Method and apparatus for analyzing a collision in an electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11243129-B2
Application number	US-201816110769-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2018
Priority date	Aug 29, 2017
Publication date	Feb 8, 2022
Grant date	Feb 8, 2022

Abstract

An electronic device includes at least one sensor configured to collect sensing data, a memory configured to store the sensing data, and a processor. The processor is configured to acquire first sensing data through the at least one sensor and determine a falling pattern of the electronic device based on the first sensing data, acquire second sensing data through the at least one sensor and determine a collision pattern according to falling of the electronic device based on the second sensing data, determine the type of object with which the electronic device collides based on the falling pattern and the collision pattern, and perform a preset function based on the type of the object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
at least one sensor configured to acquire sensing data including first sensing data and second sensing data;
a memory configured to store the sensing data; and
a processor configured to:
determine a falling pattern of the electronic device according to a falling of the electronic device based on the first sensing data, wherein the falling pattern indicates a type of fall,
determine a collision pattern according to a collision between the electronic device and an external object based on the second sensing data,
determine a characteristic of a medium of the external object based on the collision pattern,
determine a type of the external object based on the collision pattern and the characteristic of the medium of the external object, and
perform a preset function based on the type of the external object.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform a calibration of the electronic device based on the type of the external object.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a communication module,
wherein the processor is further configured to, based on the type of the external object, perform at least one of:
storing sensing data of the collision in the memory; and
transmitting the sensing data of the collision to an external device through the communication module.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a power management module,
wherein the processor is further configured to, based on the falling pattern, perform at least one of:
driving a protection circuit included in the power management module;
stopping one or more functions of the processor; and
backing up pre-stored data in the electronic device.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a display device,
wherein the processor is further configured to display information on the collision acquired based on at least one of the falling pattern, the collision pattern, and the type of the external object through the display device.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor includes at least one of an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, and a geo-magnetic sensor.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor includes an acceleration sensor, and the acceleration sensor has a measurement range less than or equal to 100 gravitational acceleration (G).

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to extract sensing data from a time point at which the falling starts to a time point before the electronic device performs a free fall as first section data and determine at least one of a falling direction of the electronic device, a cause of a falling motion, and an expected collision point of the electronic device based on the first section data.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to extract sensing data from a time point at which the electronic device starts a free fall to a time point of the collision caused by the falling as second section data and determine a movement distance before the collision after the fall of electronic device based on the second section data.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to extract sensing data from a time point of the collision caused by the falling to a time point at which a motion caused by the collision stops as third section data, and determine at least one of a contact time during which the electronic device contacts the external object due to the collision and a motion pattern after the collision based on the third section data.

11. An electronic device comprising:
at least one sensor configured to acquire sensing data; and
a processor configured to:
acquire the sensing data corresponding to a falling of the electronic device through the at least one sensor,
detect whether the electronic device collides with an external object based on the acquired sensing data, and
when a collision is detected,
determine a characteristic of a medium of the external object based on the acquired sensing data,
determine a type of the external object based on the acquired sensing data and the characteristics of the medium of the external object, and
perform a preset function according to the type of the external object.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform a calibration of the electronic device based on the type of the external object.

13. The electronic device of claim 11 , further comprising:
a memory; and
a communication module,
wherein the processor is further configured to, based on the type of the external object, perform at least one of:
storing the sensing data corresponding to the falling in the memory; and
transmitting the sensing data corresponding to the falling to an external device through the communication module.

14. The electronic device of claim 11 , further comprising a power management module,
wherein the processor is further configured to, based on the acquired sensing data, perform at least one of:
driving a protection circuit included in the power management module;
stopping one or more functions of the processor; and
backing up pre-stored data in the electronic device.

15. The electronic device of claim 11 , further comprising a display device,
wherein the processor is further configured to display information on the collision acquired based on at least one of the acquired sensing data and the type of the external object through the display device.

16. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the at least one sensor includes at least one of an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, and a geo-magnetic sensor.

17. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the at least one sensor includes an acceleration sensor, and the acceleration sensor has a measurement range less than or equal to 100 gravitational acceleration (G).

18. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to extract the sensing data from a time point at which the falling starts to a time point before the electronic device performs a free fall as first section data and determine at least one of a falling direction of the electronic device, a cause of a falling motion, and an expected collision point of the electronic device based on the first section data.

19. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to extract sensing data from a time point at which the electronic device starts a free fall to a time point of collision caused by the falling as second section data and determine a movement distance before the collision after the falling of the electronic device based on the second section data.

20. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to extract the sensing data from a time point of the collision caused by the falling to a time point at which a motion caused by the collision stops as third section data, and determine at least one of a contact time during which the electronic device contacts the external object due to the collision and a motion pattern after the collision based on the third section data.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shin Jaeyoung
• Park Jungsik

Classifications

• H04M1/72463

  to restrict the functionality of the device · CPC title

• G01L5/0052 Primary

  measuring forces due to impact (G01L5/0061, G01L5/14 take precedence; impact testing of structures G01M7/08; impact testing of material G01N3/00) · CPC title

• H04M1/72454 Primary

  according to context-related or environment-related conditions · CPC title

• H04W4/38

  for collecting sensor information · CPC title

• G01P15/0891 Primary

  with indication of predetermined acceleration values (G01P15/135 takes precedence) · CPC title