# US 12,120,757 B2 · Electronic device and control method therefor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,120,757 B2 - Document ID: US12120757B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/434,276 - Filed: 2021-06-14 - Published: 2023-05-25 - Granted: 2024-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2020-07-30 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Jehwan Seo; Yongjin Kang; Geunsam Yang; Sanggi Oh; Hyungyong Lee - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12120757B2 ## CPC - H04W 76/14: Direct-mode setup - H04W 84/18: Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks - H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication - H04W 76/15: Setup of multiple wireless link connections - H04W 76/30: Connection release - H04W 84/20: Leader-follower arrangements - H04W 88/02: Terminal devices - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract An electronic device is provided. The electronic device identifies, in a state paired with a first external device providing content data, an occurrence of event for pairing with a second external device; releases the pairing with the first external device and performs the pairing with the second external device; sets up the electronic device as a primary device for pairing with the first external device; transmits information about the primary device to the first external device to perform the pairing with the first external device; and based on the content data received form the first external device, outputs content and transmits the content data to the second external device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electronic device comprising: an output interface; a communication interface; and a processor configured to: identify an occurrence of a multi-point pairing event for pairing with a second external device through the communication interface, while the electronic device is paired with a first external device, control the communication interface to release pairing with the first external device and pair with the second external device based on the occurrence of the multi-point pairing event, set up the electronic device as a primary device for pairing with the first external device, control the communication interface to transmit, to the first external device, information about the electronic device set up as the primary device to perform re-pairing with the first external device, and control the output to, based on content data received from the first external device, output content and control the communication interface to transmit the content data to the second external device, wherein the information about the electronic device set up as the primary device comprises information for the first external device to set up the electronic device as the primary device among from the paired the electronic device or the second external device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to, based on a Media Access Control (MAC) address of the electronic device being identified to be higher than an MAC address of the second external device, set up the electronic device as the primary device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: based on a Media Access Control (MAC) address of the electronic device being identified to be lower than an MAC address of the second external device, set up the electronic device as a secondary device, and control the communication interface to transmit information for setting up the second external device as the primary device to the second external device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to set up the electronic device as the primary device based on a first input from a user designating the electronic device as the primary device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to, based on a pairing standby signal of the first external device being received by the communication interface, control the communication interface to transmit the information about the primary device to the first external device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to: based on the pairing standby signal of the first external device, control the communication interface to transmit a pairing request signal to the first external device, receive a pairing acceptance signal corresponding to the pairing request signal from the first external device through the communication interface, and based on the transmitted information about the primary device, control the communication interface to perform the pairing with the first external device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the content data comprises a plurality of content data provided according to a plurality of channels, and wherein the processor is further configured to: control the output interface to output a sound based on a first content data corresponding to a first channel among the plurality of channels, and control the communication interface to transmit, to the second external device, second content data corresponding to a second channel that is different from the first channel. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to identify a second input from user selecting a stereo mode as the occurrence of the multi-point pairing event. ### Claim 9 An electronic device comprising: a communication interface; a processor configured to: control the communication interface to provide content data to a first external device to output content, while the electronic device is paired with the first external device, based on a pairing with the first external device being released by a pairing event of the first external device and a second external device, control the communication interface to broadcast a pairing standby signal for performing the pairing with the first external device or the second external device, receive primary device-setting information from the first external device or the second external device through the communication interface, control the communication interface to, based on the received primary device-setting information, pair with an external device set as a primary device among the first external device and the second external device, and control the communication interface to transmit the content data to the paired external device, wherein the primary device-setting information comprises information for the electronic device to set up the external device as the primary device among the first external device and the second external device. ### Claim 10 A control method of an electronic device, the control method comprising: identifying an occurrence of a multi-point pairing event for pairing with a second external device, while the electronic device is paired with a first external device; releasing pairing with the first external device and pairing with the second external device based on the occurrence of the multi-point pairing event; setting up the electronic device as a primary device for pairing with the first external device; transmitting information about the electronic device set up as the primary device to the first external device to perform re-pairing with the first external device and receiving content data from the first external device; and outputting content based on the content data received from the first external device and transmitting the content data to the second external device, wherein the information about the electronic device set up as the primary device comprises information for the first external device to set up the electronic device as the primary device among from the paired the electronic device or the second external device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The control method of claim 10, wherein the setting up comprises, based on a Media Access Control (MAC) address of the electronic device being identified to be higher than an MAC address of the second external device, setting up the electronic device as the primary device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The control method of claim 10, wherein the setting up comprises: based on a Media Access Control (MAC) address of the electronic device being identified to be lower than an MAC address of the second external device, setting up the electronic device as a secondary device; and transmitting information for setting up the second external device as the primary device to the second external device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The control method of claim 10, wherein the setting up comprises setting up the electronic device as the primary device based on a first input from a user designating the electronic device as the primary device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The control method of claim 10, wherein the performing the pairing with the first external device comprises, based on a pairing standby signal of the first external device, transmitting the information about the primary device to the first external device. ### Claim 15 A control method of an electronic device comprising: providing content data to a first external device to output content while the electronic device is paired with the first external device; based on a pairing with the first external device being released by a pairing event of the first external device and a second external device, broadcasting a pairing standby signal for performing the pairing with the first external device or the second external device; receiving primary device-setting information from the first external device or the second external device; based on the received primary device-setting information, performing a pairing with an external device set as a primary device among the first external device and the second external device; and transmitting the content data to the paired external device, wherein the primary device-setting information comprises information for the electronic device to set up the external device as the primary device among the first external device and the second external device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to set up the electronic device as the primary device, after releasing the pairing with the first external device and after pairing with the second external device. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit an event notification to the first external device indicating the occurrence of the multi-point pairing event. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to receive a pairing standby signal broadcast by the first external device in response to the event notification indicating the multi-point pairing event. ### Claim 19 (depends on 9) The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the pairing event of the first external device and the second external device is a multi-point pairing event. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to receive the primary device-setting information from the first external device or the second external device in response to the pairing standby signal based on the multi-point pairing event.