Electronic device for changing operation of wireless communication based on change of angle of housing and method therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12418612-B2
Application number	US-202218071927-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2022
Priority date	Oct 22, 2021
Publication date	Sep 16, 2025
Grant date	Sep 16, 2025

Abstract

An electronic device includes: a hinge structure; a foldable housing including a first housing structure and a second housing structure that are configured to be foldable relative to each other around the hinge structure; a first antenna provided in the first housing structure; a second antenna provided in the second housing structure; a communication circuit electrically connected to the first antenna and the second antenna, and configured to transmit and receive data through a first link and a second link established between an external electronic device and the electronic device; and a processor operatively connected to the communication circuit, wherein the processor is configured to: identify whether an angle between the first housing structure and the second housing structure satisfies a specified condition; and control the communication circuit to transmit, through at least one of the first link and the second link, a signal related to a change in an operation of short-range wireless communication, based on whether the angle satisfies the specified condition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a hinge structure;
a foldable housing comprising a first housing structure and a second housing structure that are configured to be foldable relative to each other around the hinge structure;
a first antenna disposed in the first housing structure;
a second antenna disposed in the second housing structure;
a communication circuit electrically connected to the first antenna and the second antenna, and configured to transmit and receive data through a first link and a second link established between an external electronic device and the electronic device; and
a processor operatively connected to the communication circuit,
wherein the processor is configured to:
identify whether an angle between the first housing structure and the second housing structure satisfies a specified condition, the specified condition being related to a distance between the first antenna and the second antenna,
control the communication circuit to transmit, to the external electronic device through at least one of the first link and the second link, a signal related to a change in an operation of short-range wireless communication, based at least on the angle satisfying the specified condition, the signal instructing the external electronic device to switch to the changed operation mode, and
perform, through the first antenna and the second antenna, the operation of the short-range wireless communication in the changed operation mode.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
select a mode from among a first mode in which data is transmitted through the first link and in which data is received through the second link, and a second mode in which data is prevented from being received through the second link while transmitting data through the first link, based on identifying that the angle satisfies the specified condition; and
control the communication circuit to transmit, through the at least one of the first link and the second link, the signal comprising information indicating the selected mode.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to control the communication circuit to transmit, through the at least one of the first link and the second link, a changed signal after changing information indicating the mode, which is included in the signal, to indicate the selected mode.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to change a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) of the at least one of the first link and the second link, based on that the angle satisfies the specified condition.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to change a bandwidth of the at least one of the first link and the second link, based on that the angle satisfies the specified condition.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the specified condition comprises a condition related to the distance between the first antenna and the second antenna.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether to transmit the signal, based on whether a difference between a first frequency band corresponding to the first link and a second frequency band corresponding to the second link is greater than or equal to a specified value.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to prevent transmission of the signal, based on identifying that the difference between the first frequency band and the second frequency band is greater than or equal to the specified value.

9. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to prevent transmission of the signal, based on that the difference between the first frequency band corresponding to the first link and the second frequency band is less than the specified value and the angle satisfies the specified condition.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the distance between the first antenna and the second antenna changes according to a change in the angle between the first housing structure and the second housing structure due to the first housing structure and the second housing structure being folded or unfolded about the hinge structure.

11. A method of operating an electronic device, the method comprising:
identifying whether an angle between a first housing structure comprising a first antenna and a second housing structure comprising a second antenna satisfies a specified condition, the specified condition being related to a distance between the first antenna and the second antenna;
transmitting, to an external electronic device, a signal related to a change in an operation of short-range wireless communication established between the external electronic device and the electronic device through at least one of a first link and a second link, based at least on the angle satisfying the specified condition, the signal instructing the external electronic device to switch to the changed operation mode; and
performing, through the first antenna and the second antenna, the operation of the short-range wireless communication in the changed operation mode.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
selecting a mode from among a first mode in which data is transmitted through the first link and in which data is received through the second link, and a second mode in which data is prevented from being received through the second link while transmitting data through the first link, based on that the angle satisfies the specified condition; and
transmitting, through the at least one of the first link and the second link, the signal comprising information indicating the selected mode.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising transmitting, through the at least one of the first link and the second link, a changed signal after changing information indicating the mode, which is included in the signal, to indicate the selected mode.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising changing a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) of the at least one of the first link and the second link, based on that the angle satisfies the specified condition.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising changing a bandwidth of the at least one of the first link and the second link, based on that the angle satisfies the specified condition.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the specified condition comprises a condition related to the distance between the first antenna and the second antenna.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising determining whether to transmit the signal, based on whether a difference between a first frequency band corresponding to the first link and a second frequency band corresponding to the second link is greater than or equal to a specified value.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the determining of whether to transmit the signal comprises preventing transmission of the signal, based on identifying that the difference between the first frequency band and the second frequency band is greater than or equal to the specified value.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the determining of whether to transmit the signal comprises preventing transmission of the signal, based on that the difference between the first frequency band and the second frequency band is less than the specified value and identifying that the angle satisfies the specified condition.

20. The method of claim

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Choi Junsu
• Choi Hyeonu
• Kim Sunghwan
• Min Hyunkee
• Lim Junhak
• Jeong Kiyeong

Classifications

• H04M1/0216

  Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge · CPC title

• H04M1/0268

  including a flexible display panel · CPC title

• H04M1/0243

  using the relative angle between housings · CPC title

• H04M1/72454 Primary

  according to context-related or environment-related conditions · CPC title

• H04M1/0241 Primary

  using relative motion of the body parts to change the operational status of the telephone set, e.g. switching on/off, answering incoming call · CPC title