Bluetooth-based object searching method and electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12356287-B2
Application number	US-202017622414-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2020
Priority date	Jun 28, 2019
Publication date	Jul 8, 2025
Grant date	Jul 8, 2025

Abstract

A server receives a search request that includes a first location and an identifier of a Bluetooth device and that is sent by a first terminal; within a first time period, determines at least one second terminal by using a first frequency and a first density in a first search range, and sends a search task that carries the identifier to the at least one second terminal; if the server does not receive, within the first time period, a message that is fed back by any one of the at least one second terminal and that indicates that the Bluetooth device is found, within a second time period after the first time period, determines at least one third terminal by using a second frequency and a second density in a second search range, and sends the search task that carries the identifier to the at least one third terminal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for searching objects, comprising:
receiving, by a server, a search request from a first terminal, wherein the search request comprises a first location and an identifier of a Bluetooth device, and the first location is a location at which the first terminal loses a Bluetooth connection to the Bluetooth device, or the first location is a location entered by a user operating the first terminal;
determining, by the server within a first time period, at least one second terminal to perform a search task in a first-stage search process using a first frequency and a first density in a first search range determined based on the first location, and sending a search task that carries the identifier to the at least one second terminal, so that the at least one second terminal enables Bluetooth to search for the Bluetooth device; and
if the server receives a message that is fed back by any one of the at least one second terminal indicating that the Bluetooth device is found, sending, by the server, a second location of the second terminal that finds the Bluetooth device to the first terminal; or
if the server does not receive, within the first time period, a message that is fed back by any one of the at least one second terminal indicating that the Bluetooth device is found,
determining, by the server within a second time period after the first time period, at least one third terminal to perform a search task in a second-stage search process using a second frequency and a second density in a second search range, and
sending the search task that carries the identifier to the at least one third terminal, so that the at least one third terminal enables Bluetooth to search for the Bluetooth device,

wherein the second search range is determined by the server based on the first location, the second search range is different from the first search range, the second frequency is less than the first frequency, and the second density is less than the first density.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first search range is circular coverage that is determined by the server and whose center is the first location and radius is a first distance, or rectangular coverage that is determined by the server and whose center is the first location and side length is a distance twice the first distance; and
the second search range is circular coverage that is determined by the server and whose center is the first location and radius is a second distance, or rectangular coverage that is determined by the server and whose center is the first location and side length is a distance twice the second distance, wherein
the second distance is greater than the first distance.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first density represents a quantity of first search cells determined by the server in unit area coverage, which are used to determine the at least one second terminal, wherein the second density represents a quantity of second search cells determined by the server in unit area coverage, which are used to determine the at least one third terminal, wherein
an area of a second search cell is greater than an area of a first search cell.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein duration of the second time period is greater than duration of the first time period.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the sending, by the server, a search task to the at least one second terminal comprises sending, by the server, the search task to the at least one second terminal through transparent message transmission; and
the sending, by the server, the search task to the at least one third terminal comprises sending, by the server, the search task to the at least one third terminal through transparent message transmission.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one second terminal comprises one or more second terminals that register a first service by using a first application but do not run the first application, wherein the first service is performing the search task sent by the server; and
the at least one third terminal comprises one or more third terminals that register the first service by using the first application but do not run the first application.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
before determining the at least one second terminal using the first frequency and the first density, the method further comprises: receiving, by the server, a location reported by the at least one second terminal; and
before determining the at least one third terminal using the second frequency and the second density, the method further comprises: receiving, by the server, a location reported by the at least one third terminal.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
if a quantity of second terminals determined by the server using the first frequency and the first density in the first search range is less than a threshold, prolonging, by the server, duration of the first time period.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the at least one second terminal using the first frequency and the first density comprises:
determining, by the server based on the first search range and the first density, a plurality of first search cells comprised in the first search range; and
determining, by the server, a preset quantity of second terminals from each first search cell based on the first frequency, and sending the search task to the determined preset quantity of second terminals.

10. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the server, configuration information from the first terminal, wherein the configuration information is used by the server to configure the first search range, the first frequency, the first density, duration of the first time period, the second search range, the second frequency, the second density, and duration of the second time period.

11. A server, comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more memories storing computer instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, enable the server to perform operations:
receiving a search request from a first terminal, wherein the search request comprises a first location and an identifier of a Bluetooth device, and the first location is a location at which the first terminal loses a Bluetooth connection to the Bluetooth device, or the first location is a location entered by a user operating the first terminal;
determining, within a first time period, at least one second terminal to perform a search task in a first-stage search process using a first frequency and a first density in a first search range determined based on the first location, and sending a search task that carries the identifier to the at least one second terminal, so that the at least one second terminal enables Bluetooth to search for the Bluetooth device; and
if the server receives a message that is fed back by any one of the at least one second terminal indicating that the Bluetooth device is found, sending a second location of the second terminal that finds the Bluetooth device to the first terminal; or
if the server does not receive, within the first time period, a message that is fed back by any one of the at least one second terminal indicating that the Bluetooth device is found, determining, within a second time period after the first time period, at least one third terminal to perform a search task in a second-stage search process using a second frequency and a second density in a second search range, and sending the search task that carries the identifier to the at least one third terminal, so that the at least one third terminal e

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Xue Qingfeng
• Yang Jiachen

Classifications

• H04W8/005

  Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals · CPC title

• G08B21/24

  Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms · CPC title

• H04W4/80 Primary

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title

• Y02D30/70

  in wireless communication networks · CPC title

• H04W48/16

  Discovering, processing access restriction or access information · CPC title