Granted Patent B2

US 12,598,094 · App. 18/397,819 · Granted Apr 7, 2026

Inventors: Jaechan Lee (Suwon-si, KR); Jongwon Park (Suwon-si, KR); Jaegeun Son (Suwon-si, KR)

Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

H04L12/2807H04L12/2827H04W76/10

Abstract

Claims (52)

1 . A first home appliance comprising:

a communication interface configured to communicate with a second home appliance;

a first user interface configured to output information related to the second home appliance; and

at least one processor operably coupled to the communication interface and the first user interface, the at least one processor configured to:

obtain group information for grouping the first home appliance and the second home appliance by assigning the first home appliance as an assistant device and assigning the second home appliance as an actual device, wherein the group information includes communication connection information of the second home appliance comprising a unique address of the second home appliance;

establish a communication channel with the second home appliance based on the communication connection information of the second home appliance included in the group information;

activate, based on establishing the communication channel, a group mode for operating the first home appliance as the assistant device of the second home appliance;

receive information related to operations of the second home appliance from the second home appliance assigned as the actual device via the communication channel established based on communication connection information of the second home appliance, wherein the communication channel is established by the first home appliance to connect with the second home appliance; and

output the information related to the operations of the second home appliance via the first user interface while the group mode is activated,

wherein the communication connection information of the second home appliance is stored at the first home appliance, including capability information of the second home appliance to communicate with external devices to be connected with the second home appliance.

2 . The first home appliance of claim 1 , wherein the group information comprises at least one of:

role information of the first home appliance indicating that the first home appliance is assigned as the assistant device; or

role information of the second home appliance indicating that the second home appliance is assigned as the actual device.

3 . The first home appliance of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to obtain the group information via the communication interface from a server device that receives a user input for assigning the first home appliance as the assistant device and assigning the second home appliance as the actual device.

4 . The first home appliance of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

establish a short-range wireless communication channel with a mobile terminal that is connected to the second home appliance; and

obtain the group information from the mobile terminal via the short-range wireless communication channel.

5 . The first home appliance of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive, from a user via the first user interface, an input for assigning the first home appliance as the assistant device, and

wherein the communication interface is further configured to obtain, from the second home appliance via a short-range wireless communication channel, identification information of the second home appliance, role information of the second home appliance indicating that the second home appliance is assigned as the actual device, and the communication connection information of the second home appliance.

6 . The first home appliance of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

obtain information for a second user interface corresponding to the second home appliance;

display, based on the information for the second user interface, a graphical user interface (GUI) of the second home appliance on the first user interface; and

output the information related to the operations of the second home appliance via the GUI of the second home appliance.

7 . The first home appliance of claim 6 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to, when the second home appliance comprises a plurality of home appliances, display, on the first user interface, GUIs corresponding to the plurality of home appliances.

8 . The first home appliance of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to display, on the first user interface, a graphical user interface (GUI) of the first home appliance corresponding to original functions of the first home appliance and a GUI of the second home appliance.

9 . The first home appliance of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive an input for controlling the second home appliance and transmit, to the second home appliance via the communication channel, a control command corresponding to the input for controlling the second home appliance.

10 . The first home appliance of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to switch operations of the first home appliance from operations as an assistant device to operations as the actual device in response to receiving an input of switching roles of the first home appliance and the second home appliance.

11 . The first home appliance of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to, in response to receiving an input for deactivating the group mode, terminate operations as the assistant device while maintaining the communication channel established to connect with the second home appliance.

12 . The first home appliance of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to, in response to receiving an input for requesting to release grouping, release the communication channel established to connect with the second home appliance.

13 . A method performed by a first home appliance, the method comprising:

obtaining group information for grouping the first home appliance and a second home appliance by assigning the first home appliance as an assistant device and assigning the second home appliance as an actual device, wherein the group information includes communication connection information of the second home appliance comprising a unique address of the second home appliance;

establishing a communication channel with the second home appliance based on the communication connection information of the second home appliance included in the group information;

activating, based on establishing the communication channel, a group mode for operating the first home appliance as the assistant device of the second home appliance;

receiving information related to operations of the second home appliance from the second home appliance assigned as the actual device via a communication channel established based on communication connection information of the second home appliance, wherein the communication channel is established by the first home appliance to connect with the second home appliance; and

outputting the information related to the operations of the second home appliance while the group mode is activated,

wherein the communication connection information of the second home appliance is stored at the first home appliance, including capability information of the second home appliance to communicate with external devices to be connected with the second home appliance.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the group information comprises at least one of:

role information of the first home appliance indicating that the first home appliance is assigned as the assistant device; or

role information of the second home appliance indicating that the second home appliance has been assigned as the actual device.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the obtaining of the group information comprises obtaining the group information from a server device that receives a user input for assigning the first home appliance as the assistant device and assigning the second home appliance as the actual device.

16 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

establishing a short-range wireless communication channel with a mobile terminal that is connected to the second home appliance; and

obtaining the group information from the mobile terminal via the short-range wireless communication channel.

17 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

receiving, from a user via a first user interface of the first home appliance, an input for assigning the first home appliance as the assistant device; and

obtaining, from the second home appliance via a short-range wireless communication channel, identification information of the second home appliance, role information of the second home appliance indicating that the second home appliance is assigned as the used device, and the communication connection information of the second home appliance.

18 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

obtaining information for a second user interface corresponding to the second home appliance;

displaying, based on the information about the second user interface, a graphical user interface (GUI) of the second home appliance on a first user interface of the first home appliance; and

outputting the information related to the operations of the second home appliance via the GUI of the second home appliance.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising, when the second home appliance comprises a plurality of home appliances, displaying, on the first user interface, GUIs corresponding to the plurality of home appliances.

20 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising displaying, on a first user interface, a graphical user interface (GUI) of the first home appliance corresponding to original functions of the first home appliance and a GUI of the second home appliance.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (32)