Electronic device for controlling external electronic device and method of controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12387368-B2
Application number	US-202217895363-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 25, 2022
Priority date	Oct 27, 2021
Publication date	Aug 12, 2025
Grant date	Aug 12, 2025

Abstract

An electronic device and method are disclosed. The electronic device includes a communication module, a first camera disposed on a first surface of a housing, a second camera disposed on a second surface of the housing opposite to the first surface, and a processor. The processor implements the method, including: executing an application; establishing a communication connection with a second external electronic device; detecting at least one of an angle or a distance between the second external electronic device; visually detecting the at least one first external electronic device located in a field-of-view (FOV) of a first camera; detecting a distance between the electronic device and the at least one first external electronic device, based on the at least one of the angle or the distance; and detecting a position of the at least one first external electronic device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
memory storing instructions;
a communication module;
a first camera disposed on a first surface of a housing;
and
at least one processor electrically coupled to the communication module, the first camera,
wherein instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor individually and/or collectively, cause the electronic device to:
execute an application for registering and controlling at least one first external electronic device, based on a user input,
establish a communication connection with a second external electronic device different from the at least one first external electronic device, using the communication module,
obtain an angle and a distance between the second external electronic device and the electronic device,
visually detect, via the first camera, the at least one first external electronic device located in a field-of-view of the first camera;
calculate an angle and a distance between the electronic device and the at least one first external electronic device, based on the obtained angle and the obtained distance between the second external electronic device and the electronic device and a distance from the electronic device to a wall on which the at least one first external electronic device is located, and
determine a position of the at least one first external electronic device, based on the calculated angle and the calculated distance between the electronic device and the at least one first external electronic device.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the visual detection of the at least one first external electronic device is based on detecting a selection of a menu for registering the at least one first external electronic device in the application, and
wherein the distance between the electronic device and the at least one first external electronic device is calculated further based on a distance between the electronic device and the wall on which the at least one first external electronic device is located, and
wherein instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor individually and/or collectively, cause the electronic device to store calculated distance between the electronic device and the wall.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the distance between the electronic device and the wall is calculated based on the distance between the electronic device located on the wall and the second external electronic device.

4. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor individually and/or collectively, cause the electronic device to:
calculate a distance between the electronic device and a third external electronic device located on the wall through a communication connection established between the electronic device and the third external electronic device, and
calculate the distance between the electronic device and the wall on which the at least one first external electronic device is located, based on the distance between the electronic device and the second external electronic device, and the distance between the third external electronic device and the electronic device.

5. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor individually and/or collectively, cause the electronic device to:
calculate the distance between the electronic device and the wall, based on a focal length of the first camera, or using a depth sensor of the first camera.

6. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor individually and/or collectively, cause the electronic device to:
obtain the distance between the electronic device and the wall, based on the user input.

7. The electronic device of claim 2 , further comprising a display,
wherein the position of the at least one first external electronic device is calculated based on detecting a selection of a menu for controlling the at least one first external electronic device in the application, and
wherein instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor individually and/or collectively, cause the electronic device to:
in response to the selection of the menu, control the display to display a user interface for controlling the at least one first external electronic device.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a second camera disposed on a second surface of the housing opposite to the first surface,
wherein instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor individually and/or collectively, cause the electronic device to:
when the user input is received while the second camera is activated, execute one of:
terminating activation of the second camera and activating the first camera, or
activating the first camera while maintaining activation of the second camera, so that both the first and second cameras are simultaneously activated.

9. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor individually and/or collectively, cause the electronic device to:
store the position of the at least one first external electronic device in a memory of the electronic device, or on an external server.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the communication module supports ultra-wideband (UWB) communication.

11. A method of operating an electronic device, the method comprising:
executing, via at least one processor, an application for registering and controlling at least one first external electronic device, based on a user input,
establishing a communication connection with a second external electronic device different from the at least one first external electronic device, via a communication module,
obtaining an angle and a distance between the second external electronic device and the electronic device,
visually detecting, via a first camera, the at least one first external electronic device located in a field-of-view of the first camera, and
calculate an angle and a distance between the electronic device and the at least one first external electronic device, based on the obtained angle and the obtained distance between the second external electronic device and the electronic device and a distance from the electronic device to a wall on which the at least one first external electronic device is located, and
determine a position of the at least one first external electronic device, based on the calculated angle and the calculated distance between the electronic device and the at least one first external electronic device.

12. The method of claim 11 ,
wherein calculating a distance between the electronic device and the wall on which the at least one first external electronic device is located is based on detecting a selection of a menu for registering the at least one first external electronic device in the application, and the method further comprising:
storing the calculated distance between the electronic device and the wall.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the distance between the electronic device and the wall is calculated based on the distance between the electronic device located on the wall and the second external electronic device.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
calculate a distance between the electronic device and a third external electronic device located on the wall through a communication connection established between the electronic device and the third external electronic device, and
calculating the distance between the electronic dev

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Seokhyun
• Lim Chaigil
• Song Gajin
• Lee Sunkey

Classifications

• H04W76/14

  Direct-mode setup · CPC title

• G06T7/80

  Analysis of captured images to determine intrinsic or extrinsic camera parameters, i.e. camera calibration · CPC title

• G06T2207/30244

  Camera pose · CPC title

• H04Q9/00

  Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom · CPC title

• H04M1/02

  Constructional features of telephone sets · CPC title