# US 10,772,156 B2 · Electronic apparatus and method of controlling the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,772,156 B2 - Document ID: US10772156B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/071,771 - Filed: 2016-12-05 - Published: 2019-01-24 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2016-02-01 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Woo-chul Shim - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10772156B2 ## CPC - H04W 88/02: Terminal devices - G06F 1/1698: {the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone (details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266)} - G06F 3/02: Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials - H04L 63/0492: {by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities} - H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication - H04W 12/06: Authentication - H04W 12/50: Secure pairing of devices - H04W 48/08: Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery (signalling during connection H04W76/00) - H04W 76/10: Connection setup - H04W 4/70: Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] - H04W 12/33: using wearable devices, e.g. using a smartwatch or smart-glasses - H04W 12/43: using shared identity modules, e.g. SIM sharing - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract An electronic device of the present disclosure includes: a communicator configured to communicate with an external device; and a controller configured to perform control for connecting with a user terminal of transmitting a first communication signal having a first signal strength when the first communication signal is received through the communicator, receiving information about connection with a communication relay from the connected user terminal, and connecting with the communication relay of transmitting a second communication signal having a second signal strength lower than the first signal strength through the communicator based on the received connection information. Thus, an IoT device can have safe access to a wireless AP through a user terminal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electronic device comprising: a user input unit configured to receive an input of a user; a communicator configured to communicate with a user terminal and a communication relay; and at least one processor configured to perform control for: based on the user terminal being positioned within a predetermined range from the electronic device, identifying the user terminal as a device of strongest signal strength from among a plurality of devices comprising the user terminal and the communication relay, based on a user input via the user input unit, connecting with the user terminal identified as the device of the strongest signal strength through the communicator, receiving information about connection with the communication relay from the user terminal, and based on the received information about connection with the communication relay, connecting with the communication relay through the communicator, wherein the user input comprises a button push on the electronic device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to, based on a second user input via the user input unit and the received information about connection with the communication relay, connect with the communication relay through the communicator, and wherein the second user input comprises a second button push on the electronic device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the communicator is further configured to communicate with another communication relay, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to connect with the other communication relay when the user input is received and if the other communication relay is identified as a third device of stronger signal strength than the user terminal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the user input unit comprises at least one button provided at an outer side of the electronic device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the communicator comprises at least one of a Wi-Fi module or a near field communication (NFC) module. ### Claim 6 A method of controlling an electronic device, the method comprising: receiving a first communication signal through a communicator from a user terminal, and receiving a second communication signal from a communication relay; based on the user terminal being positioned within a predetermined range from the electronic device, identifying the user terminal as a device of strongest signal strength from among a plurality of devices comprising the user terminal and the communication relay; based on a user input, connecting with the user terminal identified as the device of the strongest signal strength through the communicator; receiving information about connection with the communication relay from the user terminal; and based on received information about connection with the communication relay, connecting with the communication relay through the communicator, wherein the user input comprises a button push on the electronic device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method according to claim 6, wherein the connecting with the communication relay comprises, based on a second user input and the received information about connection with the communication relay, connecting with the communication relay through the communicator, and wherein the second user input comprises a second button push on the electronic device.