Electronic device for providing AP list, and control method thereof

Abstract

An electronic device is disclosed. A processor: receives performance information of an external device through a communication unit and stores the performance information in a memory; generates an AP list of a size that can be transmitted within a timeout time, on the basis of AP information obtained by scanning an access point (AP) around the electronic device according to a request of the external device, timeout information from the performance information of the external device, and performance information of the electronic device; and transmits the generated AP list to the external device through the communication unit.

Description

Electronic device providing an AP list and a method for controlling the same

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electronic device providing an AP list and a method of controlling the device.

[0002] With the recent proliferation of various home appliances, efforts to utilize communication between home appliances and user terminal devices are becoming more active. This allows users to remotely control home appliances from a distance using their user terminal devices.

[0003] When a user controls a home appliance using a user terminal device in a network environment connected to the Internet, AP information may be required for communication between each device.

[0004] However, it has been pointed out that there is a limitation that a lot of time is required in the process of exchanging AP information between each device.

[0005] An electronic device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a communication unit, a memory for storing performance information of the electronic device, and a processor.

[0006] The processor receives performance information of an external device through the communication unit and stores it in the memory, scans APs (Access Points) around the electronic device at the request of the external device to obtain AP information, time-out information among the performance information of the external device, and based on the performance information of the electronic device, generates an AP list of a size that can be transmitted within a time-out time, and transmits the generated AP list to the external device through the communication unit.

[0007] A method for controlling an electronic device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: receiving performance information of an external device; acquiring AP (Access Point) information by scanning APs around the electronic device at a request of the external device; generating an AP list having a size that can be transmitted within a timeout time based on timeout information among the performance information of the external device and the performance information of the electronic device; and transmitting the generated AP list to the external device.

[0008] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer instruction that, when executed by a processor of an electronic device, causes the electronic device to perform an operation, the operation includes: receiving performance information of an external device; acquiring AP (Access Point) information by scanning APs around the electronic device at a request of the external device; generating an AP list having a size that can be transmitted within a timeout time based on timeout information among the performance information of the external device and the performance information of the electronic device; and transmitting the generated AP list to the external device.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a drawing for explaining the operation of an electronic device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0010] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an electronic device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a process for generating an AP list of an electronic device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] FIGS. 4 and 5 are diagrams illustrating a process for reducing an AP list of an electronic device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram for explaining the operation process of an electronic device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 are sequence diagrams illustrating an AP list re-request process of an electronic device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an external device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling an electronic device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] The terms used in the various embodiments of this disclosure have been selected from widely used, current terms, taking into account the functions of this disclosure. However, these terms may vary depending on the intentions of those skilled in the art, precedents, the emergence of new technologies, etc. Furthermore, in certain cases, terms may be arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in such cases, their meanings will be described in detail in the description of the relevant disclosure. Therefore, the terms used in this disclosure should be defined based on the meaning of the terms and the overall content of this disclosure, rather than simply their names.

[0018] In this disclosure, expressions such as “has,” “can have,” “includes,” or “may include” indicate the presence of a corresponding feature (e.g., a component such as a number, function, operation, or part), and do not exclude the presence of additional features.

[0019] The expression "at least one of A and / or B" should be understood to mean either "A" or "B" or "A and B".

[0020] The expressions “first,” “second,” “first,” or “second,” etc., used in this disclosure can describe various components, regardless of order and / or importance, and are only used to distinguish one component from another, but do not limit the components.

[0021] When it is said that a component (e.g., a first component) is “(operatively or communicatively) coupled with / to” or “connected to” another component (e.g., a second component), it should be understood that the component may be directly coupled to the other component, or may be connected through another component (e.g., a third component).

[0022] Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this disclosure, terms such as "comprise" or "consist of" are intended to indicate the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, but should be understood not to preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0023] In the present disclosure, a "module" or "part" performs at least one function or operation and may be implemented as hardware or software, or as a combination of hardware and software. Furthermore, multiple "modules" or multiple "parts" may be integrated into at least one module and implemented as at least one processor (not shown), excluding any "modules" or "parts" that need to be implemented as specific hardware.

[0024] In this disclosure, the term user may refer to a person using an electronic device or a device used by the person.

[0025] An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to the attached drawings below.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the operation of an electronic device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. The electronic device (100) may be various home appliances used in a home. For example, the electronic device (100) may be implemented as various types of home appliances, such as a refrigerator, a dishwasher, an induction range, an electric oven, an air conditioner, a clothes manager, a washing machine, a dryer, a microwave oven, a cleaning robot, a vacuum cleaner, a television, a projector, and the like.

[0027] The external device (200) may be implemented as various devices such as a mobile phone, tablet PC, PC, laptop PC, kiosk, smart TV, smart monitor, etc. In the present disclosure, for convenience of explanation, the external device (200) is described as a separate device provided externally with respect to the electronic device (100), but the external device (200) also corresponds to an electronic device capable of communication. The external device (200) may alternatively be referred to as a user terminal device. Alternatively, the external device (200) may be referred to as a helper device that assists the communication connection of the electronic device (100).

[0028] FIG. 1 illustrates a state in which an electronic device (100) connects to a network (20) through an access point (10) and is connected to an external device (200) and a server (300) through the network (20).

[0029] The server (300) can be implemented as various computing devices such as a workstation, a cloud, a data drive, and a data station.

[0030] The network (20) may include both wired and wireless networks. Wired networks include cable networks or telephone networks, and wireless networks may include any network that transmits and receives signals via radio waves. Wired and wireless networks may be interconnected.

[0031] Specifically, the network (20) may include a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, a local area network (LAN) formed around an access point (AP) (access relay), and a short-range wireless network that does not use an access point (AP). The short-range wireless network may include, but is not limited to, Bluetooth (IEEE 802.15.1), Zigbee (IEEE 802.15.4), Wi-Fi Direct, Near Field Communication (NFC), Z-Wave, etc.

[0032] An access point (AP) (10) is a device for connecting an electronic device (100) to a network. The access point (AP) (10) may communicate with the electronic device (100) via a wireless communication method such as Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11), Bluetooth (IEEE 802.15.1), or Zigbee (IEEE 802.15.4), or may connect to the network (20) using other wired communication methods, but is not limited thereto. For example, when various electronic devices operate as soft APs, such soft APs may also be included in the AP. In the present disclosure, various types of APs are collectively referred to as APs.

[0033] Meanwhile, the electronic device (100) may be directly connected to an external device (200) without going through an access point (AP) (10).

[0034] When using an electronic device (100), a user may perform an onboarding process to register information about the electronic device (100) with a server (300). Onboarding may be a process of performing tasks such as initial setup so that an electronic device equipped with an IoT (Internet of Things) function can be connected to a network or server device.

[0035] During onboarding, a process may be required in which the electronic device (100) displays the APs to which it will connect and allows the user to select one of the APs. However, if the electronic device (100) does not have a display or user interface of sufficient size, AP selection may not be easy. In FIG. 1, an external device (200) can assist in AP selection for onboarding the electronic device (100).

[0036] First, the electronic device (100) can be directly connected to an external device (200) and communicate with each other. Specifically, the electronic device (100) can communicate with the external device (200) wirelessly via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or the like. Alternatively, the electronic device (100) can communicate with the external device (200) wiredly via a USB cable or LAN cable. In this state, the electronic device (100) and the external device (200) can transmit and receive various data and share them.

[0037] Specifically, the electronic device (100) can scan all APs around the electronic device (100) and transmit an AP list containing the scanned results to an external device (200). The AP list may include the names of the scanned APs, signal reception strength, available communication resource information, etc.

[0038] An external device (200) may select an AP included in the received AP list and transmit information about the selected AP. Specifically, the external device (200) may include identification information (e.g., Service Set Identifier, SSID) of the selected AP and password information for connecting to multiple APs.

[0039] AP selection can be accomplished in a variety of ways, as detailed in the sections below.

[0040] However, in the process of transmitting the entire AP list generated by the electronic device (100) by scanning multiple APs in the vicinity to the external device (200), the timeout time allowed by the external device (200) may elapse. Conventionally, when the timeout time elapses, the external device (200) may re-request the AP list. Accordingly, the time required for AP selection and connection may increase.

[0041] In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic device (100) can generate and transmit an AP list of a transmittable size within a timeout period allowed by the external device (200). This will be described in detail below.

[0042] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an electronic device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0043] According to FIG. 2, the electronic device (100) includes a communication unit (110), a memory (120), and a processor (130). However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the electronic device (100) may be implemented in a form in which some components are excluded, or may be implemented in a form in which other components are further included.

[0044] The communication unit (110) is a configuration for performing communication with an external device (200). The communication unit (110) may include at least one wireless communication module, at least one wired communication module, etc. Each communication module may be implemented in the form of at least one hardware chip. For example, the wireless communication module may include at least one module among a Wi-Fi module, a Bluetooth module, an infrared communication module, or other communication modules. In addition, the communication unit (110) may include at least one communication chip that performs communication according to various wireless communication standards such as Zigbee, 3G (3rd Generation), 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project), LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE-A (LTE Advanced), 4G (4th Generation), 5G (5th Generation), etc.

[0045] The wired communication module may include, for example, at least one of a Local Area Network (LAN) module, an Ethernet module, a paired cable, a coaxial cable, a fiber optic cable, or an Ultra Wide-Band (UWB) module.

[0046] The memory (120) can store at least one command, data, program, etc. required for the operation of the electronic device (100). For example, the memory (120) can store performance information of the electronic device (100), such as MTU and RTT. For example, the memory (120) can receive and store performance information of an external device (200), such as device specifications, reception performance, communication performance, timeout information, etc.

[0047] The memory (120) may be implemented in the form of memory embedded in the electronic device (100) or in the form of memory that can be attached or detached from the electronic device (100), depending on the purpose of data storage. For example, data for driving the electronic device (100) may be stored in a memory embedded in the electronic device (100), and data for expanding the functions of the electronic device (100) may be stored in a memory that can be attached or detached from the electronic device (100).

[0048] In the case of memory embedded in the electronic device (100), it may be implemented as at least one of volatile memory (e.g., dynamic RAM (DRAM), static RAM (SRAM), or synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM)), non-volatile memory (e.g., one time programmable ROM (OTPROM), programmable ROM (PROM), erasable and programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable and programmable ROM (EEPROM), mask ROM, flash ROM, flash memory (e.g., NAND flash or NOR flash), hard drive, or solid state drive (SSD)).

[0049] The memory (120) may be implemented as a single memory that stores data generated in various operations according to the present disclosure, but is not limited thereto, and the memory (120) may be implemented to include multiple memories that each store different types of data or each store data generated in different stages.

[0050] The processor (130) is a component for controlling the operation of the electronic device (100). The processor (130) may be implemented as a digital signal processor (DSP) for processing digital signals, a microprocessor, but is not limited thereto, and may include one or more of a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller unit (MCU), a microprocessing unit (MPU), a controller, an application processor (AP), a communication processor (CP), an ARM processor, and an artificial intelligence (AI) processor, or may be defined by the relevant terminology. In addition, the processor (130) may be implemented as a system on chip (SoC) having a built-in processing algorithm, a large scale integration (LSI), or may be implemented in the form of a field programmable gate array (FPGA). The processor (130) may perform various functions by executing computer executable instructions stored in the memory (120).

[0051] The processor (130) may be implemented as a single core processor including one core, or may be implemented as one or more multicore processors including multiple cores (e.g., homogeneous multicores or heterogeneous multicores). When one or more processors (130) are implemented as multicore processors, each of the multiple cores included in the multicore processor may include internal processor memory, such as cache memory or on-chip memory, and a common cache shared by the multiple cores may be included in the multicore processor. In addition, each of the multiple cores (or some of the multiple cores) included in the multicore processor may independently read and execute a program instruction for implementing a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, or all (or some) of the multiple cores may be linked to read and execute a program instruction for implementing a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0052] The processor (130) can perform communication with the external device (200) through the communication unit (110) to receive performance information of the external device (200), such as specifications, reception performance, communication performance, and timeout information of the external device (200), and store the information in the memory (120). Specifically, the processor (130) can receive information of the external device (200) through various communication methods that can communicate without AP intervention, such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Among the received information, the timeout information can be information indicating the waiting time to receive data requested from the external device (200), i.e., the timeout time. The timeout time can be referred to in various ways, such as scan time, search time, reception waiting time, etc., but in the present disclosure, it is collectively referred to as the timeout time.

[0053] The processor (130) can also transmit its specification information and performance information to an external device (200) through the communication unit (110).

[0054] The processor (130) scans APs around the electronic device (100) at the request of an external device (200). AP scanning can be performed in various ways.

[0055] For example, various APs surrounding the electronic device (100) may broadcast notification signals periodically or on a regular basis. The processor (130) may search for surrounding APs based on the notification signals received through the communication unit (110).

[0056] Alternatively, the processor (130) may broadcast a scan signal to the surrounding area via the communication unit (110). When a response signal to the scan signal is received via the communication unit (110), the processor (130) may include the AP that transmitted the response signal in the scan results. Accordingly, the processor (130) may generate an AP list for the scanned APs.

[0057] The processor (130) can generate an AP list of a size that can be transmitted within the timeout period based on the AP information acquired through the scan, timeout information among the performance information of the external device, and performance information of the electronic device. For example, the AP list of a size that can be transmitted may be a part of the entire AP list. The processor (130) can transmit the generated AP list to the external device (200) via the communication unit (110). If the processor (130) determines that the data size of the entire AP list is a size that can be transmitted within the timeout period, the processor (130) can also transmit the entire AP list to the external device (200) via the communication unit (110).

[0058] The processor (130) can calculate the maximum data size of the AP list that can be transmitted within the timeout period based on the timeout information of the external device (200) and the performance information of the electronic device. For example, if the total number of APs scanned around the electronic device (100) is N, and if it is determined that the timeout period will elapse if the list for N APs is transmitted, the processor (130) can transmit a list for M (N > M) APs that have data sites that can be transmitted within the timeout period to the external device (200).

[0059] Meanwhile, the processor (130) can calculate the total transmission time of the AP list based on the performance information of each device. If the calculated total transmission time exceeds the timeout time of the external device (200), the processor (130) deletes a portion of the AP list to reduce the data size of the AP list. A detailed description of this will be provided below.

[0060] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a process for generating an AP list of an electronic device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0061] The processor (130) can obtain the MTU (Maximum Transmission Unit) value based on the communication connection status between the external device (200) and the communication unit (110) and the reception performance of the external device (200) (S310). Here, MTU refers to the maximum size of a data packet that can be transmitted at one time between multiple devices on the same network. In other words, it refers to the amount of data that can be received at one time from one device during a communication process between devices. The MTU value is measured in bytes, and a high MTU value can transmit large data quickly. A packet refers to a piece of data that moves through a network and is the basic unit of data transmission.

[0062] The MTU value is determined by the communication performance of the device, the characteristics of the network, the network speed, etc. Therefore, the processor (130) can obtain the MTU value by considering the performance information of the external device (200), the communication connection status, the reception performance of the external device (200), and the network environment during the communication process with the external device (200).

[0063] For example, in the case of low-spec IoT devices, the maximum SoftAP MTU value can be set to 1460 bytes excluding the header, and Bluetooth MTU value can be set to 507 bytes excluding the header.

[0064] The processor (130) can calculate the number of data packets to be transmitted to the external device (200) based on the size of the entire AP list scanned and acquired by the electronic device (100) and the acquired MTU value (S320). For example, if the data size of the entire AP list scanned by the electronic device (100) is 20,000 bytes and the MTU value acquired during communication with the external device (200) is 507 bytes, the number of data packets to be transmitted to the external device can be calculated by dividing the data size of the entire AP list by the acquired MTU value. That is, dividing 20,000 bytes by 507 bytes yields 39.4 packets, and at least 40 packets may be required to send all of the packets generated by the processor (130) to the external device. Therefore, the processor (130) can calculate the minimum number of data packets to be transmitted to the external device (200) based on the data size of the entire AP list and the MTU value.

[0065] Meanwhile, the processor (130) may also obtain the total transmission time required for transmitting the AP list by considering the RTT (Round Trip Time) information. The RTT (Round Trip Time) information refers to the time it takes for data to be transmitted from a transmitting device to a receiving device and for a response to be returned in a network environment between each device. In other words, it refers to the total time it takes until the data of the electronic device (100) is completely transmitted to the external device (200). The RTT is measured in units of time (ms) and can be determined by the network environment and the performance of each device.

[0066] The processor (130) can calculate the RTT value while transmitting one data packet to the external device (200). For example, if the time taken to transmit one data packet to the external device (200) is 30 ms, the processor (130) can calculate 30 ms as the RTT value. However, since the RTT value may appear differently depending on the network environment and the instantaneous communication process, the processor (130) can calculate an expected RTT value using the calculated RTT value (S330). The expected RTT value refers to an average RTT value calculated by the processor (130) while transmitting each data packet to the external device (200). For example, if the time taken to transmit the first packet is 70 ms, the time taken to transmit the second packet is 130 ms, the time taken to transmit the third packet is 130 ms, and the time taken to transmit the fourth packet is 70 ms, the average of these, 100 ms, can be the expected RTT value. Accordingly, the processor (130) can calculate an expected RTT value while transmitting each data packet to the external device (200).

[0067] The processor (130) can obtain the total transmission time required for transmitting the AP list to the external device (200) based on the calculated expected RTT value and the number of data packets (S340). For example, if the obtained MTU value is 507 bytes, the data size of the entire AP list for 50 APs is 20,000 bytes, and the calculated expected RTT value is 100 ms, the processor (130) can obtain the total transmission time required for transmitting the entire AP list to the external device (200) as 4 seconds, which is 100 ms * 40 (expected RTT value) * (minimum data packet).

[0068] If the acquired total transmission time exceeds the timeout time of the external device (200), the processor (130) can transmit the reduced AP list to the external device (200) through the communication unit (110) so that the entire AP list can be transmitted within the timeout time of the external device (200) (S350, S360, S370). On the other hand, if the acquired total transmission time is within the timeout time of the external device (200), the processor (130) can transmit the entire AP list to the external device (200) through the communication unit (110) (S350, S370).

[0069] If the acquired total transmission time exceeds the timeout time of the external device (200), the processor (130) can reduce the entire AP list by considering the timeout time of the external device (200) and transmit the reduced AP list to the external device (200). A detailed description of this will be provided below.

[0070] FIGS. 4 and 5 are diagrams illustrating a process for reducing an AP list of an electronic device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0071] If the total transmission time required to transmit the entire AP list exceeds the timeout time of the external device (200), the processor (130) can select an AP that meets the preset conditions of the electronic device (100) among the APs included in the entire AP list to generate an AP list.

[0072] The processor (130) may, during the process of reducing the AP list, exclude APs that do not meet various conditions. For example, the processor (130) may select APs by considering the signal strength of the AP, frequency band, network security, roaming support, load status, Internet bandwidth to which the AP is connected, location and arrangement of the AP, etc., and may generate a reduced AP list based on the selected APs.

[0073] Referring to FIG. 4, the processor (130) can select an AP according to the signal strength of the AP. The processor (130) can scan the APs around the electronic device (100) according to the AP list request of the external device (200) (410). Looking at the AP list scanned by the electronic device (100), the APs with the strongest signal strengths, AAA, BBB, CCC, DDD, EEE, and FFF, GGG, can be confirmed, the APs with the medium signal strengths, and the APs with the weak signal strengths, FFF, GGG, and FDD. When reducing the AP list according to the AP signal strength, the processor (130) can select the APs with the strongest signal strengths, AAA, BBB, CCC, and DDD, EEE, and FDD, the APs with the medium signal strengths, to generate an AP list so that transmission can be performed within the timeout time of the external device (200).

[0074] For example, if the total transmission time required for the electronic device (100) to transmit a list of 50 APs scanned by the electronic device (100) to the external device (200) is 4 seconds, the processor (130) can select the entire AP list and generate a list of APs that can be transmitted within the timeout time of the external device (200) of 3 seconds, which is the timeout time of the external device (200). At this time, if the preset AP list selection condition of the electronic device (100) is the signal strength of the AP, a list of 40 APs in order of the strongest signal strength is selected from the entire list of APs scanned by the electronic device (100) and transmitted to the external device (200), so that the AP list can be transmitted within the timeout time of 3 seconds of the external device (200).

[0075] Referring to FIG. 5, the processor (130) can select an AP according to the frequency band of the AP. In FIG. 5, the electronic device (100) can check aaa, ccc, 쪋, eee, 쪋., fff corresponding to the 2.4G frequency band and bbb, 쪋, ddd, 쪋 corresponding to the 5G frequency band according to the frequency band as well as the AP signal strength. When the processor (130) reduces the AP list according to the frequency band corresponding to 2.4G, the processor (130) can select aaa, ccc, 쪋, eee, fff corresponding to the 2.4G frequency band so that transmission is possible within the timeout time of the external device (200) to generate an AP list.

[0076] If the total transmission time required to transmit the acquired AP list exceeds the timeout time of the external device (200), the processor (130) may calculate the number of APs that can be transmitted within the timeout time of the external device (200) among the entire AP list scanned by the electronic device (100), and transmit the calculated AP list to the external device (200). For example, if the timeout time required to receive the AP list of the external device (200) is 3 seconds, the processor (130) may calculate the data size of the transmittable AP list based on the pre-calculated MTU value and the expected RTT value. Specifically, if the MTU value acquired by the processor (130) is 507 bytes, the expected RTT value is 100 ms, and the timeout time of the external device (200) is 3 seconds, the total data size that the electronic device (100) can transmit to the external device (200) becomes 15210 bytes. Accordingly, the processor (130) can select an AP list corresponding to 15210 bytes and transmit it to an external device (200).

[0077] FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram for explaining the operation process of an electronic device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0078] Referring to FIG. 6, the processor (130) can receive specifications, performance information, communication information, etc. of the external device (200) during a communication process with the external device (200) through the communication unit (110) (S610). The processor (130) can transmit its specifications, performance information, communication information, etc. to the external device (200) (S610). The processor (130) can calculate performance information of the electronic device, such as MTU, RTT, and expected RTT, based on the information received from the external device (200) and the information of the electronic device (100) (S620).

[0079] When the processor (130) receives a request to transmit an AP list from an external device (200) (S630), the processor (130) can calculate the maximum data size of the AP list that can be transmitted to the external device (200) based on the timeout information, MTU value, and expected RTT value of the external device (200) (S640). The processor (130) can scan APs around the electronic device (100) and generate an AP list based on the maximum data size of the AP list that can be transmitted to the external device (200) (S650). Thereafter, the processor (130) can transmit the generated AP list within the timeout time of the external device (200) (S660). The specific details thereof have been described above, and further description thereof will be omitted.

[0080] Meanwhile, if there is no AP that the external device (200) can connect to among the AP list transmitted from the electronic device (100), the processor (130) may receive a re-request from the external device to re-transmit the AP list. Hereinafter, the content of the processor (130) receiving a re-request for the AP list from the external device (200) will be described in detail.

[0081] FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 are sequence diagrams illustrating an AP list re-request process of an electronic device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0082] When a request for an AP list is received from an external device (200) after transmitting the reduced AP list, the processor (130) can transmit at least a portion of the remaining AP list, excluding the reduced AP list from the entire AP list, to the external device (200) through the communication unit (110).

[0083] Referring to FIG. 7, when the processor (130) receives a request from an external device (200) to transmit an AP list (S710), the processor (130) may transmit an AP list based on the timeout time of the external device (200) (S720). Thereafter, when there is no accessible AP from the external device (200), the processor (130) may receive a re-request to re-transmit the AP list (S730). When the processor (130) receives a re-request from the external device (200) to re-transmit the AP list, the processor (130) may calculate the maximum data size of the AP list that can be transmitted to the external device (200) (S740). The processor (130) may transmit the entire AP list, excluding the AP list transmitted in the previous AP list request, or the AP list based on the maximum data size that can be transmitted, to the external device (200) through the communication unit (110) (S760).

[0084] When the processor (130) re-transmits the AP list upon re-request for the AP list from the external device (200), it can select APs based on the preset conditions of the electronic device (100) among the APs excluding the previously transmitted AP list, and transmit the selected AP list to the external device (200).

[0085] Meanwhile, when the processor (130) receives information about an extended timeout time and a request for an AP list again from an external device (200) after transmitting the reduced AP list, the processor (130) can reconstruct an AP list based on the extended timeout time of the external device (200) from among the entire AP list and transmit the reconstructed AP list to the external device (200) through the communication unit (110).

[0086] Referring to FIG. 8, the processor (130) may receive a request for a re-transmission of the AP list from the external device (200) when there is no AP that the external device (200) can connect to among the AP list transmitted to the external device (200). In addition, the processor (130) may receive extended timeout time information from the external device (200) through the communication unit (110) (S810). The processor (130) may generate a list of all APs scanned around the electronic device (100) based on the extended timeout information of the external device (200) (S820).

[0087] Additionally, the processor (130) can calculate the maximum data size of the AP list that can be transmitted to the external device (200) based on the extended timeout information. The processor (130) can select APs excluding the previously transmitted AP list based on the calculated maximum data size to generate an AP list.

[0088] For example, if the data size of the entire AP list scanned by the processor (130) is 20,000 bytes, the acquired MTU value is 507 bytes, and the expected RTT value is 100 ms, and the extended timeout time of the external device (200) is 4 seconds, the time required to transmit the entire AP list is 3.94 seconds, so the entire AP list can be transmitted to the external device (200).

[0089] Meanwhile, when the processor (130) receives a request for an AP list that satisfies preset conditions from an external device (200) through the communication unit (110), the processor (130) may generate an AP list including APs that satisfies preset conditions. When the processor (130) receives a request for an AP list from an external device (200), the processor (130) may also receive conditions for APs that the external device (200) can connect to. For example, the processor (130) may receive conditions for a frequency band of APs that the external device (200) can connect to, conditions for security information of a specific AP, etc. The processor (130) may generate an AP list that includes APs that satisfies preset conditions based on the above-described conditions for APs received together with the re-request for an AP list.

[0090] When a selection signal including the SSID of at least one AP among the AP list transmitted to the external device (200) is received from the external device (200) through the communication unit (110), the processor (130) can connect to at least one AP based on the SSID information of at least one AP included in the selection signal.

[0091] The processor (130) may receive a selection signal including SSID information of at least one AP that the external device (200) can connect to among the AP list transmitted to the external device (200). When the processor (130) receives a selection signal including SSID information for at least one AP, the processor (130) may use the received SSID information to connect to the AP that the external device (200) has connected to. For example, the processor (130) may receive a selection signal of a specific AP including SSID information of a specific AP by selecting a specific AP to which the external device (200) intends to connect among the AP list transmitted to the external device (200). At this time, the processor (130) may input SSID information such as the ID and password of the specific AP based on the SSID information of the specific AP selected by the external device (200) and connect to the specific AP.

[0092] Meanwhile, the external device (200) may transmit an AP list request to the electronic device (100) requesting that the electronic device (100) transmit an AP list. Furthermore, if the external device (200) fails to receive a list of accessible APs from the electronic device (100), it may transmit a re-request requesting that the AP list be resent. A detailed description of this will be provided below.

[0093] FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an external device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0094] Referring to FIG. 9, the external device (200) includes a communication unit (210), a memory (220), a processor (230), and a display (240). However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the external device (200) may be implemented in a form in which some components are excluded, or may be implemented in a form in which other components are further included. A general description of the communication unit (210) and the memory (220) among the components of the external device (200) has been specifically described in the above-described section, and thus a description thereof will be omitted.

[0095] The communication unit (210) is a component for performing communication with the electronic device (100). The external device (200) can receive performance information, various data, and an AP list of the electronic device (100) through the communication unit (210).

[0096] The memory (220) can store performance information of the external device (200), SSID information of the AP, performance information of the electronic device (100) received from the electronic device (100), and information about the AP list.

[0097] The display (240) is configured to display various screens under the control of the processor (230).

[0098] When the processor (230) communicates with the electronic device (100) via D2D or AP, the processor (230) can transmit its own performance information, communication information, reception information, timeout information, etc. to the electronic device (100). In addition, the processor (230) can receive performance information, device information, communication information, etc. of the electronic device (100) from the electronic device (100). The processor (230) can transmit a request to the electronic device (100) to transmit an AP list via the communication unit (210). If there is no connectable AP among the AP list transmitted from the electronic device (100), the processor (230) can transmit an AP list re-request to retransmit the AP list.

[0099] The processor (230) may transmit extended timeout information along with an AP list re-request requesting the electronic device (100) to re-transmit the AP list. For example, if there is no accessible AP among the AP list received from the electronic device (100), the processor (230) may extend the timeout period by 1 to 2 seconds. Thereafter, the processor (230) may transmit the extended timeout information along with the AP list re-request to the electronic device (100).

[0100] The processor (230) can select a specific AP from the AP list transmitted from the electronic device (100) and transmit a selection signal for the specific AP to the electronic device (100).

[0101] As described above, AP selection can be accomplished in various ways. For example, the processor (230) may display a list of received APs. This allows the user to select one AP from the list.

[0102] Alternatively, the processor (230) may automatically select an AP with the strongest signal reception strength or an AP with the most available communication resources from among the received AP list.

[0103] Alternatively, the processor (230) may automatically select an AP based on information about multiple APs stored in the memory (220). Specifically, the processor (230) may store information about at least one AP to which the external device (200) itself or the electronic device (100) has previously connected in the memory (220). The 'connection history' may include not only the current connected state but also the state of being connected in the past but not currently connected. Information about the connection history of the electronic device (100) may also be received and acquired through the electronic device (100).

[0104] Alternatively, the processor (230) may select one or more APs from among the plurality of APs based on the time, number of times, connection status, etc., at which the plurality of APs are connected to the electronic device (100) or the external device (200). In addition, various criteria may be used to identify candidate APs, such as APs with a high possibility of connection with the electronic device (100) or a high connection success rate with the electronic device (100).

[0105] When AP selection is made, the processor (230) can transmit a selection signal including SSID information, password information, etc. of the selected AP to the electronic device (100).

[0106] Meanwhile, the processor (230) can transmit the conditions of an accessible AP to the electronic device (100) through the communication unit (210).

[0107] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling an electronic device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0108] Referring to FIG. 10, an electronic device receives performance information of an external device (S1010). Upon a request from the external device, the electronic device scans the surrounding APs (Access Points) for AP information, acquires AP information, timeout information among the performance information of the external device, and generates an AP list of a size that can be transmitted within a timeout period based on the performance information of the electronic device (S1020). The electronic device transmits the generated AP list to the external device (S1030).

[0109] Since the specific method of receiving performance information of an external device, generating an AP list, and transmitting the generated AP list to the external device has been specifically described in the various embodiments described above, a redundant description will be omitted.

[0110] An electronic device obtains an MTU value from among the performance information of the electronic device based on the communication connection status with the external device and the reception performance of the external device. The electronic device calculates the number of data packets to be transmitted to the external device based on the size of the entire AP list obtained by scanning APs (Access Points) around the electronic device and the obtained MTU value. The electronic device calculates an expected RTT value required for transmitting one data packet based on RTT information from among the performance information of the electronic device. The electronic device obtains the total transmission time required for transmitting the maximum AP list based on the expected RTT value and the number of data packets. If the total transmission time is within the timeout time of the external device, the electronic device transmits the entire AP list to the external device through the communication unit, and if the total transmission time exceeds the timeout time of the external device, the electronic device transmits an AP list that is reduced so that the entire AP list can be transmitted within the timeout time to the external device through the communication unit.

[0111] The control method described in FIG. 10 can be performed by an electronic device (100) having the configuration of FIG. 2 described above, but is not necessarily limited thereto, and can also be performed by electronic devices having various configurations.

[0112] The various embodiments described above may be implemented as a single embodiment, or at least one of the embodiments may be combined in whole or in part to be implemented together in one device.

[0113] According to the various embodiments described above, the electronic device can connect to a desired AP in a faster time by generating a maximum transmittable AP list that takes into account the timeout time of the external device.

[0114] Meanwhile, the various embodiments described above may be applied to a product as an embodiment alone, but at least some of the contents may be implemented in combination with other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0115] The various embodiments described above can be implemented as software including instructions stored in a machine-readable storage medium that can be read by a machine (e.g., a computer). The device is a device that can call instructions stored in the storage medium and operate according to the called instructions, and may include an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (100)) according to the disclosed embodiments. When an instruction is executed by a processor, the processor can perform a function corresponding to the instruction directly or by using other components under the control of the processor. The instruction may include code generated or executed by a compiler or interpreter. The machine-readable storage medium can be provided in the form of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. Here, 'non-transitory' means that the storage medium does not contain a signal and is tangible, but does not distinguish between data being stored semi-permanently or temporarily in the storage medium.

[0116] Additionally, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method according to the various embodiments described above may be provided as included in a computer program product.

[0117] Specifically, a non-transitory readable storage medium or a computer program product storing computer instructions for performing an operation including a step of receiving performance information of an external device, a step of obtaining AP (Access Point) information by scanning APs around the electronic device at a request of the external device, a step of generating an AP list of a size that can be transmitted within a timeout time based on timeout information among the performance information of the external device and the performance information of the electronic device, and a step of transmitting the generated AP list to the external device may be provided.

[0118] 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 online through an application store (e.g., Play Store™). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be temporarily stored or temporarily created in a storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or an intermediary server.

[0119] In addition, computer instructions or programs for performing the biometric information measuring method of an electronic device according to the various embodiments described above may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The computer instructions stored in such a non-transitory computer-readable medium, when executed by a processor of a specific device, cause the specific device to perform processing operations in the device according to the various embodiments described above. A non-transitory computer-readable medium refers to a medium that stores data semi-permanently and can be read by a device, rather than a medium that stores data for a short period of time, such as a register, cache, or memory. Specific examples of non-transitory computer-readable media may include a CD, DVD, hard disk, Blu-ray disk, USB, memory card, or ROM.

[0120] Although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and various modifications may be made by a person skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains without departing from the gist of the present disclosure as claimed in the claims, and such modifications should not be understood individually from the technical idea or prospect of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. In electronic devices, Department of Communications; A memory for storing performance information of the electronic device; a processor; including; The above processor, Receive performance information of an external device through the above communication unit and store it in the above memory, Based on AP information obtained by scanning APs (Access Points) around the electronic device at the request of the external device, time-out information among the performance information of the external device, and performance information of the electronic device, a list of APs of a size that can be transmitted within the time-out time is generated, An electronic device that transmits the generated AP list to the external device through the communication unit.

2. In paragraph 1, The performance information of the above electronic device includes MTU (Maximum Transmission Unit) value and RTT (Round Trip Time) information, The above processor, Obtaining the MTU value of the electronic device based on the communication connection status between the external device and the communication unit and the reception performance of the external device, The number of data packets to be transmitted to the external device is calculated based on the size of the entire AP list obtained by scanning the AP (Access Point) around the electronic device and the obtained MTU value. Based on the above RTT information, the expected RTT value required to transmit one data packet is calculated, Obtain the total transmission time required for transmission of the AP list based on the above expected RTT value and the number of data packets, If the total transmission time is within the timeout time of the external device, the entire AP list is transmitted to the external device through the communication unit, An electronic device that transmits, to the external device through the communication unit, an AP list that is reduced from the entire AP list to a list that can be transmitted within the timeout time if the total transmission time exceeds the timeout time of the external device.

3. In paragraph 2, The above processor, An electronic device that generates the AP list by selecting an AP that satisfies a preset condition from among the APs included in the entire AP list when the total transmission time exceeds the timeout time of the external device.

4. In paragraph 2, The above processor, If a re-request is received from the external device after the transmission of the above reduced AP list, An electronic device that transmits at least a portion of the remaining AP list, excluding the reduced AP list from the entire AP list, to the external device through the communication unit.

5. In paragraph 2, The above processor, After transmission of the above reduced AP list, if information about the extended timeout period and a re-request for the AP list are received from the external device, An electronic device that reconstructs an AP list based on the extended timeout time from the entire AP list and transmits the reconstructed AP list through the communication unit.

6. In paragraph 1, The above processor, When a request for an AP list that meets the preset conditions is received from the external device through the communication unit, An electronic device that generates a list of APs including APs that meet the above-described preset conditions.

7. In paragraph 1, The above processor, When a selection signal including the SSID of at least one AP among the AP list transmitted to the external device is received from the external device through the communication unit, An electronic device that connects to at least one AP based on SSID information of the at least one AP included in the selection signal.

8. In a method for controlling an electronic device, A step of receiving performance information of an external device; A step of scanning AP (Access Point) around the electronic device according to a request from the external device; A step of generating an AP list of a size that can be transmitted within the timeout time of the external device based on the AP information acquired by the scan, timeout information among the performance information of the external device, and performance information of the electronic device; and A control method, comprising: a step of transmitting the generated AP list to the external device.

9. In paragraph 8, The step of generating the AP list of the above transmittable size is: A step of obtaining an MTU (Maximum Transmission Unit) value among performance information of the electronic device based on a communication connection status with the external device and a reception performance of the external device; A step of calculating the number of data packets to be transmitted to the external device based on the size of the entire AP list obtained by scanning APs (Access Points) around the electronic device and the obtained MTU value; A step of calculating an expected RTT value required for transmitting one data packet based on RTT information among performance information of the electronic device; A step of obtaining the total transmission time required for transmission of the AP list based on the expected RTT value and the number of data packets; and A control method, comprising: a step of generating an AP list that reduces the entire AP list to a list that can be transmitted within the timeout time if the total transmission time exceeds the timeout time of the external device; 10. In paragraph 8, The step of generating the AP list of the above transmittable size is: A step of obtaining an MTU (Maximum Transmission Unit) value among performance information of the electronic device based on a communication connection status with the external device and a reception performance of the external device; A step of calculating the number of data packets to be transmitted to the external device based on the size of the entire AP list obtained by scanning APs (Access Points) around the electronic device and the obtained MTU value; A step of calculating an expected RTT value required for transmitting one data packet based on RTT information among performance information of the electronic device; A step of obtaining the total transmission time required for transmission of the AP list based on the expected RTT value and the number of data packets; and A control method, comprising: a step of generating the AP list by selecting an AP that satisfies a preset condition from among the APs included in the entire AP list when the total transmission time exceeds the timeout time of the external device; 11. In paragraph 9, A control method further comprising: a step of transmitting, to the external device, at least a portion of the remaining AP list excluding the reduced AP list from the entire AP list, when a re-request is received from the external device after the transmission of the reduced AP list.

12. In paragraph 9, A control method further comprising: a step of reconstructing an AP list based on the extended timeout time from the entire AP list and transmitting the reconstructed AP list to the external device after receiving information on the extended timeout time and a re-request for the AP list from the external device after transmitting the reduced AP list.

13. In paragraph 8, A control method further comprising: a step of generating an AP list including APs meeting the preset conditions when a request for an AP list meeting the preset conditions is received from the external device.

14. In paragraph 8, When a selection signal including the SSID of one of the APs in the AP list transmitted to the external device is received from the external device, A control method further comprising: a step of connecting to at least one AP based on SSID information of the at least one AP included in the selection signal.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions that, when executed by a processor of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform an operation, the operation comprising: A step of receiving performance information of an external device; A step of scanning AP (Access Point) around the electronic device according to a request from the external device. A step of generating an AP list of a size that can be transmitted within a timeout time based on AP information acquired by the scan, timeout information among performance information of the external device, and performance information of the electronic device; and A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising: a step of transmitting the generated AP list to the external device.

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