KR20170004534A - Apparatus and Method for connecting to WiFi based on BLE beacon - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for accessing Wi-Fi based on a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) beacon, capable of accessing a Wi-Fi access point (AP) for use only at a specific location within a service range of the Wi-Fi AP. Recently, many smart devices supporting BLE have been launched, and beacons and peripheral devices based on the BLE are serviced one after another. In addition, the Wi-Fi AP has coverage of about 100 meters with respect to the outdoors, but BLE beacons have coverage of about 3-50 meters, which is smaller than that of the Wi-Fi AP. Moreover, the Wi-Fi AP has coverage of almost the whole house with respect to the indoors, but the BLE beacons have smaller coverage of about one room. Thus, the present invention provides a Wi-Fi AP list and authentication information to a user terminal through the BLE beacons at a specific location, and allows only a user terminal which has received the information to access a corresponding Wi-Fi AP. The apparatus for accessing the Wi-Fi based on the BLE beacon includes an authentication information management unit and a BLE communication unit.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for a BLE beacon-based WiFi connection,

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a technology for connecting to a WiFi access point (AP), and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for accessing a WiFi AP using a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) beacon signal.

Recently, many WiFi smart devices (eg, smartphones) that support Bluetooth beacons are being released. And Bluetooth low energy (BLE) -based beacon devices are being continuously serviced.

Users can connect smart devices such as smart phones or pads (tablet PCs) that support WiFi to WiFi APs that are used at home or in a certain place.

However, when I turn on the WiFi of the smart device to go to the WiFi AP at home or at a specific place, various WiFi APs such as the house next to the next house are displayed, and it is difficult to know which WiFi AP is the accessable AP. Also, if you do not hang up security of AP, there is a problem that you can connect to WiFi AP other than the place where you installed it, such as next door or house under the cut.

As described above, there is a need for a method that allows access to the WiFi AP only at a specific location indoors or indoors, but there is no way to do so until now.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2007-0013166 (published on January 30, 2007)

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for a BLE beacon-based WiFi connection, which enables a WiFi AP to access and use only a specific location within a service area of a WiFi AP will be.

Recently, many smart devices supporting Bluetooth low energy (BLE) are being launched, and Bluetooth low energy (BLE) based beacons and peripheral devices are being continuously serviced. In addition, WiFi AP has a coverage of 100 meters in outdoor standard, but BLE beacon is about 3 ~ 50 meters, which is smaller than WiFi AP. In the room, WiFi AP coverage almost reaches the whole house, but the BLE beacon has only a small coverage.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a technique for providing WiFi AP list and authentication information through a BLE beacon at a specific location, and connecting only the user who has received the information to the WiFi AP.

In order to achieve the above object, an apparatus for BLE beacon-based WiFi access according to an aspect of the present invention includes an authentication information manager for storing, updating, and managing authentication information of a WiFi AP, ; And a BLE communication unit for transmitting the authentication information of the authentication information management unit in a BLE type beacon packet and communicating with the WiFi AP to obtain authentication information of the WiFi AP; And an authentication information input unit for inputting authentication information of the WiFi AP from the outside.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for a BLE beacon-based WiFi connection, the apparatus comprising: a BLE communication unit for receiving a BLE-type beacon packet; An authentication information extracting unit for extracting authentication information of the WiFi AP from the received BLE type beacon packet; And an AP communication unit for accessing and communicating with the WiFi AP based on the extracted authentication information of the WiFi AP.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for a BLE beacon-based WiFi connection, the method comprising the steps of: (a) storing, updating and managing authentication information of a WiFi AP; ; And (b) transmitting the authentication information of step (a) in a beacon packet of a BLE type, and acquiring authentication information of the corresponding WiFi AP by communicating with the WiFi AP; And inputting authentication information of the WiFi AP from the outside.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for a BLE beacon-based WiFi connection, the method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving a Beacon BLE type packet; (b) extracting authentication information of the WiFi AP from the received BLE type beacon packet; And (c) accessing and communicating with the WiFi AP based on the extracted authentication information of the WiFi AP.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer-readable recording medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a method for the BLE beacon-based WiFi connection.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an application stored in a medium for executing the method for the BLE beacon-based WiFi connection in combination with hardware.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer program stored in a medium for executing a method for the BLE beacon-based WiFi connection in a computer.

As described above, according to various aspects of the present invention, it is possible to access and use a WiFi AP only at a specific location (for example, a specific room, living room, kitchen, etc.) within the service area of the WiFi AP, The WiFi AP can not be used, and the discriminating power for the usable area is increased.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system for a BLE beacon-based WiFi connection according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.
2 is a configuration diagram of a device for a BLE beacon-based WiFi connection according to an embodiment of the present invention;
3 is a configuration diagram of a device for a BLE beacon-based WiFi connection according to another embodiment of the present invention;
4 is a flow diagram of a method for a BLE beacon-based WiFi connection according to an embodiment of the present invention;
5 is a flow diagram of a method for a BLE beacon-based WiFi connection according to another embodiment of the present invention;
6 is a configuration diagram of a BLE beacon packet according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a beacon search execution screen of a user terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numerals are used to denote like elements throughout the drawings, even if they are shown in different drawings. In the following description, well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail since they would obscure the invention in unnecessary detail.

1 (a) and 1 (b) are a configuration diagram and an installation example of a system for a BLE beacon-based WiFi connection according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1, a system according to the present embodiment includes a communication network 1, a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) beacon device 2, a user terminal 3, And a WiFi access point 4 (hereinafter referred to as AP).

The communication network 1 comprises a wireless (air), wired, or wired / wireless network that enables wireless and / or wireline connection between the BLE beacon device 2, the user terminal 3, and the WiFi AP 4 .

The BLE beacon device 2 is a device for generating and broadcasting a beacon packet signal of a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) type. Particularly, the BLE beacon device 2 transmits the authentication information of the WiFi AP 4 to the corresponding BLE beacon packet .

As shown in FIG. 6, the BLE beacon packet according to the present embodiment includes a preamble area, an access address area, a PDU header area, an Adv Address area, An Advertisement Data area, and a CRC area. The WiFi AP list and authentication information (hereinafter referred to as a WiFi AP authentication Information ") can be recorded.

The user terminal 3 has a function of accessing the Internet through a mobile communication network (not shown), a function of accessing the wireless Internet via the WiFi AP 4, a Bluetooth communication function for communicating with the BLE beacon device 2 For example, a mobile communication terminal capable of voice communication, data communication, and Internet communication, a smart phone, a tablet PC, and the like.

The WiFi AP 4 represents a WiFi-type access point as an end device of a conventional wireless communication network. The WiFi AP 4 is not limited to a WiFi system and can use a wireless terminal such as a WLAN or WPAN.

As shown in FIG. 1B, the BLE beacon device 2 according to the present embodiment includes beacon coverage areas divided into a specific room, a living room, a kitchen, etc., within the coverage of the home WiFi AP 4, As shown in Fig.

The user terminal 3 receives the WiFi AP authentication information through the BLE beacon 2 at a specific location in the service area of the WiFi AP 4 (e.g., a specific room, living room, kitchen, etc.) Information can be used to access and communicate with the corresponding WiFi AP 4.

FIG. 2 is a detailed configuration diagram of a device for a BLE beacon-based WiFi connection according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is included in the BLE beacon device 2 of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, An authentication information management unit 23, a BLE communication unit 25, and an authentication information input unit 27. The authentication information management unit 23,

The AP communication unit 21 is for communicating with the WiFi AP 4 to acquire the corresponding WiFi AP authentication information. In this embodiment, the WiFi AP authentication information includes SSID (Service Set Identifier) information of the corresponding WiFi AP, A security method for accessing the WiFi AP of the mobile communication terminal, a password of the corresponding security method, or information on which the user can guess the password.

The authentication information management unit 23 is for storing, updating, and managing the WiFi AP authentication information acquired through the AP communication unit 21 or inputted through the authentication information input unit 27. The authentication information management unit 23 stores the WiFi AP authentication information by SSID You can create and save profiles.

The BLE communication unit 25 is for transmitting the WiFi AP authentication information of the authentication information management unit 23 in a beacon packet of the BLE type and transmitting the authentication information to the authentication information management unit 23 The WiFi AP authentication information managed by the WiFi AP can be recorded and transmitted to the surroundings.

The authentication information input unit 27 is for inputting WiFi AP authentication information from outside. The administrator can input or change the WiFi AP authentication information newly through the authentication information input unit 27.

FIG. 3 is a detailed configuration diagram of a device for a BLE beacon-based WiFi connection according to another embodiment of the present invention, which is included in the user terminal 3 of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 3, 31, an authentication information extracting unit 33, and an AP communication unit 35.

The BLE communication unit 31 is for searching and receiving the BLE beacon packet through the periodic BLE beacon signal search. For example, when the user selects the BLE beacon unit 2 within the service area of the home WiFi AP 4, The BLE beacon packet transmitted from the corresponding BLE beacon apparatus 2 can be received through the BLB communication unit 31. In this case,

The BLE communication unit 31 extracts the authentication information of the WiFi AP from the BLE type beacon packet received by the BLE communication unit 31. For example, The authentication information extracting unit 33 can extract the WiFi AP authentication information recorded in the advertisement data area of the received BLE beacon packet. That is, the authentication information extracting unit 33 analyzes the data of the BLE beacon packet, and obtains relevant information necessary for connection with the WiFi AP, that is, SSID (Service Set Identifier) information of the corresponding WiFi AP and WiFi AP of the corresponding SSID And the WiFi AP authentication information including the security method for the security method, the information that the user can infer the password, and the like.

The AP communication unit 35 is for accessing and communicating with the WiFi AP based on the authentication information of the WiFi AP extracted through the authentication information extracting unit 33. For example, the AP communication unit 35 adds WiFi AP authentication information Recognizes that there is a WiFi AP capable of accessing nearby WiFi APs, activates the WiFi module, searches for a neighboring WiFi AP, finds a WiFi AP found in the authentication information extracting unit 33, and accesses the corresponding WiFi AP. Based on the WiFi AP authentication information, the AP authentication process is performed to complete the connection with the WiFi AP. Also, when the connection is normally completed, the user can be informed through the screen or sound that the AP is normally connected to the AP.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method for a BLE beacon-based WiFi connection according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is performed in the BLE beacon device 2 of FIG.

First, when the BLE beacon function is activated (S401), the AP communication unit 21 communicates with the WiFi AP 4 or receives or inputs new changed WiFi AP authentication information through the administrator (S403) The information inspecting unit 23 stores or updates the WiFi AP authentication information (S405).

As described above, the WiFi authentication information includes information such as SSID (Service Set Identifier) information of the corresponding WiFi AP, a security method for connecting to the WiFi AP of the corresponding SSID, a password of the corresponding security method, Information, and the like. The authentication information management unit 23 can store the WiFi AP authentication information for each SSID, and make and store the profile.

Then, the BLE communication unit 25 receives the WiFi AP authentication information managed by the authentication information management unit 23 in the data area of the advertisement packet as shown in FIG. 6 to generate a BLE beacon packet and broadcasts the generated BLE beacon packet to the broadcasting broadcasting (S407).

Finally, when the BLE beacon function activated in step S401 is terminated during the broadcasting of the BLE beacon packet as in step S407, the broadcast of the BLE beacon packet is terminated and terminated (step S409).

5 is a flowchart of a method for a BLE beacon-based WiFi connection according to another embodiment of the present invention, and is performed in the user terminal 3 of FIGS.

First, the user terminal 3 checks whether there is a BLE beacon signal received through periodic search (S501 to S503).

If it is determined in step S503 that the received BLE beacon signal is present, it is recognized that there is a WiFi AP 4 that can be accessed nearby (S505). Then, the data of the received BLE beacon packet is analyzed and WiFi AP information (SSID) The WiFi AP authentication information including information (authentication method, password, password hint, etc.) necessary for the WiFi AP authentication (step S507), and stores or updates the extracted WiFi AP authentication information, The authentication information is displayed on the screen of the user terminal 3 in step S509 according to the selection, as shown in FIG. 7, by SSID, SSID name, authentication method, password, or encryption hint.

Then, the WiFi module is activated and the surrounding WiFi AP is searched (S511), and it is checked whether there is a WiFi AP found as a result of the BLE beacon search in the steps S501 to S509 (S513), connection to the WiFi AP is performed (S515) The WiFi AP is connected to the WiFi AP based on the extracted WiFi AP authentication information and performs authentication (S517).

Finally, in step S517, if the connection and the authentication are successful and the connection with the corresponding WiFi AP is normally completed, the user is notified that the WiFi AP is normally connected to the WiFi AP through a screen or a sound (S519).

As described above, a method for a BLE beacon-based WiFi connection according to an embodiment of the present invention may be implemented as a computer-readable recording medium (or application) including program instructions for performing various computer-implemented operations. The computer-readable recording medium may include a program command, a local data file, a local data structure, or the like, alone or in combination. The recording medium may be those specially designed and constructed for the embodiments of the present invention or may be those known to those skilled in the computer software. Examples of computer-readable media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks and magnetic tape, optical recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, magneto-optical media such as floppy disks, and ROMs, And hardware devices specifically configured to store and execute the same program instructions. The recording medium may be a transmission medium such as an optical or metal line, a wave guide, or the like, including a carrier wave for transmitting a signal designating a program command, a local data structure, or the like. Examples of program instructions may include machine language code such as those generated by a compiler, as well as high-level language code that may be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like.

The foregoing description is merely illustrative of the technical idea of the present invention, and various changes and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention are intended to illustrate rather than limit the scope of the present invention, and the scope of the technical idea of the present invention is not limited by these embodiments. The scope of protection of the present invention should be construed according to the following claims, and all technical ideas within the scope of equivalents should be construed as falling within the scope of the present invention.

1: Network
2: BLE beacon device
3: User terminal
4: WiFi AP
21: The AP Department
23: Authentication information management unit
25: BLE communication section
27: Authentication information input unit
31: BLE communication section
33: Authentication information extracting unit
35:

Claims (11)

As a device included in the BLE beacon device,
An authentication information management unit for storing, updating, and managing authentication information of the WiFi AP; And
And a BLE communication unit for transmitting authentication information of the authentication information management unit in a beacon packet of a BLE type. The method according to claim 1,
And an AP communication unit for communicating with the WiFi AP to obtain authentication information of the corresponding WiFi AP. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising an authentication information input unit for inputting authentication information of the WiFi AP from outside. As an apparatus included in a user terminal,
A BLE communication unit for receiving a BLE type beacon packet;
An authentication information extracting unit for extracting authentication information of the WiFi AP from the received BLE type beacon packet; And
And an AP communication unit for accessing and communicating with the WiFi AP based on the extracted authentication information of the WiFi AP. In a method performed in a BLE beacon device,
(a) storing, updating and managing authentication information of a WiFi AP; And
(b) transmitting the authentication information of step (a) in a beacon packet of a BLE type. 6. The method of claim 5,
Further comprising the step of communicating with the WiFi AP to obtain authentication information of the corresponding WiFi AP. 6. The method of claim 5,
Further comprising the step of externally inputting authentication information of the WiFi AP. As a method performed by a user terminal,
(a) receiving a BLE-type beacon packet;
(b) extracting authentication information of the WiFi AP from the received BLE type beacon packet; And
and (c) accessing and communicating with the WiFi AP based on the extracted authentication information of the WiFi AP. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for causing a computer to execute a method for the BLE beacon-based WiFi connection according to any one of claims 5 to 8. 9. An application stored on a medium for running in combination with hardware a method for the BLE beacon-based WiFi connection as claimed in any one of claims 5-8. 9. A computer program stored on a medium for executing in a computer a method for the BLE beacon-based WiFi connection as claimed in any one of claims 5-8.

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