Electronic device for controlling beam based on data obtained by camera and method for the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11290166-B2
Application number	US-202016800549-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 25, 2020
Priority date	Apr 2, 2019
Publication date	Mar 29, 2022
Grant date	Mar 29, 2022

Abstract

An electronic device and an operation method of an electronic device are provided. The electronic device includes at least one mmWave antenna module configured to include a plurality of antennas, a camera capable of measuring a distance between an external object and the electronic device, a communication processor configured to be operationally connected to the at least one mmWave antenna module, and an application processor configured to be operationally connected to the camera and the communication processor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
at least one mmWave antenna array configured to include a plurality of antennas;
a camera capable of measuring a distance between an external object and the electronic device;
a communication processor configured to be operationally connected to the at least one mmWave antenna array; and
an application processor configured to be operationally connected to the camera and the communication processor,
wherein the application processor is further configured to:
identify a communication performance of the at least one mmWave antenna array;
determine whether to change a direction of a beam formed by the at least one mmWave antenna array, based on a result of identification of the communication performance;
measure a distance between the external object and the electronic device and a location of the external object using the camera;
determine an area where beam searching is to be performed from beam coverage, which is an area where the at least one mmWave antenna array can output a beam, based on the location of the external object and the distance between the external object and the electronic device;
control the communication processor to perform the beam searching in the determined area; and
control the communication processor to change the direction of the beam formed by the at least one mmWave antenna array, based on a result of the beam searching.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the application processor is further configured to:
compare a range that can be photographed by the camera with a range of beam that can be output by the at least one mmWave antenna array, in response to the determination to change the direction of the beam; and
determine whether to activate the camera based on a result of the comparison.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the application processor is further configured to configure an area where the beam searching is to be performed, based on a beam book including information on an amplitude and phase of a signal formed by each of the plurality of antennas included in the at least one mmWave antenna array, for the at least one mmWave antenna array to output the beam in a specific direction and information on the external object.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the application processor is further configured to control the communication processor to perform the beam searching for a remaining area except for an area where the external object exists in the area in which the beam searching is to be performed.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the application processor is further configured to control the communication processor to perform the beam searching for a remaining area except for an area in which the external object disposed below a predetermined distance from the electronic device exists in the area where the beam searching is to be performed.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the application processor is further configured to:
compare a size of the area where the external object exists and a size of the beam coverage, and
determine whether to change the at least one mmWave antenna array to perform communication, based on a result of the comparison.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the application processor is further configured to determine whether to change the at least one mmWave antenna array to perform communication, based on a relative location of the external object in an image taken by the camera.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the application processor is further configured to:
identify whether the distance between the external object and the electronic device is less than or equal to a predetermined value, and
determine whether to perform an operation of determining an area where the beam searching is to be performed, based on an identification result.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the application processor is further configured to:
identify whether reception performance decreases below a predetermined value, and
control the communication processor to change a direction of a beam formed by the at least one mmWave antenna array, in response to identifying that the reception performance decreases below the predetermined value.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the application processor is further configured to:
identify a type of the external object, based on an image taken by the camera, and
control the communication processor to reduce an intensity of a signal formed by the at least one mmWave antenna array or to change the at least one mmWave antenna array to output a signal, based on a result of identification that the external object is at least part of a human body.

11. An electronic device comprising:
at least one mmWave antenna array configured to include a plurality of antennas;
a camera capable of measuring a distance between an external object and the electronic device;
a communication processor configured to be operationally connected to the at least one mmWave antenna array; and
an application processor configured to be operationally connected to the camera and the communication processor,
wherein the application processor is further configured to:
activate the camera at a predetermined period;
based on an image taken by the camera, identify whether an external object included in the image is a part of a human body;
in response to identification that the external object is a part of the human body, measure a distance between the external object and the electronic device and a location of the external object using the camera;
determine an intensity of a beam formed by the at least one mmWave antenna array, based on the distance between the external object and the electronic device; and
control the communication processor to output the beam at the determined intensity.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the application processor is further configured to:
determine a direction in which the beam formed by the at least one mmWave antenna array is to be changed, based on the location of the external object and the distance between the external object and the electronic device, and
control the communication processor to output the beam in the direction to be changed.

13. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the application processor is further configured to:
acquire movement information of the electronic device using an acceleration sensor included in the electronic device, and
change the predetermined period, based on the movement information of the electronic device.

14. A method of an electronic device, the method comprising:
identifying, by a communication processor, communication performance of at least one mmWave antenna array including a plurality of antennas;
determining, by the communication processor, whether to change a direction of a beam formed by the at least one mmWave antenna array, based on a result of identification of communication performance;
measuring, by an application processor, a distance between an external object and the electronic device and a location of the external object using a camera capable of measuring the distance between the external object and the electronic device, in response to a determination to change the direction of the beam;
determining, by the application processor, an area where beam searching is to be performed from beam coverage, an area where a beam formed by the at least one mmWave antenna array can be outputted, based on the location of the external object and the distance between the externa

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Minjeong
• Kim Hojong
• Huh Jaeyoung
• Park Sungchul

Classifications

• H04B7/0617 Primary

  for beam forming · CPC title

• H04B7/06952 Primary

  Selecting one or more beams from a plurality of beams, e.g. beam training, management or sweeping · CPC title

• H04B7/06956

  using a selection of antenna panels · CPC title

• H04W16/28

  using beam steering · CPC title

• H04B17/27

  for locating or positioning the transmitter · CPC title