Electronic device and method for recognizing the electronic device

• US 9,807,585 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2015
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Han, Clemence
• Application Number:
  US14/878,495
• Publication Number:
  US 20160105789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• 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 interface;

an amplifier; and

a processor configured to;

control the communication interface to transmit a first packet including information associated with communication in a shorter range than a set range for short-range communication, and to receive a second packet transmitted with low energy;

control the amplifier to amplify a transmission power of a packet to be transmitted through the communication interface; and

control the communication interface to transmit 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 processor 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 processor 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 first packet is a packet to be transmitted in an ultra-short range that is shorter than the set range for the short-range communication, the processor is further configured to control the amplifier 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 processor is further configured to control the amplifier 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 processor is further configured to control the transmission power by turning on or off the amplifier.

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

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

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the processor 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. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the communication interface comprises a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol.

13. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to control the communication interface to transmit a third signal with a third transmission strength that is lower than a second transmission strength in response to not receiving a first response signal which is transmitted when an external electronic device receives the first packet, and

wherein information associated with the third transmission strength is included in a header of a PDU included in the third signal.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to control pairing with the external electronic device in response to receiving a second response signal which is transmitted when the external electronic device receives the third signal with a reception strength corresponding to the second transmission strength from the external electronic device.

15. 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.

16. The method of claim 15, 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.

17. The method of claim 15, 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.

18. The method of claim 15, 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 set range 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.

19. The method of claim 15, 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.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the received second packet is an advertising packet.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the information is included in a Packet Data Unit (PDU) type field included in a packet header.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein controlling the transmission power comprises controlling the transmission power by turning on or off an amplifier.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein controlling the transmission power comprises controlling the transmission power of the first packet by controlling an amplification strength of the amplifier with at least one amplification gain selected from among a plurality of amplification gains.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising selecting the at least one amplification gain differently for each transmission.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising determining a distance over which transmission of the first packet is possible based on the at least one different amplification gain.

26. An electronic device comprising:

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

a processor configured to;

control the communication interface to receive a second signal transmitted at a second transmission strength in a first time period when a first signal transmitted at a first transmission strength is not received,

control the communication interface to receive at least one third signal transmitted at a third transmission strength that is lower than the first transmission strength and is higher than the second transmission strength in a second time period when the first signal or the second signal is not received,

wherein the first signal comprises information associated with the first transmission strength, the second signal comprises information associated with the second transmission strength, and a header of a Packet Data Unit (PDU) included in the at least one third signal includes information associated with the third transmission strength.

27. The electronic device of claim 26, wherein the processor 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 interface that the second signal has been received.

28. The electronic device of claim 26, wherein the processor is further configured to control the communication interface to transmit the at least one third signal with the second transmission strength in response to reception of the second signal, when determining through the communication interface that the second signal has been received.