Server and control method thereof

Abstract

A server and a control method thereof are provided. The server can include a communication interface to perform communication with a plurality of electronic devices and a plurality of sensing devices, and a processor to identify a sensing device corresponding to a user location from among the plurality of sensing devices based on information received from at least one of the plurality of electronic devices and the plurality of sensing devices through the communication interface, and control the communication interface to transmit a signal for controlling a target electronic device from among the plurality of electronic devices to the target electronic device based on sensing data received from the identified sensing device.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The disclosure relates to a server and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a server controlling an operation of an electronic device and a control method thereof. BACKGROUND

[0002] A conventional electronic device, such as an air conditioner or an air purifier, can provide a specific service, such as a heating or cooling service, to a user by performing an operation using data about an environment, such as a temperature or a dust concentration, obtained via a built-in sensor.

[0003] In addition, in a case where a user is located at a place (or space) different from a location of an electronic device, an environment of the user and an environment of the electronic device can be different from each other. In this case, data about an environment obtained by a built-in sensor of the electronic device can be obtained based on the location of the electronic device, and thus a difference (or error) occurs between the data about the environment and data obtained based on the location of the user.

[0004] Here, the electronic device can be operated based on data different from data about an environment in which the user is located, and the user can have a lower satisfaction degree for a service provided by the electronic device. In addition, the electronic device can provide only data about an environment in which the electronic device is located, and not data about an environment in which the user is located, which can cause inconvenience to the user. SUMMARY

[0005] TECHNICAL PROBLEM

[0006] The disclosure provides a server controlling an operation of a target electronic device by using sensing data of a sensing device located in an environment closer to an environment of a user and a control method thereof.

[0007] TECHNICAL SOLUTION

[0008] According to an embodiment of the disclosure, a server includes a communication interface for performing communication with a plurality of electronic devices and a plurality of sensing devices, and a processor for identifying a sensing device corresponding to a location of a user among the plurality of sensing devices based on information received from at least one of the plurality of electronic devices and the plurality of sensing devices through the communication interface, and controlling the communication interface to transmit a signal for controlling a target electronic device among the plurality of electronic devices to the target electronic device based on sensing data received from the identified sensing device.

[0009] In addition, each of the plurality of sensing devices can generate sensing data by sensing a surrounding environment of each of the sensing devices, and the processor can control the communication interface to receive the sensing data generated by the identified sensing device by sensing a surrounding environment from the identified sensing device, and transmit a signal for controlling a surrounding environment of the target electronic device to the target electronic device based on the received sensing data.

[0010] In addition, the processor can identify a sensing device closest to the user among the plurality of sensing devices as a sensing device corresponding to the location of the user based on information received from at least one of the plurality of electronic devices and the plurality of sensing devices.

[0011] In addition, the server can further include a memory for storing location information about locations of areas in which the plurality of electronic devices and the plurality of sensing devices are located in a specific place, wherein the processor identifies one of the plurality of electronic devices based on information received from at least one of the plurality of electronic devices through the communication interface, and identifies a sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices located in the same area as an area of the identified electronic device as a sensing device corresponding to the location of the user based on the location information.

[0012] In addition, in a case where state information of an electronic device controlled based on a user command is received from the electronic device among the plurality of electronic devices through the communication interface, the processor can identify a sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices located in the same area as an area of the electronic device from which the state information is transmitted as a sensing device corresponding to the location of the user.

[0013] In addition, in a case where information about a user voice is received from an electronic device receiving the user voice among the plurality of electronic devices through the communication interface, the processor can identify a sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices located in the same area as an area of the electronic device from which information about the user voice is transmitted as a sensing device corresponding to the location of the user.

[0014] In addition, in a case where information about communication signal strengths between the plurality of electronic devices and a user terminal device and between the plurality of sensing devices and the user terminal device is received through the communication interface, the processor can identify a device having a maximum communication signal strength based on the received information about the communication signal strengths, and identify a sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices corresponding to the identified device as a sensing device corresponding to the location of the user.

[0015] In addition, in a case where one of the plurality of electronic devices is identified as the device having the greatest communication signal strength, the processor can identify, based on the location information, a sensing device, among the plurality of sensing devices, located in the same area as an area of the identified electronic device, as a sensing device corresponding to the location of the user, and in a case where one of the plurality of sensing devices is identified as the device having the greatest communication signal strength, the processor can identify the identified sensing device as the sensing device corresponding to the location of the user.

[0016] In addition, the processor can identify, based on information about communication signal strength received from the plurality of electronic devices and the plurality of sensing devices through the communication interface, and state information of an electronic device or information about a user's voice received from at least one of the plurality of electronic devices, a sensing device, among the plurality of sensing devices, corresponding to the location of the user.

[0017] In addition, the processor can calculate, for each of the plurality of electronic devices and the plurality of sensing devices, a score by applying a predetermined weight to each value corresponding to the information about communication signal strength, the state information of the electronic device, or the information about the user's voice, identify a device, among the plurality of electronic devices and the plurality of sensing devices, having the highest score, in a case where one of the plurality of electronic devices is identified as the device having the highest score, identify, based on the location information, a sensing device, among the plurality of sensing devices, located in the same area as an area of the identified electronic device, as a sensing device corresponding to the location of the user, and in a case where one of the plurality of sensing devices is identified as the device having the highest score, identify the identified sensing device as the sensing device corresponding to the location of the user.

[0018] According to another embodiment of the disclosure, a control method of a server includes identifying, based on information received from at least one of a plurality of electronic devices and a plurality of sensing devices, a sensing device, among the plurality of sensing devices, corresponding to a location of a user, and transmitting, based on sensing data received from the identified sensing device, a signal for controlling a target electronic device, among the plurality of electronic devices, to the target electronic device.

[0019] In addition, the step of each of the plurality of sensing devices generating the sensing data by sensing a surrounding environment of each of the sensing devices and transmitting a signal for controlling a target electronic device among the plurality of electronic devices to the target electronic device includes receiving the sensing data generated by sensing the surrounding environment from the identified sensing device, and transmitting the signal for controlling the surrounding environment of the target electronic device to the target electronic device based on the received sensing data.

[0020] In addition, in identifying the sensing device, the sensing device closest to the user among the plurality of sensing devices can be identified as the sensing device corresponding to the location of the user based on information received from at least one of the plurality of electronic devices and the plurality of sensing devices.

[0021] In addition, the server can store location information about locations of areas in which the plurality of electronic devices and the plurality of sensing devices are located in a specific place, and the step of identifying the sensing device can include identifying one of the plurality of electronic devices based on information received from at least one of the plurality of electronic devices, and identifying a sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices located in the same area as an area of the identified electronic device as the sensing device corresponding to the location of the user based on the location information.

[0022] In addition, the step of identifying the sensing device can include, in a case where state information of an electronic device controlled based on a user command is received from the electronic device among the plurality of electronic devices, identifying a sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices located in the same area as an area of the electronic device that transmitted the state information as the sensing device corresponding to the location of the user.

[0023] In addition, the step of identifying the sensing device can include, in a case where information about a user voice is received from an electronic device that receives the user voice among the plurality of electronic devices, identifying a sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices located in the same area as an area of the electronic device that transmitted the information about the user voice as the sensing device corresponding to the location of the user.

[0024] In addition, the step of identifying the sensing device can include, in a case where information about communication signal strengths between the plurality of electronic devices and the user terminal device and between the plurality of sensing devices and the user terminal device is received through the communication interface, identifying a device having the greatest communication signal strength based on the received information about the communication signal strengths, and identifying a sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices corresponding to the identified device as the sensing device corresponding to the location of the user.

[0025] In addition, the step of identifying the sensing device can include, in a case where one of the plurality of electronic devices is identified as the device having the greatest communication signal strength, identifying, based on the location information, a sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices located in the same area as an area of the identified electronic device as the sensing device corresponding to the location of the user, and in a case where one of the plurality of sensing devices is identified as the device having the greatest communication signal strength, identifying the identified sensing device as the sensing device corresponding to the location of the user.

[0026] In addition, the step of identifying the sensing device according to another embodiment of the disclosure can include identifying, based on information about communication signal strength received from the plurality of electronic devices and the plurality of sensing devices, and state information of an electronic device or information about a user's voice received from at least one of the plurality of electronic devices, a sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices corresponding to the location of the user.

[0027] In addition, the step of identifying the sensing device can include, for each of the plurality of electronic devices and the plurality of sensing devices, calculating a score by applying a predetermined weight to each value corresponding to the information about communication signal strength, the state information of the electronic device, or the information about a user's voice, identifying a device having the highest score among the plurality of electronic devices and the plurality of sensing devices, in a case where one of the plurality of electronic devices is identified as the device having the highest score, identifying, based on the location information, a sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices located in the same area as an area of the identified electronic device as the sensing device corresponding to the location of the user, and in a case where one of the plurality of sensing devices is identified as the device having the highest score, identifying the identified sensing device as the sensing device corresponding to the location of the user.

[0028] Advantageous Effects

[0029] According to various embodiments of the disclosure as described above, it is possible to provide a server that controls an operation of a target electronic device by using sensing data of a sensing device located in an environment closer to a user's environment, and a control method thereof. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1a is a diagram for explaining a system according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0031] Figure 1b is a diagram for explaining a state in which a plurality of sensing devices are arranged according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0032] Figure 2a is a block diagram for explaining a configuration of a server according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0033] Figure 2b is a block diagram for explaining an additional configuration of a server according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0034] Figure 3 is a diagram for explaining a method for registering a device in a server according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0035] Figure 4 is a diagram for explaining a user interface (UI) for registering a location according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0036] Figure 5 is a diagram for explaining a UI for registering a device in a server according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0037] Figure 6 is a diagram for explaining information about a device stored in a server according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0038] Figure 7 is a diagram for explaining a method for determining a basis for an operation of a target electronic device by a sensing device through a user command according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0039] Figure 8a is a diagram for explaining a method for determining a basis for an operation of a target electronic device by an electronic device input through a user command according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0040] Figure 8b is a diagram for explaining a method for determining a basis for an operation of a target electronic device by a sensing device input through a user command according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0041] Figure 8c is a diagram for explaining a method for recognizing a device based on an input user command according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0042] Figure 8d is a diagram for explaining a method for recognizing a device based on a received user voice according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0043] Figure 9a is a diagram for explaining a method for determining a basis for an operation of a target electronic device by a sensing device using a strength of a signal according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0044] Figure 9bis a diagram for explaining a method of a sensing device for determining a basis of an operation of a target electronic device by using intensity of a signal according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0045] Figure 9c is a diagram for explaining a method of a sensing device for determining a basis of an operation of a target electronic device by using intensity of a signal according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0046] Figure 10 is a diagram for explaining a method of a sensing device for determining a basis of an operation of a target electronic device by using a score according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0047] Figure 11 is a block diagram for explaining a configuration of one of a plurality of electronic devices according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0048] Figure 12 is a block diagram for explaining a configuration of one of a plurality of sensing devices according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0049] Figure 13 is a diagram for explaining a flowchart according to another embodiment of the disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] The disclosure provides a server for controlling an operation of a target electronic device by using sensing data of a sensing device located in an environment closer to a user environment and a control method thereof.

[0051] In describing the disclosure, if it is determined that a detailed description of a known function or configuration related to the disclosure can unnecessarily obscure the gist of the disclosure, a detailed description thereof is omitted. In addition, the following embodiments can be modified in several different forms, and the scope and spirit of the disclosure are not limited to the following embodiments. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that the disclosure is thorough and complete, and fully convey the spirit of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0052] It should be understood that the technology mentioned in the disclosure is not limited to specific embodiments, and includes all modifications, equivalents, and / or alternatives according to the embodiments of the disclosure. Throughout the drawings, similar components are denoted by similar reference numerals.

[0053] The expressions "first", "second", and the like used in the disclosure can indicate various components regardless of the order and / or importance of the components. These expressions are only used to distinguish one component from the other components, and do not limit the corresponding components.

[0054] In the disclosure, the expressions "A or B", "at least one of A and / or B", "one or more of A and / or B", or the like can include all possible combinations of the items enumerated together. For example, "A or B", "at least one of A and B", or "at least one of A or B" can indicate all of: 1) including at least one A, 2) including at least one B, or 3) including both at least one A and at least one B.

[0055] Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form of a term can include the plural form of that term. It will be understood that the terms "including," "comprising," "formed of," and the like specify the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, and parts referred to in the specification and do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0056] In the case where any component (e.g., a first component) is mentioned as being "(operatively or communicatively) coupled with" / "bound to" another component (e.g., a second component) or "connected to" another component (e.g., a second component), it should be understood that any component is directly bound to another component or can be bound to another component through yet another component (e.g., a third component). On the other hand, in the case where any component (e.g., a first component) is mentioned as being "directly bound to" or "directly connected to" another component (e.g., a second component), it should be understood that there is no further component (e.g., a third component) between any component and another component.

[0057] The expression "configured (or set) to" used in the disclosure can be replaced by the expression "adapted to", "having the capability of", "designed as", "apt to", "manufactured as", or "capable of", depending on the situation. The expression "configured (or set) to" can not necessarily indicate "designed as in hardware". Instead, the expression "the device is configured to" can indicate that the device can "perform together with other devices or components". For example, "a processor configured (or set) to perform A, B, and C" can indicate a dedicated processor (e.g., an embedded processor) for performing the respective operations or a general-purpose processor (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU) or an application processor) that can perform the respective operations by executing one or more software programs stored in a memory device.

[0058] An electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure can include at least one of, for example, a smartphone, a tablet personal computer (PC), a mobile phone, a video phone, an e-book reader, a desktop PC, a laptop PC, a netbook computer, a workstation, a server, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable multimedia player (PMP), an MP3 player, a mobile medical device, a camera, or a wearable device. According to various embodiments, the wearable device can include at least one of an accessory-type wearable device (e.g., a watch, a ring, a bracelet, a necklace, a glasses, a contact lens, or a head-mounted device (HMD), a fabric or clothing-integrated wearable device (e.g., an electronic clothing), a body-attached wearable device (e.g., a skin pad or a tattoo), or a living body-implantable wearable device (e.g., an implantable circuit).

[0059] In addition, in an embodiment, an electronic device can be a home appliance. A home appliance can include at least one of, for example, a television (TV), a digital versatile disc (DVD) player, an audio player, a refrigerator, an air conditioner, a vacuum cleaner, an oven, a microwave oven, a washing machine, an air cleaner, a set-top box, a home automation control panel, a security control panel, a TV box (e.g., Samsung Electronics' HomeSync TM , Apple TV TM , or Google TV TM ), a game console (e.g., Xbox TM , PlayStation TM ), an electronic dictionary, an electronic key, a camcorder, or a digital photo frame.

[0060] In other embodiments, an electronic device can include at least one of various medical devices (e.g., various portable medical measuring devices (such as a blood glucose meter, a heart rate meter, a blood pressure meter, or a body temperature meter), a magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a computed tomography (CT), a photographing device, or an ultrasonic device), a navigation device, a global navigation satellite system (GNSS), an event data recorder (EDR), a flight data recorder (FDR), a car infotainment device, electronic equipment for vessels (e.g., a navigation device for vessels, or a gyro-compass), avionics, security devices, a car head unit, an industrial or home robot, an automatic teller machine (ATM) of a financial institution, a point of sale (POS) of a store, or an Internet of Things (IoT) device (e.g., a light bulb, various sensors, a gas or water meter, a fire alarm, a thermostat, a street light, a toaster, a fitness equipment, a hot water tank, a heater, or a boiler).

[0061] According to other embodiments, the electronic device can include at least one of furniture or a part of a building / structure, an electronic board, an electronic signature receiving device, a projector, or various instruments (e.g., a water meter, an electricity meter, a gas meter, or a radio wave meter). In various embodiments, the electronic device can be one of the various devices described above or a combination of one or more of the various devices described above. The electronic device according to some embodiments can be a flexible electronic device. In addition, the electronic device according to embodiments of the disclosure is not limited to the above-described devices and can include new electronic devices according to technological development.

[0062] Figure 1a is a diagram for explaining a system according to embodiments of the disclosure. Figure 1b is a diagram for explaining a state in which a plurality of sensing devices are arranged according to embodiments of the disclosure.

[0063] Referring to Figure 1a and Figure 1b , a system 10 according to embodiments of the disclosure can include a server 100, a plurality of electronic devices 200, a plurality of sensing devices 300, and a user terminal device 400.

[0064] The server 100 can be connected to external devices, such as the plurality of electronic devices 200, the plurality of sensing devices 300, and the user terminal device 400, through a network. For example, the server 100 can be connected to external devices through a network of a user individual unit (e.g., a personal area network (PAN)), a network of a local area unit (e.g., a home network or a local area network (LAN)), or a network of a wide area unit (e.g., a wide area network (WAN) or the Internet). Accordingly, the server 100 can communicate with the plurality of electronic devices 200, the plurality of sensing devices 300, and the user terminal device 400 to transmit and receive various data (or messages).

[0065] Here, the server 100 can refer to a device having authority to manage or control external devices (e.g., at least one device among the plurality of electronic devices 200 and the plurality of sensing devices 300) connected through a network.

[0066] To this end, the server 100 can be implemented as a separate server device (e.g., a cloud server or a home server) different from the plurality of electronic devices 200 and the user terminal device 400. However, this implementation is only an embodiment, and the server 100 can be implemented as one of the plurality of electronic devices 200 and the user terminal device 400. That is, the server 100 can be implemented as any one of various electronic devices, such as an air conditioner, a computer, a smart phone, a television (TV), or an access point (AP). Hereinafter, descriptions are provided assuming that the server 100 is a separate device different from the plurality of electronic devices 200 and the user terminal device 400 for convenience of description.

[0067] Each of the plurality of electronic devices 200 can be implemented as any one of various electronic devices that can communicate with the server 100. For example, each of the plurality of electronic devices 200 can be controlled to perform or stop an operation for providing a service based on a signal received from the server 100. To this end, the electronic device can be implemented as a robot, a computer, a smart TV, a smart speaker, an air conditioner, a digital video disc (DVD) player, an audio player, a robot cleaner, a vacuum cleaner, an oven, a microwave, a set-top box, a home automation control panel, a security control panel, a game console (e.g., Xbox, PlayStation), a medical device, a vehicle, an electronic dictionary, a camcorder, a digital photo frame, a store point of sale (POS), various Internet of Things (IoT) devices (e.g., a light bulb, a light, an electricity meter or a gas meter, a sprinkler, or a fire alarm).

[0068] Here, the plurality of electronic devices 200 can include a first electronic device 200-1 (or electronic device 1) and a second electronic device 200-2. In this case, the plurality of electronic devices 200 can be configured in various numbers.

[0069] In addition, one of the plurality of electronic devices 200 can perform an operation for providing a service by using the sensing data. In detail, one of the plurality of electronic devices 200 can perform an operation for providing a service by using sensing data obtained from one of the plurality of sensing devices 300 based on a signal received from the server 100. Hereinafter, one electronic device that operates in this way is referred to as a target electronic device.

[0070] Each of the plurality of sensing devices 300 can obtain sensing data. In this case, the sensing data can be data sensed through an indoor environment or a surrounding environment in which the sensing device is located. In addition, one of the plurality of electronic devices 200 (e.g., the target electronic device) can use the sensing data to perform an operation for providing a service.

[0071] To this end, the sensing device can be an electronic device including a sensor. For example, the sensing device can be implemented as a sensor itself or an electronic device (e.g., a TV, a robot cleaner, an artificial intelligence speaker, a remote controller for controlling a TV, a light, an electricity meter or a gas meter, a sprinkler, a fire alarm, a thermostat, or an Internet of Things (IoT) device) including a sensor. Hereinafter, to help understanding of the present disclosure, it is assumed that the sensing device is implemented as a sensor itself.

[0072] For example, the sensor can be various types of sensors such as a temperature sensor, a dust sensor, a humidity sensor, or a gas sensor. The temperature sensor can obtain sensing data of temperature (unit: ℃, ℉, etc.). The dust sensor can obtain sensing data of dust concentration (unit: parts per million (ppm), μg / m 3 Here, dust (or particulate matter (PM)) can refer to particles floating in the air, and types of dust can include PM 1 having a size (or diameter) of 1 μm or less, PM 2.5 having a size of 2.5 μm or less, PM 10 having a size of 10 μm or less, etc. The humidity sensor can obtain sensing data of the degree of moisture contained in the air (unit: %, g / m 3 The gas sensor can obtain sensing data of the concentration of carbon dioxide (unit: ppm, etc.) or the concentration of radon (unit: Bq / m, etc.), etc. In addition, the sensor and the sensing data obtained by the sensor are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be implemented in various forms.

[0073] Each of the plurality of sensing devices 300 can communicate with the server 100 and at least one of the plurality of electronic devices 200. The sensing device can transmit sensing data to one electronic device (e.g., a target electronic device) among the plurality of electronic devices 200. For example, the sensing device can transmit the sensing data directly to the target electronic device, or the sensing device can transmit the sensing data to the target electronic device through the server 100.

[0074] The user terminal device 400 can access the server 100 through authentication of an account of the user 30 and control or manage at least one of the plurality of electronic devices 200 and the plurality of sensing devices 300.

[0075] Here, the user terminal device 400 can be used to estimate the location of the user 30. That is, the location of the user terminal device 400 can be estimated as the location of the user 30. To this end, the user terminal device 400 can be implemented as a device (such as a smart phone or a tablet PC) carried by the user 30, or a device (such as a wearable device (e.g., a smart watch or smart glasses)) worn by the user 30. However, the user terminal device 400 is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the user terminal device 400 can be implemented as various electronic devices. In addition, the user terminal device 400 is used only to distinguish operations, and can be one electronic device among the plurality of electronic devices 200.

[0076] The user terminal device 400 can control at least one electronic device among the plurality of electronic devices 200 based on a user command (e.g., a touch input, a gesture input, a voice input, a key input, etc. of the user 30). In this case, the user terminal device 400 can control at least one electronic device among the plurality of electronic devices 200 through the server 100. To this end, the user terminal device 400 can display a user interface (UI) for controlling at least one electronic device among the plurality of electronic devices 200 on a display.

[0077] In addition, the user terminal device 400 can receive information about an operation performed by one electronic device among the plurality of electronic devices 200 from the one electronic device. Here, the one electronic device can perform the operation by using sensing data obtained from one sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices 300. In this case, the user terminal device 400 can receive the sensing data through the one sensing device, the one electronic device, or the server 100, and the user terminal device 400 can display the received sensing data on the display.

[0078] In addition, each of the plurality of electronic devices 200 and the plurality of sensing devices 300 can be disposed in one of a plurality of areas. Referring to Figure 1b , for example, the plurality of areas can include a first area 21 to a third area 23 which are separated from each other at a certain place. Here, the certain place can be any of various places such as a home or an office of the user 30.

[0079] In detail, referring to Figure 1b , the first electronic device 200-1 and the first sensing device 300-1 which are target electronic devices among the plurality of electronic devices 200 can be disposed in the first area 21, the second sensing device 300-2 can be disposed in the second area 22, and the third sensing device 300-3 can be disposed in the third area 23. Here, sensing data obtained from the first sensing device 300-1 to the third sensing device 300-3 can depend on an environment (or an area) in which the first sensing device 300-1 to the third sensing device 300-3 are located.

[0080] For example, the first electronic device 200-1 which is a target electronic device can be implemented as an air conditioner, the first sensing device 300-1 to the third sensing device 300-3 among the plurality of sensing devices 300 can include temperature sensors which sense a temperature of a surrounding environment, and a temperature of the target electronic device is set to a certain temperature (e.g., 24℃). In this state, it is assumed that a user command for operating the target electronic device in a cooling mode is input to the target electronic device.

[0081] A conventional air conditioner can perform a cooling or heating operation by using a set temperature (e.g., 24℃) and a temperature (e.g., 26℃) sensed by a built-in temperature sensor. In this case, a difference between the set temperature (e.g., 24℃) of the first area 21 in which the air conditioner is located and the indoor temperature (e.g., 26℃) can be small, and thus the air conditioner can control to reduce the operation speed of a blowing fan or stop the operation of the blowing fan.

[0082] Here, there can be an error (or a difference) between the temperature sensed with respect to the surrounding environment of the air conditioner (e.g., 26℃ of the first area 21) and the temperature of the environment in which the user 30 is located (e.g., 30℃ of the second area 22), and the air conditioner can thus provide the air conditioning service to the user 30 without accurately identifying the environment that the user 30 actually feels. Accordingly, it can cause a decrease in the satisfaction of the user 30 with respect to the service or inconvenience of the user 30.

[0083] The server 100 according to an embodiment of the disclosure can identify a sensing device corresponding to the location of the user 30 among the plurality of external sensing devices 300, and control a target electronic device using sensing data obtained from the identified sensing device to perform an operation for providing a specific service. Here, the sensing device corresponding to the location of the user 30 can be a sensing device in an environment that is substantially the same as the environment of the user 30, and for example, the sensing device corresponding to the location of the user 30 can be a sensing device closest to the location of the user 30 or a sensing device located in the same area as the area in which the user 30 is located (e.g., the second sensing device 300-2 disposed in the second area 22).

[0084] According to various embodiments of the disclosure as described above, a server that controls an operation of a target electronic device by using sensing data of an environment closer to the environment of the user 30 and a control method thereof can be provided. Accordingly, the satisfaction of the user 30 with respect to the service can be improved, and inconvenience of the user 30 can also be addressed.

[0085] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the disclosure are described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0086] Figure 2a is a block diagram for explaining a configuration of a server according to an embodiment of the disclosure. Figure 2b is a block diagram for explaining an additional configuration of a server according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0087] Referring to Figure 2a The server 100 according to an embodiment of the disclosure can include a communication interface 110 and a processor 120.

[0088] The communication interface 110 can be connected to external devices and networks through various communication methods. For example, the communication interface 110 can be connected to external devices (such as the plurality of electronic devices 200, the plurality of sensing devices 300, and the user terminal device 400) through a network to perform communication with the external devices. To this end, the communication interface 110 can be connected to external devices through a network by performing communication based on various communication methods such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, near field communication (NFC), infrared data association (IrDA), radio frequency identification (RFID), ultra wideband (UWB), Wi-Fi direct, Z-Wave, ZigBee, 4LoWPAN, GPRS, Weightless, digital living network alliance (DLNA), ANT+, digital enhanced cordless telecommunications (DECT), wireless local area network (WLAN), global system for mobile communications (GSM), universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), and wireless broadband (WiBro). Accordingly, the communication interface 110 can transmit and receive various data to and from external devices.

[0089] The processor 120 can control the overall operation of the server 100. The processor 120 can include one or more processors, and for example, the processor 120 can be implemented as a general-purpose processor such as a central processing unit (CPU) or an application processor (AP), a graphics-only processor such as a graphics processor (GPU) or a visual processor (VPU), or an artificial intelligence (AI)-only processor such as a neural processor (NPU).

[0090] The processor 120 can identify a sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices 300 corresponding to the location of the user 30 based on information received from at least one of the plurality of electronic devices 200 and the plurality of sensing devices 300 through the communication interface 110. In detail, the processor 120 can identify a sensing device closest to the user 30 among the plurality of sensing devices 300 as a sensing device corresponding to the location of the user 30 based on information received from at least one of the plurality of electronic devices 200 and the plurality of sensing devices 300 through the communication interface 110.

[0091] Here, the sensing device corresponding to the location of the user 30 can be a sensing device estimated to be in an environment substantially the same as the environment of the user 30. In addition, each of the plurality of sensing devices 300 can generate sensing data by sensing the surrounding environment of each sensing device.

[0092] Here, the information received from at least one of the plurality of electronic devices 200 and the plurality of sensing devices 300 can include at least one of information on a state of an electronic device received from at least one of the plurality of electronic devices 200, information on a user voice received from at least one of the plurality of electronic devices 200, or information on communication signal intensities between the plurality of electronic devices 200 and the user terminal device 400 and between the plurality of sensing devices 300 and the user terminal device 400.

[0093] Here, the state information of the electronic device can be information for identifying an electronic device to which a user command is input or an electronic device that is controlled based on an input user command among the plurality of electronic devices 200. In addition, the state information of the electronic device can include a time at which a user command is input. Here, the user command can refer to a user interaction with various types of electronic devices such as a button input, a touch input, and a motion input. Here, the electronic device can include an input interface such as a button or a touch panel for receiving a user command. The information on the user voice can include a signal level (unit: dB, dBm, etc.) of a user voice received from an electronic device that receives a user voice among the plurality of electronic devices 200. Here, the electronic device can include an interface such as a microphone for receiving a user voice. The information on the communication signal intensity can refer to a signal intensity (or strength) to the user terminal device 400 received from an external device (for example, an electronic device or a sensing device) with respect to the user terminal device 400. Here, the signal can be a signal based on various communication methods such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, near field communication (NFC), and infrared rays.

[0094] According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the server 100 can further include a memory 130 (see Figure 2b ), and the memory 130 can store location information on locations of areas in which the plurality of electronic devices 200 and the plurality of sensing devices 300 are located at a specific place. Here, the location information can include spatial coordinates indicating a location of a device or information on an area in which a device is located. However, this configuration is only an embodiment, and the information received from at least one of the plurality of electronic devices 200 and the plurality of sensing devices 300 can include identification information or location information of a device (or at least one of the plurality of electronic devices 200 and the plurality of sensing devices 300) that transmits the information.

[0095] For example, the processor 120 can identify one of the plurality of electronic devices 200 based on information received from at least one of the plurality of electronic devices 200 through the communication interface 110. This identification can be made by using the fact that the location of the electronic device recognized through the user command or the user voice can be estimated as the location of the user 30 (or the location close to the user 30). Since it is not necessary to directly sense the user 30, the privacy of the user 30 can be protected, and since it is not necessary to provide a separate physical sensor for sensing the user 30, it can be economical.

[0096] For a specific example, in the case where information (e.g., status information) from an electronic device controlled based on a user command (e.g., a user command of pressing a button on a remote controller for controlling a TV) among the plurality of electronic devices 200 is received through the communication interface 110, the processor 120 can identify the electronic device controlled based on the user command (or the electronic device into which the user command is input) among the plurality of electronic devices 200 based on the received information.

[0097] For another example, in the case where information (e.g., a signal level of the user voice) about the user voice is received from an electronic device (e.g., a remote controller including a microphone) that receives the user voice among the plurality of electronic devices 200 through the communication interface 110, the processor 120 can identify the electronic device that receives the user voice having the greatest signal level among the plurality of electronic devices 200 based on the received information.

[0098] In this case, the processor 120 can identify a sensing device corresponding to the location of the user 30 among the plurality of sensing devices 300 based on the location of the identified electronic device among the plurality of electronic devices 200. Here, the processor 120 can use the location information of the identified electronic device and the location information of the plurality of sensing devices 300.

[0099] For a specific example, the sensing device corresponding to the location of the user 30 can be a sensing device closest to the user 30 among the plurality of sensing devices 300. Here, the sensing device closest to the user 30 can be a sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices 300 that has the smallest distance between a reference electronic device and the sensing device based on an electronic device (or the user terminal device 400) among the plurality of electronic devices 200 whose location is estimated as the location of the user 30. Here, the reference electronic device can be an electronic device that receives a user command or a user voice, or an electronic device that has the largest signal strength with the user terminal device. Here, the distance can be expressed as a difference between spatial coordinates representing locations. For example, in a case where one of the plurality of electronic devices 200 is identified as a reference electronic device based on information received from at least one of the plurality of electronic devices 200 through the communication interface 110, the processor 120 can identify a sensing device closest to the reference electronic device among the plurality of sensing devices 300 as a sensing device corresponding to the location of the user 30 based on location information (e.g., spatial coordinates).

[0100] For another specific example, the sensing device corresponding to the location of the user 30 can be a sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices 300 that is located in the same area as an area of the user 30. That is, in a case where an area in which an electronic device that receives a user command or a user voice is located and an area in which the plurality of sensing devices 300 are located are compared with each other, the sensing device corresponding to the location of the user 30 can be a sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices 300 that is located in the same area as an area of the electronic device that receives a user command or a user voice. For example, in a case where one of the plurality of electronic devices 200 is identified based on information received from at least one of the plurality of electronic devices 200 through the communication interface 110, the processor 120 can identify a sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices 300 that is located in the same area as an area of the identified electronic device as a sensing device corresponding to the location of the user 30 based on location information (e.g., an area in which a device is located). This configuration is to obtain sensing data closer to a user's environment by identifying a sensing device located in the same area as an area of an identified electronic device as a sensing device corresponding to a user's location, considering a case where a sensing device closest to the identified electronic device is located in another area (e.g., another room or another space).

[0101] Also, according to an embodiment of the disclosure, in a case where information on communication signal strengths between the plurality of electronic devices 200 and the user terminal device 400 and between the plurality of sensing devices 300 and the user terminal device 400 is received through the communication interface 110, the processor 120 can identify a device having a greatest communication signal strength (or force) based on the received information on the communication signal strengths. Here, as the level of the communication signal of the external device received from the user terminal device 400 is greater, the user terminal device 400 can be closer to the external device. Also, by using the fact that the location of the user terminal device 400 can be estimated as the location (or the location close to) of the user 30, as the level of the communication signal between a specific external device and the user terminal device 400 is greater, it can be determined that the specific external device is closer to the user 30.

[0102] Here, the communication signal can be any one of various types of wireless signals or optical signals, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, or infrared rays. Also, the communication signal strength is based on the level of the communication signal received by the user terminal device 400 from the external device, and can have a unit such as dBm.

[0103] Also, this configuration is only an embodiment, and the user terminal device 400 can transmit or receive a time of flight (ToF) signal (such as ultrasound having a constant propagation speed) with the plurality of electronic devices 200 and the plurality of sensing devices 300. In this case, the processor 120 can perform control to receive a transmission time of the TOF signal between the plurality of electronic devices 200 and the user terminal device 400 and between the plurality of sensing devices 300 and the user terminal device 400, and identify a device having a shortest transmission time of the TOF signal among the plurality of electronic devices 200 and the plurality of sensing devices 300 based on the received transmission time. Here, as the transmission time of the TOF signal is shorter between the user terminal device 400 and the external device, the user terminal device 400 and the external device can be closer to each other.

[0104] In this case, the processor 120 can identify a sensing device corresponding to the identified device among the plurality of sensing devices 300 as a sensing device corresponding to the location of the user 30.

[0105] In detail, in a case where one of the plurality of electronic devices 200 is identified as a device having the greatest communication signal strength, the processor 120 can identify a sensing device, among the plurality of sensing devices 300, which is located in the same area as the area of the identified electronic device, as a sensing device corresponding to the location of the user 300, based on the location information (e.g., an area in which the identified electronic device is located or an area in which the plurality of sensing devices 300 are located). Alternatively, in a case where one of the plurality of electronic devices 200 is identified as a device having the greatest communication signal strength, the processor 120 can identify a sensing device, among the plurality of sensing devices 300, which is closest to the identified electronic device, as a sensing device corresponding to the location of the user 300, based on the location information (e.g., a spatial coordinate indicating the identified electronic device or a spatial coordinate indicating the location of the plurality of sensing devices 300). This is because the identified electronic device can be determined to be closest to the location of the user 30. In this case, the processor can identify the sensing device closest to the location of the user 30 by using the identified electronic device.

[0106] On the other hand, in a case where one of the plurality of sensing devices 300 is identified as a device having the greatest communication signal strength, the processor 120 can identify the identified sensing device as a sensing device corresponding to the location of the user 30. This is because the identified sensing device can be determined to be closest to the location of the user 30.

[0107] Then, the processor 120 can control the communication interface 110 to transmit a signal for controlling a target electronic device, among the plurality of electronic devices 200, to the target electronic device, based on sensing data received from the identified sensing device.

[0108] For example, the processor 120 can control the communication interface 110 to receive, from the identified sensing device, sensing data generated by the identified sensing device by sensing the surrounding environment, and control the communication interface 110 to transmit a signal for controlling the surrounding environment of the target electronic device to the target electronic device, based on the received sensing data. That is, the sensing data of the identified sensing device can be transmitted to the target electronic device from the identified sensing device through the server 110.

[0109] For another example, the processor 120 can control the communication interface 110 to transmit a signal for controlling the identified sensing device to the identified sensing device, so that sensing data generated by sensing the surrounding environment by the identified sensing device is transmitted to the target electronic device. In this case, the processor 120 can control the communication interface 110 to transmit a signal for controlling the target electronic device to the target electronic device, so that the target electronic device performs an operation based on the sensing data received from the identified sensing device. That is, the sensing data of the identified sensing device can be directly transmitted from the identified sensing device to the target electronic device without passing through the server 110.

[0110] In this case, the target electronic device can perform an operation for providing a service (e.g., a heating / cooling operation or an air purification operation) based on the signal received from the server 100 and the sensing data of the identified sensing device.

[0111] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure as described above, a server that controls an operation of a target electronic device by using sensing data for an environment closer to an environment of a user 30 and a control method thereof can be provided. Accordingly, satisfaction of the user 30 with a service can be improved, and inconvenience of the user 30 can also be addressed.

[0112] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, an environment estimated to be an environment of the user 30 can also be sensed without accurately sensing a location of the user 30. Because a sensor device including a separate hardware and software for sensing the location of the user 30 is not needed, it can be economical, and in addition, privacy of the user 30 can also be protected.

[0113] Referring to Figure 2b In addition to the communication interface 110 and the processor 120, the server 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can include at least one of a memory 130, an input interface 140, and an output interface 150.

[0114] The memory 130 can store instructions or programs executed by the processor 120. In addition, the memory 130 can store information or data received through the communication interface 110. For example, the memory 130 can store information on an account of the user 30, location information of the plurality of electronic devices 200 and the plurality of sensing devices 300, sensing data received from the plurality of sensing devices 300, or various requests or user commands received from the user terminal device 400.

[0115] The memory 130 can be accessed by the processor 130, and can perform reading out, recording, correcting, deleting, updating, etc. of instructions, modules, artificial intelligence models, or data under the control of the processor 120.

[0116] The input interface 140 can receive various user inputs and transmit the received various user inputs to the processor 120. The input interface can include, for example, at least one of a touch panel (not shown), a pen sensor (not shown), a key (not shown), or a microphone (not shown). The touch panel can use, for example, at least one of a capacitive type, a pressure sensitive type, an infrared type, or an ultrasonic type, and for this, the touch panel can include a control circuit. The touch panel can further include a tactile layer to provide a tactile reaction to a user. The pen sensor can be, for example, a part of the touch panel, or can include a separate sheet for recognition. The key can include, for example, a physical button, an optical key, or a keypad. Such an input interface can be built in the server 100, such as a built-in keyboard, a touchpad, a button, or a touch panel, or implemented as a separate external device (not shown) such as an external keyboard or a mouse.

[0117] The output interface 150 can include at least one of a display (not shown) and a speaker (not shown). Here, the display is a device for outputting information in a visual form (e.g., text or image). The display can display an image frame in all or a part of a display area. The display area can refer to an entire area in units of pixels in which information or data is visually displayed. At least a part of the display can be incorporated in the form of a flexible display into at least one of a front area, a side area, or a back area of the server 100. The flexible display can be deformed, bent, or rolled up without being damaged by a thin and flexible substrate such as paper. The speaker is a device for outputting information in an audible form (e.g., voice). The speaker can directly output various notification sounds or voice messages as well as various audio data on which various processing operations such as decoding, amplification, and noise filtering are performed by an audio processing part (not shown).

[0118] Hereinafter, a description is made with reference to Figures 3 to 5 A method of registering a device in a server is described.

[0119] Figure 3 is a diagram for explaining a method for registering a device in a server according to an embodiment of the disclosure; Figure 4 is a diagram for explaining a user interface (UI) for registering a location according to an embodiment of the disclosure; Figure 5 is a diagram for explaining a UI for registering a device in a server according to an embodiment of the disclosure. Figure 6 is a diagram for explaining information about a device stored in a server according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0120] Reference is made to Figures 3 to 6User terminal device 400 can access server 100 using a network address, and user 30 can input account information via user terminal device 400 (S310). In this case, server 100 can receive account information from user terminal device 400 (S311) and perform authentication on user account by comparing the received account information with pre-stored key information (S320). For this purpose, server 100 can store the account information of user 30 entered in the previous account registration step as key information. The account information may include a unique identifier (e.g., user ID) for distinguishing and identifying user 30 from other users, and encrypted information (e.g., password, user 30's fingerprint information, user 30's iris information, user 30's facial contour information, or user 30's vein information) for identifying user 30 to restrict other users from viewing user 30's information.

[0121] Then, if user 30 is authenticated (or confirmed) as a result of the authentication process, server 100 may send information or messages indicating that authentication is complete to user terminal device 400 (S321). In this case, user terminal device 400 may display the received information or messages on a display.

[0122] For example, such as Figure 4 As shown in (1), a first user interface (UI) 410 can be displayed on the monitor of the user terminal device 400. The first UI 410 may include a first UI element 411 and a second UI element 415, wherein the first UI element 411 is used to display information about a location (or place) or device registered in the user 30's account, and the second UI element 415 is used to register a location (or device) in the user 30's account. Here, in the absence of a currently registered location and a currently registered device, the first UI 410 may be as follows: Figure 4 As shown in (1).

[0123] After user 30 is authenticated (or confirmed) as a result of the authentication process, a user command for registering (or adding) a location in user 30's account can be entered through user terminal device 400 (S330). Here, user terminal device 400 can send the entered user command to server 100 (S331). Here, server 100 can receive the user command for registering a location in user 30's account from user terminal device 400 (S331), and then register the location in user 30's account based on the received user command and store the location in memory 130 (S340).

[0124] For example, as in Figure 4As shown in (1), a user command (e.g., touch) for selecting a second UI element 415 displayed on the display of the user terminal device 400 can be input through the input interface of the user terminal device 400. In this case, the user terminal device 400 can display a second UI 420 on the display corresponding to the user command for selecting the second UI element 415, as shown in Figure 4 As shown in (2). The second UI 420 may include a list of multiple locations (or multiple locations). However, this configuration is merely an example, and the user 30 may also input or modify the text indicating the location through the second UI 420. As shown in Figure 4 As shown in (2), the user terminal device 400 can select a specific location, such as the living room 423, through the second UI 420, and if a user command for selecting a third UI element 425 to confirm the selected location is entered, information for registering (or adding) the selected location to the user 30's account is sent to the server 100. The user terminal device 400 can then display information such as... Figure 4 The third UI 430 shown in (3) may include information 431 about devices in the location registered in the user 30's account, and if no device is present in the currently registered living room, the third UI 430 may, as shown in (3). Figure 4 As shown in (3).

[0125] After user 30 is authenticated (or confirmed) as a result of the authentication process, user commands for registering external devices can be entered through user terminal device 400 (S350). Here, user terminal device 400 can send the entered user commands to server 100 (S353).

[0126] For example, when a user command, such as selecting a location like living room 435 registered in user 30's account, is input into user terminal device 400 via the third UI 430, user terminal device 400 can display on the screen... Figure 5The fourth UI 510 can include information 511 about the devices in the living room 435 registered and a UI element 515 for registering (or adding) a device. In the case where a user command for selecting the UI element 515 for registering (or adding) a device in the user terminal device 400 is input, the electronic device or the sensing device that can be registered within the network (e.g., a Wi-Fi or a Bluetooth network environment) of the user terminal device 400 can be searched. In this case, the user terminal device 400 can transmit a signal for searching for the electronic device or the sensing device in the network by using various network protocols, and receive identification information of the device from the electronic device or the sensing device in response to the request. Then, in the case where the identification information is received, the user terminal device 400 can display a list of the found devices corresponding to the received identification information on the display as shown in Figure 5 The fifth UI 520 as shown in (2) of FIG. 5B. Here, the fifth UI 520 can include a list of the found devices corresponding to the received identification information. In the case where a user command for selecting a device such as the air conditioner 525 among the found devices in the user terminal device 400 is input, the user terminal device 400 can transmit the input user command to the server 100.

[0127] The server 100 can receive a user command for registering the selected device in the account of the user 30 from the user terminal device 400 (S353), and then the server 100 can transmit a request for information about the device to the selected device (S355). In response to the request, the selected device can transmit information about the device to the server 100 (S357). Here, the information about the device can include unique identification information (e.g., a name, a model number, a serial number, or a Mac address) for identifying the selected device and information such as a type of the available sensing data.

[0128] Here, the server can receive the information about the device from the selected device (S357), and then the server 100 can register the selected device in the account of the user 30 and store the selected device in the memory based on the received information about the device (S360). Then, the user terminal device 400 can display the sixth UI 530 as shown in (3) of FIG. 5C. Figure 5 The sixth UI 530 can include information 531 about the devices in the location registered in the account of the user 30, and in the case where the device currently in the living room is the air conditioner, the sixth UI 530 can display the information 531 as shown in Figure 5Then, in a case where a user command for controlling an operation of the air conditioner registered through the user terminal device 400 is input, the user terminal device 400 can transmit the user command for controlling the operation of the air conditioner to the air conditioner through the server 100. The operation of the air conditioner can be controlled by such a method or the like. That is, after the electronic device or the sensing device is registered in the server 100, the server 100 can have a right to control the registered electronic device or the registered sensing device. For example, the server 100 can change the registered electronic device or the registered sensing device to power on / power off, control the registered electronic device to perform a specific operation or stop a specific operation, or periodically receive sensing data from the registered sensing device.

[0129] As described above, the server 100 can register external devices (e.g., the plurality of electronic devices 200 and the plurality of sensing devices 300) connected through a network, and can store information about the registered external devices in the server 100 for each user account.

[0130] Then, the server 100 can receive data (or a message) from the registered external devices, or transmit data (or a user command) to the registered external devices. For example, the server 100 can periodically receive sensing data from the plurality of registered sensing devices 300. For another example, the server 100 can transmit a signal for controlling the registered external devices to perform a specific operation to the registered external devices. In detail, the server 100 can transmit a signal for controlling an operation to be performed by using sensing data received from one of the plurality of registered sensing devices 300 to one of the plurality of registered electronic devices 200.

[0131] Here, the information about the registered external devices can include unique identification information (e.g., a device ID, a quick response (QR) code, or a bar code) for distinguishing and identifying the external device from other external devices. In addition, the information about the registered external devices can include information about an area (or information about a location) in which the external device is located, information about sensing data obtainable by the external device, or the like.

[0132] For example, as shown in Figure 6 , the information about the registered external devices can include information indicating that the temperature sensor 1 is located in the first area 21 (or the room 1), information indicating that the sensing data obtainable by the temperature sensor 1 is a temperature, or the like. The information about the external devices registered in this way can include information indicating that the air conditioner, which can obtain an infrared signal as sensing data, is located in the first area 21, information indicating that the temperature sensor 2, which can obtain a temperature as sensing data, and the TV, which can obtain a user's voice and an infrared signal as sensing data, are located in the second area 22, or the like.

[0133] Figure 7 is a diagram for explaining a method for determining a sensing device that is a basis for an operation of a target electronic device by a user command according to an embodiment of the disclosure. Here, a description is provided in a case where it is assumed that the electronic device 1, the sensing device 1, and the sensing device 2 are registered in an account of the user 30 and are stored in the server 100; and the sensing device 1 (e.g., the temperature sensing device 1) and the sensing device 2 (e.g., the temperature sensing device 2) are sensing devices that can obtain sensing data for performing an operation of the electronic device 1 (e.g., the air conditioner 1).

[0134] Referring to Figure 7 , the processor 120 of the server 100 can control the communication interface 110 to receive a command for controlling the electronic device 1 from the user terminal device 400 or the electronic device 1 (S710). In this case, the processor 120 can control the communication interface 110 to transmit a request for information about obtainable sensing data to a plurality of sensing devices 300. Here, the electronic device 1 is referred to as a target electronic device.

[0135] In response to the request, information can be received from the plurality of sensing devices 300 through the communication interface 110 (S711), and then the processor 120 can identify a sensing device that can obtain sensing data corresponding to an operation of the target electronic device among the plurality of sensing devices 300 based on the received information (S720). For example, the processor 120 can identify the sensing device 1 and the sensing device 2 among the plurality of sensing devices 300, wherein the sensing device 1 and the sensing device 2 can each obtain sensing data for a temperature for performing an operation of the air conditioner 1. Here, the received information can include identification information of the sensing device and information about sensing data that can be obtained by the sensing device. However, this configuration is merely an example, and the identification information of the sensing device and the information about the sensing data that can be obtained by the sensing device can be pre-stored in the server 100. In this case, the step S711 related to an operation of receiving information from the sensing device can be omitted.

[0136] The processor 120 can control the communication interface 110 to transmit a list of the identified sensing devices (e.g., the sensing device 1 and the sensing device 2) to the user terminal device 400 (S730).

[0137] In this case, the user terminal device 400 can display the list received from the server 100 on the display, and in the case where a user command (S735) for selecting a sensing device 2 in the list is received, transmit information on the selected sensing device 2 to the server 100 (S740). The server 100 can control the target electronic device to perform an operation based on the received information on the sensing device 2. For example, the processor 120 can control the communication interface 110 to transmit a signal for controlling the target electronic device to receive sensing data from the selected sensing device 2 to the target electronic device or the sensing device 2. The target electronic device can obtain data obtained by the sensing device 2 from the sensing device 2 based on the received signal or the sensing device 2 can transmit the data obtained by the sensing device 2 to the target electronic device based on the received signal (S745). However, this configuration is merely an example, and the server 100 can also receive the data obtained from the sensing device 2 and transmit the received data to the target electronic device. Then, the target electronic device can perform an operation based on the received sensing data (S750).

[0138] Figure 8a is a diagram for explaining a method for determining a sensing device that is a basis for an operation of an electronic device as a target electronic device by using a user command inputted by using a sensing device according to an embodiment of the disclosure. Figure 8b is a diagram for explaining a method for determining a sensing device that is a basis for an operation of an electronic device as a target electronic device by using a user command inputted by using a sensing device according to an embodiment of the disclosure. Here, Figure 8a In the case where a device to which a user command is inputted is an electronic device, Figure 8b In the case where a device to which a user command is inputted is a sensing device.

[0139] Hereinafter, it is assumed that the electronic device 1 and the electronic device 2 are registered as a plurality of electronic devices 200, the sensing device 1 and the sensing device 2 are registered as a plurality of sensing devices 300, and the electronic device 2 is registered as being located in the same area as an area of the sensing device 2 in an account of the user 30 to be stored in the server 100. In addition, the description is provided in the case where it is assumed that the sensing device 1 (for example, a temperature sensing device 1) and the sensing device 2 (for example, a temperature sensing device 2) are sensing devices that can obtain sensing data for performing an operation of the electronic device 1 (for example, an air conditioner 1).

[0140] Referring to Figure 8a and Figure 8b , the processor 120 of the server 100 can control the communication interface 110 to receive a command for controlling the electronic device 1 from the user terminal device 400 or the electronic device 1 (S810). Here, the electronic device 1 is referred to as a target electronic device.

[0141] Referring toFigure 8a The user command or the user voice can be input to an electronic device 2 (e.g., a TV or a remote control interlocked with the TV) among the plurality of electronic devices 200 and the plurality of sensing devices 300 (S811). The time at which the user command or the user voice is input to the electronic device 2 can be the same time before or after step S810. In this case, the electronic device 2 can transmit information about a state of an electronic device controlled based on the user command or information about the user voice to the server 100 (S813).

[0142] The processor 120 can control the communication interface 110 to receive state information of an electronic device controlled based on a user command from among the plurality of electronic devices 200 or information about a user voice from an electronic device that receives the user voice among the plurality of electronic devices 200 (S813).

[0143] In this case, the processor 120 can identify a sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices 300 located in the same area as an area of an electronic device that transmits state information thereof as a sensing device corresponding to a location of the user 30. Also, the processor 120 can identify a sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices 300 located in the same area as an area of an electronic device that transmits information about a user voice as a sensing device corresponding to a location of the user 30.

[0144] In detail, the processor 120 can identify a device that receives a user command or a user voice among the plurality of electronic devices 200 and the plurality of sensing devices 300 based on the state information of the electronic device or the information about the user voice (S820). In this case, the processor 120 can identify a device in which a user command is input latest by comparing times at which user commands included in the state information of the electronic device are input to each other. For another example, the processor 120 can identify a device that receives a user voice having a greatest signal level by comparing signal levels of user voices included in the information about the user voice of the electronic device to each other. For example, in the case of Figure 8a , the electronic device 2 in which a user command is input can be identified.

[0145] Then, the processor 120 can determine whether the identified device can obtain sensing data for an operation of a target electronic device by comparing information about sensing data obtainable by the identified device and information about sensing data requested by the target electronic device to each other (S830). The information about sensing data obtainable by the identified device and the information about sensing data requested by the target electronic device can be information pre-stored in the server 100 or information received from each device. For example, in the case of Figure 8aIn this case, the processor can determine that the recognized electronic device 2 cannot obtain the sensing data corresponding to the operation of the target electronic device.

[0146] The processor can determine that the recognized electronic device cannot obtain the sensing data corresponding to the operation of the target electronic device (NO in S830). In this case, then, the processor 120 can identify the sensing device, among the plurality of sensing devices 300, located in the same area as the area of the recognized device as the sensing device corresponding to the location of the user by comparing the location information of the recognized device with the location information of the target electronic device (S840). The location information of the recognized device and the location information of the target electronic device can be information pre-stored in the server 100 or information received from each device. For example, in the case where the location information of the recognized device is received from the recognized device, the processor 120 can identify the sensing device, among the plurality of sensing devices 300, located in the same area as the area of the recognized device as the sensing device corresponding to the location of the user by comparing the location information of the recognized device with the location information of the target electronic device. Figure 8a In this case, the processor can identify the sensing device 2, located in the same area as the area of the recognized electronic device 2, as the sensing device corresponding to the location of the user.

[0147] The processor 120 can allow a signal for controlling an operation to be performed based on sensing data obtained from the recognized sensing device 2 to be transmitted to the target electronic device (S841). In this case, the target electronic device can receive information (e.g., identification information or network information) about the recognized sensing device and receive the sensing data from the sensing device 2 based on the information about the recognized sensing device (S845). However, this configuration is merely an example, and the server 100 can also receive the sensing data from the sensing device 2 and transmit the received sensing data to the target electronic device. Then, the target electronic device can perform the operation based on the received sensing data (S860).

[0148] In addition, with reference to Figure 8b A user command or a user voice can be input to the sensing device 2, among the plurality of electronic devices 200 and the plurality of sensing devices 300 (S812). In this case, the sensing device 2 can include a temperature sensor and can also include at least one of an input interface and a microphone. The time at which the user command or the user voice is input to the sensing device 2 can be the same time before or after step S810. In this case, the sensing device 2 can transmit the state information of the controlled electronic device or information about the user voice to the server 100 based on the user command (S814).

[0149] The processor 120 can identify a device that receives a user command or user voice among the plurality of electronic devices 200 and the plurality of sensing devices 300 based on the received state information of the electronic device or information about the user voice (S820). Then, the processor 120 can determine whether the identified device can obtain sensing data for the operation of the target electronic device by comparing information about sensing data that can be obtained by the identified device with the sensing data requested by the target electronic device with each other (S830). For example, in the case of Figure 8b , the processor can identify the sensing device 2 and determine that the sensing data for the operation of the target electronic device can be obtained.

[0150] Here, the processor can determine that the identified electronic device can obtain sensing data corresponding to the operation of the target electronic device (Yes in S830). In this case, the processor 120 can identify the identified device as a sensing device corresponding to the location of the user (S850). For example, in the case of Figure 8b , the processor can identify the sensing device 2 as a sensing device corresponding to the location of the user.

[0151] Then, the processor 120 can allow a signal for controlling an operation to be performed based on sensing data obtained from the identified sensing device 2 to be transmitted to the target electronic device (S851). In this case, the target electronic device can receive information (e.g., identification information or network information) about the identified sensing device and receive the sensing data from the sensing device 2 through the information about the identified sensing device (S855). However, this configuration is only an example, and the server 100 can also receive the sensing data from the sensing device 2 and transmit the received sensing data to the target electronic device. Then, the target electronic device can perform an operation based on the received sensing data (S860).

[0152] Figure 8c and Figure 8d are various diagrams for explaining a method for identifying a device based on a user command and a user voice according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0153] Referring to Figure 8c and Figure 8dThe plurality of electronic devices 200 can include a first electronic device 200-1, a second electronic device 200-2, a third electronic device 200-3, and a fourth electronic device 200-4. For example, it is assumed that the first electronic device 200-1 is implemented as an air conditioner disposed in the first zone 21, the second electronic device 200-2 is implemented as a TV disposed in the second zone 22, the third electronic device 200-3 is implemented as a remote controller for controlling the TV disposed in the second zone 22, and the fourth electronic device 200-4 is implemented as an artificial intelligence speaker disposed in the third zone 23.

[0154] As shown in Figure 8c , the user 30 can remotely control the second electronic device 200-2 by the third electronic device 200-3 performing communication (such as infrared communication) with the second electronic device 200-2.

[0155] Here, in a case where a user command is input to the third electronic device 200-3 while the third electronic device 200-3 is connected to the server 100 through a network, the third electronic device 200-3 can transmit state information of the third electronic device 200-3 to the server 100. The server 100 can identify the second sensing device 300-2 located in the same zone as the zone of the third electronic device 200-3 from which the state information is transmitted as a sensing device corresponding to the location of the user using the location information of the third electronic device 200-3 and the plurality of sensing devices 300. Here, in a case where a user command is input to the third electronic device 200-3 while the third electronic device 200-3 is not connected to the server 100 through a network, the second electronic device 200-2 controlled by the third electronic device 200-3 can transmit state information of the second electronic device 200-2 to the server 100. The server 100 can identify the second sensing device 2 located in the same zone as the zone of the second electronic device 200-2 from which the state information is transmitted as a sensing device corresponding to the location of the user using the location information of the second electronic device 200-2 and the plurality of sensing devices 300.

[0156] Here, in a case where the first electronic device 200-1 is a target electronic device, the server 100 can transmit a signal for controlling the target electronic device to perform an operation based on sensing data obtained from the identified second sensing device 300-2 to the target electronic device. In this case, the target electronic device can perform a cooling operation based on a set temperature (for example, 24℃) and sensing data (for example, 30℃) obtained from the second sensing device 300-2.

[0157] In a case where the user 30 utters a voice, as in Figure 8dAs illustrated in FIG. 1, the electronic devices 200 among the plurality of electronic devices 200 including a microphone can receive a user's voice. For example, it is assumed that the first electronic device 200-1 and the second electronic device 200-2 each include a microphone, as illustrated in FIG. 1. Figure 8d The third electronic device 200-3 and the fourth electronic device 200-4 each include a microphone, as illustrated in FIG. 1. In this case, the third electronic device 200-3, which is located close to the user 30 among the third electronic device 200-3 and the fourth electronic device 200-4, can receive a user's voice having a greater signal level, and the fourth electronic device 200-4, which is located far from the user 30, can receive a user's voice having a smaller signal level. In this case, the third electronic device 200-3 and the fourth electronic device 200-4 can transmit information about the received user's voice to the server 100. The server 100 can identify the second sensing device 300-2 located in the same area as that of the third electronic device 200-3, which is the electronic device having the greatest signal level of the user's voice, as a sensing device corresponding to the user's location based on the information about the user's voice received from the third electronic device 200-3 and the fourth electronic device 200-4.

[0158] Here, in the case where the first electronic device 200-1 is a target electronic device, the server 100 can transmit a signal for controlling the target electronic device to perform an operation based on sensing data obtained from the identified second sensing device 300-2 to the target electronic device. In this case, the target electronic device can perform a cooling operation based on a set temperature (for example, 24℃) and sensing data (for example, 30℃) obtained from the second sensing device 300-2.

[0159] Figures 9a to 9c are various diagrams for explaining a method for determining a sensing device that is a basis for an operation of a target electronic device by using a strength of a signal according to an embodiment of the disclosure. Here, Figure 9a a case where the electronic device is a device having the greatest signal strength is illustrated, Figure 9b a case where the sensing device is a device having the greatest signal strength is illustrated.

[0160] Referring to Figure 9a and Figure 9b , the processor 120 of the server 100 can control the communication interface 110 to receive a command for controlling the electronic device 1 from the user terminal device 400 or the electronic device 1 (S910). Here, the electronic device 1 is referred to as a target electronic device.

[0161] The processor 120 can control the communication interface 110 to receive information about communication signal strengths between the plurality of electronic devices 200 and the user terminal device 400 and between the plurality of sensing devices 300 and the user terminal device 400 (S913). Here, the information about the communication signal strengths can include information about a communication signal strength between the user terminal device 400 and the electronic device 1, information about a communication signal strength between the user terminal device 400 and the electronic device 2, information about a communication signal strength between the user terminal device 400 and the sensing device 1, and information about a communication signal strength between the user terminal device 400 and the sensing device 2. In addition, the information about the communication signal strengths can be received from the user terminal device 400. However, this configuration is merely an example, and the information about the respective communication signal strengths can also be received from the plurality of electronic devices 200 and the plurality of sensing devices 300.

[0162] The processor 120 can identify a device having a greatest communication signal strength based on the received information about the communication signal strengths (S920). For example, as shown in Figure 9c , the second electronic device 200-2 closest to the user terminal device 400 can have the greatest communication signal strength.

[0163] In this case, the processor 120 can identify a sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices 300 corresponding to the device identified as having the greatest communication signal strength as a sensing device corresponding to the location of the user 30.

[0164] For example, one of the plurality of electronic devices 200 can be identified as a device having the greatest communication signal strength. In this case, as shown in Figure 9a , the processor 120 of the server 100 can identify a sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices 300 located in the same region as the identified electronic device based on the location information as a sensing device corresponding to the location of the user 30. For another example, as shown in Figure 9b , one of the plurality of sensing devices 300 can be identified as having the greatest communication signal strength. In this case, the processor 120 can identify the identified sensing device as a sensing device corresponding to the location of the user 30.

[0165] In detail, the processor 120 can determine whether the device identified as having the greatest communication signal strength can obtain the sensing data for the operation of the target electronic device by comparing information about the sensing data obtainable by the device identified as having the greatest communication signal strength with information about the sensing data requested by the target electronic device (S930). The information about the sensing data obtainable by the identified device and the information about the sensing data requested by the target electronic device can be information pre-stored in the server 100 or information received from each device. For example, in the case of Figure 9a , the processor can determine that the electronic device 2 identified as having the greatest communication signal strength cannot obtain the sensing data corresponding to the operation of the target electronic device. For another example, in the case of Figure 9b , the processor can determine that the sensing device 2 identified as having the greatest communication signal strength can obtain the sensing data corresponding to the operation of the target electronic device.

[0166] For example, as shown in Figure 9a , the processor 120 can determine that the electronic device 2 identified as having the greatest communication signal strength cannot obtain the sensing data corresponding to the operation of the target electronic device (NO in S930). In this case, the processor 120 can identify the sensing device 2 among the plurality of sensing devices 300 located in the same area as the area of the identified electronic device 2 as the sensing device corresponding to the location of the user 30 based on the location information (S940).

[0167] For another example, as shown in Figure 9b , the processor 120 can determine that the sensing device 2 identified as having the greatest communication signal strength can obtain the sensing data corresponding to the operation of the target electronic device (YES in S930). In this case, the processor 120 can identify the identified sensing device 2 as the sensing device corresponding to the location of the user 30.

[0168] Then, the processor 120 can perform control to transmit information about the identified sensing device to the target electronic device (S941 and S951), and the target electronic device can receive the sensing data from the identified sensing device 2 (S945 and S955) to perform the operation using the received sensing data (S950 and S960). These steps overlap with what described above with reference to Figures 8a to 8d , and thus a detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0169] Figure 10 is a diagram for explaining a method for determining a sensing device that is a basis for an operation of a target electronic device by using a score according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0170] Referring to Figure 10The processor 120 of the server 100 can identify a sensing device corresponding to the location of the user 30 among the plurality of sensing devices 300 based on information about the strength of the communication signal received from the plurality of electronic devices 200 and the plurality of sensing devices 300 and the state information or information about the user's voice received from at least one of the plurality of electronic devices 200.

[0171] In detail, the processor 120 of the server 100 can calculate a score for each of the plurality of electronic devices 200 and the plurality of sensing devices 300 by applying a predetermined weight to each value corresponding to the information about the communication signal strength, the state information of the electronic device, or the information about the user's voice.

[0172] Here, the value corresponding to each of the information about the communication signal strength, the state information, and the information about the user's voice can be a value obtained by quantizing each of the information about the communication signal strength, the state information, and the information about the user's voice. For example, in the case where a user command is not input, the value corresponding to the state information can have a value of 0, and in the case where a user command is input, the value corresponding to the state information can have a value of 1. The value corresponding to the user's voice can have a value between a minimum value of zero and a maximum value of 1, and can have a greater value as the signal level (or the volume of sound) of the user's voice is greater. The value corresponding to the communication signal strength can have a value between a minimum value of 0 and a maximum value of 1, and can have a greater value as the communication signal strength is greater. However, this is merely an example, and the communication signal strength can have a value within various ranges. Each weight can be set or adjusted by a manufacturer or a user.

[0173] In addition, the score can be calculated for each of the plurality of electronic devices 200 and the plurality of sensing devices 300. For example, as shown in Figure 10 , the score Y1 of the electronic device 1 can be the sum of a value obtained by multiplying a weight 1 (W1) by a value (X 11 ) corresponding to the state information, a value obtained by multiplying a weight 2 (W2) by a value (X 12 ) corresponding to the user's voice, and a value obtained by multiplying a weight 3 (W3) by a value (X 13 ) corresponding to the communication signal strength.

[0174] In addition, the processor 120 of the server 100 can identify a device having the highest score among the plurality of electronic devices 200 and the plurality of sensing devices 300.

[0175] For example, in a case where one of the plurality of electronic devices 200 is identified as a device having the highest score, the processor 120 can identify a sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices 300 located in the same area as the area of the identified electronic device as a sensing device corresponding to the location of the user 30 based on the location information.

[0176] On the other hand, in a case where one of the plurality of sensing devices 300 is identified as a device having the highest score, the processor 120 of the server 100 can identify the identified sensing device as a sensing device corresponding to the location of the user 30.

[0177] Figure 11 is a block diagram for explaining a configuration of one of the plurality of electronic devices according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0178] Referring to Figure 11 , the Nth electronic device 200-N can include a communication interface 210, a driver 220, and a processor 230. Here, the Nth electronic device 200-N can be one of the plurality of electronic devices 200. In addition, the Nth electronic device 200-N can include at least one of an input interface 240, an output interface 250, a memory 260, and a sensor 270 in addition to the communication interface 210, the driver 220, and the processor 230. Here, the contents described with reference to Figure 2a and 2b may be applied to the configuration, and overlapping contents thereof are omitted.

[0179] The driver 220 can be a component that can perform a specific operation for providing a service. For example, the driver 220 can perform various operations to generate cold air or warm air, move the Nth electronic device 200-N, rotate the Nth electronic device 200-N, emit light, etc. To this end, the driver 220 can include components such as a blowing fan 221, a heat exchanger 222, a driving motor 223, a heat pump 224, etc., and can modify the configuration to include various components based on an operation performed by the Nth electronic device 200-N or a service to be provided.

[0180] Figure 12 is a block diagram for explaining a configuration of one of the plurality of sensing devices according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0181] Referring to Figure 12The Nth sensing device 300-N can include a communication interface 310, a sensor 320, and a processor 330. Here, the Nth sensing device 300-N can be one of the plurality of sensing devices 300. In addition, the Nth sensing device 300-N can include at least one of an input interface 340, an output interface 350, a storage 360, and a driver 370, in addition to the communication interface 310, the sensor 320, and the processor 330. Here, the components described with reference to Figure 2a and 2b may be applied to this configuration, and overlapping contents thereof are omitted.

[0182] The sensor 320 can obtain sensing data of the surrounding environment. For example, the sensor 320 can obtain various sensing data such as temperature, dust concentration, humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, illuminance, etc. To this end, the sensor 320 can include components such as a temperature sensor 321, a dust sensor 322, a humidity sensor 323, a gas sensor 324, etc., and the configuration can be modified to include various components based on the sensing data obtained by the Nth sensing device 300-N.

[0183] Figure 13 is a diagram for explaining a flowchart according to another embodiment of the disclosure.

[0184] The control method of the server 100 according to another embodiment of the disclosure can include identifying a sensing device corresponding to the location of the user 30 among the plurality of sensing devices 300 based on information received from at least one of the plurality of electronic devices 200 and the plurality of sensing devices 300 (S1310), and transmitting a signal for controlling a target electronic device among the plurality of electronic devices 200 to the target electronic device based on sensing data received from the identified sensing device (S1320).

[0185] In detail, the sensing device corresponding to the location of the user 30 among the plurality of sensing devices 300 can be identified based on information received from at least one of the plurality of electronic devices 200 and the plurality of sensing devices 300 (S1310).

[0186] Here, the sensing device corresponding to the location of the user 30 according to an embodiment of the disclosure can be a sensing device closest to the user 30 among the plurality of sensing devices 300. That is, in identifying the sensing device corresponding to the location of the user, the sensing device closest to the user 30 among the plurality of sensing devices 300 can be identified as the sensing device corresponding to the location of the user 30.

[0187] In addition, the server 100 according to an embodiment of the disclosure can store information about locations of the plurality of electronic devices 200 and the plurality of sensing devices 300 in which the specific place is located. In this case, the step of identifying the sensing device can include identifying one of the plurality of electronic devices 200 based on information received from at least one of the plurality of electronic devices 200. In addition, the step of identifying the sensing device can include identifying, based on the location information, a sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices 300 located in the same area as the area of the identified electronic device as the sensing device corresponding to the location of the user 30.

[0188] The step of identifying the sensing device according to another embodiment of the disclosure can include, in a case where the state information of the electronic device is received from the electronic device among the plurality of electronic devices 200 controlled based on the user command, identifying a sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices 300 located in the same area as the area of the electronic device that transmitted the state information of the electronic device as the sensing device corresponding to the location of the user 30.

[0189] The step of identifying the sensing device according to another embodiment of the disclosure can include, in a case where information about the user voice is received from the electronic device that receives the user voice among the plurality of electronic devices 200, identifying a sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices 300 in the same area as the area of the electronic device that transmitted the information about the user voice as the sensing device corresponding to the location of the user 30.

[0190] The step of identifying the sensing device according to another embodiment of the disclosure can include, in a case where information about communication signal strengths between the plurality of electronic devices 200 and the user terminal device 400 and between the plurality of sensing devices 300 and the user terminal device 400 is received through the communication interface 110, identifying a device having the greatest communication signal strength based on the received information about the communication signal strengths, and identifying a sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices 300 corresponding to the identified device as the sensing device corresponding to the location of the user 30.

[0191] Here, the step of identifying the sensing device can include, in a case where one of the plurality of electronic devices 200 is identified as the device having the greatest communication signal strength, identifying, based on the location information, a sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices 300 located in the same area as the area of the identified electronic device as the sensing device corresponding to the location of the user 30, and in a case where one of the plurality of sensing devices 300 is identified as the device having the greatest communication signal strength, identifying the identified sensing device as the sensing device corresponding to the location of the user 30.

[0192] The step of identifying the sensing device according to another embodiment of the disclosure can include identifying a sensing device corresponding to the location of the user 30 among the plurality of sensing devices 300 based on information on communication signal strength received from the plurality of electronic devices 200 and the plurality of sensing devices 300 and state information or information on user speech received from at least one electronic device among the plurality of electronic devices 200.

[0193] Here, in identifying the sensing device, for each of the plurality of electronic devices 200 and the plurality of sensing devices 300, a score can be calculated by applying a predetermined weight to each value corresponding to information on communication signal strength, state information of the electronic device, or information on user speech. The device having the highest score among the plurality of electronic devices 200 and the plurality of sensing devices 300 can also be identified.

[0194] For example, in the case where one electronic device among the plurality of electronic devices 200 is identified as a device having the highest score, a sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices 300 located in the same area as the area of the identified electronic device can be identified as a sensing device corresponding to the location of the user 30 based on location information. On the other hand, the step of identifying the sensing device can include, in the case where one sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices 300 is identified as a device having the highest score, identifying the identified sensing device as a sensing device corresponding to the location of the user 30.

[0195] Then, a signal for controlling a target electronic device can be transmitted to the target electronic device among the plurality of electronic devices 200 based on sensing data received from the identified sensing device (S1320).

[0196] Each of the plurality of sensing devices 300 according to an embodiment of the disclosure can generate sensing data by sensing the surrounding environment of each sensing device. In this case, the step of transmitting a signal for controlling a target electronic device to the target electronic device among the plurality of electronic devices 200 can include receiving, from the identified sensing device, sensing data generated by sensing the surrounding environment by the identified sensing device, and transmitting a signal for controlling the surrounding environment of the target electronic device to the target electronic device based on the received sensing data.

[0197] According to various embodiments of the disclosure as described above, a server that controls the operation of a target electronic device by using sensing data for an environment closer to the environment of the user 30 and a control method thereof can be provided. Accordingly, the satisfaction of the user 30 with the service can be improved, and the inconvenience of the user 30 can also be addressed.

[0198] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, it is also possible to detect an environment estimated to be the environment of the user 30 without accurately detecting the location of the user 30. Since a sensor device including separate hardware and software for sensing the location of the user 30 is not required, it can be economical, and in addition, it is also possible to protect the privacy of the user 30.

[0199] Various embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented by software including instructions stored in a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., computer-readable storage medium). A machine can be a device that reads instructions stored in a storage medium, operates based on the read instructions, and can include an electronic device (e.g., electronic device 100) according to the disclosed embodiments. In the case where the instructions are executed by a processor, the processor can directly perform functions corresponding to the instructions, or other components can perform the functions corresponding to the instructions under the control of the processor. The instructions can include code provided by a compiler or an interpreter. The machine-readable storage medium can be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, the term "non-transitory" can only indicate that the storage medium is tangible, not including a signal, and does not distinguish whether data is semi-permanently or temporarily stored in the storage medium.

[0200] The method according to various embodiments can be provided by including the method in a computer program product. The computer program product can be traded as a product between a seller and a buyer. The computer program product can be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., a compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM)) or be distributed online through an application store (e.g., PlayStore TM ) or the like. In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product can be temporarily stored in a storage medium such as a memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or a relay server, or be temporarily provided.

[0201] Each of the components (e.g., modules or programs) according to various embodiments can include a single entity or a plurality of entities, and some of the above-described respective sub-components can be omitted, or other sub-components can be further included in various embodiments. Alternatively or additionally, some of the components (e.g., modules or programs) can be integrated into one entity, and can perform functions performed by respective corresponding components prior to the integration in the same or similar manner. The operations performed by the modules, programs, or other components according to various embodiments can be executed in a sequential, parallel, iterative, or heuristics manner, at least some of the operations can be executed in different sequences or omitted, or other operations can be added.

Claims

1. A server comprising: a communication interface configured to perform communication with a plurality of electronic devices and a plurality of sensing devices; and a processor configured to: identify a sensing device corresponding to a location of a user among the plurality of sensing devices based on information received through the communication interface from at least one of the plurality of electronic devices and the plurality of sensing devices, obtain sensing data from the identified sensing device, control the communication interface to transmit a signal for controlling a target electronic device among the plurality of electronic devices to the target electronic device based on the sensing data, wherein the processor is configured to identify the sensing device corresponding to the location of the user among the plurality of sensing devices based on the information received through the communication interface from at least one of the plurality of electronic devices and the plurality of sensing devices by: calculating a score by applying a predetermined weight to each value corresponding to information on communication signal strength, state information of a target electronic device, or information on a user's voice for each of the plurality of electronic devices and the plurality of sensing devices, identifying a device having the highest score among the plurality of electronic devices and the plurality of sensing devices, in a case where one of the plurality of electronic devices is identified as the device having the highest score, identifying a sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices located in the same area as the identified electronic device as a sensing device corresponding to the location of the user based on location information, and in a case where one of the plurality of sensing devices is identified as the device having the highest score, identifying the identified sensing device as the sensing device corresponding to the location of the user. each of the plurality of sensing devices generates the sensing data by sensing a surrounding environment of each sensing device, and 2. The server of claim 1, wherein, the processor is configured to: control the communication interface to receive the sensing data generated by sensing a surrounding environment by the identified sensing device from the identified sensing device, and transmit the signal for controlling the surrounding environment of the target electronic device to the target electronic device based on the obtained sensing data. the processor is configured to:

3. The server of claim 1, wherein, identify a sensing device closest to the user among the plurality of sensing devices as a sensing device corresponding to the location of the user based on the information received from at least one of the plurality of electronic devices and the plurality of sensing devices. the memory stores location information on locations of areas in which the plurality of electronic devices and the plurality of sensing devices are located at specific places, 4. The server of claim 1, further comprising a memory, wherein, wherein the processor is configured to: ​ identifies one of the plurality of electronic devices based on information received from at least one of the plurality of electronic devices through the communication interface, and identifies a sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices located in the same area as the identified electronic device as a sensing device corresponding to the user's location based on the location information.

5. The server of claim 4, wherein, The processor is configured to: In a case where state information of an electronic device controlled based on a user command is received from the electronic device through the communication interface, a sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices located in the same area as the electronic device that transmitted the state information is identified as a sensing device corresponding to the user's location.

6. The server of claim 4, wherein, The processor is configured to: In a case where information about a user voice is received from an electronic device that receives the user voice through the communication interface, a sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices located in the same area as the electronic device that transmitted the information about the user voice is identified as a sensing device corresponding to the user's location.

7. The server of claim 4, wherein, The processor is configured to: In a case where information about communication signal strengths between the plurality of electronic devices and a user terminal device and between the plurality of sensing devices and the user terminal device is received through the communication interface, a first device having a maximum communication signal strength is identified based on the received information about the communication signal strengths, and a sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices corresponding to the identified first device is identified as a sensing device corresponding to the user's location.

8. The server of claim 7, wherein, The processor is configured to: In a case where one of the plurality of electronic devices is identified as the device having the maximum communication signal strength, a sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices located in the same area as the identified electronic device is identified as a sensing device corresponding to the user's location based on the location information, and In a case where one of the plurality of sensing devices is identified as the device having the maximum communication signal strength, the identified sensing device is identified as a sensing device corresponding to the user's location. 9.A control method of a server, the method comprising: identifying a sensing device among a plurality of sensing devices corresponding to a user's location based on information received from at least one of a plurality of electronic devices and the plurality of sensing devices; and transmitting a signal for controlling a target electronic device among the plurality of electronic devices to the target electronic device based on sensing data received from the identified sensing device, wherein the identifying a sensing device among a plurality of sensing devices corresponding to a user's location based on information received from at least one of a plurality of electronic devices and the plurality of sensing devices comprises: The score is calculated by applying a predetermined weight to each value corresponding to information about a communication signal strength, state information of a target electronic device, or information about a user's voice of each of the plurality of electronic devices and the plurality of sensing devices, identifying a device having the highest score among the plurality of electronic devices and the plurality of sensing devices, in a case where one of the plurality of electronic devices is identified as the device having the highest score, identifying, based on location information, a sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices located in the same area as the identified electronic device as a sensing device corresponding to a location of the user, and in a case where one of the plurality of sensing devices is identified as the device having the highest score, identifying the identified sensing device as the sensing device corresponding to the location of the user.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, Each of the plurality of sensing devices generates the sensing data by sensing a surrounding environment of each of the sensing devices, and the step of transmitting a signal for controlling a target electronic device among the plurality of electronic devices to the target electronic device includes: receiving, from the identified sensing device, the sensing data generated by sensing a surrounding environment by the identified sensing device; and based on the received sensing data, transmitting the signal for controlling the surrounding environment of the target electronic device to the target electronic device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein, In identifying a sensing device, based on information received from at least one of the plurality of electronic devices and the plurality of sensing devices, a sensing device closest to the user among the plurality of sensing devices is identified as a sensing device corresponding to a location of the user.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein, The server stores location information about locations of areas in which the plurality of electronic devices and the plurality of sensing devices are located at specific places, and the step of identifying a sensing device includes: identifying one of the plurality of electronic devices based on information received from at least one of the plurality of electronic devices, and based on the location information, identifying a sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices located in the same area as an area of the identified electronic device as a sensing device corresponding to a location of the user.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, The step of identifying a sensing device includes, in a case where state information of an electronic device controlled based on a user command is received from among the plurality of electronic devices, identifying a sensing device among the plurality of sensing devices located in the same area as an area of the electronic device that transmitted the state information as a sensing device corresponding to a location of the user.

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