KR102319419B1 - Method and device for determining distance between devices - Google Patents

Abstract

A device receives a first signal from a target device, and a reference device located at a predetermined distance from the target device receives strength information about the strength of a second signal received from the target device from the reference device, and the received second Disclosed is a method for determining a distance between devices that determines a distance between a device and a target device based on signal strength information and the strength of the first signal received from a target device.

Description

Method and device for determining distance between devices

The present invention provides a method for a device to determine a distance between devices, a method for a reference device to determine a distance between devices, a device for determining a distance between devices, a reference device for determining a distance between devices and a distance between devices. It relates to a recording medium in which a program for performing a determining method is recorded.

The Internet is evolving from a human-centered connection network where humans create and consume information, to an Internet of Things (IoT) network that exchanges and processes information between distributed components such as objects. Internet of Everything (IoE) technology, which combines big data processing technology through connection with cloud servers, etc. with IoT technology, is also emerging. In order to implement IoT, technology elements such as sensing technology, wired and wireless communication and network infrastructure, service interface technology, and security technology are required. , M2M), and MTC (Machine Type Communication) are being studied.

In the IoT environment, an intelligent IT (Internet Technology) service that collects and analyzes data generated from connected objects and creates new values in human life can be provided.

The disclosed embodiments are a method of determining a distance between a plurality of devices, and may provide a method of accurately measuring a distance even when information capable of determining a distance between the devices is changed according to an environment between the devices.

A method of determining a distance between devices according to an embodiment includes: receiving, by a device, a first signal from a target device; Receiving, by a reference device located at a predetermined distance from the target device, strength information about the strength of a second signal received from the target device from the reference device; and determining a distance between the device and the target device based on the strength information of the received second signal and the strength of the first signal received from the target device.

In the method of determining the distance between devices according to an embodiment, the determining of the distance comprises comparing the intensity of the first signal with the intensity of the second signal corresponding to a preset distance between the target device and the reference device, Determine the distance between the device and the target device.

In the method of determining a distance between devices according to an embodiment, a first signal and the second signal are broadcast from a target device, and the first signal and the second signal are output from the target device with the same intensity.

In the method for determining a distance between devices according to an embodiment, the receiving of the strength information of the second signal includes receiving a packet including a power value indicating the strength of the second signal from a reference device, and A method of determining a distance between the two includes: decoding a received packet; and obtaining a power value from the decoded packet.

A method of determining a distance between devices according to an embodiment includes: acquiring reference intensity information indicating intensity of a received signal per unit distance preset in a target device from a target device; and determining a channel state between the device and the target device by comparing the reference intensity information obtained from the target device with the intensity information obtained from the reference device.

The method of determining a distance between devices according to an embodiment further includes establishing short-range communication between a device and a target device based on a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol.

A method of determining a distance between devices according to an embodiment includes: receiving, by a reference device, a signal from a target device located at a predetermined distance from the reference device; generating strength information indicating the strength of the received signal; and transmitting the generated intensity information to a device that communicates with the target device, wherein the transmitted intensity information is used by the device to determine a distance between the target device and the device.

In the method of determining the distance between devices according to an embodiment, the transmitted intensity information is compared with the intensity of another signal received by the device from the target device, whereby the device is used to determine the distance between the target device and the device .

In the method of determining a distance between devices according to an embodiment, the received signal and the received other signal are broadcast from the target device, and the received signal and the received other signal are output from the target device with the same intensity. do.

In the method of determining a distance between devices according to an embodiment, the transmitting of the generated intensity telegram includes transmitting information about a preset distance together with the generated intensity information to the device.

A device for determining a distance between devices according to an embodiment receives a first signal from a target device, and a reference device located at a preset distance from the target device receives intensity information about the intensity of a second signal received from the target device a communication unit for receiving from a reference device; and a control unit configured to determine a distance between the device and the target device based on the strength information of the received second signal and the strength of the first signal received from the target device.

In the device for determining a distance between devices according to an embodiment, the controller compares the intensity of the first signal with the intensity of the second signal corresponding to a preset distance between the target device and the reference device, and the device and the target device determine the distance between

In the device for determining a distance between devices according to an embodiment, a first signal and a second signal are broadcast from a target device, and the first signal and the second signal are output from the target device with the same intensity.

In the device for determining a distance between devices according to an embodiment, the communication unit receives a packet including a power value indicating the strength of the second signal from a reference device, and the control unit decodes the received packet, and decodes The power value is obtained from the received packet.

In the device for determining a distance between devices according to an embodiment, the communication unit obtains reference strength information indicating the strength of a received signal per unit distance preset in the target device from the target device, and the control unit obtains from the target device By comparing the obtained reference intensity information with the intensity information obtained from the reference device, a channel state between the device and the target device is determined.

In the device for determining a distance between devices according to an embodiment, the controller establishes short-range communication between the device and the target device based on the BLE protocol.

A reference device for determining a distance between devices according to an embodiment includes: a communication unit configured to receive a signal from a reference device and a target device located at a preset distance; and a control unit generating strength information indicating the strength of the received signal, wherein the communication unit transmits the generated strength information to a device performing communication with the target device, and the transmitted strength information is transmitted between the device and the target device. It is used to determine the distance between

In the reference device for determining the distance between devices according to an embodiment, the transmitted intensity information is compared with the intensity of another signal received by the device from the target device, so that the device is used to determine the distance between the target device and the device do.

In the reference device for determining the distance between devices according to an embodiment, the received signal and the received other signal are broadcast from the target device, and the received signal and the received other signal are output from the target device with the same strength do.

In the reference device for determining a distance between devices according to an embodiment, the communication unit transmits information about a preset distance together with the generated intensity information to the device.

1 is a diagram for describing a system for determining a distance between devices according to an embodiment.
2 is a flowchart illustrating a method for a device to determine a distance between a target device and a device according to an exemplary embodiment.
3 is a flowchart illustrating in more detail a method for a device to determine a distance between a target device and a device according to an exemplary embodiment.
4 is a diagram for describing a first signal and a second signal respectively received from a target device to a device and a reference device according to an embodiment.
FIG. 5 is a diagram for describing a method for a first device to obtain information about a determined distance from a system for determining a distance between devices, according to an exemplary embodiment.
6 is a flowchart illustrating a method for a reference device to provide intensity information for determining a distance between devices according to an embodiment.
7 and 8 are block diagrams illustrating a device for determining a distance between devices according to an embodiment.
9 is a block diagram illustrating a reference device for determining a distance between devices according to an embodiment.

Terms used in this specification will be briefly described, and the disclosed embodiments will be described in detail.

The terms used in the present invention have been selected as currently widely used general terms as possible while considering the functions in the disclosed embodiments, but these may vary depending on the intention or precedent of a person skilled in the art, the emergence of new technology, and the like. In addition, in a specific case, there is a term arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in this case, the meaning will be described in detail in the description of the corresponding invention. Therefore, the terms used to describe the disclosed embodiments should be defined based on the meaning of the terms and the content throughout the specification, not the simple names of terms.

When a part "includes" a certain element throughout the specification, this means that other elements may be further included, rather than excluding other elements, unless otherwise stated. In addition, terms such as "...unit" and "module" described in the specification mean a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which may be implemented as hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software. .

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, it will be described in detail so that those of ordinary skill in the art to which the disclosed embodiments pertain can easily practice the disclosed embodiments. However, the disclosed embodiments may be implemented in several different forms, and the description herein is not limited to one embodiment. And in order to clearly explain the embodiments disclosed in the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted, and similar reference numerals are attached to similar parts throughout the specification.

In this specification, the strength information indicates the strength of a signal received by the device. For example, when device A receives a signal from device B, device A may measure the strength of the received signal to determine strength information for device B. Here, the strength of the received signal may be expressed using, for example, the power of the received signal. For example, when the power of a signal received by the device A from the device B is 10 mW, the intensity information for the device B may be expressed as 10 mW.

However, this is only an embodiment of the present invention, and the intensity information of the present invention is not limited to the above-described example.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a diagram for describing a system 100 for determining a distance between devices 110 , 120 , and 130 according to an exemplary embodiment.

The system 100 for determining a distance between the devices 110 , 120 , and 130 according to an embodiment may include a device 110 , a target device 120 , and a reference device 130 .

In the system 100 for determining the distance between the devices 110 , 120 , and 130 shown in FIG. 1 , only the components related to the present embodiment are shown. Accordingly, it can be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art related to the present embodiment that other general-purpose components may be further included in addition to the components shown in FIG. 1 .

Device 110 may communicate with target device 120 and reference device 130 . The device 110 according to an embodiment may establish short-range communication with the target device 120 and the reference device 130 based on a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol, respectively. According to the BLE protocol, the device 110 may receive a signal broadcast by the target device 120 and the reference device 130 . The device 110 may detect the target device 120 and the reference device 130 based on the received signal, and may establish communication with the detected target device 120 and the reference device 130 , respectively.

According to another embodiment, the communication protocol established between the device 110 and the target device 120 and the communication protocol established between the device 110 and the reference device 130 may be different. For example, BLE communication may be established between the device 110 and the target device 120 , and wireless fidelity (wi-fi) communication may be established between the device 110 and the reference device 130 .

Meanwhile, the above-described communication protocols are only examples for describing the disclosed embodiments, and communication protocols different from the above-described communication protocols may be applied to the disclosed embodiments.

Hereinafter, operations of the device 110 , the target device 120 , and the reference device 130 will be described.

The device 110 may receive the first signal from the target device 120 . Here, the first signal may be one of signals broadcast by the target device 120 .

The device 110 may determine the strength of the received first signal. For example, the device 110 may measure the power of the received first signal to determine the strength of the first signal.

Also, the device 110 may obtain reference strength information indicating the strength of the received signal per preset unit distance from the received first signal. For example, when the distance between the target device 120 and the device 110 is 1 m, the reference strength information may indicate the strength of the first signal received by the device 110 .

The target device 120 may broadcast a plurality of signals. The target device 120 may broadcast each of the plurality of signals with the same intensity. Here, a plurality of signals broadcast with a difference in intensity less than a preset threshold value may also be viewed as being broadcast with the same intensity.

The reference device 130 according to an embodiment is located at a predetermined distance from the target device 120 . For example, the reference device 130 may be located at a distance of 1 m from the target device 120 .

The reference device 130 according to an embodiment may receive the second signal broadcast from the target device 120 . Also, the reference device 130 may determine the strength of the received second signal. The device 130 may transmit the determined strength information regarding the strength of the second signal to the device 110 . The strength information regarding the strength of the second signal may be used by the device 110 to determine a distance between the target device 120 and the device 110 . A method for the device 110 to determine the distance between the target device 120 and the device 110 according to an embodiment will be described later in more detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 .

2 is a flowchart illustrating a method for the device 110 to determine a distance between the target device 120 and the device 110 according to an embodiment.

In step S210 , the device 110 receives a first signal from the target device 120 .

The device 110 according to an embodiment may receive a first signal among signals broadcast from the target device 120 . Here, the target device 120 may broadcast signals with the same intensity.

Meanwhile, this is only an example, and the first signal may be transmitted from the target device 120 to the device 110 according to a method other than broadcasting. For example, the first signal may be transmitted from the target device 120 to the device 110 according to a multicasting method.

In step S220 , the device 110 obtains intensity information regarding the intensity of the second signal received from the target device 120 by the reference device 130 located at a preset distance from the target device 120 from the reference device 130 . receive

The reference device 130 may be a device located at a predetermined distance from the target device 120 . For example, the reference device 130 may be a device located at a distance of 1 m from the target device 120 .

According to an embodiment, information about the distance may be previously stored in the device 110 . According to another example, information about the distance may be transmitted from at least one of the target device 120 and the reference device 130 to the device 110 . The device 110 determines the distance between the target device 120 and the reference device 130 by using the information about the distance received from the device 110 of at least one of the target device 120 and the reference device 130 . can

The reference device 130 according to an embodiment may receive the second signal from the target device 120 . Here, the second signal may be one of signals broadcast with the same intensity in the target device 120 together with the first signal received by the device 110 . According to another example, the second signal may be one of the signals multicast from the target device 120 along with the first signal.

The device 110 according to an embodiment may obtain strength information about the strength of the second signal from the reference device 130 . The information on the strength of the second signal may include the value of the strength of the second signal received by the reference device 130 . Here, the intensity value of the second signal received by the reference device 130 may be represented by using the power value of the received second signal. For example, the intensity value of the second signal may be 20 mW. In addition, the device 110 may acquire information about a distance between the reference device 130 and the target device 120 together with intensity information about the intensity of the second signal.

In operation S230 , the device 110 determines a distance between the device 110 and the target device 120 based on the strength information of the received second signal and the strength of the first signal received from the target device 120 .

The device 110 according to an embodiment compares the intensity of the first signal received from the target device 120 with the intensity of the second signal received from the reference device 130 located at a preset distance from the target device 120 . Thus, the distance between the device 110 and the target device 120 may be determined.

For example, the device 110 may determine that the strength of the second signal received by the reference device 130 located at a distance of 2 m from the target device 120 is 20 mW, based on the strength information of the second signal. Also, the device 110 may measure the strength of the received first signal to determine the strength of the received first signal as 10 mW. In the device 110 according to an embodiment, the strength of the second signal received by the reference device 130 located at a distance of 2 m from the target device 120 is 20 mW, and the intensity of the second signal received from the target device 120 to the device 110 is Based on the strength of the first signal being 10mW, it may be determined that the distance between the device 110 and the target device 120 is 4m.

Meanwhile, the above-described example is only for explaining the disclosed embodiments, and may be described differently depending on the relationship between the signal strength and the distance in the channel environment between the device 110 and the target device 120 . For example, when the signal strength decreases in proportion to the fourth power of the distance, the distance between the device 110 and the target device 120 may be determined differently from the above-described example.

3 is a flowchart illustrating in more detail a method for the device 110 to determine a distance between the target device 120 and the device 110 according to an embodiment.

In operation S310 , the device 110 may receive a first signal from the target device 120 . The device 110 according to an embodiment may receive a first signal that is one of a plurality of signals transmitted with the same intensity from the target device 120 .

Meanwhile, step S310 may correspond to step S210 described above with reference to FIG. 2 .

In operation S320 , the device 110 may receive a packet including a power value indicating the strength of the second signal from the reference device 130 . Here, the second signal may be a signal received by the reference device 130 among signals broadcast from the target device 120 together with the first signal.

Meanwhile, here, a packet is an example of data transmitted from the reference device 130 to the device 110 , and the type and size of data constituting the packet is a communication protocol set between the device 110 and the reference device 130 . can be determined according to

In step S330 , the device 110 may decode the received packet to obtain a power value indicating the strength of the second signal. Here, the packet received by the device 110 may include a power value indicating the strength of the second signal. For example, the packet received by the device 110 may include information that the power value of the strength of the second signal is 20 mW.

Also, the device 110 according to an embodiment may decode the received packet to obtain information about a preset distance between the target device 120 and the reference device 130 . For example, the device 110 may determine that the distance between the target device 120 and the reference device 130 is 2m by decoding the received packet. Meanwhile, this is only an example, and the device 110 receives a packet including a power value indicating the strength of the second signal and a separate packet, and the target device 120 and the reference device 130 from the received separate packet. ) can also be obtained to obtain distance information between

In step S340, the device 110 compares the intensity of the second signal corresponding to the preset distance between the target device 120 and the reference device 130 with the intensity of the first signal received from the target device 120, A distance between the device 110 and the target device 120 may be determined.

The device 110 according to an embodiment uses a characteristic related to the power of a signal that is reduced according to a distance, and based on the intensity of the second signal corresponding to a preset distance, the device 110 and the target device 120 . The distance between them can be determined. For example, in the device 110 , the strength of the second signal received by the reference device 130 located at a distance of 2 m from the target device 120 is 20 mW, and the second signal received by the device 110 from the target device 120 is 20 mW. Based on the strength of one signal being 10 mW, it may be determined that the distance between the device 110 and the target device 120 is 4 m.

Meanwhile, according to another example, the device 110 compares the determined intensity information of the second signal received from the reference device 130 with the reference intensity information included in the first signal received from the target device 120 , and the device ( A channel state between the 110 and the target device 120 may be determined. Here, when the first signal is a packet, the reference strength information may be included in the header of the packet. The reference strength information may indicate the strength of a received signal per unit distance.

For example, the reference intensity information may be 30 mW per 1 m. The device 110 may determine the intensity information corresponding to the distance set in the reference intensity information from the intensity information of the second signal received by the reference device 130 located at a preset distance from the target device 120 . For example, when the intensity of the second signal received by the reference device 130 located at a distance of 2 m from the target device 120 is 20 mW, the device 110 determines that the intensity of the second signal at a distance of 1 m is 40 mW. can decide The device 110 may compare the determined intensity information with the reference intensity information to determine that the channel through which the second signal is transmitted has a good channel gain, which is assumed by the reference intensity information.

In addition, according to another example, the device 110 compares the distance between the target device 120 and the device 110 determined based on the intensity of the second signal and the preset distance, and the intensity information of the received first signal and the reference intensity information. Thus, the channel state between the device 110 and the target device 120 may be determined.

4 is a diagram for describing a first signal and a second signal respectively received from the target device 120 to the device 110 and the reference device 130 according to an embodiment.

The target device 120 according to an embodiment may transmit a plurality of signals. Here, each of the plurality of signals may be transmitted with the same intensity from the target device 120 . For example, the target device 120 may transmit a plurality of signals having the same strength according to a method such as broadcasting or multicasting.

The device 110 may receive a first signal that is one of a plurality of signals transmitted from the target device 120 . Also, the reference device 130 may receive a second signal that is one of a plurality of signals transmitted from the target device 120 . Since the first signal and the second signal are transmitted with the same intensity at the same time, the power values of the signals may have similar characteristics to each other. Referring to the power value according to the distance between the first signal and the second signal shown in FIG. 4 , it can be seen that the power values of the first signal and the second signal change with a similar tendency.

Meanwhile, according to an embodiment, in the device 110 , the distance between the device 110 and the target device 120 is determined based on the point that the power value of the first signal is higher than the power value of the second signal. ) and it can be confirmed that the reference device 130 is closer than the distance. In addition, the device 110 compares the power value of the second signal corresponding to the preset distance between the target device 120 and the reference device 130 with the power value of the received first signal, and A distance between the reference devices 130 may be determined.

Information about a preset distance between the target device 120 and the reference device 130 according to an embodiment may be previously stored in the device 110 . Also, according to another example, information about a preset distance between the target device 120 and the reference device 130 may be received by the device 110 from the target device 120 or the reference device 130 . For example, the device 110 may receive a packet including information about a preset distance between the target device 120 and the reference device 130 from the target device 120 . Also, according to another example, the device 110 may receive a packet including information about a preset distance between the target device 120 and the reference device 130 from the reference device 130 .

FIG. 5 is a diagram for describing a method in which the first device 550 obtains information on a distance determined from a system for determining a distance between devices 510 and 520, according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 5 , the first device 550 may obtain information about the distance between the second device 510 and the target device 520 from the second device 510 . Hereinafter, a method in which the first device 550 receives information about the distance between the second device 510 and the target device 520 will be described in detail.

The target device 520 according to an embodiment may transmit a plurality of signals. The second device 510 and the reference device 530 may each receive any one of a plurality of signals transmitted with the same intensity from the reference device 520 . Here, the signal received by the second device 510 from the target device 520 will be described as the first signal 525 . Also, a signal received by the reference device 530 from the target device 520 will be described as a second signal 535 .

The second device 510 may receive strength information regarding the strength of the second signal received by the reference device 530 from the reference device 530 . Also, the second device 510 may obtain information about a preset distance between the reference device 530 and the target device 520 . For example, when the reference device 530 and the target device 520 are attached to both side corners of the smart TV, the distance between the reference device 530 and the target device 520 may be fixed. The first device 550 measures the intensity of the second signal 535 corresponding to the distance between the reference device 530 and the target device 520 and the intensity of the first signal 525 received by the second device 510 . By comparison, a distance between the second device 510 and the target device 520 may be determined.

According to an embodiment, the first device 550 may receive information about the determined distance between the second device 510 and the target device 520 from the second device 520 . The first device 550 may determine the location of the second device 510 with respect to the target device 520 by using the received information on the distance between the second device 520 and the target device 520 . have.

According to an embodiment, the first device 550 may display location information of the second device 510 , the target device 520 , and the reference device 530 on the screen. For example, the positions of the second device 510 , the target device 520 , and the reference device 530 may be indicated at coordinates A 551 , B 552 , and C 553 , respectively.

6 is a flowchart illustrating a method for the reference device 130 to provide intensity information for determining a distance between the devices 110 and 120 according to an embodiment.

In step S610 , the reference device 130 receives a signal from the reference device 130 and the target device 120 located at a preset distance.

The reference device 130 according to an embodiment may receive any one of a plurality of signals transmitted at the same time from the target device 120 . Here, a plurality of signals may be transmitted from the target device 120 with the same intensity.

Also, the reference device 130 may be located at a predetermined distance from the target device 120 . For example, the reference device 130 may be located at a distance of 2 m from the target device 120 . However, this is only an example, and the distance between the reference device 130 and the target device 120 may be changed.

Meanwhile, here, the signal received by the reference device 130 from the target device 120 may correspond to the second signal described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5 .

In step S620, the reference device 130 generates strength information indicating the strength of the received signal.

The reference device 130 according to an embodiment may determine whether the received signal is transmitted from the target device 120 . For example, the reference device 130 confirms that the signal received by the reference device 130 is transmitted from the target device 120 by checking the identification value of the target device 120 included in the header of the received signal. can be checked

The reference device 130 according to an embodiment may determine the strength of the signal received from the target device 120 . For example, the reference device 130 may measure the power of a signal received from the target device 120 . For example, the signal strength determined by the reference device 130 may be 20 mW.

The reference device 130 according to an embodiment may generate a packet indicating the generated strength information. For example, the reference device 130 may generate a packet indicating a power value of 20 mW, which is the determined strength of the signal.

In step S630 , the reference device 130 transmits the generated intensity information to the device 110 performing communication with the target device 120 .

The reference device 130 according to an embodiment may transmit a packet including strength information indicating the strength of the signal received from the target device 120 to the device 110 . Here, the intensity information may be used by the device 110 to determine a distance between the target device 120 and the device 110 .

According to another example, the reference device 130 may transmit information about a preset distance between the target device 120 and the reference device 130 together with the generated intensity information to the device 110 . For example, the reference device 130 transmits distance information that the distance between the reference device 130 and the target device 120 is 2m along with intensity information that the intensity of the signal received from the target device 120 is 20mw to the device 110 . ) can be sent to

7 and 8 are block diagrams illustrating a device 700 for determining a distance between devices according to an embodiment.

7 , a device 700 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a communication unit 710 and a control unit 720 . However, not all illustrated components are essential components. The device 700 may be implemented by more components than the illustrated components, and the device 700 may be implemented by fewer components.

For example, as shown in FIG. 7 , the device 700 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a sensing unit 730 , a user input unit 740 , and an output unit in addition to the communication unit 710 and the control unit 720 . 750 , an A/V input unit 760 , and a memory 770 may be further included.

Meanwhile, the device 700 of FIG. 7 may correspond to the device 110 described above with reference to FIG. 1 .

Hereinafter, the components will be described in turn.

The communication unit 710 according to an embodiment receives the first signal from the target device 120 . In addition, the communication unit 710 receives, from the reference device 130 , strength information regarding the strength of the second signal received from the target device 120 by the reference device 130 located at a preset distance from the target device 120 . . For example, the communication unit 710 may receive a packet including a power value indicating the strength of the second signal from the reference device 130 . Here, the first signal and the second signal are broadcast from the target device 120 . Also, the first signal and the second signal are output from the target device 120 with the same intensity.

The communication unit 710 according to an embodiment obtains reference strength information indicating the strength of a received signal per unit distance preset to the target device 120 from the target device 120 . According to an embodiment, as described above with reference to FIG. 3 , the reference strength information may be used to determine a channel state between the device 700 and the target device 120 .

The communication unit 710 may include one or more components that enable communication between the device 700 and the target device 120 or the device 700 and the reference device 130 . For example, the communication unit 710 may include a short-range communication unit 711 , a mobile communication unit 712 , and a broadcast receiving unit 713 .

Short-range wireless communication unit 711 is a Bluetooth communication unit, BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) communication unit, short-range wireless communication unit (Near Field Communication unit), WLAN (Wi-Fi) communication unit, Zigbee (Zigbee) communication unit, infrared ( It may include an IrDA, infrared Data Association) communication unit, a Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) communication unit, an ultra wideband (UWB) communication unit, an Ant+ communication unit, and the like, but is not limited thereto.

The mobile communication unit 712 transmits/receives radio signals to and from at least one of a base station, an external terminal, and a server on a mobile communication network. Here, the wireless signal may include various types of data according to transmission/reception of a voice call signal, a video call signal, or a text/multimedia message.

The broadcast receiving unit 713 receives a broadcast signal and/or broadcast-related information from the outside through a broadcast channel. The broadcast channel may include a satellite channel and a terrestrial channel. According to an implementation example, the device 700 may not include the broadcast receiver 713 .

The controller 720 generally controls the overall operation of the device 700 . For example, the control unit 720 executes programs stored in the memory 770 , and thus the communication unit 710 , the sensing unit 730 , the user input unit 740 , the output unit 750 , and the A/V input unit 760 . ) and the memory 770 can be controlled in general.

The control unit 720 according to an embodiment determines a distance between the device 700 and the target device 120 based on the strength information of the received second signal and the strength of the first signal received from the target device 120 . . Here, the controller 720 may decode a packet including a power value indicating the strength of the second signal received by the communication unit 710 , and obtain a power value of the second signal from the decoded packet.

According to an embodiment, the control unit 720 measures the strength of the first signal received from the target device 120 and the strength of the second signal received from the reference device 130 located at a preset distance from the target device 120 . By comparison, a distance between the device 700 and the target device 120 may be determined.

Also, the controller 720 according to an embodiment may control the communication unit 710 to establish short-range communication between the device 700 and the target device 120 based on the BLE protocol.

According to another embodiment, the controller 720 compares the reference intensity information obtained from the target device 120 with the intensity information obtained from the reference device 130 to determine the channel state between the device 700 and the target device 120 . can decide

The sensing unit 730 includes a magnetic sensor 731 , an acceleration sensor 732 , a temperature/humidity sensor 733 , an infrared sensor 734 , a gyroscope sensor 735 , and a position sensor. (eg, GPS) 736 , a barometric pressure sensor 737 , a proximity sensor 738 , and at least one of an illuminance sensor 739 , but is not limited thereto. Since a function of each sensor can be intuitively inferred from the name of a person skilled in the art, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The user input unit 740 means a means for a user to input data for controlling the device 700 . For example, the user input unit 740 includes a key pad, a dome switch, and a touch pad (contact capacitive type, pressure resistance film type, infrared sensing method, surface ultrasonic conduction method, integral type). There may be a tension measurement method, a piezo effect method, etc.), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like, but is not limited thereto.

The output unit 750 is for performing an operation determined by the control unit 720 , and may include a display unit 751 , a sound output unit 752 , a vibration motor 753 , and the like.

The display unit 751 outputs information processed by the device 700 . For example, the display unit 751 may display at least a part of the received image. The display unit 751 may display the received screen image on one side.

On the other hand, when the display unit 751 and the touch pad form a layer structure to form a touch screen, the display unit 751 may be used as an input device in addition to an output device. The display unit 751 includes a liquid crystal display, a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display, an organic light-emitting diode, a flexible display, a three-dimensional display ( 3D display) and electrophoretic display (electrophoretic display) may include at least one. In addition, the device 700 may include two or more display units 751 according to an implementation form of the device 700 . In this case, two or more display units 751 may be disposed to face each other using a hinge.

The sound output unit 752 outputs audio data received from the communication unit 710 or stored in the memory 770 . Also, the sound output unit 752 outputs a sound signal related to a function (eg, a call signal reception sound, a message reception sound, and a notification sound) performed by the terminal 700 . The sound output unit 752 may include a speaker, a buzzer, and the like.

The vibration motor 753 may output a vibration signal. For example, the vibration motor 753 may output a vibration signal corresponding to the output of audio data or video data (eg, a call signal reception sound, a message reception sound, etc.). Also, the vibration motor 753 may output a vibration signal when a touch is input to the touch screen.

The A/V (Audio/Video) processing unit 760 is for inputting an audio signal or a video signal, and may include a camera 761 , a microphone 762 , and the like. The camera 761 may obtain an image frame such as a still image or a moving image through an image sensor in a video call mode or a photographing mode. The image captured through the image sensor may be processed through the controller 720 or a separate image processing unit (not shown).

The image frame processed by the camera 761 may be stored in the memory 770 or transmitted to the outside through the communication unit 710 . Two or more cameras 761 may be provided according to the configuration of the terminal.

The microphone 762 receives an external sound signal and processes it as electrical voice data. For example, the microphone 762 may receive an acoustic signal from an external terminal or a speaker. The microphone 762 may use various noise removal algorithms for removing noise generated in the process of receiving an external sound signal.

The memory 770 may store a program for processing and control of the controller 720 or may store input/output data.

The memory 770 according to an embodiment may store information about a preset distance between the target device 120 and the reference device 130 .

The memory 70 may include a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (eg, SD or XD memory), and a RAM. (RAM, Random Access Memory) SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), ROM (Read-Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), PROM (Programmable Read-Only Memory), magnetic memory, magnetic disk , may include at least one type of storage medium among optical disks. In addition, the device 700 may operate a web storage or a cloud server that performs a storage function of the memory 770 on the Internet.

Programs stored in the memory 770 may be classified into a plurality of modules according to their functions, for example, may be classified into a UI module 771 , a touch screen module 772 , a notification module 773 , and the like. .

The UI module 771 may provide a specialized UI, GUI, etc. that are interlocked with the device 700 for each application. The touch screen module 772 may detect a touch gesture on the user's touch screen and transmit information about the touch gesture to the controller 720 . The touch screen module 772 according to an embodiment of the present invention may recognize and analyze a touch code. The touch screen module 772 may be configured as separate hardware including a controller.

Various sensors may be provided inside or near the touch screen to detect a touch or a proximity touch of the touch screen. A tactile sensor is an example of a sensor for detecting a touch of a touch screen. A tactile sensor refers to a sensor that senses a touch of a specific object to a degree or more that a person feels. The tactile sensor may sense various information such as the roughness of the contact surface, the hardness of the contact object, and the temperature of the contact point.

In addition, as an example of a sensor for detecting a touch of a touch screen, there is a proximity sensor.

The proximity sensor refers to a sensor that detects the presence or absence of an object approaching a predetermined detection surface or an object existing in the vicinity without mechanical contact using the force of an electromagnetic field or infrared rays. Examples of the proximity sensor include a transmission type photoelectric sensor, a direct reflection type photoelectric sensor, a mirror reflection type photoelectric sensor, a high frequency oscillation type proximity sensor, a capacitive type proximity sensor, a magnetic type proximity sensor, an infrared proximity sensor, and the like. The user's touch gesture may include a tap, touch & hold, double tap, drag, pan, flick, drag and drop, swipe, and the like.

The notification module 773 may generate a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event in the device 700 . Examples of events generated in the device 700 include call signal reception, message reception, key signal input, schedule notification, and acquisition of user input. The notification module 773 may output a notification signal in the form of a video signal through the display unit 751 , may output a notification signal in the form of an audio signal through the sound output unit 752 , and the vibration motor 753 . It is also possible to output a notification signal in the form of a vibration signal through

9 is a block diagram illustrating a reference device 900 for determining a distance between devices according to an embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 9 , a device 900 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a communication unit 910 and a control unit 920 . However, not all illustrated components are essential components. The device 900 may be implemented by more components than the illustrated components, and the device 900 may be implemented by fewer components.

Meanwhile, the reference device 900 of FIG. 9 may correspond to the reference device 910 described above with reference to FIG. 1 .

Hereinafter, the components will be described in turn.

The communication unit 910 according to an embodiment receives a signal from the reference device 900 and the target device 120 located at a preset distance. Here, the signal may be one of a plurality of signals transmitted from the reference device 900 . Also, the signal may correspond to the second signal described above with reference to FIG. 1 .

According to an embodiment, the communication unit 910 transmits strength information generated with respect to the received signal to the device 110 communicating with the target device 120 . The intensity information on the received signal may be generated by the controller 920, which will be described later.

The control unit 920 according to an embodiment generates strength information indicating the strength of the signal received by the communication unit 910 . The intensity information is compared with the intensity of another signal (eg, the first signal of FIG. 1 ) received by the device 110 from the target device 120 , so that the device 110 is determined between the target device 120 and the device 110 . ) can be used to determine the distance between Also, the signal received by the reference device 900 and the other signal received by the device 110 may be signals output from the target device 120 with the same intensity.

The controller 920 according to an embodiment may generate a packet indicating the generated intensity information. For example, the reference device 130 may generate a packet indicating the determined power value of the signal.

According to another example, the controller 920 may control the communication unit 910 to transmit information about a preset distance between the target device 120 and the reference device 900 together with the generated intensity information to the device 110 . have.

A device according to the disclosed embodiment includes a processor, a memory for storing and executing program data, a permanent storage such as a disk drive, a communication port for communicating with an external device, a user such as a touch panel, a key, a button, and the like. It may include an interface device and the like. Methods implemented as software modules or algorithms may be stored on a computer-readable recording medium as computer-readable codes or program instructions executable on the processor. Herein, the computer-readable recording medium includes a magnetic storage medium (eg, read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), floppy disk, hard disk, etc.) and an optically readable medium (eg, CD-ROM). ), and DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)). The computer-readable recording medium is distributed among computer systems connected through a network, so that the computer-readable code can be stored and executed in a distributed manner. The medium may be readable by a computer, stored in a memory, and executed on a processor.

All documents, including publications, patent applications, patents, etc., cited in the disclosed embodiments are the same as in the disclosed embodiment as if each cited document was individually and specifically expressed in combination or as a whole in the published embodiment. can be merged

In order to understand the disclosed embodiments, reference signs have been given in the preferred embodiments shown in the drawings, and specific terms are used to describe the disclosed embodiments, but the disclosed embodiments are not limited by the specific terms, and the disclosed embodiments are It may include all components commonly conceivable by those skilled in the art.

The disclosed embodiment may be represented in functional block configurations and various processing steps. These functional blocks may be implemented in any number of hardware and/or software configurations that perform specific functions. For example, the disclosed embodiment is an integrated circuit configuration, such as memory, processing, logic, look-up table, etc., capable of executing various functions by control of one or more microprocessors or other control devices. can be hired Similar to how components of the disclosed embodiment may be implemented with software programming or software elements, the disclosed embodiment may include various algorithms implemented as data structures, processes, routines, or combinations of other programming constructs, including C, C++ , Java, assembler, etc. may be implemented in a programming or scripting language. Functional aspects may be implemented in an algorithm running on one or more processors. In addition, the disclosed embodiments may employ conventional techniques for electronic configuration, signal processing, and/or data processing, and the like. Terms such as “mechanism”, “element”, “means” and “configuration” may be used broadly and are not limited to mechanical and physical configurations. The term may include the meaning of a series of routines of software in association with a processor or the like.

The specific implementations described in the disclosed embodiments are only examples and do not limit the scope of the disclosed embodiments in any way. For brevity of the specification, descriptions of conventional electronic components, control systems, software, and other functional aspects of the systems may be omitted. In addition, the connection or connection members of the lines between the components shown in the drawings exemplarily represent functional connections and/or physical or circuit connections, and in an actual device, various functional connections, physical connections that are replaceable or additional may be referred to as connections, or circuit connections. In addition, unless there is a specific reference such as “essential” or “importantly”, it may not be a necessary component for the application of the disclosed embodiment.

100: a system for determining the distance between devices
110: device
120: target device
130: reference device

Claims (21)

receiving, by the device, a first signal from a target device;
receiving, by a reference device located at a predetermined distance from the target device, intensity information on the intensity of a second signal received from the target device from the reference device; and
and determining a distance between the device and the target device based on the strength information of the received second signal and the strength of the first signal received from the target device. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the distance comprises:
Comparing the intensity of the second signal and the intensity of the first signal corresponding to the preset distance between the target device and the reference device, determining a distance between devices that determine the distance between the device and the target device Way. According to claim 1, wherein the first signal and the second signal,
A method for determining a distance between devices, broadcast from the target device, wherein the first signal and the second signal are output from the target device with the same intensity. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the strength information of the second signal comprises:
Receiving a packet including a power value indicating the strength of the second signal from the reference device,
How to determine the distance between the devices,
decoding the received packet; and
and obtaining the power value from the decoded packet. The method of claim 1,
obtaining, from the target device, reference strength information indicating the strength of a received signal per unit distance preset in the target device; and
and determining a channel state between the device and the target device by comparing the reference intensity information obtained from the target device with the intensity information obtained from the reference device. The method of claim 1,
The method of determining a distance between devices further comprising the step of establishing short-range communication between the device and the target device based on a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol. receiving, by a reference device, a signal from a target device located at a predetermined distance from the reference device;
generating strength information indicating the strength of the received signal; and
Transmitting the generated strength information to a device performing communication with the target device,
A method of determining a distance between devices for which a distance between the device and the target device is determined based on the transmitted strength information and strength information about another signal transmitted from the target device to the device. delete The method of claim 7, wherein the signal transmitted from the target device to the reference device and the other signal transmitted from the target device to the device are:
A method for determining a distance between devices that are broadcast with the same intensity from the target device. The method of claim 7, wherein transmitting the generated strength telegram comprises:
A method of determining a distance between devices that transmit information about the preset distance together with the generated intensity information to the device. a communication unit for receiving a first signal from a target device, and for a reference device located at a predetermined distance from the target device to receive strength information about the strength of a second signal received from the target device from the reference device; and
and a controller configured to determine a distance between the device and the target device based on the strength information of the received second signal and the strength of the first signal received from the target device. The method of claim 11, wherein the control unit,
The distance between the devices is to determine the distance between the device and the target device by comparing the intensity of the second signal and the intensity of the first signal corresponding to the preset distance between the target device and the reference device. determining device. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first signal and the second signal,
A device for determining a distance between devices broadcast from the target device, wherein the first signal and the second signal are output from the target device with the same intensity. The method of claim 11, wherein the communication unit,
Receiving a packet including a power value indicating the strength of the second signal from the reference device,
The control unit is
A device that decodes the received packet and determines a distance between devices that obtain the power value from the decoded packet. The method of claim 11, wherein the communication unit,
Obtaining reference strength information indicating the strength of a received signal per unit distance preset in the target device from the target device,
The control unit is
A device for determining a distance between devices that determine a channel state between the device and the target device by comparing the reference intensity information obtained from the target device with the intensity information obtained from the reference device. The method of claim 11, wherein the control unit,
A device for determining a distance between devices that establish short-range communication based on a BLE protocol between the device and the target device. a communication unit configured to receive a signal from a target device located at a predetermined distance from the reference device; and
A control unit for generating strength information indicating the strength of the received signal,
The communication unit,
Transmitting the generated strength information to a device performing communication with the target device,
A reference device for determining a distance between devices, wherein a distance between the device and the target device is determined based on the transmitted strength information and strength information about another signal transmitted from the target device to the device. delete 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the signal transmitted from the target device to the reference device and another signal transmitted from the target device to the device are:
A reference device for determining a distance between devices, which is broadcast with the same intensity from the target device. The method of claim 17, wherein the communication unit,
A reference device for determining a distance between devices that transmit information about the preset distance together with the generated intensity information to the device. A computer-readable recording medium in which a program for executing the method of any one of claims 1 to 7, 9 and 10 in a computer is recorded.

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