Electronic device and control method therefor

Abstract

An electronic device is disclosed. The present electronic device comprises: a communication interface for communicating with a server; a memory including one or more storage media for storing first identification information and instructions of the electronic device, generated on the basis of hardware information of the electronic device; and at least one processor which is communicatively coupled to the communication interface and the memory and which can execute the instructions, wherein, when executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the instructions instruct the the electronic device to: acquire second identification information of the electronic device when the hardware information is changed; identify a log indicating that the first identification information was transmitted to the server; and, when the log is identified, transmit the second identification information to the server in order to update identification information of the electronic device to the second identification information with respect to the server.

Description

Electronic device and method of controlling the same

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electronic device and a method for controlling the same, and more specifically, the present disclosure relates to an electronic device and a method for controlling the same that updates identification information of an electronic device when hardware information of the electronic device is changed.

[0002] Thanks to advancements in electronic technology, various types of electronic devices are being used in daily life. Among these devices, there may be those that update and manage identification information when the device's hardware information changes.

[0003] If the hardware information of an electronic device changes, the identification information of the electronic device may also change. In this case, a discrepancy may occur between the existing identification information and the changed identification information.

[0004] Identification information of an electronic device may be information for uniquely identifying an electronic device. Specifically, the identification information may include hardware information.

[0005] It should be noted that the foregoing is merely background information to aid in understanding the present disclosure and does not constitute any judgment or statement regarding whether it constitutes prior art to the present disclosure.

[0006] The present disclosure aims to resolve at least some of the aforementioned problems and / or disadvantages and to provide the advantages described below. Accordingly, one example of the present disclosure provides an electronic device and a method for controlling the same that update identification information of an electronic device when hardware information of the electronic device is changed.

[0007] Additional details may be explicitly presented in part of the following description, become self-evident through the description, or be understood through the implementation of the disclosed embodiments.

[0008] According to one example of the present disclosure, an electronic device comprises a communication interface for communicating with a server, a memory comprising one or more storage media storing instructions of the electronic device generated based on hardware information of the electronic device and first identification information, and at least one processor coupled to communicate with the communication interface and the memory and capable of executing the instructions, wherein when the instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device acquires second identification information of the electronic device when the hardware information is changed, identifies a log that the first identification information has been transmitted to the server, and when the log is identified, transmits the second identification information to the server to update the identification information of the electronic device to the server with the second identification information.

[0009] Additionally, according to one example of the present disclosure, a control method for managing identification information of an electronic device comprises the steps of: obtaining a second identification information of the electronic device based on the changed hardware information when the hardware information of the electronic device is changed; identifying a log indicating that the first identification information of the electronic device has been transmitted to a server; and, when the log is identified, transmitting the second identification information to the server to update the identification information of the electronic device to the second identification information.

[0010] Additionally, in one or more non-transient computer-readable storage media comprising computer execution instructions that cause the electronic device to perform an operation when executed individually or collectively by one or more processors of the electronic device according to one example of the present disclosure, the operation comprises the steps of: obtaining a second identification information of the electronic device based on the changed hardware information when the hardware information of the electronic device is changed; identifying a log that the first identification information of the electronic device has been transmitted to a server; and, when the log is identified, transmitting the second identification information to the server to update the identification information of the electronic device to the second identification information.

[0011] Other configurations, advantages, and important features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which is referenced together with the accompanying drawings.

[0012] The above description and other configurations, features, and advantages according to specific embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a drawing for explaining the operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 3 is a detailed block diagram for explaining an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an electronic device managing identification information according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an electronic device managing identification information according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an electronic device managing identification information according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a server updating identification information according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a method for an electronic device to manage identification information according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a method for an electronic device to manage identification information according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing the order in which an electronic device and a server operate according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing the order in which an electronic device, an access point (AP), and a server operate according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] The same reference numerals were used for identical components throughout the drawings.

[0025] The following description is provided to aid in a comprehensive understanding of the various embodiments of the present disclosure as defined by the claims and their equivalents, with reference to the attached drawings. While the description includes various specific details to aid such understanding, they are merely illustrative. Accordingly, a person skilled in the art will understand that various changes and modifications are possible to the various embodiments described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, for the sake of clarity and brevity, descriptions of known functions and configurations may be omitted.

[0026] The terms and words used in the following description and claims are not limited to their general dictionary meanings but are used by the inventor to facilitate a clear and consistent understanding of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the following description of various embodiments of the present disclosure is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0027] Unless clearly otherwise specified in the context, the singular expressions "a," "an," and "the" used below should be understood to include plural objects. For example, "a component surface" may be understood to include one or more such surfaces.

[0028] The various embodiments of the present disclosure and the terms used therein are not intended to limit the technical features described in the present disclosure to specific embodiments, and should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutions of said embodiments.

[0029] In relation to the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related components.

[0030] In the present disclosure, each of the phrases such as “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” may include any one of the items listed together in the corresponding phrase, or all possible combinations thereof.

[0031] Terms such as "first," "second," or "first" or "second" may be used simply to distinguish a component from another component and do not limit the components in other aspects (e.g., importance or order).

[0032] Where any (e.g., 1st) component is referred to as "coupled" or "connected" to another (e.g., 2nd) component, with or without the terms "functionally" or "communicationly," it means that the component may be connected to the other component directly (e.g., via a wire), wirelessly, or through a third component.

[0033] Terms such as "include" or "have" are intended to specify the existence of the features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in this disclosure, and do not preclude the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0034] When it is said that a component is "connected," "combined," "supported," or "in contact" with another component, this includes not only cases where the components are directly connected, combined, supported, or in contact, but also cases where they are indirectly connected, combined, supported, or in contact through a third component.

[0035] When it is said that a component is located "on" another component, this includes not only cases where one component is in contact with the other, but also cases where another component exists between the two components.

[0036] The term "and / or" includes a combination of multiple related described components or any of the multiple related described components.

[0037] In the present disclosure, a "module" or "part" performs at least one function or operation and may be implemented in hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software. Additionally, a plurality of "modules" or a plurality of "parts" may be integrated into at least one module and implemented by at least one processor, except for a "module" or "part" that needs to be implemented in specific hardware.

[0038] Meanwhile, various elements and areas in the drawings are depicted schematically. Accordingly, the technical concept of the present disclosure is not limited by the relative sizes or spacing depicted in the attached drawings.

[0039] In the present disclosure, the term "user" may refer to a person using an electronic device or a device using an electronic device (e.g., an artificial intelligence electronic device).

[0040] It is self-evident that the blocks of each flowchart and combinations of flowcharts can be executed by one or more computer programs containing instructions. The entirety of the one or more computer programs may be stored in a single memory device, or may be divided and stored in multiple different memory devices.

[0041] Any of the functions or operations described in this specification may be processed by a single processor or a combination of multiple processors. The single processor or combination of multiple processors may include a circuit unit that performs processing, such as an application processor (AP, e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)), a communication processor (CP, e.g., a modem), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a neural network processing unit (NPU) (e.g., an artificial intelligence (AI) chip), a wireless LAN (Wi-Fi) chip, a Bluetooth® chip, a Global Positioning System (GPS) chip, a Near Field Communication (NFC) chip, a connectivity chip, a sensor controller, a touch controller, a fingerprint sensor controller, a display driver integrated circuit (IC), an audio codec (CODEC) chip, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) controller, a camera controller, an image processing IC, a microprocessor unit (MPU), a system-on-chip (SoC), an integrated circuit (IC), or a similar circuit.

[0042] An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0043] FIG. 1 is a drawing for explaining the operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0044] The electronic device (100) may include a communication interface capable of communicating with another electronic device, a user terminal device (300) or a server (200), at least one processor for controlling the operation of the electronic device (100), and a memory for storing a program for controlling the operation of the electronic device (100).

[0045] The electronic device (100) may be at least one of various types of electronic devices. For example, the electronic device (100) may include at least one of an electric oven (140), an air conditioner (150), a garment care device (160), a washing machine (170), a dryer (180), and a microwave oven (190) as illustrated, but is not limited thereto, and may include various types of home appliances such as a cleaning robot, a vacuum cleaner, and a television not illustrated in the drawing.

[0046] In addition, the aforementioned home appliances are merely examples, and in addition to the aforementioned electronic devices, a device capable of performing the operation described below by being connected to another sperm device, a user terminal device (300), or a server (200) may be included in the electronic device (100) according to one embodiment.

[0047] The server (200) may include a communication module capable of communicating with another server, an electronic device (100), or a user terminal device (300), at least one processor capable of processing data received from another server, an electronic device (100), or a user terminal device (300), and at least one memory capable of storing a program for processing data or processed data. This server (200) may be implemented as various computing devices such as a workstation, a cloud, a data drive, or a data station.

[0048] The server (200) may be implemented as one or more servers that are physically or logically separated based on functions, detailed configurations of functions, or data, and may transmit and receive data and process the transmitted and received data through communication between each server.

[0049] The server (200) can perform functions such as managing user accounts, registering electronic devices (100) associated with user accounts, and managing or controlling registered electronic devices (100). For example, a user can create a user account by accessing the server (200) through a user terminal device (300). A user account can be identified by an ID and password set by the user.

[0050] The server (200) can register the electronic device (100) to a user account according to a set procedure. For example, the server (200) can register, manage, and control the electronic device (100) by linking the identification information of the electronic device (100) (e.g., serial number or MAC address (MAC (medium access control) address), etc.) to the user account.

[0051] The server (200) may be, for example, a server that manages identification information for a user's electronic device. The server (200) may be an FTP (file transfer protocol) server, a web server, a database server, or a cloud server, and the server may be built with an operating system such as Linux.

[0052] The server (200) may be a user account linkage server. The server (200) may store user account information, identification information and control information for an electronic device (100) connected to the server (200). The server (200) may establish a communication connection with an access point (AP) (400) to transmit or receive user account information, identification information and control information for an electronic device (100) connected to the access point (400).

[0053] A user terminal device (300) may include a communication module capable of communicating with an electronic device (100) or a server (200), a user interface that receives user input or outputs information to the user, at least one processor that controls the operation of the user terminal device (300), and at least one memory in which a program for controlling the operation of the user terminal device (300) is stored.

[0054] The user terminal device (300) may be carried by the user or placed in the user's home or office, etc. The user terminal device (300) may include, but is not limited to, a personal computer, terminal, portable telephone, smartphone, handheld device, wearable device, etc.

[0055] A program, i.e., an application, for controlling an electronic device (100) can be stored in the memory of the user terminal device (300). The application may be sold with the application installed on the user terminal device (300), or may be downloaded and installed from an external server.

[0056] A user can connect to a server (200) and create a user account by running an application installed on a user terminal device (300), and can register an electronic device (100) by communicating with the server (200) based on the logged-in user account.

[0057] For example, if the electronic device (100) is operated in accordance with the procedure guided by the application installed on the user terminal device (300) so that the electronic device (100) can be connected to the server (200), the electronic device (100) can be registered to the user account by registering the identification information of the electronic device (100) (e.g., serial number or MAC address, etc.) to the corresponding user account on the server (200).

[0058] The user can control the electronic device (100) using an application installed on the user terminal device (300). For example, when the user logs into a user account using an application installed on the user terminal device (300), the electronic device (100) registered to the user account appears, and when the user inputs a control command for the electronic device (100), the control command can be transmitted to the electronic device (100) through the server (200).

[0059] The access point (400) may be a hub device that relays wireless internet access. The access point (400) may be a router, a wired / wireless router, or a Wi-Fi router, but is not limited thereto.

[0060] The access point (400) can establish a communication connection with the server (200) to transmit or receive user account information, identification information and control information of the electronic device (100) connected to the access point (400).

[0061] The access point (400) can perform a communication connection with an electronic device (100), a server (200), or a user terminal device (300) to transmit or receive user account information, identification information and control information for the electronic device (100) connected to the access point (400).

[0062] Here, the identification information of an electronic device may be information for uniquely identifying an electronic device. Specifically, the identification information may include hardware information. Such identification information may change in accordance with changes in the hardware information of the electronic device and may be expressed as a Device ID.

[0063] Here, the hardware information of the electronic device may be the unique information of the hardware constituting the electronic device.

[0064] The electronic device (100) can establish a communication connection with an access point (400) through a communication interface to transmit or receive connection information, user account information, device identification information, and device control information for the access point.

[0065] For example, when hardware information is changed, the electronic device (100) can obtain changed identification information based on the changed hardware information and transmit it to the server (200) by establishing a communication connection with the access point (400) to update the changed identification information.

[0066] However, it is not limited to this, and the electronic device (100) may be directly connected to a user terminal device (300) or a server (200) without going through an access point (400).

[0067] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0068] Referring to FIG. 2, the electronic device (100) includes a communication interface (110), a memory (120), and at least one processor (130).

[0069] According to an embodiment, the communication interface (110) may communicate with a server (200) or an access point (400). In particular, the communication interface (110) may transmit to the server (200) first identification information of the electronic device (100) generated based on hardware information of the electronic device (100) or second identification information of the electronic device (100) obtained based on changed hardware information in order to update identification information of the electronic device (100) linked to the server (200). The operation of communicating with an external device will be described in detail in FIGS. 10 and FIGS. 11.

[0070] The communication interface (110) may include wired or wireless input / output interfaces (or input / output terminals) according to various standards. For example, one or more connection interfaces may include various interfaces such as HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface), MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link), USB (Universal Serial Bus), DP (Display Port), Thunderbolt, VGA (Video Graphics Array) port, RGB port, D-SUB (D-subminiature), DVI (Digital Visual Interface), AP-based Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi, Wireless LAN Network), Bluetooth, Zigbee, wired / wireless LAN (Local Area Network), WAN (Wide Area Network), Ethernet, IEEE 1394, AES / EBU (Audio Engineering Society / European Broadcasting Union), Optical, Coaxial, etc.

[0071] According to an embodiment, the memory (120) may store data necessary for various embodiments of the present disclosure. Depending on the purpose of data storage, the memory (120) may be implemented in the form of a memory embedded in the electronic device (100) or in the form of a memory that can be attached to and detached from the electronic device (100).

[0072] For example, data for driving the electronic device (100) may be stored in memory embedded in the electronic device (100), and data for the expansion function of the electronic device (100) may be stored in memory that is detachable from the electronic device (100).

[0073] In the case of memory embedded in an electronic device (100), it may be implemented in the form of volatile memory (e.g., DRAM (dynamic RAM), SRAM (static RAM), or SDRAM (synchronous dynamic RAM), etc.), non-volatile memory (e.g., OTPROM (one time programmable ROM), PROM (programmable ROM), EPROM (erasable and programmable ROM), EEPROM (electrically erasable and programmable ROM), mask ROM, flash ROM, flash memory (e.g., NAND flash or NOR flash), etc.), hard drive, or solid state drive (SSD).

[0074] In the case of a memory that can be attached to and detached from an electronic device (100), it can be implemented in the form of a memory card (e.g., CF (compact flash), SD (secure digital), Micro-SD (micro secure digital), Mini-SD (mini secure digital), xD (extreme digital), MMC (multi-media card), etc.) or an external memory that can be connected to a USB port (e.g., USB memory).

[0075] The memory (120) may include various instructions required for the operation of at least one processor (130). Here, the instructions may include an instruction for obtaining second identification information of an electronic device (100) based on changed hardware information, an instruction for identifying whether there is a history of the first identification information being linked to a server (200), an instruction for transmitting the second identification information to the server (200) so that the linked first identification information is updated to the second identification information, and an instruction for performing a communication connection with the server (200) based on the linked first identification information.

[0076] The memory (120) can store identification information of the electronic device (100). Here, the identification information may be a first identification information of the electronic device (100) generated based on hardware information of the electronic device (100) or a second identification information of the electronic device (100) obtained based on changed hardware information.

[0077] For example, the electronic device (100) may obtain identification information based on information such as hardware configuration information, hardware version information, and serial information of the electronic device (100). However, it is not limited thereto, and the identification information may be information received from an external device or information stored in advance in memory (120).

[0078] According to an embodiment, at least one processor (130) controls the overall operation of the electronic device (100). Specifically, at least one processor (130) is connected to each component of the electronic device (100) to control the overall operation of the electronic device (100).

[0079] According to an embodiment, at least one processor (130) can control a server (200), a user terminal device (300), or an access point (400).

[0080] At least one processor (130) can perform the operation of an electronic device (100) according to various embodiments by executing at least one instruction stored in memory (120).

[0081] At least one processor (130) can obtain second identification information of the electronic device (100) based on the changed hardware information when the hardware information of the electronic device (100) is changed.

[0082] For example, when a communication module included in the electronic device (100) is replaced, the electronic device (100) can obtain identification information of the changed electronic device (100) based on the unique information of the replaced communication module.

[0083] When at least one processor (130) obtains the changed second identification information, it can identify whether the first identification information stored in memory (120) has a history of being linked to the server (200).

[0084] If at least one processor (130) identifies that the first identification information has a history of being linked with the server (200), it can transmit the second identification information to the server (200) so that the linked first identification information is updated to the second identification information.

[0085] For example, at least one processor (130) can transmit second identification information to the server (200) so that when a device is registered with the server (200) based on first identification information of an electronic device (100), the registered first identification information is updated to second identification information.

[0086] However, if there is matching identification information among the identification information registered in the server (200) for the second identification information, the server (200) may not update the first identification information of the electronic device (100) with the second identification information to prevent duplicate registration. The specific operation for this is explained in detail in FIG. 7.

[0087] If at least one processor (130) identifies that the first identification information has a history of being linked with the server (200), it can establish a communication connection with the server (200) based on the linked first identification information. In this case, at least one processor (130) can establish a communication connection with the server (200) through the access point (400), or it can establish a communication connection with the server (200) directly without using the access point (400).

[0088] According to an embodiment, at least one processor (130) may be implemented as a digital signal processor (DSP) that processes digital signals, a microprocessor, or a TCON (Timing controller). However, it is not limited thereto, and may include or be defined by one or more of a central processing unit (CPU), a Micro Controller Unit (MCU), a micro processing unit (MPU), a controller, an application processor (AP), a communication processor (CP), an ARM processor, or an AI (Artificial Intelligence) processor. Additionally, at least one processor (130) may be implemented as a System on Chip (SoC) or Large Scale Integration (LSI) with a built-in processing algorithm, or may be implemented in the form of a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). At least one processor (130) can perform various functions by executing computer executable instructions stored in memory.

[0089] At least one processor (130) may include one or more of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), APU (Accelerated Processing Unit), MIC (Many Integrated Core), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), NPU (Neural Processing Unit), hardware accelerator, or machine learning accelerator.

[0090] At least one processor (130) can control one or any combination of other components of the electronic device (100) and can perform operations or data processing related to communication. At least one processor (130) can execute one or more programs or instructions stored in memory (120). For example, at least one processor (130) can perform the method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure by executing one or more instructions stored in memory (120).

[0091] If the method according to the embodiment of the present disclosure includes a plurality of operations, the plurality of operations may be performed by a single processor or by a plurality of processors.

[0092] For example, when the first operation, the second operation, and the third operation are performed by the method according to the embodiment, the first operation, the second operation, and the third operation may all be performed by the first processor, or the first operation and the second operation may be performed by the first processor (e.g., a general-purpose processor) and the third operation may be performed by the second processor (e.g., an artificial intelligence dedicated processor).

[0093] At least one processor (130) may be implemented as a single core processor including one core, or as one or more multicore processors including multiple cores (e.g., homogeneous multicore or heterogeneous multicore).

[0094] When at least one processor (130) is implemented as a multi-core processor, each of the multiple cores included in the multi-core processor may include internal processor memory such as cache memory or on-chip memory, and a common cache shared by multiple cores may be included in the multi-core processor.

[0095] Each of the multiple cores (or some of the multiple cores) included in the multi-core processor may independently read and execute program instructions for implementing the method according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, or all (or some of) of the multiple cores may be linked together to read and execute program instructions for implementing the method according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0096] FIG. 3 is a detailed block diagram for explaining an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0097] Referring to FIG. 3, an electronic device (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a communication interface (110), a memory (120), and at least one processor (130). Parts that overlap with the description above will be omitted or abbreviated below.

[0098] At least one processor (130) may include a unique information detection module (131), an identification information generation module (132), and an identification information management module (133).

[0099] At least one processor (130) can detect and obtain unique information of the hardware through a unique information detection module (131).

[0100] Additionally, at least one processor (130) can generate identification information of an electronic device (100) based on unique information of the hardware through an identification information generation module (132) and store it in memory (120).

[0101] Additionally, at least one processor (130) can perform a communication connection with a server (200) using identification information of an electronic device (100) through an identification information management module (133), and can transmit or update the identification information of the electronic device (100) to the server (200).

[0102] Specifically, when the first identification information linked to the server (200) is updated to the second identification information, at least one processor (130) updates the first identification information stored in the memory (120) of the electronic device (100) to the second identification information and can perform a communication connection with the server (200) based on the second identification information.

[0103] Below, the overall control operation of the electronic device (100) of at least one processor (130) will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7.

[0104] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an electronic device managing identification information according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0105] At least one processor (130) can identify that the hardware information of the electronic device (100) has been changed through the unique information detection module (131) (S410).

[0106] At least one processor (130) can obtain second identification information of the electronic device (100) based on the changed hardware information (S420).

[0107] At least one processor (130) can identify whether there is a history of the first identification information being linked to the server (200) (S430).

[0108] If at least one processor (130) identifies that the first identification information has a history of being linked with the server (200), it can transmit the second identification information to the server (200) so that the linked first identification information is updated to the second identification information (S440).

[0109] If at least one processor (130) identifies that the first identification information has no history of being linked to the server (200), it can update the first identification information stored in memory (120) to the second identification information (S450).

[0110] For example, if at least one processor (130) identifies that the first identification information has no history of being linked to the server (200), it may delete the first identification number stored in memory (120) and store the second identification information obtained based on the changed hardware information as new identification information.

[0111] In this case, at least one processor (130) may not perform a communication connection with the server (200) based on the first identification information, but may perform a communication connection with the server (200) based on the updated second identification information.

[0112] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an electronic device managing identification information according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0113] At least one processor (130) can identify that the hardware information of the electronic device (100) has been changed through the unique information detection module (131) (S510).

[0114] At least one processor (130) can obtain second identification information of the electronic device (100) based on the changed hardware information (S520).

[0115] At least one processor (130) can identify whether there is a history of the first identification information being linked to the server (200) (S530).

[0116] If at least one processor (130) identifies that the first identification information has a history of being linked with the server (200), it can perform a communication connection with the server (200) based on the linked first identification information (S540). That is, at least one processor (130) may perform communication with the server (200) based on the previously linked identification information rather than the changed identification information.

[0117] If at least one processor (130) identifies that the first identification information has a history of being linked with the server (200), it can transmit the second identification information to the server (200) so that the linked first identification information is updated to the second identification information (S550).

[0118] At least one processor (130) can update the first identification information stored in memory (120) to the second identification information when the first identification information linked to the server (200) is updated to the second identification information (S560).

[0119] At least one processor (130) can establish a communication connection with the server (200) based on the second identification information (S570).

[0120] Meanwhile, if at least one processor (130) identifies that the first identification information has no history of being linked to the server (200), it can update the first identification information stored in memory (120) to the second identification information without performing a communication connection to the server (200) based on the first identification information (S580).

[0121] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an electronic device managing identification information according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0122] At least one processor (130) can identify that the hardware information of the electronic device (100) has been changed through the unique information detection module (131) (S610).

[0123] At least one processor (130) can obtain second identification information of the electronic device (100) based on the changed hardware information (S620).

[0124] At least one processor (130) can identify whether there is a history of the first identification information being linked to the server (200) (S630).

[0125] At least one processor (130) can obtain connection information or user information for an access point (400) if it is identified that the first identification information has a history of being linked with the server (200) (S640).

[0126] If at least one processor (130) identifies that the first identification information has a history of being linked with the server (200), it can perform a communication connection with the server (200) based on the linked first identification information (S650).

[0127] In this case, at least one processor (130) may establish a communication connection with the access point (400) based on connection information or user information regarding the access point (400), and may establish a communication connection with the server (200) through the access point (400). However, this is not limited thereto, and at least one processor (130) may establish communication by directly connecting to the server (200) without going through the access point (400).

[0128] At least one processor (130) can identify whether the time for which the communication connection with the server (200) is maintained exceeds a preset time based on the linked first identification information when a communication connection with the server (200) is established (S660).

[0129] At least one processor (130) can transmit second identification information to the server (200) so that the linked first identification information is updated to second identification information when it is determined that the time for which the communication connection with the server (200) is maintained has exceeded a preset time (S670).

[0130] At least one processor (130) can maintain a communication connection with the server (200) based on linked first identification information if it is identified that the time for which the communication connection is maintained does not exceed a preset time (S661).

[0131] For example, if the pre-set time is 1 hour, if the time for maintaining the communication connection with the server (200) is within 1 hour, communication with the server (200) is performed using the existing first identification information, and if the time for maintaining the communication connection with the server (200) exceeds 1 hour, the first identification information is updated to the second identification information, and communication with the server (200) is performed using the updated second identification information.

[0132] If at least one processor (130) identifies that the first identification information has a history of being linked with the server (200), it can transmit the second identification information to the server (200) so that the linked first identification information is updated to the second identification information (S670).

[0133] At least one processor (130) can update the first identification information stored in memory (120) to the second identification information when the first identification information linked to the server (200) is updated to the second identification information (S680).

[0134] At least one processor (130) can establish a communication connection with the server (200) based on the second identification information (S690).

[0135] Meanwhile, if at least one processor (130) identifies that the first identification information has no history of being linked to the server (200), it can update the first identification information stored in memory (120) to the second identification information without performing a communication connection to the server (200) based on the first identification information (S631).

[0136] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a server updating identification information according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0137] When the electronic device (100) transmits the second identification information to the server (200) so that the first identification information linked to it is updated to the second identification information, the server (200) receives the second identification information from the electronic device (100) (S710) and can identify whether the second identification information matches the identification information of an external device registered in the server (200) (S720).

[0138] If the identification information of an external device registered with the server (200) does not match the second identification information, the server (200) can transmit permission information for the second identification information to the electronic device (100) and update the identification information (S730).

[0139] Here, the permission information for the second identification information may mean information that allows updating the first identification information to the second identification information when the identification information of the external device registered with the server (200) does not match the second identification information.

[0140] If the identification information of an external device registered in the server (200) matches the second identification information, the server (200) can transmit information that is not allowed for the second identification information to the electronic device (100) (S740).

[0141] Here, the information not allowed for the second identification information may mean information to prevent duplicate registration of the external device and the electronic device (100) for the same identification information when the identification information of the external device registered on the server (200) matches the second identification information.

[0142] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a method for an electronic device to manage identification information according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0143] Referring to FIG. 8, when the hardware information of the electronic device is changed, the electronic device can obtain a second identification information of the electronic device based on the changed hardware information (S810). Here, the hardware information of the electronic device may be unique information of the hardware constituting the electronic device.

[0144] The electronic device can identify whether there is a history of the first identification information of the electronic device being linked to a server (S820).

[0145] If the electronic device identifies that the first identification information has a history of being linked with the server, it can transmit the second identification information to the server so that the linked first identification information is updated with the second identification information (S830).

[0146] Here, the identification information of an electronic device may be information for uniquely identifying an electronic device. Specifically, the identification information may include hardware information. Such identification information may change in accordance with changes in the hardware information of the electronic device and may be expressed as a Device ID.

[0147] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a method for an electronic device to manage identification information according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0148] Referring to FIG. 9, when the hardware information of the electronic device is changed, the electronic device can obtain second identification information of the electronic device based on the changed hardware information (S910).

[0149] The electronic device can identify whether there is a history of the first identification information of the electronic device being linked to a server (S920).

[0150] If the electronic device is identified as having a history of being linked with the server, it can establish a communication connection with the server based on the linked first identification information.

[0151] When the electronic device identifies that the first identification information has a history of being linked with the server, it can perform a communication connection with the server and transmit the second identification information to the server so that the first identification information linked to the server is updated to the second identification information (S930).

[0152] When the electronic device updates the first identification information linked to the server to the second identification information, the electronic device can update the first identification information stored in the electronic device to the second identification information (S940).

[0153] When the first identification information stored in the electronic device is updated with the second identification information, the electronic device can establish a communication connection with the server based on the second identification information (S950).

[0154] The method for managing identification information of electronic devices described in FIGS. 8 and 9 may be performed by a device having various configurations such as FIGS. 2 and 3 described above, but is not necessarily limited thereto and may be performed by a device having various configurations.

[0155] The various embodiments described above may be implemented as individual embodiments, or at least one embodiment may be combined with one another, either wholly or partially, to be implemented together in a single device.

[0156] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing the order in which an electronic device (100) and a server (200) operate according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0157] In FIG. 10, the electronic device (100) and the server (200) are shown communicating directly, but this is not necessarily limited thereto, and as described later in FIG. 11, an access point (400) may relay communication between the electronic device (100) and the server (200).

[0158] Referring to FIG. 10, when hardware information of the electronic device (100) is changed, the electronic device (100) obtains second identification information of the electronic device (100) based on the changed hardware information (S1010).

[0159] The electronic device (100) identifies whether there is a history of the first identification information being linked to the server (200) (S1020). The electronic device (100) transmits the second identification information to the server (200).

[0160] The server (200) checks whether the received second identification information matches the identification information of an external device registered in the server (200) (S1030).

[0161] If the identification information of an external device registered in the server (200) and the second identification information do not match, the server (200) updates the first identification information stored in the server (200) with the second identification information (S1040).

[0162] The server (200) transmits information for use regarding the second identification information. Here, the permission information for the second identification information may be information that allows updating the first identification information to the second identification information when the identification information of an external device registered with the server (200) does not match the second identification information.

[0163] When the electronic device (100) receives permission information for the second identification information from the server (200), it updates the first identification information stored in the electronic device (100) with the second identification information (S1050).

[0164] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing the order in which an electronic device, an access point (AP), and a server operate according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0165] Referring to FIG. 11, when hardware information of the electronic device (100) is changed, the electronic device (100) obtains second identification information of the electronic device (100) based on the changed hardware information (S1110).

[0166] The electronic device (100) identifies whether there is a history of the first identification information being linked to the server (200) (S1120).

[0167] When the electronic device (100) identifies that the first identification information has a history of being linked with the server (200), it obtains connection information or user information for the access point (400).

[0168] The electronic device (100) performs a communication connection to the access point (400) based on connection information or user information for the acquired access point (400).

[0169] The electronic device (100) establishes a communication connection with the server (200) through the access point (400) and transmits second identification information to the server (200).

[0170] The server (200) checks whether the received second identification information matches the identification information of an external device registered in the server (200) (S1130).

[0171] If the identification information of an external device registered in the server (200) and the second identification information do not match, the server (200) updates the first identification information stored in the server (200) with the second identification information (S1140).

[0172] The server (200) transmits information for use regarding the second identification information. Here, the permission information for the second identification information may be information that allows updating the first identification information to the second identification information when the identification information of an external device registered with the server (200) does not match the second identification information.

[0173] When the electronic device (100) receives permission information for the second identification information from the server (200), it updates the first identification information stored in the electronic device (100) with the second identification information (S1150).

[0174] According to the various embodiments described above, even if the identification information of an electronic device changes due to the replacement of its hardware information, convenience can be provided to the user by linking the changed identification information to the server without user intervention. Ultimately, the user experience can be improved.

[0175] Various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented as software stored on a machine-readable storage media that can be mounted on or connected to a smartphone, a user terminal device, and various other electronic devices (e.g., a computer).

[0176] Specifically, a non-transient computer-readable storage medium may be provided that stores software for sequentially performing the steps of: obtaining a second identification information of an electronic device based on the changed hardware information when the hardware information of the electronic device is changed; identifying whether the first identification information of the electronic device has a history of being linked to a server; and, if it is identified that the first identification information has a history of being linked to a server, transmitting the second identification information to a server so that the linked first identification information is updated to the second identification information.

[0177] A device equipped with such a non-transient readable medium can perform various operations such as tag identification corresponding to user actions described in the various embodiments above, verification of importance per multiple frames, and generation of edited images.

[0178] In non-transitory computer-readable storage media, 'non-transitory' simply means that the storage medium does not contain a signal and is tangible; it does not distinguish whether data is stored semi-permanently or temporarily on the storage medium.

[0179] Alternatively, a program for performing the methods according to the various embodiments described above may be distributed online through an application 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 a relay server.

[0180] Each component (e.g., module or program) according to various embodiments may consist of a single or multiple entities, and some of the aforementioned sub-components may be omitted, or other sub-components may be further included in various embodiments. Generally or additionally, some components (e.g., module or program) may be integrated into a single entity to perform the same or similar functions as those performed by each of the respective components prior to integration.

[0181] Operations performed by a module, program, or other component according to various embodiments may be executed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically, or at least some operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or other operations may be added.

[0182] It is obvious that various embodiments of the present disclosure according to the claims and the description in this specification may be realized in the form of hardware, in the form of software, or in the form of a combination of hardware and software.

[0183] Such software may be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores one or more computer programs (software modules), and said one or more computer programs include computer execution instructions that control the electronic device to perform the method of the present disclosure when executed individually or collectively by one or more processors of the electronic device.

[0184] The software may be stored in a volatile or non-volatile storage form, for example, in a storage device such as ROM regardless of whether it can be erased or rewritten, or in a memory form such as random access memory (RAM), memory chips, devices, or integrated circuits, for example, or on an optically or magnetically readable medium such as a compact disc (CD), digital video disc (DVD), magnetic disc, or magnetic tape. Such storage devices and storage media may be understood as examples of non-transitory machine-readable storage media suitable for storing computer programs containing instructions for implementing various embodiments of the present disclosure. Accordingly, various embodiments may provide a program containing code for implementing an apparatus or method according to any claim of the present specification, and a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium for storing such a program.

[0185] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to various embodiments, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details are possible without departing from the scope and perspective of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims and equivalents.

Claims

1. In an electronic device, Communication interface for communicating with a server; A memory comprising one or more storage media storing instructions of the electronic device generated based on hardware information of the electronic device and first identification information; and It includes at least one processor coupled to communicate with the communication interface and the memory and capable of executing the instructions; When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device, When the above hardware information is changed, the second identification information of the electronic device is obtained, and Identifying a log indicating that the above first identification information has been transmitted to the server, and An electronic device that, when the above log is identified, transmits the second identification information to the server to update the identification information of the electronic device with the second identification information to the server.

2. In Paragraph 1, When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device, An electronic device that, when the above log is identified, performs communication with the server based on the above first identification information.

3. In Paragraph 1, When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device, When the identified information of the electronic device is updated to the server as the second identified information, the first identified information stored in the memory is updated to the second identified information, and An electronic device that performs communication with the server based on the second identification information.

4. In Paragraph 1, When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device, When the above log is identified, connection information or user information for connecting to the Access Point (AP) is obtained, and An electronic device that communicates with an access point based on connection information for connecting to the access point or user information, and communicates with a server through the access point.

5. In Paragraph 1, When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device, An electronic device that updates the first identification information stored in the memory to the second identification information if the above log is not identified.

6. In Paragraph 1, When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device, When the above log is identified, communication with the server is performed based on the transmitted first identification information, and An electronic device that transmits the second identification information to the server to update the identification information of the electronic device to the server when the time for which communication with the server is maintained exceeds a preset time.

7. In Paragraph 6, When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device, An electronic device that maintains a communication connection with the server based on the transmitted first identification information if the time during which the communication connection with the server is maintained does not exceed a preset time.

8. In Paragraph 1, When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the electronic device, To update the identification information of the electronic device to the server, the second identification information is transmitted to the server, and when permission information for the second identification information is received from the server based on the second identification information, the first identification information stored in the memory is updated with the second identification information. An electronic device that communicates with the server based on the second identification information.

9. In Paragraph 8, The permission information for the above second identification information is, An electronic device, which is information that allows updating the identification information to the second identification information based on the fact that the identification information of an external device registered on the server does not match the second identification information.

10. A method for controlling an electronic device that manages identification information of the electronic device, wherein A step of obtaining second identification information of the electronic device based on the changed hardware information when the hardware information of the electronic device is changed; A step of identifying a log indicating that the first identification information of the electronic device has been transmitted to a server; and A control method comprising the step of, when the above log is identified, transmitting the second identification information to the server to update the identification information of the electronic device with the second identification information to the server.

11. In Paragraph 10, The step of transmitting the above second identification information to the server is, A control method comprising the step of, when the above log is identified, communicating with the server based on the linked first identification information.

12. In Paragraph 10, When the identification information of the electronic device is updated to the second identification information on the server, the step of updating the first identification information stored in the electronic device to the second identification information; and A control method further comprising the step of communicating with the server based on the second identification information.

13. In Paragraph 10, A step of transmitting the second identification information to the server to update the identification information of the electronic device to the server; When permission information for the second identification information is received from the server based on the second identification information, a step of updating the first identification information stored in the memory with the second identification information; A control method further comprising the step of communicating with the server based on the second identification information.

14. In Paragraph 10, A control method further comprising the step of updating the first identification information stored in the electronic device to the second identification information if the above log is not identified.

15. One or more non-transient computer-readable storage media storing one or more computer programs, comprising computer execution instructions that cause said electronic device to perform an operation when executed individually or collectively by one or more processors of an electronic device, The above operation is, When the hardware information of the electronic device is changed, a step of obtaining second identification information of the electronic device; A step of identifying a log indicating that the first identification information of the electronic device has been transmitted to a server; and A non-transient computer-readable storage medium comprising: a step of transmitting the second identification information to the server to update the identification information of the electronic device with the second identification information to the server when the above log is identified.

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