ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD FOR RECOGNIZING THE ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20160105789A1
• Filed: 10/08/2015
• Published: 04/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: CHAE, Ho-Chang
• Granted Patent: US 9,807,585 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/283 Power depending on the position of the mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

An electronic device and a method for recognizing an electronic device are provided. The method includes transmitting a first packet including information associated with communication in a shorter range than a range that is set for short-range communication or receiving a second packet transmitted with low energy, determining a distance to the electronic device having transmitted the received second packet based on the information associated with the communication in the shorter range than the set range, when the information associated with the communication in the shorter range than the set range is included in the received second packet, and controlling a transmission power to transmit the first packet to be transmitted over the determined distance.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a communication unit comprising a transmitter configured to transmit a first packet including information associated with communication in a shorter range than a range set for short-range communication, and a receiver configured to receive a second packet transmitted with low energy;

an amplification unit configured to amplify a transmission power of a packet to be transmitted through the communication unit; and

a controller configured to control the amplification unit for transmission of the first packet with a transmission power corresponding to the communication in the shorter range than the set range, when the received second packet includes the information associated with the communication in the shorter range than the set range.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine that an external electronic device having transmitted the received second packet approaches in the shorter range than the set range, when the received second packet includes the information associated with communication in the shorter range than the set range.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to generate the first packet including the information associated with communication in the shorter range than the set range, when the received second packet includes the information associated with communication in the shorter range than the set range.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein, based on a result of determining whether the transmission packet is a packet to be transmitted in an ultra-short range that is shorter than the range set for the short-range communication, the controller is further configured to control the amplification unit to transmit the first packet with the transmission power lowered to a minimum value enabling transmission in the ultra-short range.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the amplification unit to set the transmission power of the first packet based on previously stored transmission strength information, when the information associated with communication in the shorter range than the set range is included in the received packet.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the received second packet is an advertising packet.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the information is included in a Packet Data Unit (PDU) type field included in a packet header.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control a transmission power by turning on or off the amplification unit.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the transmission power of the first packet by controlling an amplification strength of the amplification unit with at least one amplification gain selected from among a plurality of amplification gains.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to select the at least one amplification gain differently for each transmission.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a distance over which transmission of the first packet is possible based on the different at least one amplification gain.

12. An electronic device comprising:

a communication unit configured to transmit and receive a packet for short-range communication;

an amplification unit configured to amplify a transmission power of a transmission packet to be transmitted through the communication unit; and

a controller configured to incorporate information associated with communication in a shorter range than a range set for short-range communication into the transmission packet and to control the amplification unit for transmission of the transmission packet with a transmission power corresponding to the communication in the shorter range than the set range.

13. A method for recognizing an electronic device, the method comprising:

transmitting a first packet including information associated with communication in a shorter range than a range that is set for short-range communication or receiving a second packet transmitted with low energy;

determining a distance to the electronic device which transmits the received second packet, based on the information associated with the communication in the shorter range than the set range, when the information associated with the communication in the shorter range than the set range is included in the received second packet; and

controlling a transmission power to transmit the first packet to be transmitted over the determined distance.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining that the electronic device which transmits the received second packet is located in proximity in the shorter range than the set range, when the received second packet includes the information associated with the communication in the shorter range than the set range.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising generating the first packet including the information associated with the communication in the shorter range than the set range, when the received second packet includes the information associated with the communication in the shorter range than the set range.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising, based on a result of determining whether the first packet is a packet to be transmitted in an ultra-short range that is shorter than the range set for the short-range communication, transmitting the first packet with the transmission power lowered to a minimum value enabling transmission in the ultra-short range.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising setting the transmission power of the first packet based on previously stored transmission strength information, when the information associated with the communication in the shorter range than the set range is included in the received second packet.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the received second packet is an advertising packet.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the information is included in a Packet Data Unit (PDU) type field included in a packet header.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein controlling the transmission power comprises controlling the transmission power by turning on or off an amplification unit.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein controlling the transmission power comprises controlling the transmission power of the first packet by controlling an amplification strength of the amplification unit with at least one amplification gain selected from among a plurality of amplification gains.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising selecting the at least one amplification gain differently for each transmission.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising determining a distance over which transmission of the first packet is possible based on the at least one different amplification gain.

24. A method for recognizing an electronic device, the method comprising:

incorporating information associated with communication in a shorter range than a range set for short-range communication into a transmission packet to be transmitted;

controlling a transmission strength to transmit the transmission packet with a transmission power corresponding to the communication in the shorter range than the set range; and

determining that an electronic device which transmits a response is located in the shorter range than the set range, upon receiving the response to the transmission packet.

25. An electronic device comprising:

a communication module configured to perform short-range communication; and

a controller configured to control the communication module to transmit at least one first signal for advertising with a first transmission strength and to control the communication module to transmit at least one second signal with a second transmission strength that is lower than the first transmission strength,

wherein the second signal comprises information associated with the second transmission strength.

26. The electronic device of claim 25, wherein the communication module comprises a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol.

27. The electronic device of claim 25, wherein the information associated with the second transmission strength is included in a header of a Packet Data Unit (PDU) included in the second signal.

28. The electronic device of claim 25, wherein the controller is further configured to control the communication module to transmit a third signal with a third transmission strength that is lower than the second transmission strength when the at least one first signal or the at least one second signal is not transmitted, and information associated with the third transmission strength is included in a header of a PDU included in the third signal.

29. The electronic device of claim 28, wherein the controller is further configured to control pairing with an external electronic device in response to reception of the third signal, when determining through the communication module that the third signal is received with the second transmission strength from the external electronic device.

30. An electronic device comprising:

a communication module configured to receive at least one first signal and at least one second signal for advertising, and to perform short-range communication; and

a controller configured to control the communication module to receive the second signal when the first signal is not received,

wherein the first signal comprises information associated with a first transmission strength and the second signal comprises information associated with a second transmission strength.

31. The electronic device of claim 30, wherein the controller is further configured to control pairing with an external electronic device which transmits the second signal in response to reception of the second signal, when determining through the communication module that the second signal has been received.

32. The electronic device of claim 30, wherein the controller is further configured to control the communication module to transmit at least one third signal with the second transmission strength in response to reception of the second signal, when determining through the communication module that the second signal has been received.

33. The electronic device of claim 30, wherein the controller is further configured to control the communication module to receive at least one third signal having a third transmission strength that is lower than the first transmission strength and is higher than the second transmission strength, when the first signal or the second signal is not received, and information associated with the third transmission strength is included in a header of a Packet Data Unit (PDU) included in the third signal.