Patent Description:
The Internet is evolving from a human-oriented connection network in which humans generate and consume information, to an internet-of-things (IoT) network in which distributed components, such as things, exchange and process information. Under the IoT network, intelligence Internet technology (IT) services may be provided to collect and analyze data generated from things and to create new values in a human life.

In general, electronic devices, which may belong to the IoT, have a relatively lower processing ability and a lower battery capacity. In addition, since various things are connected with a network, more many electronic devices may be connected with the network as compared to communication equipment such as an existing telephone. In addition, the above-described characteristic of the IoT may be identically applied to machine type communication. Accordingly, there may be required a communication method based on the characteristics, such as lower power consumption and multiple accesses, of the IoT and the machine type communication.

Devices and methods known from the art are disclosed in "<NPL>).

Further devices and methods known from the art are disclosed in <CIT>. This disclosure relates to a pre-5th-Generation (<NUM>) or <NUM> communication system to be provided for supporting higher data rates Beyond 4th-Generation (<NUM>) communication system such as Long Term Evolution (LTE). A subscriber server supporting subscription of an electronic device in a communication system is provided. The subscriber server includes a transceiver configured to transmit and receive a signal, and a controller configured to receive a first subscription connection request message of the electronic device from a terminal, the first subscription connection request message including subscription terminal information of the terminal and identification information of the electronic device, authenticate a user of the terminal on a basis of the subscription terminal information included in the received first subscription connection request message, and transmit a second subscription connection request message of the electronic device to a support server if the user authentication has succeeded. The subscription terminal information of the terminal is used to acquire subscription information of the electronic device so as to subscribe the electronic device.

Further methods known from the art are disclosed in <CIT>, which discloses using subscriber identification information stored in mobile user equipment (UE) to connect to a communication service over a public wireless network in the UE, establishing a communication link between the UE and a device, generating network access information (NAI) associated with the communication service in the UE, and sending the NAI from the UE to the device via the communication link. The method further comprises connecting the communication service in the device using the NAI and terminating the connection of the communication service in the UE.

Further methods known from the art are disclosed in <CIT>, which generally relates to secure data management techniques. Techniques are described for pairing devices and using the pairing information for granting or denying requests (e.g., data exchange requests) from the devices, for example, in a cloud environment, including Internet of Things (IoT) cloud. Devices can be paired with each other according to their identification information. Subsequently, when an original request is received from a first device, and a chasing request received from a second device, the pre-registered pairing information is used to determine whether the first and second devices form a valid pair and the original request is granted or denied based upon that determination. For example, the request may be granted only if it is determined that the first device and the second device have been previously paired. In certain embodiments, in addition to the pairing check, additional checks may be performed to determine whether to grant or deny the original request from the first device.

IoT communication may be performed based on a cellular network. For example, the IoT communication may be performed through a low power wide area network (LPWAN) based on the cellular network. For example, the LPWAN may include networks based on various communication standards, such as category-machine (Cat-M), narrowband-IoT (NB-IoT) or extended coverage GSM for IoT (EC-GSM). To perform the IoT communication based on the cellular network, the electronic device may be first signed in to a network service provider of a cellular network.

In general, the IoT device may be produced with a longer battery lifespan at lower costs. Accordingly, the IoT device may have limited functionality. For example, the IoT device may have lower data throughput in uplink and downlink. For another example, the IoT device may support only half-duplex communication. For another example, the IoT may not include a component, such as a display, for displaying complex information. For another example, the IoT may include only a user interface such as a simple physical button to receive a user input. Accordingly, there is required a method for signing in the IoT device to a network through a simple user interface such as a physical button.

Aspects of the present disclosure are to address at least the above-mentioned problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described below. Accordingly, an aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a method and a device for registering an IoT device in a network.

As described above, according to various embodiments disclosed in the present disclosure, the IoT device may be signed in through an external electronic device communicating with the IoT device through a short-range wireless network.

In addition, according to various embodiments, various requirements depending on service providers may be processed by an external server by transmitting registration information to a service provider server through an external server.

Besides, a variety of effects directly or indirectly understood through the present disclosure may be provided.

In the following description made with respect to the accompanying drawings, similar components will be assigned with similar reference numerals.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be described with reference to accompanying drawings. Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that modification, equivalent, and/or alternative on the various embodiments described herein can be variously made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

<FIG> is a view illustrating the configuration of a first electronic device, according to an embodiment.

Referring to <FIG>, a first electronic device <NUM> may be an electronic device making wireless communication through an IoT network. For example, the first electronic device <NUM> may be referred as bandwidth reduced low complexity user equipment (BLUE), narrowband internet-of-things (NB loT) UE, cellular IoT UE, a mobile IoT device, or another term having the same technical meaning as those of the terms.

According to an embodiment, the first electronic device <NUM> may include a communication circuit <NUM>, a processor <NUM>, a memory <NUM>, and a user interface <NUM>. The components of the first electronic device <NUM> of <FIG> are provided only for the illustrative purpose, and the first electronic device <NUM> may further include other components not illustrated in <FIG>. For example, the first electronic device <NUM> may further include an indicator exposed through a portion of a housing of the first electronic device <NUM>. For another example, the first electronic device <NUM> may further include at least one of a motion sensor (not illustrated) or a location information obtaining unit. For another example, the processor <NUM> may be electrically and/or operatively connected with the memory <NUM>, the communication circuit <NUM>, the user interface <NUM>, and another component illustrated in <FIG>. Referring to <FIG>, components (e.g., the memory <NUM>, the processor <NUM>, and the communication circuit <NUM>), which are shown in dotted lines, may refer to components located inside the housing of the first electronic device <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the communication circuit <NUM> may provide an interface for making communication with different entities (e.g., base stations included in the network). The communication circuit <NUM> may convert a bit string transmitted to the different entity into a physical signal and may convert a physical signal received from the different entity into a bit string. In addition, the communication circuit <NUM> may transmit and receive a signal. Accordingly, the communication circuit <NUM> may be referred to as a "transmitter", "receiver" or "transceiver".

According to an embodiment, the first electronic device <NUM> (or the communication circuit <NUM>) may support an LPWAN (e.g., NB-IoT network). For example, the communication circuit <NUM> may transceive data with the network through a pre-determined frequency band. The pre-determined frequency band may be used as a portion of a frequency band used in another cellular network (e.g., long term evolution (LTE), a universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS), or a global system for mobile communications (GSM)) (hereinafter, referred to as "In-Band"), may include a guard band used in another cellular network, or may be used as a frequency band or a dedicated frequency band used in another cellular network (hereafter, referred to as " standalone"). For another example, to save costs and save battery power consumption, the communication circuit <NUM> may make communication with the network through a limited bandwidth. The limited bandwidth may be narrower than that used in another cellular network and may be, for example, <NUM>, <NUM>, or <NUM>.

For example, the communication circuit <NUM> may access a network (e.g., a cellular network, or a LPWAN) based on various communication standards, such as category-machine (Cat-M), narrowband-IoT (NB-IoT) or extended coverage GSM for IoT (EC-GSM). For example, the LPWAN may include at least one of a NB-IoT network, a Cat-M network, or an EC-GSM network. For example, the Cat-M may be referred to as Cat-M or LTE-M. For example, the NB-IoT may be referred to as Cat-M2.

According to an embodiment, the communication circuit <NUM> may transceive data through a wireless local area network (WLAN) (e.g., WiFi). The communication circuit <NUM> may communicate with an external server through a WLAN.

According to an embodiment, the communication circuit <NUM> may communicate with an external electronic device through a short-range wireless network. For example, the short-range wireless network may be a network based on Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), or near field communication (NFC).

According to an embodiment, the communication circuit <NUM> may include a plurality of communication circuits. For example, the communication circuit <NUM> may include a first wireless communication circuit configured to provide first wireless communication using LPWAN, a second wireless communication circuit configured to provide second wireless communication using a WAN (e.g., Wi-Fi), and a third wireless communication circuit configured to provide third wireless communication using low-power Bluetooth. According to an embodiment, the re-booting of the communication circuit <NUM> may include the re-booting of at least some communication circuits of the communication circuit <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> may include at least one processor. For example, the processor <NUM> may include at least one of an application processor or a cellular processor. According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> may be run based on a program stored in the memory <NUM> of the first electronic device <NUM>. For example, the memory <NUM> may store instructions causing the processor <NUM> to perform various operations. In the following description, the operation of the processor <NUM> may be performed in response to instructions stored in the memory <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> may be configured to control other components of the first electronic device <NUM>. Unless otherwise specified in the following description, the operation of the first electronic device <NUM> may be referred to as the operation performed by the processor <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the user interface <NUM> may include at least one physical button exposed through a portion of the housing of the first electronic device <NUM>. As described above, the first electronic device <NUM> may not include a display. Accordingly, the first electronic device <NUM> may receive a user input only through the user interface <NUM>. Hereinafter, description will be made with reference to <FIG> regarding the configuration of an external electronic device that may communicate with the first electronic device <NUM> through a Bluetooth network or a BLE network.

<FIG> is a block diagram of a second electronic device, according to an embodiment.

Referring to <FIG>, a second electronic device <NUM> may be the external electronic device making communication with the first electronic device <NUM> through a Bluetooth network or a BLE network. For example, the second electronic device <NUM> may be referred to as a terminal, user equipment (UE), a mobile station, a subscriber station, a remote terminal, a wireless terminal, a user device, or another term having the same technical meaning as those of the above components.

According to an embodiment, the second electronic device <NUM> may include a communication circuit <NUM>, a processor <NUM>, a memory <NUM>, and a user display <NUM>. The components of the second electronic device <NUM> of <FIG> are provided only for the illustrative purpose, and the second electronic device <NUM> may further include other components not illustrated in <FIG>. For another example, the processor <NUM> may be electrically and/or operatively connected with the memory <NUM>, the communication circuit <NUM>, the user display <NUM>, and another component not illustrated in <FIG>.

According to an embodiment, the communication circuit <NUM> may provide an interface for making communication with different entities (e.g., base stations included in the network). The communication circuit <NUM> may convert a bit string to be transmitted to the different entity into a physical signal and may convert a physical signal received from the different entity into a bit string. In addition, the communication circuit <NUM> may transmit and receive a signal. Accordingly, the communication circuit <NUM> may be referred to as a "transmitter", "receiver" or "transceiver".

According to an embodiment, the second electronic device <NUM> (or the communication circuit <NUM>) may support a cellular network. For example, the communication circuit <NUM> may transceive data with the network through a pre-determined frequency band. The pre-determined frequency band may be used as a portion of a frequency band used in another cellular network (e.g., long term evolution (LTE), a universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS), or a global system for mobile communications (GSM)) (hereinafter, referred to as "In-Band"), may include a guard band used in another cellular network, or may be used as a frequency band or a dedicated frequency band used in another cellular network (hereafter, referred to as " standalone").

According to an embodiment, the communication circuit <NUM> may transceive data through a WLAN (e.g., WiFi). The communication circuit <NUM> may communicate with an external server through the WLAN.

According to an embodiment, the communication circuit <NUM> may communicate with the first electronic device <NUM> through a short-range wireless network. For example, the short-range wireless network may be a network based on Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), or near field communication (NFC).

According to an embodiment, the communication circuit <NUM> may include a plurality of communication circuits. For example, the communication circuit <NUM> may include a first wireless communication circuit configured to provide first wireless communication using LPWAN, a second wireless communication circuit configured to provide second wireless communication using a WAN (e.g., Wi-Fi), and a third wireless communication circuit configured to provide third wireless communication using low-power Bluetooth.

The description of the processor <NUM> and the memory <NUM> may be understood by making reference to the description of the processor <NUM> and the memory <NUM> of <FIG>, respectively. For clarity, redundant details will not be repeated in the following description. As described above with reference to <FIG> and <FIG>, the first electronic device <NUM> and the second electronic device <NUM> may communicate with each other through various networks. Hereinafter, the connection between the first electronic device <NUM> and the second electronic device <NUM> under a network environment will be described with reference to <FIG>, according to various embodiments.

<FIG> is a view illustrating a network environment supporting an IoT, according to various embodiments. Each component may be one entity and a set of multiple entities.

Referring to <FIG>, the first electronic device <NUM> and the second electronic device <NUM> may communicate with a first server <NUM> and/or a second server <NUM> through a network <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the network <NUM> may include one or more entities making communication with the first electronic device <NUM> and the second electronic device <NUM> through a wired/wireless channel. For example, the network <NUM> may include at least one of a base station (e.g., an access point (AP), an eNodeB (eNB), a <NUM> node (<NUM>th generation node), a wireless point, a transmission/reception point (TRP), a 5GNB (<NUM>th generation NodeB) or another term having the same technical meaning as those of the above components), a mobility management entity (MME), a gateway (GW), a home subscriber server (HSS), and a service capability exposure function (SCEF). According to an embodiment, the network <NUM> may correspond to a cellular network (e.g., LPWAN).

According to an embodiment, the first electronic device <NUM> and the second electronic device <NUM> may communicate with the first server <NUM> and/or the second server <NUM> through a WLAN (e.g., a WiFi network).

According to an embodiment, the first electronic device <NUM> and the second electronic device <NUM> may communicate with each other through a network <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the network <NUM> may correspond to a short-range wireless network (e.g., Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), or a network based on near field communication (NFC)). For example, the network <NUM> may be referred to as a network (e.g., a communication link) that is constructed between the first electronic device <NUM> and the second electronic device <NUM> without the invention of another network entity. According to an embodiment, the first server <NUM> may be a relay server between the second electronic device <NUM> and the second server <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the first server <NUM> may receive, from the second electronic device <NUM>, information (e.g., information used for identifying the first electronic device <NUM>) associated with the first electronic device <NUM> and may transmit the received information to the second server <NUM>. For example, the first server <NUM> may transmit, to the second server <NUM>, a request (e.g., a sign-in request, a sign-out request, or a state information request), which is associated with the first electronic device <NUM>, received from the second electronic device <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the first server <NUM> may transmit, to the second electronic device <NUM>, a response to the request, which is associated with the first electronic device <NUM>, received from the second server <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the first server <NUM> may determine a service provider, based on the identification information of the first electronic device <NUM>. For example, the first server <NUM> may determine the second server <NUM> as a server corresponding to the determined service provider. The management of an IoT device (e.g., the first electronic device <NUM>) for various service providers may be efficiently performed, by using the request associated with the first electronic device <NUM> through the first server <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the first server <NUM> may be configured to process the request associated with the loT device (e.g., the first electronic device <NUM>). According to an embodiment, the first server <NUM> may include a database having information (at least one of identification information or state information) associated with the IoT device. For example, the first server <NUM> may be a work with smart things cloud server (e.g., Samsung IoT cloud server). According to an embodiment, the first server <NUM> may be connected with the second server <NUM> while maintaining security. According to an embodiment, the first electronic device <NUM> and the second electronic device <NUM> may communicate with each other through the first server <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the first server <NUM> may include a database including account information associated with the second electronic device <NUM>. According to an embodiment, an account associated with the second electronic device <NUM> may be associated with a plurality of electronic devices. For example, the account associated with the second electronic device <NUM> may be associated with the first electronic device <NUM>. For example, the account may be associated with a user and a plurality of electronic devices (e.g., the first electronic device <NUM> and the second electronic device <NUM>) may be registered in the account associated with the user. For example, the first server <NUM> may manage one or more electronic devices through one account.

According to an embodiment, the second server <NUM> may correspond to a service provider server of a cellular network (e.g., the network <NUM>). For example, the second server <NUM> may be configured to manage sign-in information, registration information, or status information of an electronic device (e.g., the first electronic device <NUM> and the second electronic device <NUM>). For example, the second server <NUM> may receive, from the first server <NUM>, a request (e.g., a sign-in request, a sign-out request, or a state information request), which is associated with the first electronic device <NUM>. For example, the second server <NUM> may transmit, to the first server <NUM>, a response to the request associated with the first electronic device <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the first electronic device <NUM> may include only a simple physical button (e.g., the user interface <NUM>) without including a display. For example, the first electronic device <NUM> may obtain information (hereinafter, referred to as "network state information") on a network state only by using the simple physical button.

<FIG> is a flowchart illustrating a method of obtaining the network state information, according to an embodiment. According to an embodiment of <FIG>, it is assumed that the first electronic device <NUM> is not registered (unregistered state) in an LPWAN (e.g., the network <NUM>) at the initial stage. According to an embodiment of <FIG>, it is assumed that the first electronic device <NUM> is connected with the second electronic device <NUM> through a short-range wireless network (e.g., the network <NUM>). For example, operations illustrated in <FIG> may be performed in a procedure of registering the first electronic device <NUM> in the second electronic device <NUM>.

In operation <NUM>, the first electronic device <NUM> (e.g., the processor <NUM>) may transmit a connection request to a service provider server (e.g., the second server <NUM>) of the LPWAN through the LPWAN (e.g., the network <NUM>) using a communication circuit <NUM>. For example, the connection request may be an attach request. According to an embodiment, the first electronic device <NUM> may perform the attach request by transmitting a request to a base station provided by a service provider of the LPWAN by using communication information (e.g., an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) recorded in an embedded subscriber identity module (eSIM)) stored in the first electronic device <NUM>. For example, the base station may obtain information on an activation state (e.g., subscription state) associated with communication information from the service provider server (e.g., the second server <NUM>) by using the communication information included in the attach request. The service provider server may transmit a reject response to the first electronic device <NUM> through the base station when the activation information associated with communication information is not present (e.g., inactive or unregistered state). According to an embodiment, the first electronic device <NUM> may transmit a connection request to the second server <NUM> when the first electronic device <NUM> may be turned on or may have data to be transmitted. According to an embodiment, the first electronic device <NUM> may periodically transmit the connection request to the second server <NUM>. According to an embodiment, when receiving the reject response, the first electronic device <NUM> may provide, through an indicator (e.g., the LED unit), a notification of indicating that the first electronic device <NUM> is unregistered in the LPWAN.

In operation <NUM>, since the first electronic device <NUM> is unregistered in the LPWAN, the first electronic device <NUM> may receive the rejection response from the second server <NUM> through the LPWAN (e.g., the network <NUM>) by using the communication circuit <NUM>. For example, the rejection response may be an attach reject. According to an embodiment, the rejection response may include information on a cause of the rejection. The cause of the rejection may directly or indirectly indicate that the first electronic device <NUM> is not registered in the LPWAN.

After the rejection response is received, the first electronic device <NUM> may stay in a standby state. For example, since the first electronic device <NUM> does not include a display to display the detailed information, the state information of the first electronic device <NUM> may be provided for a user through the second electronic device <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the first electronic device <NUM> and the second electronic device <NUM> may communicate with each other through a short-range wireless network (e.g., the network <NUM>). According to an embodiment, the first electronic device <NUM> and the second electronic device <NUM> may be connected with each other based on a short-range wireless network technology (e.g., a Bluetooth, BLE, or NFC).

In operation <NUM>, the first electronic device <NUM> may receive a user input. Accordingly, the first electronic device <NUM> may receive the user input only through the user interface <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the user input may be applied to perform a procedure of pairing between the first electronic device <NUM> and the second electronic device <NUM>. For example, the second electronic device <NUM> may transmit, to the first electronic device <NUM>, a message for pairing. According to an embodiment, the first electronic device <NUM> may provide a notification through an indicator to correspond to the reception of the message for pairing. According to an embodiment, after providing the notification, the first electronic device <NUM> may receive the user input through the user interface <NUM>.

In operation <NUM>, when the user input is received, the first electronic device <NUM> may transmit, to the second electronic device <NUM>, registration information (e.g., information including at least one of international mobile equipment identity (IMEI), an integrated circuit card identifier (ICCID), an international mobile scriber identity (IMSI), or a serial number) including identification information of the first electronic device <NUM> through a short-range wireless network (e.g., the network <NUM>). According to an embodiment, the first electronic device <NUM> may transmit, to the second electronic device <NUM>, the registration information in the form of a plain text. According to an embodiment, the first electronic device <NUM> may have identification information of the first electronic device <NUM> set in the manufacturing process of the first electronic device <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the first electronic device <NUM> may receive, from the first server <NUM>, registration information created based on the identification information of the first electronic device <NUM>. For example, the first server <NUM> may receive the identification information from the first electronic device <NUM> and may create the registration information based on the identification information. According to an embodiment, the registration information may be encrypted by the first server <NUM>. For example, the second electronic device <NUM> may not decrypt the encrypted registration information. For example, the first server <NUM> may decrypt the encrypted registration information.

In operation <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM> (e.g., the processor <NUM>) may transmit a request for the network state information to the second server <NUM> through the first server <NUM>. For example, the second electronic device <NUM> may transmit, to the first server <NUM>, the request for the network state information through a cellular network (e.g., the network <NUM>) or a WLAN by using the communication circuit <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the first server <NUM> may transmit the request for the network state information to the second server <NUM>. For example, the first server <NUM> may transmit the request for the network state information to the second server <NUM> while maintaining security.

According to an embodiment, the request for the network state information may include the registration information of the first electronic device <NUM>. For example, when the registration information including the encrypted identifier is received from the first electronic device <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM> may transmit the request for the network state information including the encrypted identifier to the first server <NUM>. For example, the first server <NUM> may decrypt the encrypted identifier. According to an embodiment, the first server <NUM> may determine a service provider associated with the first electronic device <NUM> based on the registration information of the first electronic device <NUM>. For example, the first server <NUM> may determine the service provider based on a country code (e.g., mobile country code) and a network code (e.g., a mobile network code) included in the registration information of the first electronic device <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the first server <NUM> may transmit the request for the network state information to the second server <NUM>, based on the determined service provider. According to an embodiment, the request for the network state information may include the registration information of the first electronic device <NUM>. For example, when the encrypted identifier of the first electronic device <NUM> is received from the second electronic device <NUM>, the first server <NUM> may decrypt the encrypted identifier and may transmit registration information including the decrypted identifier to the second server <NUM> through the network state information.

In operation <NUM>, the second server <NUM> may transmit the network state information to the second electronic device <NUM> through the first server <NUM>. For example, the second server <NUM> may transmit, to the first server <NUM>, the network state information of the first electronic device <NUM>. For example, the second server <NUM> may transmit the network state information to the first server <NUM> while maintaining security. For example, the first server <NUM> may transmit, to the second electronic device <NUM>, the received network state information through a cellular network (e.g., the network <NUM>) or a WLAN.

According to an embodiment, the network state information may include information associated with the sign-in state of the first electronic device <NUM> to the network. For example, the network state information include information indicating that the first electronic device <NUM> is unregistered, inactive, active, or in pending. According to an embodiment, when the network state information of the first electronic device <NUM> indicates that the first electronic device <NUM> is unregistered or inactive, the network state information may include at least one of a uniform resource locator (URL) or an application identifier for the registration/activation of the first electronic device <NUM> in the LPWAN.

According to an embodiment, when receiving the network state information, the second electronic device <NUM> may transmit at least a portion of the network state information to the first electronic device <NUM> through a short-range communication network (e.g., the network <NUM>).

According to an embodiment, when receiving the network state information, the second electronic device <NUM> may display a user interface on the display <NUM> based on the network state information.

The first electronic device <NUM> has to be signed in to a network service provider to transmit/receive data through the cellular network (e.g., the network <NUM>). According to an embodiment, the first electronic device <NUM> may include only a simple physical button (e.g., the user interface <NUM>) without including a display. For example, when the network state information indicates that the first electronic device <NUM> is unregistered or inactive in the LPWAN, the second electronic device <NUM> may receive information on the registration/activation of the first electronic device <NUM> through the user interface. Hereinafter, a method of activating (e.g., registering) the first electronic device <NUM> will be described with reference to <FIG>.

<FIG> is a flowchart illustrating a sign-in method to a network (hereinafter, referred to as "network sign-in method"), according to an embodiment.

As described above with reference to <FIG>, the first electronic device <NUM> and the second electronic device <NUM> may communicate with each other through a short-range wireless network (e.g., the network <NUM>). For example, the first electronic device <NUM> may be paired with the second electronic device <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the network sign-in method to be described below may be performed in a procedure (e.g., Samsung Easy Setup, Samsung Connect or Application for registration) of registering the first electronic device <NUM> in the second electronic device <NUM>. For example, the second electronic device <NUM> (e.g., the processor <NUM>) may search for the first electronic device <NUM> based on a short-range wireless network technology (e.g., Bluetooth, BLE, or NFC). For example, the second electronic device <NUM> may display an external electronic device (e.g., the first electronic device <NUM>), which is searched, on a user interface of the display <NUM>. For example, the second electronic device <NUM> may receive a user input for the first electronic device <NUM> and may be paired with the first electronic device <NUM> based on the short-range wireless network technology. For example, the second electronic device <NUM> may transmit a pairing request message to the first electronic device <NUM> through the short-range wireless network using the communication circuit <NUM>. When the pairing request message is received, the first electronic device <NUM> (e.g., the processor <NUM>) may provide, through an indicator, a notification corresponding to the reception of a pairing request message or a user input request. For example, when the user input is received through the user interface <NUM> after the notification is provided, the first electronic device <NUM> may transmit, to the second electronic device <NUM>, registration information (e.g., information including at least one of IMEI, an ICCID, an IMSI, or a serial number) including identification information of the first electronic device <NUM> through the short-range wireless network by using the communication circuit <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the second electronic device <NUM> may request for network state information of the first electronic device <NUM> (e.g., operation <NUM> of <FIG>) by using the registration information of the first electronic device <NUM> and receive the network state information (e.g., operation <NUM> of <FIG>).

According to an embodiment, the second electronic device <NUM> may register the first electronic device <NUM> in a database of the first server <NUM> by using the registration information of the first electronic device <NUM>. For example, the second electronic device <NUM> may register the first electronic device <NUM> in an account associated with the second electronic device <NUM>, which is included in the first server <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the second electronic device <NUM> may obtain, from the first server <NUM>, information for the access to the first server <NUM> by the first electronic device <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the second electronic device <NUM> may obtain an authentication code of the first electronic device <NUM> from the account associated with the second electronic device <NUM> and may request the first server <NUM> to provide an access token to the first electronic device <NUM> by using the obtained authentication code. According to an embodiment, the second electronic device <NUM> may receive the access token provided from the first server <NUM> and may transmit the access token to the first electronic device <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the network state information may represent the state that the first electronic device <NUM> is unregistered or inactive. For example, the second electronic device <NUM> may provide, for a user, a user interface for the registration or the activation of the first electronic device <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, in operation <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM> (e.g., the processor <NUM>) may provide a user interface for activation (e.g., registration) of the first electronic device <NUM> on the display <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the user interface may be provided based on the network state information. For example, the network state information may represent the state that the first electronic device <NUM> is unregistered or inactive. According to an embodiment, the network state information may include an URL or an application identifier for the registration or the activation of the first electronic device <NUM>. For example, the second electronic device <NUM> may display, on the display <NUM>, a web-page, which corresponds to the URL included in the network state information, serving as a user interface through the web-browser. For example, the second electronic device <NUM> may display, on the display <NUM>, the user interface by executing an application (e.g., Samsung Connect or a specified Application) corresponding to the application identifier included in the network state information. According to an embodiment, when the network state information indicates the state that the first electronic device <NUM> is unregistered or inactive, the second electronic device <NUM> may provide a user interface on the display <NUM> by using a specified application (e.g., Samsung Connect or Application for registration) or a specified web-page.

In operation <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM> may receive a user input to the user interface. For example, the second electronic device <NUM> may obtain a selection of information for user authentication (e.g., information for identifying the user) or information on a payment system of the first electronic device <NUM> through the user input.

In operation <NUM>, when the user input is received, the second electronic device <NUM> may transmit a request for activation to the second server <NUM> through a cellular network (e.g., the network <NUM>) or WLAN (e.g., WiFi) by using the communication circuit <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the request for the activation may include at least one of registration information of the first electronic device <NUM>, information for user authentication, or information on a payment system of the first electronic device <NUM>. For example, the second server <NUM> may be a service provider server of a service provider different for a service provider in which the second electronic device <NUM> is signed in.

In operation <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM> may receive the network state information from the second server <NUM> through the first server <NUM>. For example, the second server <NUM> may process the activation of the first electronic device <NUM> based on the received activation request and may transmit, to the first server <NUM>, network state information including the activation result. For example, the second server <NUM> may transmit the network state information to the first server <NUM> while maintaining security. For example, the first server <NUM> may transmit the received network state information to the second electronic device <NUM> through the cellular network (e.g., a network <NUM>) or a WLAN (e.g., Wi-Fi). For example, the network state information may represent that the first electronic device <NUM> is registered, active, or in pending.

According to an embodiment, the second electronic device <NUM> may display the received network state information on the display <NUM>.

In operation <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM> may transmit the network state information to the first electronic device <NUM> through a short-range wireless network using the communication circuit <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the second electronic device <NUM> may transmit, to the first electronic device <NUM>, a message indicating that a network is available.

In operation <NUM>, when receiving, from the second electronic device <NUM>, the message (e.g., the network state information) indicating that the network is available, the first electronic device <NUM> (e.g., the processor <NUM>) may reboot at least a portion of the first electronic device <NUM>. For example, the first electronic device <NUM> may reboot the communication circuit <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the second electronic device <NUM> may transmit, to the first electronic device <NUM>, information directing the rebooting of the first electronic device <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the second electronic device <NUM> may display, on the display <NUM>, information guiding the rebooting of the first electronic device <NUM>. For example, after rebooting, the first electronic device <NUM> may transmit a request for access to an LPWAN (e.g., the network <NUM>). According to an embodiment, the rebooting of the first electronic device <NUM> may be omitted. According to an embodiment, the rebooting of the communication circuit <NUM> may include the re-booting of at least a portion of the communication circuit <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the first electronic device <NUM> may access to the first server <NUM> through the LPWAN (e.g., the network <NUM>). For example, the first electronic device <NUM> may access the first server <NUM> by using the access token of the first electronic device <NUM>, which is received from the second electronic device <NUM>. For example, the access token of the first electronic device <NUM> may be obtained from the second electronic device <NUM> in the procedure of registering the first electronic device <NUM> to the second electronic device <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the first electronic device <NUM> may access the account associated with the second electronic device <NUM>, which is included in the first server <NUM> by using the access token. For example, the first electronic device <NUM> may sign in or log in the account associated with the second electronic device <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the information on the access to the first server <NUM> by the first electronic device <NUM> may be provided through the second electronic device <NUM>.

As described above with reference to <FIG>, the sign-in/registration of the first electronic device <NUM> may be performed through the second electronic device <NUM> and the first server <NUM>. For example, the activation information for signing in the first electronic device <NUM> may be received from a user by using the second electronic device <NUM>. For example, various requirements of various service providers (e.g., the second server <NUM>) may be integrally processed by the first server <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the procedure of signing out the first electronic device <NUM> may be performed through a similar mechanism.

<FIG> is a flowchart illustrating a sign-out method, according to an embodiment.

In operation <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM> (e.g., the processor <NUM>) may transmit, to the second server <NUM>, a request for sign-out of the first electronic device <NUM> through a cellular network (e.g., the network <NUM>) or the WLAN (e.g., Wi-Fi) by using the communication circuit <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the second electronic device <NUM> may display a user interface for receiving the request for sign-out on the display <NUM>. For example, the user interface for receiving the request for sign-out may be provided through a specified application (e.g., Samsung Connect or Application for registration) or a web-page.

In operation <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM> may receive sign-out result information from the second server <NUM> through the first server <NUM>. For example, the second server <NUM> may process the sign-out of the first electronic device <NUM> based on the received sign-out request and may transmit, to the first server <NUM>, the sign-out result information. For example, the second server <NUM> may transmit information on a sign-out result state to the first server <NUM> while maintaining security. For example, the first server <NUM> may transmit the received the sign-out result information to the second electronic device <NUM> through the cellular network (e.g., the network <NUM>) or a WLAN (e.g., Wi-Fi). According to an embodiment, the first server <NUM> may delete at least a portion of data, which is associated with the first electronic device <NUM>, from the account associated with the second electronic device <NUM>. For example, when the first server <NUM> receives the sign-out result information from the second server <NUM>, the first server <NUM> may delete the at least a portion of data associated with the first electronic device <NUM>.

In operation <NUM>, when the sign-out result information is received, the second electronic device <NUM> may deactivate the first electronic device <NUM> by deleting the first electronic device <NUM> from the second electronic device <NUM>. For example, the deactivation of the first electronic device <NUM> may include the deactivation (e.g., the release from registration, or deletion) of the first electronic device <NUM> on a specified application (e.g., Samsung Connect) or the deletion of plug-in corresponding to the first electronic device <NUM> on the specified application (e.g., Samsung Connect). For example, the deactivation of the first electronic device <NUM> may include the deletion of an application associated with the sign-in or the sign-out of the first electronic device <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the second electronic device <NUM> may display the sign-out result information on the display <NUM>. According to an embodiment, operation <NUM> may be omitted. According to an embodiment, the first server <NUM> may delete the at least a portion of data associated with the first electronic device <NUM> from the account associated with the second electronic device <NUM>. For example, the second electronic device <NUM> may transmit, to the first server <NUM>, information on the deactivation of the first electronic device <NUM> in addition to the deactivation of the first electronic device <NUM>. For example, when the first server <NUM> receives information on the deactivation of the first electronic device <NUM> from the second electronic device <NUM>, the first server <NUM> may delete the at least a portion of data associated with the first electronic device <NUM>.

In operation <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM> may transmit the sign-out result information to the first electronic device <NUM> through the short-range wireless network (e.g., Bluetooth, BLE, or NFC) using the communication circuit. For example, when the sign-out result information is received, the connection to the LPWAN of the first electronic device <NUM> may be restricted. According to an embodiment, when the sign-out result information is received, the first electronic device <NUM> may provide, through an indicator, a notification corresponding to the reception of the sign-out result information. According to an embodiment, the first electronic device <NUM> may be initialized. For example, the first electronic device <NUM> may be initialized when receiving the sign-out result information from the second electronic device <NUM>. For example, the first electronic device <NUM> may perform an initialization of the first electronic device <NUM> based on receiving a direction corresponding to the initialization from the second electronic device <NUM> or based on a preset input to the interface <NUM>.

<FIG> is a flowchart illustrating a method for receiving notification information, according to an embodiment.

In operation <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM> may receive notification information from the second server <NUM> through the first server <NUM>. For example, the second server <NUM> may transmit the notification information to the first server <NUM>. For example, the second server <NUM> may transmit the notification information to the first server <NUM> while maintaining security. For example, the first server <NUM> may transmit the received notification information to the second electronic device <NUM> through the cellular network (e.g., the network <NUM>) or the WLAN (e.g., Wi-Fi).

According to an embodiment, the notification information may include warning information (e.g., warning about the usage of data) or information (e.g., tariiff expiration) on the deactivation of the first electronic device.

According to an embodiment, the second electronic device <NUM> may display the received notification information on the display <NUM>. For example, the notification for the first electronic device <NUM> may be provided for a user through the second electronic device <NUM>.

In operation <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM> may transmit the network state information to the first electronic device <NUM> through the short-range wireless network (e.g., the network <NUM>) using the communication circuit <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the network state information may include information the sign-out or the cancelling of the activation of the first electronic device <NUM>.

<FIG> is a flowchart illustrating a method for signing in the first electronic device <NUM> to a network, according to an embodiment.

In operation <NUM>, the first electronic device <NUM> (e.g., the processor <NUM>) may transmit, to an LPWAN, a request for connection to the LPWAN through the LPWAN (e.g., the network <NUM>). For example, the request for the connection to the LPWAN may correspond to an attach request. The description of operation <NUM> may be understood by making reference to the description of operation <NUM> made with reference to <FIG>.

In operation <NUM>, the first electronic device <NUM> may receive a response indicating a rejection of the request from the LPWAN. For example, the LPWAN may include at least one of a NB-IoT network, a Cat-M network, or an EC-GSM network. For example, the response may correspond to an attach reject. The description of operation <NUM> may be understood by making reference to the description of operation <NUM> made with reference to <FIG>.

In operation <NUM>, the first electronic device <NUM> may receive a user input through the user interface <NUM>. For example, the user interface <NUM> may include a button (e.g., a physical button) and may not include a display. The description of operation <NUM> may be understood by making reference to the description of operation <NUM> made with reference to <FIG>.

In operation <NUM>, when the user input is received, the first electronic device <NUM> may provide, to an external electronic device (e.g., the second electronic device <NUM>), device registration information through the BLE. For example, the device registration information may include at least one of IMEI, an ICCID, IMSI, or a serial number. For example, the device registration information may be obtained from an eSIM of the first electronic device <NUM>. The description of operation <NUM> may be understood by making reference to the description of operation <NUM> made with reference to <FIG>.

In operation <NUM>, the first electronic device <NUM> may receive the network state information from the external electronic device (e.g., the second electronic device <NUM>). For example, the network state information may include information representing at least one of an unregistered state, an inactive state, an active state, a pending state, an URL, or an application identifier. The description of operation <NUM> may be understood by making reference to the descriptions of operation <NUM> and operation <NUM> made with reference to <FIG>.

In operation <NUM>, the first electronic device <NUM> may reboot. For example, the first electronic device <NUM> may reboot when the network state information is received. According to an embodiment, the rebooting of the first electronic device <NUM> may include the re-booting of at least a portion of the communication circuit <NUM>. For example, when the first electronic device <NUM> is rebooted, only the RF circuit of the communication circuit <NUM> may be rebooted.

<FIG> is a flowchart illustrating a method of obtaining network state information of the second electronic device <NUM>, according to an embodiment.

In operation <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM> (e.g., the processor <NUM>) may receive, from a first external electronic device (e.g., the first electronic device <NUM>), registration information including an identifier (e.g., IMEI, ICCID, IMSI, or a serial number) of the first external electronic device through a short-range wireless network (e.g., the network <NUM>) using the communication circuit <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the registration information may include an encrypted identifier. For example, the first external electronic device may be an LPWAN (e.g., a NB-IoT network, a Cat-M network, or an EC-GSM network) user device. The description of operation <NUM> may be understood by making reference to the description of operation <NUM> made with reference to <FIG>.

In operation <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM> may transmit information for registering the first external electronic device to a second external electronic device (e.g., the first server <NUM>) through a cellular network (e.g., the network <NUM>) or a WLAN (e.g., WiFi) using the communication circuit <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the registration information may be transmitted through the request for the network state information. In operation <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM> may receive first network state information of the first external electronic device from the second external electronic device through the cellular network (e.g., the network <NUM>) or a WLAN (e.g., WiFi) using the communication circuit <NUM>. For example, the first network state information may include at least one of an indicator for indicating an inactive state of the first external electronic device, a uniform resource locator (URL) for the activation of the first external electronic device, or an application identifier. The descriptions of operation <NUM> and operation <NUM> may be understood by making reference to the descriptions of operation <NUM> and operation <NUM> made with reference to <FIG>.

In operation <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM> may display, on the display <NUM>, a user interface for the registration of the first external electronic device to the cellular network (e.g., LPWAN) based at least on the first network state information. The description of operation <NUM> may be understood by making reference to the description of operation <NUM> made with reference to <FIG>.

<FIG> is a flowchart illustrating a method for signing in a second electronic device to a network, according to an embodiment.

The second electronic device <NUM> (e.g., the processor <NUM>) may receive a user input through the user interface provided in operation <NUM> of <FIG>. For example, the second electronic device <NUM> may obtain a selection of information for user authentication (e.g., information for identifying the user) or information on a payment system of the first external electronic device (e.g., the first electronic device <NUM>) through the user input.

Referring to <FIG>, in operation <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM> may transmit, to the service provider server (e.g., the second server <NUM>), a request for the activation of the first external electronic device based at least on registration information of the first external electronic device and the user input through a cellular network (e.g., the network <NUM>) or an WLAN (e.g., WiFi) using the communication circuit <NUM>. The description of operation <NUM> may be understood by making reference to the description of operation <NUM> made with reference to <FIG>.

In operation <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM> may receive second network state information corresponding to the request for the activation through a cellular network (e.g., the network <NUM>) or a WLAN (e.g., WiFi) using the communication circuit <NUM>. For example, the second network state information may include information (e.g., the activation, the registration, or the standby of the first external electronic device) representing the result of the request of the activation. The description of operation <NUM> may be understood by making reference to the description of operation <NUM> made reference to <FIG>.

In operation <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM> may transmit the second network state information to the first external electronic device through a short-range wireless network (e.g., network <NUM>) using the communication circuit <NUM>. The description of operation <NUM> may be understood by making reference to the description of operation <NUM> made with reference to <FIG>.

<FIG> illustrates the reception of the user input according to an embodiment.

According to an embodiment, the first electronic device <NUM> may include the user interface <NUM> and an indicator <NUM> exposed through a portion of a housing of the first electronic device <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the user interface <NUM> may include at least one physical button. For example, the user interface <NUM> may include at least one physical button capable of receiving at least one of a push input or a touch input. According to an embodiment, a user input <NUM> may include a click, a double click, a touch, and a hold for a specified time or more of a user interface <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the indicator <NUM> may include a light emitting diode (LED) module. For example, the indicator <NUM> may be configured to out at least one color. According to an embodiment, the indicator <NUM> may provide a notification to a user, based on the output (e.g., the switch on and off) of light and/or the color of the output light.

According to an embodiment, to receive the user input <NUM> for the pairing with the second electronic device <NUM>, a notification may be provided for a user through the indicator <NUM>. According to an embodiment, to receive the user input <NUM>, information for requesting the user input <NUM> to the user interface <NUM> may be displayed on the display <NUM> of the second electronic device <NUM>. For example, the second electronic device <NUM> (e.g., the processor <NUM>) may be display, on the display <NUM>, at least one of a text or graphic (e.g., an image similar to an image illustrated in <FIG>) for requesting the user input <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the user input <NUM> may be received in the procedure of the pairing between the first electronic device <NUM> and the second electronic device <NUM>. For example, the user input <NUM> may be received corresponding to the reception of a message for requesting the pairing. For example, as described above with reference to <FIG>, when the user input <NUM> is received, the first electronic device <NUM> may transmit the registration information to the second electronic device <NUM>.

The above description has been made with reference to <FIG> regarding the IoT electronic device (e.g., the first electronic device <NUM>) and an external electronic device (e.g., the second electronic device <NUM>), according to various embodiments.

According to an embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., the first electronic device <NUM>) disclosed in the present disclosure. The electronic device may include a first wireless communication circuit (e.g., a physical or logical component inside the communication circuit <NUM>) to provide first wireless communication using a lower power wide area network (LPWAN), a second wireless communication circuit (e.g., a physical or logical component inside the communication circuit <NUM>) to provide second wireless communication by using Wi-Fi, a third wireless communication circuit (e.g., a physical or logical component inside the communication circuit <NUM>) to provide third wireless communication by using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), a user interface (e.g., the interface <NUM>), a processor (e.g., the processor <NUM>), and a memory (e.g., the memory <NUM>). The processor may be electrically connected with the first, second, and third wireless communication circuits, the user interface, and the memory. The memory stores instructions that, when executed, may cause the processor to transmit a request for access to a network to the LPWAN through the first wireless communication circuit, to receive a response indicating a rejection of the request from the LPWAN through the first wireless communication circuit, to receive a user input through the user interface after receiving the response, to provide device registration information to an external mobile device (e.g., the second electronic device <NUM>) by using the third communication circuit when the user input is received, to receive network state information from the external mobile device after providing the device registration information, and to reboot the electronic device.

For example, the user interface may include a button and a display may be absent in the user interface. For another example, the device registration information may include at least one of an IMEI, an ICCID, an IMSI, or a serial number. In addition, for another example, the network state information may include information on at least one of an unregistered state, an inactive state, an active state, a pending state, a uniform resource locator for registration of the electronic device (e.g., the first electronic device <NUM>), or an application identifier for registration of the electronic device. For another example, the LPWAN may include at least one of an LTE-M network, a NB IoT network, and an EC-GSM network. For another example, the rebooting of the electronic device may include rebooting of at least a portion of a wireless communication circuit at least including the first wireless communication circuit, the second wireless communication circuit, and the third wireless communication circuit.

According to an embodiment, an internet of things (IoT) device (e.g., the first electronic device <NUM>) disclosed in the present disclosure may include a housing, a communication circuit (e.g., the communication circuit <NUM>) provided in the housing to provide first wireless communication employing an LPWAN and second wireless communication employing BLE, a physical button (e.g., the interface <NUM>) exposed through a portion of the housing, an indicator (e.g., the indicator <NUM>) exposed through the portion of the housing, and a processor (e.g., the processor <NUM>) provided in the housing and electrically connected with the communication circuit, the physical button, and the indicator. The processor is configured to receive a first message from an external mobile device (e.g., the second electronic device <NUM>) through the second wireless communication by using the communication circuit, to display a notification indicating reception of the first message through the indicator, to receive a user input to the physical button after displaying the notification, and to transmit, to the external mobile device, device registration information through the second wireless communication by using the communication circuit, so as to register the IoT device in the LPWAN, when the user input is received, to receive a second message associated with the LPWAN from the external mobile device through the second wireless communication by using the communication circuit, after transmitting the device registration information, and to access the LPWAN through the second wireless communication by using the communication circuit, based at least on the second message.

For example, the communication circuit may be further configured to provide third wireless communication using a WLAN. For another example, the processor may be configured to transmit, to the LPWAN, a request for an access to the LPWAN through the first wireless communication by using the communication circuit and to receive a response indicating a rejection of the request from the LPWAN through the first wireless communication circuit by using the communication circuit. The response indicating the rejection may include clause information indicating that the loT device is in an unregistered state in the LPWAN. For another example, the indicator may include at least one light emitting diode (LED). For another example, the processor may be configured to reboot at least a portion of the communication circuit when the second message is received. For another example, the second message may include at least one of information on the registration of the IoT device in the LPWAN or information on an activation state of the IoT device in the LPWAN. For another example, the device registration information may include at least one of an IMEI, an ICCID, an IMSI, or a serial number.

According to an embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., the second electronic device <NUM>) disclosed in the present disclosure may include a communication circuit (e.g., the communication circuit <NUM>) to provide first wireless communication using a cellular network, second wireless communication using a WLAN, and third wireless communication using BLE, a display (e.g., the display <NUM>), and a processor (e.g., the processor <NUM>) electrically connected with the communication circuit and the display. The processor may be configured to receive registration information including an identifier of the first external electronic device through the third wireless communication from the first external electronic device (e.g., the first electronic device <NUM>) by using the communication circuit, to transmit, to the second external electronic device (e.g., the first server <NUM>), the registration information through the first wireless communication or the second wireless communication, by using the communication circuit, to receive, from the second external electronic device, first network state information of the first external electronic device through the first wireless communication or the second wireless communication, by using the communication circuit, and to display, on the display, a user interface for registration of the first external electronic device in an LPWAN based at least on the first network state information.

For example, the first network state information may include at least one of an indicator indicating that the first external electronic device is an inactive state, a uniform resource locator (URL) for activation of the first external electronic device, or an application identifier. For another example, the second external electronic device may be connected with a service provider server (e.g., the second server <NUM>) while maintaining security. For another example, the processor may be configured to receive a user input through the user interface, to transmit, to the service provider server, a request for activation of the first external electronic device, based at least on the registration information and the user input through the first wireless communication or the second wireless communication, by using the communication circuit, to receive, from the second external electronic device, second network state information, which corresponds to an activation request, through the first wireless communication or the second wireless communication, by using the communication circuit, and to transmit, to the first external electronic device, the second network state information through the third wireless communication by using the communication circuit. For another example, the processor may be configured to transmit, to the service provider server, a request for sign-out of the first external electronic device through the first wireless communication or the second wireless communication, by using the communication circuit, to receive, from the second external electronic device, sign-out result information through the first wireless communication or the second wireless communication, by using the communication circuit, and to transmit, to the first external electronic device, the sign-out result information through the third wireless communication by using the communication circuit. For another example, the identifier of the first external electronic device may include at least one of an IMEI, an ICCID, an IMSI, or a serial number. For another example, the LPWAN may include at least one of an LTE-M network, a NB IoT network, and an EC-GSM network.

Hereinafter, one example of the first electronic device <NUM> or the second electronic device <NUM> which reproduces various embodiments described above with reference to <FIG> will be described with reference to <FIG>.

<FIG> is a block diagram of an electronic device <NUM> (e.g., the first electronic device <NUM> or the second electronic device <NUM>) in a network environment <NUM> according to various embodiments. Referring to <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> may communicate with an electronic device <NUM> through a first network <NUM> (e.g., a short-range wireless network <NUM>) or may communicate with an electronic device <NUM> or a server <NUM> (e.g., the first server <NUM> or the second server <NUM>) through a second network <NUM> (e.g., a long-distance wireless communication) (e.g., the network <NUM>) in the network environment <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may communicate with the electronic device <NUM> through the server <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may include a processor <NUM> (e.g., the processor <NUM> or the processor <NUM>), a memory <NUM> (e.g., the memory <NUM> or the memory <NUM>), an input device <NUM>, a sound output device <NUM>, a display device <NUM>, an audio module <NUM>, a sensor module <NUM>, an interface <NUM> (e.g., the user interface <NUM>), a haptic module <NUM>, a camera module <NUM>, a power management module <NUM>, a battery <NUM>, a communication module <NUM> (e.g., the communication circuit <NUM> or the communication circuit <NUM>), a subscriber identification module <NUM>, and an antenna module <NUM>. According to some embodiments, at least one (e.g., the display device <NUM> or the camera module <NUM>) among components of the electronic device <NUM> may be omitted or other components may be added to the electronic device <NUM>. According to some embodiments, some components may be integrated and implemented as in the case of the sensor module <NUM> (e.g., a fingerprint sensor, an iris sensor, or an illuminance sensor) embedded in the display device <NUM> (e.g., a display).

The processor <NUM> may operate, for example, software (e.g., a program <NUM>) to control at least one of other components (e.g., a hardware or software component) of the electronic device <NUM> connected to the processor <NUM> and may process and compute a variety of data. The processor <NUM> may load a command set or data, which is received from other components (e.g., the sensor module <NUM> or the communication module <NUM>), into a volatile memory <NUM>, may process the loaded command or data, and may store result data into a nonvolatile memory <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> may include a main processor <NUM> (e.g., a central processing unit or an application processor) and an auxiliary processor <NUM> (e.g., a graphic processing device, an image signal processor, a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor), which operates independently from the main processor <NUM>, additionally or alternatively uses less power than the main processor <NUM>, or is specified to a designated function. In this case, the auxiliary processor <NUM> may operate separately from the main processor <NUM> or embedded.

In this case, the auxiliary processor <NUM> may control, for example, at least some of functions or states associated with at least one component (e.g., the display device <NUM>, the sensor module <NUM>, or the communication module <NUM>) among the components of the electronic device <NUM> instead of the main processor <NUM> while the main processor <NUM> is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state or together with the main processor <NUM> while the main processor <NUM> is in an active (e.g., an application execution) state. According to an embodiment, the auxiliary processor <NUM> (e.g., the image signal processor or the communication processor) may be implemented as a part of another component (e.g., the camera module <NUM> or the communication module <NUM>) that is functionally related to the auxiliary processor <NUM>. The memory <NUM> may store a variety of data used by at least one component (e.g., the processor <NUM> or the sensor module <NUM>) of the electronic device <NUM>, for example, software (e.g., the program <NUM>) and input data or output data with respect to commands associated with the software. The memory <NUM> may include the volatile memory <NUM> or the nonvolatile memory <NUM>.

The program <NUM> may be stored in the memory <NUM> as software and may include, for example, an operating system <NUM>, a middleware <NUM>, or an application <NUM>.

The input device <NUM> may be a device for receiving a command or data, which is used for a component (e.g., the processor <NUM>) of the electronic device <NUM>, from an outside (e.g., a user) of the electronic device <NUM> and may include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, or a keyboard.

The sound output device <NUM> may be a device for outputting a sound signal to the outside of the electronic device <NUM> and may include, for example, a speaker used for general purposes, such as multimedia play or recordings play, and a receiver used only for receiving calls. According to an embodiment, the receiver and the speaker may be either integrally or separately implemented.

The display device <NUM> may be a device for visually presenting information to the user and may include, for example, a display, a hologram device, or a projector and a control circuit for controlling a corresponding device. According to an embodiment, the display device <NUM> may include a touch circuitry or a pressure sensor for measuring an intensity of pressure on the touch.

The audio module <NUM> may convert a sound and an electrical signal in dual directions. According to an embodiment, the audio module <NUM> may obtain the sound through the input device <NUM> or may output the sound through an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device <NUM> (e.g., a speaker or a headphone)) wired or wirelessly connected to the sound output device <NUM> or the electronic device <NUM>.

The sensor module <NUM> may generate an electrical signal or a data value corresponding to an operating state (e.g., power or temperature) inside or an environmental state outside the electronic device <NUM>. The sensor module <NUM> may include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an infrared sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

The interface <NUM> may support a designated protocol wired or wirelessly connected to the external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device <NUM>). According to an embodiment, the interface <NUM> may include, for example, an HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface), a USB (universal serial bus) interface, an SD card interface, or an audio interface.

A connecting terminal <NUM> may include a connector that physically connects the electronic device <NUM> to the external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device <NUM>), for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).

The haptic module <NUM> may convert an electrical signal to a mechanical stimulation (e.g., vibration or movement) or an electrical stimulation perceived by the user through tactile or kinesthetic sensations.

The camera module <NUM> may shoot a still image or a video image. According to an embodiment, the camera module <NUM> may include, for example, at least one lens, an image sensor, an image signal processor, or a flash.

The power management module <NUM> may be a module for managing power supplied to the electronic device <NUM> and may serve as at least a part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

The battery <NUM> may be a device for supplying power to at least one component of the electronic device <NUM> and may include, for example, a non-rechargeable (primary) battery, a rechargeable (secondary) battery, or a fuel cell.

The communication module <NUM> may establish a wired or wireless communication channel between the electronic device <NUM> and the external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM>, or the server <NUM>) and support communication execution through the established communication channel. The communication module <NUM> may include at least one communication processor operating independently from the processor <NUM> (e.g., the application processor) and supporting the wired communication or the wireless communication. According to an embodiment, the communication module <NUM> may include a wireless communication module <NUM> (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a GNSS (global navigation satellite system) communication module) or a wired communication module <NUM> (e.g., an LAN (local area network) communication module or a power line communication module) and may communicate with the external electronic device using a corresponding communication module among them through the first network <NUM> (e.g., the short-range communication network such as a Bluetooth, a WiFi direct, Bluetooth low energy (BLE) or an IrDA (infrared data association)) or the second network <NUM> (e.g., the long-distance wireless communication network such as a cellular network, an internet, or a computer network (e.g., LAN or WAN)). The above-mentioned various communication modules <NUM> may be implemented into one chip or into separate chips, respectively.

According to an embodiment, the wireless communication module <NUM> may identify and authenticate the electronic device <NUM> using user information stored in the subscriber identification module <NUM> in the communication network.

The antenna module <NUM> may include one or more antennas to transmit or receive the signal or power to or from an external source. According to an embodiment, the communication module <NUM> (e.g., the wireless communication module <NUM>) may transmit or receive the signal to or from the external electronic device through the antenna suitable for the communication method.

Some components among the components may be connected to each other through a communication method (e.g., a bus, a GPIO (general purpose input/output), an SPI (serial peripheral interface), or an MIPI (mobile industry processor interface)) used between peripheral devices to exchange signals (e.g., a command or data) with each other.

According to an embodiment, the command or data may be transmitted or received between the electronic device <NUM> and the external electronic device <NUM> through the server <NUM> connected to the second network <NUM>. Each of the electronic devices <NUM> and <NUM> may be the same or different types as or from the electronic device <NUM>. According to an embodiment, all or some of the operations performed by the electronic device <NUM> may be performed by another electronic device or a plurality of external electronic devices. When the electronic device <NUM> performs some functions or services automatically or by request, the electronic device <NUM> may request the external electronic device to perform at least some of the functions related to the functions or services, in addition to or instead of performing the functions or services by itself. The external electronic device receiving the request may carry out the requested function or the additional function and transmit the result to the electronic device <NUM>. The electronic device <NUM> may provide the requested functions or services based on the received result as is or after additionally processing the received result. To this end, for example, a cloud computing, distributed computing, or client-server computing technology may be used.

The electronic device according to various embodiments disclosed in the present disclosure may be various types of devices. The electronic device may include, for example, at least one of a portable communication device (e.g., a smartphone), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a mobile medical appliance, a camera, a wearable device, or a home appliance. The electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure should not be limited to the above-mentioned devices.

It should be understood that various embodiments of the present disclosure and terms used in the embodiments do not intend to limit technologies disclosed in the present disclosure to the particular forms disclosed herein; rather, the present disclosure should be construed to cover various modifications, and/or alternatives of embodiments of the present disclosure. With regard to description of drawings, similar components may be assigned with similar reference numerals. As used herein, singular forms may include plural forms as well unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In the present disclosure disclosed herein, the expressions "A or B", "at least one of A or/and B", "A, B, or C" or "one or more of A, B, or/and C", and the like used herein may include any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. The expressions "a first", "a second", "the first", or "the second", used in herein, may refer to various components regardless of the order and/or the importance, but do not limit the corresponding components. The above expressions are used merely for the purpose of distinguishing a component from the other components. It should be understood that when a component (e.g., a first component) is referred to as being (operatively or communicatively) "connected," or "coupled," to another component (e.g., a second component), it may be directly connected or coupled directly to the other component or any other component (e.g., a third component) may be interposed between them.

The term "module" used herein may represent, for example, a unit including one or more combinations of hardware, software and firmware. The term "module" may be interchangeably used with the terms "logic", "logical block", "part" and "circuit". The "module" may be a minimum unit of an integrated part or may be a part thereof. The "module" may be a minimum unit for performing one or more functions or a part thereof. For example, the "module" may include an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

Various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by software (e.g., the program <NUM>) including an instruction stored in a machine-readable storage media (e.g., an internal memory <NUM> or an external memory <NUM>) readable by a machine (e.g., a computer). The machine may be a device that calls the instruction from the machine-readable storage media and operates depending on the called instruction and may include the electronic device (e.g., the electronic device <NUM>). When the instruction is executed by the processor (e.g., the processor <NUM>), the processor may perform a function corresponding to the instruction directly or using other components under the control of the processor. The instruction may include a code generated or executed by a compiler or an interpreter. The machine-readable storage media may be provided in the form of non-transitory storage media. Here, the term "non-transitory", as used herein, is a limitation of the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not a signal) as opposed to a limitation on data storage persistency.

According to an embodiment, the method according to various embodiments disclosed in the present disclosure may be provided as a part of a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between a seller and a buyer as a product. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of machine-readable storage medium (e.g., a compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM)) or may be distributed only through an application store (e.g., a Play Store™). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be temporarily stored or generated in a storage medium such as a memory of a manufacturer' s server, an application store's server, or a relay server.

Claim 1:
An electronic device (<NUM>) comprising:
a first wireless communication circuit configured to provide first wireless communication using a lower power wide area network, LPWAN;
a second wireless communication circuit configured to provide second wireless communication by using a short-range wireless network;
a user interface;
a processor (<NUM>) operatively connected with the first wireless communication circuit, the second wireless communication circuit, and the user interface; and
a memory (<NUM>) electrically connected with the processor (<NUM>);
wherein the memory (<NUM>) stores instructions that, when executed, cause the processor (<NUM>) to:
transmit (<NUM>), to the LPWAN, a request for connection to the LPWAN, through the first wireless communication circuit;
receive (<NUM>) a response indicating a rejection of the request from the LPWAN through the first wireless communication circuit;
receive (<NUM>) a user input through the user interface after receiving the response;
provide (<NUM>) device registration information to an external mobile device (<NUM>) by using the second wireless communication circuit when the user input is received, wherein the device registration information includes at least one of an international mobile equipment identity, IMEI, an Integrated circuit card identifier, ICCID, an international mobile subscriber identity, IMSI, or a serial number;
receive (<NUM>) network state information from the external mobile device (<NUM>) after providing the device registration information, the network state information including information representing the result of the activation/registration of the electronic device (<NUM>) in the LPWAN by the external mobile device (<NUM>); and
reboot (<NUM>), when the network state information indicates that the LPWAN is available, at least a portion of the electronic device.