WO2019124665A1 - Apparatus and method for maintaining electronic device deviating from coverage in mesh network - Google Patents

Abstract

An electronic device is disclosed. In addition, other various embodiments understood from the specification are possible. The electronic device comprises: a wireless communication mode; a processor electrically connected to the wireless communication module; and a memory that is electrically connected to the processor and comprises instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed, can cause the processor to: form a mesh network with a plurality of other electronic devices through the wireless communication module; detect that a second electronic device of the plurality of other electronic devices has deviated from coverage of the mesh network; transmit, through the wireless communication module, a message requesting activation of a relay characteristic to a third electronic device that will activate the relay characteristic among the plurality of other electronic devices; and perform wireless communication with the second electronic device via the third electronic device.

Description

Apparatus and method for maintaining an electronic device deviating from coverage in a mesh network

The embodiments disclosed herein relate to an apparatus and method for maintaining an electronic device deviating from coverage in a mesh network on the mesh network.

A mesh network may refer to an environment in which a plurality of electronic devices are interconnected through a common resource (e.g., a network address, a network key, etc.). In the mesh network, the transmission power of each of the electronic devices is limited, so that the communication distance between the electronic devices can be limited. The mesh network can support a relay function to extend the limited communication distance. An electronic device that supports a relay feature may activate a relay feature and send a message received from another electronic device to another electronic device corresponding to the destination of the message.

When all the electronic devices included in the mesh network operate as a relay node, the number of retransmitted messages increases, so that traffic in the network may increase. Also, since the performance of electronic devices (e.g., battery, processing power) is limited, electronic devices may not always be able to activate relay characteristics.

Of the plurality of electronic devices forming the mesh network, some electronic devices with mobility may deviate from the coverage of the network. An electronic device that is out of coverage of the network can not receive the message.

According to various embodiments of the present invention, the electronic device can maintain a second external device on the mesh network that deviates from the coverage by dynamically controlling the activation of relay characteristics of a first external device supporting relay characteristics in a mesh network environment have.

An electronic device according to an embodiment disclosed herein includes a wireless communication module, a processor electrically coupled to the wireless communication module, and a memory electrically coupled to the processor and including instructions, , The processor forms a mesh network with a plurality of other electronic devices via the wireless communication module and detects that the second electronic device of the plurality of other electronic devices has deviated from the coverage of the mesh network Transmits, via the wireless communication module, a message requesting activation of the relay characteristic from the plurality of other electronic devices to a third electronic device that will activate the relay characteristic, Thereby enabling wireless communication with the device.

An electronic device according to an embodiment disclosed herein includes a wireless communication circuit configured to provide Bluetooth low energy (BLE) wireless communication, and a control circuit operatively coupled to the wireless communication circuit , The control circuit uses the wireless communication circuit to form a mesh network with a first external device including a relay characteristic and a plurality of external devices including a second external device, Wherein the operation includes a provisioning operation to make an external device a node on the network, the method comprising: sending a message to the first external device and the second external device, receiving a response from the first external device, The relay apparatus does not receive a response from the external apparatus, and after not receiving a response from the second external apparatus, And to maintain the second external device in the network through communication with the second external device via the first external device before the second external device is unprovisioned have.

An electronic device according to an embodiment disclosed herein includes a wireless communication circuit configured to provide BLE wireless communication, a wireless communication circuit configured to store instructions that cause the electronic device to provide a relay characteristic in a BLE mesh network And a control circuit operatively connected to the wireless communication circuit and the memory, wherein the control circuit is operable, through the provisioning operation to make the external device a node on the network using the wireless communication circuit, Wherein the electronic device is a node on the network including a first external device that performs a function of a provider and receives a message from the first external device via the wireless communication circuit, Transmits a response message to the first external device, Wherein the first external device and the second external device are configured to receive a request for activation of the relay characteristic and in response to the request the second external device is maintained in the network before the second external device is & 2 relay the communication between the external devices.

According to the embodiments disclosed herein, an electronic device can dynamically control the activation of relay characteristics of other electronic devices that support relay characteristics, such that electronic devices deviating from coverage are maintained within the network.

According to the embodiments disclosed in this document, the electronic device can continuously communicate with the electronic device deviating from the coverage without performing additional authentication operation.

In addition, various effects can be provided that are directly or indirectly understood through this document.

1 shows a block diagram of an electronic device in a network according to various embodiments.

Figure 2 illustrates an example of electronic devices that support relay characteristics in a mesh network according to various embodiments.

3 illustrates an example of a provisioning operation in a mesh network in accordance with various embodiments.

Figure 4 illustrates the operation of keeping an electronic device out of coverage in the mesh network on the mesh network in accordance with various embodiments.

FIG. 5 illustrates a signal flow diagram for maintaining an electronic device deviating from coverage in a mesh network on the mesh network in accordance with various embodiments.

6 illustrates an operational flow diagram of a first electronic device for maintaining a second electronic device devoid of coverage in a mesh network on a mesh network in accordance with various embodiments.

7 illustrates an operational flow diagram of a first electronic device for determining a third electronic device that supports relay characteristics in a mesh network in accordance with various embodiments.

Figure 8 illustrates the operation of determining a third electronic device based on a hop count in a mesh network in accordance with various embodiments.

9 illustrates an operation for determining a third electronic device based on location information stored in a first electronic device in accordance with various embodiments.

10 illustrates an operational flow diagram of a first electronic device that updates a list for a second electronic device that deviates from coverage in a mesh network in accordance with various embodiments.

11 illustrates a flow diagram of a first electronic device that updates a list according to the deactivation of relay characteristics of a third electronic device in a mesh network according to various embodiments.

In the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used for the same or similar components.

Various embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments, but includes various modifications, equivalents, and / or alternatives of the embodiments of the invention.

1 shows a block diagram of an electronic device in a network, in accordance with various embodiments.

1, in a network environment 100, an electronic device 101 communicates with an electronic device 102 via a first network 198 (e.g., a short range wireless communication) or a second network 199 (E. G., Remote wireless communication). ≪ / RTI > According to one embodiment, the electronic device 101 is capable of communicating with the electronic device 104 through the server 108. According to one embodiment, the electronic device 101 includes a processor 120, a memory 130, an input device 150, an audio output device 155, a display device 160, an audio module 170, a sensor module 176, an interface 177, a haptic module 179, a camera module 180, a power management module 188, a battery 189, a communication module 190, a subscriber identity module 196, and an antenna module 197 ). In some embodiments, at least one (e.g., display 160 or camera module 180) of these components may be omitted from the electronic device 101, or other components may be added. In some embodiments, some components, such as, for example, a sensor module 176 (e.g., a fingerprint sensor, an iris sensor, or an illuminance sensor) embedded in a display device 160 Can be integrated.

Processor 120 may be configured to operate at least one other component (e.g., hardware or software component) of electronic device 101 connected to processor 120 by driving software, e.g., And can perform various data processing and arithmetic operations. Processor 120 loads and processes commands or data received from other components (e.g., sensor module 176 or communication module 190) into volatile memory 132 and processes the resulting data into nonvolatile memory 134. [ Lt; / RTI > According to one embodiment, the processor 120 may be a main processor 121 (e.g., a central processing unit or an application processor), and, independently, and additionally or alternatively, a lower power than the main processor 121, Or a co-processor 123 (e.g., a graphics processing unit, an image signal processor, a sensor hub processor, or a communications processor) specific to the designated function. Here, the coprocessor 123 may be operated separately from or embedded in the main processor 121.

 In such a case, the coprocessor 123 may be used in place of the main processor 121, for example, while the main processor 121 is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, (E.g., display 160, sensor module 176, or communication module 176) of the components of electronic device 101, along with main processor 121, 190) associated with the function or states. According to one embodiment, the coprocessor 123 (e.g., an image signal processor or communications processor) is implemented as a component of some other functionally related component (e.g., camera module 180 or communication module 190) . Memory 130 may store various data used by at least one component (e.g., processor 120 or sensor module 176) of electronic device 101, e.g., software (e.g., program 140) ), And input data or output data for the associated command. The memory 130 may include a volatile memory 132 or a non-volatile memory 134.

The program 140 may be software stored in the memory 130 and may include, for example, an operating system 142, middleware 144,

The input device 150 is an apparatus for receiving a command or data to be used for a component (e.g., processor 120) of the electronic device 101 from the outside (e.g., a user) of the electronic device 101, For example, a microphone, a mouse, or a keyboard may be included.

The sound output device 155 is a device for outputting a sound signal to the outside of the electronic device 101. For example, the sound output device 155 may be a speaker for general use such as a multimedia reproduction or a sound reproduction, . According to one embodiment, the receiver may be formed integrally or separately with the speaker.

Display device 160 may be an apparatus for visually providing information to a user of electronic device 101 and may include, for example, a display, a hologram device, or a projector and control circuitry for controlling the projector. According to one embodiment, the display device 160 may include a touch sensor or a pressure sensor capable of measuring the intensity of the pressure on the touch.

The audio module 170 is capable of bi-directionally converting sound and electrical signals. According to one embodiment, the audio module 170 may acquire sound through the input device 150, or may be connected to the audio output device 155, or to an external electronic device (e.g., Electronic device 102 (e.g., a speaker or headphone)).

The sensor module 176 may generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to an internal operating state (e.g., power or temperature) of the electronic device 101, or an external environmental condition. The sensor module 176 may be a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, a barometric sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an infrared sensor, Or an illuminance sensor.

The interface 177 may support a designated protocol that may be wired or wirelessly connected to an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device 102). According to one embodiment, the interface 177 may include a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, an SD card interface, or an audio interface.

The connection terminal 178 may be a connector such as an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector that can physically connect the electronic device 101 and an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device 102) (E.g., a headphone connector).

The haptic module 179 may convert electrical signals into mechanical stimuli (e.g., vibrations or movements) or electrical stimuli that the user may perceive through tactile or kinesthetic sensations. The haptic module 179 may include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

The camera module 180 can capture a still image and a moving image. According to one embodiment, the camera module 180 may include one or more lenses, an image sensor, an image signal processor, or a flash.

The power management module 188 is a module for managing the power supplied to the electronic device 101, and may be configured as at least a part of, for example, a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

The battery 189 is an apparatus for supplying power to at least one component of the electronic device 101 and may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell.

The communication module 190 is responsible for establishing a wired or wireless communication channel between the electronic device 101 and an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device 102, electronic device 104, or server 108) Lt; / RTI > Communication module 190 may include one or more communication processors that support wired communication or wireless communication, which operates independently from processor 120 (e.g., an application processor). According to one embodiment, the communication module 190 may include a wireless communication module 192 (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short range wireless communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module 194 (E.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module, or a power line communication module), and the corresponding communication module may be used to communicate with a first network 198 (e.g., Bluetooth, WiFi direct, Communication network) or a second network 199 (e.g., a telecommunications network such as a cellular network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a LAN or WAN)). The various types of communication modules 190 described above may be implemented as a single chip or may be implemented as separate chips.

According to one embodiment, the wireless communication module 192 may use the user information stored in the subscriber identification module 196 to identify and authenticate the electronic device 101 within the communication network.

Antenna module 197 may include one or more antennas for transmitting signals or power to the outside (e.g., an external electronic device) or receiving it from the outside. According to one embodiment, the antenna module 197 may be formed of a conductor or a conductive pattern, and according to some embodiments, in addition to the conductor or conductive pattern, additional components (e.g., radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) . According to one embodiment, the communication module 190 (e.g., the wireless communication module 192) may transmit or receive signals to or from an external electronic device via an antenna suitable for the communication scheme.

Some of the components are connected to each other via a communication method (e.g., bus, general purpose input / output (GPIO), serial peripheral interface (SPI), or mobile industry processor interface (MIPI) (Such as commands or data) can be exchanged between each other.

 According to one embodiment, the command or data may be transmitted or received between the electronic device 101 and the external electronic device 104 via the server 108 connected to the second network 199. Each of the electronic devices 102 and 104 may be the same or a different kind of device as the electronic device 101. [ According to one embodiment, all or a portion of the operations performed in the electronic device 101 may be performed in another or a plurality of external electronic devices. According to one embodiment, in the event that the electronic device 101 has to perform some function or service automatically or upon request, the electronic device 101 may be capable of executing the function or service itself, And may request the external electronic device to perform at least some functions associated therewith. The external electronic device receiving the request can execute the requested function or additional function and transmit the result to the electronic device 101. [ The electronic device 101 can directly or additionally process the received result to provide the requested function or service. For this purpose, for example, cloud computing, distributed computing, or client-server computing technology may be used.

Figure 2 illustrates an example of electronic devices that support relay characteristics in a mesh network according to various embodiments.

Referring to Figure 2, a mesh network 200 (e.g., first network 198 of Figure 1) includes a plurality of electronic devices 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206, 207, 212, 214). The electronic devices may correspond, for example, to the electronic device 101 or the electronic device 102 of FIG. Each of the electronic devices included in the mesh network 200 may be referred to as a node. According to one embodiment, a plurality of electronic devices forming the mesh network 200 may share a common resource. A common resource may include, for example, a network address or a network key. The network address may be used, for example, to identify the source and destination of the message. The network key may be used, for example, to secure and authenticate the message.

According to one embodiment, a plurality of electronic devices may support additional functions in addition to transmitting or receiving a message. In the embodiments disclosed herein, the additional functionality supported by the electronic device may be referred to as a feature. The characteristic may include, for example, a relay feature. The relay characteristic may refer to a characteristic of relaying a message transmitted between electronic devices. For example, the electronic device 205 may send a message directly to the electronic device 204 or the electronic device 206, but due to the limitation of transmit power, the electronic device 201, the electronic device 202, (203), and electronic device (207). The electronic device 212 may receive a message from the electronic device 205 and relay the received message to the electronic device 201, the electronic device 202, or the electronic device 203. The electronic device 213 may relay the message received from the electronic device 205 to the electronic device 207.

According to one embodiment, the electronic device 212, the electronic device 213, or the electronic device 214 may activate or deactivate the relay characteristic. For example, the electronic device 212, the electronic device 213, or the electronic device 214 may reduce traffic growth within the mesh network 200, The relay characteristics may be deactivated to reduce the power consumption of each of the devices 214. [ As another example, the electronic device 212, the electronic device 213, or the electronic device 214 may activate the relay characteristics to relay messages between other electronic devices.

3 illustrates an example of a provisioning operation in a mesh network in accordance with various embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 3, the mesh network 300 (e.g., the mesh network 200 of FIG. 2) may include a plurality of electronic devices 301-310. The electronic devices may correspond, for example, to the electronic devices shown in Fig. According to one embodiment, the electronic devices may perform a provisioning operation to add electronic devices not included in the mesh network 300 to the mesh network 300. For example, the electronic device 301 may perform a provisioning operation to add other electronic devices 302-310 to the mesh network 300. For example, When the electronic device 301 performs the provisioning operation, the electronic device 301 may be referred to as a provisioner. Although FIG. 3 shows an example in which only the electronic device 301 performs the provisioning operation, a plurality of electronic devices can perform the provisioning operation. The electronic device 301 may search for (or scan) an electronic device (unprovisioned device) that is not included in the mesh network 300 and send the retrieved electronic device a network And transmit the data including the key. The electronic devices receiving the data form the mesh network 300 with the electronic device 301 and can send and receive messages with the electronic device 301. [

According to one embodiment, if electronic device 301 sends a message to an electronic device included in mesh network 300 and no response message is received within a period of time (e.g., 30 seconds) It can close the link with the electronic device that has not sent the message. The disconnected electronic device may be excluded from the mesh network 300. For example, it could be a non-provisioned device. The electronic device 301 may again perform the provisioning operation to add the unprovisioned electronic device back to the mesh network 300. [

According to one embodiment, the electronic device 301 may have coverage 311 that represents the reach of the message due to limited transmit power. The shape or size of the coverage 311 is not limited to the shape or size shown in Fig. The message transmitted by the electronic device 301 may not reach the electronic device located outside the coverage 311. [

4 illustrates the operation of maintaining an electronic device deviating from coverage in a mesh network on a mesh network in accordance with various embodiments. The components shown in FIG. 4 may be the same as or similar to the components using the same reference numbers in FIG.

Referring to reference numeral 401 in Figure 4, the electronic device 301 is capable of forming a plurality of electronic devices 302-310 and a mesh network (e.g., the mesh network 300 of Figure 3) by performing a provisioning operation have. At least some of the plurality of electronic devices associated with the electronic device 301 may support relay characteristics. For example, the electronic device 304 supporting the relay characteristic may activate the relay characteristic and relay the message transmission / reception between the electronic device 301 and the electronic device 305. The electronic device 304 performing the relay function may have a coverage 314 indicating the reach of the relayed message. For another example, the electronic device 306 supporting the relay feature may deactivate the relay characteristic and not perform the relay function.

According to one embodiment, the electronic device 305 may leave the coverage 311 of the electronic device 301 and the coverage 314 of the electronic device 304 by moving in the direction indicated by reference numeral 320. If the electronic device 305 leaves the coverage 311 and the coverage 314, the message sent from the electronic device 301 may not reach the electronic device 305. [

Referring to reference numeral 402, the electronic device 301 is configured to activate relay characteristics of an electronic device 306 that supports relay characteristics to perform communications with the electronic device 305 leaving the coverage 311 and the coverage 314, Can be controlled. Once the relay feature is activated, the electronic device 306 can relay the message sent from the electronic device 301 within the coverage 316 of the electronic device 306. The electronic device 301 is capable of communicating with the electronic device 305 via the electronic device 306 since the electronic device 305 is located within the coverage 316 of the activated electronic device 306. [ For example, unless the connection between the electronic device 301 and the electronic device 305 is disconnected (e.g., the electronic device 305 is in an unprovisioned state) when the relay characteristic of the electronic device 306 is activated, The device 301 can send and receive messages without performing additional provisioning operations with the electronic device 305. [ If the connection between the electronic device 301 and the electronic device 305 is disconnected when the relay characteristic of the electronic device 306 is activated, the electronic device 301 may be connected to the electronic device 306 via the electronic device 306, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > 305 < / RTI >

FIG. 5 illustrates a signal flow diagram for maintaining an electronic device deviating from coverage in a mesh network on a mesh network in accordance with various embodiments.

5, a first electronic device 501 is connected to a mesh network (e.g., the mesh network 300 of FIG. 3) by performing a provisioning operation with a second electronic device 502 or a third electronic device 503 Forming device. The first electronic device 501 may correspond to the electronic device 301 of FIG. According to one embodiment, the third electronic device 503 may be an electronic device supporting relay characteristics. Although FIG. 5 shows a single third electronic device 503, the number of third electronic devices 503 that support relay characteristics may be a plurality.

At operation 503, the first electronic device 501 may form a mesh network through a provisioning operation with the second electronic device 502 and the third electronic device 503. For example, the first electronic device 501, the second electronic device 502, and the third electronic device 503 may share a common network key for the mesh network.

At operation 505, the first electronic device 501 may send a first message to the third electronic device 503. [ The first message may refer to a reliable message (e.g., a reliable message) defined by a message (e.g., a bluetooth special interest group (SIG)) transmitted and received between electronic devices forming the mesh network.

At operation 510, the second electronic device 502 may leave the coverage of the first electronic device 501 (e.g., coverage 311 of FIG. 3).

At operation 515, the first electronic device 501 may send a message to the second electronic device 502 that is the same or similar to the first message. Since the second electronic device 502 is out of coverage of the first electronic device 501, the first message may not reach the second electronic device 502.

At operation 520, the third electronic device 503 may send a first response message to the first electronic device 501 in response to the first message.

At operation 525, the first electronic device 501 may sense that the second electronic device 502 has deviated from the coverage of the first electronic device 501. For example, if the first electronic message 501 for the first message sent in operation 515 is not received within a certain time from the second electronic device 502, then the second electronic device 502 It can be determined that the coverage is out of order.

At operation 530, the first electronic device 501 may send a second message requesting activation of the relay characteristic to a third electronic device 503 that supports relay characteristics. For example, the second message may include a message (e.g., a configuration message defined by the Bluetooth SIG) used to control the status of the electronic device forming the mesh network. According to one embodiment, if there are a plurality of third electronic devices 503 supporting relay characteristics, then the first electronic device 501 may be a third electronic device 503 among the plurality of third electronic devices 503 ) Can be determined based on the specified conditions. The specified condition may include, for example, a hop count, an intensity of the received signal, a specified capability, a relationship with the second electronic device 502, a function associated with the second electronic device 502 , Location information, or past history.

At operation 535, the third electronic device 503 may activate the relay characteristic in response to receiving the second message.

At operation 545, the third electronic device 503 may send a second response message to the first electronic device 501 for the second message. Upon receiving the second response message, the first electronic device 501 can confirm that the relay characteristic of the third electronic device 503 is activated by receiving the second response message.

Since the first electronic device 501 has held the second electronic device 502 on the mesh network as the third electronic device 503 has activated the relay characteristic, the first electronic device 501, in operation 550, (E.g., a trusted message) to the second electronic device 502 via the electronic device 503.

According to one embodiment, the first electronic device 501 does not receive a second response message from the third electronic device 503 (e.g., without implementing action 545) You can check whether the property is activated. For example, at operation 555, the second electronic device 502 sends a response message for the message (e.g., a trusted message) sent at operation 550 to the first electronic device 501 via the third electronic device 503, Lt; / RTI > The first electronic device 501 can confirm that the relay characteristic of the third electronic device 503 is activated by receiving the response message from the second electronic device 502. [

6 illustrates an operational flow diagram of a first electronic device for maintaining a second electronic device devoid of coverage in a mesh network on a mesh network in accordance with various embodiments. The operations described below may be performed by a first electronic device 501 (e.g., the first electronic device 501 of FIG. 5 or a processor (e.g., processor 120 of FIG. 1) included in the first electronic device 501) (E. G., Memory 130 of FIG. 1). ≪ / RTI >

6, at operation 605 of the flowchart 600, the first electronic device 501 may form a mesh network (e.g., the mesh network 300 of FIG. 3) with a plurality of other electronic devices. For example, the first electronic device 501 may form a mesh network by transmitting data, including the network key for the mesh network, to other electronic devices not included in the mesh network.

In operation 610, the first electronic device 501 receives a second electronic device 502 (e.g., the second electronic device 502 of FIG. 5) from a plurality of electronic devices forming the mesh network, 501) (e.g., coverage 311 in FIG. 3). For example, if the response message to the trusted message that the first electronic device 501 sent to the second electronic device 502 is not received within a specified time, It can be determined that the mobile station 502 has deviated from the coverage.

In operation 615, the first electronic device 501 is connected to a third electronic device 503 (e.g., the third electronic device 503 of FIG. 5) that supports relaying among a plurality of electronic devices forming the mesh network You can control the activation of relay characteristics. For example, the first electronic device 501 may send a second message requesting the third electronic device 503 to activate the relay characteristic.

At operation 620, the first electronic device 501 may send a message to the second electronic device 502 via the third electronic device 503 with the relay feature activated. Through the flowchart 600, the first electronic device 501 can continuously perform wireless communication with the second electronic device 502 out of the coverage of the first electronic device 501. [ As another example, through the flowchart 600, the first electronic device 501 can send and receive messages without performing additional provisioning operations with the second electronic device 502, thereby reducing the load incurred in performing the provisioning operation have.

7 illustrates an operational flow diagram of a first electronic device for determining a third electronic device that supports relay characteristics in a mesh network in accordance with various embodiments. The operations shown in FIG. 7 may be part of operation 615 in FIG.

Referring to FIG. 7, if the second electronic device 502 leaves the coverage, at a step 705, the first electronic device 501 can verify the characteristics of the plurality of electronic devices forming the mesh network. The characteristics of the plurality of electronic devices may be information stored in a memory (e.g., memory 130) of the first electronic device 501. According to one embodiment, the first electronic device 501 may receive information regarding the characteristics of other electronic devices from other electronic devices while performing the provisioning operation with other electronic devices. According to another embodiment, the first electronic device 501 may send a message (e. G., A heartbeat message defined by Bluetooth SIG) periodically transmitted from other electronic devices after forming the mesh network Information about the characteristics of the electronic devices. For example, the field format indicating the information on the characteristic may be as shown in Table 1 below.

Bit Feature Contents 0 Relay Relay feature in use: 0 = False, 1 = True One Proxy Proxy feature in use: 0 = False, 1 = True 2 Friend Friend feature in use: 0 = False, 1 = True 3 Low Power Low Power feature in use: 0 = False, 1 = True 4-15 RFU Reserved for Future Use

Referring to Table 1, whether or not other electronic devices utilize (or support) the relay characteristic, the proxy characteristic, the friend characteristic, or the low power characteristic can be indicated by one bit.

At operation 710, the first electronic device 501 may determine at least one electronic device candidate that supports relaying among other electronic devices based on information about the characteristic. Although FIG. 7 shows only an embodiment in which the first electronic device 501 determines the electronic device candidate group after the second electronic device 502 leaves the coverage, the information about the electronic device candidate group supporting the relay characteristic : List) may be stored in the memory of the first electronic device 501. In this case, the first electronic device 501 may skip operation 705 and operation 710 and proceed to operation 715.

According to one embodiment, when the first electronic device 501 stores information about the electronic device candidate group, the first electronic device 501 can uniquely manage the electronic device candidate group through a group address have. For example, the first electronic device 501 may periodically transmit the same message (e.g., a heartbeat message) to electronic devices having the same group address. The group address can be dynamically allocated, for example, or fixed. If the group address is fixed, it can be expressed as shown in Table 2 below.

value Fixed group address name 0xFF00-0xFFFB RFU 0xFFFC all-proxies 0xFFFD all-friends 0xFFFE all-relays 0xFFFF all-nodes

Referring to Table 2, the first electronic device 501 can manage the group address of the electronic devices supporting the relay characteristic or the relay characteristic activated by 0xFFFE.

At operation 715, the first electronic device 501 may determine at least one third electronic device 503 to activate the relay characteristic among the determined electronic device candidates. The first electronic device 501 may determine at least one third electronic device 503 to activate the relay characteristic based on the specified conditions. The specified conditions may include, for example, a hop count of the electronic device candidate, an intensity of the received signal, a specified capability, a relationship with the second electronic device 502, a function associated with the second electronic device 502, , Or a history of at least one of the past history.

At operation 720, the first electronic device 501 may send a second message requesting activation of the relay characteristic to the third electronic device 503 determined among the electronic device candidates. According to one embodiment, the message sent at operation 720 may include a setup message. For example, the configuration message may include a Config Relay Get or Config Relay Set message defined by the Blue Stu SIG.

According to various embodiments of the present invention, the first electronic device 501 may determine the third electronic device 503 based on any one of various conditions or based on a combination thereof.

According to one embodiment, the first electronic device 501 may determine a third electronic device 503 that may activate the relay characteristic based on the hop count of other electronic devices. The hop count can be calculated according to the following equation (1).

In Equation (1), Hops may mean the hop count of the electronic device sending the message (e.g., heartbeat message). The initial time to live (InitTTL) may refer to the initial TTL value when the electronic device sends the message. The receiving TTL (RxTTL) may mean a decreasing TTL value when a message is delivered to another electronic device. For example, FIG. 8 illustrates the operation of determining a third electronic device based on a hop count in a mesh network according to various embodiments.

8, the electronic device 804 (e.g., the first electronic device 501 of FIG. 5) is coupled to other electronic devices 801, 802, and 802 that form a mesh network (e.g., mesh network 300) 803 and may determine a hop count between the other electronic devices 801, 802, and 803 and the electronic device 804 based on the received message. The electronic device 801 may send a message to the electronic device 804 via the electronic device 802 and the electronic device 803. [ At operation 805, when the electronic device 801 sends a message to the electronic device 802, the message may include the parameters shown in Table 3 below.

field Size (in octets) Contents InitTTL One The TTL used to send the message Features 2 The bit field of the node's currently active attribute

For example, the initial TTL value of a message transmitted from the electronic device 801 may be five. When the electronic device 802 receives the message, the received TTL value may be five. At operation 806, if the device 803 receives a message from the electronic device 802, the received TTL value may be four. At operation 807, when the electronic device 804 receives a message from the electronic device 803, the received TTL value may be three. The electronic device 804 may determine the hop count of the electronic device 801 that transmitted the message according to Equation (1) to three. In a similar principle, when a message is triggered from the electronic device 802, the electronic device 804 sends a hop count of the electronic device 802 based on the received TTL value and the initial TTL value of the message received from the electronic device 802 2 < / RTI >

According to one embodiment, the hop count of each of the other electronic devices 801, 802, and 803 may be changed depending on whether the relay characteristic of the electronic device operating as a relay node is activated. For example, when the relay characteristic of the electronic device 803 is deactivated and the electronic device 804 directly receives a message from the electronic device 802, the electronic device 804 sets the hop count of the electronic device 802 to 1 .

According to one embodiment, the first electronic device 501 (e.g., electronic device 804) may store information about the hop count of other electronic devices (e.g., electronic devices 801, 802, and 803) Can be stored. According to one embodiment, when the second electronic device 502 leaves the coverage of the first electronic device 501, the first electronic device 501 controls the activation of the relay characteristics in order of decreasing value of the hop count Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > a < / RTI > For example, the first electronic device 501 may send a second message requesting activation of the relay characteristic to the electronic device with the highest hop count value. If the electronic device with the highest hop count value can not activate the relay characteristic, then the first electronic device 501 can send a second message requesting activation of the relay characteristic to the second largest electronic device have.

According to one embodiment, the first electronic device 501 includes a third electronic device 503 capable of activating relay characteristics based on the received signal strength (e.g. RSSI (received signal strength indicator)) of other electronic devices You can decide.

According to one embodiment, the first electronic device 501 is capable of receiving a message (e.g., advertising data) defined by a Bluetooth SIG that is transmitted from other electronic devices that are not included in the mesh network Can be measured. According to another embodiment, the first electronic device 501 may measure the signal strength of a message (e.g., a heartbeat message) transmitted from other electronic devices forming the mesh network.

According to one embodiment, the first electronic device 501 may store information about the measured received signal strength in memory. When the second electronic device 502 leaves the coverage of the first electronic device 501, the first electronic device 501 may determine the electronic device to control the activation of the relay characteristics in order of decreasing received signal strength . For example, the first electronic device 501 may transmit a second message requesting activation of the relay characteristic to the electronic device having the lowest received signal strength. If the electronic device with the smallest received signal strength can not activate the relay characteristic, then the first electronic device 501 can send a second message requesting the activation of the relay characteristic to the second lowest received electronic device have.

According to various embodiments, the first electronic device 501 may determine a third electronic device 503 that is capable of activating relay characteristics based on the specified capabilities of other electronic devices. The designated capabilities may include, for example, at least one of battery level, operating state (e.g., on or off state), whether or not the message has been sent, or the number of other connected providers.

According to one embodiment, the first electronic device 501 may determine a third electronic device 503 that may activate the relay characteristic based on the battery level (or battery level) of another electronic device. For example, the first electronic device 501 may determine the third electronic device 503 as the electronic device with the highest battery level. For example, the first electronic device 501 may determine at least one electronic device whose battery level is above a specified threshold, and may determine other specified conditions (e.g., hop count, received signal strength, etc.) Can be determined as the third electronic device 503 capable of activating the relay characteristic.

According to one embodiment, the first electronic device 501 may determine a third electronic device 503 that may activate the relay characteristic based on the relationship between the other electronic devices and the second electronic device 502. [ The relationship between the other electronic devices and the second electronic device 502 may include a distance or whether it has last sent or received a message with the second electronic device 502. For example, the first electronic device 501 may determine electronic devices located within a specified threshold range based on a position before the second electronic device 502 leaves the coverage. In another example, the first electronic device 501 controls the activation of relay characteristics of the electronic device that last sent and received the message with the second electronic device 502 before the second electronic device 502 left the coverage .

According to one embodiment, the first electronic device 501 may determine an electronic device that provides the functionality associated with the second electronic device 502. [ For example, the first electronic device 501 may determine an electronic device having the same application as the second electronic device 502 among the electronic device candidates that support the relay characteristic. In another example, the first electronic device 501 may determine an electronic device in which the application that controls the second electronic device 502 is installed.

According to one embodiment, the first electronic device 501 may determine a third electronic device 503 capable of activating relay characteristics based on the location information of other electronic devices including the second electronic device 502 have. The location information may be, for example, information stored in the memory of the first electronic device 501. [ For example, FIG. 9 illustrates the operation of determining a third electronic device based on location information stored in a first electronic device in accordance with various embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 9, a plurality of electronic devices 901 through 911 may be located inside the housing 900. Electronic devices located in the house 900 may form a mesh network. The electronic device 901 may perform the function of a provisioner (e.g., the first electronic device 501). Electronic device 903, electronic device 905, electronic device 906, and electronic device 907 may support relay characteristics. The electronic device 901 may store location information of other electronic devices in a memory. The electronic device 901 can control activation of the relay characteristic of the electronic device located at the specified place. For example, the electronic device 901 may control activation of relay characteristics of the electronic device 906 closest to the porch.

According to one embodiment, the first electronic device 501 may determine a third electronic device 503 capable of activating the relay characteristic based on the past history of the electronic devices supporting the relay characteristic. The past history may include, for example, the frequency with which a plurality of electronic device candidates supporting the relay characteristic activate the relay characteristic.

According to one embodiment, the first electronic device 501 may determine a third electronic device 503 to activate the relay characteristic based on an angle of arrival (AOA) or an angle of departure (AOD). The AOA or AOD may refer to a parameter that indicates the direction of the electronic device that receives or transmits the signal. The first electronic device 501 or other electronic devices can measure AOA or AOD using satellite differences between antennas when transmitting (or receiving) signals. For example, if the first electronic device 501 receives a signal from another electronic device, the signal transmitted from the other electronic device may include an AOD value. The first electronic device 501 can measure the AOA using satellite differences between the antennas when receiving the signal and determine the location of other electronic devices that have been moved based on the AOA value and the AOD value included in the signal have. According to one embodiment, the first electronic device 501 may measure AOA or AOD through a provisioning operation. According to one embodiment, the first electronic device 501 may periodically measure the AOA or AOD of other electronic devices. According to one embodiment, when the position of the other electronic devices is changed, the other electronic devices send a signal to the first electronic device 501 indicating that the position is changed, and the first electronic device 501 AOA or AOD can be measured.

According to one embodiment, the first electronic device 501 may determine a third electronic device 503 capable of activating the relay characteristic based on generic location information defined in the Bluetooth SIG. The generic location information may define location information of the electronic devices supporting the relay characteristic. According to one embodiment, the generic location information may be determined when other electronic devices are initially device registered. The generic location information may be stored in the memory of the first electronic device 501. For example, the generic location information can be defined as shown in Table 4 below.

field Size (in octets) Contents Global Latitude 4 Global coordinates (latitude) Global Longitude 4 Global coordinates (longitude) Global Altitude 2 Global Height Local North 2 Area coordinates (north) Local East 2 Area coordinates (east) Local Altitude 2 Local Elevation Floor Number One Floor number Uncertainty 2 uncertainty

According to one embodiment, the first electronic device 501 may sequentially activate the relay characteristics of the electronic devices that support the relay feature within the mesh network. Although FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment in which the first electronic device 501 performing the function of the provisioner determines the third electronic device 503, it is also possible that an electronic device other than the first electronic device 501 Based on which the third electronic device 503, which can activate the relay characteristic, can be determined.

10 illustrates an operational flow diagram of a first electronic device that updates a list for a second electronic device that deviates from coverage in a mesh network in accordance with various embodiments. 10 may be part of the operations 601 and 615 of FIG.

Referring to FIG. 10, at operation 1005, the first electronic device 501 may detect that the second electronic device 502 has deviated from the coverage of the first electronic device 501.

At operation 1010, the first electronic device 501 may add information to the list about the second electronic device 502 that deviates from the coverage. For example, the list may include information regarding electronic devices that have deviated from the coverage of the first electronic device 501 within the mesh network (e.g., mesh network 300).

At operation 1015, the first electronic device 501 may control activation of the relay characteristic of the third electronic device 503 that may activate the relay characteristic. For example, the first electronic device 501 may send a message to the third electronic device 503 that includes information (e.g., a list) about the second electronic device 502.

In operation 1020, the first electronic device 501 determines whether the third electronic device 503 is connected to the second electronic device 502 (or whether the third electronic device 503 senses the second electronic device 502) ). For example, by receiving a message (e.g., a second response message of FIG. 5) sent from a third electronic device, the first electronic device 501 can communicate with the second electronic device 502 You can see if you are connected.

If the third electronic device 503 is not connected to the second electronic device 502, then at step 1025, the first electronic device 501 controls the activation of the relay characteristics of the other third electronic device 503, which supports the relay characteristic can do. If the third electronic device 503 or other third electronic device 503 is connected to the second electronic device 502 then the first electronic device 501 can update the list so that the second electronic device is excluded from the list have. The first electronic device 501 can manage information about the plurality of second electronic devices 502 through the list when there are a plurality of the second electronic devices 502 that have deviated from the coverage.

11 illustrates a flow diagram of a first electronic device that updates a list according to the deactivation of relay characteristics of a third electronic device in a mesh network according to various embodiments.

Referring to Figure 11, when the second electronic device 502 is connected to a third electronic device 503 that has activated the relay characteristic, at operation 1105, the first electronic device 501 receives a second electronic device 502 You can update the list to exclude it from the list.

At operation 1110, the first electronic device 501 may sense that the relay characteristic of the third electronic device 503 is deactivated. For example, the third electronic device 503 may deactivate the relay characteristic after a specified time. For example, the third electronic device 503 may deactivate the relay characteristic in response to a request from another external device (e.g., the first electronic device 501 or other electronic device forming the mesh network 300) have. For example, if the third electronic device 503 senses that the second electronic device 502 has deviated from the coverage of the third electronic device 503, the third electronic device 503 may deactivate the relay characteristic.

The first electronic device 501 can not perform the wireless communication with the second electronic device 502 when the third electronic device 503 deactivates the relay characteristic so that at the operation 1115 the first electronic device 501 2 electronic device 502 may be included in the list. The first electronic device 501 may determine another electronic device for relaying the second electronic device 502 to send a message to the second electronic device 502. [

5) may include a wireless communication module (e.g., wireless communication module 192 of FIG. 1), a processor electrically coupled to the wireless communication module (e.g., (E.g., processor 120 of FIG. 1), and a memory (e.g., memory 130 of FIG. 1) that is electrically coupled to the processor and that includes instructions that, upon execution, (E. G., The second electronic device 502 of FIG. 5) of the plurality of other electronic devices is connected to the mesh network < RTI ID = 0.0 > (E. G., The third electronic device 503 of FIG. 5) that activates the relay feature among the plurality of other electronic devices via the wireless communication module, Requesting activation of the attribute Transmitting a message, and through the third electronic device can be to perform the second electronic device with wireless communications.

According to one embodiment, the instructions form the mesh network by sending data, including the network key for the mesh network, to the plurality of other electronic devices via the wireless communication module, When the relay characteristic of the third electronic device is activated, the mesh network key may be used to perform the wireless communication with the second electronic device via the third electronic device.

According to one embodiment, the instructions cause the processor to identify a characteristic of the plurality of other electronic devices, to determine at least one candidate group that supports the relay characteristic from the characteristics of the plurality of other electronic devices, And determine the third electronic device to activate the relay characteristic among the candidate groups.

According to one embodiment, the instructions cause the processor to perform the steps of: determining a hop count of the candidate group, an intensity of a received signal, a battery level, an operating state, whether to provide a function associated with the second electronic device, To determine the third electronic device to activate the relay characteristic among the candidate groups based on at least one of the activation frequency of the first electronic device.

According to one embodiment, the instructions may cause the processor to determine the third electronic device to activate the relay characteristic among the candidate groups based on position information of the candidate group stored in the memory.

According to one embodiment, the instructions cause the processor to transmit a trusted message to the second electronic device via the wireless communication module, and if the response message to the trusted message is not received within a specified time, 2 < / RTI > electronic device is out of coverage of the mesh network.

According to one embodiment, the instructions may cause the processor to update a list of electronic devices that have deviated from the coverage of the mesh network when the second electronic device leaves the coverage of the mesh network.

According to one embodiment, the instructions may cause the processor to update the list such that when the relay characteristic of the third electronic device is activated, the second electronic device is excluded from the list.

As discussed above, the electronic device (e.g., first electronic device 501 of FIG. 5) includes a wireless communication circuit (e.g., wireless communication module 192 of FIG. 1) configured to provide Bluetooth low energy And a control circuit (e.g., processor 120 of FIG. 1) operatively coupled to the wireless communication circuit, wherein the control circuit uses the wireless communication circuit to generate a first A mesh network is formed with a plurality of external devices including an external device (e.g., the third electronic device 503 of FIG. 5) and a second external device (e.g., the second electronic device 520 of FIG. 5) Wherein the operation for forming the mesh network includes a provisioning operation for making an external device a node on the network, and transmitting a message to the first external device and the second external device, receiving a response from the first external device However, from the second external device, Activating the relay characteristic of the first external device after failing to receive a response from the first external device, and activating the relay characteristic of the first external device after failing to receive a response from the second external device, And the second external device is maintained in the network through communication with the second external device.

According to one embodiment, the provisioning operation may include providing an external device added to the network, providing a network key, and generating an identifier (ID) for an external device added to the network have.

According to one embodiment, the control circuit may be further configured to receive information on the second external device from the first external device.

According to one embodiment, the control circuit may be further configured to determine the second external device based on a hop count of each of the plurality of external devices, among the plurality of external devices.

According to one embodiment, the control circuit determines whether to provide, among the plurality of external devices, the intensity of the received signal of each of the plurality of external devices, the battery level, the operating state, the function associated with the second electronic device , Or the frequency of activation of the relay characteristic.

According to one embodiment, the control circuit may be further configured to determine the second external device based on position information of each of the plurality of external devices among the plurality of external devices.

According to one embodiment, the control circuit controls the second external device based on an angle of arrival (AOA) value or an angle of departure (AOD) value of each of the plurality of external devices among the plurality of external devices And < / RTI >

As discussed above, the electronic device (e.g., third electronic device 503 of FIG. 5) may include a wireless communication circuit (e.g., wireless communication module 192 of FIG. 1) configured to provide BLE wireless communication, (E.g., memory 130 of FIG. 1) configured to store instructions that cause the mobile station to provide relay characteristics within a BLE mesh network, and control circuitry (e.g., (The processor 120 in Fig. 1), and the control circuit controls, via the wireless communication circuit, a first external device (not shown) performing a function of a provisioner (E. G., The first electronic device 501 of FIG. 5) on the network, and via the wireless communication circuit, receive a message from the first external device And transmitting a response message to the first external device via the wireless communication circuit, receiving a request for activation of the relay characteristic from the first external device, and responsive to the request, (E.g., the second electronic device 520 of FIG. 5) is unprovisioned, such that the second external device is maintained within the network. have.

According to one embodiment, the provisioning operation may include providing an external device added to the network with a network key, and generating an ID for an external device added to the network.

According to one embodiment, the control circuit may be further configured to transmit information about the second external device to the first external device.

According to one embodiment, the information about the second external device may include an AOA or an AOD value.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the message received from the first external device may include a reliable message defined in the Bluetooth SIG.

An electronic device according to various embodiments disclosed herein can be various types of devices. The electronic device can include, for example, at least one of a portable communication device (e.g., a smart phone), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a camera, a wearable device, or a home appliance. The electronic device according to the embodiment of the present document is not limited to the above-described devices.

It should be understood that the various embodiments of the present document and the terminology used are not intended to limit thetechniques described in this document to any particular embodiment, but rather to include various modifications, equivalents, and / or alternatives of the embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, like reference numerals may be used for similar components. The singular expressions may include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this document, the expressions "A or B," "at least one of A and / or B," "A, B or C," or "at least one of A, B, and / Possible combinations. Expressions such as "first", "second", "first" or "second" may be used to qualify the components, regardless of order or importance, and to distinguish one component from another And does not limit the constituent elements. When it is mentioned that some (e.g., first) component is "(functionally or communicatively) connected" or "connected" to another (second) component, May be connected directly to the component, or may be connected through another component (e.g., a third component).

As used herein, the term "module " includes units comprised of hardware, software, or firmware and may be used interchangeably with terms such as, for example, logic, logic blocks, components, or circuits. A module may be an integrally constructed component or a minimum unit or part thereof that performs one or more functions. For example, the module may be configured as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

Various embodiments of the present document may include instructions stored on a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., internal memory 136 or external memory 138) readable by a machine (e.g., a computer) Software (e.g., program 140). The device may include an electronic device (e.g., electronic device 101) in accordance with the disclosed embodiments as an apparatus that is operable to invoke stored instructions from the storage medium and act upon the called instructions. When the instruction is executed by a processor (e.g., processor 120), the processor may perform the function corresponding to the instruction, either directly or using other components under the control of the processor. The instructions may include code generated or executed by the compiler or interpreter. A device-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, 'non-temporary' means that the storage medium does not include a signal and is tangible, but does not distinguish whether data is stored semi-permanently or temporarily on the storage medium.

According to one embodiment, a method according to various embodiments disclosed herein may be provided in a computer program product. A computer program product can be traded between a seller and a buyer as a product. A computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (eg, compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM)) or distributed online through an application store (eg PlayStore ^™ ). In the case of on-line distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be temporarily stored, or temporarily created, on a storage medium such as a manufacturer's server, a server of an application store, or a memory of a relay server.

Each of the components (e.g., modules or programs) according to various embodiments may be comprised of a single entity or a plurality of entities, and some subcomponents of the aforementioned subcomponents may be omitted, or other subcomponents may be various May be further included in the embodiment. Alternatively or additionally, some components (e.g., modules or programs) may be integrated into a single entity to perform the same or similar functions performed by each respective component prior to integration. Operations performed by a module, program, or other component, in accordance with various embodiments, may be performed in a sequential, parallel, iterative, or heuristic manner, or at least some operations may be performed in a different order, omitted, .

Claims (15)

In an electronic device, A wireless communication module; A processor electrically connected to the wireless communication module; And A memory electrically coupled to the processor, the memory including instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to: Configure a mesh network with a plurality of other electronic devices through the wireless communication module, Detecting that the second electronic device of the plurality of other electronic devices has deviated from the coverage of the mesh network, Transmitting, via the wireless communication module, a message requesting activation of the relay characteristic from the plurality of other electronic devices to a third electronic device for activating the relay characteristic, Cause the first electronic device to perform wireless communication with the second electronic device via the third electronic device. The method of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the processor to: Forming mesh network by transmitting data including a network key for the mesh network to the plurality of other electronic devices through the wireless communication module, When the relay characteristic of the third electronic device is activated, to perform the wireless communication with the second electronic device via the third electronic device using the mesh network key. The method of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the processor to: Identify characteristics of the plurality of other electronic devices, Determining at least one candidate that supports the relay characteristic from the characteristics of the plurality of other electronic devices, And determine the third electronic device to activate the relay characteristic among the determined candidate groups. 4. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, Wherein the control unit determines, based on at least one of a hop count of the candidate group, a received signal strength, a battery level, an operating state, whether to provide a function associated with the second electronic device, To determine the third electronic device to activate the relay characteristic. 4. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, And determine the third electronic device to activate the relay characteristic among the candidate groups based on the position information of the candidate group stored in the memory. The method of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the processor to: Send a reliable message to the second electronic device via the wireless communication module, And if the response message to the trusted message is not received within a specified time, the second electronic device senses that the coverage of the mesh network has deviated from the coverage. 7. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, And to update the list of electronic devices that have deviated from the coverage of the mesh network when the second electronic device leaves the coverage of the mesh network. 8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, And cause the second electronic device to update the list such that when the relay characteristic of the third electronic device is activated, the second electronic device is excluded from the list. In an electronic device, A wireless communication circuit configured to provide Bluetooth low energy (BLE) wireless communication; And And a control circuit operatively coupled to the wireless communication circuit, Wherein the mesh network is formed with a plurality of external devices including a first external device including a relay characteristic and a second external device using the wireless communication circuit, Including a provisioning operation to make a node on the network, Transmitting a message to the first external device and the second external device, Receives a response from the first external device but does not receive a response from the second external device, Activating the relay characteristic of the first external device after not receiving a response from the second external device, Wherein the second external device is configured to maintain the second external device in the network through communication with the second external device via the first external device before the second external device is provisioned. 10. The method of claim 9, Providing an external device added to the network with a network key; And And generating an identifier (ID) for an external device added to the network. The control circuit according to claim 9, And to receive information about the second external device from the first external device. 12. The control circuit according to claim 11, And determine the second external device based on a hop count of each of the plurality of external devices, among the plurality of external devices. 12. The control circuit according to claim 11, At least one among the plurality of external devices, the received signal strength of each of the plurality of external devices, the battery level, the operating state, whether to provide the function associated with the second electronic device, or the frequency of activation of the relay characteristic And determine the second external device based on the second external device. 12. The control circuit according to claim 11, Among the plurality of external apparatuses, each of the plurality of external apparatuses And determine the second external device based on the location information. The control circuit according to claim 9, Among the plurality of external apparatuses, each of the plurality of external apparatuses And determine the second external device based on an angle of arrival (AOA) or an angle of departure (AOD) value.

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