Method and apparatus for performing communication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12356368-B2
Application number	US-202217938959-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 7, 2022
Priority date	Mar 17, 2020
Publication date	Jul 8, 2025
Grant date	Jul 8, 2025

Abstract

An electronic device includes: at least one communication module, a memory, and a processor operably connected to the at least one communication module and the memory. The processor is configured to determine transmission offset information or contention phase information, which is associated with first communication, broadcast a first message including the transmission offset information or contention phase information by using the at least one communication module, receive at least one second message from at least one external electronic device via the at least one communication module, in response to the first message, and change the transmission offset information or contention phase information, on the basis of the at least one second message.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
at least one communication module;
memory storing instructions; and
a processor operatively connected to the at least one communication module and the memory,
wherein the instructions that, when executed by the processor individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to:
determine contention phase time or transmission offset information, which is related to ultra-wide band (UWB) communication,
broadcast a poll message including the contention phase time or the transmission offset information through the at least one communication module,
activate a RX module of a UWB module of the least one communication module and wait for receiving at least one response message during the contention phase time after broadcasting the poll message,
receive the least one response message from at least one external electronic device through the at least one communication module in response to the poll message,
measure a distance from the at least one external electronic device which transmits the at least one response message to the electronic device, based on the poll message and the at least one response message,
determine whether the contention phase time expires,
when the contention phase time is expired, control the RX module of the UWB module to be in an off state until a next poll message is transmitted, and
change the contention phase time or the transmission offset information according to a number of the at least one external electronic device which transmits the at least one response message.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein contention phase time is configured to be shorter than a time of a cycle in which the distance from the at least one external electronic device to the electronic device is measured through the UWB communication.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to determine reception success or reception failure by analyzing the at least one response message, and
calculate a total number of the at least one response message including at least one of a total number of response messages containing the reception success of the at least one response message, a total number of response messages containing the reception failure of the at least one response message, or a total number of response messages increased by the total number of response messages containing the reception failure.

4. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein, when the contention phase time is increased, the instructions, when executed by the processor individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to reflect the increased contention phase time in a third message including the changed contention phase time or the changed transmission offset information and,
when the contention phase time is decreased and it is determined that the contention phase time calculated for a predetermined number of times is successively decreased, the instructions, when executed by the processor individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to reflect the decreased contention phase time in a fourth message after the predetermined number of times.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
the instructions, when executed by the processor individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to determine whether a time for performing the UWB communication ends during the sleep state for the UWB communication, and
activate the UWB communication when the time for performing the UWB communication ends.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the transmission offset information includes at least one of a total number of transmission offsets of a next distance measurement cycle, a transmission offset number of the next distance measurement cycle, or reception offset configuration information of the next distance measurement cycle.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to configure the total number of transmission offsets of the next distance measurement cycle, based on a payload of the poll message.

8. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the transmission offset number of the next distance measurement cycle is an offset number used when the electronic device transmits a third message including the changed contention phase information or the changed transmission offset information.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the reception offset configuration information of the next distance measurement cycle is information for configuring whether to use an offset number equal to the transmission offset number or randomly use an offset number different from the transmission offset number when the at least one external electronic device, which receives the third message, transmits a response message for the third message.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to transmit a fifth message including supporting information related to the UWB communication through second communication different from the UWB communication,
receive a response message including the supporting information or state information related to the UWB communication from at least one external electronic device, which receives the fifth message, and
start the UWB communication when the response message corresponds to a predetermined condition.

11. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the poll message further includes response control information for an information request for measuring angle of arrival (AoA) information with respect to the at least one external electronic device, and
the instructions, when executed by the processor individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to calculate the AoA information with respect to the at least one external electronic device, based on additional response information included in the at least one response message according to the response control information.

12. A method of operating an electronic device, the method comprising:
determining contention phase time or transmission offset information, which is related to ultra-wide band (UWB) communication;
broadcasting a poll message including the contention phase time or the transmission offset information through at least one communication module of the electronic device;
activating a RX module of a UWB module of the at least one communication module and waiting for receiving at least one response message during the contention phase time after broadcasting the poll message;
receiving the at least one response message from at least one external electronic device through the at least one communication module in response to the poll message;
measuring a distance from the at least one external electronic device which transmit the at least one response message to the electronic device, based on the poll message and the at least one response message;
determining whether the contention phase time expires;
when the contention phase time is expired, controlling the RX module of the UWB module to be in an off state until a next poll message is transmitted; and
changing the contention phase time or the transmission offset information, according to a number of the at least one external electronic devices which transmit the at least one response message.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein contention phase time is configured to be shorter than a time of a cycle in which a

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Hyunchul
• Yang Yi
• Choi Sehwan
• Hong Sukgi
• Kang Moonseok
• Kang Doosuk

Classifications

• H04W28/04

  Error control · CPC title

• H04W24/10

  Scheduling measurement reports {; Arrangements for measurement reports} · CPC title

• G01S13/08

  Systems for measuring distance only (indirect measurement G01S13/46) · CPC title

• G01S13/0209

  Systems with very large relative bandwidth, i.e. larger than 10 %, e.g. baseband, pulse, carrier-free, ultrawideband · CPC title

• H04W88/06

  adapted for operation in multiple networks {or having at least two operational modes}, e.g. multi-mode terminals · CPC title