (400, 600) includes: Outputting the identification information of the first terminal among the plurality of first terminals having account information corresponding to the account information of the source terminal (100) differently from outputting the identification information of the first terminal among the plurality of first terminals having account information not corresponding to the account information of the source terminal (100), such that the display of the identification information of the first terminal having corresponding account information is different from the display of the identification information of the first terminal not having corresponding account information.

7. The mirroring method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, Sending a request for activating the mirroring function to the first terminal includes: Receiving the account information of the first terminal from the first terminal according to the first communication protocol; and Based on the account information of the first terminal corresponding to the account information of the source terminal (100), sending an activation request for the mirroring function to the first terminal.

8. The mirroring method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein Sending a request for activating the mirroring function to the first terminal includes: Based on the account information of the first terminal not corresponding to the account information of the source terminal (100), send a request to the first terminal to consent to activate the mirroring function, and wherein, the mirroring function of the first terminal is activated according to the approval of the user of the first terminal.

9. The mirroring method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, Sending a request to the first terminal to activate the mirroring function includes: based on the first terminal being connected to the same network as the source terminal (100), sending a request to the first terminal to activate the mirroring function.

10. The mirroring method according to any one of claims 1 to 9 further includes: Based on the mirroring connection between the source terminal (100) and the first terminal being terminated, send a request to the first terminal to deactivate the mirroring function according to the first communication protocol.

11. The mirroring method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein, Based on the application for outputting the content being terminated on the source terminal (100), based on the application for outputting the content being terminated on the first terminal, or based on the mirroring function being deactivated on the source terminal (100), terminate the mirroring connection.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the mirroring method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. A mirroring method executed by a host terminal (200), the mirroring method including: Sending the capability information of the host terminal (200) to the source terminal (100) according to a first communication protocol; Based on the host terminal (200) having a mirroring function, receiving a request for activating the mirroring function from the source terminal (100) according to the first communication protocol; Activating the mirroring function based on the activation request; Receiving content from the source terminal (100) according to a second communication protocol; and Outputting the content.

14. The mirroring method according to claim 13 further includes: Based on a request from the source terminal, send the account information set on the host terminal (200) to the source terminal (100).

15. A source terminal (100) for performing mirroring, the source terminal including: A first communication module (150) configured to identify a first terminal having a deactivated mirroring function according to a first communication protocol; An output module (130) configured to output a terminal list (400, 600) including the identification information of the first terminal; and A second communication module (170) configured to perform communication according to a second communication protocol, wherein, the first communication module (150) is further configured to: based on selecting the first terminal from the terminal list (400, 600), send a request to the first terminal to activate the mirroring function according to the first communication protocol, and wherein, the second communication module (170) is further configured to: send content to the first terminal having the mirroring function activated in response to the activation request according to the second communication protocol.

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