Electronic device for searching for external electronic device, and operating method thereof

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention relates to an electronic device and a method for searching for an external electronic device. The electronic device comprises a communication circuit, a processor and a memory, wherein, when the memory is executed by the processor, the electronic device can: activate USD on the basis of the reception of first information related to the activation of NAN communication; perform a search related to an external electronic device for a designated period of time on the basis of the USD; and terminate the USD on the basis of the reception of information related to the termination of NAN search during the search related to the external electronic device. Other embodiments are also possible.

Description

Electronic device for detecting external electronic devices and method of operation thereof

[0001] One embodiment of the present invention relates to an electronic device for searching for an external electronic device and a method of operating the same.

[0002] Advances in information and communication technology and semiconductor technology have led to the use of various electronic devices. Electronic devices can provide various types of proximity services utilizing low-power discovery technology. Proximity services can refer to communication capabilities that enable nearby electronic devices to quickly exchange data through a proximity network. For example, proximity services can include low-power proximity services utilizing Bluetooth low energy (BLE) beacons or low-power proximity services based on wireless local area networks (WLANs), such as neighbor awareness networking (NAN) and / or Wi-Fi aware (hereinafter referred to as "NAN").

[0003] NAN-based low-power proximity services can represent a communication function that exchanges data by forming a proximity network that dynamically changes according to the movement of electronic devices. Electronic devices included in a cluster can transmit and / or receive signals for discovery (e.g., synchronization beacons) and service discovery frames (SDFs) for synchronization or to announce the presence of the cluster within a synchronized time duration (or communication period) (e.g., discovery window (DW)). For example, a cluster can represent a set of electronic devices forming a proximity network.

[0004] The above information may be provided as background art to aid in understanding the present disclosure. No claim or determination is made as to whether any of the above is applicable as prior art related to the present disclosure.

[0005] NAN-based low-power proximity services can support unsynchronized service discovery (USD) to reduce delays caused by synchronization (e.g., device discovery) between electronic devices when establishing communication connections between them.

[0006] When an electronic device performs USD, the synchronization process with an external electronic device is not performed first, so the electronic device must maintain the NAN communication active for a specified period of time from the start of the USD to discover the external electronic device. For example, when the electronic device performs USD based on a signal related to the activity of NAN communication, the electronic device may maintain the NAN communication active for a specified period of time to discover the external electronic device. Even if the electronic device is not a node for performing data communication with an external electronic device, the electronic device must maintain the NAN communication active for a specified period of time based on the reception of a signal related to the activity of NAN communication, which may unnecessarily waste radio resources (e.g., frequency resources and / or time resources) and the power of the electronic device.

[0007] One embodiment of the present invention discloses a device and method for performing a search for an external electronic device in an electronic device.

[0008] The technical problems to be achieved in this document are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention belongs from the description below.

[0009] According to one embodiment, an electronic device may include a communication circuit, a processor operatively connected to the communication circuit, and a memory operatively connected to the at least one processor. According to one embodiment, the memory, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to activate a USD based on receipt of first information related to activation of a NAN communication. According to one embodiment, the memory, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to perform a search for an external electronic device for a specified period of time based on the USD. According to one embodiment, the memory may store instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to terminate the USD based on receipt of information related to termination of a NAN search during a search for an external electronic device.

[0010] According to one embodiment, the method of operating an electronic device may include an operation of activating a USD based on receiving first information related to the activation of NAN communication. According to one embodiment, the method of operating an electronic device may include an operation of performing a search related to an external electronic device for a specified period of time based on the USD. According to one embodiment, the method of operating an electronic device may include an operation of terminating a USD based on receiving information related to the termination of a NAN search during the search related to the external electronic device.

[0011] According to one embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (or computer program product) storing one or more programs may be described. According to one embodiment, the one or more programs may include instructions that, when executed by a processor of an electronic device, perform an operation of activating a USD based on receiving first information related to activation of NAN communication, performing an operation of performing a search related to an external electronic device for a specified period of time based on the USD, and terminating the USD based on receiving information related to termination of a NAN search during the search related to the external electronic device.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present invention, an electronic device can reduce unnecessary waste of radio resources and power of the electronic device for the search of an external electronic device based on NAN by terminating the search of the external electronic device (e.g., terminating USD) based on receiving information related to the termination of the search from the external electronic device during the search of the external electronic device based on NAN (e.g., unsynchronized service discovery (USD)).

[0013] According to one embodiment, the electronic device can improve the quality (e.g., quality of service (QoS)) of the wireless LAN communication based on the second communication protocol by updating (or changing) the scheduling of the wireless LAN communication based on the second communication protocol based on the termination of search (e.g., termination of USD) of the external electronic device based on the reception of information related to the termination of search from the external electronic device while performing NAN communication based on the first communication protocol and wireless LAN communication (e.g., connection with an AP) based on the second communication protocol.

[0014] In addition, various effects may be provided, either directly or indirectly, through this document.

[0015] The effects that can be obtained from the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects that are not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the technical field to which the embodiments of the present invention belong from the description below.

[0016] In connection with the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used for the same or similar components.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device within a network environment, according to one embodiment.

[0018] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a NAN cluster according to one embodiment.

[0019] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a protocol for transmitting signals of electronic devices included in a NAN cluster according to one embodiment.

[0020] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of data transmission and / or reception within a NAN cluster according to one embodiment.

[0021] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an electronic device for data communication according to one embodiment.

[0022] FIG. 6 is a flowchart for performing USD in an external electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0023] FIG. 7 is a flowchart for performing or terminating USD-based NAN search in an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0024] FIG. 8 is a flowchart for performing USD in an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0025] FIG. 9 is a flowchart for terminating USD based on a NAN search list in an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0026] FIG. 10 is an example of terminating USD in an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0027] FIG. 11 is an example of terminating USD in an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0028] FIG. 12 is a flowchart for updating scheduling related to a communication protocol different from NAN communication based on termination of USD in an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0029] The following examples are described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0030] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device (101) within a network environment (100) according to one embodiment. Referring to FIG. 1, in the network environment (100), the electronic device (101) may communicate with the electronic device (102) via a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network), or may communicate with at least one of the electronic device (104) or the server (108) via a second network (199) (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may communicate with the electronic device (104) via the server (108). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a processor (120), a memory (130), an input module (150), an audio output module (155), a display module (160), an audio module (170), a sensor module (176), an interface (177), a connection terminal (178), a haptic module (179), a camera module (180), a power management module (188), a battery (189), a communication module (190), a subscriber identification module (196), or an antenna module (197). In some embodiments, the electronic device (101) may omit at least one of these components (e.g., the connection terminal (178)), or may have one or more other components added. In some embodiments, some of these components (e.g., the sensor module (176), the camera module (180), or the antenna module (197)) may be integrated into one component (e.g., the display module (160)).

[0031] The processor (120) may, for example, execute software (e.g., a program (140)) to control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware or software component) of the electronic device (101) connected to the processor (120) and perform various data processing or calculations. According to one embodiment, as at least a part of the data processing or calculations, the processor (120) may store commands or data received from other components (e.g., a sensor module (176) or a communication module (190)) in a volatile memory (132), process the commands or data stored in the volatile memory (132), and store result data in a non-volatile memory (134). According to one embodiment, the processor (120) may include a main processor (121) (e.g., a central processing unit or an application processor) or a secondary processor (123) (e.g., a graphics processing unit, a neural processing unit (NPU), an image signal processor, a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor)) that can operate independently or together therewith. For example, if the electronic device (101) includes a main processor (121) and a secondary processor (123), the secondary processor (123) may be configured to use less power than the main processor (121) or to be specialized for a specified function. The secondary processor (123) may be implemented separately from the main processor (121) or as a part thereof.

[0032] The auxiliary processor (123) may control at least a portion of functions or states associated with at least one component (e.g., a display module (160), a sensor module (176), or a communication module (190)) of the electronic device (101), for example, on behalf of the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, or together with the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an active (e.g., application execution) state. In one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., an image signal processor or a communication processor) may be implemented as a part of another functionally related component (e.g., a camera module (180) or a communication module (190)). In one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., a neural network processing unit) may include a hardware structure specialized for processing artificial intelligence models. The artificial intelligence models may be generated through machine learning. This learning can be performed, for example, on the electronic device (101) itself where the artificial intelligence model is executed, or can be performed through a separate server (e.g., server (108)). The learning algorithm can include, for example, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or reinforcement learning, but is not limited to the examples described above. The artificial intelligence model can include multiple artificial neural network layers.The artificial neural network may be one of, but is not limited to, a deep neural network (DNN), a convolutional neural network (CNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), a restricted Boltzmann machine (RBM), a deep belief network (DBN), a bidirectional recurrent deep neural network (BRDNN), a deep Q-network, or a combination of two or more thereof. In addition to, or alternatively to, a hardware structure, an artificial intelligence model may also include a software structure.

[0033] The memory (130) can store various data used by at least one component (e.g., a processor (120) or a sensor module (176)) of the electronic device (101). The data can include, for example, software (e.g., a program (140)) and input data or output data for commands related thereto. The memory (130) can include a volatile memory (132) or a non-volatile memory (134).

[0034] The program (140) may be stored as software in memory (130) and may include, for example, an operating system (142), middleware (144), or an application (146).

[0035] The input module (150) can receive commands or data to be used in a component of the electronic device (101) (e.g., a processor (120)) from an external source (e.g., a user) of the electronic device (101). The input module (150) can include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard, a key (e.g., a button), or a digital pen (e.g., a stylus pen).

[0036] The audio output module (155) can output audio signals to the outside of the electronic device (101). The audio output module (155) can include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker can be used for general purposes, such as multimedia playback or recording playback. The receiver can be used to receive incoming calls. In one embodiment, the receiver can be implemented separately from the speaker or as part of the speaker.

[0037] The display module (160) can visually provide information to an external party (e.g., a user) of the electronic device (101). The display module (160) may include, for example, a display, a holographic device, or a projector and a control circuit for controlling the device. In one embodiment, the display module (160) may include a touch sensor configured to detect a touch, or a pressure sensor configured to measure the intensity of a force generated by a touch.

[0038] The audio module (170) can convert sound into an electrical signal, or vice versa, convert an electrical signal into sound. According to one embodiment, the audio module (170) can acquire sound through the input module (150), output sound through the sound output module (155), or an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)) (e.g., speaker or headphone) directly or wirelessly connected to the electronic device (101).

[0039] The sensor module (176) can detect the operating status (e.g., power or temperature) of the electronic device (101) or the external environmental status (e.g., user status) and generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the detected status. According to one embodiment, the sensor module (176) can include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an IR (infrared) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

[0040] The interface (177) may support one or more designated protocols that may be used to directly or wirelessly connect the electronic device (101) with an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (102)). In one embodiment, the interface (177) may include, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, an SD card interface, or an audio interface.

[0041] The connection terminal (178) may include a connector through which the electronic device (101) may be physically connected to an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)). According to one embodiment, the connection terminal (178) may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).

[0042] A haptic module (179) can convert electrical signals into mechanical stimuli (e.g., vibration or movement) or electrical stimuli that a user can perceive through tactile or kinesthetic sensations. In one embodiment, the haptic module (179) can include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

[0043] The camera module (180) can capture still images and videos. According to one embodiment, the camera module (180) may include one or more lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.

[0044] The power management module (188) can manage power supplied to the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, the power management module (188) can be implemented, for example, as at least a part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

[0045] A battery (189) may power at least one component of the electronic device (101). In one embodiment, the battery (189) may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell.

[0046] The communication module (190) may support the establishment of a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102), electronic device (104), or server (108)), and the performance of communication through the established communication channel. The communication module (190) may operate independently from the processor (120) (e.g., application processor) and may include one or more communication processors that support direct (e.g., wired) communication or wireless communication. According to one embodiment, the communication module (190) may include a wireless communication module (192) (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module (194) (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module, or a power line communication module). Among these communication modules, the corresponding communication module can communicate with an external electronic device (104) via a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity) direct, or IrDA (infrared data association)) or a second network (199) (e.g., a long-range communication network such as a legacy cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a LAN or WAN)). These various types of communication modules can be integrated into a single component (e.g., a single chip) or implemented as multiple separate components (e.g., multiple chips). The wireless communication module (192) can verify or authenticate the electronic device (101) within a communication network such as the first network (198) or the second network (199) by using subscriber information (e.g., an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)) stored in the subscriber identification module (196).

[0047] The wireless communication module (192) can support 5G networks and next-generation communication technologies following the 4G network, such as NR access technology (new radio access technology). The NR access technology can support high-speed transmission of high-capacity data (eMBB (enhanced mobile broadband)), minimization of terminal power and connection of multiple terminals (mMTC (massive machine type communications)), or high reliability and low latency (URLLC (ultra-reliable and low-latency communications)). The wireless communication module (192) can support, for example, a high-frequency band (e.g., mmWave band) to achieve a high data transmission rate. The wireless communication module (192) can support various technologies for securing performance in a high-frequency band, such as beamforming, massive multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO), full dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, analog beam-forming, or large scale antenna. The wireless communication module (192) can support various requirements specified in the electronic device (101), an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (104)), or a network system (e.g., the second network (199)). According to one embodiment, the wireless communication module (192) can support a peak data rate (e.g., 20 Gbps or more) for eMBB realization, a loss coverage (e.g., 164 dB or less) for mMTC realization, or a U-plane latency (e.g., 0.5 ms or less for downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) each, or 1 ms or less for round trip) for URLLC realization.According to one embodiment, the subscriber identification module (196) may include multiple subscriber identification modules. For example, the multiple subscriber identification modules may store different subscriber information.

[0048] The antenna module (197) can transmit or receive signals or power to or from an external device (e.g., an external electronic device). In one embodiment, the antenna module (197) may include an antenna including a radiator formed of a conductor or a conductive pattern formed on a substrate (e.g., a PCB). In one embodiment, the antenna module (197) may include a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna). In this case, at least one antenna suitable for a communication method used in a communication network, such as the first network (198) or the second network (199), may be selected from the plurality of antennas, for example, by the communication module (190). A signal or power may be transmitted or received between the communication module (190) and an external electronic device via the selected at least one antenna. In some embodiments, in addition to the radiator, another component (e.g., a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) may be additionally formed as a part of the antenna module (197).

[0049] In one embodiment, the antenna module (197) may form a high-frequency (e.g., mmWave) antenna module. In one embodiment, the high-frequency (e.g., mmWave) antenna module may include a printed circuit board, an RFIC positioned on or adjacent a first side (e.g., a bottom side) of the printed circuit board and capable of supporting a designated high-frequency band (e.g., a mmWave band), and a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna) positioned on or adjacent a second side (e.g., a top side or a side side) of the printed circuit board and capable of transmitting or receiving signals in the designated high-frequency band. For example, the plurality of antennas may include patch array antennas and / or dipole array antennas.

[0050] At least some of the components can be interconnected and exchange signals (e.g., commands or data) with each other via a communication method between peripheral devices (e.g., a bus, general purpose input and output (GPIO), serial peripheral interface (SPI), or mobile industry processor interface (MIPI)).

[0051] According to one embodiment, commands or data may be transmitted or received between the electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (104) via a server (108) connected to a second network (199). Each of the external electronic devices (102 or 104) may be the same or a different type of device as the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, all or part of the operations executed in the electronic device (101) may be executed in one or more of the external electronic devices (102, 104, or 108). For example, when the electronic device (101) is to perform a certain function or service automatically or in response to a request from a user or another device, the electronic device (101) may, instead of or in addition to executing the function or service itself, request one or more external electronic devices to perform the function or at least a part of the service. One or more external electronic devices that receive the request may execute at least a portion of the requested function or service, or an additional function or service related to the request, and transmit the result of the execution to the electronic device (101). The electronic device (101) may process the result as is or additionally and provide it as at least a portion of a response to the request. For this purpose, cloud computing, distributed computing, mobile edge computing (MEC), or client-server computing technology may be used, for example. The electronic device (101) may provide an ultra-low latency service by using distributed computing or mobile edge computing, for example. In another embodiment, the external electronic device (104) may include an Internet of Things (IoT) device. The server (108) may be an intelligent server utilizing machine learning and / or a neural network. According to one embodiment, the external electronic device (104) or the server (108) may be included in the second network (199).The electronic device (101) can be applied to intelligent services (e.g., smart home, smart city, smart car, or healthcare) based on 5G communication technology and IoT-related technology.

[0052] An electronic device according to an embodiment disclosed in this document may take various forms. The electronic device may include, for example, a portable communication device (e.g., a smartphone), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a camera, a wearable device, or a home appliance. The electronic device according to an embodiment of this document is not limited to the aforementioned devices.

[0053] It should be understood that the embodiments of this document and the terminology used herein are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to a specific embodiment, but rather to encompass various modifications, equivalents, or substitutes of the embodiment. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related components. The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of the item, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this document, each of the phrases "A or B", "at least one of A and B", "at least one of A or B", "A, B, or C", "at least one of A, B, and C", and "at least one of A, B, or C" can include any one of the items listed together in the corresponding phrase among those phrases, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as "first," "second," or "first" or "second" may be used merely to distinguish one component from another, and do not limit the components in any other respect (e.g., importance or order). When a component (e.g., a first component) is referred to as "coupled" or "connected" to another component (e.g., a second component), with or without the terms "functionally" or "communicatively," it means that the component can be connected to the other component directly (e.g., wired), wirelessly, or through a third component.

[0054] The term "module" used in one embodiment of this document may include a unit implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with terms such as logic, logic block, component, or circuit. It may be a module, an integrally formed component, or a minimum unit or portion of the component that performs one or more functions. For example, according to one embodiment, a module may be implemented in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0055] An embodiment of the present document may be implemented as software (e.g., a program (140)) including one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (e.g., an internal memory (136) or an external memory (138)) readable by a machine (e.g., an electronic device (101)). For example, a processor (e.g., a processor (120)) of the machine (e.g., an electronic device (101)) may call at least one instruction among the one or more instructions stored from the storage medium and execute it. This enables the machine to operate to perform at least one function according to the at least one called instruction. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code executable by an interpreter. The machine-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, 'non-transitory' simply means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not contain signals (e.g., electromagnetic waves), and the term does not distinguish between cases where data is stored semi-permanently or temporarily on the storage medium.

[0056] According to one embodiment, the method according to one embodiment disclosed in the present document may be provided as a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between sellers and buyers as a product. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a device-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)) or may be provided through an application store (e.g., Play Store). TM ) or directly between two user devices (e.g., smart phones), online distribution (e.g., downloading or uploading). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be at least temporarily stored or temporarily created in a machine-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or an intermediary server.

[0057] According to one embodiment, each component (e.g., a module or a program) of the above-described components may include one or more entities, and some of the entities may be separated and placed in other components. According to one embodiment, one or more components or operations of the aforementioned components may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Alternatively or additionally, a plurality of components (e.g., a module or a program) may be integrated into a single component. In this case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the plurality of components identically or similarly to those performed by the corresponding component among the plurality of components prior to the integration. According to one embodiment, the operations performed by a module, program, or other component may be executed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

[0058] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a neighbor awareness network (NAN) cluster according to one embodiment.

[0059] According to one embodiment, FIG. 2 may illustrate an example configuration of a neighbor awareness networking (NAN) cluster (200) for a proximity network. For example, the NAN cluster (200) may refer to a set of electronic devices (101, 210, 220, and / or 230) that form a proximity network so that each electronic device (or NAN device) (101, 210, 220, and / or 230) can transmit and / or receive data to and from each other.

[0060] According to one embodiment, a NAN cluster (200) may be composed of a plurality of electronic devices (101, 210, 220 and / or 230). The electronic devices (101, 210, 220 and / or 230) included in the NAN cluster (200) may transmit and / or receive a beacon (or discovery beacon), a service discovery frame (SDF) and / or a NAN action frame (NAF) within a synchronized time duration (or communication period) (e.g., a discovery window (DW)).

[0061] According to one embodiment, the electronic devices (101, 210, 220, and / or 230) within the NAN cluster (200) may have their time clocks synchronized with each other. For example, the electronic devices (101, 210, 220, and / or 230) may be synchronized based on the time clock of one electronic device (e.g., external electronic device 1 (210)) and may transmit and / or receive beacons, SDFs, and / or NAFs in synchronized (or identical) discovery windows (DWs).

[0062] According to one embodiment, an external electronic device 1 (210) supporting a low-power short-range communication technology based on NAN may broadcast a search signal (e.g., a beacon) to discover at least one of the electronic device (101) or other external electronic devices (220 and / or 230) every first preset period (e.g., about 100 msec). The external electronic device 1 (210) may perform scanning every second preset period (e.g., about 10 msec) to receive a search signal broadcast from the electronic device (101) or at least one of the other external electronic devices (220 and / or 230).

[0063] According to one embodiment, the external electronic device 1 (210) can detect at least one of the electronic device (101) or other external electronic devices (220 and / or 230) located around the external electronic device 1 (210) based on a detection signal received through scanning. The external electronic device 1 (210) can perform NAN cluster synchronization with at least one of the electronic device (101) or other external electronic devices (220 and / or 230) detected to be located around the external electronic device 1 (210). The NAN cluster synchronization can include an operation of receiving time clock information of an electronic device representing a NAN cluster (e.g., external electronic device 1 (210)) so that the electronic devices (101, 210, 220 and / or 230) included in the NAN cluster transmit and / or receive data on the same channel and / or during the same time.

[0064] According to one embodiment, each of a plurality of electronic devices (101, 210, 220 and / or 230) can form a NAN cluster (200) that operates according to a synchronized time clock by transmitting a beacon and receiving a beacon from other electronic devices (101, 210, 220 and / or 230). The electronic devices (101, 210, 220 and / or 230) included in the NAN cluster (200) can perform NAN cluster synchronization (e.g., time and / or channel synchronization).

[0065] According to one embodiment, NAN cluster synchronization may be performed based on the time and channel of an electronic device (e.g., external electronic device 1 (210)) with the highest master preference within the NAN cluster (200). For example, electronic devices (101, 210, 220, and / or 230) included in a NAN cluster (200) formed through discovery may exchange signals regarding master preference information indicating a preference for operating as an anchor master device. Electronic devices (101, 210, 220, and / or 230) included in the NAN cluster (200) may determine an electronic device (e.g., external electronic device 1 (210)) with the highest master preference as an anchor master device (or master electronic device) through signals related to the master preference information.

[0066] According to one embodiment, an anchor master device (e.g., external electronic device 1 (210)) may refer to an electronic device that serves as a reference for time and channel synchronization of electronic devices (101, 210, 220, and / or 230) included in a NAN cluster (200). The anchor master device may be changed according to the master preference of the electronic devices (101, 210, 220, and / or 230). Each of the time and channel synchronized electronic devices (101, 210, 220, and / or 230) may transmit a beacon and / or SDF within a discovery window (or search section) that is repeated according to a preset cycle, and may receive beacons and SDFs from other electronic devices (101, 210, 220, and / or 230) within the NAN cluster (200). For example, a beacon may be periodically transmitted and / or received at each discovery window to maintain time and channel synchronization of electronic devices (101, 210, 220, and / or 230) included in a NAN cluster (200). An SDF may be transmitted and / or received at each discovery window as needed to provide services to discovered electronic devices (101, 210, 220, and / or 230). For example, among the electronic devices (101, 210, 220, and / or 230) whose time and channel are synchronized, an electronic device (e.g., external electronic device 1 (210)) operating as an anchor master device may transmit a beacon (e.g., discovery beacon) to detect a new electronic device during a period between discovery windows.

[0067] According to one embodiment, each of the NAN cluster-synchronized (e.g., time and / or channel-synchronized) electronic devices (101, 210, 220, and / or 230) can transmit a NAN Action Frame (NAF) and receive NAFs from other electronic devices (101, 210, 220, and / or 230) within the NAN cluster (200) within a discovery window (or search interval) that repeats according to a preset cycle. For example, the NAF can include at least one of information related to setting up a NAN data path (NDP), information related to scheduling update, or information related to NAN ranging to enable data communication in the interval between discovery windows. For example, the NAF can control scheduling of radio resources for coexistence of NAN operations and non-NAN operations (e.g., Wi-Fi Direct, mesh, IBSS, WLAN, Bluetooth, or NFC). NAF may contain time and / or channel information available for NAN communication.

[0068] According to one embodiment, each of the electronic devices (101, 210, 220 and / or 230) included in the NAN cluster (200) operates in an active state only during a discovery window, and operates in a low-power state (e.g., a sleep state) during the remaining period other than the discovery window, thereby reducing current consumption.

[0069] According to one embodiment, the discovery window is a time (e.g., milliseconds) during which the electronic device (101, 210, 220, or 230) is in an active state (or wake state) and consumes a lot of current, whereas outside the discovery window, the electronic device (101, 210, 220, or 230) remains in a sleep state, thereby enabling low-power discovery.

[0070] According to one embodiment, electronic devices (101, 210, 220 and / or 230) included in a NAN cluster (200) can be simultaneously activated at the start time of a synchronized discovery window (e.g., DW start) and simultaneously transition to a sleep state at the end time of the discovery window (e.g., DW end).

[0071] According to one embodiment, each of the electronic devices (101, 210, 220, and / or 230) included in the NAN cluster (200) can transmit and / or receive data not only in the discovery window period but also in the period between the discovery windows. The electronic devices (101, 210, 220, and / or 230) included in the NAN cluster (200) can perform additional communication by setting an active time slot in the period between the discovery windows. For example, the electronic devices (101, 210, 220, and / or 230) included in the NAN cluster (200) can transmit and / or receive an SDF that was not transmitted and / or received within the discovery window period through the active time slot. For example, electronic devices (101, 210, 220 and / or 230) included in a NAN cluster (200) can perform NAN communication and / or non-NAN communication during an active time slot by setting (or designating) a NAN communication operation section and / or a non-NAN communication operation section during an active time slot.

[0072] According to one embodiment, electronic devices (101, 210, 220 and / or 230) included in a NAN cluster (200) may perform discovery, synchronization, and / or data exchange operations using the protocol illustrated in FIG. 3 described below.

[0073] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a protocol for transmitting a signal of an electronic device included in a NAN cluster according to one embodiment. According to one embodiment, FIG. 3 may represent an exemplary diagram for a discovery window. FIG. 3 may explain, by way of example, that electronic devices (e.g., electronic devices (101, 210, 220, and / or 230) of FIG. 2) included in one NAN cluster (e.g., NAN cluster (200) of FIG. 2) transmit signals through a specific channel (e.g., channel 6 (Ch6)) based on the NAN standard.

[0074] According to one embodiment referring to FIG. 3, electronic devices (101, 210, 220 and / or 230) included in one NAN cluster (e.g., NAN cluster (200) of FIG. 2) can transmit a synchronization beacon (310) and an SDF (320) in a synchronized discovery window (DW) (325). A discovery beacon (330) can be transmitted by at least one electronic device (101, 210, 220 and / or 230) in a period (340) other than the discovery window (325) (e.g., an interval between discovery windows). For example, the electronic devices (101, 210, 220, and / or 230) may transmit the synchronization beacon (310) and the SDF (320) on a contention basis. For example, the synchronization beacon (310) and the SDF (320) may be transmitted on a contention basis between the respective electronic devices (101, 210, 220, and / or 230) belonging to a NAN cluster (e.g., the NAN cluster (200) of FIG. 2).

[0075] According to one embodiment, electronic devices (101, 210, 220, and / or 230) included in one NAN cluster (e.g., NAN cluster (200) of FIG. 2) may transmit and / or receive an NAF in a discovery window (DW) (325). For example, the NAF may include at least one of information related to setting up a NAN data path (NDP), information related to scheduling update, or information related to NAN ranging to enable data communication in the interval between discovery windows.

[0076] According to one embodiment, the discovery window (325) may be a period during which the electronic devices (101, 210, 220, and / or 230) are activated from a communication standby state (e.g., a sleep state) in a power-saving mode to a communication state (e.g., a wake-up state) for data exchange between the electronic devices (101, 210, 220, and / or 230). For example, the discovery window (325) may be divided into time units (TU) in milliseconds. For example, a discovery window (325) for transmitting and / or receiving a synchronization beacon (310) and an SDF (320) may occupy 16 time units (TUs) (16 TUs) and may have a cycle (or interval) that repeats at 512 time units (512 TUs).

[0077] According to one embodiment, the discovery beacon (330) may represent a signal transmitted so that other electronic devices that have not joined the NAN cluster (e.g., the NAN cluster (200) of FIG. 2) can discover the NAN cluster (e.g., the NAN cluster (200) of FIG. 2). For example, the discovery beacon (330) is a signal for notifying the existence of the NAN cluster, and electronic devices that have not joined the NAN cluster can perform a passive scan to receive the discovery beacon (330), thereby discovering and joining the NAN cluster.

[0078] According to one embodiment, the discovery beacon (330) may include information necessary to synchronize with a NAN cluster (e.g., the NAN cluster (200) of FIG. 2). For example, the discovery beacon (330) may include at least one of a frame control (FC) field indicating a function of a signal (e.g., a beacon), a broadcast address, a media access control (MAC) address of a transmitting electronic device, a cluster identifier (ID), a sequence control field, a time stamp for a beacon frame, a beacon interval indicating a transmission interval of the discovery beacon (330), or capability information for an electronic device transmitting the discovery beacon (330).

[0079] In one embodiment, the discovery beacon (330) may include at least one proximity network (or NAN cluster) related information element. In one embodiment, the proximity network related information may be referred to as attribute information.

[0080] According to one embodiment, a synchronization beacon (310) may represent a signal for maintaining synchronization between synchronized electronic devices (101, 210, 220, and / or 230) within a NAN cluster (e.g., a NAN cluster (200) of FIG. 2). The synchronization beacon (310) may be transmitted by a synchronization device among the electronic devices (101, 210, 220, and / or 230) within the NAN cluster. For example, the synchronization device may include an anchor master device, a master device, or a non-master sync device as defined in the NAN standard.

[0081] According to one embodiment, the synchronization beacon (310) may include information necessary for electronic devices (101, 210, 220, and / or 230) to synchronize within a NAN cluster (e.g., the NAN cluster (200) of FIG. 2). For example, the synchronization beacon (310) may include at least one of an FC field indicating a function of the signal (e.g., a beacon), a broadcast address, a MAC address of the transmitting electronic device, a cluster identifier, a sequence control field, a timestamp for the beacon frame, a beacon interval indicating an interval between start points of the discovery window (325), or capability information for the transmitting electronic device. According to one embodiment, the synchronization beacon (310) may include at least one proximity network (or cluster) related information element. For example, the proximity network related information may include contents for a service provided through the proximity network.

[0082] According to one embodiment, the SDF (320) may represent a signal for exchanging data over a proximity network. For example, the SDF (320) represents a vendor-specific public action frame and may include various fields. For example, the SDF (320) may include a category or action field, and may include at least one piece of proximity network-related information.

[0083] According to one embodiment, the synchronization beacon (310), the SDF (320), and the discovery beacon (330) may include proximity network related information. For example, the proximity network related information may include an identifier indicating the type of information, a length of the information, and a body field which is corresponding information. For example, the corresponding information may include at least one of master indication information, cluster information, service identifier list information, service descriptor information, connection capability information, wireless LAN infrastructure information, peer to peer (P2P) operation information, independent basic service set (IBSS) information, mesh information, additional proximity network service discovery information, further availability map information, country code information, ranging information, cluster discovery information, or vendor specific information.

[0084] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of data transmission and / or reception within a NAN cluster according to one embodiment.

[0085] According to one embodiment, FIG. 4 may illustrate an example in which an electronic device (101), an external electronic device 1 (210), and an external electronic device 2 (220) form a single NAN cluster (e.g., the NAN cluster (200) of FIG. 2) via a wireless short-range communication technology. For example, each of the electronic devices (101, 210, and / or 220) may transmit and / or receive a beacon, an SDF, and / or an NAF to each other. For example, FIG. 4 may illustrate an example in which, among the electronic devices (101, 210, and / or 220) forming the NAN cluster, the external electronic device 1 (210) serves as a master device.

[0086] According to one embodiment, external electronic device 1 (210) can transmit a beacon, an SDF, and / or an NAF within a discovery window (450). External electronic device 1 (210) can broadcast the beacon, an SDF, and / or an NAF within a discovery window (450) that repeats at preset intervals (e.g., intervals (460)).

[0087] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) and the external electronic device 2 (220) can receive a beacon, an SDF and / or an NAF transmitted by the external electronic device 1 (210). According to one embodiment, each of the electronic device (101) and the external electronic device 2 (220) can receive a beacon, an SDF and / or an NAF broadcast by the external electronic device 1 (210) within a discovery window (450).

[0088] According to one embodiment, the beacon transmitted within the discovery window (450) may include a synchronization beacon and may include information for maintaining synchronization between the electronic devices (101, 210, and / or 220). For example, at least one of the electronic device (101) or the external electronic device 2 (220) may perform NAN cluster synchronization based on time clock information of the external electronic device 1 (210) included in the beacon transmitted by the external electronic device 1 (210) operating as a master device. At least one of the electronic device (101) or the external electronic device 2 (220) may be synchronized based on the time clock information of the external electronic device 1 (210) and thus may recognize the discovery window (450) at the same time.

[0089] According to one embodiment, in a period (e.g., interval (460)) other than the discovery window (450), the electronic devices (101, 210, and / or 220) may maintain a communication standby state (e.g., sleep state) to reduce current consumption. For example, the electronic devices (101, 210, and / or 220) may operate in a communication state (e.g., wake state) only during the discovery window (450) based on a synchronized time clock to reduce current consumption.

[0090] According to one embodiment, in a period other than the discovery window (450) (e.g., interval (460)), the electronic devices (101, 210, and / or 220) can perform additional communication by setting an active time slot. For example, the electronic devices (101, 210, and / or 220) can transmit and / or receive SDFs that were not transmitted and / or received within the discovery window (450) period through the active time slot. For example, the electronic devices (101, 210, and / or 220) can perform a connection or discovery operation to legacy Wi-Fi through the active time slot by specifying an operation for Wi-Fi Direct, mesh, IBSS, WLAN, Bluetooth, or NFC connection in the active time slot.

[0091] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an electronic device for data communication according to one embodiment. According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) of FIG. 5 may be at least partially similar to the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3, or FIG. 4, or may include other embodiments of the electronic device.

[0092] According to one embodiment referring to FIG. 5, the electronic device (101) may include a processor (500), a communication circuit (510), and / or a memory (520). For example, the processor (500) may be substantially the same as the processor (120) (e.g., an application processor and / or a communication processor) of FIG. 1, or may be included in the processor (120). The communication circuit (510) may be substantially the same as the wireless communication module (192) of FIG. 1, or may be included in the wireless communication module (192). The memory (520) may be substantially the same as the memory (130) of FIG. 1, or may be included in the memory (130). For example, the processor (500) may include at least one of an application processor or a communication processor.

[0093] According to one embodiment, the processor (500) may be operatively, functionally, and / or electrically connected to a communication circuit (510) and / or a memory (520). For example, the processor (500) may include at least one processor that includes a processing circuit.

[0094] According to one embodiment, the communication circuit (510) may include various circuit structures used for modulating and / or demodulating signals within the electronic device (101). For example, the communication circuit (510) may modulate a baseband signal into a radio frequency (RF) band signal to be output through an antenna (not shown), or may demodulate (or decode) an RF band signal received through the antenna into a baseband signal and transmit the baseband signal to the processor (500). For example, the communication circuit (510) may perform at least one of transmitting or receiving various data to or from an external electronic device (e.g., external electronic devices 210, 220, and / or 230 of FIG. 2) through a frequency band used for NAN communication (e.g., about 2.4 GHz band, about 5 GHz band, and / or about 6 GHz band).

[0095] According to one embodiment, the processor (500) may control the communication circuit (510) to perform NAN communication. For example, when the processor (500) receives information related to NAN communication (e.g., NAN search request information) through at least one of an out-of-band (OOB) method, a three-layer search protocol method related to universal plug and play (uPnP) or multicast domain name system (mDNS), a cloud server request method, or a wireless LAN search method, the processor (500) may control the communication circuit (510) to perform NAN communication. For example, the OOB method may include a series of operations for transmitting or receiving information related to NAN communication through a second communication method that is different from a first communication method based on NAN. For example, the second communication method may include at least one of Bluetooth, Bluetooth low energy (BLE), near field communication (NFC), quick response (QR), or wireless LAN (e.g., Wi-Fi). For example, the three-layer search protocol method may include a series of operations for transmitting or receiving information related to NAN communication through an access point (AP) to which the electronic device is connected for communication. For example, the cloud server request method may include a series of operations for transmitting or receiving information related to NAN communication through a cloud server to which the electronic device is connected. For example, the wireless LAN search method may include a series of operations for transmitting or receiving information related to NAN communication through wireless LAN communication of a specified method (e.g., Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi direct, or NAN).

[0096] For example, the processor (500) may control the communication circuit (510) to perform unsynchronized service discovery (USD) based on at least one of USD instruction information included in information related to NAN communication, information related to an external electronic device, or information related to an application program running on the external electronic device. For example, the USD may include a series of operations for continuously searching for an external electronic device (e.g., NAN search) for a specified time (e.g., about 60 seconds) through NAN communication without performing synchronization with the external electronic device. For example, the information related to the external electronic device may include identification information of the external electronic device. For example, the information related to the application program may include at least one of identification information of the application program or information related to a function or service provided through the application program.

[0097] According to one embodiment, the processor (500) may update the NAN discovery list based on the activation (or execution) of the USD. For example, updating the NAN discovery list may include a series of operations for adding identification information of an external electronic device included in information related to NAN communication to the NAN discovery list. For example, the NAN discovery list may include information on at least one external electronic device that has requested the electronic device (101) to perform the USD.

[0098] According to one embodiment, when the processor (500) performs a USD (or a NAN search based on a USD), it may control the communication circuit (510) to continuously activate the NAN communication for a specified period of time. For example, the specified period of time may be set based on the operating time of a timer that is driven based on at least one of the time of receiving information related to NAN communication, the time of activating the USD, or the time of performing the USD. For example, when information related to NAN communication is received from a plurality of external electronic devices, the specified period of time may be set based on the operating time of a timer that is driven (or reset) based on the time of receiving the last information related to NAN communication received from the plurality of external electronic devices.

[0099] According to one embodiment, when performing USD, the processor (500) may control the communication circuit (510) to provide NAN communication and different wireless LAN communication concurrently. For example, the processor (500) may perform NAN communication (e.g., USD) based on a first communication protocol (or a first wireless interface) and wireless LAN communication (e.g., Wi-Fi) based on a second communication protocol (or a second wireless interface) through at least one wireless resource among different time resources, frequency resources, or space resources. For example, when the processor (500) determines that NAN discovery based on USD is performed among wireless LAN communications different from NAN communication, the processor (500) may update scheduling related to wireless LAN communications different from NAN communication in order to secure wireless resources (e.g., time resources, frequency resources, and / or space resources) for USD. The processor (500) may control the communication circuit (510) to perform USD using wireless resources acquired through updating of scheduling related to wireless LAN communication different from NAN communication. For example, the wireless LAN communication different from NAN communication may be performed based on the updated scheduling. For example, the wireless LAN communication different from NAN communication may include at least one of wireless LAN communication with an access point (AP) (e.g., Wi-Fi), direct communication between electronic devices via wireless LAN communication (e.g., Wi-Fi direct), or wireless LAN communication for accessing an external network via an external electronic device (e.g., mobile hotspot).

[0100] According to one embodiment, the processor (500) may establish (or create) a NAN data path (NDP) with an external electronic device while performing a USD. The processor (500) may control a communication circuit (510) to perform data communication through the NAN data path with the external electronic device.

[0101] According to one embodiment, the processor (500) may determine whether to terminate (e.g., terminal) (or deactivate or stop (e.g., off)) the USD (or the NAN discovery based on the USD) based on the establishment (or creation) of a NAN data path with the external electronic device. For example, the processor (500) may remove information related to the external electronic device from the NAN discovery list based on the establishment (or creation) of the NAN data path with the external electronic device. If there is information related to another external electronic device included in the NAN discovery list, the processor (500) may control the communication circuit (510) to continuously perform the USD (or the NAN discovery based on the USD). If there is no information related to another external electronic device included in the NAN discovery list, the processor (500) may control the communication circuit (510) to terminate the USD (or the NAN discovery based on the USD).

[0102] According to one embodiment, the processor (500) may determine whether to terminate the USD (or the NAN search based on the USD) based on information related to the termination of the NAN search received from the external electronic device during the USD execution. For example, if the processor (500) receives information related to the termination of the NAN search during the USD execution, the processor (500) may check information (e.g., identification information) related to the external electronic device included in the information related to the termination of the NAN search. The processor (500) may remove information (e.g., identification information) related to the external electronic device from the NAN search list. If there is information related to another external electronic device included in the NAN search list, the processor (500) may control the communication circuit (510) to continuously perform the USD. If there is no information related to another external electronic device included in the NAN search list, the processor (500) may control the communication circuit (510) to terminate the USD.

[0103] According to one embodiment, the processor (500) may control the communication circuit (510) to terminate the USD when a specified period of time has elapsed during the USD (or USD-based NAN search). For example, the elapsed period of time may be determined based on the expiration of a timer that runs for a specified period of time.

[0104] According to one embodiment, the processor (500) may update scheduling related to NAN communication and different wireless LAN communication (e.g., Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi direct, or hot spot) based on the completion of performing USD (or NAN discovery based on USD). For example, the processor (500) may perform NAN communication (e.g., USD) based on a first communication protocol (or a first wireless interface) and wireless LAN communication (e.g., Wi-Fi) based on a second communication protocol (or a second wireless interface) via the communication circuit (510). For example, the NAN communication based on the first communication protocol and the wireless LAN communication based on the second communication protocol may be performed through a time division, frequency division, or spatial division method.

[0105] For example, the processor (500) may additionally allocate wireless resources (e.g., time or frequency) allocated to the first communication protocol to wireless LAN communication based on the second communication protocol based on the termination of the USD. For example, updating the scheduling related to wireless LAN communication may be performed when the USD is terminated based on information related to the termination of NAN search received from an external electronic device.

[0106] According to one embodiment, the memory (520) may store various data used by at least one component of the electronic device (101) (e.g., the processor (500) and / or the communication circuit (510)). For example, the memory (520) may store various instructions that may be executed individually or collectively by the processor (500).

[0107] According to one embodiment, when the electronic device (101) performs a search related to an external electronic device based on NAN communication, the search related to the external electronic device may be terminated based on information related to the termination of the NAN search. For example, when NAN communication is activated, the electronic device (101) (or the processor (500)) may search for an external electronic device for performing data communication through a beacon (e.g., a discovery beacon) transmitted or received through a discovery window (e.g., 325 of FIG. 3 or 450 of FIG. 4) for a specified time. When the electronic device (101) (or the processor (500)) receives information related to the termination of the NAN search before the specified time arrives, the electronic device (101) (or the processor (500)) may terminate the search for the external electronic device performed through the discovery window.

[0108] According to one embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4, or FIG. 5) may include a communication circuit (e.g., the wireless communication module (192) of FIG. 1 or the communication circuit (510) of FIG. 5), at least one processor (e.g., the processor (120) of FIG. 1 or the processor (500) of FIG. 5) operatively connected to the communication circuit, and a memory (e.g., the memory (130) of FIG. 1 or the memory (520) of FIG. 5) operatively connected to the at least one processor. According to one embodiment, the memory may store instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to activate USD based on receipt of first information related to activation of NAN communication. According to one embodiment, the memory may store instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to perform a search related to an external electronic device for a specified period of time based on USD. According to one embodiment, the memory may store instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the electronic device to terminate the USD based on receiving information related to the termination of a NAN search during a search involving an external electronic device.

[0109] According to one embodiment, the memory may store instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the electronic device to activate the USD based on receiving information related to activation of the NAN communication through at least one of an out-of-band (OOB) method, a three-layer discovery protocol method related to universal plug and play (uPnP) or multicast domain name system (mDNS), a cloud server request method, or a wireless LAN discovery method.

[0110] According to one embodiment, the memory may store instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the electronic device to obtain information related to an external electronic device from first information related to activation of NAN communication. According to one embodiment, the memory may store instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the electronic device to update a NAN search list stored in the memory based on the information related to the external electronic device.

[0111] According to one embodiment, the memory may store instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the electronic device to obtain information related to an external electronic device from information related to the end of a NAN search when the electronic device receives information related to the end of a NAN search. According to one embodiment, the memory may store instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the electronic device to remove information related to an external electronic device from a NAN search list.

[0112] According to one embodiment, the memory may store instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the electronic device to terminate the USD if no information associated with another external electronic device included in the NAN search list exists based on the removal of information associated with the external electronic device.

[0113] According to one embodiment, the memory may store instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the electronic device to perform a search for another external electronic device based on a USD, if information related to another external electronic device included in the NAN search list exists.

[0114] According to one embodiment, the memory may store instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the electronic device to terminate the USD based on receiving information related to the termination of the NAN search through at least one of an out-of-band (OOB) method, a three-layer discovery protocol method related to universal plug and play (uPnP) or multicast domain name system (mDNS), a cloud server request method, or a wireless LAN search method.

[0115] According to one embodiment, the memory may store instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the electronic device to determine whether wireless LAN communication based on a second communication protocol different from a first communication protocol associated with the USD is performed based on the termination of the USD. According to one embodiment, the memory may store instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the electronic device to update scheduling of the wireless LAN communication based on the second communication protocol based on radio resources allocated to the USD if the electronic device is performing wireless LAN communication based on the second communication protocol.

[0116] According to one embodiment, the memory may store instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the electronic device to start a timer that runs for a specified period of time based on receipt of first information related to activation of NAN communication. According to one embodiment, the memory may store instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the electronic device to continuously perform a search related to an external electronic device based on a USD while the timer is running. According to one embodiment, the timer may be reset based on receipt of second information related to activation of NAN communication.

[0117] According to one embodiment, the memory may store instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the electronic device to terminate the USD when a specified amount of time has elapsed since the seek time associated with the external electronic device.

[0118] FIG. 6 is a flowchart (600) for performing USD in an external electronic device according to one embodiment. In the following embodiments, the operations may be performed sequentially, but are not necessarily sequential. For example, the order of the operations may be changed, and at least two operations may be performed in parallel. For example, the external electronic device of FIG. 6 may be external electronic device 1 (210) of FIG. 2, FIG. 3, or FIG. 4.

[0119] According to one embodiment referring to FIG. 6, an external electronic device (e.g., external electronic device 1 (210) of FIG. 2, FIG. 3, or FIG. 4) may determine, in operation 601, whether a NAN activity event is detected. For example, the NAN activity event may be generated based on at least one of: execution of an application program or function related to NAN communication, reception of a user input (e.g., a touch input or a voice input), reception of a control signal, or detection of a gesture input. For example, the NAN activity event may also be generated based on execution of a user interface related to NAN exploration. For example, the NAN activity event may include an event related to NAN exploration based on USD.

[0120] In one embodiment, an external electronic device (e.g., external electronic device 1 (210)) may terminate an embodiment for performing a USD if a NAN active event is not detected (e.g., 'No' of operation 601).

[0121] According to one embodiment, when an external electronic device (e.g., external electronic device 1 (210)) detects a NAN activation event (e.g., 'yes' in operation 601), in operation 603, it may transmit information related to NAN communication. For example, the external electronic device 1 (210) may transmit (or broadcast) information related to NAN communication through at least one of an out-of-band (OOB) method, a three-layer discovery protocol method related to universal plug and play (uPnP) or multicast domain name system (mDNS), a cloud server request method, or a wireless LAN discovery method. For example, the information related to NAN communication may include at least one of USD instruction information, identification information of the external electronic device, or information related to an application program running on the external electronic device. For example, the external electronic device 1 (210) may activate NAN communication based on detection of a NAN activation event or transmission of information related to NAN communication.

[0122] According to one embodiment, an external electronic device (e.g., external electronic device 1 (210)) may perform a NAN discovery based on a USD in operation 605. For example, the external electronic device 1 (210) may alternately perform a single channel publish (SCP) or a multi-channel publish (MCP) for a specified period of time from the time of initiating the USD. For example, the SCP may include a series of operations for transmitting a NAN SDF publish over a specified frequency band (e.g., about a 2.4 GHz band, about a 5 GHz band, or about a 6 GHz band). For example, the MCP may include a series of operations for transmitting a NAN SDF publish over specified frequency bands (e.g., about a 2.4 GHz band and about a 5 GHz band, about a 2.4 GHz band and about a 6 GHz band, or about a 5 GHz band and about a 6 GHz band).

[0123] According to one embodiment, an external electronic device (e.g., external electronic device 1 (210)) may determine, in operation 607, whether an event related to the termination of a NAN search is detected. For example, the NAN search end event may be generated based on the termination of an application program or function related to NAN communication or the termination of execution of a user interface related to NAN search.

[0124] According to one embodiment, the external electronic device (e.g., external electronic device 1 (210)) may perform a USD-based NAN search in operation 605 if an event related to the termination of the NAN search is not detected (e.g., 'No' in operation 607). For example, the external electronic device 1 (210) may terminate the USD-based NAN search if a specified time associated with the USD has elapsed.

[0125] According to one embodiment, when an external electronic device (e.g., external electronic device 1 (210)) detects an event related to the termination of a NAN search (e.g., 'Yes' in operation 607), in operation 609, it may transmit information related to the termination of the NAN search. For example, external electronic device 1 (210) may terminate a USD based on the detection of an event related to the termination of a NAN search. External electronic device 1 (210) may transmit (or broadcast) information related to the termination of a NAN search through at least one of an OOB method, a 3-layer discovery protocol method related to uPnP or mDNS, a cloud server request method, or a wireless LAN discovery method based on the termination of the USD. For example, external electronic device 1 (210) may terminate a USD after a specified termination time has elapsed from the time at which the event related to the termination of a NAN search is detected.

[0126] According to one embodiment, the external electronic device 1 (210) may transmit (or broadcast) information related to the activity status of the USD during a NAN search based on the USD. For example, the external electronic device 1 (210) may transmit (or broadcast) information related to the USD activity status through at least one of an OOB method, a 3-layer search protocol method related to uPnP or mDNS, a cloud server request method, or a wireless LAN search method. For example, the information related to the USD activity status may be transmitted continuously or periodically. For example, the information related to the USD activity status may include at least one of USD activity status information, identification information of the external electronic device, or information related to an application program running on the external electronic device.

[0127] FIG. 7 is a flowchart (700) for performing or terminating USD-based NAN search in an electronic device according to one embodiment. In the following embodiments, the operations may be performed sequentially, but are not necessarily sequential. For example, the order of the operations may be changed, and at least two operations may be performed in parallel. For example, the electronic device of FIG. 7 may be the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 , FIG. 2 , FIG. 3 , FIG. 4 , or FIG. 5 .

[0128] According to one embodiment referring to FIG. 7, an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4, or FIG. 5) or a processor (e.g., the processor (120) of FIG. 1 or the processor (500) of FIG. 5) may, in operation 701, determine whether information related to NAN communication is received. For example, the information related to NAN communication may be received through at least one of an out-of-band (OOB) method, a three-layer discovery protocol method related to universal plug and play (uPnP) or multicast domain name system (mDNS), a cloud server request method, or a wireless LAN discovery method. For example, the information related to NAN communication may include at least one of USD instruction information, identification information of an external electronic device, or information related to an application program running on the external electronic device.

[0129] According to one embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 500)) may terminate an embodiment for searching for an external electronic device if no information related to NAN communication is received (e.g., 'No' in operation 701).

[0130] According to one embodiment, when an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 500)) receives information related to NAN communication (e.g., 'Yes' in operation 701), in operation 703, the electronic device may perform NAN discovery based on unsynchronized service discovery (USD). For example, the processor (500) may control the communication circuit (510) to activate NAN communication based on the reception of information related to NAN communication. The processor (500) may control the communication circuit (510) to perform USD based on at least one of USD instruction information included in the information related to NAN communication, identification information of the external electronic device, or information related to an application program running on the external electronic device. For example, USD may include a series of operations for continuously discovering the external electronic device for a specified period of time through NAN communication without performing synchronization with the external electronic device.

[0131] For example, the processor (500) may update (or generate) a NAN discovery list based on the activation (or execution) of a USD. For example, updating the NAN discovery list may include a series of operations for adding identification information of an external electronic device included in information related to NAN communication to the NAN discovery list. For example, the NAN discovery list may include information of at least one external electronic device that has requested the electronic device (101) to perform a USD.

[0132] For example, when the processor (500) receives an SCP or MCP from an external electronic device while performing USD, the processor (500) may control the communication circuit (510) to transmit a response message (e.g., follow-up or subscribe) related to the SCP or MCP to the external electronic device.

[0133] For example, if the processor (500) determines that USD is to be performed among wireless LAN communications different from NAN communications, the processor (500) may update scheduling related to the wireless LAN communications different from NAN communications in order to secure wireless resources (e.g., time resources, frequency resources, and / or space resources) for USD. The processor (500) may control the communication circuit (510) to perform USD (or NAN discovery based on USD) through wireless resources acquired through updating scheduling related to the wireless LAN communications different from NAN communications. For example, the processor (500) may control the communication circuit (510) to provide NAN communications and wireless LAN communications different from NAN communications concurrently through at least one of different time resources, frequency resources, or space resources. For example, wireless LAN communication that is different from NAN communication may include at least one of wireless LAN communication with an access point (e.g., Wi-Fi), direct communication between electronic devices via wireless LAN communication (e.g., Wi-Fi direct), or wireless LAN communication for accessing an external network via an external electronic device (e.g., mobile hotspot).

[0134] According to one embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 500)) may determine, in operation 705, whether information related to the termination of a NAN search is received during the USD execution. For example, the information related to the termination of a NAN search may be received via at least one of an OOB method, a 3-layer search protocol method, a cloud server request method, or a wireless LAN search method. For example, the information related to the termination of a NAN search may include information (e.g., identification information) related to an external electronic device that terminates the NAN search.

[0135] According to one embodiment, when an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 500)) receives information related to termination of a NAN search during USD execution (e.g., 'Yes' in operation 705), the processor may terminate the USD (or the NAN search based on the USD) in operation 707. For example, when the processor (500) receives information related to termination of a NAN search during USD execution, the processor may check information related to an external electronic device included in the information related to termination of the NAN search. The processor (500) may remove information related to an external electronic device (e.g., identification information) from a NAN search list. When there is information related to another external electronic device included in the NAN search list, the processor (500) may control the communication circuit (510) to continuously perform the USD (or the NAN search based on the USD). If there is no information related to another external electronic device included in the NAN search list, the processor (500) may determine that there is no external electronic device (e.g., a publisher) to perform USD. Based on the determination that there is no external electronic device (e.g., a publisher) to perform USD, the processor (500) may control the communication circuit (510) to terminate USD (or NAN search based on USD).

[0136] According to one embodiment, when an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 500)) does not receive information related to the termination of a NAN search while performing a USD (e.g., 'NO' in operation 705), in operation 709, the processor may determine whether a NAN search timer has terminated. For example, when performing a USD, the processor (500) may drive (or reset) a NAN search timer that runs for a specified time. When the NAN search timer is kept running, the processor (500) may determine that the USD (or the NAN search based on the USD) is continuously performed. When the NAN search timer has expired, the processor (500) may determine that the USD (or the NAN search based on the USD) is terminated.

[0137] According to one embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 500)) may perform a USD-based NAN search at operation 703 if the NAN search timer has not expired (e.g., 'No' of operation 709).

[0138] According to one embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 500)) may terminate the USD (or the NAN search based on the USD) at operation 707 when the NAN search timer expires (e.g., 'yes' of operation 709).

[0139] According to one embodiment, when the electronic device (101) establishes (or creates) a NAN data path (NDP) with an external electronic device while performing a USD, the electronic device (101) may determine that the search (or discovery) of the external electronic device has ended and stop (or terminate) the operation of the NAN discovery timer. The electronic device (101) may terminate the USD (or the NAN discovery based on the USD) related to the external electronic device based on the stop of the NAN discovery timer. For example, the processor (500) may remove information related to the external electronic device from the NAN discovery list based on the establishment (or creation) of the NAN data path with the external electronic device. The processor (500) may control the communication circuit (510) to continuously perform the USD (or the NAN discovery based on the USD) if there is information related to another external electronic device included in the NAN discovery list. The processor (500) can control the communication circuit (510) to terminate the USD (or NAN search based on USD) if there is no information related to another external electronic device included in the NAN search list.

[0140] According to one embodiment, if the electronic device (101) does not receive information related to the activation status of the USD from an external electronic device (e.g., external electronic device 1 (210)) for a specified reception time while the USD is activated, the electronic device (101) may determine that the USD of the external electronic device has ended. The electronic device (101) may terminate the USD (or the NAN discovery based on the USD) based on the determination that the USD of the external electronic device has ended. For example, if the processor (500) determines that the USD of the external electronic device has ended while performing the USD, the processor (500) may remove information (e.g., identification information) related to the external electronic device from the NAN discovery list. If there is information related to another external electronic device included in the NAN discovery list, the processor (500) may control the communication circuit (510) to continuously perform the USD (or the NAN discovery based on the USD). If there is no information related to another external electronic device included in the NAN discovery list, the processor (500) may determine that there is no external electronic device (e.g., a publisher) to perform the USD. The processor (500) may control the communication circuit (510) to terminate the USD (or NAN search based on the USD) based on a determination that there is no external electronic device (e.g., publisher) to perform the USD.

[0141] According to one embodiment, when the electronic device (101) performs USD for a specified period of time, it may consume power equivalent to the following mathematical expression 1 for the specified period of time.

[0142]

[0143] For example, Vop represents the operating current of the electronic device, average current consumption represents the average current consumed when performing NAN communication (e.g., about 75 mA), and T USD can represent a specified time to perform USD.

[0144] According to one embodiment, the power saved by the electronic device (101) by terminating the USD (or the NAN search based on the USD) before a specified time elapses based on the reception of information related to the end of the NAN search can be expressed as in Equation 2 below. For example, the power consumption when terminating the USD based on the reception of information related to the end of the NAN search is T USD is the first value (e.g., about 30 seconds), and T' USD If the second value (e.g., about 2 seconds) is used, the power consumption can be saved by about 93% compared to performing USD for a specified time.

[0145]

[0146] For example, Vop represents the operating current of the electronic device, average current consumption represents the average current consumed when performing NAN communication (e.g., about 75 mA), and T USD represents the specified time to perform USD, and T' USD may represent the execution time of a terminated USD based on the receipt of information related to the termination of a NAN search.

[0147] FIG. 8 is a flowchart (800) for performing USD in an electronic device according to one embodiment. According to one embodiment, at least a portion of FIG. 8 may be detailed operations of operations 701 and 703 of FIG. 7. In the following embodiments, the operations may be performed sequentially, but are not necessarily performed sequentially. For example, the order of the operations may be changed, and at least two operations may be performed in parallel. For example, the electronic device of FIG. 8 may be the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4, or FIG. 5.

[0148] According to one embodiment referring to FIG. 8, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4, or FIG. 5) or a processor (e.g., processor (120) of FIG. 1 or processor (500) of FIG. 5) may, in operation 801, determine whether information related to NAN communication is received. For example, the information related to NAN communication may be received through at least one of an OOB method, a 3-layer search protocol method, a cloud server request method, or a wireless LAN search method. For example, the information related to NAN communication may include at least one of USD instruction information, identification information of an external electronic device, or information related to an application program running on the external electronic device.

[0149] According to one embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 500)) may terminate an embodiment for searching for an external electronic device if no information related to NAN communication is received (e.g., 'No' in operation 801).

[0150] According to one embodiment, when an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 500)) receives information related to NAN communication (e.g., 'Yes' in operation 801), in operation 803, the electronic device may obtain information related to an external electronic device from the information related to NAN communication. For example, the processor (500) may control the communication circuit (510) to activate NAN communication based on the reception of the information related to NAN communication. For example, the processor (500) may control the communication circuit (510) to activate USD based on at least one of USD instruction information included in the information related to NAN communication, identification information of the external electronic device, or information related to an application program running on the external electronic device. The processor (500) may obtain information related to an external electronic device from the information related to NAN communication. According to one embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 500)) may update (or generate) a NAN discovery list at operation 805. For example, the processor (500) may update the NAN discovery list based on activation of a USD. For example, updating the NAN discovery list may include a series of operations for adding identification information of an external electronic device included in information related to NAN communication to the NAN discovery list. For example, updating the NAN discovery list may include a series of operations for generating a NAN discovery list including identification information of an external electronic device obtained from information related to NAN communication. For example, the NAN discovery list may include information of at least one external electronic device that has requested the electronic device (101) to perform a USD.

[0151] According to one embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 500)) may perform a NAN search based on a USD at operation 807. For example, the processor (500) may start (or reset) a NAN search timer that runs for a specified time based on activation of a USD. The processor (500) may continuously perform the NAN search based on the USD while the NAN search timer is kept running. For example, when the processor (500) receives an SCP or MCP from an external electronic device while performing a USD, the processor (500) may control the communication circuit (510) to transmit a response message (e.g., follow-up or subscribe) related to the SCP or MCP to the external electronic device.

[0152] FIG. 9 is a flowchart (900) for terminating a USD based on a NAN search list in an electronic device according to one embodiment. According to one embodiment, at least a portion of FIG. 9 may be detailed operations of operations 705 to 709 of FIG. 7 . In the following embodiments, the operations may be performed sequentially, but are not necessarily sequentially. For example, the order of the operations may be changed, and at least two operations may be performed in parallel. For example, the electronic device of FIG. 9 may be the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 , FIG. 2 , FIG. 3 , FIG. 4 , or FIG. 5 .

[0153] According to one embodiment referring to FIG. 9, when an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4, or FIG. 5) or a processor (e.g., the processor (120) of FIG. 1 or the processor (500) of FIG. 5) performs a NAN search based on USD (e.g., operation 703 of FIG. 7 or operation 807 of FIG. 8), in operation 901, it may determine whether information related to the end of the NAN search is received. For example, the information related to the end of the NAN search may be received through at least one of an OOB method, a 3-layer search protocol method, a cloud server request method, or a wireless LAN search method. For example, the information related to the end of the NAN search may include information (e.g., identification information) related to an external electronic device that terminates the NAN search.

[0154] According to one embodiment, when an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 500)) receives information related to the termination of a NAN search while performing a USD (e.g., 'Yes' in operation 901), in operation 903, the processor (500) may update a NAN search list. For example, when the processor (500) receives information related to the termination of a NAN search while performing a USD, the processor may remove information related to an external electronic device (e.g., identification information) from the NAN search list.

[0155] According to one embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 500)) may, at operation 905, determine whether another external electronic device is included in a NAN discovery list. For example, the processor (500) may determine whether information related to another external electronic device is present in an updated NAN discovery list based on receiving information related to the end of a NAN discovery.

[0156] According to one embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 500)) may perform a USD-based NAN search if it determines that another external electronic device is present in the NAN search list (e.g., 'Yes' in operation 905).

[0157] According to one embodiment, if the electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or processor (e.g., processor (120 or 500)) determines that no other external electronic device is included in the NAN discovery list (e.g., 'No' in operation 905), the electronic device may terminate the USD-based NAN discovery in operation 907.

[0158] According to one embodiment, when an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 500)) does not receive information related to the termination of a NAN search while performing a USD (e.g., 'NO' in operation 901), in operation 909, the processor may determine whether a NAN search timer has terminated. For example, when performing a USD, the processor (500) may drive (or reset) a NAN search timer that runs for a specified time. When the NAN search timer is kept running, the processor (500) may determine that the USD is continuously performed. When the NAN search timer has expired, the processor (500) may determine that the USD is terminated.

[0159] According to one embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 500)) may perform a NAN search based on USD if the NAN search timer has not expired (e.g., 'No' of operation 909).

[0160] According to one embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 500)) may terminate the USD at operation 907 when the NAN search timer expires (e.g., 'yes' of operation 909).

[0161] FIG. 10 is an example of terminating USD in an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0162] According to one embodiment referring to FIG. 10, the first external electronic device (1000) (e.g., external electronic device 1 (210) of FIG. 2, FIG. 3, or FIG. 4) may transmit (or broadcast) information related to NAN communication when a NAN activity event is detected (e.g., operation 1011). For example, the NAN activity event (e.g., a NAN exploration event based on USD) may be generated based on at least one of execution of an application program or function related to NAN communication, reception of a user input (e.g., a touch input or a voice input), reception of a control signal, or detection of a gesture input. For example, the NAN activity event may also be generated based on execution of a user interface related to NAN exploration. For example, information related to NAN communication may be transmitted (or broadcast) through at least one of an out-of-band (OOB) method, a three-layer discovery protocol method related to universal plug and play (uPnP) or multicast domain name system (mDNS), a cloud server request method, or a wireless LAN discovery method. For example, when a NAN activation event is detected, the first external electronic device (1000) may broadcast a BLE message (e.g., a BLE advertisement). For example, the BLE message may include at least one of USD instruction information, information related to the external electronic device, or information related to an application program running on the external electronic device.

[0163] For example, the first external electronic device (1000) may activate NAN communication based on detection of a NAN activation event or transmission of information related to NAN communication (e.g., operation 1013). For example, activating NAN communication may include a series of operations that activate NAN discovery based on USD.

[0164] According to one embodiment, the second external electronic device (1002) (e.g., external electronic device 2 (220) of FIG. 2 , FIG. 3 , or FIG. 4 ) may activate a NAN discovery based on USD based on receiving information related to NAN communication (e.g., operation 1015 ). For example, the second external electronic device (1002) may activate USD based on at least one of USD instruction information included in the information related to NAN communication, identification information of the external electronic device (e.g., the first external electronic device (1000)), or information related to an application program running on the external electronic device (e.g., the first external electronic device (1000)). For example, the second external electronic device (1002) may update (or generate) a NAN discovery list that includes information related to the first external electronic device (1000) (e.g., 'A').

[0165] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may activate a NAN discovery based on USD based on receiving information related to NAN communication (e.g., operation 1017). For example, the electronic device (101) may activate the USD based on at least one of USD instruction information included in the information related to NAN communication, identification information of an external electronic device (e.g., the first external electronic device (1000)), or information related to an application program running on the external electronic device (e.g., the first external electronic device (1000)). For example, the electronic device (101) may update (or generate) a NAN discovery list including information (e.g., 'A') related to the first external electronic device (1000) (e.g., operation 1019).

[0166] According to one embodiment, the first external electronic device (1000) may transmit an SDF while performing a NAN search based on a USD (operation 1021). For example, the SDF may include at least one of a NAN SDF publish over a designated frequency band (e.g., about a 2.4 GHz band, about a 5 GHz band, or about a 6 GHz band) or a NAN SDF publish over designated frequency bands (e.g., about a 2.4 GHz band and about a 5 GHz band, about a 2.4 GHz band and about a 6 GHz band, or about a 5 GHz band and about a 6 GHz band).

[0167] According to one embodiment, when the electronic device (101) and the second external electronic device (1002) receive an SDF from the first external electronic device (1000) while performing a USD (operation 1021), the electronic device (101) and the second external electronic device (1002) may transmit a response message (e.g., follow-up or subscribe) related to the SDF to the first external electronic device (1000).

[0168] According to one embodiment, the first external electronic device (1000) may establish (or generate) an NDP with the second external electronic device (1002) based on a response message related to the SDF (e.g., operation 1023). For example, the first external electronic device (1000) may obtain information related to a function or service provided by the electronic device (101) from a response message related to the SDF received from the electronic device (101). The first external electronic device (1000) may obtain information related to a function or service provided by the second external electronic device (1002) from a response message related to the SDF received from the second external electronic device (1002). For example, the first external electronic device (1000) may set (or create) an NDP with the second external electronic device (1002) when the second external electronic device (1002) is selected based on information related to functions or services provided by the electronic device (101) and the second external electronic device (1002). For example, the second external electronic device (1002) may be selected based on user input.

[0169] According to one embodiment, when an event related to the termination of a NAN search is detected, the first external electronic device (1000) may transmit information related to the termination of a NAN search (e.g., operation 1025). For example, the NAN search end event may be generated based on the termination of an application program or function related to NAN communication or the termination of execution of a user interface related to NAN search. For example, the information related to the termination of a NAN search may be transmitted (or broadcast) via at least one of an OOB method, a 3-layer search protocol method related to uPnP or mDNS, a cloud server request method, or a wireless LAN search method.

[0170] According to one embodiment, when the electronic device (101) receives information related to the termination of a NAN search while performing a USD (e.g., operation 1025), it may remove information (e.g., identification information) related to the first external electronic device (1000) from the NAN search list (e.g., operation 1027).

[0171] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may terminate a USD-based NAN search based on an update of a NAN search list (e.g., operation 1029). For example, the electronic device (101) may determine whether information related to other external electronic devices exists in the updated NAN search list based on the reception of information related to the termination of the NAN search. For example, the electronic device (101) may terminate the USD-based NAN search if it is determined that no other external electronic devices are included in the NAN search list.

[0172] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may continuously perform NAN discovery based on USD when it determines that there is an external electronic device (or another external electronic device) included in the NAN discovery list.

[0173] FIG. 11 is an example of terminating USD in an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0174] According to one embodiment referring to FIG. 11, the first external electronic device (1000) (e.g., external electronic device 1 (210) of FIG. 2, FIG. 3, or FIG. 4) may transmit (or broadcast) information related to NAN communication when a NAN activity event is detected (e.g., operation 1111). For example, the NAN activity event (e.g., a NAN discovery event based on USD) may be generated based on at least one of execution of an application program related to NAN communication, reception of a user input (e.g., a touch input or a voice input), reception of a control signal, or detection of a gesture input. For example, the information related to NAN communication may be transmitted (or broadcast) via at least one of an OOB method, a 3-layer discovery protocol method related to uPnP or mDNS, a cloud server request method, or a wireless LAN discovery method.

[0175] For example, the first external electronic device (1000) may activate NAN communication based on detection of a NAN activation event or transmission of information related to NAN communication (e.g., operation 1113). For example, activating NAN communication may include a series of operations that activate NAN discovery based on USD.

[0176] According to one embodiment, the second external electronic device (1002) (e.g., external electronic device 2 (220) of FIG. 2 , FIG. 3 , or FIG. 4 ) may activate a NAN discovery based on USD based on receiving information related to NAN communication (e.g., operation 1115 ). For example, the second external electronic device (1002) may activate USD based on at least one of USD instruction information included in the information related to NAN communication, identification information of the external electronic device (e.g., the first external electronic device (1000)), or information related to an application program running on the external electronic device (e.g., the first external electronic device (1000)). For example, the second external electronic device (1002) may update (or generate) a NAN discovery list that includes information related to the first external electronic device (1000) (e.g., 'A'). For example, the second external electronic device (1002) may start (or reset) a NAN search timer that runs for a specified period of time based on the activation of a USD-based NAN search. For example, the specified period of time may represent the period of time during which the second external electronic device (1002) continuously performs the USD.

[0177] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may activate a NAN discovery based on USD based on receiving information related to NAN communication (e.g., operation 1117). For example, the electronic device (101) may activate the USD based on at least one of USD instruction information included in the information related to NAN communication, identification information of an external electronic device (e.g., the first external electronic device (1000)), or information related to an application program running on the external electronic device (e.g., the first external electronic device (1000)). For example, the electronic device (101) may update (or generate) a NAN discovery list including information (e.g., 'A') related to the first external electronic device (1000) (e.g., operation 1119). For example, the electronic device (101) may drive (or reset) a NAN discovery timer that runs for a specified time based on the activation of the NAN discovery based on USD. For example, the specified time may represent the time for which the electronic device (101) continues to perform USD.

[0178] According to one embodiment, the third external electronic device (1100) (e.g., external electronic device 3 (230) of FIG. 2 or 3) may transmit (or broadcast) information related to NAN communication when a NAN activation event is detected (e.g., operation 1121). For example, the third external electronic device (1100) may activate NAN communication based on the detection of the NAN activation event or the transmission of information related to NAN communication (e.g., operation 1123). For example, the activation of NAN communication may include a series of operations for activating NAN communication in an inactive state, a series of operations for activating NAN communication in an inactive state to activate NAN discovery based on USD, or a series of operations for activating NAN discovery based on USD in NAN communication in an active state.

[0179] According to one embodiment, the second external electronic device (1002) may update the NAN discovery list based on receiving information related to NAN communication from the third external electronic device (1100). For example, updating the NAN discovery list may include a series of operations that add information related to the third external electronic device (1100) (e.g., 'B') to the NAN discovery list. For example, the second external electronic device (1002) may reset the NAN discovery timer based on receiving information related to NAN communication.

[0180] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may update a NAN discovery list based on receiving information related to NAN communication from a third external electronic device (1100) (e.g., operation 1122). For example, updating the NAN discovery list may include a series of operations that add information related to the third external electronic device (1100) (e.g., 'B') to the NAN discovery list. For example, the electronic device (101) may reset a NAN discovery timer based on receiving information related to NAN communication.

[0181] According to one embodiment, the first external electronic device (1000) may establish (or create) an NDP with the second external electronic device (1002) through a USD-based NAN discovery (e.g., operation 1125). For example, if the second external electronic device (1002) for data communication is discovered through the USD-based NAN discovery, the first external electronic device (1000) may perform synchronization with the second external electronic device (1002) and establish (or create) an NDP.

[0182] According to one embodiment, when an event related to the termination of a NAN search is detected, the first external electronic device (1000) may transmit information related to the termination of a NAN search (e.g., operation 1129). For example, the NAN search end event may be generated based on the termination of execution of an application program or function related to NAN communication or the termination of execution of a user interface related to NAN search. For example, the information related to the termination of a NAN search may be transmitted (or broadcast) via at least one of an OOB method, a 3-layer search protocol method related to uPnP or mDNS, a cloud server request method, or a wireless LAN search method.

[0183] According to one embodiment, when the electronic device (101) receives information related to the termination of NAN search from the first external electronic device (1000) while performing USD (e.g., operation 1129), the electronic device (101) may remove information (e.g., 'A') related to the first external electronic device (1000) from the NAN search list (e.g., operation 1131).

[0184] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may determine whether information related to another external electronic device (e.g., a third external electronic device (1100)) exists in the updated NAN search list based on the reception of information related to the end of the NAN search. If the electronic device (101) determines that another external electronic device (e.g., the third external electronic device (1100)) included in the NAN search list exists, the electronic device (101) may continuously perform the NAN search based on the USD.

[0185] According to one embodiment, the third external electronic device (1100) may transmit information related to the termination of NAN search when an event related to the termination of NAN search is detected (e.g., operation 1133).

[0186] According to one embodiment, when the electronic device (101) receives information related to the termination of NAN search from a third external electronic device (1100) while performing USD (e.g., operation 1133), the electronic device (101) may remove information (e.g., 'B') related to the third external electronic device (1100) from the NAN search list (e.g., operation 1135).

[0187] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may determine whether information related to another external electronic device exists in the updated NAN discovery list based on the reception of information related to the termination of the NAN discovery. If the electronic device (101) determines that there is no other external electronic device included in the NAN discovery list, the electronic device (101) may terminate the USD-based NAN discovery (e.g., operation 1137).

[0188] FIG. 12 is a flowchart (1200) for updating scheduling related to a communication protocol different from NAN communication based on the termination of USD in an electronic device according to one embodiment. According to one embodiment, at least a portion of FIG. 12 may be detailed operations of operation 707 of FIG. 7 or operation 907 of FIG. 9 . In the following embodiments, the operations may be performed sequentially, but are not necessarily performed sequentially. For example, the order of the operations may be changed, and at least two operations may be performed in parallel. For example, the electronic device of FIG. 12 may be the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 , FIG. 2 , FIG. 3 , FIG. 4 , or FIG. 5 .

[0189] According to one embodiment referring to FIG. 12, when an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4, or FIG. 5) or a processor (e.g., processor (120) of FIG. 1 or processor (500) of FIG. 5) receives information related to termination of NAN search during USD execution (e.g., 'Yes' of operation 705 of FIG. 7), the processor may terminate the NAN search based on USD in operation 1201. For example, when the processor (500) receives information related to termination of NAN search during USD execution, the processor may remove information related to an external electronic device from a NAN search list based on the information related to termination of NAN search. When there is no information related to another external electronic device included in the NAN search list, the processor (500) may determine that there is no external electronic device (e.g., publisher) to perform USD. The processor (500) can control the communication circuit (510) to terminate the USD based on a determination that there is no external electronic device (e.g., publisher) to perform the USD.

[0190] According to one embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 500)) may determine, in operation 1203, whether wireless LAN communication is being performed based on a second communication protocol that is different from a first communication protocol related to NAN communication. For example, the processor (500) may perform NAN communication (e.g., USD) based on the first communication protocol (or the first wireless interface) and wireless LAN communication (e.g., Wi-Fi) based on the second communication protocol (or the second wireless interface) through the communication circuit (510). For example, the NAN communication based on the first communication protocol and the wireless LAN communication based on the second communication protocol may be performed through a time division, a frequency division, or a spatial division method. For example, when the processor (500) has finished performing USD based on the first communication protocol, it can check whether wireless LAN communication (e.g., Wi-Fi) is being performed based on the second communication protocol.

[0191] According to one embodiment, if the electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or processor (e.g., processor (120 or 500)) does not perform wireless LAN communication based on the second communication protocol (e.g., 'No' in operation 1203), the embodiment for updating scheduling related to the second communication protocol may terminate.

[0192] According to one embodiment, when an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 500)) performs wireless LAN communication based on a second communication protocol (e.g., 'Yes' in operation 1203), in operation 1205, the processor (500) may update scheduling related to the second communication protocol. For example, the processor (500) may additionally allocate wireless resources (e.g., time or frequency) allocated to the first communication protocol to wireless LAN communication based on the second communication protocol based on the termination of the USD.

[0193] According to one embodiment, a method of operating an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4, or FIG. 5) may include an operation of activating a USD based on reception of first information related to activation of NAN communication. According to one embodiment, the method of operating the electronic device may include an operation of performing a search related to an external electronic device for a specified period of time based on the USD. According to one embodiment, the method of operating the electronic device may include an operation of terminating a USD based on reception of information related to termination of a NAN search during the search related to the external electronic device.

[0194] According to one embodiment, a method of operating an electronic device may include an operation of obtaining information related to an external electronic device from information related to the activation of NAN communication. According to one embodiment, the method of operating an electronic device may include an operation of updating a NAN search list based on the information related to the external electronic device.

[0195] According to one embodiment, the method of operating an electronic device may include, when information related to the termination of a NAN search is received, obtaining information related to an external electronic device from the information related to the termination of the NAN search. According to one embodiment, the method of operating an electronic device may include an operation of removing information related to an external electronic device from a NAN search list.

[0196] According to one embodiment, the act of terminating the USD may include terminating the USD if no information associated with another external electronic device included in the NAN discovery list exists based on the removal of information associated with the external electronic device.

[0197] According to one embodiment, a method of operating an electronic device may include performing a search related to another external electronic device based on USD when there is information related to another external electronic device included in a NAN search list.

[0198] According to one embodiment, the method of operating an electronic device may include an operation of receiving information related to activation of a NAN search through at least one of an out-of-band (OOB) method, a three-layer search protocol method related to universal plug and play (uPnP) or multicast domain name system (mDNS), a cloud server request method, or a wireless LAN search method. According to one embodiment, the method of operating an electronic device may include an operation of receiving information related to termination of a NAN search through at least one of an out-of-band (OOB) method, a three-layer search protocol method related to universal plug and play (uPnP) or multicast domain name system (mDNS), a cloud server request method, or a wireless LAN search method.

[0199] According to one embodiment, the method of operating an electronic device may include an operation of determining, based on the termination of a USD, whether wireless LAN communication based on a second communication protocol different from a first communication protocol associated with the USD is being performed. According to one embodiment, the method of operating an electronic device may include an operation of updating a scheduling of wireless LAN communication based on the second communication protocol based on radio resources allocated to the USD, if wireless LAN communication based on the second communication protocol is being performed.

[0200] According to one embodiment, the operation of performing a search related to an external electronic device may include the operation of driving a timer that runs for a specified time based on the reception of first information related to activation of NAN communication, and the operation of continuously performing a search related to the external electronic device based on USD while the timer is running.

[0201] According to one embodiment, a method of operating an electronic device may include terminating a USD when a search time associated with an external electronic device has elapsed a specified time.

[0202] The embodiments of the present invention disclosed in this specification and drawings are merely specific examples presented to easily explain the technical contents according to the embodiments of the present invention and to help understand the embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the embodiments of the present invention should be interpreted to include all changes or modified forms derived based on the technical idea of ​​the embodiments of the present invention, in addition to the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. In an electronic device (101), Communication circuit supporting wireless LAN communication (192 or 510), At least one processor (120 or 500) operatively connected to said communication circuit, and comprising a memory (130 or 520) operatively connected to at least one processor (120 or 500); The above memory (130 or 520), when executed by the at least one processor (120 or 500), causes the electronic device (101) to: Activate unsynchronized service discovery (USD) based on the reception of first information related to the activation of NAN (neighbor awareness networking) communication, Perform a search related to an external electronic device (210 or 1000) for a specified time based on the above USD, An electronic device storing instructions for terminating the USD based on receiving information related to the termination of a NAN search during a search involving the external electronic device.

2. In paragraph 1, The above memory (130 or 520), when executed by the at least one processor (120 or 500), causes the electronic device (101) to: Obtaining information related to the external electronic device (210 or 1000) from the first information related to the activation of the above NAN communication, An electronic device storing instructions for updating a NAN search list stored in the memory (130 or 520) based on information related to the external electronic device (210 or 1000).

3. In any one of paragraphs 1 and 2, The above memory (130 or 520), when executed by the at least one processor (120 or 500), causes the electronic device (101) to: When information related to the end of the above NAN search is received, information related to the external electronic device (210 or 1000) is obtained from the information related to the end of the above NAN search, An electronic device storing instructions for removing information related to the external electronic device from the NAN search list.

4. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 3, The above memory (130 or 520), when executed by the at least one processor (120 or 500), causes the electronic device (101) to: An electronic device storing instructions for terminating the USD if there is no information related to another external electronic device included in the NAN search list based on the removal of information related to the external electronic device (210 or 1000).

5. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 4, The above memory (130 or 520), when executed by the at least one processor (120 or 500), causes the electronic device (101) to: An electronic device storing instructions for performing a search related to said other external electronic device based on said USD, if there is information related to said other external electronic device included in the said NAN search list.

6. In any one of paragraphs 1 and 5, The above memory (130 or 520), when executed by the at least one processor (120 or 500), causes the electronic device (101) to: Based on the termination of the above USD, it is confirmed that wireless LAN communication is being performed based on a second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol related to the above USD, An electronic device storing instructions for updating scheduling of wireless LAN communication based on the second communication protocol based on wireless resources allocated to the USD when performing wireless LAN communication based on the second communication protocol.

7. In paragraph 1, The above memory (130 or 520), when executed by the at least one processor (120 or 500), causes the electronic device (101) to: Drive a timer that runs for the specified time based on the reception of the first information related to the activation of the above NAN communication, Store instructions for continuously performing searches related to external electronic devices based on the USD while the above timer is running, An electronic device wherein the above timer is reset based on the reception of second information related to activation of NAN communication.

8. In any one of paragraphs 1 and 7, The above memory (130 or 520), when executed by the at least one processor (120 or 500), causes the electronic device (101) to: An electronic device storing instructions to terminate the USD when the seek time associated with the external electronic device exceeds the specified time.

9. In the operating method of the electronic device (101), An operation for activating USD (unsynchronized service discovery) based on the reception of first information related to activation of NAN (neighbor awareness networking) communication. An action to perform a search related to an external electronic device (210 or 1000) for a specified time based on the above USD, and A method comprising terminating said USD based on receiving information related to termination of a NAN search during a search involving said external electronic device.

10. In paragraph 9, An operation of obtaining information related to the external electronic device (210 or 1000) from information related to activation of the above NAN communication, and A method further comprising the action of updating a NAN search list based on information related to said external electronic device (210 or 1000).

11. In any one of paragraphs 9 to 10, When information related to the end of the NAN search is received, an operation of obtaining information related to the external electronic device (210 or 1000) from the information related to the end of the NAN search, and A method further comprising the action of removing information related to said external electronic device (210 or 1000) from said NAN search list.

12. In any one of paragraphs 9 to 11, The action to terminate the above USD is: A method comprising the action of terminating the USD if there is no information related to another external electronic device included in the NAN search list based on the removal of information related to the external electronic device (210 or 1000).

13. In any one of paragraphs 9 to 12, A method further comprising an action of performing a search related to the other external electronic device based on the USD, if there is information related to the other external electronic device included in the NAN search list.

14. In any one of paragraphs 9 and 13, Based on the termination of the above USD, an operation of checking whether wireless LAN communication based on a second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol related to the above USD is being performed, and A method further comprising an operation of updating scheduling of wireless LAN communication based on the second communication protocol based on wireless resources allocated to the USD when performing wireless LAN communication based on the second communication protocol.

15. In paragraph 9, The action of performing a search related to the above external electronic device is: An operation of driving a timer that runs for a specified period of time based on the reception of first information related to the activation of the above NAN communication, and An operation for continuously performing a search related to an external electronic device based on the USD while the above timer is running, A method wherein the above timer is reset based on the reception of second information related to activation of NAN communication.

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