Method for controlling nearby electronic device based on user status and electronic device thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016154392-A1
Application number	US-201514952367-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 25, 2015
Priority date	Nov 27, 2014
Publication date	Jun 2, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method and an apparatus are provided for operating an electronic device. A status of a user wearing the electronic device is determined using a sensor disposed in the electronic device. An operational status of a nearby electronic device is wirelessly controlled according to the status.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for operating an electronic device, the method comprising:
determining a status of a user wearing the electronic device using a sensor disposed in the electronic device; and wirelessly controlling an operational status of a nearby electronic device according to the status.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the electronic device is a wearable electronic device, and the nearby electronic device is at least any one of a mobile electronic device, a home electronic device, and an automotive electronic device.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor disposed in the electronic device is used to determine at least one of a sleep status, a wake-up status, an exercise status, and a movement status of the user.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the sleep status is one of a para-sleep status and an ortho-sleep status.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein wirelessly controlling the operational status comprises wirelessly controlling at least one of a power, a screen brightness, an audio level, and an alarm output of the nearby electronic device located within a specific distance according to the status.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the nearby electronic device is automatically determined through wireless communication with the electronic device or is manually determined based on a selection of the user.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the operational status of the nearby electronic device is wirelessly controlled through at least one of BlueTooth (BT), WiFi, and WiFi-Direct.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, prior to wirelessly controlling the operational status of the nearby electronic device, confirming the operational status of the nearby electronic device and storing the operational status in the electronic device.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, if the status of the user is a sleep status, storing the status in the electronic device without displaying the status at the electronic device.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising, if the status of the user is changed from the sleep status to a wake-up status, restoring the operational status of the nearby electronic device to a previous operational status that existed prior to the sleep status.

11 . An electronic device comprising:
a measurement module configured to determine a status of a user; a communication module configured to communicate with a nearby electronic device; and a processor is configured to control the measurement module to determine the status of the user wearing the electronic device using a sensor disposed in the electronic device, and control the communication module to wirelessly control an operational status of the nearby electronic device according to the status.

12 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein:
the electronic device is a wearable electronic device, and the nearby electronic device is at least any one of a mobile electronic device, a home electronic device, and an automotive electronic device.

13 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the measurement module uses the sensor to determine at least one of a sleep status, a wake-up status, an exercise status, and a movement status of the user.

14 . The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the sleep status is one of a para-sleep status and an ortho-sleep status.

15 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein, in wirelessly controlling the operational status, the processor is further configured to wirelessly control at least one of a power, a screen brightness, an audio level, and an alarm output of the nearby electronic device located within a specific distance according to the status.

16 . The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the nearby electronic device is automatically determined through wireless communication with the electronic device or is manually determined based on a selection of the user

17 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the processor wirelessly controls the operational status of the nearby electronic device through at least one of BlueTooth (BT), WiFi, and WiFi-Direct.

18 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein, prior to wirelessly controlling the operational status of the nearby electronic device, the processor is further configured to confirm the operational status of the nearby electronic device and to store the operational status in the electronic device.

19 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to store the status in the electronic device without displaying the status at the electronic device, if the status of the user is a sleep status, and to restore the operational status of the nearby electronic device to a previous operational status that existed prior to the sleep status, if the status of the user is changed from the sleep status to a wake-up status.

20 . A computer readable recording medium storing a program for performing a method for operating an electronic device, the method comprising:
determining a status of a user wearing the electronic device using a sensor disposed in the electronic device; and wirelessly controlling an operational status of a nearby electronic device according to the status.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jo Han-Kyung
• Kim Do-Yoon

Classifications

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04W4/38

  for collecting sensor information · CPC title

• G05B19/04 Primary

  Program control other than numerical control, i.e. in sequence controllers or logic controllers (G05B19/418 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G08C17/02 Primary

  using a radio link · CPC title

• H04W4/50

  Service provisioning or reconfiguring · CPC title