Apparatus and method for recognizing zone in portable terminal

• US 10,187,867 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2015
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Hahm, Seong-Il, Cho, Seong-Ho, Lee, Jin-Wook, Yeon, Hun-Je, Kim, Young-Ki, Kang, Pil-Seob, Kang, Shin-Il
• Primary Examiner(s): Reisner, Noam
• Application Number:
  US14/721,943
• Publication Number:
  US 20150257119A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,337 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 17/28 Electromagnetic compasses with north seeking magnetic elements and having electric pick-offs G01C17/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/16 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/40 specially adapted for measuring magnetic field characteristics of the earth
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

An apparatus and method for recognizing an indoor zone in which a user is located by using an Earth'"'"'s magnetic field that is generated naturally instead of the conventional method of combining a magnetic field generator and a magnetic field sensor. The apparatus includes a zone evaluator configured to primarily recognize a location of the portable terminal by using first and second components of an Earth'"'"'s magnetic field and to finally recognize the location of the portable terminal by using first and second images.

Claims

1. A portable terminal comprising:

a communication interface;

a memory configured to store first environment information corresponding to a predetermined location of an indoor zone, and information of a function to be executed at the predetermined location; and

a controller configured to;

acquire second environment information corresponding to a current location of the portable terminal;

determine whether the portable terminal is located within the predetermined location by comparing the first environment information and the second environment information; and

in response to determining that the portable terminal is located within the predetermined location of the indoor zone, control the communication interface to establish a communication connection with another device located within the indoor zone based on the stored information of the function.

2. The portable terminal of claim 1, wherein the memory is further configured to store first auxiliary environment information, and where the controller is further configured to:

acquire second auxiliary environment information corresponding to the predetermined location of the indoor zone where the portable terminal is located, and

when the portable terminal is located within the predetermined location of the indoor zone using the first and second environment information, determine whether the portable terminal is located within the predetermined location of the indoor zone by comparing the first auxiliary environment information and the second auxiliary environment information.

3. The portable terminal of claim 2, wherein the first and second auxiliary environment information comprise images.

4. The portable terminal of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to acquire the second auxiliary environment information by controlling a second sensor, the second sensor is configured to capture a surrounding environment of at the current location of the portable terminal.

5. The portable terminal of claim 1, wherein the first and second environment information is associated with at least one of an indoor wall structure, arrangement of home appliances, and a metal- or ore-contained product, and a property depending on a location in the predetermined location of the indoor zone.

6. The portable terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to acquire the second environment information by controlling a first sensor, the first sensor is configured to measure a magnetic field.

7. The portable terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to acquire the second environment information when no movement of the portable terminal is detected.

8. The portable terminal of claim 1, wherein the function corresponding to the predetermined location of the indoor zone is associated with connection to another device.

9. The portable terminal of claim 1, wherein comparing the first environment information and the second environment information is performed by comparing one of i) a distribution of respective Earth'"'"'s magnetic field components corresponding to the first environment information and the second environment information, and ii) an average, a minimum value, a maximum value, and a standard deviation of the respective Earth'"'"'s magnetic field components corresponding to the first environment information and the second environment information.

10. The portable terminal of claim 1, wherein the predetermined location of the indoor zone is set by a user.

11. A method of recognizing a zone of a portable terminal, the method comprising:

storing first environment information corresponding to a predetermined location of an indoor zone, and information of a function to be executed at the predetermined location;

acquiring second environment information corresponding to a current location of the portable terminal;

determining whether the portable terminal is located within the predetermined location by comparing the first environment information and the second environment information; and

in response to determining that the portable terminal is located within the predetermined location, establishing a communication connection with another device located within the indoor zone based on the stored information of the function.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

storing first auxiliary environment information;

acquiring second auxiliary environment information corresponding to the predetermined location where the portable terminal is located; and

when the portable terminal is located within the predetermined location using the first and second environment information, determining whether the portable terminal is located within the predetermined location by comparing the first auxiliary environment information and the second auxiliary environment information.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein acquiring the second auxiliary environment information corresponding to the predetermined location where the portable terminal is located comprises controlling a second sensor to capture a surrounding environment of the current location of the portable terminal.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the first and second auxiliary environment information comprise images.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the first and second environment information is associated with at least one of an indoor wall structure, arrangement of home appliances, and a metal- or ore-contained product, and a property depending on a location in an indoor zone.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein acquiring the second environment information corresponding to the current location of the portable terminal comprises controlling a first sensor to measure a magnetic field.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein acquiring the second environment information corresponding to the current location of the portable terminal comprises acquiring the second environment information when no movement of the portable terminal is detected.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the function corresponding to the predetermined location is associated with connection to anther device.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein comparing the first environment information and the second environment information is performed by comparing one of i) a distribution of respective Earth'"'"'s magnetic field components corresponding to the first environment information and the second environment information, and ii) an average, a minimum value, a maximum value, and a standard deviation of the respective Earth'"'"'s magnetic field components corresponding to the first environment information and the second environment information.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the predetermined location is set by a user.