WO2022060092A1

WO2022060092A1 - Electronic device comprising wireless communication circuit for bluetooth communication, and operation method thereof

Info

Publication number: WO2022060092A1
Application number: PCT/KR2021/012609
Authority: WO
Inventors: 한의범; 정구필
Original assignee: 삼성전자 주식회사
Priority date: 2020-09-17
Filing date: 2021-09-15
Publication date: 2022-03-24
Also published as: KR20220037189A

Abstract

An electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may comprise: a wireless communication circuit for Bluetooth communication; a display; a processor operatively connected to the wireless communication circuit and the display; and a memory operatively connected to the processor, wherein the memory stores one or more instructions causing, when executed, the processor to transmit information on a MAC address of a first external electronic device, which has a record of being connected to the electronic device through Bluetooth communication, to a second external electronic device according to a user input, and acquire information of the first external electronic device, which has been acquired by the second external electronic device on the basis of the information on the MAC address, from the second external electronic device so as to display the information of the first external electronic device on the display, and the information of the first external electronic device includes location information of the first external electronic device or location information of the second external electronic device.

Description

Electronic device including wireless communication circuit for Bluetooth communication and method of operation thereof

Various embodiments disclosed in this document relate to an electronic device including a wireless communication circuit for Bluetooth communication and an operating method thereof.

The Bluetooth standard technology defined by the Bluetooth special interest group (SIG) defines a protocol for short-range wireless communication between electronic devices. The Bluetooth protocol can be divided into Bluetooth 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate), Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, Bluetooth 3.0 + HS (High Speed), and Bluetooth 4.0 + LE (Low Energy) depending on the version. there is.

In a Bluetooth network environment, electronic devices may transmit or receive data packets including content such as text, voice, image, or video in a designated frequency band (eg, about 2.4 gigahertz (GHz)). For example, a user equipment (UE) such as a smartphone, tablet, desktop computer, or laptop computer transmits data packets to another user terminal or to another user equipment through a Bluetooth network environment. It can be transmitted to an accessory device. The accessory device may include, for example, at least one of an earphone, a headset, a speaker, a mouse, a keyboard, a charger, and a display device.

When the Bluetooth electronic device (slave) is lost, the master electronic device of the lost Bluetooth electronic device may attempt to track the location of the lost Bluetooth electronic device using a helper device equipped with a Bluetooth function. . The helper device is an arbitrary electronic device within the communicable area of the master electronic device, and the master electronic device and the user may be the same or different.

The present invention provides an electronic device capable of acquiring location information of a lost Bluetooth electronic device using a different method depending on the Bluetooth version loaded by the lost Bluetooth electronic device and/or the helper device or according to the currently available Bluetooth version. and an operating method thereof.

An electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a wireless communication circuit for Bluetooth communication, a display, a processor operatively connected to the wireless communication circuit and the display, and a memory operatively connected to the processor and the memory, when executed, allows the processor to transmit information on a MAC address of a first external electronic device having a record connected to the electronic device through Bluetooth communication according to a user input to a second external electronic device. one or more instructions to transmit to a device, and to cause the second external electronic device to acquire information about the first external electronic device obtained based on the information on the MAC address from the second external electronic device and display it on the display are stored, and the information of the first external electronic device may include location information of the first external electronic device or location information of the second external electronic device.

A method of finding a location of an external electronic device using an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a MAC address of a first external electronic device having a record connected to the electronic device through Bluetooth communication according to a user input. ) to the second external electronic device, and the second external electronic device acquires the information on the first external electronic device based on the information on the MAC address from the second external electronic device. When displayed on a display, the information of the first external electronic device may include location information of the first external electronic device or location information of the second external electronic device.

According to various embodiments disclosed in this document, the electronic device may be lost using a different method depending on the version of the Bluetooth function installed in the lost Bluetooth electronic device and/or the helper device or the currently available Bluetooth version. Location information of the Bluetooth electronic device may be acquired.

According to various embodiments disclosed in this document, the electronic device is a classic Bluetooth (Bluetooth 4.0 BLE) function to obtain the location of a lost Bluetooth device.

According to various embodiments disclosed in this document, the electronic device uses an encrypted (virtual) MAC address in the process of finding a lost Bluetooth electronic device, or transmits the MAC address only to a helper device configured to allow MAC address transmission. The security level of personal information (Mac address) can be improved by allowing or deleting the MAC address after a certain period of time has elapsed.

In addition, various effects directly or indirectly identified through this document may be provided.

1 is a block diagram of an electronic device in a network environment according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

2 is a diagram for explaining an operation of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment.

3 is a flowchart sequentially illustrating operations of electronic devices according to an exemplary embodiment.

4 is a diagram illustrating a first user interface of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment.

5 is a diagram illustrating a second user interface of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment.

6 is a diagram illustrating a third user interface of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment.

7 is a diagram illustrating a fourth user interface of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment.

8 is a flowchart sequentially illustrating operations of electronic devices according to an exemplary embodiment.

9 is a diagram illustrating a fifth user interface of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment.

10 is a flowchart sequentially illustrating operations of electronic devices according to an exemplary embodiment.

In connection with the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used for the same or similar components.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, and it should be understood that various modifications, equivalents, and/or alternatives of the embodiments of the present invention are included.

1 is a block diagram of an electronic device 101 in a network environment 100 according to various embodiments. Referring to FIG. 1 , in a network environment 100 , an electronic device 101 communicates with an electronic device 102 through a first network 198 (eg, a short-range wireless communication network) or a second network 199 . It may communicate with the electronic device 104 or the server 108 through (eg, a long-distance wireless communication network). According to an embodiment, the electronic device 101 may communicate with the electronic device 104 through the server 108 . According to an embodiment, the electronic device 101 includes a processor 120 , a memory 130 , an input module 150 , a sound output module 155 , a display module 160 , an audio module 170 , and a sensor module ( 176), interface 177, connection terminal 178, haptic module 179, camera module 180, power management module 188, battery 189, communication module 190, subscriber identification module 196 , or an antenna module 197 may be included. In some embodiments, at least one of these components (eg, the connection terminal 178 ) may be omitted or one or more other components may be added to the electronic device 101 . In some embodiments, some of these components (eg, sensor module 176 , camera module 180 , or antenna module 197 ) are integrated into one component (eg, display module 160 ). can be

The processor 120, for example, executes software (eg, a program 140) to execute at least one other component (eg, a hardware or software component) of the electronic device 101 connected to the processor 120 . It can control and perform various data processing or operations. According to one embodiment, as at least part of data processing or operation, the processor 120 converts commands or data received from other components (eg, the sensor module 176 or the communication module 190 ) to the volatile memory 132 . may be stored in the volatile memory 132 , and may process commands or data stored in the volatile memory 132 , and store the result data in the non-volatile memory 134 . According to an embodiment, the processor 120 is the main processor 121 (eg, a central processing unit or an application processor) or a secondary processor 123 (eg, a graphic processing unit, a neural network processing unit) a neural processing unit (NPU), an image signal processor, a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor). For example, when the electronic device 101 includes the main processor 121 and the sub-processor 123 , the sub-processor 123 may use less power than the main processor 121 or may be set to be specialized for a specified function. can The auxiliary processor 123 may be implemented separately from or as a part of the main processor 121 .

The auxiliary processor 123 is, for example, on behalf of the main processor 121 while the main processor 121 is in an inactive (eg, sleep) state, or the main processor 121 is active (eg, executing an application). ), together with the main processor 121, at least one of the components of the electronic device 101 (eg, the display module 160, the sensor module 176, or the communication module 190) It is possible to control at least some of the related functions or states. According to an embodiment, the co-processor 123 (eg, an image signal processor or a communication processor) may be implemented as part of another functionally related component (eg, the camera module 180 or the communication module 190). there is. According to an embodiment, the auxiliary processor 123 (eg, a neural network processing device) may include a hardware structure specialized for processing an artificial intelligence model. Artificial intelligence models can be created through machine learning. Such learning may be performed, for example, in the electronic device 101 itself on which artificial intelligence is performed, or may be performed through a separate server (eg, the server 108). The learning algorithm may include, for example, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or reinforcement learning, but in the above example not limited The artificial intelligence model may include a plurality of artificial neural network layers. Artificial neural networks include deep neural networks (DNNs), convolutional neural networks (CNNs), recurrent neural networks (RNNs), restricted boltzmann machines (RBMs), deep belief networks (DBNs), bidirectional recurrent deep neural networks (BRDNNs), It may be one of deep Q-networks or a combination of two or more of the above, but is not limited to the above example. The artificial intelligence model may include, in addition to, or alternatively, a software structure in addition to the hardware structure.

The memory 130 may store various data used by at least one component of the electronic device 101 (eg, the processor 120 or the sensor module 176 ). The data may include, for example, input data or output data for software (eg, the program 140 ) and instructions related thereto. The memory 130 may include a volatile memory 132 or a non-volatile memory 134 .

The program 140 may be stored as software in the memory 130 , and may include, for example, an operating system 142 , middleware 144 , or an application 146 .

The input module 150 may receive a command or data to be used in a component (eg, the processor 120 ) of the electronic device 101 from the outside (eg, a user) of the electronic device 101 . The input module 150 may include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard, a key (eg, a button), or a digital pen (eg, a stylus pen).

The sound output module 155 may output a sound signal to the outside of the electronic device 101 . The sound output module 155 may include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker can be used for general purposes such as multimedia playback or recording playback. The receiver may be used to receive an incoming call. According to one embodiment, the receiver may be implemented separately from or as part of the speaker.

The display module 160 may visually provide information to the outside (eg, a user) of the electronic device 101 . The display module 160 may include, for example, a control circuit for controlling a display, a hologram device, or a projector and a corresponding device. According to an embodiment, the display module 160 may include a touch sensor configured to sense a touch or a pressure sensor configured to measure the intensity of a force generated by the touch.

The audio module 170 may convert a sound into an electric signal or, conversely, convert an electric signal into a sound. According to an embodiment, the audio module 170 acquires a sound through the input module 150 , or an external electronic device (eg, a sound output module 155 ) connected directly or wirelessly with the electronic device 101 . A sound may be output through the electronic device 102 (eg, a speaker or headphones).

The sensor module 176 detects an operating state (eg, power or temperature) of the electronic device 101 or an external environmental state (eg, user state), and generates an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the sensed state. can do. According to an embodiment, the sensor module 176 may include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an IR (infrared) sensor, a biometric sensor, It may include a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

The interface 177 may support one or more designated protocols that may be used by the electronic device 101 to directly or wirelessly connect with an external electronic device (eg, the electronic device 102 ). According to an embodiment, the interface 177 may include, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, an SD card interface, or an audio interface.

The connection terminal 178 may include a connector through which the electronic device 101 can be physically connected to an external electronic device (eg, the electronic device 102 ). According to an embodiment, the connection terminal 178 may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (eg, a headphone connector).

The haptic module 179 may convert an electrical signal into a mechanical stimulus (eg, vibration or movement) or an electrical stimulus that the user can perceive through tactile or kinesthetic sense. According to an embodiment, the haptic module 179 may include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

The camera module 180 may capture still images and moving images. According to an embodiment, the camera module 180 may include one or more lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.

The power management module 188 may manage power supplied to the electronic device 101 . According to an embodiment, the power management module 188 may be implemented as, for example, at least a part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

The battery 189 may supply power to at least one component of the electronic device 101 . According to one embodiment, battery 189 may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary cell, a rechargeable secondary cell, or a fuel cell.

The communication module 190 is a direct (eg, wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the electronic device 101 and an external electronic device (eg, the electronic device 102, the electronic device 104, or the server 108). It can support establishment and communication performance through the established communication channel. The communication module 190 may include one or more communication processors that operate independently of the processor 120 (eg, an application processor) and support direct (eg, wired) communication or wireless communication. According to one embodiment, the communication module 190 is a wireless communication module 192 (eg, a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module 194 (eg, : It may include a LAN (local area network) communication module, or a power line communication module). A corresponding communication module among these communication modules is a first network 198 (eg, a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, wireless fidelity (WiFi) direct, or infrared data association (IrDA)) or a second network 199 (eg, legacy It may communicate with the external electronic device 104 through a cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (eg, a telecommunication network such as a LAN or a WAN). These various types of communication modules may be integrated into one component (eg, a single chip) or may be implemented as a plurality of components (eg, multiple chips) separate from each other. The wireless communication module 192 uses the subscriber information (eg, International Mobile Subscriber Identifier (IMSI)) stored in the subscriber identification module 196 within a communication network such as the first network 198 or the second network 199 . The electronic device 101 may be identified or authenticated.

The wireless communication module 192 may support a 5G network after a 4G network and a next-generation communication technology, for example, a new radio access technology (NR). NR access technology includes high-speed transmission of high-capacity data (eMBB (enhanced mobile broadband)), minimization of terminal power and access to multiple terminals (mMTC (massive machine type communications)), or high reliability and low latency (URLLC (ultra-reliable and low-latency) -latency communications)). The wireless communication module 192 may support a high frequency band (eg, mmWave band) to achieve a high data rate, for example. The wireless communication module 192 includes various technologies for securing performance in a high-frequency band, for example, beamforming, massive multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO), all-dimensional multiplexing. It may support technologies such as full dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), an array antenna, analog beam-forming, or a large scale antenna. The wireless communication module 192 may support various requirements specified in the electronic device 101 , an external electronic device (eg, the electronic device 104 ), or a network system (eg, the second network 199 ). According to an embodiment, the wireless communication module 192 may include a peak data rate (eg, 20 Gbps or more) for realizing eMBB, loss coverage (eg, 164 dB or less) for realizing mMTC, or U-plane latency for realizing URLLC ( Example: downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) each 0.5 ms or less, or round trip 1 ms or less).

The antenna module 197 may transmit or receive a signal or power to the outside (eg, an external electronic device). According to an embodiment, the antenna module 197 may include an antenna including a conductor formed on a substrate (eg, a PCB) or a radiator formed of a conductive pattern. According to an embodiment, the antenna module 197 may include a plurality of antennas (eg, an array antenna). In this case, at least one antenna suitable for a communication method used in a communication network such as the first network 198 or the second network 199 is connected from the plurality of antennas by, for example, the communication module 190 . can be selected. A signal or power may be transmitted or received between the communication module 190 and an external electronic device through the selected at least one antenna. According to some embodiments, other components (eg, a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) other than the radiator may be additionally formed as a part of the antenna module 197 .

According to various embodiments, the antenna module 197 may form a mmWave antenna module. According to one embodiment, the mmWave antenna module comprises a printed circuit board, an RFIC disposed on or adjacent to a first side (eg, bottom side) of the printed circuit board and capable of supporting a designated high frequency band (eg, mmWave band); and a plurality of antennas (eg, an array antenna) disposed on or adjacent to a second side (eg, top or side) of the printed circuit board and capable of transmitting or receiving signals of the designated high frequency band. can do.

At least some of the components are connected to each other through a communication method between peripheral devices (eg, a bus, general purpose input and output (GPIO), serial peripheral interface (SPI), or mobile industry processor interface (MIPI)) and a signal ( eg commands or data) can be exchanged with each other.

According to an embodiment, the command or data may be transmitted or received between the electronic device 101 and the external electronic device 104 through the server 108 connected to the second network 199 . Each of the external

electronic devices

102 or 104 may be the same as or different from the electronic device 101 . According to an embodiment, all or a part of operations executed in the electronic device 101 may be executed in one or more external

electronic devices

102 , 104 , or 108 . For example, when the electronic device 101 is to perform a function or service automatically or in response to a request from a user or other device, the electronic device 101 may perform the function or service itself instead of executing the function or service itself. Alternatively or additionally, one or more external electronic devices may be requested to perform at least a part of the function or the service. One or more external electronic devices that have received the request may execute at least a part of the requested function or service, or an additional function or service related to the request, and transmit a result of the execution to the electronic device 101 . The electronic device 101 may process the result as it is or additionally and provide it as at least a part of a response to the request. For this, for example, cloud computing, distributed computing, mobile edge computing (MEC), or client-server computing technology may be used. The electronic device 101 may provide an ultra-low latency service using, for example, distributed computing or mobile edge computing. In another embodiment, the external electronic device 104 may include an Internet of things (IoT) device. Server 108 may be an intelligent server using machine learning and/or neural networks. According to an embodiment, the external electronic device 104 or the server 108 may be included in the second network 199 . The electronic device 101 may be applied to an intelligent service (eg, smart home, smart city, smart car, or health care) based on 5G communication technology and IoT-related technology.

The electronic device according to various embodiments disclosed in this document may have various types of devices. The electronic device may include, for example, a portable communication device (eg, a smart phone), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a camera, a wearable device, or a home appliance device. The electronic device according to the embodiment of the present document is not limited to the above-described devices.

The various embodiments of this document and terms used therein are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, but it should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutions of the embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, like reference numerals may be used for similar or related components. The singular form of the noun corresponding to the item may include one or more of the item, unless the relevant context clearly dictates otherwise. As used herein, "A or B", "at least one of A and B", "at least one of A or B", "A, B or C", "at least one of A, B and C", and "A , B, or C" each may include any one of the items listed together in the corresponding one of the phrases, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as "first", "second", or "first" or "second" may be used simply to distinguish the element from other elements in question, and may refer to elements in other aspects (e.g., importance or order) is not limited. It is said that one (eg, first) component is "coupled" or "connected" to another (eg, second) component, with or without the terms "functionally" or "communicatively". When referenced, it means that one component can be connected to the other component directly (eg by wire), wirelessly, or through a third component.

The term “module” used in various embodiments of this document may include a unit implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and is interchangeable with terms such as, for example, logic, logic block, component, or circuit. can be used as A module may be an integrally formed part or a minimum unit or a part of the part that performs one or more functions. For example, according to an embodiment, the module may be implemented in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

According to various embodiments of the present document, one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (eg, internal memory 136 or external memory 138) readable by a machine (eg, electronic device 101) may be implemented as software (eg, the program 140) including For example, a processor (eg, processor 120 ) of a device (eg, electronic device 101 ) may call at least one command among one or more commands stored from a storage medium and execute it. This makes it possible for the device to be operated to perform at least one function according to the called at least one command. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code executable by an interpreter. The device-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, 'non-transitory' only means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not include a signal (eg, electromagnetic wave), and this term is used in cases where data is semi-permanently stored in the storage medium and It does not distinguish between temporary storage cases.

According to one embodiment, the method according to various embodiments disclosed in this document may be provided as included in a computer program product. Computer program products may be traded between sellers and buyers as commodities. The computer program product is distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (eg compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM)), or via an application store (eg Play Store™) or on two user devices ( It can be distributed (eg downloaded or uploaded) directly between smartphones (eg: smartphones) and online. In the case of online distribution, at least a part of the computer program product may be temporarily stored or temporarily created in a machine-readable storage medium such as a memory of a server of a manufacturer, a server of an application store, or a relay server.

According to various embodiments, each component (eg, module or program) of the above-described components may include a singular or a plurality of entities, and some of the plurality of entities may be separately disposed in other components. there is. According to various embodiments, one or more components or operations among the above-described corresponding components may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Alternatively or additionally, a plurality of components (eg, a module or a program) may be integrated into one component. In this case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each component of the plurality of components identically or similarly to those performed by the corresponding component among the plurality of components prior to the integration. . According to various embodiments, operations performed by a module, program, or other component are executed sequentially, in parallel, repeatedly, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations are executed in a different order, or omitted. or one or more other operations may be added.

Hereinafter, an operation of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 2 .

2 is a diagram 200 for explaining an operation of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 2 , according to an exemplary embodiment, a first electronic device 201 (eg, the electronic device 101 of FIG. 1 ) is a smartphone, a tablet, a desktop computer, or a laptop computer. It may be a user equipment (UE) such as a (laptop) computer, and the second electronic device 203 , the third electronic device 204 , and the fourth electronic device 205 also communicate with the first electronic device 201 . The same may be a user terminal such as a smartphone, tablet, desktop computer, or laptop computer. According to an embodiment, the second electronic device 203 , the third electronic device 204 , and the fourth electronic device 205 may have the same or different users as the first electronic device 201 , and the tracking target device 202 . ) may correspond to a helper device that helps to find the location. According to an embodiment, the tracking target device 202 is illustrated as a wireless earphone in FIG. 2 , but is not limited thereto, and may be an accessory device such as a headset, a speaker, a mouse, a keyboard, a charger, or a display device.

According to an embodiment, the first electronic device 201 provides a MAC address of the tracking target device 202 to the second electronic device 203 , the third electronic device 204 , and the fourth electronic device 205 . ) can be transmitted (211, 212, 213).

In FIG. 2 , the first electronic device 201 directly transmits the MAC address of the tracking target device 202 to the second electronic device 203 , the third electronic device 204 , and the fourth electronic device 205 . However, this corresponds to an embodiment, and according to an embodiment, the first electronic device 201 may connect the second electronic device 203 , the third electronic device 204 , and the fourth electronic device 205 through the server 206 . ) to the MAC address of the tracking target device 202 .

According to an embodiment, the first electronic device 201 uses various wireless communication methods (eg, WiFi, BT, NFC, etc.) that the first electronic device 201 can use to the second electronic device 203 and the third electronic device 201 . The MAC address of the tracking target device 202 may be transmitted to the electronic device 204 and the fourth electronic device 205 . According to an embodiment, a target to which the first electronic device 201 transmits the MAC address of the tracking target device 202 may be an electronic device located within a communication area of a wireless communication method used by the first electronic device 201 . there is. According to an embodiment, since the MAC address of the tracking target device 202 may correspond to personal information, the target for transmitting the MAC address is a target allowed by the user of the first electronic device 201 or the MAC address is encrypted and transmitted. it might be According to an embodiment, when the MAC address is encrypted and transmitted, the second electronic device 203 , the third electronic device 204 , and the fourth electronic device 205 may decrypt it and use it.

According to an embodiment, when connecting with the tracking target device 202 , the first electronic device 201 may generate a virtual MAC address by using the MAC address stored in the tracking target device 202 . The first electronic device 201 transmits the generated virtual MAC address to the tracking target device 202 so that the first electronic device 201 performs wireless communication with the tracking target device 202 using the generated virtual MAC address. can do. Also, the first electronic device 201 sends the second electronic device 203 , the third electronic device 204 , and the fourth electronic device 205 to the generated virtual MAC address instead of the real MAC address of the tracking target device 202 . address can be sent. In the case of using a virtual MAC address, when the tracking target device 202 is found afterward, a new virtual MAC address is newly created and shared with the tracking target device 202, thereby risking the security of the MAC address of the tracking target device 202 can prevent

According to an embodiment, the first electronic device 201 may transmit the MAC address before the tracking target device 202 is lost, or may transmit the MAC address after the tracking target device 202 is lost. According to an embodiment, the first electronic device 201 may obtain the MAC address of the tracking target device 202 from a record of performing a connection with the tracking target device 202 .

According to an embodiment, at least one of the second electronic device 203 , the third electronic device 204 , and the fourth electronic device 205 that has received the MAC address of the tracking target device 202 from the first electronic device 201 . One may form an access code based on the received MAC address. According to an embodiment, the access code may be any one of an inquiry access code (IAC), a device access code (DAC), and a channel access code (CAC). According to an embodiment, the IAC is an access code used for a search purpose, and may be either GIAC (General IAC) or DIAC (Dedicated IAC), and the DAC may be an access code used for a connection purpose in paging. , CAC may be an access code used for the purpose of communicating between two electronic devices in a state in which a Bluetooth connection is completed between the two electronic devices.

According to an embodiment, at least one of the second electronic device 203 , the third electronic device 204 , and the fourth electronic device 205 forming the access code tracks a message generated based on the formed access code. may transmit to the device 202 (214, 215, 216). According to an embodiment, the generated message may be a message for performing an operation for a search for a nearby electronic device or a connection with a nearby electronic device. According to an embodiment, an operation for a Bluetooth search and/or a Bluetooth connection may be different according to a policy for each electronic device.

For example, the generated message may be an inquiry message. According to an embodiment, at least one of the second electronic device 203 , the third electronic device 204 , and the fourth electronic device 205 forms a GIAC, and an inquiry is made based on the GIAC to search for a nearby Bluetooth device. An ID packet may be formed for transmission.

For example, the generated message may be a paging message. According to an embodiment, at least one of the second electronic device 203 , the third electronic device 204 , and the fourth electronic device 205 forms a DAC based on the received MAC address, and the tracking target device 202 . A page packet can be formed and transmitted based on the DAC for connection with the DAC.

Previously, an inquiry message or a paging message was described as a message formed by at least one of the second electronic device 203 , the third electronic device 204 , and the fourth electronic device 205 , but IAC, DAC, or CAC A message including at least one of the access codes may suffice.

According to an embodiment, the tracking target device 202 may transmit a response message to the received message ( 217 ). In FIG. 2 , the tracking target device 202 fails to receive messages from the second electronic device 203 and the third electronic device 204 or the second electronic device 203 and the third It is assumed that response messages of messages received from the electronic device 204 cannot be transmitted to the second electronic device 203 and the third electronic device 204 . According to an embodiment, the tracking target device 202 may transmit a response message to the fourth electronic device 205 upon receiving the message transmitted by the fourth electronic device 205 ( 217 ). According to an embodiment, the response message may be a success response or a failure response to the search or connection depending on the situation of the tracking target device 202 . According to an embodiment, the fourth electronic device 205 may acquire information on the tracking target device 202 by receiving a response message from the tracking target device 202 . According to an embodiment, the information of the tracking target device 202 may include location information of the tracking target device 202 . Since the fourth electronic device 205 can identify that the tracking target device 202 is located in the vicinity of the fourth electronic device 205 by receiving the response message from the tracking target device 202 , the tracking target device 202 . It is sufficient to receive a response message from That is, not only the success response message of the tracking target device 202 but also the failure response message may be used to identify information on the location of the tracking target device 202 .

According to an embodiment, when the message transmitted by the fourth electronic device 205 is an inquiry message (eg, an ID packet), the response message of the tracking target device 202 is an inquiry response message (eg, Frequency Hopping (FHS)) synchronization) packet).

According to an embodiment, when the message transmitted by the fourth electronic device 205 is a paging message, the response message of the tracking target device 202 may be a paging response message.

According to an embodiment, the fourth electronic device 205 that has obtained information on the tracking target device 202 may transmit information on the tracking target device 202 to the server 206 . According to an embodiment, the information on the tracking target device 202 may include identifier (ID) information of the tracking target device 202 , location information of the tracking target device 202 , or location information of the fourth electronic device 205 . It may include at least one. When the fourth electronic device 205 cannot know the location information of the tracking target device 202 in the response message received from the tracking target device 202, information on the tracking target device 202 to be transmitted to the server 206 information of the fourth electronic device 205 may be included in the .

The server 206 may transmit information on the tracking target device 202 to the first electronic device 201 , and the first electronic device 201 receives information about the tracking target device 202 from the server 206 . acquired, and the lost tracking target device 202 can be found based on the location information of the tracking target device 202 or the location information of the fourth electronic device 205 included in the information on the tracking target device 202 . In FIG. 2 , the fourth electronic device 205 transmits information on the tracking target device 202 through the server 206 , but according to an embodiment, the tracking target device through connection with the first electronic device 201 . Information on 202 may also be conveyed.

As described above, since the helper device according to the present disclosure can identify that the tracking target device is located in the vicinity of the helper device only by receiving the response message of the tracking target device, the initial connection defined in the Bluetooth standard specification (spec) The helper device can identify the location information of the tracking target device even through the response message at any stage in the process from the request to the connection completion. Therefore, the response message for identifying the location information of the tracking target device is not limited to a response message in a specific step, such as inquiry or paging, and is based on IAC, DAC or CAC depending on the status or implementation status of the tracking target device. Any response message to the message may be used to identify the location information of the tracking target device. According to an embodiment, in the Bluetooth standard specification, a response message in an authentication process, a response message to a remote name request (RNR), etc. may also be used to identify the location information of the tracking target device. In addition, according to an embodiment, an additional response message other than the Bluetooth standard specification may be used to identify the location information of the tracking target device.

Hereinafter, operations of electronic devices according to an exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 3 .

3 is a flowchart 300 sequentially illustrating operations of electronic devices according to an exemplary embodiment. A description of the same configuration as in the above-described embodiment may be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 3 , in operation 311 , the first electronic device 301 (eg, the electronic device 101 of FIG. 1 ) provides the second electronic device 303 with the MAC address of the tracking target device 302 . ) can be transmitted. According to an embodiment, the first electronic device 301 provides a tracking target to the second electronic device 303 using various wireless communication methods (eg, WiFi, BT, NFC, etc.) available to the first electronic device 301 . Send the MAC address of the device 302 . According to an embodiment, the second electronic device 302 may be an electronic device located within a communication area of the wireless communication method used by the first electronic device 301 . According to an embodiment, since the MAC address of the tracking target device 302 may correspond to personal information, the target for transmitting the MAC address is a target permitted by the user of the first electronic device 301 or the MAC address is encrypted and transmitted. it might be According to an embodiment, the first electronic device 301 may transmit the MAC address before the tracking target device 302 is lost, or may transmit the MAC address after the tracking target device 302 is lost. According to an embodiment, the first electronic device 301 may obtain the MAC address of the tracking target device 302 from a record of performing a connection with the tracking target device 302 .

In FIG. 3 , the first electronic device 301 directly transmits the MAC address of the tracking target device 302 to the second electronic device 303 and the third electronic device 304 , but this corresponds to an embodiment. Also, according to an embodiment, the first electronic device 301 may transmit the MAC address of the tracking target device 302 to the second electronic device 303 and the third electronic device 304 through the server 305 . .

Similarly, in operation 312 , the first electronic device 301 may transmit the MAC address of the tracking target device 302 to the third electronic device 304 .

In operation 313 , the second electronic device 303 forms an access code based on the received MAC address of the tracking target device 302 , and forms a first message based on the formed access code to form the tracking target device 302 . ) can be sent to According to an embodiment, the first message may be a paging message.

In operation 314 , the tracking target device 302 may transmit a response message to the received first message to the second electronic device 303 . According to an embodiment, since the tracking target device 302 is in an inquiry scan mode, it may transmit a connection failure response message in response to the received paging message.

The second electronic device 303 may obtain information on the tracking target device 302 from the response message received from the tracking target device 302 . The information of the tracking target device 302 may include identifier (ID) information of the tracking target device 302 , and may further include location information of the tracking target device 302 according to an embodiment.

In operation 315 , the second electronic device 303 may transmit information on the tracking target device 302 to the server 305 . According to an embodiment, the information of the tracking target device 302 includes at least one of identifier (ID) information of the tracking target device 302 , location information of the tracking target device 302 , or location information of the second electronic device 303 . may contain one. When the location information of the tracking target device 302 is not known in the response message received from the tracking target device 302 , the second electronic device 303 includes information on the tracking target device 302 to be transmitted to the server 305 . Information on the second electronic device 303 may be further included.

In operation 316 , the server 305 may transmit the acquired information on the tracking target device 302 to the first electronic device 301 . According to an embodiment, the server 305 may transmit the automatically acquired information on the tracking target device 302 to the first electronic device 301 upon acquiring the tracking target device 302 information, or the first electronic device It may be transmitted according to the request of 301 .

In operation 317 , the third electronic device 304 forms an access code based on the received MAC address of the tracking target device 302 , and forms a second message based on the formed access code to form the tracking target device 302 . ) can be sent to According to an embodiment, the second message may be a paging message.

In operation 318 , the tracking target device 302 may transmit a response message to the received second message to the third electronic device 304 . According to an embodiment, since the tracking target device 302 is in a page scan mode, it may transmit a connection success response message in response to the received paging message.

The third electronic device 304 may obtain information on the tracking target device 302 from the response message received from the tracking target device 302 . The information of the tracking target device 302 may include an identifier (ID) of the tracking target device 302 , and may further include location information of the tracking target device 302 according to an embodiment.

In operation 319 , the third electronic device 304 may transmit information on the tracking target device 302 to the server 305 . According to an embodiment, the information of the tracking target device 302 includes at least one of identifier (ID) information of the tracking target device 302 , location information of the tracking target device 302 , or location information of the third electronic device 304 . may contain one. When the third electronic device 304 does not know the location information of the tracking target device 302 in the response message received from the tracking target device 302 , the third electronic device 304 returns to the information of the tracking target device 302 to be transmitted to the server 305 . Information on the third electronic device 304 may be further included.

In operation 320 , the server 305 may transmit the acquired information on the tracking target device 302 to the first electronic device 301 . According to an embodiment, the server 305 may transmit the automatically acquired information on the tracking target device 302 to the first electronic device 301 upon acquiring the tracking target device 302 information, or the first electronic device It may be transmitted according to the request of 301 .

Hereinafter, operations of electronic devices according to an exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 4 .

4 is a diagram illustrating a first user interface 400 of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment. A description of the same configuration as in the above-described embodiment may be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 4 , a first screen 401 may be an execution screen of an application providing a location check service stored in a first electronic device (eg, the first electronic device 201 of FIG. 2 ). The first electronic device may display information on the user devices registered in the first electronic device in the form of a list. According to an embodiment, the first screen 401 presents a list including a first item 410 corresponding to the first device card and a second item 420 corresponding to the second device card. can For example, the list of the first screen 401 includes a first item 410 corresponding to a smartphone (eg, Galaxy A) indicating a first electronic device registered in the user account of the first electronic device and the user account. A second item 420 corresponding to any registered tablet (eg, Galaxy Tab S6 LTE) may be included. In the following description, the description of the first item 410 and/or the second item 420 includes other items not specified on the first screen 401 (eg, “Jamie (Galaxy S10)”, “ It may also be applied to Jamie (_tale device name_), and/or “Galaxy Watch Active2”).

In an embodiment, each item included in the list may include various pieces of information. For example, the first item 410 is an icon 411 indicating the smartphone, a nickname (eg, Anne) and model name (Galaxy A) 412 of the smartphone, the last confirmed Location 413 (eg, 124 W Main St, Belleville, IL), last location confirmed 414 (eg Last updated: 1 minute ago), from the current location of the first electronic device to the smartphone It may include at least one of a navigation menu 416 for executing a map application or a map function based on the distance 415 of the first electronic device, the current location of the first electronic device, and the last confirmed location 413 . Some items of the above contents may be omitted. For example, when the location of the device is not confirmed, at least some of the last confirmed location 413 , the last location confirmed time 414 , or the navigation menu 416 may not be displayed.

In an embodiment, when a user input 400 for selecting the second item 420 from among several items included in the list occurs, the first electronic device displays the second screen 402 on the display of the first electronic device. can provide The second screen 402 may be, for example, a UI generated based on the second device card.

In an embodiment, the second screen 402 may include a map area 430 and a second device card area 450 . For example, the map area 430 may be displayed on an upper portion (area) of the second screen 402 , and the second device card area 450 may be displayed on a lower portion (area) of the second screen 402 . However, this is only an example, and the second device card area 450 may be disposed at a location different from the illustrated example. For example, the second device card area 450 may be provided in a floating form on a map occupying most of the second screen 402 . Also, the position or size of the second device card area 450 may be moved/enlarged/reduced by a user input.

In an embodiment, the map area 430 may display the locations of the user devices confirmed through a server (eg, the server 206 of FIG. 2 ). The locations of the user devices may be displayed in the form of icons. For example, the location of the smartphone corresponding to the first item 410 may be displayed on the map like the first icon 432 . Also, the location of the tablet corresponding to the second item 420 selected by the user input 400 may be displayed on the map like the second icon 431 . In an embodiment, the location of the tablet corresponding to the second item 420 selected by the user input 400 may be located in the center of the map area 430 . Also, the current location 440 of the first electronic device may be displayed on the map area 430 . In an embodiment, the current location 440 of the first electronic device may be located in the center of the map area 430 .

In one embodiment, the second device card area 450 includes a device action menu 451 , a navigation menu 452 , a ring menu 453 , and/or a view details menu 454 . may be included.

In an embodiment, when the device action menu 451 is selected, the first electronic device may check whether the tracking target device is in the vicinity of the first electronic device. In this case, the tracking target device may be an electronic device (eg, a tablet corresponding to the second item 420 ) registered in the user account of the first electronic device. For example, when the device action menu 451 is selected, the first electronic device displays the location of the first electronic device and the helper devices (eg, the second electronic device 203 and the third electronic device of FIG. 2 ) received from the server. ( 204 ), the map area 430 may be provided and/or updated based on location information of the fourth electronic device 205 . According to an embodiment, in order to provide and/or update the map area 430 , the first electronic device shares the MAC address of the tracking target device described above with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 to the helper device to provide and/or update the location of the tracking target device. The process of finding . According to another embodiment, the first electronic device may display the second user interface 500 of FIG. 5 to provide and/or update the map area 430 . A description of the second user interface 500 of FIG. 5 will be described later with reference to FIG. 5 .

In an embodiment, when the navigation menu 452 is selected, the first electronic device may display a route to the identified tracking target device location on the map area 430 . In an embodiment, when the notification menu 453 is selected, the first electronic device may also attempt to make a call to the tracking target device or to make the tracking target device make a specified sound. For example, when the tracking target device supports a call function, the first electronic device may attempt to make a call to the tracking target device in response to selection of the notification menu 453 . As another example, when the tracking target device is connected to the first electronic device through a predetermined short-range communication network, in response to the selection of the notification menu 453 , the first electronic device is designated as the tracking target device through the short-range communication network signal can be transmitted. Upon receiving the specified signal, the tracking target device may notify its location by generating a predefined notification signal (eg, alarm, vibration, and/or light emission) in response to the specified signal.

In an embodiment, when the detailed view menu 454 is selected, the first electronic device may provide more detailed information about the tracking target device. For example, the first electronic device may display the status of the tracking target device according to various conditions. For example, when the tracking target device is connected to any one of the first electronic device and the helper devices, the first electronic device may display a first status message such as “Nearby Finding”. The message may be displayed in a pop-up form or may be displayed in the second device card area 450 of the tracking target device. In addition, if the tracking target device is not connected to the other of the first electronic device or the helper devices, but is not in the "offline finding" state, the first electronic device displays a second status message such as "Not in Range Finding". can Here, the “offline finding state” may refer to a state in which the tracking target device is determined to be lost, or a state in which a threshold time has elapsed since the tracking target device was last connected to any one of the helper devices.

In one embodiment, if the tracking target device is not connected to another device among the first electronic device or helper devices and is not in an “offline finding” state, but there is an attempt to find the tracking target device, such as “Lost mode Finding” A third status message may be displayed. In addition, when the tracking target device is not connected to another device among the first electronic device or the helper devices and is in an “offline finding” state, the first electronic device may display a fourth status message such as “Update mode Finding” . Also, when the first electronic device attempts to connect to the tracking target device, a fifth status message such as “connecting” may be displayed. In an embodiment, the first to fifth status messages related to the device action menu 451 may be included in the first device card and/or the second device card.

The first to fifth status messages described above are exemplary, and fewer or more status messages may be appropriately set by a manufacturer or a user according to various embodiments. For example, the first electronic device may provide remaining battery level information of the tracking target device. Also, the first electronic device may display the location (location information) of the tracking target device based on a time stamp. Also, the first electronic device may display the current status of the tracking target device using an appropriate message (device card message). For example, the first electronic device may determine whether the device to be tracked is near the first electronic device, which of the helper devices is near, where is the last location of the device to be tracked, and whether the device to be tracked is being searched for; Alternatively, a message indicating whether the tracking target device is found may be displayed on the display.

In an embodiment, the information displayed on the second device card area 450 is not limited to the illustrated example, but information related to the device action menu 451 and information included in the detailed view menu 454 . (eg, remaining battery level information, location information, and/or a device card message) may be provided together with information.

Hereinafter, operations of electronic devices according to an exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7 .

5 is a diagram illustrating a second user interface 500 of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment. 6 is a diagram illustrating a third user interface 600 of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment. 7 is a diagram illustrating a fourth user interface 700 of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment. A description of the same configuration as in the above-described embodiment may be omitted. Referring to FIG. 5 , according to an embodiment, when the tracking of the location of the tracking target device is started according to a predetermined period or according to a user input, the first electronic The device (eg, the first electronic device 201 of FIG. 2 ) may display the second user interface 500 of FIG. 5 . According to an embodiment, when the device action menu 451 of the first user interface 400 of FIG. 4 is selected, the first electronic device may display the second user interface 500 of FIG. 5 .

According to an embodiment, the second user interface 500 may include a find button 501 by sharing a MAC address and a find button 502 by BLE. According to an embodiment, the find button 501 by sharing the MAC address is a button for starting the process of finding the location of the tracking target device by sharing the MAC address of the tracking target device described above with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 to the helper device. can be According to an embodiment, the find button 502 by BLE may be a button for starting a process of finding a location of a tracking target device using an advertising signal of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).

According to an embodiment, when an input for the find button 502 by BLE is received, the first electronic device may start a process of finding a location of a tracking target device using an advertising signal of BLE. According to an embodiment, in the process of finding the location of the tracking target device using the BLE advertising signal, the tracking target device periodically transmits an advertising signal including encrypted user information, Unspecified helper devices located within the BLE advertising signal recognizable distance receive the corresponding signal, and the helper device that has received the signal registers information including the location information of the tracking target device in the server, and It may be a process in which the user can determine the location of the tracking target device by accessing the server. Because the process of finding the location of a tracked device using BLE’s advertising signal is based on BLE technology, if the tracked device does not have the BLE function, or the BLE function fails, It cannot be used in situations where the tracking target device cannot perform BLE advertising, such as when the tracking target device is forcibly connected to another user's device. In addition, since the tracking target device must periodically transmit an advertising signal, there may be a disadvantage in that the current of the tracking target device is consumed quickly.

According to an embodiment, when an input for the find button 501 by sharing the MAC address is received, the first electronic device displays the third user interface 600 of FIG. 6 and/or the fourth user interface 700 of FIG. 7 . can be displayed Alternatively, even when an input for the find button 502 with BLE is received according to an embodiment, but it is determined that the tracking target device cannot use the BLE function, the third user interface 600 of FIG. 6 and/or the third user interface 600 of FIG. 4 The user interface 700 may be displayed.

Referring to FIG. 6 , the third user interface 600 may include a contact-based find menu 611 , a my device-based find menu 612 , and a location-based find menu 613 . According to an embodiment, the contact-based search menu 611 may display a contact stored in the first electronic device. According to an exemplary embodiment, the contact displayed on the contact-based search menu 611 may be a contact frequently used by the first electronic device, a contact to which the first electronic device has set a favorite, or a contact information of the first electronic device. It may be a contact that corresponds to the user's family. Alternatively, according to an embodiment, it may be a contact set by the user of the first electronic device to allow sharing of the MAC address of the tracking target device. According to an embodiment, when a selection input for a contact displayed on the contact-based search menu 611 is received, the first electronic device may transmit the MAC address of the tracking target device to the selected contact. The operation after the MAC address transmission may be the same as the process described with reference to FIG. 2 or FIG. 3 .

According to an embodiment, the my device-based find menu 612 may display a device stored in the first electronic device or a device having a record connected to the first electronic device. According to an embodiment, when a selection input for a device displayed on the find my device based menu 612 is received, the first electronic device may transmit the MAC address of the tracking target device to the selected device. The operation after the MAC address transmission may be the same as the process described with reference to FIG. 2 or FIG. 3 .

According to an embodiment, the location-based search menu 613 may display a place, a building, an area, etc. based on a record of a location to which the first electronic device has moved. According to an embodiment, when a selection input for a place displayed on the location-based search menu 613 is received, the first electronic device may transmit the MAC address of the tracking target device to a helper device located in the selected place. The operation after the MAC address transmission may be the same as the process described with reference to FIG. 2 or FIG. 3 .

Referring to FIG. 7 , the fourth user interface 700 may display a timer setting menu 710 . According to an embodiment, the user of the first electronic device may set a period for searching for the tracking target device based on the MAC address through the timer setting menu 710, and when the set period elapses, the MAC address of the tracking target device is received The received helper device may delete the corresponding MAC address.

Hereinafter, operations of electronic devices according to an exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9 .

8 is a flowchart 800 sequentially illustrating operations of electronic devices according to an exemplary embodiment. 9 is a diagram illustrating a fifth user interface 900 of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment. A description of the same configuration as in the above-described embodiment may be omitted.

8 and 9 , in operation 811 , the first electronic device 801 may discover a helper device. According to an embodiment, the first electronic device 801 receives information of the second electronic device 802 , the third electronic device 803 , and the fourth electronic device 804 through discovery, and uses the information on the fifth user interface (900) may be displayed to the user. According to an embodiment, the fifth user interface 900 may include a response button for whether to allow transmission of the MAC address to the found helper device. For example, when the second electronic device is found through discovery, the fifth user interface 900 may display a phrase 901 “Do you want to allow MAC address transmission to the second electronic device?”

In operation 812 , the first electronic device 801 may select a plurality of helper devices. According to an embodiment, the first electronic device 810 may select a helper device through the fifth user interface 900 . According to an embodiment, the first electronic device 810 may select the second electronic device 802 , the third electronic device 803 , and the fourth electronic device 804 as a helper device.

In operation 813 , the first electronic device 801 may transmit a connection request to a plurality of selected helper devices. The first electronic device 801 may use the most suitable wireless communication method (eg, WiFi, BT, NFC, etc.) for each helper device according to information of the helper device received through discovery. According to an embodiment, the first electronic device may use a different communication method for each helper device.

In operation 814 , the first electronic device 801 may receive a connection acceptance from the second electronic device 802 , the third electronic device 803 , and the fourth electronic device 804 .

In operation 815 , the first electronic device 801 may perform mutual authentication and secure connection.

In operation 816 , the first electronic device 9801 may share the MAC address of the tracking target device 805 with the second electronic device 802 , the third electronic device 803 , and the fourth electronic device 804 . . According to an embodiment, an operation after the MAC address is transmitted may be the same as the process described with reference to FIG. 2 or FIG. 3 .

Hereinafter, operations of electronic devices according to an exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 10 .

10 is a flowchart 1000 sequentially illustrating operations of electronic devices according to an exemplary embodiment. A description of the same configuration and operation as in the above-described embodiment may be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 10 , in operation 1011 , the first electronic device 1001 may select a plurality of helper devices. According to an embodiment, the first electronic device 1001 may select a plurality of helper devices or may select a place, a building, a region, or the like.

In operation 1012 , the first electronic device 1001 may request the server 1002 to share the MAC address of the tracking target device 1005 . According to an embodiment, when the first electronic device 1001 selects a place, a building, or a region, the server 1002 may select one or more helper devices based on the corresponding place, building, or region.

In operation 1013 , the server 1002 may share the MAC address of the tracking target device 1005 to the selected second electronic device 1003 and the third electronic device 1004 .

In operation 1014 , the second electronic device 1003 and the third electronic device 1004 may request a connection from the tracking target device 1005 based on the received MAC address.

In operation 1015 , the tracking target device 1005 may respond to the connection request to the third electronic device 1004 according to the situation of the tracking target device 1005 . In this case, the response to the connection request may be a connection success response or a connection failure response depending on the state of the tracking target device 1005 .

In operation 1016 , the third electronic device 1004 may obtain location information of the tracking target device 1005 from a response to the connection request of the tracking target device 1005 , and transmit the obtained location information to the server 1002 . can be transmitted

In operation 1017 , the server 1002 may transmit location information of the receiving mountain tracking target device 1005 to the first electronic device 1001 . The first electronic device may find the lost tracking target device 1005 based on the acquired location information of the tracking target device 1005 .

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the process of tracking the location of the tracking target device using the MAC address affects the current consumption and performance of the tracking target device and/or the helper device, so that the current and the current of the tracking target device and/or the helper device It can be limited in a range that does not affect performance.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the process of tracking the location of the tracking target device using the MAC address may be temporarily or continuously operated according to the user's consent of the helper device.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, not when the tracking target device is lost, but when the owner transfers (sells) the tracking target device and a new user uses the tracking target device, the location of the new user is determined through the tracking target device Since a personal information problem may occur if obtained, an application for the tracking target device is executed on the first electronic device to determine whether the tracking target device is actually lost, or a search for the tracking target device is requested from the first electronic device In some cases, the process of tracking the location of the tracking target device using the MAC address may be performed.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first electronic device that is the master device of the tracking target device may form a virtual MAC address from the tracking target device's MAC address and transmit it to the helper device. For example, a virtual MAC address may be generated using either a BT MAC address or a WiFi MAC address of the tracking target device. According to an embodiment, the first electronic device may generate a virtual MAC address by processing the WiFi/BT MAC address using a bit masking algorithm. The WiFi /BT MAC address and the virtual MAC address may be formed in a column of six octets. Each octet may be formed of a column of eight bits. The first electronic device may generate a virtual MAC address by changing the second octet and the fifth octet in the WiFi or BT MAC address. To this end, the first electronic device applies the fifth bit, the sixth bit, the seventh bit, and the eighth bit of the second octet in the WiFi or BT MAC address to an OR function with 0x02, and applies five bits in the WiFi or BT MAC address to the OR function. The first bit, second bit, third bit, and fourth bit of the second octet can be applied to the XOR function with 0x40. For example, if the WiFi or BT MAC address is '8C:F5:A3:63:79:F7', the first electronic device applies 'C(1100)' of the second octet to 0x02 and the OR function to 'E( 1110)', and applying '3(0011)' of the fifth octet to 0x40 and the XOR function to yield '7(0111)'. Through this, the first electronic device may generate '8E:F5:A3:63:79:FC' as a virtual MAC address. The first electronic device may transmit the virtual MAC address formed to the helper device.

An electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a wireless communication circuit for Bluetooth communication, a display, a processor operatively connected to the wireless communication circuit and the display, and a memory operatively connected to the processor and the memory, when executed, allows the processor to transmit information on a MAC address of a first external electronic device having a record connected to the electronic device through Bluetooth communication according to a user input to a second external electronic device. one or more instructions to transmit to the device, and to cause the second external electronic device to obtain information of the first external electronic device obtained based on the information on the MAC address from the second external electronic device and display it on the display are stored, and the information of the first external electronic device may include location information of the first external electronic device or location information of the second external electronic device.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second external electronic device may be an electronic device allowing transmission of the MAC address by the user.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the information on the MAC address may include a virtual MAC address formed based on the MAC address of the first external electronic device.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions may cause the processor to obtain the information of the first external electronic device directly from the second external electronic device or through a server.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the information of the first external electronic device may be information obtained by the second external electronic device from a response message received from the first external electronic device.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in the response message, a message including an access code formed by the second external electronic device based on the MAC address is transmitted from the second external electronic device to the first external device. It may be a response to what the electronic device receives.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions may cause the processor to form an access code based on the MAC address when receiving the MAC address of the fourth external electronic device from the third external electronic device.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions may cause the processor to form a message based on the formed access code and transmit it to the fourth external electronic device.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions include, when the processor receives a response message to the message from the fourth external electronic device, identifier (ID) information of the fourth external electronic device from the response message can be obtained

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions may cause the processor to transmit the acquired information on the fourth external electronic device to the server.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the information of the first external electronic device may be obtained directly from the second external electronic device or may be obtained through a server.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when receiving the MAC address of the fourth external electronic device from the third external electronic device, an access code may be formed based on the MAC address.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a message may be formed based on the formed access code and transmitted to the fourth external electronic device.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as a response message to the message is received from the fourth external electronic device, identifier (ID) information of the fourth external electronic device may be acquired from the response message.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the obtained information on the fourth external electronic device may be transmitted to the server.

Claims

In an electronic device,

a wireless communication circuit for Bluetooth communication;

display;

a processor operatively coupled to the wireless communication circuitry and the display; and

a memory operatively coupled to the processor, wherein the memory, when executed, causes the processor to:

Transmitting information on a MAC address of a first external electronic device having a record connected to the electronic device through Bluetooth communication according to a user input to a second external electronic device,

one or more instructions for allowing the second external electronic device to obtain information about the first external electronic device obtained based on the information on the MAC address from the second external electronic device and display it on the display;

The electronic device, wherein the information on the first external electronic device includes location information on the first external electronic device or location information on the second external electronic device.
The method according to claim 1,

The second external electronic device is an electronic device that is permitted to transmit the MAC address by the user.
The method according to claim 1,

The information on the MAC address includes a virtual MAC address formed based on the MAC address of the first external electronic device.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the instructions are performed by the processor,

and to obtain the information of the first external electronic device directly from the second external electronic device or through a server.
The method according to claim 1,

The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the information of the first external electronic device is information obtained by the second external electronic device from a response message received from the first external electronic device.
6. The method of claim 5,

The response message is a response to the first external electronic device receiving a message including an access code formed by the second external electronic device based on the MAC address from the second external electronic device , electronic devices.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the instructions are performed by the processor,

When receiving the MAC address of the fourth external electronic device from the third external electronic device, the electronic device is configured to form an access code based on the MAC address.
The method according to claim 7, wherein the instructions are performed by the processor,

An electronic device that forms a message based on the formed access code and transmits the message to the fourth external electronic device.
The method of claim 8, wherein the instructions are performed by the processor,

and to obtain identifier (ID) information of the fourth external electronic device from the response message when a response message to the message is received from the fourth external electronic device.
The method of claim 9, wherein the instructions are performed by the processor,

An electronic device that transmits the acquired information of the fourth external electronic device to a server.
A method for locating an external electronic device using an electronic device, the method comprising:

Transmitting information on a MAC address of a first external electronic device having a record connected to the electronic device through Bluetooth communication according to a user input to a second external electronic device,

the second external electronic device acquires the information of the first external electronic device obtained based on the information on the MAC address from the second external electronic device and displays it on a display;

The method of finding a location of an external electronic device, wherein the information of the first external electronic device includes location information of the first external electronic device or location information of the second external electronic device.
12. The method of claim 11,

and the second external electronic device is an electronic device that is permitted to transmit the MAC address by the user.
12. The method of claim 11,

and the information on the MAC address includes a virtual MAC address formed based on the MAC address of the first external electronic device.
12. The method of claim 11,

A method of finding a location of an external electronic device, wherein the information of the first external electronic device is obtained directly from the second external electronic device or through a server.
12. The method of claim 11,

The method of claim 1 , wherein the information of the first external electronic device is information obtained by the second external electronic device from a response message received from the first external electronic device.