Electronic device comprising antennas

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11962096-B2
Application number	US-202217727190-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2022
Priority date	Oct 24, 2019
Publication date	Apr 16, 2024
Grant date	Apr 16, 2024

Abstract

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a housing, a first antenna and a second antenna which are disposed near at least one edge of the housing inside the housing and a first distance away from each other, wherein the first antenna and second antenna are positioned different distances away from an edge vertical to the one edge, a communication circuit operatively connected to the first antenna and second antenna, at least one sensor, a processor, and a memory. The memory can store instructions which, when executed, enable the processor to identify the posture of the electronic device by means of at least one sensor, if the identified posture of the electronic device is a landscape state, determine the position of at least one external electronic device on the basis of at least one signal received from the at least one external electronic device, and, if the identified posture of the electronic device is a portrait state, determine the position of an external electronic device on the basis of a signal received from the external electronic device positioned in a direction which is determined on the basis of the placements of the first antenna and second antenna among the at least one external electronic device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a housing including a first edge, a second edge substantially parallel to the first edge, a third edge extending from one end of the first edge to one end of the second edge and longer than the first edge, and a fourth edge extending from the other end of the first edge to the other end of the second edge and longer than the first edge;
a first antenna and a second antenna disposed in the housing to be spaced apart by a first distance to the third edge, the first antenna and the second antenna being located at different distances from the first edge;
a communication circuit configured to be electrically connected to the first antenna and the second antenna;
at least one sensor disposed in the housing;
a processor configured to be electrically connected to the first antenna, the second antenna, the communication circuit, and the at least one sensor; and
a memory configured to be electrically connected to the processor,
wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed, enable the processor to:
identify a posture of the electronic device using the at least one sensor,
determine, when the identified posture of the electronic device is in a landscape state, a location of at least one external electronic device based on at least one signal received from the at least one external electronic device, and
determine, when the identified posture of the electronic device is in a portrait state, a location of the external electronic device among the at least one external electronic device based on a signal received from the external electronic device located in a direction determined based on an arrangement of the first antenna and the second antenna.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further enable the processor to:
when the electronic device is in the landscape state:
receive the at least one signal from the at least one external electronic device using the communication circuit,
identify a first round trip time (RTT) and a first arrival of angle (AOA) of the at least one signal based on the received at least one signal, and
determine the location of the at least one external electronic device based on the identified first RTT and the identified first AOA, and

when the electronic device is in the portrait state:
receive the signal from the external electronic device using the communication circuit,
identify a second RTT and a second AOA of the signal based on the received signal,
identify the external electronic device located in the direction determined based on the arrangement of the first antenna and the second antenna based on the identified second AOA, and
determine the location of the external electronic device using the identified second RTT and the identified second AOA based on the signal received from the external electronic device.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 ,
wherein, when a number of the at least one external electronic device is plural and the electronic device is in the portrait state, and
wherein the instructions further enable the processor to delay or ignore processing of signals received from remaining external electronic devices except for the identified external electronic device among external electronic devices, based on identification of the external electronic device.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the direction determined based on the arrangement of the first antenna and the second antenna corresponds to a direction of a straight line passing through the first antenna and the second antenna.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a display,
wherein at least one signal received from the at least one external electronic device includes information on an identifier (ID) of the at least one external electronic device, and
wherein the instructions further enable the processor to:
indicate the at least one external electronic device based on the determined location and the information on the ID and
display at least one visual object indicating the location of the at least one external electronic device on the display.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 , further comprising:
another communication circuit configured to be distinct from the communication circuit,
wherein the instructions further enable the processor to:
receive an external input for selecting one visual object among the displayed at least one visual object while the electronic device is in the landscape state, and
establish a wireless connection with the external electronic device indicated by the visual object among the at least one external electronic device by using another communication circuit.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
another communication circuit configured to be distinct from the communication circuit,
wherein the instructions further enable the processor to:
receive a designated input while the electronic device is in the portrait state, and
establish a wireless connection with the external electronic device by using another communication circuit, in response to receiving the designated input.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the designated input includes any one of:
facing, by a designated portion of the housing of the electronic device, the external electronic device for a designated time;
identifying that the external electronic device is located in the direction determined based on the arrangement of the first antenna and the second antenna for a designated time, using the communication circuit; or
identifying, using the at least one sensor, that the posture of the electronic device is changed while identifying that the external electronic device is located in the direction determined based on the arrangement of the first antenna and the second antenna by using the communication circuit.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a camera; and
another communication circuit that is distinct from the communication circuit,
wherein the instructions further enable the processor to:
identify the external electronic device located within a field of view (FOV) of the camera among the at least one external electronic device based on the determined location of the at least one external electronic device while the electronic device is in the landscape state, and
transmit image data acquired using the camera to the identified external electronic device through another communication circuit.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a display; and
a camera,
wherein the instructions further enable the processor to:
display a preview image based on at least some of images acquired using the camera on the display,
identify that an auto-focused subject holding one external electronic device among the at least one external electronic device deviates out of a field of view (FOV) of the camera using the camera, and
maintain tracking of the auto-focused subject by tracking a location of the held external electronic device using the communication circuit.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Choi Sehwan
• Hong Sukgi
• Kang Moonseok
• Kim Hyunchul
• Yang Yi
• Park Jungsik
• Lim Sungjun
• Jang Jonghoon

Classifications

• H01Q3/34 Primary

  by electrical means (active lenses or reflecting arrays H01Q3/46) · CPC title

• G06T7/70

  Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras (camera calibration G06T7/80) · CPC title

• H01Q21/28 Primary

  Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems {(multiple beam H01Q25/00)} · CPC title

• G01S5/0252 Primary

  Radio frequency fingerprinting · CPC title

• H04W4/02

  Services making use of location information · CPC title