# US 2016/0366708 A1 · Electronic device and connection method thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2016/0366708 A1 - Document ID: US20160366708A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/139,984 - Filed: 2016-04-27 - Published: 2016-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2015-06-12 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: DONG-HYUN YEOM; TAE-HO KIM; SEOK-HYUN YOON; JU-AH LEE - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160366708A1 ## CPC - H04W 76/10: Connection setup - H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication - H04W 8/005: {Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals} - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Disclosed are an electronic device for making a connection with an external electronic device and a method of operating the same. A method of operating a first electronic device includes acquiring virtual device information associated with a second electronic device and connection information between the second electronic device and one or more third electronic devices, which is generated based on the virtual device information, and making a connection with the one or more third electronic devices through short range wireless communication by using the virtual device information and the connection information. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having a program recorded thereon to be executed in a computer, the program comprising executable commands to instruct a processor included in a first electronic device to execute operations, the operations comprising: acquiring virtual device information associated with a second electronic device and connection information between the second electronic device and one or more third electronic devices, wherein the connection information is generated based on the virtual device information; and making a connection with the one or more third electronic devices through short range wireless communication by using the virtual device information and the connection information. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 1, wherein the executable commands instruct the processor to further execute operations, the operations comprising: identifying a fourth electronic device, which may be connected to the one or more third electronic devices through the short range wireless communication; and transmitting the virtual device information and the connection information to the fourth electronic device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 2, wherein making the connection with the one or more third electronic devices through the short range wireless communication comprises: setting device information of the first electronic device as the virtual device information. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 3, wherein the executable commands instruct the processor to further execute operations, the operations comprising: when the virtual device information and the connection information are transmitted to the fourth electronic device, setting the device information of the first electronic device as unique device information of the first electronic device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 1, wherein the virtual device information includes at least one of a virtual medium access control (MAC) address, a virtual serial number, a virtual universally unique identifier (UUID), and a virtual world wide port name (WWPN). ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 1, wherein the virtual device information corresponds to virtual device information assigned to a user account associated with the second electronic device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 1, wherein acquiring the virtual device information and the connection information comprises: acquiring the virtual device information and the connection information from at least one of a server that manages the virtual device information, the connection information, and the second electronic device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 1, wherein making the connection with the one or more third electronic devices through the short range wireless communication comprises: using a network configuration based on the virtual device information and the connection information. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 8, wherein the executable commands instructs the processor to further execute operations, the operations comprising: identifying a fourth electronic device, which may be connected to the one or more third electronic devices through the short range wireless communication by using the network configuration; and when profile information corresponding to a capability of the fourth electronic device is selected from one or more pieces of preset profile information for the network configuration, transmitting the virtual device information and connection information corresponding to the selected profile to the fourth electronic device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 9, wherein the one or more pieces of profile information include information indicating roles of the first electronic device and the one or more third electronic devices. ### Claim 11 A first electronic device comprising: a communication module; and a processor configure to acquire virtual device information associated with a second electronic device and connection information between the second electronic device and one or more third electronic devices, wherein the connection information is generated based on the virtual device information, and make a connection with the one or more third electronic devices through short range wireless communication by using the virtual device information and the connection information through the communication module. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The first electronic device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to identify a fourth electronic device, which may be connected to the one or more third electronic devices through the short range wireless communication and transmits the virtual device information and the connection information to the fourth electronic device through the communication module. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The first electronic device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to set device information of the first electronic device as the virtual device information. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The first electronic device of claim 13, wherein, when the virtual device information and the connection information are transmitted to the fourth electronic device, the processor is further configured to set the device information of the first electronic device as unique device information of the first electronic device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The first electronic device of claim 11, wherein the virtual device information includes at least one of a virtual medium access control (MAC) address, a virtual serial number, a virtual universally unique identifier (UUID), and a virtual world wide port name (WWPN). ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The first electronic device of claim 11, wherein the virtual device information corresponds to virtual device information assigned to a user account associated with the second electronic device. ### Claim 17 A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having a program recorded therein to be executed in a computer, the program comprising executable commands to instruct a processor included in a second electronic device′ to execute operations, the operations comprising: acquiring virtual device information corresponding to a user account associated with the second electronic device; making a connection with one or more third electronic devices through short range wireless communication by using the virtual device information; and transmitting the virtual device information and connection information between the second electronic device and one or more third electronic devices, wherein the connection information is generated based on the virtual device information, to a first electronic device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 17, wherein making the connection with the one or more third electronic devices through the short range wireless communication comprises generating connection information with the one or more third electronic devices corresponding to the virtual device information. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 17 wherein making the connection with the one or more third electronic devices through the short range wireless communication comprises making the connection using a network configuration based on the virtual device information and the connection information. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 19, wherein making the connection with the one or more third electronic devices comprises generating one or more pieces of profile information indicating roles of the second electronic device and the one or more third electronic devices in the network based on a capability of each of the second electronic device and the one or more third electronic devices.