Positioning method, positioning device, electronic equipment and storage medium

Abstract

The invention relates to a positioning method, a positioning device, electronic equipment and a storage medium. The positioning method comprises the following steps: determining that first equipment is shut down; and sending the position information of the first equipment. The position information is used for positioning the first equipment. Wherein a positioning module and a communication module of the first device maintain a working state after the first device is shut down, the positioning module is used for obtaining position information of the first device after the first device is shut down, and the communication module is used for sending the position information of the first device to a second device. According to the method and the device, the electronic equipment such as a mobile phone and a tablet computer can still send the own position information after being powered off, so that a user can search the position information of the powered-off electronic equipment through other equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of positioning of electronic devices, and in particular to a positioning method, a positioning device, an electronic device, and a storage medium. Background Art

[0002] In related technologies, electronic devices such as smartphones only support distance measurement and remote positioning functions for wearable devices when they are powered on. Other devices cannot locate or find electronic devices that are powered off. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To overcome the problems existing in the related art, the present disclosure provides a positioning method, a positioning device, an electronic device and a storage medium.

[0004] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a positioning method is provided, including: determining that a first device is powered off; sending location information of the first device; the location information is used to locate the first device; wherein a positioning module and a communication module of the first device maintain an operating state after the first device is powered off, the positioning module is used to obtain the location information of the first device after the first device is powered off, and the communication module is used to send the location information of the first device to a second device.

[0005] In one embodiment, sending the location information of the first device includes: sending a first broadcast message, wherein the first broadcast message carries first location information and second location information associated with the first device; wherein the first location information is the location information of the first device at the moment of shutdown, and the second location information is the location information of the first device at the most recent moment.

[0006] In one embodiment, the second location information is acquired once at a preset time interval, and the first broadcast information is sent once at a preset time interval. The preset time interval is determined based on the mobile state and non-mobile state of the first device, and the mobile state and non-mobile state of the first device correspond to different preset time intervals.

[0007] According to a second aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a positioning method is provided, including: receiving a first broadcast message sent by a first device, wherein the first broadcast message carries first location information and second location information associated with the first device, the first location information is the location information of the first device at a moment when the first device is turned off, and the second location information is the location information of the first device at a most recent moment; and sending the first location information and the second location information to the cloud.

[0008] In one embodiment, the method further includes: determining third location information of the first device when the first broadcast information is sent out based on the first broadcast information and the current location information of the second device; and sending the third location information to the cloud.

[0009] In one embodiment, the first location information, the second location information, and the third location information are sent to the cloud under a preset condition, wherein the preset condition is that there is a network connection and the network connection has been granted permission to send location information.

[0010] According to a third aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a positioning method is provided, including: determining that a search request sent by a third device is received, the search request is used to obtain first location information and second location information, the first location information and the second location information are location information sent when the first device is in a shut-down state, the first location information is the location information of the first device at the moment of shutting down, and the second location information is the location information of the first device at the most recent moment; and sending the first location information and the second location information to the third device.

[0011] In one embodiment, the search request is also used to obtain third location information, where the third location information is the location information of the first device located by the second device when the first broadcast information is sent; the method also includes: sending the third location information to the third device.

[0012] In one embodiment, the first location information, the second location information, and the third location information are sent by the first device to the second device, and uploaded to the cloud by the second device.

[0013] According to a fourth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a positioning device is provided, including: a determination unit, configured to determine that a first device is powered off; a sending unit, configured to send location information of the first device; the location information is used to locate the first device; wherein a positioning module and a communication module of the first device maintain an operating state after the first device is powered off, the positioning module is configured to obtain the location information of the first device after the first device is powered off, and the communication module is configured to send the location information of the first device to a second device.

[0014] In one embodiment, the sending unit sends the location information of the first device in the following manner: sending a first broadcast message, wherein the first broadcast message carries the first location information and the second location information associated with the first device; wherein the first location information is the location information of the first device at the moment of shutdown, and the second location information is the location information of the first device at the most recent moment.

[0015] In one embodiment, the second location information is acquired once at a preset time interval, and the first broadcast information is sent once at a preset time interval. The preset time interval is determined based on the mobile state and non-mobile state of the first device, and the mobile state and non-mobile state of the first device correspond to different preset time intervals.

[0016] According to a fifth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a positioning device is provided, including: a receiving unit, configured to receive a first broadcast message sent by a first device, wherein the first broadcast message carries first location information and second location information associated with the first device, the first location information being location information of the first device at a moment when the first device is turned off, and the second location information being location information of the first device at a most recent moment; and a processing unit, configured to send the first location information and the second location information to a cloud.

[0017] In one embodiment, the processing unit is further configured to: determine third location information of the first device when the first broadcast information is sent out based on the first broadcast information and the current location information of the second device; and send the third location information to the cloud.

[0018] In one embodiment, the first location information, the second location information, and the third location information are sent to the cloud through the processing unit under preset conditions, and the preset conditions are that there is a network connection and the network connection has been granted permission to send location information.

[0019] According to a sixth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a positioning device is provided, including: a determining unit, configured to determine that a search request sent by a third device is received, the search request being used to obtain first location information and second location information, the first location information and the second location information being location information sent when the first device is in a powered-off state, the first location information being location information at the moment the first device is powered-off, and the second location information being location information at the most recent moment; and a sending unit, configured to send the first location information and the second location information to the third device.

[0020] In one embodiment, the search request is also used to obtain third location information, where the third location information is the location information when the first device located by the second device sends the first broadcast information; the sending unit is also used to: send the third location information to the third device.

[0021] In one embodiment, the first location information, the second location information, and the third location information are sent by the first device to the second device, and uploaded to the cloud by the second device.

[0022] According to a seventh aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronic device is provided, comprising: a processor; and a memory for storing processor-executable instructions; wherein the processor is configured to: execute the positioning method described in the first aspect or any one embodiment of the first aspect, or the positioning method described in the second aspect or any one embodiment of the second aspect, or the positioning method described in the third aspect.

[0023] 0. According to an eighth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a storage medium is provided, wherein instructions are stored in the storage medium. When the instructions in the storage medium are executed by a processor, the processor is enabled to execute the positioning method described in the first aspect or any one of the embodiments of the first aspect, or the positioning method described in the second aspect or any one of the embodiments of the second aspect, or the positioning method described in the third aspect.

[0024] The technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure may include the following beneficial effects: when an electronic device is turned off, its own location information is sent. This allows other electronic devices to locate the above-mentioned electronic device that has been turned off based on the location information. Among them, the positioning module and the communication module of the first device remain in a working state after the first device is turned off, the positioning module is used to obtain the location information of the first device after the first device is turned off, and the communication module is used to send the location information of the first device to a third device. Through the present disclosure, electronic devices such as mobile phones and tablets can still send their own location information after being turned off, allowing users to find the location information of the turned-off electronic device through other devices.

[0025] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 1 The figure is a flowchart of a positioning method according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0028] Figure 2 The figure is a flowchart showing a method for sending location information of a first device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0029] Figure 3 The figure is a flowchart of a positioning method according to another exemplary embodiment.

[0030] Figure 4 The figure is a flowchart of a positioning method according to another exemplary embodiment.

[0031] Figure 5 The figure is a flowchart of a positioning method according to another exemplary embodiment.

[0032] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing a positioning method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Figure 7 The figure is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of a positioning method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 8 The figure is a block diagram of a positioning device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0035] Figure 9 is a block diagram of a positioning device according to yet another exemplary embodiment.

[0036] Figure 10 is a block diagram of a positioning device according to yet another exemplary embodiment.

[0037] Figure 11 The figure is a block diagram showing a positioning device according to an exemplary embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] Exemplary embodiments are described in detail herein, with examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, identical numerals in different drawings represent identical or similar elements unless otherwise indicated. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments are not intended to represent all embodiments consistent with the present disclosure.

[0039] The positioning method provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure is applied to the scenario of positioning a terminal device.

[0040] Electronic devices such as mobile phones and tablets currently occupy an important position in people's work, entertainment, and life. In the daily use of electronic devices such as mobile phones and tablets, electronic devices are often lost due to personal negligence of users (such as electronic devices being hidden at home, or dropped during outdoor sports), or stolen due to external factors (such as on public transportation or on the bus). In the above scenarios, users generally need to use other electronic devices to locate the lost / stolen electronic devices based on the location information sent by the lost / stolen electronic devices, so as to guide users to retrieve the lost / stolen electronic devices.

[0041] In the related art, there are positioning technologies such as high-accuracy distance measurements (HADM) based on Bluetooth channel sounding, ultra-wideband wireless communication technology (Ultra WideBand, UWB) and global navigation satellite system (GNSS) for positioning electronic devices such as mobile phones and tablets. However, the premise for the above positioning methods to locate electronic devices is to be able to detect the location signal emitted by the electronic device, that is, the electronic device needs to be able to continuously emit its own location signal. In the related art, electronic devices such as mobile phones and tablets only continue to emit their own location signals when they are turned on, and will interrupt the transmission of the location signal after turning off. At this time, the above positioning methods cannot locate the electronic device. In summary, the positioning methods for electronic devices in the related art cannot locate electronic devices after they are turned off. For scenarios where electronic devices are lost, such as electronic devices being stolen and turned off in buses and subways, electronic devices being turned off and forgotten or hidden at home, and electronic devices being dropped and turned off during outdoor sports, it is impossible to locate the electronic device and guide the user to find the electronic device.

[0042] In view of this, the present disclosure proposes a positioning method that transmits the location information of an electronic device when it is turned off, so that other electronic devices can locate the turned-off electronic device based on the location information, allowing users to find the location information of the turned-off electronic device through other devices.

[0043] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing a positioning method according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 1 As shown, the method includes steps S101 to S102.

[0044] In step S101 , it is determined that the first device is powered off.

[0045] In step S102, the location information of the first device is sent.

[0046] The location information is used to locate the first device. The positioning module and communication module of the first device remain in operation after the first device is shut down. The positioning module is used to obtain the location information of the first device after the first device is shut down, and the communication module is used to send the location information of the first device to the second device.

[0047] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, a low-power unit (including a positioning module and a communication module) is provided in the electronic device, and the low-power unit is kept running in advance by software based on the operating system of the electronic device when the electronic device is turned off, that is, the low-power unit is kept from losing power. The low-power unit includes a low-power service (Service) unit, a low-power positioning unit (i.e., a positioning module) and a low-power communication unit (i.e., a communication module). The low-power service unit may be an intelligent sensor hub (sensor Hub) processing unit, which is responsible for maintaining the low-power positioning unit in a working state. The low-power positioning unit has multiple positioning functions and is a collection of multiple positioning chips, which may include, for example, Bluetooth low energy (BT BLE) chips that support high-precision distance measurements (HADM), WIFI chips, ultra-wideband wireless communication technology (Ultra Wide Band, UWB) chips, global navigation satellite system (GNSS) chips and star flash chips. The aforementioned positioning chip can obtain the location information of the electronic device (the first device) when the electronic device is turned off, and transmit the location information of the electronic device to the outside world through a low-power communication unit, such as a low-power Bluetooth unit broadcasting the location information of the electronic device to the outside world, or a global navigation satellite system chip activating a low-power fence and setting the fence range. The multiple positioning chips included in the aforementioned low-power positioning unit can be activated, based on user needs, when the electronic device is turned off, to transmit one or more location information for locating the turned-off electronic device to the outside world.

[0048] In the disclosed embodiment, when an electronic device is turned off, the electronic device's own location information is transmitted based on the electronic device's built-in low-power unit. Other electronic devices can locate the turned-off electronic device based on the location information, allowing users to find the location information of the turned-off electronic device through other devices.

[0049] It is understandable that the built-in low-power unit of the above-mentioned electronic device has limited functionality and cannot directly upload the location information of the electronic device to the cloud. The low-power unit can only broadcast the location information of the electronic device within a certain range. In this case, it is necessary to enable other trusted hardware devices to forward the received broadcast information and send the location information of the above-mentioned powered-off electronic device to the cloud for user retrieval. The following embodiments of this disclosure describe a method for sending the location information of a first device.

[0050] Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing a method for sending location information of a first device according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 2As shown, the method includes steps S201 to S202.

[0051] In step S201 , it is determined that the first device is powered off.

[0052] In step S202, first broadcast information is sent, where the first broadcast information carries first location information and second location information associated with the first device.

[0053] The first location information is the location information of the first device at the time of shutdown, and the second location information is the location information of the first device at the most recent time.

[0054] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device (first device) may or may not change its position when it is turned off and lost. For example, if the electronic device is forgotten to be turned off and the location of the electronic device is forgotten in an indoor scenario, the position of the electronic device after it is turned off will not change. If the electronic device is turned off and lost on a means of transportation such as a bus or subway, the position of the electronic device after it is turned off will change. Considering the possibility of movement after the electronic device is turned off, the low-power unit in the electronic device of the present disclosure will include two types of location information in the broadcast information sent to the outside world after the electronic device is turned off. The first is the location information of the electronic device at the moment of shutdown (i.e., the first location information). The second is the location information of the electronic device at the most recent moment (i.e., the first location information), which can be regarded as the "current" location information of the electronic device. The location information of the electronic device at the moment of shutdown allows the user to confirm the scene when the electronic device was lost, and the location information of the electronic device at the most recent moment allows the user to determine the location of the electronic device in the most recent time period. Combining the above-mentioned location information of the electronic device at the moment of shutdown and the location information of the electronic device at the most recent moment, it is convenient for the user to understand the scene when the electronic device is lost after it is turned off and determine the location of the electronic device in the most recent time period, guiding the user to determine the location of the electronic device and retrieve the lost electronic device.

[0055] In the disclosed embodiment, the low-power unit in the electronic device (first device) supports limited functions and does not support the high-power function of connecting to the network and sending information to the cloud via the network. It can only generate broadcast information (first broadcast information) based on the location information of the powered-off electronic device. The broadcast information is broadcast to trusted hardware devices within a certain range, and the trusted devices that receive the broadcast information then upload the location information contained in the broadcast information to the cloud.

[0056] It is understood that the location information of a powered-off user device (first device) is private information of the user. Receiving the location information of a powered-off user device (first device) from other hardware devices and uploading it to the cloud could result in the leakage of the user's private information. Therefore, the positioning function of the powered-off electronic device can be enabled or disabled based on the user's needs and operations.

[0057] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the powered-off electronic device (first device) may be in a mobile state or a non-mobile state when lost. It is understood that, compared to a non-mobile state, a mobile electronic device needs to send positioning information more frequently to facilitate the user to accurately determine the location of the powered-off electronic device in real time. The following embodiments of the present disclosure further illustrate the method for sending the location information of the first device.

[0058] In one implementation of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the second location information is acquired once at a preset time interval, and the first broadcast information is sent once at a preset time interval. The preset time interval is determined based on the mobile state and non-mobile state of the first device, and the mobile state and non-mobile state of the first device correspond to different preset time intervals.

[0059] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the low-power unit of the first device also includes a low-power motion sensor (such as an inertial sensor-gyroscope) for detecting the current motion state of the first device. It is used to detect whether the first device is currently in a mobile state. It is understandable that when the low-power motion sensor detects that the first device is in a non-mobile state, the position of the first device will not change or the change is small. In a non-mobile scenario, a larger preset time interval can be selected to obtain the latest position information of the first device at a lower acquisition frequency, and the broadcast information containing the position information of the first device is sent at the same sending frequency. When the low-power motion sensor detects that the first device is in a mobile state, the position of the first device is constantly changing. In this mobile scenario, a smaller preset time interval can be selected to obtain the latest position information of the first device at a higher acquisition frequency, and the broadcast information containing the position information of the first device is sent at the same sending frequency, to ensure that the latest position information of the first device in the mobile state can be updated in time, to ensure the confidence of the latest position information of the first device uploaded to the cloud, so that the user can locate and find the lost first device based on the location information in the cloud.

[0060] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, different time intervals for sending broadcast information are set based on the different mobility states of the first device to ensure the battery life of the low-power unit of the first device in the non-mobile state and to ensure the accuracy of the location information uploaded to the cloud when the first device is in the mobile state.

[0061] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, after the first device that has been turned off is lost, the user must obtain the location information uploaded to the cloud by the first device through other devices (third devices), thereby locating the first device and guiding the user to find the first device. After the first device that has been turned off is lost, the user obtains the location information of the first device through other devices that can access the cloud (third devices). That is, using the third device to log in to the interface dedicated to accessing the cloud, the user issues a search instruction for finding the location information of the third device on the corresponding interface of the third device. The corresponding interface of the third device sends a search request to the cloud for requesting the location information of the first device based on the first device corresponding to the search instruction, and obtains the location information of the first device fed back by the cloud, so that the user knows the location information of the first device that has been turned off, and guides the user to find the first device that has been turned off. When the electronic device (first device) is turned off, the location information of the electronic device itself is sent based on the built-in low-power unit of the electronic device. Other electronic devices (third devices) can locate the above-mentioned electronic device that has been turned off according to the location information, so that the user can find the location information of the electronic device that has been turned off through other devices.

[0062] It is understandable that the location information of an electronic device (first device) after it is turned off is the user's private information. Therefore, when a user searches for the location information of a powered-off electronic device through another electronic device (third device) after the powered-off electronic device is lost, it is necessary to ensure that the user can only search for electronic devices belonging to the user personally, and cannot search for electronic devices belonging to others, in order to protect the user's private information. The present disclosure is based on the positioning function of a powered-off electronic device, and presets a web page and application dedicated to performing this function. When a user needs to find the location information of a powered-off electronic device, the user needs to log in to a special web page or application to find the location information of the powered-off electronic device. The above-mentioned special web page or application needs to have the same login account information as the powered-off electronic device to be queried, in order to specifically query the location information of the powered-off electronic device. Moreover, the above-mentioned special web page or application can only be used to query the location information of electronic devices with the same login account information, and cannot search for the location information of other electronic devices. Through the present disclosure, the location information of a user's private electronic device is prevented from being maliciously queried by others, thereby protecting the user's privacy.

[0063] In the disclosed embodiments, a powered-off electronic device (first device) cannot directly upload its location information to the cloud. Instead, it can broadcast its location information to a nearby trusted hardware device (second device), which then uploads the powered-off first device's location information to the cloud. The following embodiments of the disclosed embodiments describe positioning methods applied to the second device.

[0064] Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a positioning method according to another exemplary embodiment. Figure 3 As shown, the method includes steps S301 to S302.

[0065] In step S301, a first broadcast message sent by a first device is received, wherein the first broadcast message carries first location information and second location information associated with the first device, the first location information is the location information of the first device at the moment of shutdown, and the second location information is the location information of the first device at the most recent moment.

[0066] In step S302, the first location information and the second location information are sent to the cloud.

[0067] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, in the shutdown state, the first device does not support connecting to the network and sending its own location information to the cloud through the network, and can only generate broadcast information (broadcast information) based on its own location information. And broadcast the broadcast information to trusted hardware devices (second devices) within a certain range. After receiving the broadcast information, the second device parses the location information (first location information and second location information) contained in the broadcast information, stores the parsed location information locally, and sends the location information stored locally to the cloud when connected to the Internet. It is understandable that the second device is a pre-authorized hardware device, such as a hardware device in the same ecosystem as the first device. In one example, the second device may be a hardware device such as a watch, a bracelet, a mobile phone, a car, a Bluetooth speaker or a smart TV that has broadcast reception and information reporting capabilities.

[0068] In the disclosed embodiment, the first location information carried in the first broadcast information is the location information of the first device at the time of shutdown. After the third device receives the first broadcast information and uploads the location information carried in the first broadcast information to the cloud, the user can access the cloud through another electronic device (second device) and obtain the first location information of the first device, thereby allowing the user to understand the location information of the first device at the time of shutdown and guide the user to find the first device.

[0069] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first broadcast information also carries the location information of the first device at the most recent time it was turned off (second location information). The first device obtains location information once every period of time after being turned off, and the second location information is the most recently obtained location information of the first electronic device. After the third device receives the first broadcast information and uploads the location information carried by the first broadcast information to the cloud, the user can access the cloud through other electronic devices (second devices) and obtain the second location information of the first device, thereby allowing the user to understand the location information of the first device at the most recent time and guide the user to find the first device.

[0070] It is understood that the trusted hardware device (second device) for receiving broadcast information and uploading location information, while transmitting information, also has a positioning function, and locates the first device based on the received first broadcast information. The following embodiments of the present disclosure further illustrate the positioning method proposed in the present disclosure.

[0071] Figure 4 FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a positioning method according to another exemplary embodiment. Figure 4 As shown, the method includes steps S401 to S402.

[0072] In step S401, third location information of the first device when sending the first broadcast information is determined based on the first broadcast information and the current location information of the second device.

[0073] In step S402, the third location information is sent to the cloud.

[0074] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, while receiving the broadcast information and uploading the location information contained in the broadcast information to the cloud, the second device can also locate the first device by itself and obtain the location information of the first device (third location information). That is, when the second device determines its own position, it determines the relative position between the second device and the first device through positioning methods such as time of flight (TOF). Then, based on the current position of the second device, as well as the current positions of the second device and the first device, the location information (third location information) of the first device is obtained, and the location information of the first device obtained by the second device is uploaded to the cloud. Through the present disclosure, while uploading the location information obtained by the first device to the cloud through the second device, the location information of the first device is also obtained by the second device and uploaded to the cloud, providing users with more reference data, making it easier for users to find the first device faster.

[0075] It is understood that the location information of a powered-off user device (first device) is private information. Receiving the location information of a powered-off user device (first device) and uploading it to the cloud by other hardware devices (second devices) could result in the disclosure of private information. Therefore, the positioning function of the powered-off electronic device can be enabled or disabled based on user needs and operations.

[0076] In one implementation of the disclosed embodiment, the first location information, the second location information, and the third location information are sent to the cloud under preset conditions, where the preset conditions are that there is a network connection and the network connection has been granted permission to send location information.

[0077] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, after obtaining the first location information, the second location information and the third location information, the second device stores the first location information, the second location information and the third location information locally, and uploads the first location information, the second location information and the third location information to the cloud when there is a network connection.

[0078] In the disclosed embodiments, a dedicated cloud server is pre-configured to utilize the positioning function of a powered-off electronic device. This server is responsible for receiving and storing the location information of a first device uploaded by a second device and, based on a search request sent by a third device, feeding back the location information of the first device to the third device. The following embodiments of the disclosure illustrate the positioning method implemented by the application and the cloud.

[0079] Figure 5 FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a positioning method according to another exemplary embodiment. Figure 5 As shown, the method includes steps S501 to S502.

[0080] In step S501, it is determined that a search request sent by a third device is received. The search request is used to obtain the first location information and the second location information. The first location information and the second location information are location information sent when the first device is turned off. The first location information is the location information of the first device at the moment of shutdown, and the second location information is the location information of the first device at the most recent moment.

[0081] In step S502, the first location information and the second location information are sent to a third device.

[0082] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, after a first device that has been turned off is lost, a user obtains the location information of the first device through a third device that can access the cloud. That is, the user uses the third device to log in to an interface dedicated to accessing the cloud, and issues a search instruction for finding the location information of the third device on the corresponding interface of the third device. The corresponding interface of the third device sends a search request to the cloud for requesting the location information of the first device based on the first device corresponding to the search instruction. The cloud determines the location information corresponding to the first device from the stored location information based on the search request, and feeds back the location information of the first device corresponding to the search request to the third device that issued the search request, so that the user knows the location information of the first device that has been turned off, which is convenient for the user to find the first device that has been turned off.

[0083] In the disclosed embodiment, the search request sent by the third device is used to obtain the location information located by the first device itself, namely, the location information of the first device at the time of shutdown (first location information) and the location information of the first device at the most recent time (second location information). Combining the location information of the electronic device at the time of shutdown and the location information of the electronic device at the most recent time, it is convenient for the user to understand the situation when the powered-down electronic device is lost, and determine the location of the electronic device in the most recent time period, thereby guiding the user to determine the location of the electronic device and retrieve the lost electronic device.

[0084] In the disclosed embodiment, the cloud stores the location information of a powered-off electronic device (first device), and the location information of the first device can be sent to the third device based on a search request issued by the third device. This allows other electronic devices (third devices) to locate the powered-off electronic device based on the location information, allowing users to find the location information of the powered-off electronic device through other devices.

[0085] In one implementation of the disclosed embodiment, the search request is also used to obtain third location information, which is the location information of the first device located by the second device when the first broadcast information is sent; the method also includes: sending the third location information to the third device.

[0086] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, while receiving the broadcast information and uploading the location information contained in the broadcast information to the cloud, the second device can also locate the first device by itself, obtain the location information (third location information) of the first device sending the broadcast information, and upload the third location information to the cloud. Therefore, the search request sent to the cloud by the third device is also used to find the information of the third device. When the cloud receives the search request, the first location information, the second location information and the third location information are sent to the third device. Through the present disclosure, while obtaining the location information obtained by the first device, the location information of the first device obtained by the second device is also obtained and uploaded to the cloud, providing users with more reference data, so that users can find the first device faster.

[0087] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, after a powered-off first device is lost, a user must use another device (a third device) to obtain the location information uploaded by the first device to the cloud, thereby locating the first device and guiding the user to find the first device. The following embodiments of the present disclosure describe the location information of the first device.

[0088] In one implementation of the disclosed embodiment, the first location information, the second location information, and the third location information are sent to the cloud under preset conditions, where the preset conditions are that there is a network connection and the network connection has been granted permission to send location information.

[0089] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, in the shutdown state, the first device does not support connecting to the network and sending its own location information to the cloud through the network. It can only generate broadcast information (first broadcast information) based on its own location information. And broadcast the broadcast information to trusted hardware devices (second devices) within a certain range. After receiving the broadcast information, the second device parses the location information (first location information and second location information) contained in the broadcast information. The second device also determines the location information (third location information) at the time the first device sends the broadcast information based on its own location information and the received broadcast information. The location information obtained by parsing and the location information of the first device obtained by itself are stored locally. When the second device is connected to the Internet, it sends the location information stored locally to the cloud.

[0090] In the disclosed embodiment, the electronic device will send two types of its own location information to the outside world after it is turned off. The first is the location information sent to the outside world when the electronic device is turned off, which is the location information of the electronic device at the moment it is turned off. The second is the location information sent at every preset time interval, which is the location information of the electronic device at the most recent moment, and can be regarded as the "current" location information of the electronic device. The location information of the electronic device at the moment it is turned off allows the user to confirm the scene when the electronic device is lost, and the location information of the electronic device at the most recent moment allows the user to determine the location of the electronic device in the most recent time period. Combining the above-mentioned location information of the electronic device at the moment it is turned off and the location information of the electronic device at the most recent moment, it is convenient for the user to understand the scene when the electronic device that has been turned off is lost, and determine the location of the electronic device in the most recent time period, guiding the user to determine the location of the electronic device and retrieve the lost electronic device.

[0091] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 6A schematic diagram of a positioning method is shown in the figure, which adopts the following method to locate the electronic device that has been turned off: the electronic device that has been turned off includes a low-power processing unit and a low-power positioning unit, the low-power processing unit is used to maintain the operation of the low-power positioning unit, and the low-power processing unit includes a sensor abstract hardware layer (Sensor HAL), a service layer (Service) and a login layer (Client); the low-power positioning unit includes chips with different positioning functions, including a low-power Bluetooth (BT BLE) chip, a Bluetooth high-precision distance measurement (BT HADM) chip, an ultra-wideband wireless communication technology (UWB) chip and a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) chip, each chip is responsible for broadcasting different types of broadcast information to nearby hardware devices when the electronic device is turned off, and the broadcast information includes the location information of the electronic device of the corresponding positioning type. The nearby hardware devices are trusted hardware devices with different positioning functions, including wearable devices with BLE function, wearable devices with HADM function, wearable devices with UWB function and wearable devices with GNSS function. Each trusted hardware device receives broadcast information from powered-off electronic devices, parses and stores the corresponding type of location information (e.g., wearable devices with BLE functionality receive location information from low-power Bluetooth chips, and wearable devices with UWB functionality receive location information from ultra-wideband wireless communication technology chips), and uploads the location signal to the cloud when there is a network connection. Other electronic devices with multiple positioning functions (including BLE, HADM, UWB, and GNSS) can issue a search request for the location information of powered-off electronic devices to the cloud based on a search instruction issued by the user, receive the location information of powered-off electronic devices fed back by the cloud, and use the corresponding positioning function to locate the powered-off electronic device according to the type of location information (e.g., if a GNSS location signal is received, the powered-off electronic device is located based on the GNSS function).

[0092] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a user searches for the location information of a powered-off terminal A through terminal C, such as Figure 7Schematic diagram of the application scenario of the positioning method in the figure, which includes the following steps: ①. After terminal A is turned off, it sends broadcast information containing its own location information to the surrounding area. ②. Multi-device fusion scanning. Various types of trusted devices near terminal A listen to the broadcast signal sent by terminal A, parse and store the location information contained in the broadcast signal. Trusted devices include wearable devices (such as watches, bracelets), other terminals - terminal B, cars, speakers and TVs, and other hardware devices with the function of receiving broadcast information and accessing the server. ③. Upload the scan results containing location information. Wearable devices (such as watches, bracelets), other terminals - terminal B, cars, speakers and TVs and other trusted devices upload the stored scan results containing location information to the server when there is a network connection. ④. The user obtains the location information of terminal A through the device search page or application APP of terminal C. The user logs in to the same account information as terminal A on the device search page or application APP of terminal C, and sends a search request to the server through the search page or application APP to obtain the location information returned by the server.

[0093] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, when an electronic device (first device) is turned off, it sends a broadcast message containing its own location information at the time of shutdown to the surrounding area, and selects a corresponding time interval based on the current mobile state, and sends a broadcast message containing its own location information at the most recent time to the surrounding area at each selected time interval. After receiving the above broadcast message, the trusted device (second device) near the electronic device that has been turned off parses and stores the location information contained in the broadcast message, determines the location information of the first device at the time of sending the broadcast message based on its own location information and the received broadcast message, and uploads the location information of the first device to the cloud if there is a network connection. When using other electronic devices (second devices) to search for the location information of the first device, log in to the same account information as the first device on the device search page or application. Send a search instruction on the device search page or application, and send a search request to the cloud through the search page or application to obtain the location information returned by the cloud. The location information returned by the cloud includes the location information of the first device at the time of shutdown and the location information at the most recent time. Through the present disclosure, electronic devices such as mobile phones and tablets can still send their own location information after being turned off, so that users can find the location information of the electronic device that has been turned off through other devices.

[0094] Based on the same concept, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a positioning device 100 .

[0095] It is understood that the positioning device 100 provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function in order to realize the above functions. In combination with the units and algorithm steps of each example disclosed in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in the form of hardware or computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art may use different methods to realize the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to exceed the scope of the technical solution of the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0096] Figure 8 FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a positioning device 100 according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 8 , the device includes a determining unit 101 and a sending unit 102.

[0097] The determining unit 101 is configured to determine whether the first device is powered off.

[0098] The sending unit 102 is configured to send the location information of the first device.

[0099] The location information is used to locate the first device. The positioning module and communication module of the first device remain in operation after the first device is shut down. The positioning module is used to obtain the location information of the first device after the first device is shut down, and the communication module is used to send the location information of the first device to the second device.

[0100] In one embodiment, the sending unit 102 sends the location information of the first device in the following manner, including: sending a first broadcast message, the first broadcast message carrying the first location information and the second location information associated with the first device; wherein the first location information is the location information of the first device at the moment of shutdown, and the second location information is the location information of the first device at the most recent moment.

[0101] In one embodiment, the second location information is obtained once at a preset time interval, and the first broadcast information is sent once at a preset time interval. The preset time interval is determined based on the mobile state and non-mobile state of the first device, and the mobile state and non-mobile state of the first device correspond to different preset time intervals.

[0102] Figure 9 FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a positioning device 200 according to another exemplary embodiment. Figure 9 , the device includes a receiving unit 201 and a processing unit 202.

[0103] The receiving unit 201 is configured to receive first broadcast information sent by a first device.

[0104] The first broadcast information carries first location information and second location information associated with the first device. The first location information is the location information of the first device at the time of shutdown, and the second location information is the location information of the first device at the most recent time.

[0105] The processing unit 202 is configured to send the first location information and the second location information to the cloud.

[0106] In one embodiment, the processing unit 202 is further configured to: determine third location information of the first device when the first broadcast information is sent out based on the first broadcast information and the current location information of the second device; and send the second location information to the cloud.

[0107] In one embodiment, the first location information, the second location information, and the third location information are sent to the cloud through the processing unit under preset conditions. The preset conditions are that there is a network connection and the network connection has been granted permission to send location information.

[0108] Figure 10 FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a positioning device 300 according to another exemplary embodiment. Figure 10 , the device includes a determining unit 301 and a sending unit 302.

[0109] The determination unit 301 is used to determine whether a search request sent by a third device has been received. The search request is used to obtain the first location information and the second location information. The first location information and the second location information are location information sent when the first device is in a shut-down state. The first location information is the location information of the first device at the moment of shutting down, and the second location information is the location information of the first device at the most recent moment.

[0110] The sending unit 302 is configured to send the first location information and the second location information to a third device.

[0111] In one embodiment, the search request is also used to obtain third location information, which is the location information when the first device located by the second device sends the first broadcast information; the sending unit 302 is also used to: send the third location information to the third device.

[0112] Regarding the apparatus in the above embodiment, the specific manner in which each module performs operations has been described in detail in the embodiment of the method, and will not be elaborated here.

[0113] Figure 11 FIG4 is a block diagram of an apparatus 400 for positioning according to an exemplary embodiment. The apparatus 400 may be provided as a terminal. For example, the apparatus 400 may be a mobile phone, a computer, a digital broadcast terminal, a messaging device, a game console, a tablet device, a medical device, a fitness device, a personal digital assistant, etc.

[0114] Reference Figure 11 , apparatus 400 may include one or more of the following components: a processing component 402 , a memory 404 , a power component 406 , a multimedia component 408 , an audio component 410 , an input / output (I / O) interface 412 , a sensor component 414 , and a communication component 416 .

[0115] Processing component 402 generally controls the overall operation of device 400, such as operations associated with display, phone calls, data communications, camera operation, and recording operations. Processing component 402 may include one or more processors 420 to execute instructions to perform all or part of the steps of the above-described method. In addition, processing component 402 may include one or more modules to facilitate interaction between processing component 402 and other components. For example, processing component 402 may include a multimedia module to facilitate interaction between multimedia component 408 and processing component 402.

[0116] The memory 404 is configured to store various types of data to support operations on the device 400. Examples of such data include instructions for any application or method operating on the device 400, contact data, phone book data, messages, pictures, videos, etc. The memory 404 can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device, or a combination thereof, such as static random access memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic memory, flash memory, magnetic disk, or optical disk.

[0117] Power component 406 provides power to the various components of device 400. Power component 406 may include a power management system, one or more power supplies, and other components associated with generating, managing, and distributing power to device 400.

[0118] The multimedia component 408 includes a screen that provides an output interface between the device 400 and the user. In some embodiments, the screen may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a touch panel (TP). If the screen includes a touch panel, the screen can be implemented as a touch screen to receive input signals from the user. The touch panel includes one or more touch sensors to sense touches, slides, and gestures on the touch panel. The touch sensor can not only sense the boundaries of the touch or slide action, but also detect the duration and pressure associated with the touch or slide operation. In some embodiments, the multimedia component 408 includes a front camera and / or a rear camera. When the device 400 is in an operating mode, such as a shooting mode or a video mode, the front camera and / or the rear camera can receive external multimedia data. Each front camera and rear camera can be a fixed optical lens system or have a focal length and optical zoom capability.

[0119] The audio component 410 is configured to output and / or input audio signals. For example, the audio component 410 includes a microphone (MIC) that is configured to receive external audio signals when the device 400 is in an operating mode, such as a call mode, a recording mode, and a voice recognition mode. The received audio signal can be further stored in the memory 404 or transmitted via the communication component 416. In some embodiments, the audio component 410 also includes a speaker for outputting audio signals.

[0120] I / O interface 412 provides an interface between processing component 402 and peripheral interface modules, such as a keyboard, click wheel, buttons, etc. These buttons may include but are not limited to: a home button, volume buttons, a start button, and a lock button.

[0121] The sensor assembly 414 includes one or more sensors for providing various aspects of the status assessment of the device 400. For example, the sensor assembly 414 can detect the open / closed state of the device 400, the relative positioning of components, such as the display and keypad of the device 400. The sensor assembly 414 can also detect changes in the position of the device 400 or a component of the device 400, the presence or absence of user contact with the device 400, the orientation or acceleration / deceleration of the device 400, and temperature changes of the device 400. The sensor assembly 414 may include a proximity sensor configured to detect the presence of nearby objects without any physical contact. The sensor assembly 414 may also include an optical sensor, such as a CMOS or CCD image sensor, for use in imaging applications. In some embodiments, the sensor assembly 414 may also include an accelerometer, a gyroscope sensor, a magnetic sensor, a pressure sensor, or a temperature sensor.

[0122] The communication component 416 is configured to facilitate wired or wireless communication between the device 400 and other devices. The device 400 can access a wireless network based on a communication standard, such as WiFi, 2G or 3G, or a combination thereof. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication component 416 receives a broadcast signal or broadcast-related information from an external broadcast management system via a broadcast channel. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication component 416 also includes a near field communication (NFC) module to facilitate short-range communication. For example, the NFC module can be implemented based on radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, infrared data association (IrDA) technology, ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, Bluetooth (BT) technology and other technologies.

[0123] In an exemplary embodiment, the apparatus 400 may be implemented by one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, or other electronic components to perform the above-described method.

[0124] In an exemplary embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions is also provided, such as a memory 404 including instructions, which can be executed by the processor 420 of the apparatus 400 to perform the above method. For example, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium can be a ROM, a random access memory (RAM), a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, an optical data storage device, etc.

[0125] It is understood that in this disclosure, "plurality" refers to two or more than two, and other quantifiers are similar. "And / or" describes the association relationship of related objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the related objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. The singular forms "a", "the" and "the" are also intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0126] It will be further understood that the terms "first," "second," and the like are used to describe various types of information, but such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are used solely to distinguish information of the same type from one another and do not indicate a particular order or level of importance. In fact, the terms "first," "second," and the like are fully interchangeable. For example, first information could be referred to as second information, and similarly, second information could be referred to as first information without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0127] It can be further understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "front", "back", "up", "down", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this embodiment and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation.

[0128] It is further understood that, unless otherwise specified, “connection” includes a direct connection where there are no other components between the two elements, and also includes an indirect connection where there are other elements between the two elements.

[0129] It is further understood that although operations are described in a particular order in the drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure, this should not be construed as requiring that the operations be performed in the particular order shown or in a serial order, or that all of the operations shown be performed to obtain the desired results. In certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous.

[0130] Other embodiments of the present disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and practicing the invention disclosed herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the present disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein.

[0131] It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the exact structures described above and shown in the drawings, and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present disclosure is limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A positioning method, characterized in that: include: Determining that the first device is powered off; sending the location information of the first device; The location information is used to locate the first device; Among them, the positioning module and communication module of the first device remain in working state after the first device is shut down, the positioning module is used to obtain the location information of the first device after the first device is shut down, and the communication module is used to send the location information of the first device to the second device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The sending the location information of the first device includes: Sending first broadcast information, where the first broadcast information carries first location information and second location information associated with the first device; The first location information is the location information of the first device at the time of shutdown, and the second location information is the location information of the first device at the most recent time.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The second location information is acquired once at a preset time interval, and the first broadcast information is sent once at a preset time interval. The preset time interval is determined based on the mobile state and non-mobile state of the first device, and the mobile state and non-mobile state of the first device correspond to different preset time intervals.

4. A positioning method, characterized in that: include: receiving a first broadcast message sent by a first device, wherein the first broadcast message carries first location information and second location information associated with the first device, the first location information being location information of the first device at a time when the device is powered off, and the second location information being location information of the first device at a most recent time; The first location information and the second location information are sent to the cloud.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The method further comprises: determining, based on the first broadcast information and the current location information of the second device, third location information of the first device when the first broadcast information is sent; The third location information is sent to the cloud.

6. The method according to any one of claims 4 and 5, characterized in that The first location information, the second location information, and the third location information are sent to the cloud under preset conditions, where the preset conditions are that there is a network connection and the network connection has been granted permission to send location information.

7. A positioning method, characterized in that: include: Determining that a search request sent by a third device is received, the search request is used to obtain first location information and second location information, the first location information and the second location information are location information sent by the first device when it is powered off, the first location information is location information of the first device at the time of power off, and the second location information is the most recent location information of the first device; The first location information and the second location information are sent to the third device.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The search request is further used to obtain third location information, where the third location information is location information of the first device located by the second device when the first broadcast information is sent; The method further comprises: The third location information is sent to the third device.

9. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 8, characterized in that The first location information, the second location information, and the third location information are sent by the first device to the second device and uploaded to the cloud by the second device.

10. A positioning device, characterized in that: include: a determining unit, configured to determine whether the first device is powered off; a sending unit, configured to send the location information of the first device; The location information is used to locate the first device; Among them, the positioning module and communication module of the first device remain in working state after the first device is shut down, the positioning module is used to obtain the location information of the first device after the first device is shut down, and the communication module is used to send the location information of the first device to the second device.

11. A positioning device, characterized in that: include: a receiving unit, configured to receive a first broadcast message sent by a first device, wherein the first broadcast message carries first location information and second location information associated with the first device, the first location information being location information of the first device at a moment when the device is powered off, and the second location information being location information of the first device at a most recent moment; A processing unit is configured to send the first location information and the second location information to a cloud.

12. A positioning device, characterized in that: include: a determining unit, configured to determine that a search request sent by a third device has been received, the search request being used to obtain first location information and second location information, the first location information and the second location information being location information sent by the first device when the first device is powered off, the first location information being location information of the first device at the time of power off, and the second location information being location information of the first device at a most recent moment; A sending unit, configured to send the first location information and the second location information to the third device.

13. An electronic device, characterized in that: include: processor: a memory for storing processor-executable instructions; The processor is configured to: execute the positioning method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, or the positioning method according to any one of claims 4 to 6, or the positioning method according to any one of claims 7 to 9.

14. A storage medium, characterized in that The storage medium stores instructions. When the instructions in the storage medium are executed by the processor, the processor is enabled to execute the positioning method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, or the positioning method according to any one of claims 4 to 6, or the positioning method according to any one of claims 7 to 9.

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