Electronic device and method for supporting positioning communication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11997564-B2
Application number	US-202318317638-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 15, 2023
Priority date	Apr 28, 2021
Publication date	May 28, 2024
Grant date	May 28, 2024

Abstract

Example embodiments include an electronic device and a method for operating an electronic device. The electronic device includes an ultra-wide band (UWB) antenna including directional antennas disposed on a rear surface of the electronic device and at least one omnidirectional antenna. The electronic device further includes a communication circuit configured to transmit and/or receive radio frequency (RF) signals of a frequency band designated to be used for UWB communication, through the UWB antenna, with an external electronic device. The electronic device further includes a processor configured to calculate a first distance value and a second distance value, and to determine, based on a distance difference between the first distance value and the second distance value, whether the external electronic device exists within a field of view (FoV) indicating a specified angular range with respect to the direction to which the rear surface faces.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a display disposed on a front surface of the electronic device;
an ultra-wide band (UWB) antenna including at least one directional antenna disposed on a rear surface opposite to the front surface and an omnidirectional antenna disposed on a surface different from the surface on which the at least one directional antenna is disposed;
a processor;
a communication circuit configured to convert a message to be transmitted to an external electronic device into a radio frequency (RF) signal of a frequency band designated to be used for UWB communication, and output the RF signal to the UWB antenna, and configured to convert an RF signal received from the external electronic device through the UWB antenna into a message; and
a memory operatively connected to the processor,
wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:
receive a first message, transmitted by the external electronic device at a first time, from the UWB antenna at a second time,
transmit a second message to the external electronic device at a third time through the UWB antenna in response to receiving the first message,
receive a third message, transmitted by the external electronic device at a fifth time in response to the second message received at a fourth time, from the at least one directional antenna at a sixth time,
receive the third message, transmitted by the external electronic device, from the omnidirectional antenna at a seventh time,
calculate a first distance between the external electronic device and the electronic device, using time information and a time of receiving a message and a time of transmitting a message based on the at least one directional antenna, wherein the time information is received by the electronic device from the external electronic device through the UWB antenna and includes information about the first time, the fourth time, and the fifth time,
calculate a second distance between the external electronic device and the electronic device, using the time information and a time of receiving a message and a time of transmitting a message based on the UWB antenna including the omnidirectional antenna, and
based on a distance difference between the first distance and the second distance, determine whether the external electronic device exists within a field of view (FoV).

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to:
calculate the first distance between the external electronic device and the electronic device, using the time information, the second time, the third time, and the sixth time, and
calculate the second distance between the external electronic device and the electronic device, using the time information, the second time, the third time, and the seventh time.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to:
when the distance difference is less than or equal to a specified distance reference value, determine that the external electronic device exists within the FoV, and
when the distance difference exceeds the distance reference value, determine that the external electronic device exists outside the FoV.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the at least one directional antenna includes a first directional antenna and a second directional antenna, and
wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to:
calculate a phase difference between RF signals arriving at the first directional antenna and the second directional antenna, based on a length between the first directional antenna and the second directional antenna, and calculate an angle of arrival (AoA) based on the phase difference,
upon determining that the external electronic device exists within the FoV, determine a position of the external electronic device using the first distance and the AoA, and display information indicating the position on the display, and
upon determining that the external electronic device exists outside the FoV, display, on the display, information indicating that the external electronic device exists outside the FoV.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to:
acquire the time information from the third message.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to:
acquire the time information from a fourth message received from the external electronic device after the third message.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the time information includes:
information indicating the first time,
information indicating the fourth time, and
information indicating the fifth time.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the time information includes:
information indicating a round trip time that is a difference between the first time and the fourth time, and
information indicating a reply time that is a difference between the fourth time and the fifth time.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to:
obtain a first time value by subtracting a second value, obtained by subtracting the second time from the third time, from a first value obtained by subtracting the first time from the fourth time,
obtain a second time value by subtracting a fourth value, obtained by subtracting the fourth time from the fifth time, from a third value obtained by subtracting the third time from the sixth time,
obtain a third time value by subtracting the fourth value from a fifth value obtained by subtracting the third time from the seventh time,
obtain the first distance by dividing a sum of the first time value and the second time value by 4 and multiplying by the speed of light, and
obtain the second distance by dividing a sum of the first time value and the third time value by 4 and multiplying by the speed of light.

10. An electronic device comprising:
a display disposed on a front surface of the electronic device;
an ultra-wide band (UWB) antenna including at least one directional antenna disposed on a rear surface opposite to the front surface and an omnidirectional antenna disposed on a surface different from the surface on which the at least one directional antenna is disposed;
a processor;
a communication circuit configured to convert a message to be transmitted to an external electronic device into a radio frequency (RF) signal of a frequency band designated to be used for UWB communication, and output the RF signal to the UWB antenna, and configured to convert an RF signal received from the external electronic device through the UWB antenna into a message; and
a memory operatively connected to the processor,
wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:
transmit a first message to the external electronic device at a first time through the UWB antenna,
receive a second message, transmitted by the external electronic device at a third time in response to the first message received at a second time, from the at least one directional antenna at a fourth time,
receive the second message transmitted by the external electronic device from the omnidirectional antenna at a fifth time,
calculate a first distance between the external electronic device and the electronic device, using time information and a time of receiving a message and a time of transmitting a message based on the at least one directional antenna, wherein the time information is received by the electronic device from the external electronic device through t

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Hyunchul
• Yang Yi
• Kang Moonseok
• Hong Sukgi
• Shin Jiho
• Jang Jonghoon

Classifications

• H04W4/023 Primary

  using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds · CPC title

• H04B1/7163

  using impulse radio · CPC title

• H04B7/0404

  the mobile station comprising multiple antennas, e.g. to provide uplink diversity · CPC title

• G01S13/765 Primary

  with exchange of information between interrogator and responder · CPC title

• H04B7/086

  using weights depending on external parameters, e.g. direction of arrival [DOA], predetermined weights or beamforming · CPC title