User terminal, method and location tracking system for receiving unique identifier using magnetic field

• US 9,976,856 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2015
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Byeong-hu, Park, Yong-hee
• Primary Examiner(s): West, Lewis
• Application Number:
  US14/684,960
• Publication Number:
  US 20160003604A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 17/02 Magnetic compasses

Abstract

A method for controlling a user terminal includes obtaining reference magnetic field information of the user terminal, detecting a magnetic field emitted from an external mobile terminal, and obtaining location information indicating a location of the external mobile terminal based on the reference magnetic field information and the detected magnetic field.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a user terminal, comprising:

in response to a user input for generating a magnetic field being received, transmitting a magnetic field generation command to an external mobile terminal;

obtaining reference magnetic field information of the user terminal;

detecting a magnetic field emitted from the external mobile terminal; and

obtaining location information indicating a location of the external mobile terminal based on the reference magnetic field information and the detected magnetic field.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the obtaining of the reference magnetic field information of the user terminal comprises removing an effect of an internal magnetic field of the user terminal in response to a predetermined motion of the user terminal being detected by the user terminal.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the obtaining of the reference magnetic field information of the user terminal comprises detecting the predetermined motion of the user terminal after the user terminal is detected as being within a predetermined range of the external mobile terminal.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the external mobile terminal emits a magnetic field between a maximum value and a minimum value in response to the magnetic field generation command.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the user terminal receives information regarding a maximum value and a minimum value of the magnetic field emitted by the external mobile terminal, and

wherein the obtaining of the location information indicating a location of the external mobile terminal comprises obtaining distance information of the external mobile terminal by comparing the received information regarding the maximum value and the minimum value of the magnetic field with maximum value information and minimum value information of the detected magnetic field.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the obtaining of the location information indicating a location of the external mobile terminal comprises obtaining direction information of the external mobile terminal by comparing the reference magnetic field information with the detected magnetic field.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising obtaining identification information of the external mobile terminal, the identification information being a quantized value between a maximum value and a minimum value of the magnetic field emitted from the external mobile terminal.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining identification information of the external mobile terminal corresponding to the detected magnetic field; and

displaying the obtained location information and the obtained identification information of the external mobile terminal.

16. The user terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to obtain identification information of the external mobile terminal corresponding to the detected magnetic field,

wherein the user terminal further comprises:

a display configured to display the obtained location information and the obtained identification information of the external mobile terminal.

9. A user terminal, comprising:

a magnetic field detector configured to detect a magnetic field;

a communicator configured to communicate with an external mobile terminal; and

a processor configured to;

in response to a user input for generating a magnetic field being received, control the communicator to transmit a magnetic field generation command to the external mobile terminal,

obtain reference magnetic field information of the user terminal using the magnetic field detector,

in response to detecting a magnetic field emitted from the external mobile terminal through the magnetic field detector, obtain location information indicating a location of the external mobile terminal based on the reference magnetic field information and the detected magnetic field.

10. The user terminal as claimed in claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to obtain the reference magnetic field information by removing an effect of an internal magnetic field of the user terminal in response to a predetermined motion of the user terminal being detected by the user terminal.

11. The user terminal as claimed in claim 9, wherein in response to the user terminal being within a predetermined range of the external mobile terminal and a predetermined motion of the user terminal being detected by the user terminal, the processor is configured to obtain the reference magnetic field information.

12. The user terminal as claimed in claim 9,

wherein the magnetic field generation command is configured to control the external mobile terminal to emit the magnetic field between a maximum value and a minimum value in response to the magnetic field generation command.

13. The user terminal as claimed in claim 12, wherein the user terminal is configured to receive information regarding a maximum value and a minimum value of the magnetic field which is emitted by the external mobile terminal, and

wherein the processor is configured to obtain distance information of the external mobile terminal by comparing the received information regarding the maximum value and the minimum value of the magnetic field with maximum value information and minimum value information of the detected magnetic field.

14. The user terminal as claimed in claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to obtain direction information of the external mobile terminal by comparing the reference magnetic field information with the detected magnetic field.

15. The user terminal as claimed in claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to obtain identification information of the external mobile terminal, the identification information being a quantized value between a maximum value and a minimum value of the magnetic field which is emitted by the external mobile terminal.

17. The user terminal as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

a movement detector configured to detect motion of the user terminal,

wherein the processor is configured to determine the location of the external mobile terminal in response to determining that the detected motion corresponds to a predetermined motion and detecting a magnetic field emitted from the external mobile terminal through the magnetic field detector.

18. The user terminal as claimed in claim 17, wherein the predetermined motion is motion in the form of the number 8.

19. The user terminal a claimed in claim 17, wherein the processor controls the movement detector to detect the motion of the user terminal determining that the user terminal is within a predetermined range of the external mobile terminal.

20. The user terminal as claimed in claim 17, wherein the processor determines the location of the external mobile terminal based on a comparison between maximum and minimum values of the detected magnetic field, and previously stored maximum and minimum values.