US-12621884-B2 - Method and apparatus for controlling plurality of devices

Abstract

An electronic device transmits a target mode entry notification of the electronic device to a target device, so that each of the target device and the electronic device may execute an application corresponding to the target mode. Also, the electronic device transmits a target mode release notification of the electronic device to the target device, so that each of the target device and electronic device may resume an application in execution before entering the target mode.

Inventors

• Jongchan Kwon
• Jeongmin Kim
• Jihoon Kim

Assignees

• SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20230214

Priority Date

20210927

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A method performed by an electronic device, the method comprising: setting a first application to be executed by a first target device corresponding to a target mode, wherein the target mode is one of a plurality of modes available to the electronic device, wherein the first target device is selected from among a plurality of external devices associated with the same user as a user of the electronic device; determining that the electronic device enters the target mode; in response to the electronic device entering the target mode, executing a second application; transmitting, to the first target device, a target mode entry notification of the electronic device that triggers an operation of executing the first application on the first target device; determining that the electronic device is to release the target mode; in response to the electronic device releasing the target mode, resuming a third application that was in execution on the electronic device before entering the target mode; and transmitting, to the first target device, a target mode release notification of the electronic device that triggers an operation of resuming a fourth application that was in execution on the first target device before entering the target mode.
2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the executing of the first application corresponding to the target mode by the first target device comprises pausing the fourth application that was in execution before entering the target mode.
3. 3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the setting of the first application to be executed comprises setting a plurality of first applications to be executed when the first target device enters the target mode and setting execution priority of each of the first applications.
4. 4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: displaying, on a display of the electronic device, a screen that includes a plurality of interfaces respectively corresponding to the plurality of modes available to the electronic device; in response to receiving a user input selecting an interface corresponding to the target mode, entering the target mode; and in response to receiving a user input, selecting an interface corresponding to a first mode different from the target mode, releasing the target mode and entering the first mode.
5. 5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: setting a schedule of the target mode, the schedule comprising a scheduled entry point in time at which entry into the target mode is scheduled and a scheduled release point in time at which release of the target mode is scheduled; at the scheduled entry point in time, generating and displaying a mode entry message corresponding to the target mode and, in response to receiving a user input selecting the mode entry, entering the target mode; and at the scheduled release point in time, generating and displaying a mode release message corresponding to the target mode and, in response to receiving a user input selecting the mode release, releasing the target mode.
6. 6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: selecting, from among the external devices, a second target device corresponding to a second mode different from the target mode; and in response to the electronic device releasing the target mode and entering the second mode, terminating interaction with the first target device and performing interaction with the second target device.
7. 7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: in response to receiving a notification message, determining that the notification message is related to the target mode; and in response to the notification message being related to the target mode, transmitting the notification message to a primary device selected from among the electronic device and the first set-of-target devices.
8. 8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the primary device is determined based on at least one of log information, activity information, and operation information of a sensor included in the electronic device and the first target devices.
9. 9 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising: providing, after releasing the target mode, a notification for one or more suppressed notification messages that were not related to the target mode and received while operating in the target mode.
10. 10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the setting of the first application to be executed comprises receiving, from a server, information on at least one candidate device for the target mode based on a type of occupation mapped to a user account of the electronic device connected to the server, and receiving from the server a candidate application for each of the at least one candidate device.
11. 11 . An electronic device comprising: a processor configured to: set a first application to be executed by a first target device corresponding to a target mode, wherein the target mode is one of a plurality of modes available to the electronic device, wherein the first target device is selected from among a plurality of external devices associated with the same user as a user of the electronic device; determining that the electronic device enters the target mode; in response to the electronic device entering the target mode, execute a second application; transmit, to the first target device, a target mode entry notification of the electronic device that triggers an operation of executing the first application on the first target device; determining that the electronic device is to release the target mode; in response to the electronic device releasing the target mode, resume a third application that was in execution on the electronic device before entering the target mode; and transmit, to the first target device, a target mode release notification of the electronic device that triggers an operation of resuming a fourth application that was in execution on the first target device before entering the target mode.
12. 12 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to pause the fourth application's execution before entering the target mode.
13. 13 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the first application comprises a plurality of applications, and the processor is configured to set execution priority of each of the applications.
14. 14 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to display, on a display of the electronic device, a screen that includes a plurality of interfaces respectively corresponding to the plurality of modes of the electronic device, in response to receiving a user input for selecting an interface corresponding to the target mode, enter the target mode, and in response to receiving a user input for selecting an interface corresponding to a first mode different from the target mode, release the target mode and enter the first mode.
15. 15 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to: set a schedule of the target mode, the schedule comprising a scheduled entry point in time at which entry into the target mode is scheduled and a scheduled release point in time at which release of the target mode is scheduled; at the scheduled entry point in time, generate and display a mode entry message corresponding to the target mode and, in response to receiving a user input selecting the mode entry, entering the target mode; and at the scheduled release point in time, generate and display a mode release message corresponding to the target mode and, in response to receiving a user input selecting the mode release, releasing the target mode.
16. 16 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to select, from among the external devices, a second target device corresponding to a second mode different from the target mode, and in response to the electronic device releasing the target mode and entering the second mode, terminating interaction with the first target device and performing interaction with the second target device.
17. 17 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to, in response to receiving a notification message, determine that the notification message is related to the target mode, and in response to the notification message being related to the target mode, transmit the notification message to a primary device selected from among the electronic device and the first set of target devices.
18. 18 . The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the primary device is determined based on at least one of log information, activity information, and operation information of a sensor included in the electronic device and the first target devices.
19. 19 . The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the processor is configured to provide, after releasing the target mode, a notification for one or more suppressed notification messages that were not related to the target mode and received while operating in the target mode.
20. 20 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to receive, from a server, information on at least one candidate device for the target mode based on a type of occupation mapped to a user account of the electronic device connected to the server, and receiving from the server a candidate application for each of the at least one candidate device.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation application, claiming priority under § 365(c), of International Application No. PCT/KR2022/013243, filed on Sep. 5, 2022, which is based on and claims the benefit of Korean patent application number 10-2021-0127142, filed on Sep. 27, 2021, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. BACKGROUND 1. Field Various example embodiments of the disclosure relate to a method and apparatus for controlling a plurality of devices and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for allowing a plurality of devices to collectively enter a target mode or for collectively releasing the target mode. 2. Description of Related Art With the development of wireless communication, multiple electrical and electronic products used at home are connected to a single network device that facilitates two-way communication in a wired and/or wireless manner. Further, with the advent of smartphones, a smart home service capable of controlling devices used at home using the smartphone is becoming common. As the use of the smartphone is diversified, the smart home service is used in various aspects more frequently. Therefore, improvement plans for more efficiently operating the smart home service are being studied. SUMMARY Typically, for a smart home service to operate per a user's desire, each of a plurality of devices that play a role in the service needs to execute an application for the service to be performed. For example, when the user performs a job, each of the plurality of devices needs to execute the application suitable for the job; however, it is cumbersome for the user to individually execute an application for each of the plurality of devices. As another example, when the user finishes a job and performs some exercise, it is also cumbersome to individually change to an application suitable for exercise for each of the plurality of devices. According to various example embodiments, in response to an electronic device entering a target mode, a first target device is caused to enter the target mode by transmitting a target mode entry notification to the first target device. Also, in response to releasing the target mode, the electronic device may release the target mode of the first target device by transmitting a target mode release notification to the first target device. In response to entering the target mode, the electronic device, according to an example embodiment, may pause execution of a first application before entering the target mode and may execute a second preset application in response to the target mode. In the case of releasing the target mode, the electronic device may resume the paused application (paused before entering the target mode). Likewise, in response to entering the target mode, each first target device corresponding to the target mode may pause executing an application before entering the target mode and may execute a preset application in response to the target mode, or in response to the request to enter the target mode. In the case of releasing the target mode, each first target device may resume the execution of the application that was paused before entering the target mode. A method performed by an electronic device according to an example embodiment may include setting an application to be executed when an electronic device enters a target mode with respect to one or more target devices. The target devices are selected from among several external devices of the same user (who is using the electronic device). In response to the electronic device entering the target mode, an application corresponding to the target mode is executed on the electronic device. The electronic device transmits to the at least one target device a target mode entry notification of the electronic device. The notification triggers an operation of executing the application corresponding to the target mode in the target device(s). Further, in response to the electronic device releasing the target mode, the execution of the application that was paused before entering the target mode is resumed. Further, the electronic device transmits, to the at least one target device, a target mode release notification that triggers an operation of resuming execution of the application that was paused before entering the target mode on the target device(s). An electronic device, according to an example embodiment, may include a processor configured to set an application to be executed when the electronic device enters a target mode. The target mode corresponds to one or more target devices selected from among external devices of the same user that is using the electronic device. In response to entering the target mode, an application corresponding to the target mode is executed. Further, a target mode entry notification of the electronic device is transmitted to at least one of the t