Method and apparatus for finding lost device using UWB and AR apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12562880-B2
Application number	US-202217895628-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 25, 2022
Priority date	Aug 4, 2020
Publication date	Feb 24, 2026
Grant date	Feb 24, 2026

Abstract

An electronic device according to an embodiment includes: a camera; a display; a location measuring circuit; an ultra-wide band (UWB) antenna; a UWB communication circuit; a first wireless communication circuit configured to support near field communication; a second wireless communication circuit configured to support cellular communication; and at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: acquire information about an external device from a server using the second wireless communication circuit; establish a near field communication connection with the external device through the first wireless communication circuit based on the electronic device being within a specified distance from the external device; transmit a request for activating a UWB function of the external device to the external device; identify the location of the external device with respect to the electronic device based on a UWB signal received from the external device; and output an augmented reality (AR) interface to the display based on image data acquired using the camera and the identified location of the external device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device comprising,
a display; a first communication module, comprising circuitry, configured to support a Bluetooth communication; a second communication module, comprising circuitry, configured to support a UWB (ultra-wide band) communication; memory storing instructions; and at least one processor comprising processing circuitry, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor individually and/or collectively, cause the electronic device to: receive a user input to execute a function for finding a lost device registered to the electronic device; when the user input is received and cause the electronic device to connect to the lost device through the Bluetooth communication, determine a distance between the electronic device and the lost device; display, on the display, a first indicator for representing the distance between the electronic device and the lost device; when the electronic device connects to the lost device through the UWB communication, identify a direction from the electronic device to the lost device, display, on the display, a second indicator for representing a direction from the electronic device to the lost device.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor individually and/or collectively, cause the electronic device to:
identify the direction from the electronic device to the lost device in response to connecting to the lost device through the UWB communication while the first indicator is displayed on the display.

3 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor individually and/or collectively, cause the electronic device to:
display, on the display, the second indicator together with the first indicator while the first indicator is displayed on the display.

4 . The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor individually and/or collectively, cause the electronic device to:
determine a location of the lost device to the electronic device based on a UWB signal received from the lost device in response to connecting to the lost device through the UWB communication; and determine the distance between the electronic device and the lost device based on the UWB signal received from the lost device in response to connecting to the lost device through the UWB communication, and wherein the first indicator displayed with the second indicator representing the distance determined based on the UWB signal.

5 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second indicator includes an arrow indicating the direction from the electronic device to the lost device.

6 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor individually and/or collectively, cause the electronic device to:
measure strength of a Bluetooth signal received from the lost device, when the electronic device connects to the lost device through the Bluetooth communication; and determine the distance between the electronic device and the lost device based on the measured strength of the Bluetooth signal.

7 . The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the distance represented by the first indicator and the direction indicated by the second indicator are simultaneously changed in response to the electronic device being moved, and wherein the first indicator and the second indicator are displayed on the display through a AR (augment reality) interface.

8 . The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the electronic device is connected to the lost device through the Bluetooth communication when the electronic device is located within a first distance range from the lost device, and wherein the electronic device is connected to the lost device through at least the UWB communication when the electronic device is located within a second distance range smaller than the first distance range.

9 . The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor individually and/or collectively, cause the electronic device to:
display a user interface for registering the lost device, in response to connecting to the lost device through a short-range wireless communication before the lost device being lost; and register the lost device to a server based on a user input to the user interface.

10 . The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor individually and/or collectively, cause the electronic device to:
receive information related to a location of the lost device from the server, when the electronic device is located outside the first distance range and the second distance range, and wherein the information related to the location of the lost device is transmitted from the lost device to another electronic device through a short-range wireless communication and transmitted from the other electronic device to the server, and wherein a user of the other electronic device is different from a user of the electronic device.

11 . A method of operating an electronic device, the method comprising:
acquiring information about an external device registered in an electronic device and not currently connected to the electronic device, from a server using a second wireless communication circuit of the electronic device, the information about the external device including information about coordinates of the external device; determining whether the electronic device is within a specified distance from coordinates of the external device based on information obtained from the server and a location of the electronic device measured by the location measuring circuit; establishing a near field communication connection with the external device through the first wireless communication circuit of the electronic device in response to the determination; transmitting a request for activating an ultra-wide band (UWB) function of the external device to the external device through the established near field communication connection; identifying the location of the external device with respect to the electronic device based on a UWB signal received from the external device; and outputting an augmented reality (AR) interface to the display of the electronic device based on image data acquired using the camera of the electronic device and the identified location of the external device.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
providing guidance for moving the display toward the coordinates of the external device based on the electronic device not being within the specified distance from the coordinates of the external device.

13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
detecting a distance to the external device using the first wireless communication circuit based on a response indicating that the activation of the UWB function is not possible being received from the external device in response to the request for activating the UWB function.

14 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
outputting a first UI to the display based on the electronic device not being within the specified distance from the coordinates of the external device; and switching the first UI to a second UI including image data obtained using the camera in response to the electronic device being within the specified distance from the coordinates of the external device and the near field communication connection is established between the electr

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lim Chaigil
• Kim Geunsok
• Shin Jaehwa
• Cho Jiman

Classifications

• H04W72/0453

  Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA · CPC title

• H04L5/0048

  Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver (allocation of control signalling H04L5/0053; use of control signalling H04L5/0091) · CPC title

• H04W76/15

  Setup of multiple wireless link connections · CPC title

• H04W8/005

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

• H04W88/04

  adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user · CPC title