METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MEASURING DISTANCE BETWEEN BLUETOOTH TERMINALS

• US 20080036647A1
• Filed: 08/08/2007
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jung, Jin-He
• Application Number:
  US11/835,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20080036647A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/118
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/06 using intensity measurements

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for measuring a distance between portable Bluetooth terminals. The method includes transmitting first distance measurement radio waves to a specific portable Bluetooth terminal corresponding to user selection from among one or more portable Bluetooth terminals which can be connected through Bluetooth; and if second distance measurement radio waves are received from the specific portable Bluetooth terminal, detecting a distance corresponding to an intensity of the received second distance measurement radio waves, and notifying a user of the detected distance.

Claims

1. A method for measuring a distance between portable Bluetooth terminals, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting first distance measurement radio waves of a predetermined intensity to a specific portable Bluetooth terminal corresponding to a user selection from among one or more portable Bluetooth terminals which can be connected through a Bluetooth communication scheme through a Bluetooth module;

if second distance measurement radio waves corresponding to the first distance measurement radio waves are received from the specific portable Bluetooth terminal through the Bluetooth module, detecting a distance corresponding to an intensity of the second distance measurement radio waves from a pre-stored distance measurement database according to intensities of distance measurement radio waves, and notifying the user of the detected distance; and

if certain radio waves except for the second distance measurement radio waves are received from a certain portable Bluetooth terminal, transmitting third distance measurement radio waves of a predetermined intensity corresponding to the certain distance measurement radio waves except for the second distance measurement radio waves to the certain portable Bluetooth terminal.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising detecting a distance corresponding to an intensity of a certain distance measurement radio waves except for the second distance radio waves, and notifying a user of the detected distance.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the distance measurement radio waves have a predetermined intensity, and include a distance measurement radio waves identifier, and an identifier of a portable Bluetooth terminal of a transmission-side.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein, in transmitting the first distance measurement radio waves, the first distance measurement radio waves are periodically transmitted to the specific portable Bluetooth terminal.

5. A method for measuring a distance between portable Bluetooth terminals, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a transmission request message of distance measurement radio waves to a specific portable Bluetooth terminal corresponding to a user selection from among one or more portable Bluetooth terminals which can be connected through Bluetooth;

if transmission request radio waves of distance measurement radio waves are received from the specific portable Bluetooth terminal through the Bluetooth module, detecting a distance corresponding to an intensity of the received distance measurement radio waves from a pre-stored distance measurement database according to intensity of the distance measurement radio waves, and notifying the user of the detected distance; and

if the transmission request message is received from a certain portable Bluetooth terminal, transmitting the distance measurement radio waves as an intensity of the predetermined distance measurement radio waves to the certain portable Bluetooth terminal.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the distance measurement radio waves have a predetermined intensity, and include a distance measurement radio waves identifier, and an identifier of a portable Bluetooth terminal of a transmission-side.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein, in transmitting the transmission request message, the transmission request message is periodically transmitted to the specific portable Bluetooth terminal.

8. An apparatus for measuring a distance between portable Bluetooth terminals, the apparatus comprising:

a Bluetooth module; and

a controller for controlling the Bluetooth module, transmitting first distance measurement radio waves as an intensity of the predetermined distance measurement radio waves to a specific portable Bluetooth terminal corresponding to a user selection from among one or more portable Bluetooth terminals which can be connected through Bluetooth through the Bluetooth module, receiving second distance measurement radio waves corresponding to the first distance measurement radio waves from the specific portable Bluetooth terminal through the Bluetooth module, detecting a distance corresponding to an intensity of the second distance measurement radio waves from pre-stored distance measurement database according to intensity of the distance measurement radio waves, notifying the user of the detected distance, and if third distance measurement radio waves are received from a certain portable Bluetooth terminal, transmitting a fourth distance measurement radio waves as an intensity of the predetermined distance measurement radio waves to the certain portable Bluetooth terminal.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the control detects a distance corresponding to an intensity of the third distance measurement radio waves, and notify a user of the detected distance.

10. An apparatus for measuring a distance between portable Bluetooth terminals, the apparatus comprising:

a Bluetooth module; and

a controller for controlling the Bluetooth module, transmitting first distance measurement radio waves as an intensity of the predetermined distance measurement radio waves to a plurality of specific portable Bluetooth terminals corresponding to a user selection from among one or more portable Bluetooth terminals which can be connected through Bluetooth through the Bluetooth module, receiving second distance measurement radio waves corresponding to the first distance measurement radio waves from a plurality of specific portable Bluetooth terminal through the Bluetooth module, detecting a distance corresponding to an intensity of the second distance measurement radio waves from pre-stored distance measurement database according to intensity of the distance measurement radio waves, notifying the user of the detected distance, and if a certain distance measurement radio waves except for the second distance measurement radio waves are received from a certain portable Bluetooth terminal, transmitting third distance measurement radio waves as an intensity of the predetermined distance measurement radio waves to the certain portable Bluetooth terminal.