Method for performing function using sensor data and electronic device for providing same

• US 10,393,544 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2017
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Chung, Dohyoung, Park, Jeongmin, Bae, Donghwan, Suh, Jungwon, Lee, Cheoljun, Cho, Jeongho, Choi, Kyonggon, Oh, Jiwoong
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheng, Tom V
• Application Number:
  US15/705,670
• Publication Number:
  US 20180003520A1
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/005 Mounting of control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 25/00 Manufacturing, calibrating, cleaning, or repairing instruments or devices referred to in the other groups of this subclass testing, calibrating or compensating compasses G01C17/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

An electronic device and method utilizes an external sensor group to facilitate miniaturization the device and repair/replacement of external sensors. An interface connected to an external sensor package including at least one sensor. A processor that when the external sensor package is connected through the interface, determines from which group the external sensor package is included in among pre-configured groups and controls the performance of a function corresponding to the determined group.

Claims

1. A wearable electronic device comprising:

a touchscreen display;

memory to store a first specified application and a second specified application, the first specified application adapted to use first data obtained via a first sensor, and the second specified application adapted to use second data obtained via a second sensor;

an interface to be attached with and detached from an external electronic device including at least one sensor of the first sensor or the second sensor; and

a processor adapted to;

detect that the external electronic device is attached with the wearable electronic device via the interface;

identify the at least one sensor included in the external electronic device based at least in part on the detecting;

select at least one specified application corresponding to the at least one sensor from the first and second specified applications; and

execute the at least one specified application, the executing including obtaining corresponding data of the first data and the second data via the at least one sensor included in the external electronic device attached with the wearable electronic device via the interface, the executing including displaying at least part of the corresponding data via the touchscreen display.

2. The wearable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the wearable electronic device is to be attached with the external electronic device such that the wearable electronic device and the external electronic device together can be attached to a body part of a user.

3. The wearable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the wearable electronic device comprises a watch, and the external electronic device comprises a strap attachable with and detachable from the watch.

4. The wearable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is adapted to:

receive, as at least part of the identifying, information corresponding to the at least one sensor from an external server based at least in part on a determination that the information is not stored in the wearable electronic device.

5. The wearable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is adapted to:

determine, as at least part of the identifying, a type of the at least one sensor.

6. The wearable electronic device of claim 5, wherein the processor is adapted to:

perform the selecting based at least in part on a determination that the type of the at least one sensor corresponds to a specified type of a sensor corresponding to a specified set of operations.

7. The wearable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the external electronic device includes the first sensor and the second sensor, and wherein the processor is adapted to:

perform the selecting based at least in part on a determination that the at least one specified application is to use the first data and the second data.

8. The wearable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is adapted to:

provide biometric information corresponding to a user as the at least part of the corresponding data.

9. The wearable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a battery, wherein the processor is adapted to:

deactivate, as at least part of the executing, at least one function of the at least one specified application based at least in part on a determination that a power state of the battery satisfies a specified condition.

10. A sensor module attachable with and detachable from a wearable electronic device external to the sensor module, the sensor module comprising:

a connector to be attached with and detached from an interface of the wearable electronic device; and

at least one sensor to obtain biometric information corresponding to a user of the sensor module based at least in part on a control signal transmitted via a specified application executed at the wearable electronic device, the specified application selected at the wearable electronic device from a plurality of specified applications based at least in part on a type of the at least one sensor.

11. The sensor module of claim 10, wherein the sensor module is to be attached with the wearable electronic device such that the sensor module and the wearable electronic device together can be attached to a body part of the user.

12. The sensor module of claim 10, wherein the at least one sensor is adapted to:

receive a power to be used at the sensor module from the wearable electronic device.

13. The sensor module of claim 10, wherein the at least one sensor is adapted to:

transmit the biometric information to the wearable electronic device according to a specified time period indicated by the wearable electronic device.

14. The sensor module of claim 10, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a lens to detect light from an outside of the sensor module in relation with the obtaining of the biometric information.

15. An electronic watch comprising:

a touchscreen display;

memory to store a first specified application and a second specified application, the first specified application adapted to use first data obtained via a first sensor, and the second specified application adapted to use second data obtained via a second sensor;

an interface to be attached with and detached from an external electronic device including at least one sensor of the first sensor or the second sensor; and

a processor adapted to;

detect that the external electronic device is attached with the electronic watch via the interface;

identify the at least one sensor included in the external electronic device based at least in part on the detecting;

determine at least one specified application corresponding to the at least one sensor from the first and second specified applications; and

execute the at least one specified application using corresponding data of the first data and the second data obtained via the at least one sensor included in the external electronic device attached with the electronic watch via the interface, the executing including displaying, via the touchscreen display, at least part of the corresponding data in a user interface corresponding to the at least one specified application.

16. The electronic watch of claim 15, wherein the external electronic device comprises a strap for the electronic watch.

17. The electronic watch of claim 15, wherein the processor is adapted to:

obtain biometric information corresponding to a user as at least part of the corresponding data.

18. The electronic watch of claim 15, wherein the processor is adapted to:

adjust, as at least part of the executing, a time period according to which the corresponding data is to be received from the external electronic device.

19. The electronic watch of claim 15, wherein the processor is adapted to:

determine, as at least part of the executing, a specified function to be provided in relation with the at least one sensor based at least in part on the corresponding data; and

transmit a request to perform the specified function to another electronic device external to the electronic watch.

20. The electronic watch of claim 15, wherein the processor is adapted to:

terminate the executing of the at least one specified application based at least in part on a temperature corresponding to the electronic watch.

21. An electronic device comprising:

an interface that is communicatively coupled to an external device including an external sensor package including at least one sensor; and

a processor configured to;

identify whether the external device is communicatively coupled to the electronic device through the interface,

determine, if the external device is coupled to the electronic device, a type of the sensor included in the external sensor package,

determine, based on the determined the type of the sensor, a function, and

control a performance of the function corresponding to the determined the type of the sensor, wherein controlling performance of the function comprises displaying a user interface listing one or more selectable applications providing a service based on the function.