Indoor positioning method and electronic device for performing the same

Abstract

Disclosed are an indoor positioning method and an electronic device for performing same. An operation method of an electronic device (110, 710, 1001) according to an embodiment may comprise an operation of acquiring status information regarding the status of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001). The method may comprise an operation of, in response to a change in the status of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001), determining a position of an external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) on the basis of a signal received from the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) located in an indoor space around the electronic device (110, 710, 1001). The method may comprise an operation of performing, on the basis of the determined position of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150), a process for updating position information regarding one or more of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) and the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150). Other various embodiments may be possible.

Description

Indoor positioning method and electronic device performing the same

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an indoor positioning method and an electronic device performing the same.

[0002] Controlling electronic devices located indoors may require location information. For example, a user may control electronic devices in their vicinity through a user utterance, such as "Turn on the living room TV." To control electronic devices in their vicinity, location information may be required.

[0003] The location information of an electronic device can be set and / or updated in a variety of ways. For example, the location information of an electronic device can be set and / or updated by the user.

[0004] The above information may be provided as background art to aid in understanding the present disclosure. No claim or determination is made as to whether any of the above is applicable as prior art related to the present disclosure.

[0005] To enhance user convenience, a method may be needed for electronic devices to automatically set and / or update location information of the electronic device.

[0006] The technical tasks to be achieved in this document are not limited to the technical tasks mentioned above, and other technical tasks not mentioned will be clearly understood by those with ordinary skill in the technical field to which this document pertains from the description below.

[0007] An electronic device (110, 710, 1001) according to one embodiment may include a processor (1020) and a memory (1030) that stores instructions. The instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the processor (1020), may cause the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) to obtain status information about the status of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001). The above instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the processor (1020), may cause the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) to determine the position of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) based on a signal received from the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) located in an indoor space around the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) in response to a change in the state of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001). The above instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the processor (1020), may cause the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) to perform a process for updating position information of one or more of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) and the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) based on the determined position of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150).

[0008] An electronic device (120, 1001) according to one embodiment may include a processor (1020) and a memory (1030) that stores instructions. The instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the processor (1020), may cause the electronic device (120, 1001) to receive a request for obtaining position information of the electronic device (120, 1001) from an external electronic device (110) located in an indoor space around the electronic device (120, 1001). The instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the processor (1020), may cause the electronic device (120, 1001) to transmit a response including the position information to the external electronic device (110) during a predetermined time interval in response to the request. The transmit power of the above response may be lower than the transmit power of the signal (61) that does not include location information of the external electronic device (110).

[0009] A method of operating an electronic device (110, 710, 1001) according to one embodiment may include an operation of obtaining status information about a status of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001). The method may include an operation of determining a position of an external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) based on a signal received from an external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) located in an indoor space around the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) in response to a change in the status of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001). The method may include an operation of performing a process for updating position information of one or more of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) and the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) based on the determined position of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150).

[0010] According to one embodiment, a computer-readable recording medium storing one or more computer programs may include instructions for performing the method in a processor.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a drawing for explaining an indoor positioning system according to one embodiment.

[0012] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an indoor positioning process according to one embodiment.

[0013] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an indoor positioning process according to one embodiment.

[0014] FIG. 4 illustrates an example of an indoor environment for explaining a location information transmission algorithm according to one embodiment.

[0015] FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 are diagrams for explaining a location information transmission algorithm according to one embodiment.

[0016] FIG. 7 is a drawing for explaining an indoor positioning system according to one embodiment.

[0017] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an indoor positioning process according to one embodiment.

[0018] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an indoor positioning process according to one embodiment.

[0019] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an electronic device within a network environment according to one embodiment.

[0020] FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0021] FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0022] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. In the description with reference to the attached drawings, identical components are assigned the same reference numerals regardless of the drawing numbers, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0023]

[0024] FIG. 1 is a drawing for explaining an indoor positioning system according to one embodiment.

[0025] Referring to FIG. 1, according to one embodiment, an indoor positioning system (100) may include an electronic device (110) located in a plurality of indoor spaces (e.g., a living room (11), a room (13)) and one or more external electronic devices (120 to 150).

[0026] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (110) and external electronic devices (120-150) can transmit and receive wireless signals (e.g., WiFi signals, Bluetooth signals). For example, the electronic device (110) may be a network device such as an access point (AP) and an Ethernet hub, and the external electronic devices (120-150) may be devices (e.g., a smart TV) that communicate with the electronic device (110). The electronic device (110) and external electronic devices (120-150) may be stationary devices, but are not limited thereto. For example, the electronic device (110) and external electronic devices (120-150) may be mobile devices such as a smart phone.

[0027] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (110) can receive signals from external electronic devices (120 to 150) and set and / or update location information of the electronic device (110) based on the received signals.

[0028] In one embodiment, external electronic devices (120-150) can transmit signals to the electronic device (110). For example, the external electronic devices (120-150) can broadcast advertisements (or advertisement packets) to the electronic device (110).

[0029] According to one embodiment, external electronic devices (120-150) can transmit location information to the electronic device (110). For example, the external electronic device (120) can transmit location information indicating that the current location of the external electronic device (120) is the living room (11) to the electronic device (110).

[0030]

[0031] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an indoor positioning process according to one embodiment.

[0032] Referring to FIG. 2, according to one embodiment, operations 205 through 240 may be performed sequentially, but are not limited thereto. For example, one or more operations may be omitted, or two or more operations may be performed in parallel. An electronic device (e.g., electronic device (110) of FIG. 1 ) may initiate an indoor positioning process based on a setting or in response to a user input.

[0033] In operation 205, the electronic device (110) may obtain status information of the electronic device (110). The status information of the electronic device (110) may include information about the status of the electronic device (110). For example, the status information of the electronic device (110) may include information about one or more of the power status of the electronic device (110) and the IP address (internet protocol address) of the electronic device (110).

[0034] In operation 210, the electronic device (110) can determine whether the state of the electronic device (110) has changed based on the acquired state information. For example, the electronic device (110) can detect one or more of power off of the electronic device (110), rebooting of the electronic device (110), and change of the IP address of the electronic device (110). As another example, the electronic device (110) can detect a change in the position of the electronic device (110) using a sensor of the electronic device (e.g., an inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor).

[0035] In one embodiment, the electronic device (110) may terminate the indoor positioning process in response to determining that the state of the electronic device (100) has not changed.

[0036] In operation 215, the electronic device (110) may analyze a signal received from an external electronic device (e.g., external electronic devices (120 to 150) of FIG. 1) in response to determining that the state of the electronic device (110) has changed. The signal (e.g., advertisement) received from the external electronic device (120 to 150) may include location information of the external electronic device (120 to 150).

[0037] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (110) may transmit a request to an external electronic device (120-150) to obtain location information of the external electronic device (120-150). The request of the electronic device (110) will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 3.

[0038] According to one embodiment, the external electronic device (120-150) can transmit location information of the external electronic device (120-150) to the electronic device (110) in various ways. The location information transmission algorithm of the external electronic device (120-150) will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6.

[0039] In operation 220, the electronic device (110) can determine whether the position of the external electronic device (120 to 150) has changed based on a signal received from the external electronic device (120 to 150).

[0040] In operation 225, if it is determined that the location of the external electronic device (120-150) has changed, the electronic device (110) may determine, based on a policy, whether user confirmation is required to update the location information of the electronic device (110). For example, the electronic device (110) may require user confirmation to update the location information of the electronic device (110) if a specific service (e.g., a secure mode of SmartThings) and / or a specific application related to the location information of the electronic device (110) is activated.

[0041] In order to update the location information of the electronic device (110), if user confirmation is not required, the electronic device (110) may update the location information of the electronic device (110). For example, the electronic device (110) may update the location information of the electronic device (110) based on a signal (e.g., location information) received from an external electronic device (120 to 150).

[0042] In operation 230, if user confirmation is required to update the location information of the electronic device (110), the electronic device (110) may output a user interface. The electronic device (110) may receive user input related to updating the location information of the electronic device (110) through the user interface. For example, the electronic device (110) may obtain a first user input that does not approve the update of the location information of the electronic device (110). As another example, the electronic device (110) may obtain a second user input that approves the update of the location information of the electronic device (110). The second user input may include information about the current location of the electronic device (110).

[0043] In operation 235, the electronic device (110) may determine whether the user input inputted through the user interface (e.g., the user interface outputted in operation 230) is a second user input. If the first user input is inputted, the electronic device (110) may terminate the indoor positioning process.

[0044] In operation 240, when a second user input is input, the electronic device (110) may update the location information of the electronic device (110) based on the second user input and / or a signal received from an external electronic device (120 to 150). For example, when the second user input includes information about the current location (or changed location) of the electronic device (110), the electronic device (110) may update the location information of the electronic device (110) based on the second user input.

[0045] In operation 245, if it is determined that the location of the external electronic device (120 to 150) has not changed, the electronic device (110) may determine a change in the reception strength (e.g., received signal strength indicator (RSSI)) of the signal received from the external electronic device (120 to 150). For example, the electronic device (110) may determine whether the amount of change in the reception strength of the signal received from the external electronic device (120 to 150) during a predetermined time period satisfies a threshold value. If the amount of change in the reception strength does not satisfy the threshold value, the electronic device (110) may terminate the indoor positioning process.

[0046] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (110) may measure the reception strength (e.g., RSSI fluctuation) a predetermined number of times or more and use the average of the measured values ​​to reduce errors due to fluctuations in the reception strength (e.g., RSSI fluctuation) of signals received from external electronic devices (120 to 150).

[0047] In operation 250, if the amount of change in the reception intensity satisfies the threshold, the electronic device (110) may transmit a request to the external electronic device (120 to 150) for updating the location information of the external electronic device (120 to 150).

[0048]

[0049] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an indoor positioning process according to one embodiment.

[0050] Referring to FIG. 3, according to one embodiment, operations 310 to 330 may be performed sequentially, but are not limited thereto. For example, two or more operations may be performed in parallel.

[0051] In operation 310, an electronic device (e.g., an electronic device (110) of FIG. 1) may transmit a request to an external electronic device (e.g., external electronic devices (120 to 150) of FIG. 1) to obtain position information of the external electronic devices (120 to 150).

[0052] In operation 320, the electronic device (110) may receive a response corresponding to the request (e.g., the request transmitted in operation 310) from an external electronic device (120-150). The response may include information about the current location of the external electronic device (120-150).

[0053] At operation 330, the electronic device (110) may analyze a response (e.g., the response received at operation 320).

[0054]

[0055] FIG. 4 illustrates an indoor environment for explaining a location information transmission algorithm according to one embodiment.

[0056] Referring to FIG. 4, according to one embodiment, the external electronic device (120) may be located in the same indoor space (e.g., living room (11)) as the current location of the electronic device (110), or may be located in a different indoor space (e.g., room (13)) from the current location of the electronic device (110).

[0057] According to one embodiment, an external electronic device (120) may broadcast (or transmit) a signal (e.g., a packet, such as an advertisement packet) into the space surrounding the external electronic device (120). The transmit distance (40) of the signal may be determined based on the transmit power of the signal. For example, the transmit distance (40) of the signal may be proportional to the transmit power of the signal.

[0058] According to one embodiment, the external electronic device (120) can broadcast a signal (e.g., a packet) containing location information of the external electronic device (120) in various ways. The location information transmission algorithm of the external electronic device (120) will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0059]

[0060] FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 are diagrams for explaining a location information transmission algorithm according to one embodiment.

[0061] Referring to FIG. 5, according to one embodiment, an external electronic device (e.g., the external electronic device (120) of FIGS. 1 and 4) may broadcast a first signal (53) (e.g., a packet) including location information of the external electronic device (120) at a lower power than a second signal (51) (e.g., a packet) not including location information of the external electronic device (120). The external electronic device (120) may determine the transmit power of the first signal (53) based on the size of an indoor space (e.g., the living room (11) and the room (13) of FIGS. 1 and 6). By the external electronic device (120) determining the transmit power of the first signal (53) based on the size of the indoor space (11, 13), a geofence associated with the first signal (53) may be generated. When a geofence associated with the first signal (53) is properly created, the electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (110) of FIGS. 1 and 4) can determine the current location of the electronic device (110) based on the first signal (53) received from the external electronic device (120).

[0062] According to one embodiment, the external electronic device (120) can periodically broadcast the first signal (53) and the second signal (51). The external electronic device (120) can periodically broadcast the first signal (53) regardless of a request from the electronic device (110) (e.g., a request transmitted in operation 310 of FIG. 3).

[0063] Referring to FIG. 6, according to one embodiment, an external electronic device (e.g., the external electronic device (120) of FIGS. 1 and 4) may periodically broadcast a second signal (61) (e.g., the second signal (51) of FIG. 5).

[0064] According to one embodiment, the external electronic device (120) can broadcast a first signal (63) (e.g., the first signal (53) of FIG. 5) based on a request (65) (e.g., the request transmitted in operation 310 of FIG. 3) of an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (110) of FIGS. 1 and 4). For example, the external electronic device (120) can broadcast a second signal (63) during a predetermined time interval (67) after receiving the request (65). By broadcasting the second signal during the predetermined time interval (67), the external electronic device (120) can reduce power consumption.

[0065]

[0066] FIG. 7 is a drawing for explaining an indoor positioning system according to one embodiment.

[0067] Referring to FIG. 7, according to one embodiment, an indoor positioning system (700) may include an electronic device (710) (e.g., the electronic device (110) of FIGS. 1 and 4) and one or more external electronic devices (720 to 760) (e.g., the external electronic devices (120 to 150) of FIGS. 1 and 4). The electronic device (710) may be a mobile device such as a smart phone, and the external electronic devices (720 to 760) may be, but are not limited to, fixed devices (e.g., an access point (AP), an Ethernet hub, a television (TV)) that communicate with the electronic device (710). For example, the electronic device (710) may be a fixed device.

[0068] According to one embodiment, some of the external electronic devices (720 to 760) (e.g., external electronic devices (720 to 740)) may be located within the same indoor space (e.g., living room (11)) as the current location of the electronic device (710). Others of the external electronic devices (720 to 760) (e.g., external electronic devices (750, 760)) may be located within a different indoor space (e.g., room (11)) than the current location of the electronic device (710).

[0069] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (710) can determine the location of the electronic device (710) based on signals received from external electronic devices (720 to 760). The indoor positioning process of the electronic device (710) will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9.

[0070]

[0071] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an indoor positioning process according to one embodiment.

[0072] Referring to FIG. 8, according to one embodiment, operations 810 and 820 may be performed sequentially, but are not limited thereto. For example, operations 810 and 820 may be performed in parallel.

[0073] In operation 810, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (710) of FIG. 7) may receive a signal from one or more external electronic devices (e.g., external electronic devices (720 to 760) of FIG. 7). The signal received from the external electronic devices (720 to 760) may include location information of the external electronic devices (720 to 760).

[0074] In operation 820, the electronic device (710) may generate and / or update location information of the electronic device (710) based on the reception strength (e.g., received signal strength indicator (RSSI)) of signals received from external electronic devices (720 to 760). For example, the electronic device (710) may determine the current location of the electronic device (710) based on location information (e.g., living room (11)) included in a reference signal. The reference signal may be determined based on the reception strengths of signals received from the external electronic devices (720 to 760). For example, the reference signal may be a signal (e.g., a signal received from the external electronic device (720)) having the highest reception strength among the signals received from the external electronic devices (720 to 760). For another example, the electronic device (720) can determine the current location of the electronic device (710) based on weights. The electronic device (720) can determine weights associated with indoor spaces (e.g., living room (11), room (13)) where the external electronic devices (720) are located, based on the reception intensities of signals received from the external electronic devices (720 to 760). The electronic device (710) can add up the weights. The electronic device (710) can determine the current location of the electronic device (710) based on the added weights corresponding to each of the indoor spaces (11, 13). For example, the electronic device (710) can determine the indoor space (e.g., living room (11)) with the largest added weight as the current location of the electronic device (710).

[0075] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (710) may use signals having a reception strength that satisfies a threshold value among signals received from a plurality of external electronic devices (720 to 760) to generate and / or update location information of the electronic device (710).

[0076]

[0077] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an indoor positioning process according to one embodiment.

[0078] Referring to FIG. 9, according to one embodiment, operations 910 to 920 may be performed sequentially, but are not limited thereto. For example, operations 910 and 920 may be performed in parallel.

[0079] In operation 910, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (710) of FIG. 7) may receive signals from at least some of a plurality of external electronic devices (e.g., external electronic devices (720-750)) among external electronic devices (e.g., external electronic devices (720-760) of FIG. 7). The signals received from the external electronic devices (720-750) may include location information of the external electronic devices (720-760).

[0080] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (710) may receive only some of the signals broadcast from the external electronic devices (720-760) depending on the distance between the electronic device (710) and each of the external electronic devices (720-760) and / or the presence of obstacles (e.g., walls). The electronic device (710) may have a higher probability of receiving signals from the external electronic devices (720-740) located within the same indoor space as the electronic device (710). For example, the electronic device (710) may not receive a signal broadcast by the external electronic device (760) that is furthest from the electronic device (710).

[0081] In operation 920, the electronic device (710) may generate and / or update location information of the electronic device (710) based on the number of signals received from external electronic devices (720 to 750). The electronic device (710) may determine the number of received signals corresponding to each of the indoor spaces (e.g., living room (11), room (13)) where the external electronic devices (720 to 750) are located. For example, the electronic device (710) may count the number of signals (e.g., 3) received from external electronic devices (720 to 740) located in the living room (11) and may count the number of signals (e.g., 1) received from external electronic devices (750 to 760) located in the room (13). The electronic device (710) can determine the indoor space (e.g., living room (11)) corresponding to the largest number of received signals as the current location of the electronic device (710).

[0082]

[0083] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an electronic device within a network environment according to one embodiment.

[0084] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an electronic device (1001) (e.g., the electronic device (501) of FIG. 5 , the electronic device (901) of FIG. 9 , and the electronic device (1101) of FIG. 11 ) within a network environment (1000) according to one embodiment. Referring to FIG. 10 , in the network environment (1000), the electronic device (1001) may communicate with the electronic device (1002) via a first network (1098) (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network), or may communicate with at least one of the electronic device (1004) or the server (1008) via a network (1099) (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (1001) may communicate with the electronic device (1004) via the server (1008). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (1001) may include a processor (1020), a memory (1030), an input module (1050), an audio output module (1055), a display module (1060), an audio module (1070), a sensor module (1076), an interface (1077), a connection terminal (1078), a haptic module (1079), a camera module (1080), a power management module (1088), a battery (1089), a communication module (1090), a subscriber identification module (1096), or an antenna module (1097). In some embodiments, the electronic device (1001) may omit at least one of these components (e.g., the connection terminal (1078)), or may have one or more other components added. In some embodiments, some of these components (e.g., sensor module (1076), camera module (1080), or antenna module (1097)) may be integrated into a single component (e.g., display module (1060)).

[0085] The processor (1020) may, for example, execute software (e.g., a program (1040)) to control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware or software component) of the electronic device (1001) connected to the processor (1020) and perform various data processing or operations. According to one embodiment, as at least a part of the data processing or operations, the processor (1020) may store commands or data received from other components (e.g., a sensor module (1076) or a communication module (1090)) in the volatile memory (1032), process the commands or data stored in the volatile memory (1032), and store result data in the non-volatile memory (1034).

[0086] According to one embodiment, the processor (1020) may be implemented as a circuit (e.g., a processing circuit) such as a system on chip (SoC) or an integrated circuit (IC). The processor (1020) may include one or more processors. For example, the processor (1020) may include a combination of one or more processors such as a CPU, a GPU, an MPU, an AP, and a CP.

[0087] According to one embodiment, the processor (1020) may include a main processor (1021) (e.g., a central processing unit or an application processor) or a secondary processor (1023) (e.g., a graphics processing unit, a neural processing unit (NPU), an image signal processor, a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor) that can operate independently or together with the main processor (1021). For example, when the electronic device (1001) includes the main processor (1021) and the secondary processor (1023), the secondary processor (1023) may be configured to use less power than the main processor (1021) or to be specialized for a given function. The secondary processor (1023) may be implemented separately from the main processor (1021) or as a part thereof.

[0088] The auxiliary processor (1023) may control at least a portion of functions or states associated with at least one component (e.g., the display module (1060), the sensor module (1076), or the communication module (1090)) of the electronic device (1001), for example, on behalf of the main processor (1021) while the main processor (1021) is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, or together with the main processor (1021) while the main processor (1021) is in an active (e.g., application execution) state. In one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (1023) (e.g., an image signal processor or a communication processor) may be implemented as a part of another functionally related component (e.g., a camera module (1080) or a communication module (1090)). In one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (1023) (e.g., a neural network processing unit) may include a hardware structure specialized for processing artificial intelligence models. The artificial intelligence models may be generated through machine learning. This learning can be performed, for example, on the electronic device (1001) itself where the artificial intelligence model is executed, or can be performed through a separate server (e.g., server (1008)). The learning algorithm can include, for example, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or reinforcement learning, but is not limited to the examples described above. The artificial intelligence model can include multiple artificial neural network layers.The artificial neural network may be one of a deep neural network (DNN), a convolutional neural network (CNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), a restricted Boltzmann machine (RBM), a deep belief network (DBN), a bidirectional recurrent deep neural network (BRDNN), a deep Q-network, or a combination of two or more of the above, but is not limited to the examples described above. In addition to, or alternatively to, a hardware structure, an artificial intelligence model may include a software structure.

[0089] The memory (1030) can store various data used by at least one component (e.g., processor (1020) or sensor module (1076)) of the electronic device (1001). The data can include, for example, software (e.g., program (1040)) and input data or output data for commands related thereto.

[0090] According to one embodiment, the memory (1030) may include one or more memories. The instructions stored in the memory (1030) may be stored in a single memory. The instructions stored in the memory (1030) may be divided and stored in a plurality of memories. The instructions stored in the memory (1030) may be individually or collectively executed by the processor (1020) to cause the electronic device (1001) (e.g., the electronic device (110) of FIG. 1 or the electronic device (710) of FIG. 7) to perform and / or control the indoor positioning method described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 12. The instructions stored in the memory (1030) may be individually or collectively executed by a plurality of processors to cause the electronic device (1001) (e.g., the electronic device (110) of FIG. 1 or the electronic device (710) of FIG. 7) to perform and / or control the indoor positioning method described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 12. According to one embodiment, the memory (1030) may include volatile memory (1032) or non-volatile memory (1034).

[0091] The program (1040) may be stored as software in memory (1030) and may include, for example, an operating system (1042), middleware (1044), or an application (1046).

[0092] The input module (1050) can receive commands or data to be used in a component of the electronic device (1001) (e.g., a processor (1020)) from an external source (e.g., a user) of the electronic device (1001). The input module (1050) can include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard, a key (e.g., a button), or a digital pen (e.g., a stylus pen).

[0093] The audio output module (1055) can output audio signals to the outside of the electronic device (1001). The audio output module (1055) can include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker can be used for general purposes, such as multimedia playback or recording playback. The receiver can be used to receive incoming calls. In one embodiment, the receiver can be implemented separately from the speaker or as part of the speaker.

[0094] The display module (1060) can visually provide information to an external party (e.g., a user) of the electronic device (1001). The display module (1060) may include, for example, a display, a holographic device, or a projector and a control circuit for controlling the device. In one embodiment, the display module (1060) may include a touch sensor configured to detect a touch, or a pressure sensor configured to measure the intensity of a force generated by the touch.

[0095] The audio module (1070) can convert sound into an electrical signal, or vice versa, convert an electrical signal into sound. According to one embodiment, the audio module (1070) can acquire sound through the input module (1050), output sound through the sound output module (1055), or an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (1002)) (e.g., speaker or headphone) directly or wirelessly connected to the electronic device (1001).

[0096] The sensor module (1076) can detect the operating status (e.g., power or temperature) of the electronic device (1001) or the external environmental status (e.g., user status) and generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the detected status. According to one embodiment, the sensor module (1076) can include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an IR (infrared) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

[0097] The interface (1077) may support one or more designated protocols that may be used to directly or wirelessly connect the electronic device (1001) with an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (1002)). In one embodiment, the interface (1077) may include, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, an SD card interface, or an audio interface.

[0098] The connection terminal (1078) may include a connector through which the electronic device (1001) may be physically connected to an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (1002)). According to one embodiment, the connection terminal (1078) may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).

[0099] The haptic module (1079) can convert electrical signals into mechanical stimuli (e.g., vibration or movement) or electrical stimuli that a user can perceive through tactile or kinesthetic sensations. In one embodiment, the haptic module (1079) can include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

[0100] The camera module (1080) can capture still images and videos. According to one embodiment, the camera module (1080) may include one or more lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.

[0101] The power management module (1088) can manage power supplied to the electronic device (1001). According to one embodiment, the power management module (1088) can be implemented, for example, as at least a part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

[0102] A battery (1089) may power at least one component of the electronic device (1001). In one embodiment, the battery (1089) may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell.

[0103] The communication module (1090) may support the establishment of a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the electronic device (1001) and an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (1002), electronic device (1004), or server (1008)), and the performance of communication through the established communication channel. The communication module (1090) may operate independently from the processor (1020) (e.g., application processor) and may include one or more communication processors that support direct (e.g., wired) communication or wireless communication. According to one embodiment, the communication module (1090) may include a wireless communication module (1092) (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module (1094) (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module, or a power line communication module). Among these communication modules, a corresponding communication module can communicate with an external electronic device (1004) via a first network (1098) (e.g., a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, wireless fidelity (WiFi) direct, or infrared data association (IrDA)) or a second network (1099) (e.g., a long-range communication network such as a legacy cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a LAN or WAN)). These various types of communication modules can be integrated into a single component (e.g., a single chip) or implemented as multiple separate components (e.g., multiple chips). The wireless communication module (1092) can verify or authenticate the electronic device (1001) within a communication network such as the first network (1098) or the second network (1099) by using subscriber information (e.g., an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)) stored in the subscriber identification module (1096).

[0104] The wireless communication module (1092) can support 5G networks and next-generation communication technologies following the 4G network, such as NR access technology (new radio access technology). NR access technology can support high-speed transmission of high-capacity data (eMBB (enhanced mobile broadband)), minimizing terminal power and connecting multiple terminals (mMTC (massive machine type communications)), or high reliability and low latency (URLLC (ultra-reliable and low-latency communications)). The wireless communication module (1092) can support, for example, a high-frequency band (e.g., mmWave band) to achieve a high data transmission rate. The wireless communication module (1092) may support various technologies for securing performance in a high-frequency band, such as beamforming, massive multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO), full dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, analog beam-forming, or large scale antenna. The wireless communication module (1092) may support various requirements specified in the electronic device (1001), an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (1004)), or a network system (e.g., the second network (1099)). According to one embodiment, the wireless communication module (1092) may support a peak data rate (e.g., 20 Gbps or more) for eMBB realization, a loss coverage (e.g., 164 dB or less) for mMTC realization, or a U-plane latency (e.g., 0.5 ms or less for downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) each, or 1 ms or less for round trip) for URLLC realization.

[0105] The antenna module (1097) can transmit or receive signals or power to or from an external device (e.g., an external electronic device). In one embodiment, the antenna module (1097) may include an antenna including a radiator formed of a conductor or a conductive pattern formed on a substrate (e.g., a PCB). In one embodiment, the antenna module (1097) may include a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna). In this case, at least one antenna suitable for a communication method used in a communication network, such as the first network (1098) or the second network (1099), may be selected from the plurality of antennas by, for example, the communication module (1090). A signal or power may be transmitted or received between the communication module (1090) and an external electronic device via the at least one selected antenna. In some embodiments, in addition to the radiator, another component (e.g., a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) may be additionally formed as a part of the antenna module (1097).

[0106] In one embodiment, the antenna module (1097) may form a mmWave antenna module. In one embodiment, the mmWave antenna module may include a printed circuit board, an RFIC disposed on or adjacent a first side (e.g., a bottom side) of the printed circuit board and capable of supporting a designated high frequency band (e.g., a mmWave band), and a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna) disposed on or adjacent a second side (e.g., a top side or a side side) of the printed circuit board and capable of transmitting or receiving signals in the designated high frequency band.

[0107] At least some of the above components can be interconnected and exchange signals (e.g., commands or data) with each other via a communication method between peripheral devices (e.g., a bus, GPIO (general purpose input and output), SPI (serial peripheral interface), or MIPI (mobile industry processor interface)).

[0108] According to one embodiment, commands or data may be transmitted or received between the electronic device (1001) and an external electronic device (1004) via a server (1008) connected to a second network (1099). Each of the external electronic devices (1002 or 1004) may be the same or a different type of device as the electronic device (1001). According to one embodiment, all or part of the operations executed in the electronic device (1001) may be executed in one or more of the external electronic devices (1002, 1004, or 1008). For example, when the electronic device (1001) is to perform a certain function or service automatically or in response to a request from a user or another device, the electronic device (1001) may, instead of or in addition to executing the function or service itself, request one or more external electronic devices to perform the function or at least a part of the service. One or more external electronic devices that receive the request may execute at least a portion of the requested function or service, or an additional function or service related to the request, and transmit the result of the execution to the electronic device (1001). The electronic device (1001) may process the result as is or additionally and provide it as at least a portion of a response to the request. For this purpose, cloud computing, distributed computing, mobile edge computing (MEC), or client-server computing technology may be used, for example. The electronic device (1001) may provide an ultra-low latency service by using distributed computing or mobile edge computing, for example. In another embodiment, the external electronic device (1004) may include an Internet of Things (IoT) device. The server (1008) may be an intelligent server utilizing machine learning and / or a neural network.According to one embodiment, an external electronic device (1004) or server (1008) may be included in the second network (1099). The electronic device (1001) may be applied to intelligent services (e.g., smart homes, smart cities, smart cars, or healthcare) based on 5G communication technology and IoT-related technology.

[0109]

[0110] FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0111] Referring to FIG. 11, according to one embodiment, operations 1110 to 1130 may be performed sequentially, but are not limited thereto. For example, two or more operations may be performed in parallel. Operations 1110 to 1130 may be substantially identical to the operations of the electronic device described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10 (e.g., the electronic device (110) of FIGS. 1 and 4, and the electronic device (1001) of FIG. 10). Therefore, any redundant description will be omitted.

[0112] In operation 1110, the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) can obtain status information about the status of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001).

[0113] In operation 1120, the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) may determine the position of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) based on a signal received from an external electronic device (e.g., external electronic devices (120, 130, 140, 150) of FIGS. 1 and 4) located in an indoor space (e.g., living room (11) and room (13) of FIGS. 1 and 4) around the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) in response to a change in the state of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) (e.g., power off, reboot, change in IP address).

[0114] In operation 1130, the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) may perform a process for updating position information of one or more of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) and the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) based on the determined position of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150).

[0115]

[0116] FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0117] Referring to FIG. 12, according to one embodiment, operations 1210 and 1220 may be performed sequentially, but are not limited thereto. For example, operations 1210 and 1220 may be performed in parallel. Operations 1210 and 1220 may be substantially the same as the operations of the external electronic device described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10 (e.g., the external electronic device (120) of FIGS. 1 and 4, the electronic device (1001) of FIG. 10). Therefore, any overlapping description will be omitted.

[0118] In operation 1210, the electronic device (120, 1001) may receive a request (e.g., request (65) of FIG. 6) to obtain position information of the electronic device (120, 1001) from an external electronic device (110) located in an indoor space (e.g., living room (11) of FIGS. 1 and 4) around the electronic device (120, 1001).

[0119] In operation 1220, the electronic device (120, 1001) may transmit a response (e.g., a second signal (63) of FIG. 6) including location information to the external electronic device (110) during a predetermined time interval (e.g., a time interval (67) of FIG. 6) in response to the request (65). The transmit power of the response (e.g., the second signal (63)) may be lower than the transmit power of a signal (e.g., a first signal (61) of FIG. 6) transmitted to the external electronic device (110) before receiving the request (65).

[0120]

[0121] An operating method of an electronic device (110, 710, 1001) according to one embodiment may include a processor (1020) and a memory (1030) storing instructions. When the instructions are individually or collectively executed by the processor (1020), the instructions may cause the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) to obtain status information about the status of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001). The above instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the processor (1020), may cause the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) to determine the position of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) based on a signal received from the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) located in an indoor space around the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) in response to a change in the state of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001). The above instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the processor (1020), may cause the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) to perform a process for updating position information of one or more of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) and the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) based on the determined position of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150).

[0122] The above status information may include at least one of the power status (power) of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) and the IP address (internet protocol address) of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001).

[0123] The above instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the processor (1020), may cause the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) to determine the location of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) based on the signal in response to one or more of powering off the electronic device (110, 710, 1001), rebooting the electronic device (110, 710, 1001), and changing the IP address of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001).

[0124] The above instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the processor (1020), may cause the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) to update location information of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) in response to determining that the location of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) has changed. The above instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the processor (1020), may cause the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) to transmit a signal to the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) to request an update of location information of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) in response to determining that the location of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) has not changed.

[0125] The instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the processor (1020), may cause the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) to output a user interface for changing location information of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) based on a policy associated with the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) in response to determining that the location of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) has changed. The instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the processor (1020), may cause the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) to update location information of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) based on a user input to the user interface.

[0126] The above instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the processor (1020), may cause the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) to transmit a request for updating location information of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) based on the reception strength of a signal received from the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) in response to determining that the location of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) has not changed.

[0127] The above instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the processor (1020), may cause the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) to transmit the request based on a change in reception strength of a signal received from the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) during a predetermined time interval.

[0128] The instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the processor (1020), may cause the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) to transmit a request (65) to the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) to obtain location information of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) in response to the change. The instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the processor (1020), may cause the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) to determine the location of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) based on a response (63) of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) corresponding to the request (65).

[0129] The transmission power of the above response (63) may be lower than the transmission power of the signal (61) received from the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) before transmitting the above request (65).

[0130] An electronic device (120, 1001) according to one embodiment may include a processor (1020) and a memory (1030) that stores instructions. When the instructions are individually or collectively executed by the processor (1020), the instructions may cause the electronic device (120, 1001) to receive a request (65) for obtaining position information of the electronic device (120, 1001) from an external electronic device (110) located in an indoor space around the electronic device (120, 1001). The above instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the processor (1020), may cause the electronic device (120, 1001) to transmit, in response to the request (65), a response (63) including the location information to the external electronic device (110) during a predetermined time interval (67). The transmit power of the response (63) may be lower than the transmit power of a signal (61) transmitted to the external electronic device (110) prior to receiving the request (65).

[0131] A method of operating an electronic device (110, 710, 1001) according to one embodiment may include an operation of obtaining status information about a status of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001). The method may include an operation of determining a position of an external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) based on a signal received from an external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) located in an indoor space around the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) in response to a change in the status of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001). The method may include an operation of performing a process for updating position information of one or more of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) and the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) based on the determined position of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150).

[0132] The above status information may include at least one of the power status (power) of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) and the IP address (internet protocol address) of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001).

[0133] The operation of determining the location of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) may include an operation of determining the location of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) based on the signal in response to one or more of power off of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001), rebooting of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001), and change of the IP address of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001).

[0134] The operation of performing the above process may include an operation of updating location information of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) in response to determining that the location of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) has changed. The operation of performing the above process may include an operation of transmitting a signal to the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) to request an update of location information of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) in response to determining that the location of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) has not changed.

[0135] The operation of updating the location information of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) may include an operation of outputting a user interface for changing the location information of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) based on a policy related to the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) in response to determining that the location of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) has changed. The operation of updating the location information of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) may include an operation of updating the location information of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) based on a user input to the user interface.

[0136] The operation of transmitting a signal to the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) to request an update of the location information of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) may include an operation of transmitting a request for an update of the location information of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) based on the reception strength of a signal received from the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) in response to determining that the location of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) has not changed.

[0137] The operation of transmitting a request for updating location information of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) based on the reception strength of the signal received from the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) may include the operation of transmitting the request based on the amount of change in the reception strength of the signal received from the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) during a predetermined time interval.

[0138] The operation of determining the location of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) may include an operation of transmitting, in response to the change, a request to the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) to obtain location information of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150). The operation of determining the location of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) may include an operation of determining the location of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) based on a response of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) corresponding to the request.

[0139] The transmission power of the above response may be lower than the transmission power of the signal received from the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) before transmitting the request.

[0140]

[0141] Electronic devices according to the various embodiments disclosed in this document may take various forms. 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. Electronic devices according to the embodiments of this document are not limited to the aforementioned devices.

[0142] The various embodiments of this document and the terminology used therein are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, but should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutes of the embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related components. The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of the items, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this document, each of the phrases "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" can include any one of the items listed together in the corresponding phrase among those phrases, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as "first," "second," or "first" or "second" may be used merely to distinguish one component from another, and do not limit the components in any other respect (e.g., importance or order). When a component (e.g., a first component) is referred to as "coupled" or "connected" to another component (e.g., a second component), with or without the terms "functionally" or "communicatively," it means that the component can be connected to the other component directly (e.g., wired), wirelessly, or through a third component.

[0143] The term "module" used in various embodiments of this document may include a unit implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with terms such as logic, logic block, component, or circuit. A module may be an integral component, or a minimum unit or part of such a component that performs one or more functions. For example, according to one embodiment, a module may be implemented in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0144] Various embodiments of the present document may be implemented as software (e.g., a program (1040)) including one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (e.g., an internal memory (1036) or an external memory (1038)) readable by a machine (e.g., an electronic device (1001)). For example, a processor (e.g., a processor (1020)) of the machine (e.g., an electronic device (1001)) may call at least one instruction among the one or more instructions stored from the storage medium and execute it. This enables the machine to operate to perform at least one function according to the at least one called instruction. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code executable by an interpreter. The machine-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, 'non-transitory' simply means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not contain signals (e.g., electromagnetic waves), and the term does not distinguish between cases where data is stored semi-permanently or temporarily on the storage medium.

[0145] According to one embodiment, the method according to various embodiments disclosed in the present document may be provided as included in a computer program product. The computer program product may 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., compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)), or may be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) via an application store (e.g., Play Store™) or directly between two user devices (e.g., smart phones). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be temporarily stored or temporarily generated in a machine-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or an intermediary server.

[0146] According to various embodiments, each component (e.g., a module or a program) of the above-described components may include one or more entities, and some of the entities may be separated and placed in other components. According to various embodiments, one or more components or operations of the aforementioned components may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Alternatively or additionally, a plurality of components (e.g., a module or a program) may be integrated into a single component. In such a case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the plurality of components identically or similarly to those performed by the corresponding component among the plurality of components prior to the integration. According to various embodiments, the operations performed by a module, program, or other component may be executed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

[0147] The effects that can be obtained from the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects that are not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs from this document.

Claims

1. In electronic devices (110, 710, 1001), Processor (1020); and Memory for storing instructions (1030) Including, The above instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the processor (1020), cause the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) to: Obtain status information about the status of the above electronic device (110, 710, 1001), In response to a change in the state of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001), the position of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) is determined based on a signal received from an external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) located in an indoor space around the electronic device (110, 710, 1001), An electronic device (110, 710, 1001) for performing a process for updating position information of one or more of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) and the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) based on the determined position of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150).

2. In paragraph 1, The above status information is, At least one of the power status of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) and the IP address (internet protocol address) of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) An electronic device (110, 710, 1001) comprising:

3. In any one of paragraphs 1 and 2, The above instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the processor (1020), cause the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) to: An electronic device (110, 710, 1001) that determines the location of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) based on the signal in response to one or more of power off of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001), rebooting of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001), and change of the IP address of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001).

4. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 3, The above instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the processor (1020), cause the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) to: In response to determining that the location of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) has changed, the location information of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) is updated, or An electronic device (110, 710, 1001) that, in response to determining that the location of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) has not changed, transmits a signal to the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) to request an update of location information of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150).

5. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 4, The above instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the processor (1020), cause the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) to: In response to determining that the location of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) has changed, a user interface for changing the location information of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) is output based on a policy related to the electronic device (110, 710, 1001). An electronic device (110, 710, 1001) that updates location information of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) based on user input to the user interface.

6. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 5, The above instructions, when executed by the processor (1020), cause the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) to: An electronic device (110, 710, 1001) that, in response to determining that the location of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) has not changed, transmits a request for updating location information of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) based on the reception strength of a signal received from the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150).

7. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 6, The above instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the processor (1020), cause the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) to: An electronic device (110, 710, 1001) that transmits the request based on a change in the reception strength of a signal received from the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) during a predetermined time interval.

8. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 7, The above instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the processor (1020), cause the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) to: In response to the above change, a request (65) is transmitted to the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) to obtain location information of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150), An electronic device (110, 710, 1001) for determining the location of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) based on a response (63) of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) corresponding to the request (65).

9. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 8, The transmit power of the above response (63) is An electronic device (110, 710, 1001) having a lower transmission power than a signal (61) that does not contain location information of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150).

10. In the operating method of an electronic device (110, 710, 1001), An operation of obtaining status information about the status of the above electronic device (110, 710, 1001); An operation of determining a position of an external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) based on a signal received from an external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) located in an indoor space around the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) in response to a change in the state of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001); and An operation of performing a process for updating position information of one or more of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) and the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) based on the determined position of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) A method comprising:

11. In paragraph 10, The above status information is, At least one of the power status of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) and the IP address (internet protocol address) of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) A method comprising:

12. In either of paragraphs 10 and 11, The operation of determining the location of the above external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) is as follows: An operation of determining the location of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) based on the signal in response to at least one of power off of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001), rebooting of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001), and change of the IP address of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001). A method comprising:

13. In any one of paragraphs 10 to 12, The actions that perform the above process are: An operation of updating the location information of the electronic device (110, 710, 1001) in response to determining that the location of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) has changed; or In response to determining that the location of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) has not changed, an operation of transmitting a signal to the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) to request an update of location information of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150). A method comprising:

14. In any one of paragraphs 10 to 13, The operation of determining the location of the above external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) is as follows: In response to the above change, an operation of transmitting a request to the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) to obtain location information of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150); and An operation of determining the location of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) based on a response of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150) corresponding to the request. A method comprising:

15. In any one of paragraphs 10 to 14, The transmit power of the above response is A method lower than the transmission power of a signal (61) that does not include location information of the external electronic device (120, 130, 140, 150).

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