Electronic device using logical channels for communication

Abstract

An apparatus and method for providing one or more protocols for one or more electronic devices are provided. The method includes establishing, by an electronic device configured to provide a framework interface by executing instructions stored in a memory, one or more physical channels with an external electronic device, using one or more communication modules, executing, by the electronic device, two or more application programs to interface with the framework interface, and communicating, via the framework interface, data from the two or more application programs through the one or more physical channels to the external electronic device, using at least one logical channel or session for a respective one of the two or more application programs.

1 .- 29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . A method for operating an electronic device, the method comprising:
 establishing, by an electronic device, one or more physical channels with an external electronic device, using one or more communication protocols; and   communicating, by the electronic device, data with the external electronic device via one or more logical channels or sessions, using the one or more physical channels,   wherein the one or more logical channels or sessions are independent of the one or more communication protocols.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein communicating the data comprises transmitting data from one or more application programs running on the electronic device to the external electronic device. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising:
 executing a first application program and a second application program on the electronic device,   wherein communicating the data comprises:
 transmitting first data from the first application program using a first logical channel or session on a first physical channel, and 
 transmitting second data from the second application program using a second logical channel or session on the first physical channel. 
   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the one or more communication protocols comprises one or more of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) protocol, a Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (UART) protocol, a ZigBee protocol, an Ultra-WideBand (UWB) protocol, Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) protocol, infrared protocol, a Bluetooth protocol, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol, a WiFi protocol, a Near Field Communication (NFC) protocol, or a cellular communication protocol. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising:
 executing one or more application programs on the electronic device,   wherein the one or more application programs are one of a source or a destination of the data communicated via the one or more logical channels or sessions.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the one or more logical channels or sessions are independent of the one or more application programs. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising:
 executing two or more application programs,   wherein a first application program of the two or more application programs is one of a source or a destination of first data communicated via a first logical channel using a first physical channel, and   wherein a second application program of the two or more application programs is one of a source or a destination of second data communicated via a second logical channel, using the first physical channel.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the number of the logical channels or sessions is independent of at least one of the number or the communication protocol of the one or more physical channels. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the number of the logical channels or sessions is greater than the number of the physical channels. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising:
 using, by the electronic device, one or more session identifiers, each of which is indicative of a respective one of the one or more logical channels or sessions.   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , further comprising:
 using, by the electronic device, a channel number mapped to one or more of the session identifiers.   
     
     
         41 . A non-transitory computer readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program to execute the method of  claim 30  as implemented by one or more electronic devices. 
     
     
         42 . An electronic device comprising:
 one or more communication modules configured to establish one or more physical channels with an external device, using one or more communication protocols; and   at least one processor configured to:
 control the one or more communication modules to establish the one or more physical channels with the external electronic device, and 
 control the one or more communication modules to communicate data with the external device via one or more logical channels or sessions, using the one or more physical channels, 
 wherein the one or more logical channels or sessions are independent of the one or more communication protocols. 
   
     
     
         43 . The electronic device of  claim 42 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to transmit the data from one or more application programs running on the electronic device to the external electronic device. 
     
     
         44 . The electronic device of  claim 42 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
 execute a first application program and a second application program on the electronic device;   transmit first data from the first application program using a first logical channel or session on a first physical channel; and   transmit second data from the second application program using a second logical channel or session on the first physical channel.   
     
     
         45 . The electronic device of  claim 42 , wherein the one or more communication protocols comprises one or more of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) protocol, a Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (UART) protocol, a ZigBee protocol, an Ultra-WideBand (UWB) protocol, Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) protocol, infrared protocol, a Bluetooth protocol, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol, a WiFi protocol, a Near Field Communication (NFC) protocol, or a cellular communication protocol. 
     
     
         46 . The electronic device of  claim 42 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute one or more application programs, and
 wherein the one or more application programs are one of a source or a destination of the data communicated via the one or more logical channels or sessions.   
     
     
         47 . The electronic device of  claim 46 , wherein the one or more logical channels or sessions are independent of the one or more application programs. 
     
     
         48 . The electronic device of  claim 42 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute two or more programs,
 wherein a first application program of the two or more application programs is one of a source or a destination of first data communicated via a first logical channel using a first physical channel, and   wherein a second application program of the two or more application programs is one of a source or a destination of second data communicated via a second logical channel, using the first physical channel.   
     
     
         49 . The electronic device of  claim 42 , wherein the number of the logical channels or sessions is independent of at least one of the number or the communication protocol of the one or more physical channels. 
     
     
         50 . The electronic device of  claim 42 , wherein the number of the one or more logical channels or sessions is greater than the number of the one or more physical channels. 
     
     
         51 .- 446 . (canceled)