Method for controlling an external device and an electronic device therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016344569-A1
Application number	US-201615159208-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 19, 2016
Priority date	May 20, 2015
Publication date	Nov 24, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for controlling an external device by an electronic device, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, may include: obtaining biometric information related to a user of the electronic device; generating user information related to the user based on the biometric information; and storing the user information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for controlling an external device by an electronic device, comprising:
obtaining biometric information related to a user of the electronic device; generating user information based on the biometric information; and storing the user information.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the user information comprises at least part of a user's physical state, user's emotional state, or information on the user's surrounding environment.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
if a user input for controlling an external device is detected, requesting, to the external device, device information related to the external device, and receiving the device information; determining shared information, which is at least part of the user information, based on the device information; transmitting the shared information to the external device; generating a control signal for controlling the external device based on the device information or the shared information; and transmitting the control signal to the external device.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
displaying an icon corresponding to the external device; and displaying one or more items, which represent a control state of the external device, close to the icon, or differently displaying the icon based on the control state of the external device.

5 . A method in which an external device operates under control of an electronic device, comprising:
receiving, from the electronic device, a request for transmitting device information related to the external device; transmitting the device information to the electronic device; receiving shared information required for controlling the external device from the electronic device; and receiving, from the electronic device, a first control signal based on the device information or the shared information.

6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
executing a first operation based on the first control signal.

7 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
determining whether a second control signal received from another electronic device has been stored in advance; and if it is determined that the second control signal has been stored in advance, executing an operation based on a control signal received from one of the electronic device and the another electronic device, having a higher priority.

8 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
determining whether a second control signal received from another electronic device has been stored in advance; and if it is determined that the second control signal has been stored in advance, executing a second operation based on the second control signal.

9 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
determining whether a second control signal received from another electronic device has been stored in advance; and if it is determined that the second control signal has been stored in advance, executing an operation based on a combination of the first control signal and the second control signal.

10 . An electronic device for controlling an external device comprising:
a memory; a sensor module comprising at least one sensor, the sensor module configured to obtain biometric information related to a user of the electronic device; and a processor configured to generate user information based on the biometric information, and to store the user information in the memory.

11 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the user information comprises at least part of the user's physical state, the user's emotional state, or information on the user's surrounding environment.

12 . The electronic device of claim 10 , further comprising:
a communication interface comprising communication circuitry configured to: request, to an external device, device information related to an external device if a user input for controlling the external device is detected, and receive the device information from the external device.

13 . The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine shared information, which is at least part of the user information, based on the device information, control the communication interface to transmit the shared information to the external device, generate a first control signal for controlling the external device based on the device information or the shared information, and control the communication interface to transmit the first control signal to the external device.

14 . The electronic device of claim 12 , further comprising:
a display configured to display an icon corresponding to the external device, wherein the processor is further configured to control the display to display one or more items representing a control state of the external device, close to the icon, or to differently display the icon based on the control state of the external device.

15 . An external device controlled by an electronic device comprising:
a communication interface comprising communication circuitry; and a processor configured to: receive, from the electronic device, a request for transmitting device information related to the external device through the communication interface, transmit the device information to the electronic device through the communication interface, receive shared information required for controlling the external device from the electronic device through the communication interface, and receive a first control signal based on the device information or the shared information from the electronic device through the communication interface.

16 . The external device of claim 15 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute an first operation based on the first control signal.

17 . The external device of claim 15 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine whether a second control signal received from another electronic device has been stored in advance, and if it is determined that the second control signal has been stored in advance, execute an operation based on a control signal received from one of the electronic device and the other electronic device, having a higher priority.

18 . The external device of claim 15 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine whether a second control signal received from another electronic device has been stored in advance, and if it is determined that the second control signal has been stored in advance, execute a second operation based on the second control signal.

19 . The external device of claim 15 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine whether a second control signal received from another electronic device has been stored in advance, and if it is determined that the second control signal has been stored in advance, execute an operation based on a combination of the first control signal and the second control signal.

20 . A non-transitory computer readable recording medium having a program recorded thereon which, when executed causes an external device to be controlled by an electronic device by performing operations comprising:
acquiring biometric information related to a user of the electronic device; and generating user information based on the biometric information and storing the generated user information.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Chun Jae-Woong
• Choi Won-Suk
• Lee Jung-Eun
• Cheong Cheol-Ho

Classifications

• G06F3/04817

  using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34) · CPC title

• G06F3/04842

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G05B2219/2614

  HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control · CPC title

• G05B2219/2642

  Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house · CPC title

• G05B19/042 Primary

  using digital processors (G05B19/05 takes precedence) · CPC title