Method for collecting information by electronic device and electronic device therefor

• US 9,369,901 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2015
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Seong-Hee, Kang, Jae-Eun, Kang, Han-Su, Park, Sung-Il, Shin, Bong-Jhin, Yang, Chil-Youl, Lee, Myoung-Hwan, Lee, Jang-Hee, Lee, Chun-Ho, Lee, Tae-Young
• Primary Examiner(s): Flores, Leon
• Application Number:
  US14/626,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20150237515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

A method of an electronic device and a method of a server are provided. The method of the electronic device includes receiving a broadcast signal broadcast by another electronic device via a wireless communication; determining, based on the received broadcast signal, a number of times the another electronic device has been detected; and sending a request for information to the another electronic device, based on the determined number of times the another electronic device has been detected. The method of the server includes receiving information from a first electronic device; receiving, from a second electronic device, an information request message relating to the first electronic device which has been detected a threshold number of times or more by the second electronic device; and transmitting information registered by the first electronic device to the second electronic device.

Claims

1. A method of an electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving a broadcast signal broadcast by another electronic device via a wireless communication;

acquiring identification information of the another electronic device from the broadcast signal;

determining, based on the identification information, a number of detections of the another electronic device by updating the number of detections of the another electronic device when identifying that the another electronic device is entering a predetermined range from the electronic device; and

transmitting a request for information to the another electronic device, based on the number of detections of the another electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the request for information to the another electronic device, based on the number of detections of the another electronic device comprises:

comparing the number of detections of the another electronic device with a preset value; and

when the number of detections of the another electronic device has exceeds the preset value, transmitting a request for information to at least one of the another electronic device and a server.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein transmitting the request for information to at least one of the another electronic device and the server comprises:

transmitting a request for connection with the another electronic device; and

when the request for connection with the another electronic device is approved, connecting with the another electronic device and requesting information on the another electronic device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, based on the broadcast signal, the number of detections of the another electronic device comprises:

measuring a reception signal intensity of the broadcast signal; and

when the measured reception signal intensity is greater than or equal to a threshold reception signal intensity, determining, based on the broadcast signal, the number of detections of the another electronic device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining, based on the received broadcast signal, the number of detections of the another electronic device comprises:

determining whether the another electronic device corresponds to a preset non-detection area, based on the acquired identification information; and

increasing the number of detections of the another electronic device when the another electronic device does not correspond to the preset non-detection area.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, based on the broadcast signal, the number of detections of the another electronic device comprises:

determining whether a location of the electronic device belongs to a non-detection area; and

increasing the number of detections of the another electronic device when the location of the electronic device does not belong to the non-detection area.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a location of the electronic device belongs to a non-detection area,

wherein a wireless communication module used for reception of the broadcast signal is on to receive the broadcast signal broadcast from the another electronic device when the location of the electronic device does not belong to the non-detection area, and the wireless communication module is off when the location of the electronic device belongs to the non-detection area.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting to the another device, the request for information based on the number of detections of the another electronic device comprises:

displaying the number of detections of the another electronic device and a message inquiring about whether to transmit a request for information on the another electronic device; and

transmitting a request for information on the another electronic device based on a user'"'"'s input responsive to the display of the message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of detections of the another electronic device is maintained within a predetermined duration after the number of detections of the another electronic device is determined.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, based on the identification information, the number of detections of the another electronic comprises determining, based on the identification information, a number of times that the electronic device has detected a particular location, and

wherein the method further comprises receiving information on the particular location.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a broadcast signal comprising information on the number of detections of the another electronic device.

12. A method of a server, the method comprising:

receiving information from a first electronic device;

receiving, from a second electronic device, an information request message relating to the first electronic device which has been detected a threshold number of times or more by the second electronic device; and

transmitting information registered by the first electronic device to the second electronic device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein transmitting information registered by the first electronic device to the second electronic device comprises:

identifying, in a message received from the second electronic device, a number of times the second electronic device has detected the first electronic device; and

selectively transmitting the information registered by the first electronic device, based on the detected number of times.

14. An electronic device, comprising:

a transceiving unit configured to receive a broadcast signal broadcast by another electronic device; and

a controller configured to acquire identification information of the another electronic device from the broadcast signal, and determine, based on the identification information, a number of detections of the another electronic device by updating the number of detections of the another electronic device when identifying that the another electronic device is entering a predetermined range from the electronic device,

wherein the transceiving unit is further configured to transmit, to the another electronic device, a request for information on the another electronic device, based on the number of detections of the another electronic device.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to compare the determined number of detections of the another electronic device to a preset threshold value, and

wherein the transceiving unit is further configured to transmit a request for information to one of the another electronic device and a server when the determined number of detections of the another electronic device exceeds the preset value.

16. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to control a wireless communication unit to transmit a request for connection with the another electronic device, and to control the wireless communication unit to connect with the another electronic device and request information on the another electronic device when the request for connection with the another electronic device is approved.

17. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to measure the reception signal intensity of the broadcast signal and to determine the number of detections of the another electronic device, based on the received broadcast signal, when the measured reception signal intensity is greater than or equal to a threshold reception signal intensity.

18. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether the another electronic device corresponds to a preset non-detection area, based on the acquired identification information, and increase, by 1, the number of detections of the another electronic device when the another electronic device does not correspond to a preset non-detection area.

19. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether the location of the electronic device belongs to a non-detection area, to increase the number of detections of the another electronic device has been detected when the location of the electronic device does not belong to the non-detection area.

20. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether the location of the electronic device belongs to a non-detection area, and turn on a wireless communication module used for reception of the broadcast signal to receive the broadcast signal broadcast from the another electronic device when the location of the electronic device does not belong to the non-detection area.

21. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to display the number of detections of the another electronic device and a message inquiring about whether to transmit a request for information on the another electronic device, and to control the wireless communication unit to transmit a request for information on the another electronic device according to a control of a user.

22. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the number of detections of the another electronic device is maintained within a predetermined duration after the number of detection of the another electronic device is determined.

23. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to determine, based on the identification information, a number of times that the electronic device has detected a particular location, and

wherein the transceiving unit is further configured to receive information on the particular location.

24. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the transceiving unit is further configured to transmit a broadcast signal comprising information on the number of detections of the another electronic device.

25. An apparatus of a server, the apparatus comprising:

a communication module configured to receive information from a first electronic device, and to receive, from a second electronic device, an information request message relating to the first electronic device which has been detected a threshold number of times or more by the second electronic device; and

a controller configured to control a wireless communication unit to transmit information registered by the first electronic device to the second electronic device.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the controller is further configured to identify, in the information request message received from the second electronic device, a number of times the second electronic device has detected the first electronic device, and to control the wireless communication unit to selectively transmit the information registered by the first electronic device, based on the detected number of times.