Granted Patent B2

US 12,323,265 · App. 18/377,446 · Granted Jun 3, 2025

Inventors: Sungtaek Kim (Suwon-si, KR); Kyuho Shin (Suwon-si, KR); Pyoje Cho (Suwon-si, KR)

Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.

H04L12/185

Abstract

Claims (51)

1. An electronic device comprising:

a touch screen display;

communication circuitry; and

at least one processor,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

detect, via the communication circuitry, at least one external electronic device located around the electronic device;

receive a request for producing a group including the at least one external electronic device and the electronic device;

determine whether a number of times communication is performed between the at least one external electronic device and the electronic device is greater than or equal to a first predetermined number of times in response to reception of the request;

determine an attribute of the group to which the at least one external electronic device belongs based on a determination result and designate the attribute as a first type of group that shares data with the at least one external electronic device during a first period; and

display an indicator indicating the at least one external electronic device on the touch screen display according to the determined attribute of the group,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine whether a current location of the electronic device substantially corresponds to a predetermined location stored in the electronic device; and

determine the attribute in case the current location substantially corresponds to the predetermined location based at least on whether the electronic device is located in the current location at least a second predetermined number of times and whether the number of times communication is performed between the at least one external electronic device and the electronic device is greater than or equal to the first predetermined number of times, and

wherein the at least one processor is allowed to access only data designated as public data based at least on determining that the current location does not substantially correspond to the predetermined location.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine the attribute based at least on whether identification information of the at least one external electronic device corresponds to identification information included in a contact list stored in memory of the electronic device and whether the number of times communication is performed between the at least one external electronic device and the electronic device is greater than or equal to the first predetermined number of times.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine the attribute based at least on whether a number of times the at least one external electronic device is detected is greater than or equal to a third predetermined number of times and whether the number of times communication is performed between the at least one external electronic device and the electronic device is greater than or equal to the first predetermined number of times.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to designate the attribute as a second type of group that shares data with the at least one external electronic device during a first period and allows the at least one external electronic device to access public data and privacy data based at least on determining that the current location corresponds to the predetermined location and the number of times communication is performed between the at least one external electronic device and the electronic device is less than the first predetermined number of times.

5. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to designate the attribute as a third type of group that shares data with the at least one external electronic device during a second period and allows the at least one external electronic device to access only data designated as public data based at least on determining that the current location substantially corresponds to a predetermined location stored in the electronic device and the number of times the at least one external electronic device is detected is less than the third predetermined number of times.

6. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to designate the attribute as a fourth type of group that shares data with the at least one external electronic device during a second period and allows the at least one external electronic device to access data designated as public data and privacy data based at least on determining that the current location substantially corresponds to a predetermined location stored in the electronic device and the number of times the at least one external electronic device is detected is greater than or equal to the third predetermined number of times.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to, in case the at least one external electronic device is a plurality of external electronic devices and is grouped into a single group, display the plurality of detected external electronic devices as a single group on the touch screen display.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to display an indicator indicating at least one sub-electronic device that is operatively connected to the at least one detected external electronic device on the touch screen display.

9. A method of controlling an electronic device, the method comprising:

detecting at least one external electronic device located around the electronic device;

receiving a request for producing a group including the at least one external electronic device and the electronic device;

determining whether a number of times communication is performed between the at least one external electronic device and the electronic device is greater than or equal to a first predetermined number of times in response to reception of the request;

determining an attribute of the group to which the at least one external electronic device belongs based on at least a determination result;

designating the attribute as a first type of group that shares data with the at least one external electronic device during a first period; and

displaying an indicator indicating the at least one external electronic device on a touch screen display of the electronic device according to the determined attribute,

wherein the at least one external electronic device is allowed to access only data designated as public data based at least on determining that a current location of the electronic device does not substantially correspond to a predetermined location.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

determining the attribute based at least on whether identification information of the at least one external electronic device corresponds to identification information included in a contact list stored in memory of the electronic device and whether the number of times communication is performed between the at least one external electronic device and the electronic device is greater than or equal to the first predetermined number of times.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

determining whether a current location of the electronic device substantially corresponds to a predetermined location stored in the electronic device; and

in case the current location substantially corresponds to the predetermined location, determining the attribute based at least on whether the electronic device is located in the current location at least a second predetermined number of times and whether the number of times communication is performed between the at least one detected external electronic device and the electronic device is greater than or equal to the first predetermined number of times.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

determining the attribute based at least on whether a number of times that the at least one external electronic device is detected is greater than or equal to a third predetermined number of times and whether the number of times communication is performed between the at least one external electronic device and the electronic device is greater than or equal to the first predetermined number of times.

13. A method of controlling an electronic device, the method comprising:

detecting an external electronic device located around the electronic device;

receiving a request for producing a group including the external electronic device and the electronic device;

determining whether a number of times communication is performed between the external electronic device and the electronic device is greater than or equal to a first predetermined number of times in response to reception of the request;

determining an attribute of the group based on at least a determination result;

designating the attribute as a first type of group that shares data with the at least one external electronic device during a first period; and

displaying an indicator indicating the external electronic device on the electronic device according to the determined attribute,

wherein the external electronic device is allowed to access only data designated as public data based on determining that a current location of the electronic device does not substantially correspond to a predetermined location.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

determining the attribute based on identification information of the external electronic device corresponding to identification information included in a contact list of the electronic device and whether the number of times communication is performed between the external electronic device and the electronic device is greater than or equal to the first predetermined number of times.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

determining whether a current location of the electronic device substantially corresponds to a predetermined location; and

in case the current location substantially corresponds to the predetermined location, determining the attribute based on whether the external electronic device is located in the current location at least a second predetermined number of times and whether the number of times communication is performed between the external electronic device and the electronic device is greater than or equal to the first predetermined number of times.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

determining the attribute based on whether a number of times the external electronic device is detected is greater than or equal to a third predetermined number of times and whether the number of times communication is performed between the external electronic device and the electronic device is greater than or equal to the first predetermined number of times.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (28)