Method for providing a location confirmation service of an electronic device and apparatus therefor

Abstract

A method for providing a location confirmation service for an electronic device and an apparatus supporting it are disclosed. The electronic device may include: a location measurement circuit; a first wireless communication circuit; a second wireless communication circuit; and at least one processor. The at least one processor may: receive a first notification packet including identification information of a first external device and a multi-hop count; obtain location information of the electronic device when the multi-hop count is a first value; send a signal including the identification information and the location information to a server; and broadcast a second notification packet including the identification information of the first external device and a multi-hop count having a second value increasing from the first value. Various other embodiments identified in the specification are also possible.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The various embodiments disclosed herein relate to techniques for providing location identification services for electronic devices. Background Technology

[0002] Recently, with the increasing availability of various electronic products, users are using multiple devices in conjunction with mobile communication devices (such as smartphones), in addition to smartphones, such as smartwatches, headsets, or tablets. Due to the small size of devices like headsets or user negligence, users may lose these devices. Therefore, device manufacturers or service providers can offer services to locate lost devices. For example, a server can collect the location of a user's lost smartphone and provide that location. For instance, when a user who has lost their smartphone logs into the smartphone manufacturer's website using their account and requests location identification, the server can provide the identified location information via communication with the smartphone through a website or application.

[0003] The above method is based on the premise that an electronic device, such as a smartphone, capable of direct communication with the server has been lost, making it impossible to use devices that can pair with the smartphone via short-range communication (e.g., Bluetooth or Wi-Fi passthrough) but cannot communicate directly with the server (e.g., headsets, earbuds, or headphones). In this case, when the lost device broadcasts its identification information to neighboring devices, the neighboring devices can provide the server with information about themselves and the identification information about the lost device. The server can then use the identification information about the lost device to provide the user of the lost device with its location information. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Technical issues

[0005] Typically, in services used to locate lost devices, the electronic device receiving the signal generated by the lost device needs to provide location information about the corresponding point to a designated server. Therefore, the server can usually be operated by the manufacturer of the terminal device, and the terminals manufactured by the manufacturer can generally be equipped with this service.

[0006] For example, when most neighboring terminals report signals generated from the lost device to the server, the server may be overloaded or may unnecessarily collect large amounts of data, and the terminals may also need to use their resources (e.g., GPS and communication modules) for location measurement and communication with the server, thus wasting resources. For example, when a smartwatch is lost in a large building with many offices, there are thousands to tens of thousands of smartphones capable of receiving signals generated from the smartwatch. In this case, if all smartphones send location information to the server, it would unnecessarily lead to the depletion of wireless resources.

[0007] Therefore, various embodiments of this disclosure can provide various implementations of location identification services for lost devices even if the user loses the device in another country.

[0008] The technical aspects implemented in the embodiments disclosed herein are not limited to those mentioned above, and other technical aspects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art based on the following description.

[0009] Technical solution

[0010] An electronic device disclosed herein according to an embodiment may include: a location measurement circuit; a first wireless communication circuit configured to support short-range communication; a second wireless communication circuit; and at least one processor configured to be electrically connected to the location measurement circuit, the first wireless communication circuit, and the second wireless communication circuit. The at least one processor may receive a first notification packet from a first external device using the first wireless communication circuit, the first notification packet including identification information about the first external device and a multi-hop count; when the multi-hop count included in the first notification packet is a first value, location information about the electronic device may be obtained using the location measurement circuit; a signal may be sent to a server using the second wireless communication circuit, the signal including identification information about the first external device and the location information; and a second notification packet may be broadcast using the first wireless communication circuit, the second notification packet including identification information about the first external device and a multi-hop count having a second value greater than the first value.

[0011] The method of operating an electronic device according to embodiments disclosed herein may include: receiving a first notification packet from a first external device using a first wireless communication circuit of the electronic device, the first notification packet including identification information and a multi-hop count about the first external device; obtaining location information about the electronic device using a location measurement circuit when the multi-hop count included in the first notification packet is a first value, using at least one processor of the electronic device; sending a signal to a server using a second wireless communication circuit of the electronic device, the signal including identification information and location information about the first external device; and broadcasting a second notification packet using the first wireless communication circuit, the second notification packet including identification information about the first external device and a multi-hop count having a second value greater than the first value.

[0012] An electronic device disclosed herein according to an embodiment may include a wireless communication circuit, a memory, and a processor, the processor being configured to be electrically connected to the wireless communication circuit and the memory, wherein the processor may use the wireless communication circuit to broadcast announcement packets, the announcement packets including identification information about the electronic device and a multi-hop count having a first value.

[0013] Technical effect

[0014] According to the various embodiments disclosed herein, an electronic device can determine whether to perform a location measurement and to report to a server based on the multi-hop count included in the obtained group, thereby minimizing potential resource waste when providing a service to identify the location of a lost device.

[0015] In addition, it can provide various effects that can be identified directly or indirectly through the document. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of an electronic device in a network environment according to an embodiment;

[0017] Figure 2 A system for identifying the location of a user device according to an embodiment is shown;

[0018] Figure 3 The diagram illustrates modules related to various functions of an electronic device according to an embodiment;

[0019] Figure 4 This illustrates modules related to various functions of the server according to an embodiment;

[0020] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating how a first device registers a second device in a server according to an embodiment;

[0021] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the current location of a lost device tracked by a search system according to an embodiment;

[0022] Figure 7 A user interface of a first device for identifying the location of a user device according to an embodiment is shown;

[0023] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating an electronic device performing a scan to locate any external device, according to an embodiment.

[0024] Figure 9 This is a flowchart according to an embodiment for adjusting the scanning interval based on the screen on / off state of an electronic device;

[0025] Figure 10 The configuration of the second device according to an embodiment and the data structure of the packets broadcast by the second device are shown;

[0026] Figure 11 This is a conceptual diagram illustrating a system change multi-hop count for identifying the location of a user device according to an embodiment;

[0027] Figure 12 The diagram shows various modules related to the function of preventing redundant reporting of information about lost devices;

[0028] Figure 13 This is a flowchart, according to an embodiment, for reporting location information to a server and neighboring devices based on multi-hop counts;

[0029] Figure 14 This is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an electronic device when a notification packet is received according to an embodiment; and

[0030] Figure 15 This is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an electronic device according to an embodiment when an additional notification packet is received after a location measurement.

[0031] When describing the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used to refer to the same or similar elements. Detailed Implementation

[0032] In the following description, various embodiments of the present disclosure will be illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these embodiments are not intended to limit the present disclosure to the specific embodiments, but should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0033] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device 101 in a network environment 100 according to various embodiments.

[0034] refer to Figure 1In network environment 100, electronic device 101 can communicate with electronic device 102 via a first network 198 (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network), or with electronic device 104 or server 108 via a second network 199 (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). According to an embodiment, electronic device 101 can communicate with electronic device 104 via server 108. According to an embodiment, electronic device 101 may include a processor 120, memory 130, input module 150, sound output module 155, display module 160, audio module 170, sensor module 176, interface 177, connection terminal 178, haptic module 179, camera module 180, power management module 188, battery 189, communication module 190, user identification module (SIM) 196, or antenna module 197. In some embodiments, at least one of the above components (e.g., connection terminal 178) may be omitted from electronic device 101, or one or more other components may be added to electronic device 101. In some embodiments, some of the components described above (e.g., sensor module 176, camera module 180, or antenna module 197) may be implemented as a single component (e.g., display module 160).

[0035] Processor 120 may run software (e.g., program 140) to control at least one other component (e.g., hardware or software component) coupled to electronic device 101, and may perform various data processing or calculations. According to one embodiment, as at least part of the data processing or calculation, processor 120 may load commands or data received from another component (e.g., sensor module 176 or communication module 190) into volatile memory 132, process the commands or data stored in volatile memory 132, and store the resulting data in non-volatile memory 134. According to embodiments, processor 120 may include a main processor 121 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU) or application processor (AP)) and auxiliary processors 123 (e.g., a graphics processing unit (GPU), neural processing unit (NPU), image signal processor (ISP), sensor central processor, or communication processor (CP)) that are operationally independent of or combined with the main processor 121. For example, when electronic device 101 includes a main processor 121 and an auxiliary processor 123, the auxiliary processor 123 can be adapted to consume less power than the main processor 121, or adapted to be dedicated to a specific function. The auxiliary processor 123 can be implemented separately from the main processor 121, or it can be implemented as part of the main processor 121.

[0036] The auxiliary processor 123 can control at least some functions or states related to at least one component of the electronic device 101 (e.g., display module 160, sensor module 176, or communication module 190) in place of the main processor 121 when the main processor 121 is inactive (e.g., in a sleep state), or perform the aforementioned control together with the main processor 121 when the main processor 121 is active (e.g., executing an application). According to embodiments, the auxiliary processor 123 (e.g., an image signal processor or a communication processor) can be implemented as part of another component (e.g., camera module 180 or communication module 190) functionally associated with the auxiliary processor 123. According to embodiments, the auxiliary processor 123 (e.g., a neural processing unit) can include hardware structures dedicated to artificial intelligence model processing. Artificial intelligence models can be generated through machine learning. For example, such learning can be performed by the electronic device 101 performing artificial intelligence or via a separate server (e.g., server 108). Learning algorithms can include, but are not limited to, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or reinforcement learning. The artificial intelligence model can include multiple layers of artificial neural networks. Artificial neural networks can be deep neural networks (DNNs), convolutional neural networks (CNNs), recurrent neural networks (RNNs), restricted Boltzmann machines (RBMs), deep belief networks (DBNs), bidirectional recurrent deep neural networks (BRDNNs), or deep Q-networks, or combinations of two or more thereof, but are not limited thereto. Alternatively, or as an alternative, artificial intelligence models may include software structures in addition to hardware structures.

[0037] Memory 130 may store various data used by at least one component of electronic device 101 (e.g., processor 120 or sensor module 176). The various data may include, for example, software (e.g., program 40) and input or output data for commands associated with it. Memory 130 may include volatile memory 132 or non-volatile memory 134.

[0038] The program 140 can be stored as software in the memory 130, and the program 140 includes, for example, an operating system (OS) 142, middleware 144, or application 146.

[0039] Input module 150 can receive commands or data from outside electronic device 101 (e.g., a user) that will be used by another component of electronic device 101 (e.g., processor 120). Input module 150 may include, for example, a microphone, mouse, keyboard, keys (e.g., buttons), or digital pen (e.g., stylus).

[0040] The sound output module 155 can output sound signals to the outside of the electronic device 101. The sound output module 155 may include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker can be used for general purposes such as playing multimedia or playing records. The receiver can be used to receive calls. According to embodiments, the receiver can be implemented separately from the speaker or as part of the speaker.

[0041] Display module 160 can visually provide information to the outside of electronic device 101 (e.g., to a user). Display module 160 may include, for example, a display, a holographic device, or a projector, and control circuitry for controlling a respective one of the display, holographic device, and projector. According to an embodiment, display module 160 may include a touch sensor adapted to detect touch or a pressure sensor adapted to measure the intensity of the force caused by touch.

[0042] The audio module 170 can convert sound into electrical signals and vice versa. According to an embodiment, the audio module 170 can obtain sound via the input module 150, or output sound via the sound output module 155 or via headphones of an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device 102) that is directly (e.g., wired) coupled to the electronic device 101 or wirelessly coupled to it.

[0043] Sensor module 176 can detect the operating state of electronic device 101 (e.g., power or temperature) or the environmental state outside electronic device 101 (e.g., user state), and then generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the detected state. According to embodiments, sensor module 176 may include, for example, a gesture sensor, gyroscope sensor, atmospheric pressure sensor, magnetic sensor, accelerometer, grip sensor, proximity sensor, color sensor, infrared (IR) sensor, biometric sensor, temperature sensor, humidity sensor, or illuminance sensor.

[0044] Interface 177 may support one or more specified protocols used to directly (e.g., wired) or wirelessly couple electronic device 101 with external electronic device (e.g., electronic device 102). According to embodiments, interface 177 may include, for example, a High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, a Secure Digital Card (SD) interface, or an audio interface.

[0045] Connection end 178 may include a connector, through which electronic device 101 can be physically connected to an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device 102). According to embodiments, connection end 178 may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).

[0046] The haptic module 179 can convert electrical signals into mechanical stimulation (e.g., vibration or motion) or electrical stimulation that can be recognized by a user through his touch or kinesthesia. According to embodiments, the haptic module 179 may include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulator.

[0047] Camera module 180 can capture still or moving images. According to an embodiment, camera module 180 may include one or more lenses, an image sensor, an image signal processor, or a flash.

[0048] The power management module 188 can manage the power supply to the electronic device 101. According to one embodiment, the power management module 188 can be implemented as at least part of, for example, a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

[0049] Battery 189 can power at least one component of electronic device 101. According to embodiments, battery 189 may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable rechargeable battery, or a fuel cell.

[0050] Communication module 190 can support the establishment of a direct (e.g., wired) or wireless communication channel between electronic device 101 and external electronic devices (e.g., electronic device 102, electronic device 104, or server 108), and perform communication via the established communication channel. Communication module 190 may include one or more communication processors capable of operating independently of processor 120 (e.g., application processor (AP)) and support direct (e.g., wired) or wireless communication. According to embodiments, communication module 190 may include wireless communication module 192 (e.g., cellular communication module, short-range wireless communication module, or Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) communication module) or wired communication module 194 (e.g., local area network (LAN) communication module or power line communication (PLC) module). One of these communication modules can communicate with an external electronic device via a first network 198 (e.g., a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Direct, or Infrared Data Association (IrDA)) or a second network 199 (e.g., a long-range communication network such as a traditional cellular network, 5G network, next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a LAN or a wide area network (WAN))). These various types of communication modules can be implemented as a single component (e.g., a single chip) or as multiple components separate from each other (e.g., multiple chips). The wireless communication module 192 can identify and verify the electronic device 101 in the communication network (such as the first network 198 or the second network 199) using user information (e.g., International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI)) stored in the user identification module 196.

[0051] Wireless communication module 192 can support 5G networks following 4G networks and next-generation communication technologies (such as New Radio (NR) access technologies). NR access technologies can support enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive machine-type communications (mMTC), or ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC). Wireless communication module 192 can support high-frequency bands (e.g., millimeter-wave bands) to achieve, for example, high data transmission rates. Wireless communication module 192 can support various technologies used to ensure performance in high-frequency bands, such as, for example, beamforming, massive MIMO, full-dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antennas, analog beamforming, or massive antennas. Wireless communication module 192 can support various requirements specified in electronic device 101, external electronic devices (e.g., electronic device 104), or network systems (e.g., second network 199). According to an embodiment, the wireless communication module 192 may support peak data rates (e.g., 20 Gbps or greater) for implementing eMBB, lost coverage (e.g., 164 dB or less) for implementing mMTC, or U-plane latency (e.g., 0.5 ms or less for each of the downlink (DL) and uplink (UL), or 1 ms or less round trip) for implementing URLLC.

[0052] Antenna module 197 can transmit or receive signals or power to or from the outside of electronic device 101 (e.g., external electronic device). According to an embodiment, antenna module 197 may include an antenna comprising a radiating element formed of a conductive material or conductive pattern formed in or on a substrate (e.g., a printed circuit board (PCB)). According to an embodiment, antenna module 197 may include multiple antennas (e.g., an array antenna). In this case, at least one antenna suitable for a communication scheme used in a communication network (such as a first network 198 or a second network 199) can be selected from the multiple antennas by, for example, communication module 190 (e.g., wireless communication module 192). Signals or power can then be transmitted or received between communication module 190 and the external electronic device via the selected at least one antenna. According to an embodiment, another component besides the radiating element (e.g., a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) may be additionally formed as part of antenna module 197.

[0053] According to various embodiments, antenna module 197 can form a millimeter-wave antenna module. According to embodiments, the millimeter-wave antenna module may include a printed circuit board, an RFIC, and multiple antennas (e.g., an array antenna). The RFIC is disposed on or adjacent to a first surface (e.g., a bottom surface) of the printed circuit board and is capable of supporting a specified high-frequency band (e.g., a millimeter-wave band). The multiple antennas are disposed on or adjacent to a second surface (e.g., a top or side surface) of the printed circuit board and are capable of transmitting or receiving signals in the specified high-frequency band.

[0054] At least some of the aforementioned components can be coupled to each other and communicate signals (e.g., commands or data) between them via an inter-peripheral communication scheme (e.g., bus, general purpose input / output (GPIO), serial peripheral interface (SPI), or mobile industrial processor interface (MIPI)).

[0055] According to an embodiment, commands or data can be sent or received between electronic device 101 and external electronic device 104 via server 108 coupled to a second network 199. Each of electronic device 102 or electronic device 104 can be a device of the same type as electronic device 101, or a device of a different type. According to an embodiment, all or some operations to be performed on electronic device 101 can be performed on one or more of external electronic devices 102, 104, or 108. For example, if electronic device 101 is required to automatically perform a function or service, or is required to perform a function or service in response to a request from a user or another device, electronic device 101 may request one or more external electronic devices to perform at least a portion of the function or service as a substitute for or supplement to performing the function or service. Upon receiving the request, one or more external electronic devices may perform at least a portion of the requested function or service, or perform additional functions or services related to the request, and send the result of the performance to electronic device 101. Electronic device 101 may provide the result as at least a part of its response to the request, with or without further processing of the result. For this purpose, technologies such as cloud computing, distributed computing, mobile edge computing (MEC), or client-server computing can be used. Electronic device 101 can use, for example, distributed computing or mobile edge computing to provide ultra-low latency services. In another embodiment, external electronic device 104 may include an Internet of Things (IoT) device. Server 108 may be an intelligent server using machine learning and / or neural networks. According to embodiments, external electronic device 104 or server 108 may be included in a second network 199. Electronic device 101 can be applied to intelligent services based on 5G communication technology or IoT-related technologies (e.g., smart homes, smart cities, smart cars, or healthcare).

[0056] Figure 2 A system for identifying the location of a user device according to an embodiment is shown.

[0057] refer to Figure 2 The system according to the embodiment may include a user device 200, a server 300, and an electronic device 400. At least one of the user device 200 and the electronic device 400 may be connected to the server 300 via a second network 199 (e.g., Wi-Fi or a cellular network).

[0058] In an embodiment, user device 200 may include multiple devices. For example, in addition to the primarily used first device 201, the user may also have at least one of a second device 202, a third device 203, a fourth device 204, a fifth device 205, and a sixth device 206. The first device 201 may be, for example, a mobile communication device such as a smartphone. The second device 202 may be a wearable device such as a smartwatch. The third device 203 may be a Bluetooth headset such as earbuds. The fourth device 204 may be a Bluetooth headset or headphones. The fifth device 205 may be a laptop computer. The sixth device 206 may be a tablet PC. Except... Figure 2 Beyond the examples shown, a user can use another suitable device by interacting with the first device 201. For example, key cards, wallets, backpacks, dog or cat identification devices, cars, bicycles, ID cards, briefcases, umbrellas, and / or other items can interact with the first device, provided they meet the communication functions described herein, and can be located by the first device 201 in case of loss. Furthermore, in embodiments, a user can use two or more identical devices. For example, a user can use multiple smartphones (e.g., the first device 201) by interacting with each other. Additionally, a user can use two or more tablet PCs (e.g., a sixth device 206) by interacting with the first device 201.

[0059] In embodiments, user devices 200 can connect to each other using a predetermined communication protocol. For example, a first device 201 can connect to at least one of a second device 202, a third device 203, a fourth device 204, a fifth device 205, and a sixth device 206 via a local area network (LAN). For example, the network (e.g., a LAN) used to establish the connection between user devices 200 can be suitably selected. For example, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), pass-through Wi-Fi, Near Field Communication (NFC), Ultra Wideband (UWB) communication, or infrared communication can be used to establish the connection between user devices 200, either in conjunction with or instead of Bluetooth. Furthermore, in embodiments, user devices 200 can establish a connection via short-range wireless communication using a mesh network (e.g., ZigBee or Z-wave).

[0060] In this embodiment, in addition to the first device 201, at least one of the second device 202, the third device 203, the fourth device 204, the fifth device 205, and the sixth device 206 can be directly connected to the server 300 via the second network 199. For example, a user device can establish an independent connection to the second network 199 without relying on the first device 201.

[0061] In embodiments, user devices 200 may have various methods for connecting to each other based on device information (e.g., device components). For example, when at least one of the user devices 200 is an IP-based (IP address) device, the user device may establish a connection to the second network 199 by using a Service Set Identifier (SSID), and when the user device is not an IP-based device (e.g., BLE, ZigBee, or Z-Wave), the user device may establish a connection to the second network 199 by using a user device (e.g., the first device 201) or a hub device (not shown).

[0062] In embodiments, at least one of the user devices 200 may broadcast notification packets to provide a search function upon loss. For example, when it is determined that the second device 202 is lost, the second device 202 may broadcast a packet including information such as identification information about the second device 202. The packet may be broadcast so that electronic devices other than the second device 202 within a predetermined communication range can receive the packet. In various embodiments of this disclosure, the packet or notification packet can be understood as a signal, message, or beacon used to identify that a device has been lost.

[0063] In an embodiment, at least one of the user devices 200 can determine whether a user device is lost based on various criteria. For example, the second device 202 can be determined to be lost when a first time period (e.g., 48 hours) has elapsed since the last connection between the second device 202 and the first device 201, which is the parent or master terminal, and / or when a second time period (e.g., 24 hours) has elapsed since the last connection between the second device 202 and the first device 201, but the remaining battery level is a reference value (e.g., 30%) or less. Various loss determination criteria can be applied based on user configuration or manufacturer standards regarding the first time period, the second time period, and / or the remaining battery level.

[0064] In various embodiments, reference is made to Figure 1The description of electronic device 101 can be appropriately applied to user device 200. For example, when the user's first device 201 is a smartphone, the first device 201 and electronic device 101 can be the same device. For example, when the user's third device 203 is an earphone without a display screen, the description of electronic device 101 can be appropriately applied to the third device 203, except for the description of display module 160.

[0065] In this embodiment, server 300 may correspond to Figure 1 Server 108. When a user loses any of the user devices 200, server 300 can provide the function of identifying the location of the lost device. For ease of explanation, the various embodiments disclosed herein illustrate examples of first device 201 identifying the location of the lost second device 202 when the second device 202 among the user devices 200 is lost.

[0066] In this embodiment, electronic device 400 may be a device belonging to a user different from the owner of second device 202. Electronic device 400 is located near the lost second device 202, and therefore can directly or indirectly receive notification packets broadcast from second device 202. Electronic device 400 may include short-range communication circuitry for receiving signals broadcast by the lost second device 202 using short-range communication technologies (e.g., BLE). Additionally, electronic device 400 may include location measurement circuitry (e.g., GPS circuitry) for measuring the location of electronic device 400. Furthermore, electronic device 400 may include long-range communication circuitry (e.g., communication circuitry supporting cellular networks and / or Wi-Fi networks) for transmitting information about second device 202 and the location of electronic device 400 to server 300.

[0067] In this embodiment, the electronic device 400 may also be a device of the same type as the first device 201 (e.g., a smartphone). Therefore, refer to Figure 1 The description of electronic device 101 can also be applied in part or in whole to electronic device 400. Furthermore, the description of the configuration or function of the first device 201 made herein can also be applied to electronic device 400. However, electronic device 400 can be any electronic device that supports the aforementioned communication functions, and is not limited to the above description.

[0068] Figure 3 The diagram illustrates modules related to various functions of an electronic device according to an embodiment.

[0069] Figure 3The various functions described herein can be understood as those supported by the first device 201 in locating the lost device. Additionally, the functions can be understood as those supported by the electronic device 400 in processing notification packets obtained from the lost device. As described above, the first device 201 and the electronic device 400 are distinguished only in that the device is either a device for a user searching for a lost device or a device for a user providing assistance in searching for a lost device, and both the first device 201 and the electronic device 400 can provide... Figure 3 The functions described herein will be based on the first device 201 in the following description.

[0070] refer to Figure 3 The described function or operation can be understood as a function performed by the processor of the first device 201. The processor can execute instructions (e.g., instructions) stored in memory to implement... Figure 3 The software module shown in the figure can control hardware related to the function (e.g., Figure 1 (Communication module 180).

[0071] In an embodiment, the first device 201 may manage at least one device card. For example, a first device card 211 of the first device 201 may be registered in the first device 201. Additionally, a second device card 212 of a second device 202 having an interaction history with the first device 201 may be registered in the first device 201. The device cards (e.g., the first device card 211 and the second device card 212) may include information such as the device's name and / or identification information, the device's status, battery information about the device, the device's location history, and / or the device's current location, or messages related to the device. In an embodiment, the information included in the first device card 211 and / or the second device card 212 may be configured and / or changed by the user. For example, a user of the first device 201 and / or the second device 202 may configure the name, device type (e.g., type), or policy information associated with the first device 201 and / or the second device 202.

[0072] In this embodiment, the first device 201 and the second device 202 can share the same user account, and the first device card 211 and the second device card 212 can register using the same user account. For example, when the user of the first device 201 receives input identifying the location of the user device interacting with the first device 201, the first device 201 can send an input to a display (e.g., ...). Figure 1 The display module 160) provides user interface (UI) display information about the first device card 211 and the second device card 212 stored in the memory. The following references... Figure 7 Describe the UI shown in the diagram.

[0073] In this embodiment, the first device 201 and the second device 202 may be devices with different user accounts. When the first device 201 and the second device 202 have different user accounts and are identified as mutually reliable devices, the first device card 211 and the second device card 212 can be registered using the same user account. For example, when the first user of the first device 201 and the second user of the second device 202 are identified as having a family relationship, information about the second device 202 can be identified through the first user account of the first user of the first device 201. Although the following description is based on the same user for convenience, various embodiments can be applied even when the users of the first device 201 and the second device 202 are different.

[0074] In this embodiment, the tracker plugin 220 can be understood as a module for registering a user device. For example, the first device 201 can drive the tracker plugin 220. The tracker plugin 220 can provide a simple setup pop-up, or it can provide QR triggering functionality or manual login functionality. For example, a user can use a camera installed in the first device 201 (e.g., Figure 1 The camera module 180 scans a QR code placed on a surface of the second device 202 or on the product casing, thereby registering the second device 202 in the server 300 by associating it with a user account.

[0075] In this embodiment, the finding platform 230 can perform the function of locating a lost device. The finding platform 230 can control hardware to effectively locate the lost device based on its distance from the device. For example, the finding platform 230 can operate in conjunction with a Bluetooth finder 231, a UWB finder 232, and / or an AR finder 233. The Bluetooth finder 231 can control Bluetooth communication circuitry, the UWB finder 232 can control UWB communication circuitry, and the AR finder 233 can control a display.

[0076] In an embodiment, the BT finder 231 can operate when the distance between the first device 201 and the second device 202 is within a first distance (e.g., approximately 100m). When the distance between the first device 201 and the second device 202 is within the first distance, the finding platform 230 can control the BT finder 231 to receive packets from the second device 202 and establish a connection with the second device 202 for short-range communication using a short-range communication circuit that supports Bluetooth communication and / or BLE communication.

[0077] In an embodiment, the UWB finder 232 can operate when the distance between the first device 201 and the second device 202 is within a second distance (e.g., approximately 50 m) shorter than the first distance. The finding platform 230 can control the UWB finder 232 to activate UWB communication circuitry connected to a plurality of UWB antennas to receive signals from UWB channels used for positioning. The finding platform 230 can receive UWB signals received from the second device 202 using the UWB communication circuitry and can estimate the position of the second device 202 based on the arrival time and / or angle of arrival of the signals received by each of the plurality of UWB antennas.

[0078] In an embodiment, when the second device 202 is within a short distance, the AR finder 233 can implement augmented reality on the display, thereby visually assisting the user in locating the second device 202. Here, the short distance can be substantially the same as the second distance, or it can be within a third distance shorter than the second distance. The finding platform 230 can output image data acquired by the camera to the display and can control the AR finder 233 to display the location of the second device 202 identified by the UWB finder 232 on the screen output on the display. When the first device 201 does not effectively receive UWB signals from the second device 202 (e.g., when the reception sensitivity is a threshold or less), the AR finder 233 can adjust the position (angle) of the first device 201 to receive UWB signals via the display.

[0079] In this embodiment, when the AR finder 233 is running, the AR core service 240 can be activated simultaneously. The AR core service 240 can control the first device 201 to access a people / object recognition database stored in memory and / or an AR service providing server to enhance the augmented reality environment.

[0080] In embodiments, the BT finder 231, UWB finder 232, and / or AR finder 233 included in the search platform 230 may operate simultaneously or selectively based on their distance from the second device 202. For example, when the distance between the first device 201 and the second device 202 is a second distance (e.g., within approximately 50m), the BT finder 231 and the UWB finder 232 may operate simultaneously, or the UWB finder 232 may operate selectively.

[0081] In an embodiment, when the first device 201 receives a notification packet from any lost device (e.g., the second device 202), the country code matching module 242 can determine the country that provided the information about the lost device or a server belonging to that country. For example, the country code matching module 242 can be run when the first device 201 is used as an electronic device 400 (e.g., as a device for assisting a user in finding a lost device). In an embodiment, when the country or a server belonging to that country is determined, the first device 201 (or electronic device 400) can use the server (e.g., Figure 4 The data is contained in the country code-server matching database (DB) 330 included in the server 300. For example, the first device 201 (or electronic device 400) can store the country code-server matching DB 330 data obtained from the server 300 and can send the data to the second device 202 connected to the first device 201 (or electronic device 400). According to another embodiment, the first device 201 (or electronic device 400) can store country or data belonging to that country (e.g., country code-server matching DB) through device processing or software upgrades. For example, the first device 201 (or electronic device 400) can update over-the-air (OTA) software as a software upgrade. For example, OTA software updates can include Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) downloads, firmware OTA (FOTA), or regular FTP.

[0082] In this embodiment, when the first device 201 receives a notification packet from any lost device, the duplicate report management module 244 can manage the operation of rebroadcasting the received notification packet or reporting the notification packet to the server. For example, when a notification packet received from any lost device meets predetermined conditions, the duplicate report management module 244 can perform the operation of reporting / rebroadcasting to the server, and when the notification packet does not meet predetermined conditions, the duplicate report management module 244 can choose not to perform the operation of reporting / rebroadcasting to the server. For example, when the first device 201 is used as an electronic device 400, the duplicate report management module 244 can be operated.

[0083] In this embodiment, the location management module 246 can manage the current location and / or location change history of the second device 202 obtained from the server 300. Additionally, the location management module 246 can identify and / or manage the location of the first device 201 by controlling location measurement circuitry (such as GPS included in the first device 201).

[0084] In this embodiment, the tracker information module 248 can manage the type of the second device 202 and / or identification information about the second device 202. The tracker information module 248 can be operated when the first device 201 is used as an electronic device 400. For example, the tracker information module 248 can store and / or manage the device type (e.g., smartwatch, earphone, headset, or tablet PC), communication type (e.g., whether it supports BLE, Bluetooth, cellular networks, or UWB communication), and / or identification information (e.g., a unique device ID, network identifier ID, or user-defined ID) of the second device 202.

[0085] In this embodiment, the E2E encryption module 250 can perform end-to-end encryption. The E2E encryption module 250 can operate when the first device 201 is used as the electronic device 400. For example, when the electronic device 400 sends a message to the server 300 containing identification information about the lost device and location information about the electronic device 400 in response to receiving an notification packet from any lost device (e.g., the second device 202), the E2E encryption module 250 can apply an encryption algorithm to the message. When the E2E encryption module 250 encrypts the message using an encryption key associated with the lost device, a device having a decryption key corresponding to the encryption key of the lost device can obtain the location information about the lost device. For example, when electronic device 400 uses the public key of second device 202 to encrypt a message including identification information about second device 202 and location information about electronic device 400 and sends the message to server 300, first device 201 can obtain the encrypted information about the lost second device 202 from server 300, and can then decrypt the information using the private key of second device 202, thereby identifying information about second device 202 (= the location of electronic device 400). For example, first device 201 may obtain the private key of second device 202 during the process of registering second device 202 with a user account, registering second device 202 with server 300, or during the process of pairing with second device 202.

[0086] In this embodiment, the random device ID module 252 can change the device's identifier ID to a random ID using a predetermined algorithm. The random device ID module 252 can be run when the first device 201 is used as the electronic device 400. For example, when the electronic device 400 receives a notification packet from the second device 202, the electronic device 400 can change the identifier ID of the second device 202 to a random ID and send a message to the server 300. The first device 201 can identify the ID of the second device 202 from the random ID using a predetermined algorithm.

[0087] Figure 4The diagram illustrates modules related to various functions of the server according to an embodiment.

[0088] refer to Figure 4 Server 300 may include an account manager 310, a user information manager 320, a country code-server matching database (DB) 330, a public key manager 340, and a Find My Everything (FME) system 350. Functionally speaking... Figure 4 The components of server 300 shown are categorized to implement various embodiments, and server 300 may be configured with multiple hardware components (e.g., multiple processors for servers and storage devices). Furthermore, server 300 can be understood as multiple servers. For example, server 300 may include a first server for providing a lost device search service in a first country and a second server for providing a lost device search service in a second country.

[0089] In an embodiment, server 300 may include account manager 310. Account manager 310 can manage user accounts registered in server 300 and / or at least one device connected to a user account. For example, when first device 201, second device 202, and third device 203 register using a first user account, even if a request related to second device 202 is received from first device 201, account manager 310 can enable first device 201 to access information about second device 202 because first device 201 and second device 202 are connected to the same first user account.

[0090] In this embodiment, server 300 may include user information manager 320. User information manager 320 can manage the registration, addition, deletion, and / or modification of user information associated with user accounts.

[0091] In an embodiment, the country code-server matching database 330 can maintain and update a database in which country codes match servers providing lost device search services. For example, server 300 can manage the country code-server matching database 330 as updated data and can provide information about the server connected to the country code to at least one of the devices registered with server 300 using a user account when a change occurs. For example, server 300 can provide the database to a first device 201 or electronic device 400 registered with server 300. In an embodiment, electronic device 400 can determine the server from which location information is provided based on country information included in a notification packet obtained from the lost device.

[0092] In this embodiment, the country code may be based on the international country code representing the country. For example, the international country code for the United States is +1, for South Korea it is +82, for Vietnam it is +84, for the United Kingdom it is +44, etc. In this case, the country code-server matching DB 330 may include the data shown in Table 1.

[0093] [Table 1]

[0094]

[0095]

[0096] In various embodiments, the country code is not limited to the international call country code and can be any information used to identify a country. For example, country representations using letters such as domain codes (e.g., South Korea: KR, USA: US, or France: FR) or formats such as Mobile Country Codes (MCCs) (e.g., Germany: 262, South Korea: 450, or France: 208) can also be used as country codes. The methods described above for representing country codes are for illustrative purposes, and country codes can be represented using bits.

[0097] In this embodiment, the public key manager 340 can manage the public keys of devices registered in the server 300. Public keys can be managed by user accounts or devices. For example, one public key can be configured for each user account. In another example, when five devices are connected to the same user account, five different public keys can be assigned to the five devices respectively.

[0098] In an embodiment, the FME system 350 can perform processing for providing a lost device search service. For example, when a request for a public key for a lost second device 202 is received from the electronic device 400, the FME system 350 can obtain the public key for the second device 202 from the public key manager 340 and can provide the obtained public key to the electronic device 400. For example, the FME system 350 can identify the user account used to register the second device 202 through the account manager 310. In addition, the FME system 350 can identify the country corresponding to the user account and / or the second device 202 through the user information manager 320. Furthermore, the FME system 350 can identify whether the request from the electronic device 400 is sent to a server in the appropriate country through the country code-server matching database 330, and can provide at least some of the data stored in the country code-server matching database 330 to the electronic device 400 if an incorrect country is specified or it is impossible to identify information about the second device 202. For example, the FME system 350 can keep the database in which country codes are matched with servers that provide lost device search services up to date, and can provide at least some of the updated data to the electronic device 400.

[0099] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of a first device registering a second device in a server according to an embodiment.

[0100] refer to Figure 5 In operation 501, the first device 201 and the second device 202 can establish a short-range communication channel. For example, the short-range communication channel can be a device-to-device connection such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi pass-through, but is not limited to this.

[0101] According to an embodiment, in operation 503, the second device 202 can provide information about itself to the first device 201 via a short-range communication channel. This information may include, for example, the type of the second device 202 (e.g., a smartwatch or tablet PC), unique identification information (e.g., device ID), the manufacturer of the second device 202, hardware information about the second device 202 (e.g., processor performance, memory capacity, and / or battery capacity), software information about the second device 202 (e.g., operating system type and version, installed applications, and / or whether it supports device search services), and / or information about communication performance (e.g., whether it supports Bluetooth, BLE, UWB, cellular networks, Wi-Fi, NFC, and / or MST).

[0102] According to an embodiment, in operation 505, the first device 201 can obtain information about the second device 202. The first device 201 can store the obtained information about the second device 202 in the memory of the first device 201 (e.g., ...). Figure 1 In the memory 130).

[0103] According to an embodiment, in operation 507, the first device 201 can send information about the second device 202 to the server 300 and can request to register the second device 202. For example, the first device 201 can send a message of a specified format to the server 300, and the message of the specified format may include information about the first device 201, user information about the first device 201, a request to register the second device 202, and / or information about the second device 202. For example, when the first device 201 registers using a first user account registered in the server 300, the first device 201 can send a message to the server 300, thereby also requesting to register the second device 202 using the first user account. In another example, when the first device 201 registers using a first user account registered in server 300 and the second device 202 registers using a second user account registered in server 300, the first device 201 may send a message to server 300 requesting to register the second device 202 using a third user account (e.g., a group account) that includes the first and second user accounts, or requesting the deletion of information regarding the registration of the second device 202 using the second user account and the registration of the second device 202 using the first user account.

[0104] According to an embodiment, in operation 509, server 300 can obtain information about second device 202 from first device 201. Server 300 and first device 201 can be connected via a predetermined network (e.g., a cellular network or a Wi-Fi network), and server 300 can obtain information about second device 202 sent from first device 201 via the predetermined network.

[0105] According to an embodiment, in operation 511, server 300 can use first device 201 to register second device 202. For example, account manager 310 of server 300 can also register second device 202 using information obtained from first device 201 and a first user account corresponding to first device 201.

[0106] According to an embodiment, in operation 513, server 300 may send a notification indicating that second device 202 has registered with first device 201. This notification may include country information about the second device 202. For example, when server 300 provides services in South Korea, country information corresponding to South Korea may be included in the second device 202. In another example, when the country information for a first user account registered with server 300 is South Korea, the country information for all user devices 200 registered using the first user account may be configured to be South Korea.

[0107] According to an embodiment, in operation 515, the first device 201 can receive a registration notification from the server 300. The registration notification may include country information. However, in an embodiment, when the country information regarding the second device 202 has already been registered in the second device 202 during its manufacture, or when the first device 201 directly configures the country information regarding the first device 201 or the country information regarding the user account of the first device 201 as the country information regarding the second device 202, the country information can be omitted from the registration notification received from the server 300.

[0108] In an embodiment, operations 501 to 515 may be referred to as the registration or onboarding process of the second device 202. In an embodiment, the registration or onboarding process may include a process for storing identification information (ID) about the second device 202 (e.g., a tracker) in server 300.

[0109] According to an embodiment, in operation 517, the first device 201 may send country information to the second device 202. As described above, the country information may be country information received from the server 300 or country information known (or stored) by the first device 201 (e.g., country information registered for the first device 201 or country information corresponding to the user account of the first device 201).

[0110] According to an embodiment, in operation 519, the second device 202 can obtain country information from the first device 201. In another embodiment, the country information regarding the second device 202 may have already been registered in the storage space of the second device 202 (e.g., Figure 1 The information is stored in the memory 130. In an embodiment, operations 517 and 519 can be omitted when the second device 202 already knows about its country information. For example, the first device 201 may know that it has registered about the country information of the second device 202 through operations 503 and 505. The second device 202 may broadcast a notification packet including the country information in a lost state, which will be described later.

[0111] Figure 6This is a flowchart illustrating the current location of a lost device tracked by a locating system according to an embodiment. For reference only. Figure 6 Show Figure 2 In the system scenario, the first device 201 and the second device 202 are user devices sharing the same user account, and the second device 202 has been lost. The electronic device 400 is any device independent of the user of the first device 201, and can be understood as a device located at a distance capable of receiving packets broadcast from the second device 202.

[0112] According to an embodiment, in operation 601, the second device 202 can broadcast announcement packets using a specified communication protocol. The specified communication protocol may correspond to a type of low-power short-range communication protocol that minimizes battery consumption. For example, the specified communication protocol may be BLE.

[0113] In one embodiment, the second device 202 can broadcast a notification packet when a loss state is detected. As described above, the conditions for determining a loss state by the second device 202 can be configured differently. However, in another embodiment, the second device 202 can broadcast a notification packet regardless of whether a loss state is detected. For example, the second device 202 can repeatedly broadcast a notification packet for a predetermined time (e.g., 15 minutes) at each predetermined time period (e.g., 1 hour). In another example, the second device 202 can repeatedly broadcast a notification packet for a predetermined time at each specified time (e.g., a user-configured time).

[0114] According to an embodiment, in operation 611, electronic device 400 may receive notification packets broadcast by an external device. For ease of explanation, it is assumed below that electronic device 400 receives notification packets broadcast by second device 202.

[0115] In embodiments, electronic device 400 may include various communication circuits. For example, electronic device 400 may include a first wireless communication circuit supporting short-range communication to receive notification packets. Additionally, electronic device 400 may include a second wireless communication circuit supporting long-range communication (e.g., cellular communication) to communicate with server 300. Furthermore, electronic device 400 may include location measurement circuitry (e.g., GPS) to measure its location. Besides positioning systems using satellite navigation such as GPS, location measurement circuitry may include positioning systems using base stations or Wi-Fi access points (APs) or positioning systems using NFC beacons.

[0116] In this embodiment, because the notification packets broadcast by the second device 202 use a specified short-range communication protocol, receiving the notification packets can mean that the second device 202 and the electronic device 400 are within the communication distance allowed by the short-range communication protocol. For example, when the electronic device 400 receives the notification packets via BLE, the electronic device 400 can be estimated to be located within approximately 100m of the second device 202. Therefore, from a macroscopic perspective, the location of the electronic device 400 can be considered to be the same as the location of the second device 202.

[0117] According to an embodiment, in operation 613, electronic device 400 can measure its position using a position measurement circuit. Electronic device 400 can then identify its position (e.g., latitude and / or longitude coordinates) based on the measurement results.

[0118] According to an embodiment, in operation 615, electronic device 400 can send measured location information and identification information about the second device 202 to server 300. For example, electronic device 400 can send a message to server 300 including identification information (e.g., a unique ID and / or serial number) and location information about the second device 202 by using a second wireless communication circuit. Electronic device 400 can specify that the location information included in the message is location information about electronic device 400, but it can also simply include only the location information without specifying the subject of the location information.

[0119] According to an embodiment, in operation 617, electronic device 400 can send a message to server 300 and then broadcast an announcement packet. For example, when an announcement packet obtained by electronic device 400 from second device 202 is referred to as a first packet and an announcement packet rebroadcast by electronic device 400 is referred to as a second packet, the second packet may include content (data) substantially the same as or less than that of the first packet. Here, electronic device 400 may cause some fields of the second packet to have values ​​different from those of the first packet. For example, electronic device 400 may configure the multi-hop count field value differently to indicate that electronic device 400 is an indirect sender of the announcement packet rather than a direct sender. For example, when the multi-hop count of the first packet is n, the multi-hop count of the second packet may be configured to n+1. In an embodiment, the multi-hop count of the announcement packet directly generated by second device 202 may be configured to 0 (i.e., n = 0). According to an embodiment, the second packet generated based on the first packet may be defined in a format slightly different from that of the first packet. For example, at least some of the fields included in the format of the first group can be omitted from the format of the second group.

[0120] In various embodiments, electronic device 400 may broadcast announcement packets before or substantially simultaneously with sending a message to server 300. Operation 617 may not be performed at all.

[0121] According to an embodiment, in operation 621, server 300 can obtain a message from electronic device 400 including identification information and location information about second device 202. When a request from first device 201 to track the location of second device 202 exists before and / or after obtaining the message (e.g., operation 631), in operation 623, server 300 can send location information about an external device (e.g., second device 202) to first device 201. For example, first device 201 can send a request to server 300 in operation 631 to track the location of second device 202 (or identify the location of second device 202), and server 300 can respond to the request received from first device 201 by sending information about the identified location of the second device to first device 202. For example, server 300 can send information about the most recently identified location of second device 202 to first device 201.

[0122] According to an embodiment, in operation 635, the first device 201 can obtain location information about the second device 202 from the server 300. In operation 635, the first device 201 can identify the location of the second device 202 based on the information obtained from the server 300. Operations 631, 633, and / or 635 can be implemented by an application that provides a location identification service set in the first device 201.

[0123] According to an embodiment, when identification and location information about the second device 202 are obtained from the electronic device 400 in operation 621, the server 300 can determine whether a location tracking request has been received from the first device 201, which registered the second device 202 with the server 300 using the first account, or from a different device with the first account (e.g., operation 631). For example, if no location tracking request is received from the first device 201 (e.g., operation 631), the server 300 may not perform operation 623. According to an embodiment, although not shown, the server 300 can send a response message to the electronic device 400 based on whether a location tracking request has been received from the first device 201 (e.g., operation 631). For example, when a location tracking request is received from the first device 201 (e.g., operation 631), the server 300 can send a response message to the electronic device 400 indicating that the identification and location information about the second device 202 has been sent to the first device 201. In another example, when no location tracking request is received from the first device 201 (e.g., operation 631), the server 300 may request the electronic device 400 not to send identification and location information about the second device 202 within a specified time. According to an embodiment, the electronic device 400 may perform the operation of broadcasting a notification packet based on the response from the server 300 (e.g., operation 617).

[0124] Figure 7 A user interface of a first device for identifying the location of a user device according to an embodiment is shown.

[0125] refer to Figure 7 The first screen 701 may be an execution screen of an application providing location identification services for the first device 201. The first device 201 may display information about user devices registered in the first device 201 in the form of a list. According to an embodiment, the first screen 701 may present a list including an item (not shown) corresponding to the first device card 211 and an item corresponding to the second device card 212. For example, the list of the first screen 701 may include a first item 710 and a second item 720, the first item 710 corresponding to a smartphone (e.g., Galaxy A) registered with the user account of the first device 201, and the second item 720 corresponding to any tablet PC (e.g., Galaxy Tab S6 LTE) registered with the user account. In the following description, the descriptions of the first item 710 and / or the second item 720 may also apply to other items not specified on the first screen 701 (e.g., "Jamie (Galaxy S10)", "Jamie (_tale device name_)" and / or "Galaxy Watch Active2").

[0126] In an embodiment, each item in the list may include various pieces of information. For example, the first item 710 may include at least one of the following: an icon 711 indicating a smartphone, a nickname (e.g., Annie) and model name (Galaxy A) 712, the last identified location 713 (e.g., IL, Belleville, Main Street, 124), the time of the last identified location 714 (e.g., last updated: 1 minute ago), the distance from the current location of the first device 201 to the smartphone 715, and a navigation menu 716 for performing a map application or map function based on the current location and the last identified location 713 of the first device 201. Some of the items shown above may be omitted. For example, when the location of the device is not identified, at least some of the last identified location 713, the time of the last identified location 714, or the navigation menu 716 may not be presented.

[0127] In one embodiment, the first device 201 may automatically perform operation 631 when the application is executed. In another embodiment, the first device 201 may perform operation 631 based on user input after the application has been executed. In yet another embodiment, the first device 201 may perform operation 631 at predetermined time intervals (e.g., 12 hours) and may update the location of user device 200 registered in the first device 201.

[0128] In an embodiment, when user input 700 occurs, selecting a second item 720 from a list of items, the first device 201 can display a second screen 702 on its display. The second screen 702 may, for example, be a UI generated based on the second device card 212.

[0129] In this embodiment, the second screen 702 may include a map area 730 and a second device card area 750. For example, the map area 730 may be located in the upper part (area) of the second screen 702, and the second device card area 750 may be located in the lower part (area). However, this example is for illustration only, and the second device card area 750 may be located at a different position than in the example shown. For example, the second device card area 750 may be provided in a floating form on a map that occupies most of the second screen 702. The position or size of the second device card area 750 can be moved / zoomed / shrunk by user input.

[0130] In this embodiment, the location of the user device identified by the server 300 can exist in the map area 730. The location of the user device can be presented in the form of icons. For example, the location of the smartphone corresponding to the first item 710 can be presented on the map as a first icon 732. The location of the tablet PC corresponding to the second item 720 selected by the user input 700 can be presented on the map as a second icon 731. In this embodiment, the location of the tablet PC corresponding to the second item 720 selected by the user input 700 can be located at the center of the map area 730. The current location 740 of the first device 201 can exist in the map area 730. In this embodiment, the current location 740 of the first device 201 can be located at the center of the map area 730.

[0131] In an embodiment, the second device card area 750 may include a device action menu 751, a navigation menu 752, a ringing menu 753, and / or a view details menu 754.

[0132] In an embodiment, when device action menu 751 is selected, the first device 201 can identify whether the second device 202 (e.g., a tablet PC corresponding to the second item 720) is adjacent to the first device 201. For example, when device action menu 751 is selected, the first device 201 can present and / or update map area 730 based on the location of the first device 201 received from server 300 and location information about user device 200. Furthermore, for example, when device action menu 751 is selected, the first device 201 can retrieve whether the second device 202 is adjacent by using a specified communication protocol (e.g., BLE). When connected to the second device 202 using the specified communication protocol, the first device 201 can drive AR finder 233 and can present the location of the second device 202 through the augmented reality interface, or determine whether to present the location of the second device 202.

[0133] In one embodiment, when navigation menu 752 is selected, the first device 201 can present a route to the identified location of the second device 202 in map area 730. In another embodiment, when ringing menu 753 is selected, the first device 201 can attempt to call the second device 202, or attempt to make the second device 202 emit a specified sound. For example, when the second device 202 supports calling functionality, the first device 201 can attempt to call the second device 202 in response to the selection of ringing menu 753. In another example, when the second device 202 is connected to the first device 201 via a predetermined local area communication network, the first device 201 can send a specified signal to the second device 202 via the local area communication network in response to the selection of ringing menu 753. Upon receiving the specified signal, the second device 202 can generate a predefined notification signal (e.g., alarm, vibration, and / or light) in response to the specified signal, thereby reporting its location.

[0134] In an embodiment, when the View Details menu 754 is selected, the first device 201 can present detailed information about the second device 202. For example, the first device 201 can present the status of the second device 202 based on various conditions. For example, when the second device 202 is connected to the first device 201 or another device in the user device 200 (e.g., the fifth device 205 or the sixth device 206), the first device 201 can present a first status message, such as "Finding Nearby". The message can be displayed in a pop-up or presented in the second device card area 750 of the second device 202. When the second device 202 is not connected to the first device 201 or another device in the user device 200, but is not in an "Offline Search" state, the first device 201 can present a second status message, such as "Out of Range Search". Here, "Offline Search State" can refer to a state where the second device 202 is determined to be lost or a state where a threshold time has elapsed since the second device 202 last connected to one of the user devices 200.

[0135] In an embodiment, when the second device 202 is not connected to either the first device 201 or another device among the user devices 200 and is not in an "offline search" state, but an attempt is made to search for the second device 202, the first device 201 may present a third status message such as "lost mode search". When the second device 202 is not connected to either the first device 201 or another device among the user devices 200 and is in an "offline search" state, the first device 201 may present a fourth status message such as "update mode search". When the first device 201 attempts to connect to the second device 202, a fifth status message such as "connected" may be presented. In an embodiment, the first to fifth status messages related to the device action menu 751 may be included. Figure 3In the first device card 211 and / or the second device card 212.

[0136] The first to fifth status messages described above are examples, and fewer or more status messages can be appropriately configured by the manufacturer or user according to various embodiments. For example, the first device 201 can provide information about the remaining battery level of the second device 202. Additionally, the first device 201 can present the location (location information) of the second device 202 based on a timestamp. Furthermore, the first device 201 can present the current status of the second device 202 using appropriate messages (device card messages). For example, the first device 201 can present messages on a display indicating whether the second device 202 is adjacent to the first device 201, whether the second device 202 is adjacent to another device in the user device 200 where the second device 202 was last located (e.g., a fourth device 204), whether the second device 202 is being searched, or whether the second device 202 has been found.

[0137] In embodiments, the information presented in the second device card area 750 is not limited to the example shown, and may present at least one of the information related to the device action menu 751 and the information in the view details menu 754 (e.g., remaining battery level information, location information, and / or device card messages).

[0138] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating an electronic device performing a scan to locate any external device, according to an embodiment.

[0139] According to an embodiment, in operation 811, the electronic device 400 can activate offline search. For example, a user of the electronic device 400 can activate the offline search function in the settings menu. In another example, the offline search function can be activated periodically or continuously. In yet another example, the offline search function can be activated only during a specified time period (e.g., 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM).

[0140] According to an embodiment, in operation 813, the electronic device 400 can configure parameters related to offline search in response to activation of the offline search function. For example, parameters such as scan cycle, scan window, scan interval, scan duration, and / or wake-up intent can be configured. Herein, the scan cycle can refer to the time it takes for a scan to occur once. The scan window can refer to the time during which a scan is actually performed within the scan cycle. For example, when the scan cycle is 2000 ms and the scan window is 200 ms, the short-range communication circuit can perform a first scan for 200 ms after wake-up, remain in sleep mode for the remaining 1800 ms, and then perform a second scan for 200 ms after 2000 ms have elapsed since wake-up.

[0141] Scan duration can refer to the time a scan is maintained according to a scan cycle. For example, electronic device 400 can maintain a scan that is performed every 2000ms for 1 hour. Scan interval can refer to the interval between scan durations. For example, when the scan duration is one hour and the scan interval is four hours, electronic device 400 can maintain a scan for one hour from 12 noon, maintain a sleep state for three hours, and then maintain a scan for one hour from 4 pm four hours after 12 noon.

[0142] According to the embodiment, operation 813 can be omitted. When operation 813 is omitted, the parameter settings related to offline search can use specified settings (e.g., default values).

[0143] According to an embodiment, in operation 815, electronic device 400 may begin scanning. Scanning by electronic device 400 can be performed according to rules defined by scanning-related parameters configured in operation 813. During scanning, electronic device 400 may activate a first communication circuit supporting short-range communication to obtain notification packets from an external device (e.g., second device 202).

[0144] According to an embodiment, in operation 801, the second device 202 can broadcast announcement packets using a specified short-range communication protocol. For example, the second device 202 can broadcast announcement packets including identification information and the country code of the second device 202 and / or multi-hop counts at regular time intervals using the BLE protocol.

[0145] In an embodiment, the second device 202 can broadcast notification packets based on changes in the network state. For example, the second device 202 can determine whether the network is currently available. For example, when the network connection between the second device 202 and the server 300 or the first device 201 is lost, the second device 202 can determine whether the lost network connection is due to airplane mode. To enable applications of the second device 202 to recognize the current state of the network, the application (e.g., an application providing location search services) can reside in the memory of the second device 202. In an embodiment, when not in airplane mode, the second device 202 can configure an alarm and broadcast notification packets when the configured alarm time arrives. Subsequently, when the network is restored (e.g., the connection with the first device 201 is restored), the second device 202 can cancel the configured alarm and stop broadcasting notification packets.

[0146] According to an embodiment, after the scan begins, in operation 817, electronic device 400 can receive notification packets from an external device (e.g., second device 202). Electronic device 400 can obtain information about second device 202 from the information included in the notification packets received in operation 817, and can store the obtained information in the memory of electronic device 400 in operation 819.

[0147] According to an embodiment, in operation 821, electronic device 400 may send information about second device 202 to server 300 based on information received from second device 202 (e.g., country code). Electronic device 400 may include information about second device 202 and location information. Herein, location information may be the location of electronic device 400 as measured by its location measurement circuitry. Electronic device 400 may obtain an encryption key from server 300 to enhance security for encrypting information sent to server 300, may use the obtained encryption key to encrypt information about second device 202, and may send the encrypted information to server 300. For example, electronic device 400 may send at least a portion of the information about second device 202 to server 300, may obtain an encryption key from server 300, may use the obtained encryption key to encrypt information about second device 202 and / or location information, and may send the information about second device 202 and / or location information to server 300.

[0148] According to an embodiment, server 300 may obtain information and / or location information about the second device 202 from electronic device 400 in operation 831, and may provide information about the location of the second device 202 to first device 201 in response to a request from first device 201 (e.g., Figure 6 Operation 623).

[0149] In one embodiment, the electronic device 400 may repeat operations 815, 817, 819, and / or 821 for a predetermined time (e.g., scan duration), and may deactivate the offline search function in operation 823 when the scan duration expires. However, in another embodiment, the offline search function may be activated due to various events such as user input or the remaining battery level of the electronic device 400.

[0150] Figure 9 This is a flowchart, according to an embodiment, for adjusting the scanning interval based on the screen on / off state of an electronic device.

[0151] refer to Figure 9In operation 911, the electronic device 400 can be configured with parameters related to the screen's on / off state. For example, the electronic device 400 can... Figure 8 In operation 813, parameters related to the offline search function are configured in response to activation of the offline search function, and some parameters can be configured differently depending on whether the screen (display) of the electronic device 400 is on or off. For example, the electronic device 400 can perform a scan at a first cycle (e.g., 1000ms) when the screen is on, but can perform a scan at a second cycle (e.g., 1 hour) when the screen is off. In another example, the electronic device 400 can perform a scan with a first scan window length (e.g., 200ms) when the screen is on, but can perform a scan with a second scan window length (e.g., 100ms) when the screen is off.

[0152] According to an embodiment, in operation 913, the screen of electronic device 400 can be turned on. When electronic device 400 switches to the screen-on state, in operation 915, electronic device 400 can begin scanning announcement packets broadcast from external devices at first intervals.

[0153] According to an embodiment, in operation 901, the second device 202 can continuously broadcast announcement packets using a specified short-range communication protocol, such as in... Figure 8 In operation 801, during the scanning at the first interval, in operation 917, electronic device 400 can obtain notification packets from an external device (e.g., second device 202) and can send information about the second device 202 and / or location information obtained from the notification packets to server 300.

[0154] According to an embodiment, in operation 931, server 300 can obtain information and / or location information about second device 202 from electronic device 400, and can send information about the location of second device 202 to first device 201 in response to a request from first device 201. (For example, Figure 6 Operation 623)

[0155] According to an embodiment, in operation 921, the electronic device 400 can determine whether its screen is off. When the screen of the electronic device 400 is not off (i.e., remains on), the electronic device 400 can continuously perform scans at a first interval. When the screen of the electronic device 400 is off, in operation 923, the electronic device 400 can terminate the scan or perform a scan at a second interval configured to be longer than the first interval.

[0156] Figure 10 The configuration of the second device according to an embodiment and the data structure of the packets broadcast by the second device are shown.

[0157] refer to Figure 10 The second device 202 may include a processor 1010, a memory 1020, and a communication circuit 1030. Figure 10 The components of the second device 202 shown are for illustration and reference. Figure 1 The described components can be appropriately applied to the second device 202. Figure 1 The description can be applied to Figure 10 The components of Figure 1 The components that correspond to those components.

[0158] In this embodiment, the processor 1010 may execute instructions from the memory 1020 and may implement the packet generation module 1040 and / or the connection manager 1050. The packet generation module 1040 and the connection manager 1050 can be understood as software modules implemented by executing program code stored in the memory 1020. Operations described below as being performed by the packet generation module 1040 or the connection manager 1050 can be understood as being performed by the processor 1010.

[0159] refer to Figure 10 The processor 1010 can drive the packet generation module 1040 by executing instructions stored in the memory 1020. The packet generation module 1040 can generate a notification packet 1000 that includes information about the second device 202. The processor 1010 can provide the generated notification packet 1000 to the communication circuit 1030 via the connection manager 1050, and the communication circuit 1030 can broadcast the notification packet 1000 using a specified protocol.

[0160] In an embodiment, the notification group 1000 may include fields such as version 1001, group type 1002, multi-hop count 1003, privacy ID 1004, region 1005, UWB 1006 and / or pairing 1007.

[0161] In an embodiment, version 1001 may refer to the version of the notification packet. Since the notification packet needs to be based on rules shared between the second device 202 broadcasting the notification packet and the electronic device 400 receiving and interpreting the notification packet, the version of the notification packet can be used to determine the rules used by the electronic device 400 to receive the notification packet and interpret the data included in the notification packet. For example, when an older version of the notification packet is received instead of the latest version, the electronic device 400 can interpret the notification packet according to the rules corresponding to the older version. In another example, when the version of the electronic device 400 is lower than the version of the notification packet, the electronic device 400 can access the notification packet through a server (e.g., Figure 1Update this version (server 108).

[0162] In an embodiment, packet type 1002 may indicate whether the notification packet is a multi-hop supported packet. Alternatively and / or as another option, packet type 1002 may indicate information about whether the second device 202 is currently in offline or online mode.

[0163] In an embodiment, the multi-hop count 1003 can indicate how many times the notification packet is sent. For example, when the notification packet is broadcast directly from the second device 202, the multi-hop count of the notification packet can be defined as 0. When a different device that received the notification packet from the second device 202 rebroadcasts the notification packet, the multi-hop count of the rebroadcast notification packet can be defined as 1 or a larger number.

[0164] In this embodiment, the privacy ID 1004 may be a unique identifier about the second device 202. Alternatively and / or as another option, the privacy ID 1004 may be a random ID generated according to a predetermined algorithm based on the unique identifier about the second device 202.

[0165] In an embodiment, region 1005 may include country information about the second device 202. For example, region 1005 may be country information received from server 300 when the second device 202 logs in and / or information about the address of server 300. For example, region 1005 may be related to... Figure 3 Country code matching module 242 or Figure 4 The country code - server matches information related to the data included in DB 330.

[0166] In an embodiment, UWB 1006 may indicate whether the second device 202 supports UWB communication. The notification packet 1000 may also include information about whether the second device 202 supports E2E or MCF in addition to UWB.

[0167] In an embodiment, pairing 1007 may include information about whether the second device 202 is a device that operates alone or a device that operates in pairs (such as earplugs), and whether the second device 202 is paired when it operates in pairs.

[0168] Figure 11 This is a conceptual diagram illustrating a system for changing multi-hop counting to identify the location of a user device according to an embodiment.

[0169] refer to Figure 11 The second device 202 can broadcast announcement packets using a short-range wireless communication circuit (e.g., Figure 10(Announcement packet 1000). For example, announcement packet 1000 may have a first value for the multi-hop count (MHC). Figure 11 In some embodiments, packets broadcast by the second device 202 may have MHC = 0. In the following description, packets broadcast by the second device 202 with a multi-hop count of 0 are referred to as first packets.

[0170] In an embodiment, the first packet may be obtained by a first electronic device 401 located within a predetermined communication distance (e.g., BLE range) from the second device 202. For example, when broadcasting the first packet via BLE communication, the predetermined communication distance may be approximately 50 m.

[0171] In the embodiments, the above description of electronic device 400 can be applied to first electronic device 401 and second electronic device 402. Furthermore, regarding... Figure 1 The description of the first device 201 in the electronic device 101 and the user device 200 can also be applied to the first electronic device 401 and the second electronic device 402.

[0172] In this embodiment, when the first packet is received, the first electronic device 401 can identify the multi-hop count of the first packet. When the multi-hop count of the first packet is a predefined first value (e.g., 0), the first electronic device 401 can obtain its location using a position measurement circuit and can provide the location information of the first electronic device 401, along with the identification information of the second device 202 included in the first packet, to the server 300. When the first device 201 requests to identify the location of the second device 202, the server 300 can provide the location information of the second device 202 based on the information received from the first electronic device 401.

[0173] In this embodiment, after receiving the first packet, the first electronic device 401 can broadcast a second packet using a short-range communication circuit. For example, when the second device 202 broadcasts the first packet using BLE communication, the first electronic device 401 can also broadcast the second packet using BLE communication. The second packet may have a second value that is greater than a first value of the multi-hop count of the first packet. For example, when the first value is 0, the second value may be configured to be 1.

[0174] In this embodiment, the second electronic device 402 can obtain the second packet using a short-range communication circuit. The second electronic device 402 can identify identification information and multi-hop counts related to the second device 202 from the second packet. However, because the multi-hop count identified by the second electronic device 402 has a value of 1 instead of 0, the second electronic device 402 can identify that a different device (= the first electronic device 401) has received a packet with a multi-hop count of 0 from the second device 202 and reported its location to the server 300, and that the second packet received by the second electronic device 402 is a packet that has been rebroadcast by the different device. For example, even if the second packet is received, the second electronic device 402 may report the identification information and location information of the second device 202 to the server 300 without performing location measurement.

[0175] In this embodiment, after receiving the second packet, the second electronic device 402 can broadcast a third packet using a short-range communication circuit. For example, when the first electronic device 401 broadcasts the second packet using BLE communication, the second electronic device 402 can also broadcast the third packet using BLE communication. The third packet can have a third value that is greater than the second value of the multi-hop count of the second packet. For example, when the second value is 1, the third value can be configured to be 2.

[0176] In this embodiment, the second electronic device 402 may also exist within the BLE range (e.g., approximately 50 m) based on the second device 202. That is, both the first electronic device 401 and the second electronic device 402 can obtain announcement packets with a multi-hop count of 0 from the second device 202. In this case, a description of preventing the first electronic device 401 and the second electronic device 402 from redundantly sending reports to the server 300 will be referenced later. Figure 14 Describe it.

[0177] Figure 12 Various modules related to the function of preventing redundant reporting of information about lost devices are shown. Figure 12 It can be understood as Figure 2 The recurring report management module of the first device 201 or electronic device 400 shown in the figure (e.g., Figure 3 Detailed configuration of the duplicate report management module 244.

[0178] In an embodiment, the duplicate report management module 244 may include a scan type determination module 1210, an announcement interval determination module 1220, an MHC update module 1230, an identification information retention time determination module 1240, a server report waiting time determination module 1250, and an announcement message analysis module 1260. (From reference...) Figure 12The operations performed by the described multiple modules can be understood as being performed by at least one processor included in any electronic device (e.g., electronic device 400, first electronic device 401, second electronic device 402, etc.) that has received notification packet 1000 from the lost device (e.g., second device 202).

[0179] In an embodiment, the scan type determination module 1210 can determine the scan cycle, scan window, scan interval, scan duration, daily scan count, and the maximum number of devices scanned per scan. For example, the scan type determination module 1210 can be configured with a reference... Figure 8 and Figure 9 The various parameters described. Additionally, the scan type determination module 1210 can adjust the parameters based on the screen's on / off state or remaining battery level. For example, the scan type determination module 1210 can include different scan cycles (e.g., a first scan cycle and a second scan cycle) depending on the screen's on / off state. For example, in the screen-on state, a first scan cycle (e.g., ...) can be used. Figure 9 The information regarding operation 915) and, in the screen-off state, information about the second scan cycle (e.g., Figure 9 Information on operation 923 and scan duration.

[0180] According to an embodiment, when a notification packet is received from an external device (e.g., second device 202) while the screen is off, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device 400, first electronic device 401, second electronic device 402, etc.) can store (retain) the notification packet related to the external device (e.g., second device 202) in its memory. (e.g., Figure 8 (Operation 819). Electronic devices (e.g., electronic device 400, first electronic device 401, second electronic device 402, etc.) may send a wake-up intent to an application providing location identification services in order to send information about the second device 202 to a server (e.g., server 300).

[0181] According to an embodiment, when the screen is on, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device 400, first electronic device 401, second electronic device 402, etc.) can send a wake-up intent to an application that provides location identification services without storing (holding) notification packets related to external devices (e.g., second device 202) in memory.

[0182] In an embodiment, when the remaining battery level decreases to a reference value (e.g., 30%) or lower, the scan type determination module 1210 can increase the scan interval and decrease the scan duration, thereby reducing battery consumption due to scanning. For example, when the screen remains on, the scan type determination module 1210 can determine to perform a maximum of five scans, detecting a maximum of five devices per scan. In this case, the first electronic device 401 can report a maximum of 25 devices to the server 300.

[0183] In an embodiment, the notification interval determination module 1220 can determine a notification interval to prevent different electronic devices (such as the second electronic device 402) located adjacent to the first electronic device 401 from performing duplicate reports. For example, after receiving a first packet, the first electronic device 401 may notify a second packet after an interval configured by the notification interval determination module 1220 has elapsed. Additionally, the notification interval determination module 1220 can determine the duration for which the second packet is broadcast. For example, the notification interval determination module 1220 may determine to broadcast the second packet at 30-second intervals for five minutes.

[0184] In this embodiment, the MHC update module 1230 can manage the multi-hop count of the second packet to be broadcast. For example, the MHC update module 1230 can configure the multi-hop count of the second packet to have a larger value than the multi-hop count recorded in the first packet. For example, the MHC update module 1230 can configure the multi-hop count of the first packet plus 1 as the multi-hop count of the second packet, but is not limited thereto.

[0185] In an embodiment, the identification information retention time determination module 1240 can determine the retention time of the identification information about the second device 202 obtained from the first group obtained through scanning. For example, when scanning is performed at a predetermined cycle of 10 minutes in a screen-on state, the identification information retention time determination module 1240 can determine 10 minutes (which is the same as the maintenance scan time) as the retention time of the identification information obtained through scanning to prevent the same identification information from being reported redundantly. However, the above retention time is for illustrative purposes, and the retention time of the identification information can be appropriately configured to be five minutes or a time shorter or longer than five minutes.

[0186] In an embodiment, the server report waiting time determination module 1250 can determine when to report the identification information and / or location of the scanned second device 202 to the server 300 after the time of performing the scan.

[0187] In this embodiment, the notification message analysis module 1260 can analyze the data included in the notification group 1000. For example, the notification message analysis module 1260 can identify multi-hop counts included in the first group and determine whether to perform location measurement and / or report to the server.

[0188] Figure 13 This is a flowchart, according to an embodiment, for reporting location information to a server and neighboring devices based on multi-hop counts.

[0189] refer to Figure 13 In operation 1301, the second device 202 may broadcast a first packet. The first packet may include a multi-hop count of a first value. For example, the first value may be configured to 0.

[0190] According to an embodiment, in operation 1303, the first electronic device 401 can receive a first packet. The first electronic device 401 can use a first wireless communication circuit supporting short-range communication such as BLE communication to receive the first packet. In an embodiment, the first electronic device 401 can identify that the multi-hop count of the first packet is 0 and can begin position measurement. (See reference...) Figure 14 This describes the case where the multi-hop count of the notification packet received by the first electronic device 401 is not 0.

[0191] According to an embodiment, in operation 1305, the first electronic device 401 can perform position measurement. For example, the first electronic device 401 can perform position measurement using a position measurement circuit (e.g., GPS). Figure 1 The communication module 190) is used to obtain the latitude / longitude coordinates of the point where the first electronic device 401 is located. When the position measurement circuit of the first electronic device 401 is inactive, the first electronic device 401 can activate the position measurement circuit in response to receiving a first packet with a multi-hop count of 0. To obtain accurate coordinates, position measurement can take several seconds to tens of seconds.

[0192] According to an embodiment, after location measurement is completed, in operation 1307, the first electronic device 401 can send location information to the server 300. The first electronic device 401 can use a second wireless communication circuit capable of long-range communication such as cellular communication or Wi-Fi communication to communicate with the server. The first electronic device 401 can also provide the server 300 with identification information about the second device 202 included in a first packet. In operation 1309, the server 300 can obtain the identification information about the second device 202 and the location information about the first electronic device 401 from the first electronic device 401.

[0193] According to an embodiment, in operation 1311, the first electronic device 401 can broadcast a second packet using a first wireless communication circuit. The second packet may include identification information about the second device 202. For example, the second packet may include a multi-hop count greater than the multi-hop count of the first packet.

[0194] In an embodiment, when a response (e.g., an ACK message) indicating that the signal sent in operation 1307 has been normally received by the server 300 is received from the server 300, operation 1311 can be performed.

[0195] According to an embodiment, in operation 1313, the second electronic device 402 can receive a second packet broadcast by the first electronic device 401. From the perspective of the first electronic device 401, the second device 202 can be referred to as the first external device, and the second electronic device 402 can be referred to as the second external device.

[0196] According to an embodiment, in operation 1315, the second electronic device 402 can identify that the multi-hop count of the second packet is not a predefined first value, and can ignore the obtained second packet. Ignoring the second packet can mean simply deleting or discarding the second packet without performing position measurement, even if it is received. For example, the second electronic device 402 may not measure the position of the second electronic device 402. According to an embodiment, the second electronic device 402 can keep its position measurement circuit in an inactive state, or can change its position measurement circuit to an inactive state.

[0197] Figure 14 This is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an electronic device when a notification packet is received, according to an embodiment.

[0198] refer to Figure 14 In operation 1401, electronic device 400 (e.g., first electronic device 401) can receive a first packet from a first external device (e.g., second device 202). For example, first electronic device 401 can receive notification packet 1000 from second device 202.

[0199] According to an embodiment, in operation 1403, electronic device 400 (e.g., first electronic device 401) can determine whether the multi-hop count included in the first group is 0. When the multi-hop count is 0, in operation 1405, electronic device 400 (e.g., first electronic device 401) can measure its location using GPS or the like. When the multi-hop count is not 0, in operation 1407, electronic device 400 (e.g., first electronic device 401) can ignore the first group. In an embodiment, electronic device 400 can determine whether there is a history of processing the first group, and can ignore the first group if there is. When there is no history of processing the first group, electronic device 400 can increase the multi-hop count and can broadcast a group with the increased multi-hop count (e.g., a second group) to surrounding devices. For example, electronic device 400 can perform multi-hop participation only once relative to the same device (e.g., second device 202) within a specified time (e.g., 10 minutes).

[0200] According to an embodiment, in operation 1409, electronic device 400 (e.g., first electronic device 401) may send to server 300 a first packet containing identification information about a first external device (e.g., second device 202) and location information about electronic device 400 (e.g., first electronic device 401). In operation 1411, electronic device 400 (e.g., first electronic device 401) may broadcast a second packet whose multi-hop count is greater than the multi-hop count of the first packet, so that the second external device (e.g., second electronic device 402) receives the second packet. Operation 1411 may be performed substantially simultaneously with operation 1409, or may be performed before operation 1409. However, in an embodiment, after operation 1409, operation 1411 may be performed only after electronic device 400 (e.g., first electronic device 401) receives a response message from server 300.

[0201] Figure 15 This is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an electronic device according to an embodiment when an additional notification packet is received after a location measurement.

[0202] refer to Figure 14 and Figure 15 When the multi-hop count of the first packet received from the first external device (e.g., the second device 202) is 0, in operation 1501, the electronic device 400 (e.g., the first electronic device 401) can begin measuring the position. For example, the electronic device 400 (e.g., the first electronic device 401) can activate a position measurement circuit such as GPS, and can begin measuring the position of the electronic device 400 (e.g., the first electronic device 401).

[0203] According to an embodiment, in operation 1503, electronic device 400 can determine whether a third packet has been received from a second external device (e.g., second electronic device 402) when measuring the location. If no third packet is received, electronic device 400 can perform operation 1409 and subsequent operations. For example, if no additional notification packet is received when measuring the location, electronic device 400 (e.g., first electronic device 401) can report the location information to a server (e.g., server 300) and can broadcast a second packet. According to an embodiment, the period for measuring the location can refer to the time taken to activate the location measurement circuitry and receive GPS signals to identify the location of electronic device 400 (e.g., first electronic device 401).

[0204] In an embodiment, when a third packet is received from a second external device (e.g., second electronic device 402), in operation 1505, electronic device 400 (e.g., first electronic device 401) can identify the multi-hop count of the third packet. For ease of description, it is assumed that the third packet also includes the same identification information about the first external device (e.g., second device 202). Electronic device 400 (e.g., first electronic device 401) can stop or complete the position measurement based on the multi-hop count included in the third packet. For example, when the multi-hop count of the third packet is greater than 0, for example, when the multi-hop count of the third packet has a value of 1 or 2, electronic device 400 (e.g., first electronic device 401) can determine that a different device has reported position information to server 300 regarding the first external device (e.g., second device 202). Therefore, in operation 1507, electronic device 400 can stop the position measurement. When the position has been completely measured, electronic device 400 (e.g., first electronic device 401) may not report the complete measured position information to server 300.

[0205] In an embodiment, when the multi-hop count of the third packet is 0, electronic device 400 (e.g., first electronic device 401) can determine that a second notification packet has been received from a first external device (e.g., second device 202). Therefore, electronic device 400 can determine that the report regarding the first external device (e.g., second device 202) has not yet been executed by a different device, can complete the position measurement, and can then perform the operations 1409 and 1411 described above.

[0206] An electronic device (e.g., electronic device 101, electronic device 400, first electronic device 401, or second electronic device 402) disclosed herein according to embodiments may include: a position measurement circuit; a first wireless communication circuit configured to support short-range communication; a second wireless communication circuit; and at least one processor (e.g., processor 120) configured to be electrically connected to the position measurement circuit, the first wireless communication circuit, and the second wireless communication circuit. The at least one processor may receive a first notification packet 1000 from a first external device using the first wireless communication circuit. The first notification packet 1000 includes identification information 1004 and a multi-hop count 1003 regarding the first external device (e.g., second device 202). When the multi-hop count included in the first notification packet is a first value, position information about the electronic device can be obtained using the position measurement circuit. A signal including the identification information and position information about the first external device can be sent to a server 300 using the second wireless communication circuit. A second notification packet including the identification information about the first external device and a multi-hop count having a second value greater than the first value can be broadcast using the first wireless communication circuit.

[0207] In an embodiment, the first value of the multi-hop count can be 0.

[0208] In this embodiment, short-range communication may be Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).

[0209] In an embodiment, the second wireless communication circuit may support at least one of a cellular network or a Wi-Fi network.

[0210] In one embodiment, the at least one processor may broadcast the second notification packet upon receiving a response from the server indicating that the signal was sent normally.

[0211] In an embodiment, at least one processor may ignore the first notification group if the multi-hop count included in the first notification group is not a first value.

[0212] In an embodiment, at least one processor may obtain a third notification packet including identification information about a first external device from a second external device when measuring the position of an electronic device using a position measurement circuit, and may complete or stop position measurement based on a multi-hop count included in the third notification packet. For example, at least one processor may stop position measurement when the multi-hop count included in the third notification packet has a value greater than a first value.

[0213] In this embodiment, the location measurement circuit may be a GPS.

[0214] In an embodiment, the electronic device may further include a display, and at least one processor may perform a scan at a first interval using a first wireless communication circuit when the display is turned on, and may perform a scan at a second interval using the first wireless communication circuit when the display is turned off.

[0215] A method of operating an electronic device according to an embodiment disclosed herein may include: receiving a first notification packet from a first external device using a first wireless communication circuit of the electronic device, the first notification packet including identification information about the first external device and a multi-hop count; obtaining location information about the electronic device using a location measurement circuit when the multi-hop count included in the first notification packet is a first value, using at least one processor of the electronic device; sending a signal including the identification information and location information about the first external device to a server using a second wireless communication circuit of the electronic device; and broadcasting a second notification packet including the identification information about the first external device and a second multi-hop count having a second value greater than the first value, using the first wireless communication circuit.

[0216] In one embodiment, the broadcast of a second notification group may be performed upon receiving a response from the server indicating that the signal was sent normally.

[0217] In an embodiment, the method may further include: ignoring the first notification group when the multi-hop count included in the first notification group is not a first value.

[0218] In an embodiment, the method may further include: when measuring the position of the electronic device using a position measurement circuit, obtaining a third notification packet from a second external device including identification information about the first external device, and completing or stopping the position measurement based on the multi-hop count included in the third notification packet.

[0219] In an embodiment, the measurement of a location can be stopped when the multi-hop count included in the third notification group has a value greater than the first value.

[0220] An electronic device (e.g., second device 202) disclosed herein according to an embodiment may include a wireless communication circuit 1030, a memory 1020, and a processor 1010 configured to be electrically connected to the wireless communication circuit and the memory, wherein the processor may use the wireless communication circuit to broadcast a notification packet 1000 including identification information 1004 about the electronic device and a multi-hop count 1003.

[0221] In this embodiment, the wireless communication circuit can broadcast announcement packets using BLE communication.

[0222] In an embodiment, the first value of the multi-hop count can be 0.

[0223] In an embodiment, the notification group may also include information indicating whether the electronic device operates independently or via a device operating in pairs with different devices.

[0224] In this embodiment, the electronic device may be one of earbuds, Bluetooth headsets, tablet PCs, and smartwatches.

[0225] The electronic device according to various embodiments can be one of a variety of types of electronic devices. Electronic devices may include, for example, portable communication devices (e.g., smartphones), computer devices, portable multimedia devices, portable medical devices, cameras, wearable devices, or home appliances. According to embodiments of this disclosure, the electronic device is not limited to those described above.

[0226] It should be understood that the various embodiments of this disclosure and the terminology used therein are not intended to limit the technical features set forth herein to particular embodiments, but rather to include various changes, equivalents, or substitutions to the respective embodiments. In the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used to refer to similar or related elements. It will be understood that nouns in the singular form corresponding to terms may include one or more things unless the relevant context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, each of the phrases such as “A or B,” “at least one of A and B,” “at least one of A or B,” “A, B, or C,” “at least one of A, B, and C,” and “at least one of A, B, or C” may include any one or all possible combinations of the items enumerated together with the corresponding phrase in the phrase. As used herein, terms such as “first” and “second” or “first” and “second” may be used to simply distinguish one component from another and do not limit the components in other respects (e.g., in terms of importance or order). It will be understood that, with or without the terms “operably” or “communically”, if an element (e.g., a first element) is referred to as “coupled to another element (e.g., a second element),” “coupled to another element (e.g., a second element),” “connected to another element (e.g., a second element),” or “connected to another element (e.g., a second element)”, it means that the element can be directly (e.g., wiredly) coupled to another element, wirelessly coupled to another element, or coupled to another element via a third element.

[0227] As used in connection with various embodiments of this disclosure, the term "module" may include a unit implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with other terms (e.g., "logic," "logic block," "part," or "circuit"). A module may be a single integrated component adapted to perform one or more functions, or the smallest unit or part of such a single integrated component. For example, according to embodiments, a module may be implemented in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0228] The various embodiments set forth herein can be implemented as software (e.g., program 140) containing one or more instructions readable by a machine (e.g., electronic device 101) stored in a storage medium (e.g., internal memory 136 or external memory 138). For example, under the control of a processor (e.g., processor 120) of the machine (e.g., electronic device 101), the processor can invoke and execute at least one of the instructions stored in the storage medium, with or without one or more other components. This enables the machine to operate to perform at least one function according to the invoked at least one instruction. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code executable by an interpreter. Machine-readable storage media may be provided in the form of non-transitory storage media. The term "non-transitory" simply means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not include signals (e.g., electromagnetic waves), but this term does not distinguish between data being stored semi-permanently in the storage medium and data being temporarily stored in the storage medium.

[0229] According to embodiments, methods according to various embodiments of this disclosure may be included and provided 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 may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., a compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM)) or via an app store (e.g., the Play Store). TM The computer program product may be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded), or may be distributed directly between two user devices (e.g., smartphones) (e.g., downloaded or uploaded). If it is distributed online, at least a portion of the computer program product may be temporarily generated, or at least a portion of the computer program product may be temporarily stored in a machine-readable storage medium (such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an app store's server, or a relay server).

[0230] According to various embodiments, each of the above components (e.g., a module or program) may include a single entity or multiple entities, and some of the multiple entities may be separately disposed in different components. According to various embodiments, one or more of the above components may be omitted, or one or more other components may be added. Alternatively, or additionally, multiple components (e.g., modules or programs) may be integrated into a single component. In this case, according to various embodiments, the integrated component may still perform one or more functions of each of the multiple components in the same or similar manner as the corresponding component of the multiple components performed one or more functions before integration. According to various embodiments, the operations performed by a module, program, or other component may be performed sequentially, in parallel, repeatedly, or heuristically, or one or more operations may be performed in a different order or omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

Claims

1. An electronic device, the electronic device comprising: Position measurement circuit; A first wireless communication circuit, configured to support short-range communication; Second wireless communication circuit; At least one processor; as well as A memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to: A first notification packet is received from a first external device using the first wireless communication circuit. The first notification packet includes identification information of the first external device and a multi-hop count. If the multi-hop count included in the first notification group is a first value, the location information of the electronic device is obtained by using the location measurement circuit; The signal is sent to the server using the second wireless communication circuit. The signal includes the identification information of the first external device and the location information of the electronic device. as well as A second notification packet is broadcast using the first wireless communication circuit. The second notification packet includes identification information of the first external device and the multi-hop count having a second value that is greater than the first value. 2.The electronic device of claim 1, wherein, The first value of the multi-hop count is 0, and If the multi-hop count included in the first notification group is not the first value, the first notification group is ignored. 3.The electronic device of claim 1, wherein The first wireless communication circuit supports Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), and The second wireless communication circuit supports at least one of a cellular network or a Wi-Fi network.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein, When executed by the at least one processor, the instruction causes the electronic device to broadcast the second notification packet upon receiving a response from the server indicating that the signal was transmitted normally.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein, When executed by the at least one processor, the instruction causes the electronic device to: obtain a third notification packet including identification information of the first external device from a second external device when measuring the position of the electronic device using the position measurement circuit, and to complete or stop measuring the position based on the multi-hop count included in the third notification packet.

6. The electronic device according to claim 5, wherein, When executed by the at least one processor, the instruction causes the electronic device to stop measuring the position if the multi-hop count included in the third notification group has a value greater than the first value.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a display. in, When executed by the at least one processor, the instructions cause the electronic device to: perform a scan at a first interval using the first wireless communication circuit when the display is on, and perform a scan at a second interval longer than the first interval using the first wireless communication circuit when the display is off.

8. A method of operating an electronic device, the method comprising: The electronic device receives a first notification packet from a first external device using a first wireless communication circuit. The first notification packet includes identification information of the first external device and a multi-hop count. The location information of the electronic device is obtained by using at least one processor of the electronic device, provided that the multi-hop count included in the first notification group is a first value; The electronic device sends a signal to the server using a second wireless communication circuit, the signal including the identification information of the first external device and the location information of the electronic device; as well as A second notification packet is broadcast using the first wireless communication circuit. The second notification packet includes identification information of the first external device and the multi-hop count having a second value that is greater than the first value.

9. The operating method according to claim 8, wherein, Upon receiving a response from the server indicating that the signal was sent normally, the broadcast of the second notification group is performed.

10. The operating method according to claim 8, further comprising: If the multi-hop count included in the first notification group is not the first value, the first notification group is ignored.

11. The operating method according to claim 8, further comprising: When measuring the position of the electronic device using the position measurement circuit, a third notification packet including the identification information of the first external device is obtained from the second external device; and If the multi-hop count included in the third notification group has a value greater than the first value, the measurement of the position is stopped.

12. An electronic device, the electronic device comprising: A wireless communication circuit configured to support short-range communication; Memory; as well as A processor, configured to be electrically connected to the wireless communication circuit and the memory, The processor is configured to broadcast a first notification packet using the wireless communication circuit. The first notification packet includes identification information of the electronic device and a multi-hop count having a first value indicating that the location information of the electronic device has not been reported to the server. This enables other electronic devices to obtain the location information of the other electronic devices using a location measurement circuit and to send a signal to the server using a second wireless communication circuit. The signal includes the identification information of the electronic device and the location information of the other electronic devices. The electronic devices communicate with the other electronic devices using the wireless communication circuit.

13. The electronic device according to claim 12, wherein, The wireless communication circuit is configured to broadcast the first announcement packet using BLE communication.

14. The electronic device according to claim 12, wherein, The first value of the multi-hop count is 0.

15. The electronic device according to claim 12, wherein, The first notification group also includes information indicating whether the electronic device operates independently or via a device operating in pairs with different devices.

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