# US 12,016,064 B2 · Method for establishing hotspot connection and terminal device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,016,064 B2 - Document ID: US12016064B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/467,980 - Filed: 2017-02-25 - Published: 2020-03-05 - Granted: 2024-06-18 - Earliest claimed: 2016-12-09 - Assignees: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Jian Chen; Jiaxin Li; Ji Ding - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12016064B2 ## CPC - H04W 76/14: Direct-mode setup - H04W 84/12: WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] - H04W 88/04: adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Embodiments of the present invention relate to a method for establishing a hotspot connection and a terminal device. The method includes: sending, by a first terminal device, a request message to a second terminal device, where the request message is used to request that the first terminal device be used as a wireless local area network WLAN hotspot of the second terminal device; receiving, by the first terminal device, indication information from the second terminal device, where the indication information is used to indicate that the second terminal device confirms using the first terminal device as the WLAN hotspot of the second terminal device; and establishing, by the first terminal device serving as the WLAN hotspot of the second terminal device, a communication connection to the second terminal device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for establishing a hotspot connection, comprising: receiving, by a first terminal device, a first operation, wherein the first operation allows one or more other devices to use mobile data of the first terminal device; broadcasting, by the first terminal device, a first broadcast frame, wherein the first broadcast frame is used to detect a second terminal device capable of being connected to the first terminal device and using a wireless local area network (WLAN) hotspot of the first terminal device, and the first broadcast frame instructs the second terminal device to broadcast a second broadcast frame in response to determining the second terminal device is capable of being connected to the first terminal device and using the WLAN hotspot of the first terminal device based on the first broadcast frame; receiving, by the first terminal device, the second broadcast frame from the second terminal device, wherein the second broadcast frame comprises information indicating the second terminal device is capable of being connected to the first terminal device and using the WLAN hotspot of the first terminal device; determining, by the first terminal device, to share the WLAN hotspot with the second terminal device based on the received second broadcast frame; in response to determining to share the WLAN hotspot with the second terminal based on the received second broadcast frame, requesting, by the first terminal device, that the second terminal device use the first terminal device as a hotspot and sending, by the first terminal device, WLAN hotspot connection information for using the first terminal device as the hotspot, the WLAN hotspot connection information being sent directly to the second terminal device by way of a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) channel, wherein the WLAN hotspot connection information comprises a password for accessing the WLAN hotspot; establishing, by the second terminal device, a WLAN hotspot communication connection to the first terminal device by directly using the WLAN hotspot connection information without the password for accessing the WLAN hotspot being inputted into the second terminal device; and connecting, by the second terminal device, to the Internet by using the WLAN hotspot of the first terminal device. ### Claim 2 A terminal device, wherein the terminal device is a first terminal device, and the first terminal device comprises a memory, a processor, an input unit, and a wireless communications interface, wherein the memory is configured to store a program instruction; and when the program instruction is processed by the processor, the first terminal device is caused to perform the steps of: receiving a first operation, wherein the first operation allows one or more other devices to use mobile data of the first terminal device; broadcasting a first broadcast frame, wherein the first broadcast frame is used to detect a second terminal device capable of being connected to the first terminal device and using a wireless local area network (WLAN) hotspot of the first terminal device, and the first broadcast frame instructs the second terminal device to broadcast a second broadcast frame in response to determining the second terminal device is capable of being connected to the first terminal device and using the WLAN hotspot of the first terminal device based on the first broadcast frame; receiving the second broadcast frame from the second terminal device, wherein the second broadcast frame comprises information indicating the second terminal device is capable of being connected to the first terminal device and using the WLAN hotspot of the first terminal device; determining to share the WLAN hotspot with the second terminal device based on the received second broadcast frame; in response to determining to share the WLAN hotspot with the second terminal based on the received second broadcast frame, requesting that the second terminal device use the first terminal device as a hotspot and sending WLAN hotspot connection information for using the first terminal device as the hotspot, the WLAN hotspot connection information being sent directly to the second terminal device by way of a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) channel, wherein WLAN hotspot connection information comprises a password for accessing the WLAN hotspot; establishing a WLAN hotspot connection to the second terminal device by directly using the WLAN hotspot connection information without the password for accessing the WLAN hotspot being inputted into the second terminal device; and connecting the second terminal device to the Internet by using the WLAN hotspot of the first terminal device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The terminal device according to claim 2, wherein the first terminal device further comprises a display unit, and before sending the WLAN hotspot connection information to the second terminal device, the first terminal device is further caused to perform: displaying a first notification by using a display screen, wherein the first notification comprises a first option. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The terminal device according to claim 3, wherein the requesting that the second terminal device use the first terminal device as the hotspot comprises: sending a request message to the second terminal device, wherein the request message is used to request that the first terminal device be used as the WLAN hotspot of the second terminal device; and receiving indication information from the second terminal device, wherein the indication information is used to indicate that the second terminal device confirms using the first terminal device as the WLAN hotspot. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The terminal device according to claim 4, wherein before the receiving the indication information from the second terminal device, the first terminal device is further caused to perform: causing the second terminal device to display a second notification by using a display screen based on the request message to facilitate the indication information being sent by the second terminal device based on an interaction with the second notification indicative of an acceptance to connect to the Internet by way of the WLAN hotspot of the first terminal device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The terminal device according to claim 3, wherein the sending the WLAN hotspot connection information for using the first terminal device as a hotspot comprises: receiving a second operation on the first option; and sending the WLAN hotspot connection information by way of the BLE channel. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein before the sending, by the first terminal device, the WLAN hotspot connection information, the method further comprises: displaying, by the first terminal device, a first notification by using a display screen, wherein the first notification comprises a first option. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein the requesting that the second terminal device use the first terminal device as the hotspot comprises: sending, by the first terminal device, a request message to the second terminal device, wherein the request message is used to request that the first terminal device be used as the WLAN hotspot of the second terminal device; and sending, by the second terminal device, indication information to the first terminal device, wherein the indication information is used to indicate that the second terminal device confirms using the first terminal device as the WLAN hotspot by the second terminal device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein before the sending, by the second terminal device, the indication information to the first terminal device, the method further comprises: displaying, by the second terminal device, a second notification by using a display screen, wherein the indication information is sent by the second terminal device based on an interaction with the second notification indicative of an acceptance to connect to the Internet by way of the WLAN hotspot of the first terminal device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein the sending, by the first terminal device, the WLAN hotspot connection information for using the first terminal device as a hotspot comprises: receiving, by the first terminal device, a second operation on the first option; and sending, by the first terminal device, the WLAN hotspot connection information by way of the BLE channel. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the WLAN hotspot connection information is sent only to the second terminal device by the first terminal device in response to determining, by the first terminal device, to share the WLAN hotspot with the second terminal device based on the received broadcast frame. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, further comprising: encrypting, by the first terminal device, the BLE channel before sending the WLAN hotspot connection information to facilitate sending the WLAN hotspot connection information only to the second terminal device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising: encrypting, by the first terminal device, the BLE channel before sending the WLAN hotspot connection information to facilitate sending the WLAN hotspot connection information directly to the second terminal device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 2) The terminal device according to claim 2, wherein the WLAN hotspot connection information is sent only to the second terminal device by the first terminal device in response to determining, by the first terminal device, to share the WLAN hotspot with the second terminal device based on the received broadcast frame. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The terminal device according to claim 14, wherein the first terminal device is further caused to perform: encrypting, by the first terminal device, the BLE channel before sending the WLAN hotspot connection information to facilitate sending the WLAN hotspot connection information only to the second terminal device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 2) The terminal device according to claim 2, wherein the first terminal device is further caused to perform: encrypting, by the first terminal device, the BLE channel before sending the WLAN hotspot connection information to facilitate sending the WLAN hotspot connection information directly to the second terminal device.