Method and apparatus for executing an application by using a communication address

A terminal comprising:

• a service providing unit that provides an application;
• a communication address managing unit that assigns a distinct communication address identifying the application and stores mapping information regarding the application and its assigned communication address;
• and
• a communication unit configured to operate as a communication Host Access Point (AP) unit or as a communication client unit, wherein
• when the communication unit operates as a communication Host AP unit and the application is selected, the communication unit uses the communication address assigned to the application to perform a Host AP function;
• and
• when the communication unit operates as a communication client unit, the communication unit searches for an accessible communication Host AP;
• identifies communication identification addresses of communication Host APs from the results of the search;
• and accesses a certain communication Host AP.

A system for executing an application installed in a terminal by using an Internet protocol (IP) address, the system comprising:

• a plurality of terminals;
• a service providing unit that provides at least one application;
• and
• an IP address managing unit that assigns a distinct IP address identifying respective applications and stores mapping information regarding the application and the assigned IP address;
• wherein
• a first terminal among the plurality of terminals configures a Wi-Fi Host (Access Point) AP function by using an IP address corresponding to a certain application selected by the IP address managing unit when the certain application is selected from the at least one application provided by the service providing unit;
• and
• the least one terminal of the plurality of terminals, excluding the first terminal, searches for an accessible Wi-Fi Host AP, accesses a certain Host AP after identifying a service set identifier (SSID) and an IP address of the searched Wi-Fi Host AP, and, if the IP address managing unit has information related to an application corresponding to the IP address of the certain Host AP, provides Wi-Fi communication while executing the application corresponding to the IP address of the certain Host AP.

A method for automatically executing an application by using an Internet protocol (IP) address in a transmitting terminal and a receiving terminal, wherein each of the transmitting terminal and the receiving terminal comprise an IP address managing unit that provides at least one application configured to perform a certain task, supports Wi-Fi communication, assigns a distinct IP address identifying each of the at least one application, and stores mapping information regarding the application and the assigned IP address, the method comprising:

• selecting a certain application from the at least one application provided by the transmitting terminal;
• searching for an IP address corresponding to the application selected in the transmitting terminal, wherein the searching is performed by the IP address managing unit;
• configuring a Wi-Fi Host Access Point (AP) function by using the IP address searched in the transmitting terminal;
• searching for an accessible Wi-Fi Host AP in the receiving terminal;
• accessing the configured Wi-Fi Host AP in the transmitting terminal after identifying a service set identifier (SSID) and an IP address of the Wi-Fi Host AP searched in the receiving terminal;
• and
• providing Wi-Fi communication while executing an application corresponding to an IP address of the accessed Host AP, if the IP address managing unit has information related to the application corresponding to the IP address of the accessed Host AP.