Electronic device for location estimation, and method for operating same

Abstract

An embodiment of the present disclosure relates to an apparatus and a method for identifying, by an electronic device, the location of the electronic device within a designated space. This electronic device may comprise: a communication circuit; at least one processor; and a memory, wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, instruct the electronic device to: identify information related to a first signal strength pattern of multiple external electronic devices arranged within a designated space; generate a second signal strength pattern of the electronic device by means of a scan related to operating frequencies of the multiple external electronic devices; identify an external electronic device having the signal strength pattern corresponding to the second signal strength pattern; and identify the location of the electronic device on the basis of the location at which the external electronic device is arranged within the designated space. Other embodiments may also be possible.

Description

Electronic device for position estimation and method of operation thereof

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an electronic device for position estimation and a method of operating the same.

[0002] Advances in wireless communication technology have enabled various objects to incorporate communication capabilities, forming networks, allowing users to conveniently control them through electronic devices. This ability to incorporate communication capabilities into objects and form networks is known as the Internet of Things (IoT). The Internet of Things (IoT) can be applied to diverse fields, such as smart homes, smart buildings, smart cities, smart cars (or connected cars), smart grids, healthcare, smart appliances, and advanced medical services, through the convergence and integration of communication technologies and various industries.

[0003] Among the various services utilizing IoT technology, smart home environments can utilize various IoT devices to provide a variety of Internet of Things-based services. Electronic devices such as smartphones can run applications to manage each IoT device.

[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] When an electronic device utilizes IoT technology (e.g., a smart home function), it can check the status of or control various objects (or things) located in a designated space (e.g., inside a house) through communication and connection with the objects. The smart home function may include a home automation function that automatically controls at least one object corresponding to the location of the electronic device within the designated space. For example, the home automation function may include a series of operations such as turning on a light located in a first area (e.g., a bedroom) within the designated space or operating a heating and cooling system corresponding to the first area.

[0006] Electronic devices may require a means to relatively reliably determine (or estimate) their location within a designated space for home automation functions.

[0007] Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a device and method for determining (or estimating) the location of an electronic device within a designated space in the electronic device.

[0008] The technical problems to be achieved in this document are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present disclosure belongs from the description below.

[0009] According to one embodiment, an electronic device may include a communication circuit, at least one processor operatively connected to the communication circuit, and a memory operatively connected to the at least one processor. According to one embodiment, the memory may store instructions that, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to identify information related to a first signal strength pattern of a plurality of external electronic devices arranged within a designated space. According to one embodiment, the memory may store instructions that, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to generate a second signal strength pattern of the electronic device through a scan related to operating frequencies of the plurality of external electronic devices. According to one embodiment, the memory may store instructions that, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to identify an external electronic device having a signal strength pattern corresponding to the second signal strength pattern if a signal strength pattern corresponding to the second signal strength pattern exists among the first signal strength patterns. According to one embodiment, the memory may store instructions that, when executed individually or collectively by at least one processor, cause the electronic device to determine a location of the electronic device based on a location of an external electronic device within a designated space.

[0010] According to one embodiment, the operating method of the electronic device may include an operation of checking information related to first signal strength patterns of a plurality of external electronic devices arranged within a designated space. According to one embodiment, the operating method of the electronic device may include an operation of generating a second signal strength pattern of the electronic device through a scan related to operating frequencies of the plurality of external electronic devices. According to one embodiment, the operating method of the electronic device may include an operation of checking an external electronic device having a signal strength pattern corresponding to the second signal strength pattern, if a signal strength pattern corresponding to the second signal strength pattern exists among the first signal strength patterns. According to one embodiment, the operating method of the electronic device may include an operation of checking a location of the electronic device based on a location at which the external electronic devices are arranged within the designated space.

[0011] According to one embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (or a computer program product) storing one or more programs may be described. According to one embodiment, the one or more programs may include instructions that, when executed by a processor of an electronic device, include an operation of checking information related to a first signal intensity pattern of a plurality of external electronic devices arranged within a designated space, an operation of generating a second signal intensity pattern of the electronic device through a scan related to operating frequencies of the plurality of external electronic devices, an operation of checking an external electronic device of a signal intensity pattern corresponding to the second signal intensity pattern when a signal intensity pattern corresponding to the second signal intensity pattern exists among the first signal intensity patterns, and an operation of checking a location of the electronic device based on a location at which the external electronic device is arranged within the designated space.

[0012] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronic device can determine (or estimate) the location of the electronic device within a designated space based on a signal strength pattern of signals received from external electronic devices placed within the designated space, thereby determining (or estimating) the location of the electronic device within the designated space without using a separate device for location estimation.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the electronic device can reduce the time for determining (or estimating) the location of the electronic device within a designated space by identifying (or generating) a signal strength pattern associated with external electronic devices for determining (or estimating) the location of the electronic device through a scan related to the operating frequencies of the external electronic devices placed within the designated space.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the electronic device can increase the reliability of positioning (or estimating) the electronic device within a designated space by identifying (or generating) a signal strength pattern associated with external electronic devices for positioning (or estimating) the electronic device based on multiple scan results related to operating frequencies of external electronic devices placed within a designated space.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the electronic device can increase the reliability of confirming (or estimating) the location of the electronic device within the designated space by confirming (or estimating) the location of the electronic device within the designated space based on signal strength patterns associated with external electronic devices placed within the designated space and information associated with valid devices set for each area within the designated space.

[0016] In addition, various effects may be provided, either directly or indirectly, through this document.

[0017] 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 the description below.

[0018] In connection with the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used for the same or similar components.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device in a network environment according to one embodiment.

[0020] FIG. 2 is an example for confirming the position of an electronic device within a designated space according to one embodiment.

[0021] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an electronic device for determining the location of an electronic device within a designated space according to one embodiment.

[0022] FIG. 4 is an example for confirming the position of an electronic device within a designated space in an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0023] FIG. 5 is a flowchart for sharing information related to signal strength patterns in an external electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0024] FIG. 6 is a flowchart for determining the location of an electronic device based on a signal strength pattern of an external electronic device in an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0025] FIG. 7 is a flowchart for selecting an external electronic device based on the similarity of signal strength patterns in an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0026] FIG. 8 is an example of verifying the similarity of signal intensity patterns in an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0027] FIG. 9 is a flowchart for determining the location of an electronic device based on information related to a valid device in an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0028] FIG. 10 is a flowchart for determining the location of an electronic device based on information related to a valid device in an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0029] The following examples are described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0030] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device (101) within a network environment (100) according to one embodiment. Referring to FIG. 1, in the network environment (100), the electronic device (101) may communicate with the electronic device (102) via a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network), or may communicate with at least one of the electronic device (104) or the server (108) via a second network (199) (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may communicate with the electronic device (104) via the server (108). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a processor (120), a memory (130), an input module (150), an audio output module (155), a display module (160), an audio module (170), a sensor module (176), an interface (177), a connection terminal (178), a haptic module (179), a camera module (180), a power management module (188), a battery (189), a communication module (190), a subscriber identification module (196), or an antenna module (197). In some embodiments, the electronic device (101) may omit at least one of these components (e.g., the connection terminal (178)), or may have one or more other components added. In some embodiments, some of these components (e.g., the sensor module (176), the camera module (180), or the antenna module (197)) may be integrated into one component (e.g., the display module (160)).

[0031] The processor (120) may, for example, execute software (e.g., a program (140)) to control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware or software component) of the electronic device (101) connected to the processor (120) and perform various data processing or calculations. According to one embodiment, as at least a part of the data processing or calculations, the processor (120) may store commands or data received from other components (e.g., a sensor module (176) or a communication module (190)) in a volatile memory (132), process the commands or data stored in the volatile memory (132), and store result data in a non-volatile memory (134). According to one embodiment, the processor (120) may include a main processor (121) (e.g., a central processing unit or an application processor) or a secondary processor (123) (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 therewith. For example, if the electronic device (101) includes a main processor (121) and a secondary processor (123), the secondary processor (123) may be configured to use less power than the main processor (121) or to be specialized for a specified function. The secondary processor (123) may be implemented separately from the main processor (121) or as a part thereof.

[0032] The auxiliary processor (123) may control at least a portion of functions or states associated with at least one component (e.g., a display module (160), a sensor module (176), or a communication module (190)) of the electronic device (101), for example, on behalf of the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, or together with the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an active (e.g., application execution) state. In one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (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 (180) or a communication module (190)). In one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (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 (101) itself where the artificial intelligence model is executed, or can be performed through a separate server (e.g., server (108)). 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, but is not limited to, 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 thereof. In addition to, or alternatively to, a hardware structure, an artificial intelligence model may also include a software structure.

[0033] The memory (130) can store various data used by at least one component (e.g., processor (120) or sensor module (176)) of the electronic device (101). The data can include, for example, software (e.g., program (140)) and input data or output data for commands related thereto. The memory (130) can include volatile memory (132) or non-volatile memory (134).

[0034] The program (140) may be stored as software in the memory (130) and may include, for example, an operating system (142), middleware (144), or an application (146).

[0035] The input module (150) can receive commands or data to be used in a component of the electronic device (101) (e.g., a processor (120)) from an external source (e.g., a user) of the electronic device (101). The input module (150) 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).

[0036] The audio output module (155) can output audio signals to the outside of the electronic device (101). The audio output module (155) 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.

[0037] The display module (160) can visually provide information to an external party (e.g., a user) of the electronic device (101). The display module (160) 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 (160) may include a touch sensor configured to detect a touch, or a pressure sensor configured to measure the intensity of a force generated by a touch.

[0038] The audio module (170) can convert sound into an electrical signal, or vice versa, convert an electrical signal into sound. According to one embodiment, the audio module (170) can acquire sound through the input module (150), output sound through the sound output module (155), or an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)) (e.g., speaker or headphone) directly or wirelessly connected to the electronic device (101).

[0039] The sensor module (176) can detect the operating status (e.g., power or temperature) of the electronic device (101) 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 (176) 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.

[0040] The interface (177) may support one or more designated protocols that may be used to directly or wirelessly connect the electronic device (101) with an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (102)). In one embodiment, the interface (177) may include, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, an SD card interface, or an audio interface.

[0041] The connection terminal (178) may include a connector through which the electronic device (101) may be physically connected to an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)). According to one embodiment, the connection terminal (178) may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).

[0042] A haptic module (179) 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 (179) can include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

[0043] The camera module (180) can capture still images and videos. According to one embodiment, the camera module (180) may include one or more lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.

[0044] The power management module (188) can manage power supplied to the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, the power management module (188) can be implemented, for example, as at least a part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

[0045] A battery (189) may power at least one component of the electronic device (101). In one embodiment, the battery (189) may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell.

[0046] The communication module (190) may support the establishment of a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102), electronic device (104), or server (108)), and the performance of communication through the established communication channel. The communication module (190) may operate independently from the processor (120) (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 (190) may include a wireless communication module (192) (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 (194) (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module, or a power line communication module). Among these communication modules, the corresponding communication module can communicate with an external electronic device (104) via a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity) direct, or IrDA (infrared data association)) or a second network (199) (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 (192) can verify or authenticate the electronic device (101) within a communication network such as the first network (198) or the second network (199) by using subscriber information (e.g., an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)) stored in the subscriber identification module (196).

[0047] The wireless communication module (192) can support 5G networks and next-generation communication technologies following the 4G network, for example, 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 (192) can support, for example, a high-frequency band (e.g., mmWave band) to achieve a high data transmission rate (or throughput). The wireless communication module (192) can 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 (192) can support various requirements specified in the electronic device (101), an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (104)), or a network system (e.g., the second network (199)). According to one embodiment, the wireless communication module (192) can 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.According to one embodiment, the subscriber identification module (196) may include multiple subscriber identification modules. For example, the multiple subscriber identification modules may store different subscriber identification information.

[0048] The antenna module (197) 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 (197) 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 (197) 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 (198) or the second network (199), may be selected from the plurality of antennas, for example, by the communication module (190). A signal or power may be transmitted or received between the communication module (190) and an external electronic device via the selected at least one 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 (197).

[0049] In one embodiment, the antenna module (197) may form a high-frequency (e.g., mmWave) antenna module. In one embodiment, the high-frequency (e.g., mmWave) antenna module may include a printed circuit board, an RFIC positioned 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) positioned 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. For example, the plurality of antennas may include patch array antennas and / or dipole array antennas.

[0050] At least some of the 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, general purpose input and output (GPIO), serial peripheral interface (SPI), or mobile industry processor interface (MIPI)).

[0051] According to one embodiment, commands or data may be transmitted or received between the electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (104) via a server (108) connected to a second network (199). Each of the external electronic devices (102 or 104) may be the same or a different type of device as the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, all or part of the operations executed in the electronic device (101) may be executed in one or more of the external electronic devices (102, 104, or 108). For example, when the electronic device (101) is to perform a certain function or service automatically or in response to a request from a user or another device, the electronic device (101) 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 (101). The electronic device (101) 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 (101) may provide an ultra-low latency service by using distributed computing or mobile edge computing, for example. In one embodiment, the external electronic device (104) may include an Internet of Things (IoT) device. The server (108) may be an intelligent server using machine learning and / or a neural network. According to one embodiment, the external electronic device (104) or the server (108) may be included in the second network (199).The electronic device (101) can be applied to intelligent services (e.g., smart home, smart city, smart car, or healthcare) based on 5G communication technology and IoT-related technology.

[0052] An electronic device according to an embodiment disclosed in this document may take various forms. The electronic device may include, for example, a portable communication device (e.g., a smartphone), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a camera, a wearable device, or a home appliance. The electronic device according to an embodiment of this document is not limited to the aforementioned devices.

[0053] It should be understood that the embodiments of this document and the terminology used herein are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to a specific embodiment, but rather to encompass various modifications, equivalents, or substitutes of the embodiment. 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 item, 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.

[0054] The term "module" used in one embodiment 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).

[0055] An embodiment of the present document may be implemented as software (e.g., a program (140)) including one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (e.g., an internal memory (136) or an external memory (138)) readable by a machine (e.g., an electronic device (101)). For example, a processor (e.g., a processor (120)) of the machine (e.g., an electronic device (101)) 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.

[0056] The method according to one embodiment disclosed in this document may be provided as a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between sellers and buyers as a product. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a device-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)) or may be provided through an application store (e.g., Play Store). TM ) or directly between two user devices (e.g., smart phones), online distribution (e.g., downloading or uploading). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be at least temporarily stored or temporarily created in a machine-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or an intermediary server.

[0057] According to one embodiment, 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 one embodiment, 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 this 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 one embodiment, 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.

[0058] FIG. 2 is an example for confirming the position of an electronic device within a designated space according to one embodiment.

[0059] According to one embodiment referring to FIG. 2, a designated space (200) may be divided into a plurality of areas (210, 220, and / or 230). For example, the designated space (200) (e.g., inside a house) may be divided into a first area (210) (e.g., living room), a second area (220) (e.g., room 1), and a third area (230) (e.g., room 2). As an example, the designated space (200) is a space to which IoT (internet of things) technology is applied, and may include at least one of a house, a car, a store, an office, a building, or a city based on a field to which IoT technology is applied.

[0060] According to one embodiment, external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232) may be placed in a specific area (210, 220 or 230) within a designated space (200). For example, external electronic device 1 (212) may be placed in a first area (210) of the designated space (200). External electronic device 2 (222) may be placed in a second area (220) of the designated space (200). External electronic device 3 (232) may be placed in a third area (230) of the designated space (200). As an example, external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232) may be placed within the designated space (200) and include devices related to IoT functions capable of transmitting and receiving signals. For example, the external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232) may include at least one of a home appliance, an access point (AP), a light or a switch.

[0061] According to one embodiment, when the external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232) are registered with the IoT function, each external electronic device (212, 222 or 232) may register at least one of information related to the location where it is placed or an operating frequency with the IoT function. For example, the IoT function may be configured as a node that controls the IoT function of the electronic device (101) and may be configured as software or a separate hardware device (e.g., a server).

[0062] According to one embodiment, the external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232) may generate signal strength patterns (214, 224 and / or 234) while being placed within a designated space (200). For example, the external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232) may check the quality of a signal received from the external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232) placed within the designated space (200) when an event related to the signal strength pattern occurs. The external electronic devices (212, 222 or 232) may generate the signal strength pattern (214, 224 or 234) of the external electronic devices (212, 222 or 232) based on the quality of the signal received from the external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232). For example, the signal strength pattern (214, 224, or 234) may include a set of signal qualities (e.g., signal strengths) received from external electronic devices (212, 222, and / or 232) determined to be disposed in a designated space (200) in which the external electronic device (212, 222, or 232) is disposed. For example, the signal strength pattern (214) of external electronic device 1 (212) may include a set of signal qualities received by external electronic device 1 (212) from external electronic device 1 (212) and other external electronic devices (222 and / or 232) disposed in the designated space (200). For example, the signal strength pattern (224) of the external electronic device 2 (222) may include a set of signal qualities received by the external electronic device 2 (222) from the external electronic device 2 (222) and other external electronic devices (212 and / or 232) placed in the designated space (200). For example, the signal strength pattern (234) of the external electronic device 3 (232) may include a set of signal qualities received by the external electronic device 3 (232) from the external electronic device 3 (232) and other external electronic devices (212 and / or 222) placed in the designated space (200).For example, the signal quality may include an average value of the signal quality confirmed (or measured) over a specified period of time or the most recently confirmed (or measured) signal quality. For example, the signal quality may include at least one of a received signal strength indicator (RSSI), a reference signal received quality (RSRQ), a reference signal received power (RSRP), a signal to noise ratio (SNR), a signal to interference and noise ratio (SINR), a quality of service (QoS), or a bit error rate (BER). For example, an event related to a signal strength pattern may be generated based on the arrival of a specified first period, the execution of an application program or function related to generating a signal strength pattern, or the reception of a control signal related to generating a signal strength pattern. For example, the specified first period may represent a period set to generate a signal strength pattern in an external electronic device (212, 222, or 232).

[0063] According to one embodiment, each external electronic device (212, 222, or 232) can transmit information related to a signal strength pattern (214, 224, or 234) of the external electronic device (212, 222, or 232) to an electronic device (101) located in a designated space (200). For example, when an event related to sharing of a signal strength pattern occurs, the external electronic devices (212, 222, and / or 232) can transmit information related to a signal strength pattern (214, 224, or 234) generated in each external electronic device (212, 222, or 232) to the electronic device (101). For example, an event related to sharing a signal strength pattern may be generated based on the arrival of a designated second period, the execution of an application program or function related to sharing a signal strength pattern, or the reception of a control signal related to entry of an electronic device (101) into a designated space (200). For example, the designated second period may be set to be the same as or longer than a designated first period, which is a period indicating a point in time for sharing a signal strength pattern (214, 224, or 234) in an external electronic device (212, 222, or 232). For example, information related to a signal strength pattern (214, 224, or 234) may be transmitted based on a short-range communication method including at least one of a wireless LAN (e.g., Wi-Fi), Bluetooth (or Bluetooth low energy (BLE)), or UWB (ultra-wide band).

[0064] According to one embodiment, when the electronic device (101) enters a designated space (200), it can check the signal strength pattern of external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232) placed in the designated space (200).

[0065] According to one embodiment, when an event related to location estimation occurs within a designated space (200), the electronic device (101) may generate a signal strength pattern of the electronic device (101) related to external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232) placed within the designated space (200). For example, the electronic device (101) may check information related to operating frequencies of the external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232) placed within the designated space (200). The electronic device (101) may check the quality of signals received from the external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232) through a scan related to the operating frequencies of the external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232). The electronic device (101) can generate a signal strength pattern of the electronic device (101) based on the quality of signals received from external electronic devices (212, 222, and / or 232). For example, an event related to location estimation can be generated based on the execution of an application program or function related to location estimation, the reception of an input related to location estimation (e.g., a touch input, a gesture input, or a voice input), or the reception of a control signal related to location estimation. For example, the operating frequency of the external electronic devices (212, 222, and / or 232) can be obtained from each of the external electronic devices (212, 222, and / or 232) or a node (e.g., a server) controlling an IoT function.

[0066] For example, the electronic device (101) may generate a signal strength pattern of the electronic device (101) based on a plurality of scan results related to the operating frequencies of the external electronic devices (212, 222, and / or 232). For example, the signal strength pattern of the electronic device (101) may be generated based on an average value of the quality of signals received from the external electronic devices (212, 222, and / or 232) identified based on a plurality of scan results. For example, the scan may include a series of operations of transmitting a request signal related to position estimation and receiving a response signal corresponding to the request signal to confirm signal quality.

[0067] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) can identify (or estimate) the location of the electronic device (101) within a designated space (200) based on a signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) and signal intensity patterns of external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232). For example, the electronic device (101) can identify a similarity between the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) and the signal intensity pattern of the external electronic device (212, 222 or 232). For example, the similarity can indicate a degree of similarity between the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) and the signal intensity pattern of the external electronic device (212, 222 or 232). For example, the similarity may indicate similar information between the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) and the signal intensity pattern of the remaining external electronic devices (212 and 222) excluding the external electronic device (212, 222 and / or 232) from which the electronic device (101) did not receive a signal (e.g., external electronic device 3 (232)) among the external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232) when the electronic device (101) did not receive a signal from at least one external electronic device (e.g., external electronic device 3 (232)) among the signal intensity patterns of each external electronic device (212, 222 or 232).

[0068] For example, the electronic device (101) can check whether there is an external electronic device (212, 222, or 232) that satisfies a specified similarity condition among the external electronic devices (212, 222, and / or 232). For example, the external electronic device that satisfies the specified similarity condition may include an external electronic device in which the similarity between the signal intensity pattern of the external electronic device (212, 222, or 232) and the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) is equal to or greater than a specified reference similarity.

[0069] For example, the electronic device (101) may determine the area (210, 220, or 230) in which the external electronic device (212, 222, or 232) that satisfies the specified similarity condition and has the highest similarity with the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) is placed, as the area in which the electronic device (101) is located.

[0070] For example, the electronic device (101) may determine that the location estimation of the electronic device (101) within the specified space (200) has failed if there is no external electronic device (212, 222, or 232) that satisfies the specified similarity condition. For example, a state of not satisfying the specified similarity condition may include a state in which there is no external electronic device (212, 222, and / or 232) in which the similarity between the signal intensity pattern of the external electronic device (212, 222, or 232) and the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) is greater than or equal to the specified reference similarity.

[0071] For example, the electronic device (101) can identify a valid device in an area (210, 220, or 230) where an external electronic device (212, 222, or 232) having the highest similarity to the signal strength pattern of the electronic device (101) is placed. For example, if the electronic device (101) determines that it has received a signal from a valid device, it can determine that the area (210, 220, or 230) where the external electronic device (212, 222, or 232) having the highest similarity to the signal strength pattern of the electronic device (101) is placed is the area where the electronic device (101) is located. For example, if the electronic device (101) determines that it has not received a signal from a valid device, it can determine that the location estimation of the electronic device (101) within the designated space (200) has failed. For example, a valid device of a specific area (210, 220, or 230) may include an external electronic device that is confirmed to be placed in the specific area (210, 220, or 230) within the designated space (220). For example, external electronic device 1 (212) may be set as a valid device of the first area (210) within the designated space (200). For example, external electronic device 2 (222) may be set as a valid device of the second area (220) within the designated space (200). For example, external electronic device 3 (232) may be set as a valid device of the third area (230) within the designated space (200). For example, a state in which a signal of a valid device is determined to have been received may include a state in which the electronic device (101) receives a signal having a second reference intensity or greater from the valid device.

[0072] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an electronic device for determining the location of an electronic device within a designated space according to one embodiment. For example, the electronic device (101) of FIG. 3 may be at least partially similar to the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, or may include another embodiment of the electronic device. For example, the external electronic device (212) of FIG. 3 may be at least partially similar to the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 or the external electronic device 1 (212) of FIG. 2, or may include another embodiment of the electronic device. For example, the external electronic device 2 (222) and / or the external electronic device 3 (232) of FIG. 2 may be similar to the external electronic device (212) of FIG. 3, or may be configured differently in some aspects.

[0073] According to one embodiment referring to FIG. 3, the electronic device (101) may include at least one of a processor (300), a communication circuit (310), and a memory (320). For example, the processor (300) may be substantially the same as the processor (120) of FIG. 1 or may be included in the processor (120). The communication circuit (310) may be substantially the same as the wireless communication module (192) of FIG. 1 or may be included in the wireless communication module (192). The memory (320) may be substantially the same as the memory (130) of FIG. 1 or may be included in the memory (130). For example, the processor (300) may include at least one of an application processor or a communication processor. For example, the processor (300) may be operatively, functionally, and / or electrically connected to at least one of the communication circuit (310) or the memory (320). For example, the processor (300) may include at least one processor including a processing circuit.

[0074] According to one embodiment, when the electronic device (101) enters the designated space (200), the processor (300) can check the signal strength pattern of external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232) placed in the designated space (200). For example, when a signal having a first reference strength or higher is received from external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232) placed in the designated space (200), the processor (300) can determine that the electronic device (101) has entered the designated space (200). For example, the processor (300) can check the entry of the electronic device (101) into the designated space (200) based on a location estimation method (e.g., a satellite navigation system).

[0075] According to one embodiment, when an event related to position estimation occurs within a designated space (200), the processor (300) may generate a signal strength pattern of an electronic device (101) associated with external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232) disposed within the designated space (200). For example, when an event related to position estimation occurs within the designated space (200), the processor (300) may control the communication circuit (310) to perform a scan related to an operating frequency of external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232) disposed within the designated space (200). For example, the scan may include a series of operations of transmitting a request signal related to position estimation and receiving a response signal corresponding to the request signal to check signal quality. For example, a request signal related to position estimation may be a signal that causes a response from an external electronic device (212, 222, or 232), and may include at least one of a probe request signal or a domain name system (DNS) query. For example, an event related to position estimation may be generated based on the execution of an application program or function related to position estimation, the reception of an input related to position estimation (e.g., a touch input, a gesture input, or a voice input), or the reception of a control signal related to position estimation. For example, the operating frequencies of the external electronic devices (212, 222, and / or 232) may be obtained from each of the external electronic devices (212, 222, and / or 232) or a node (e.g., a server) that controls an IoT function.

[0076] For example, the processor (300) may generate a signal strength pattern of the electronic device (101) based on the quality of signals received from external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232) identified through a scan related to the operating frequency of the external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232).

[0077] For example, the electronic device (101) can generate a signal strength pattern of the electronic device (101) based on multiple scan results related to the operating frequencies of the external electronic devices (212, 222, and / or 232). For example, the number of scans for generating the signal strength pattern of the electronic device (101) can include a specified number of times. For example, the number of scans for generating the signal strength pattern of the electronic device (101) can be set (or varied) based on at least one of the operating frequencies of the external electronic devices (212, 222, and / or 232), the reliability level of location information required by the electronic device (101), or the radio resources (e.g., time resources) allocated for scanning in the electronic device (101). For example, the signal strength pattern of the electronic device (101) may be generated based on an average value of the quality of signals received from external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232) identified based on multiple scan results.

[0078] According to one embodiment, the processor (300) can determine (or estimate) the location of the electronic device (101) within a designated space (200) based on the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) and the signal intensity patterns of external electronic devices (212, 222, and / or 232). For example, the processor (300) can determine the degree of similarity between the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) and the signal intensity pattern of the external electronic device (212, 222, or 232). For example, the degree of similarity can indicate the degree of similarity between the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) and the signal intensity pattern of the external electronic device (212, 222, or 232). For example, the similarity may indicate similar information between the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) and the signal intensity pattern of the remaining external electronic devices (212 and 222) excluding the external electronic device (212, 222 and / or 232) from which the electronic device (101) did not receive a signal (e.g., external electronic device 3 (232)) among the external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232) when the electronic device (101) did not receive a signal from at least one external electronic device (e.g., external electronic device 3 (232)) among the signal intensity patterns of each external electronic device (212, 222 or 232).

[0079] For example, the processor (300) can check whether there is an external electronic device (212, 222, or 232) that satisfies a specified similarity condition among the external electronic devices (212, 222, and / or 232). For example, the external electronic device that satisfies the specified similarity condition may include an external electronic device in which the similarity between the signal intensity pattern of the external electronic device (212, 222, or 232) and the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) is equal to or greater than a specified reference similarity.

[0080] For example, the processor (300) may determine that the area (210, 220, or 230) in which the external electronic device (212, 222, or 232) that satisfies the specified similarity condition and has the highest similarity to the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) is located is the area in which the electronic device (101) is located. For example, if there is no external electronic device (212, 222, or 232) that satisfies the specified similarity condition, the processor (300) may determine that the estimation of the location of the electronic device (101) within the specified space (200) has failed. For example, a state in which a specified similarity selection condition is not satisfied may include a state in which there is no external electronic device (212, 222 and / or 232) in which the similarity between the signal intensity pattern of the external electronic device (212, 222 or 232) and the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) is greater than or equal to a specified reference similarity.

[0081] For example, the processor (300) can identify a valid device in an area (210, 220, or 230) where an external electronic device (212, 222, or 232) having the highest similarity to the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) is placed. For example, if the processor (300) determines that a signal from a valid device has been received, the processor (300) can determine that the area (210, 220, or 230) where an external electronic device (212, 222, or 232) having the highest similarity to the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) is placed is the area where the electronic device (101) is located. For example, if the processor (300) determines that a signal from a valid device has not been received, the processor (300) can determine that the location estimation of the electronic device (101) within the designated space (200) has failed. For example, a valid device in a specific area (210, 220, or 230) may include at least one external electronic device that is identified as being placed in the specific area (210, 220, or 230) within a designated space (220). For example, a state in which a signal from a valid device is determined to have been received may include a state in which the electronic device (101) receives a signal of a specified second reference intensity or greater from the valid device.

[0082] For example, the processor (300) may control an output device of the electronic device (101) to output information related to a failure in position estimation of the electronic device (101). As an example, the output device of the electronic device (101) may include at least one of a display, a speaker, a vibration module, or an indicator.

[0083] According to one embodiment, the communication circuit (310) may support wireless communication between the electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (e.g., the external electronic device (212, 222 and / or 232) of FIG. 2).

[0084] According to one embodiment, the memory (320) may store various data used by at least one component (e.g., processor (300) or communication circuit (310)) of the electronic device (101). For example, the memory (320) may store various instructions that may be executed by the processor (300).

[0085] According to one embodiment, the external electronic device (202) may include at least one of a processor (330), a communication circuit (340), or a memory (350). For example, the processor (330) may be substantially the same as the processor (120) of FIG. 1 or may be included in the processor (120). The communication circuit (340) may be substantially the same as the wireless communication module (192) of FIG. 1 or may be included in the wireless communication module (192). The memory (350) may be substantially the same as the memory (130) of FIG. 1 or may be included in the memory (130). For example, the processor (330) may include at least one of an application processor, a communication processor, or a sensor hub processor. For example, the processor (330) may be operatively, functionally, and / or electrically connected to at least one of the communication circuit (340) or the memory (350).

[0086] According to one embodiment, when external electronic device 1 (212) is registered to the IoT function, the processor (330) may control the communication circuit (340) to register at least one of information related to the location where the external electronic device 1 (212) is placed or an operating frequency to the IoT function. For example, the IoT function may be configured as a node that controls the IoT function of the electronic device (101) and may be configured as software or a separate hardware device (e.g., a server).

[0087] According to one embodiment, the processor (330) may generate a signal intensity pattern (214) of an external electronic device 1 (212) while being placed within a designated space (200). For example, when an event related to a signal intensity pattern occurs, the processor (330) may check the quality of a signal received from external electronic devices (212, 222, and / or 232) placed within the designated space (200). The processor (330) may generate a signal intensity pattern (214) of the external electronic device 1 (212) based on the quality of the signal received from the external electronic devices (212, 222, and / or 232). For example, the signal strength pattern (214) may include a set of signal qualities (e.g., signal strengths) received from external electronic devices (212, 222, and / or 232) determined to be placed in a designated space (200) by the external electronic device 1 (212). For example, the signal quality may include an average value of signal qualities confirmed (or measured) over a designated period of time or the most recently confirmed (or measured) signal quality. For example, the signal quality may include at least one of RSSI, RSRQ, RSRP, SNR, SINR, QoS, or BER. For example, an event associated with the signal strength pattern may be generated based on the arrival of a designated first period, the execution of an application program or function associated with generating the signal strength pattern, or the reception of a control signal associated with generating the signal strength pattern. For example, the designated first period may represent a period set to generate the signal strength pattern in the external electronic device 1 (212).

[0088] According to one embodiment, the processor (330) may control the communication circuit (340) to transmit information related to the signal intensity pattern (214) of the external electronic device 1 (212) to the electronic device (101) located in the designated space (200). For example, when an event related to sharing the signal intensity pattern occurs, the processor (330) may control the communication circuit (340) to transmit information related to the signal intensity pattern (214) of the external electronic device 1 (212) to the electronic device (101). For example, the event related to sharing the signal intensity pattern may occur based on the arrival of a designated second period, the execution of an application program or function related to sharing the signal intensity pattern, or the reception of a control signal related to entry of the electronic device (101) into the designated space (200). For example, the designated second period may be set to be the same as or longer than the designated first period, which is a period indicating a time point for sharing the signal strength pattern (214) in the external electronic device 1 (212). For example, information related to the signal strength pattern (214) may be transmitted based on a short-range communication method including at least one of wireless LAN (e.g., Wi-Fi), Bluetooth (or BLE), or UWB.

[0089] According to one embodiment, when the processor (330) receives a request signal related to position estimation from the electronic device (101), the processor (330) can control the communication circuit (340) to transmit a response signal corresponding to the request signal related to position estimation.

[0090] According to one embodiment, the communication circuit (340) can support wireless communication of external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232) and wireless communication between the electronic device (101) and external electronic device 1 (212).

[0091] According to one embodiment, the memory (350) may store various data used by at least one component (e.g., processor (330) or communication circuit (340)) of the external electronic device 1 (212). For example, the memory (350) may store various instructions that may be individually or collectively executed by the processor (330) (e.g., at least one processor).

[0092] According to one embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, FIG. 2, or FIG. 3) may include a communication circuit (e.g., wireless communication module (192) of FIG. 1 or communication circuit (310) of FIG. 3), at least one processor (e.g., processor (120) of FIG. 1 or processor (300) of FIG. 3) operatively connected to the communication circuit), and a memory (e.g., memory (130) of FIG. 1 or memory (320) of FIG. 3) operatively connected to the at least one processor. According to one embodiment, the memory may store instructions that, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to determine information related to a first signal strength pattern of a plurality of external electronic devices (e.g., external electronic devices (212, 222, and / or 232) of FIG. 2) disposed within a designated space (designated space (200) of FIG. 2). According to one embodiment, the memory may store instructions that, when executed individually or collectively by at least one processor, cause the electronic device to generate a second signal strength pattern of the electronic device by scanning a plurality of external electronic devices related to operating frequencies. According to one embodiment, the memory may store instructions that, when executed individually or collectively by at least one processor, cause the electronic device to identify an external electronic device having a signal strength pattern corresponding to the second signal strength pattern if a signal strength pattern corresponding to the second signal strength pattern exists among the first signal strength patterns. According to one embodiment, the memory may store instructions that, when executed individually or collectively by at least one processor, cause the electronic device to identify a location of the electronic device based on a location where the external electronic device is arranged within a designated space.

[0093] According to one embodiment, the instructions, when executed individually or collectively by at least one processor, may include instructions that cause the electronic device to determine operating frequencies of a plurality of external electronic devices. According to one embodiment, the instructions, when executed individually or collectively by at least one processor, may include instructions that cause the electronic device to transmit a request signal related to position estimation based on the operating frequencies of the plurality of external electronic devices. According to one embodiment, the instructions, when executed individually or collectively by at least one processor, may include instructions that cause the electronic device to generate a second signal strength pattern based on a received signal strength of a response signal when a response signal corresponding to the request signal is received from at least some of the plurality of external electronic devices.

[0094] According to one embodiment, the operating frequencies of the plurality of external electronic devices can be obtained from the plurality of external electronic devices or from a separate server.

[0095] According to one embodiment, the instructions may include instructions that, when executed individually or collectively by at least one processor, cause an electronic device to perform a scan related to the operating frequencies of a plurality of external electronic devices a specified number of times. According to one embodiment, the instructions may include instructions that, when executed individually or collectively by at least one processor, cause the electronic device to generate a second signal strength pattern based on the results of the scans performed a specified number of times.

[0096] According to one embodiment, the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by at least one processor, may include instructions that cause the electronic device to determine an average value of the reception intensity of a response signal based on scan results performed a specified number of times. According to one embodiment, the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by at least one processor, may include instructions that cause the electronic device to generate a second signal intensity pattern based on the average value of the reception intensity of the response signal.

[0097] According to one embodiment, the specified number of times may be set based on at least one of: an operating frequency of a plurality of external electronic devices, a reliability level of location information required by the electronic device, or a size of a radio resource allocated for scanning by the electronic device.

[0098] According to one embodiment, the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by at least one processor, may include instructions that cause an electronic device to identify at least one external electronic device among a plurality of external electronic devices, wherein the similarity between a first signal intensity pattern and a second signal intensity pattern satisfies a specified similarity condition. According to one embodiment, the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by at least one processor, may include instructions that cause the electronic device to identify an external electronic device having a first signal intensity pattern having the best similarity to a second signal intensity pattern among at least one external electronic device satisfying a specified similarity condition. According to one embodiment, the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by at least one processor, may include instructions that cause the electronic device to determine that the electronic device is located in an area where an external electronic device having a first signal intensity pattern having the best similarity to a second signal intensity pattern is disposed within a specified space.

[0099] According to one embodiment, the memory may store instructions that, when executed individually or collectively by at least one processor, cause the electronic device to determine that the location estimation of the electronic device has failed if no external electronic device exists that satisfies a specified similarity condition.

[0100] According to one embodiment, the instructions, when executed individually or collectively by at least one processor, may include instructions that cause the electronic device to identify a valid device in an area where an external electronic device having a first signal strength pattern having the best similarity to a second signal strength pattern is disposed within a designated space. According to one embodiment, the instructions, when executed individually or collectively by at least one processor, may include instructions that cause the electronic device to determine, when acquiring a signal from a valid device, that the electronic device is located in an area where an external electronic device having a first signal strength pattern having the best similarity to a second signal strength pattern is disposed within a designated space.

[0101] According to one embodiment, the memory may store instructions that, when executed individually or collectively by at least one processor, cause the electronic device to determine that the position estimation of the electronic device has failed if it fails to acquire a signal from a valid device.

[0102] FIG. 4 is an example for confirming the position of an electronic device within a designated space in an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0103] According to one embodiment referring to FIG. 4, external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232) disposed in a designated space (200) may generate a signal strength pattern (214, 224 or 234) of each external electronic device (212, 222 or 232). For example, the signal strength pattern (214, 224 or 234) of each external electronic device (212, 222 or 232) may include a set of signal qualities (e.g., signal strengths) received from external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232) determined to be disposed in the designated space (200). For example, the signal quality may include an average value of signal qualities confirmed (or measured) over a designated period of time or a most recently confirmed (or measured) signal quality.

[0104] According to one embodiment, the external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232) may transmit information related to a signal strength pattern (214, 224 or 234) of each of the external electronic devices (212, 222 or 232) to an electronic device (101) located in a designated space (200) (e.g., operation 411, operation 413 and operation 415). For example, the external electronic device 1 (212) may transmit information related to a signal strength pattern (214) of the external electronic device 1 (212) to the electronic device (101) based on the occurrence of an event related to sharing of the signal strength pattern (e.g., operation 411). External electronic device 2 (222) may transmit information related to a signal intensity pattern (224) of external electronic device 2 (222) to electronic device (101) based on the occurrence of an event related to sharing a signal intensity pattern (e.g., operation 413). External electronic device 3 (232) may transmit information related to a signal intensity pattern (234) of external electronic device 3 (232) to electronic device (101) based on the occurrence of an event related to sharing a signal intensity pattern (e.g., operation 415). For example, the event related to sharing a signal intensity pattern may occur independently or identically for each external electronic device (212, 222, or 232). For example, the event related to sharing a signal intensity pattern may occur based on the arrival of a designated second period, the execution of an application program or function related to sharing a signal intensity pattern, or the reception of a control signal related to entry into a designated space (200) of the electronic device (101). For example, the designated second period may be set to be the same as or longer than the designated first period, which is a period that indicates a point in time for sharing the signal strength pattern (214, 224, or 234) in the external electronic device (212, 222, or 232).For example, information related to a signal strength pattern (214, 224, or 234) may be transmitted based on a short-range communication method including at least one of wireless LAN (e.g., Wi-Fi), Bluetooth (or BLE), or UWB.

[0105] According to one embodiment, when the electronic device (101) enters a designated space (200), it can check the signal strength pattern (214, 224 and / or 234) of external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232) placed in the designated space (200) (e.g., operation 411, operation 413 and operation 415).

[0106] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may transmit (or broadcast) a request signal related to position estimation when an event related to position estimation occurs within a designated space (200) (e.g., operation 417). For example, the request signal related to position estimation may be transmitted via the operating frequencies of external electronic devices (212, 222, and / or 232) placed within the designated space (200).

[0107] According to one embodiment, when the external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232) receive a request signal related to position estimation, they may transmit a response signal corresponding to the request signal related to position estimation (e.g., operations 419, 421 and 423).

[0108] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may generate a signal strength pattern of the electronic device (101) based on the signal quality of a response signal corresponding to a request signal related to position estimation (e.g., operation 425). For example, the electronic device (101) may generate the signal strength pattern based on multiple scan results related to the operating frequencies of the external electronic devices (212, 222, and / or 232). For example, the signal strength pattern may be generated based on an average value of the quality of signals received from the external electronic devices (212, 222, and / or 232) identified based on the multiple scan results.

[0109] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) can determine (or estimate) the location of the electronic device (101) within a designated space (200) based on a signal strength pattern of the electronic device (101) and a signal strength pattern of external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232).

[0110] FIG. 5 is a flowchart (500) for sharing information related to signal strength patterns in an external electronic device according to one embodiment. In the following embodiments, the operations may be performed sequentially, but are not necessarily performed sequentially. For example, the order of the operations may be changed, and at least two operations may be performed in parallel. For example, the external electronic device of FIG. 5 may be external electronic device 1 (212) of FIG. 1, FIG. 2, or FIG. 3.

[0111] According to one embodiment referring to FIG. 5, an external electronic device (e.g., external electronic device (212, 222, or 232) of FIG. 2) or a processor (e.g., processor (120) of FIG. 1 or processor (330) of FIG. 3) of the external electronic device (212, 222, or 232) may, in operation 501, identify (or generate) a signal strength pattern (214, 224, or 234) of the external electronic device (212, 222, or 232). For example, the signal strength pattern (214, 224, or 234) of the external electronic device (212, 222, or 232) may include a set of signal qualities (e.g., signal strengths) received from external electronic devices (212, 222, and / or 232) determined to be placed in a designated space (200). For example, the signal quality may include an average value of signal qualities confirmed (or measured) over a designated period of time or a most recently confirmed (or measured) signal quality.

[0112] According to one embodiment, an external electronic device (e.g., external electronic device (212, 222, or 232)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 330)) may transmit information related to a signal strength pattern (214, 224, or 234) of the external electronic device (212, 222, or 232) to an electronic device (101) located in a designated space (200) at operation 503. For example, the processor (330) may control the communication circuit (340) to transmit information related to a signal strength pattern (214, 224, or 234) of the external electronic device (212, 222, or 232) to the electronic device (101) based on the occurrence of an event related to sharing a signal strength pattern. For example, the event related to sharing a signal strength pattern may occur independently or identically for each external electronic device (212, 222, or 232). For example, an event related to sharing a signal strength pattern may be generated based on the arrival of a designated second period, the execution of an application program or function related to sharing a signal strength pattern, or the receipt of a control signal related to entry of the electronic device (101) into a designated space (200). For example, information related to a signal strength pattern (214, 224, or 234) may be transmitted based on a short-range communication method including at least one of wireless LAN (e.g., Wi-Fi), Bluetooth (or BLE), or UWB.

[0113] According to one embodiment, an external electronic device (e.g., external electronic device (212, 222, or 232)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 330)) may determine, in operation 505, whether a request signal related to position estimation is received. For example, the processor (330) may control the communication circuit (340) to continuously or periodically determine whether a request signal related to position estimation is received. As an example, the request signal related to position estimation may be a signal that causes a response from the external electronic device (212, 222, or 232), and may include at least one of a probe request signal or a domain name system (DNS) query.

[0114] According to one embodiment, an external electronic device (e.g., external electronic device (212, 222, or 232)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 330)) may terminate an embodiment for sharing information related to signal strength patterns if a request signal related to location estimation is not received (e.g., 'No' of operation 505).

[0115] According to one embodiment, when an external electronic device (e.g., external electronic device (212, 222, or 232)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 330)) receives a request signal related to position estimation (e.g., 'yes' in operation 505), in operation 507, the external electronic device (e.g., external electronic device (212, 222, or 232)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 330)) may transmit (or broadcast) a response signal corresponding to the request signal related to position estimation.

[0116] FIG. 6 is a flowchart (600) for identifying the location of an electronic device based on a signal strength pattern of an external electronic device, according to one embodiment. In the following embodiments, the operations may be performed sequentially, but are not necessarily performed sequentially. For example, the order of the operations may be changed, and at least two operations may be performed in parallel. For example, the electronic device of FIG. 6 may be the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, FIG. 2, or FIG. 3.

[0117] According to one embodiment referring to FIG. 6, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, FIG. 2 or FIG. 3) or a processor of the electronic device (101) (e.g., processor (120) of FIG. 1 or processor (300) of FIG. 3) may, in operation 601, identify external electronic devices (e.g., external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232) of FIG. 2) disposed in a designated space (e.g., designated space (200) of FIG. 2). For example, when the electronic device (101) enters the designated space (200), the processor (300) may identify information related to the external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232) disposed in the designated space (200). For example, when a signal having a specified first reference intensity or greater is received from external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232) placed in a specified space (200), the processor (300) may determine that the electronic device (101) has entered the specified space (200). For example, the processor (300) may confirm the entry of the electronic device (101) into the specified space (200) based on a location estimation method (e.g., a satellite navigation system). For example, information related to the external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232) may include at least one of identification information or information related to an operating frequency of the external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232). For example, information related to external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232) may be obtained from each external electronic device (212, 222 and / or 232) or a node (e.g., a server) controlling IoT functions.

[0118] According to one embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 300)) may, in operation 603, determine a signal strength pattern of each external electronic device placed in a designated space.

[0119] According to one embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 300)) may determine, in operation 605, whether an event related to position estimation occurs while the electronic device is located within a designated space (200). For example, an event related to position estimation may be generated based on the execution of an application program or function related to position estimation, the reception of an input related to position estimation (e.g., a touch input, a gesture input, or a voice input), or the reception of a control signal related to position estimation.

[0120] According to one embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 300)) may terminate an embodiment for determining the location of the electronic device if no event related to location estimation occurs (e.g., 'No' of operation 605).

[0121] According to one embodiment, when an event related to position estimation occurs (e.g., 'yes' in operation 605), the electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or the processor (e.g., processor (120 or 300)) may perform a scan related to the operating frequencies of external electronic devices (212, 222, and / or 232) disposed within the designated space (200) in operation 607. For example, the signals that the electronic device (101) receives from the external electronic devices (212, 222, and / or 232) may have a continuously changing signal intensity (or amplitude) due to a combination of phases of signals received through multiple paths. The processor (300) may control the communication circuit (310) to perform the scan related to the operating frequencies of the external electronic devices (212, 222, and / or 232) disposed within the designated space (200) in order to reduce the time consumed by the scan. For example, a scan may include a series of operations that transmit a request signal related to position estimation and receive a response signal corresponding to the request signal to determine signal quality. For example, the request signal related to position estimation may be a signal that triggers a response from an external electronic device (212, 222, or 232), and may include at least one of a probe request signal or a domain name system (DNS) query.

[0122] For example, when external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232) use a wireless LAN communication method, the transmission of a response signal may be delayed depending on the traffic situation of the wireless resource due to random access-based medium access control (e.g., carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) / collision avoidance (CA)). The processor (300) may control the communication circuit (310) to perform multiple scans to prevent an error from occurring in the signal strength pattern of the electronic device (101) due to omission of a response signal due to the delay. For example, the number of scans may be fixed to a specified number. For example, the number of scans may be set (or variable) based on at least one of the operating frequency of the external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232), the reliability level of the location information required by the electronic device (101), or the wireless resource (e.g., time resource) allocated for the scan in the electronic device (101).

[0123] According to one embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 300)) may generate a signal strength pattern of the electronic device (101) based on scan results related to operating frequencies of external electronic devices (212, 222, and / or 232) at operation 609. For example, the signal strength pattern of the electronic device (101) may be generated based on an average value of the quality of signals received from external electronic devices (212, 222, and / or 232) identified based on multiple scan results.

[0124] According to one embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 300)) may, in operation 611, identify an external electronic device corresponding to a signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101). For example, the processor (300) may identify a similarity between the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) and the signal intensity pattern of the external electronic device (212, 222, or 232). As an example, the similarity may indicate a degree of similarity between the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) and the signal intensity pattern of the external electronic device (212, 222, or 232).

[0125] For example, the processor (300) can check whether there is an external electronic device (212, 222, or 232) that satisfies a specified similarity condition among the external electronic devices (212, 222, and / or 232). For example, the external electronic device that satisfies the specified similarity condition may include an external electronic device in which the similarity between the signal intensity pattern of the external electronic device (212, 222, or 232) and the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) is equal to or greater than a specified reference similarity.

[0126] For example, the processor (300) may select an external electronic device (212, 222, or 232) having the highest similarity to the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) among at least one external electronic device (212, 222, and / or 232) that satisfies a specified similarity condition.

[0127] According to one embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 300)) may, in operation 613, determine the location of the electronic device (101) based on the location of an external electronic device corresponding to the signal strength pattern of the electronic device (101). For example, the processor (300) may determine that the electronic device (101) is located in an area (e.g., the first area (210), the second area (220), or the third area (230) of FIG. 2) in which an external electronic device (212, 222, or 232) corresponding to the signal strength pattern of the electronic device (101) is located.

[0128] FIG. 7 is a flowchart (700) for selecting an external electronic device based on the similarity of signal strength patterns in an electronic device according to one embodiment. For example, at least a portion of FIG. 7 may include detailed operations of operation 611 of FIG. 6. In the following embodiments, the respective operations may be performed sequentially, but are not necessarily performed sequentially. For example, the order of the respective operations may be changed, and at least two operations may be performed in parallel. For example, the electronic device of FIG. 7 may be the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, FIG. 2, or FIG. 3. For example, at least a portion of FIG. 7 may be described with reference to FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is an example of checking the similarity of signal strength patterns in an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0129] According to one embodiment referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, when an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, 2 or 3) or a processor of the electronic device (101) (e.g., the processor (120) of FIG. 1 or the processor (300) of FIG. 3) generates a signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) (e.g., operation 609 of FIG. 6), in operation 701, the electronic device (101) can check the similarity between the signal intensity pattern and the signal intensity pattern of each external electronic device (212, 222 or 232) placed in the designated space (200). For example, when the processor (300) receives signals from external electronic device 1 (212) and external electronic device 2 (222) in the electronic device (101), as shown in FIG. 8, the processor (300) may generate a signal intensity pattern (800) of the electronic device (101) based on the signal intensities of external electronic device 1 (212) and external electronic device 2 (222). The processor (300) may estimate the similarity (820) between the signal intensity pattern (810) of the remaining external electronic devices (212 and 222) excluding the external electronic device (e.g., external electronic device 3 (232)) from which the electronic device (101) did not receive a signal from the signal intensity pattern of each external electronic device (212, 222, or 232) and the signal intensity pattern (800) of the electronic device (101). For example, when the electronic device (101) receives signals from three external electronic devices (212, 222, and 232), the processor (300) can estimate the similarity between the signal intensity pattern of each of the external electronic devices (212, 222, and 232) and the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) in a three-dimensional form by the three external electronic devices (212, 222, and 232).When the processor (300) receives signals from two external electronic devices (212 and 222) excluding the external electronic device 3 (232), the processor (300) can estimate the similarity (820) between the signal intensity pattern (810) of each of the external electronic devices (212 and 222) and the signal intensity pattern (800) of the electronic device (101) in a two-dimensional form, as shown in FIG. 8, by the two external electronic devices (212 and 222).

[0130] According to one embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 300)) may, in operation 703, determine whether there is at least one external electronic device that satisfies a specified similarity condition among external electronic devices (212, 222, and / or 232) arranged in a specified space (200). For example, an external electronic device that satisfies a specified similarity condition may include an external electronic device in which a similarity between a signal intensity pattern of an external electronic device (212, 222, or 232) and a signal intensity pattern of an electronic device (101) is equal to or greater than a specified reference similarity.

[0131] According to one embodiment, if there is at least one external electronic device that satisfies a specified similarity condition (e.g., 'Yes' in operation 703), in operation 705, the electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or the processor (e.g., processor (120 or 300)) may select an external electronic device corresponding to a signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) from among the at least one external electronic device that satisfies the specified similarity condition. For example, if there is only one external electronic device that satisfies the specified similarity condition, the processor (300) may select the external electronic device that satisfies the specified similarity condition as the external electronic device corresponding to the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101). For example, if there are a plurality of external electronic devices that satisfy the specified similarity condition, the processor (300) may select the external electronic device that has the greatest similarity to the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) from among the external electronic devices that satisfy the specified similarity condition. For example, the external electronic device having the greatest similarity to the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) may include an external electronic device having a signal intensity pattern that is determined to be most similar to the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101).

[0132] For example, the processor (300) may determine that the electronic device (101) is located in an area (e.g., the first area (210), the second area (220), or the third area (230) of FIG. 2) in which an external electronic device (212, 222, or 232) corresponding to the signal strength pattern of the electronic device (101) is located.

[0133] According to one embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 300)) may determine that the location estimation of the electronic device (101) has failed in operation 707 if there is no at least one external electronic device that satisfies the specified similarity condition (e.g., 'No' in operation 703).

[0134] According to one embodiment, when the electronic device (101) determines that the location estimation of the electronic device (101) has failed, the electronic device (101) may output information related to the failure in the location estimation of the electronic device (101). For example, the information related to the failure in the location estimation of the electronic device (101) may be output through at least one of a display, a speaker, a vibration module, or an indicator.

[0135] FIG. 9 is a flowchart (900) for identifying the location of an electronic device based on information related to a valid device, according to one embodiment. For example, at least a portion of FIG. 9 may include detailed operations of operation 611 of FIG. 6 . In the following embodiments, the operations may be performed sequentially, but are not necessarily performed sequentially. For example, the order of the operations may be changed, and at least two operations may be performed in parallel. For example, the electronic device of FIG. 9 may be the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 , FIG. 2 , or FIG. 3 .

[0136] According to one embodiment referring to FIG. 9, when an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, FIG. 2 or FIG. 3) or a processor of the electronic device (101) (e.g., processor (120) of FIG. 1 or processor (300) of FIG. 3) generates a signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) (e.g., operation 609 of FIG. 6), in operation 901, the electronic device (101) can check the similarity between the signal intensity pattern and the signal intensity pattern of each external electronic device (212, 222 or 232) placed in the designated space (200). For example, when the processor (300) receives signals from external electronic device 1 (212) and external electronic device 2 (222) in the electronic device (101), as shown in FIG. 8, the processor (300) may generate a signal intensity pattern (800) of the electronic device (101) based on the signal intensities of external electronic device 1 (212) and external electronic device 2 (222). The processor (300) may estimate the similarity (820) between the signal intensity pattern (810) of the remaining external electronic devices (212 and 222) excluding the external electronic device (e.g., external electronic device 3 (232)) from which the electronic device (101) did not receive a signal from the signal intensity pattern of each external electronic device (212, 222, or 232) and the signal intensity pattern (800) of the electronic device (101).

[0137] According to one embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 300)) may select a candidate external electronic device from among external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232) arranged in a designated space (200) based on a similarity with a signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) in operation 903. For example, the processor (300) may determine whether there is at least one external electronic device that satisfies a specified similarity condition among the external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232) arranged in the designated space (200). For example, an external electronic device that satisfies a specified similarity condition may include an external electronic device in which a similarity between a signal intensity pattern of the external electronic device (212, 222 or 232) and a signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) is equal to or greater than a specified reference similarity. For example, if there is at least one external electronic device satisfying a specified similarity condition, the processor (300) may select, as a candidate external electronic device, the external electronic device having the greatest similarity to the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) among the at least one external electronic device satisfying the specified similarity condition. For example, the external electronic device having the greatest similarity to the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) may include an external electronic device having a signal intensity pattern that is determined to be most similar to the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101).

[0138] For example, the processor (300) may determine that the location estimation of the electronic device (101) has failed if there is no external electronic device that satisfies the specified similarity condition.

[0139] According to one embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 300)) may, in operation 905, identify a valid device in an area associated with a candidate external electronic device. For example, if external electronic device 1 (212) of FIG. 2 is set as a candidate external electronic device, the processor (300) may identify a valid device in a first area (210) in which external electronic device 1 (212) is determined to be placed. For example, if external electronic device 2 (222) of FIG. 2 is set as a candidate external electronic device, the processor (300) may identify a valid device in a second area (220) in which external electronic device 2 (222) is determined to be placed. For example, when the external electronic device 3 (232) of FIG. 2 is set as a candidate external electronic device, the processor (300) can check the valid device of the third area (230) in which the external electronic device 3 (232) is determined to be placed.

[0140] According to one embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 300)) may determine, in operation 907, whether the electronic device (101) has acquired a signal of a valid device when generating a signal intensity pattern. For example, the processor (300) may determine whether the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) includes signal intensity information received from a valid device in an area related to a candidate external electronic device. For example, if the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) includes signal intensity information received from a valid device in an area related to a candidate external electronic device, the processor (300) may determine that the signal of the valid device has been acquired. For example, if the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) does not include signal intensity information received from a valid device in an area related to a candidate external electronic device, the processor (300) may determine that the signal of the valid device has not been acquired. For example, when a plurality of valid devices are set in an area related to a candidate external electronic device in the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101), and when the signal intensity information of a signal received from at least one valid device among the plurality of valid devices is included, the processor (300) may determine that a signal from the valid device has been acquired.

[0141] According to one embodiment, when an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 300)) determines that a signal from a valid device has been acquired (e.g., 'Yes' in operation 907), in operation 909, the processor may select a candidate external electronic device as an external electronic device corresponding to the signal strength pattern of the electronic device (101). For example, the processor (300) may determine that the electronic device (101) is located in an area (e.g., the first area (210), the second area (220), or the third area (230) of FIG. 2) in which the candidate external electronic device (212, 222, or 232) is located.

[0142] According to one embodiment, when an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 300)) determines that a signal of a valid device has not been acquired (e.g., 'No' in operation 907), in operation 911, it may check whether there is another external electronic device that can be selected as a candidate external electronic device among the external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232) arranged in the designated space (200). For example, the other external electronic devices may include a candidate external electronic device among at least one external electronic device that satisfies a designated similarity condition and the remaining external electronic devices excluding the external electronic device that was selected as the candidate external electronic device.

[0143] According to one embodiment, if an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 300)) determines that there is another external electronic device that can be selected as a candidate external electronic device (e.g., 'Yes' in operation 911), in operation 913, the processor may update the candidate external electronic device. For example, if there is one other external electronic device that can be selected as a candidate external electronic device, the processor (300) may select the other external electronic device as the candidate external electronic device. For example, if there are multiple other external electronic devices that can be selected as candidate external electronic devices, the processor (300) may select the external electronic device that has the highest similarity to the signal strength pattern of the electronic device (101) among the other external electronic devices as the candidate external electronic device.

[0144] For example, the processor (300) may identify a valid device in an area associated with a candidate external electronic device (e.g., operation 905).

[0145] According to one embodiment, if the electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or processor (e.g., processor (120 or 300)) determines that there is no other external electronic device that can be selected as a candidate external electronic device (e.g., 'No' in operation 911), then, in operation 915, the electronic device (101) may determine that the location estimation has failed.

[0146] According to one embodiment, when the electronic device (101) determines that the location estimation of the electronic device (101) has failed, the electronic device (101) may output information related to the failure in the location estimation of the electronic device (101). For example, the information related to the failure in the location estimation of the electronic device (101) may be output through at least one of a display, a speaker, a vibration module, or an indicator.

[0147] FIG. 10 is a flowchart (1000) for identifying the location of an electronic device based on information related to a valid device, according to one embodiment. For example, at least a portion of FIG. 10 may include detailed operations of operation 611 of FIG. 6 . In the following embodiments, the operations may be performed sequentially, but are not necessarily performed sequentially. For example, the order of the operations may be changed, and at least two operations may be performed in parallel. For example, the electronic device of FIG. 10 may be the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 , FIG. 2 , or FIG. 3 .

[0148] According to one embodiment referring to FIG. 10, when an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, FIG. 2 or FIG. 3) or a processor (e.g., processor (120) of FIG. 1 or processor (300) of FIG. 3) generates a signal strength pattern of the electronic device (101) (e.g., operation 609 of FIG. 6), in operation 1001, the electronic device may identify a valid device in an area related to an i-th external electronic device among external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232) disposed in a designated space (200). For example, i may include an index for indicating an external electronic device disposed in the designated space (200) and an initial value of '0' or '1'. The valid device may include an external electronic device identified as disposed in a specific area (210, 220 or 230) of the designated space (220).

[0149] According to one embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 300)) may determine, in operation 1003, whether the electronic device (101) has acquired a signal of a valid device when generating a signal intensity pattern. For example, the processor (300) may determine whether the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) includes signal intensity information received from a valid device in an area associated with the i-th external electronic device. For example, if the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) includes signal intensity information received from a valid device in an area associated with the i-th external electronic device, the processor (300) may determine that the signal of the valid device has been acquired. For example, if the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) does not include signal intensity information received from a valid device in an area associated with the i-th external electronic device, the processor (300) may determine that the signal of the valid device has not been acquired. For example, if a plurality of valid devices are set in an area related to the i-th external electronic device in the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101), and if the signal intensity information of a signal received from at least one valid device among the plurality of valid devices is included, the processor (300) may determine that a signal from a valid device has been acquired. For example, a state in which a signal from a valid device has been determined to have been received may include a state in which the electronic device (101) has received a signal having a second reference intensity or higher specified from the valid device.

[0150] According to one embodiment, when an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 300)) determines that a signal from a valid device has not been acquired (e.g., 'No' in operation 1003), in operation 1007, the processor may determine whether there is another external electronic device for verifying the similarity with the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101). For example, when the processor (300) determines that a signal from a valid device in an area associated with the i-th external electronic device has not been acquired, the processor may determine that the electronic device (101) is not located in the area associated with the i-th external electronic device. The processor (300) may omit the operation of verifying the similarity between the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) and the signal intensity pattern of the i-th external electronic device (212, 222, or 232) based on the determination that the electronic device (101) is not located in the area associated with the i-th external electronic device.

[0151] According to one embodiment, when an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 300)) determines that a signal from a valid device has been acquired (e.g., 'Yes' in operation 1003), in operation 1005, the processor may check the similarity between the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) and the signal intensity pattern of the ith external electronic device (212, 222, or 232). For example, as shown in FIG. 8, when the processor (300) receives signals from external electronic device 1 (212) and external electronic device 2 (222) in the electronic device (101), the processor (300) may generate a signal intensity pattern (800) of the electronic device (101) based on the signal intensities of external electronic device 1 (212) and external electronic device 2 (222). The processor (300) can estimate the similarity (820) between the signal intensity pattern (810) of the remaining external electronic devices (212 and 222) and the signal intensity pattern (800) of the electronic device (101), excluding the external electronic device (e.g., external electronic device 3 (232)) from which the electronic device (101) did not receive a signal from the signal intensity pattern of each external electronic device (212, 222, or 232).

[0152] In one embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 300)) may, at operation 1007, determine whether another external electronic device exists to determine similarity with a signal strength pattern of the electronic device (101).

[0153] According to one embodiment, if there is another external electronic device for verifying similarity with the signal strength pattern of the electronic device (e.g., 'yes' in operation 1007), the electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or processor (e.g., processor (120 or 300)) may update the index (i) of the external electronic device in operation 1009 (e.g., i++).

[0154] According to one embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or a processor (e.g., processor (120 or 300)) may repeatedly perform operations 1001 to 1009 when there is another external electronic device for verifying similarity with a signal strength pattern of the electronic device (101).

[0155] According to one embodiment, if there is no other external electronic device for confirming the similarity with the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) or the processor (e.g., processor 120 or 300)), in operation 1011, the electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101)) or the processor (e.g., processor 120 or 300)) may select an external electronic device corresponding to the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) from among at least one external electronic device for confirming the similarity with the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101). For example, the processor (300) may confirm whether there is at least one external electronic device for confirming the similarity with the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) from among the external electronic devices (212, 222, and / or 232) arranged in the designated space (200). For example, if there is at least one external electronic device that has been confirmed to have similarity with the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101), the processor (300) may select the external electronic device that has the greatest similarity with the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) as the external electronic device corresponding to the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101). For example, the processor (300) may determine that the electronic device (101) is located in an area (e.g., the first area (210), the second area (220), or the third area (230) of FIG. 2) in which the external electronic device (212, 222, or 232) that has the greatest similarity with the signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) is located.

[0156] For example, the processor (300) may determine that the location estimation of the electronic device (101) has failed if there is no external electronic device that has been confirmed to have a similarity with the signal strength pattern of the electronic device (101).

[0157] According to one embodiment, when the electronic device (101) determines that the location estimation of the electronic device (101) has failed, the electronic device (101) may output information related to the failure in the location estimation of the electronic device (101). For example, the information related to the failure in the location estimation of the electronic device (101) may be output through at least one of a display, a speaker, a vibration module, or an indicator.

[0158] According to one embodiment, a method of operating an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIGS. 1, 2, and 3) may include an operation of checking information related to a first signal intensity pattern of a plurality of external electronic devices (212, 222, and / or 232) disposed within a designated space (the designated space (200) of FIG. 2). According to one embodiment, the method of operating the electronic device may include an operation of generating a second signal intensity pattern of the electronic device through a scan related to an operating frequency of the plurality of external electronic devices. According to one embodiment, the method of operating the electronic device may include an operation of checking an external electronic device having a signal intensity pattern corresponding to the second signal intensity pattern when a signal intensity pattern corresponding to the second signal intensity pattern exists among the first signal intensity patterns. According to one embodiment, the method of operating the electronic device may include an operation of checking a location of the electronic device based on a location at which the external electronic devices are disposed within the designated space.

[0159] According to one embodiment, the operation of generating the second signal strength pattern may include the operation of checking operating frequencies of a plurality of external electronic devices, the operation of transmitting a request signal related to location estimation based on the operating frequencies, and the operation of generating the second signal strength pattern based on the received signal strength of the response signal when a response signal corresponding to the request signal is received from at least some of the plurality of external electronic devices.

[0160] According to one embodiment, the operation of generating the second signal strength pattern may include the operation of performing a scan related to the operating frequencies of the plurality of external electronic devices a specified number of times, and the operation of generating the second signal strength pattern based on the results of the scans performed the specified number of times.

[0161] According to one embodiment, the operation of generating the second signal strength pattern may include the operation of determining an average value of the reception strength of the response signal based on scan results performed a specified number of times, and the operation of generating the second signal strength pattern based on the average value of the reception strength of the response signal.

[0162] According to one embodiment, the operation of identifying an external electronic device may include an operation of identifying at least one external electronic device among a plurality of external electronic devices, wherein the similarity between the first signal intensity pattern and the second signal intensity pattern satisfies a specified similarity condition, and an operation of identifying an external electronic device having a first signal intensity pattern having the best similarity with the second signal intensity pattern among the at least one external electronic device satisfying the specified similarity condition.

[0163] According to one embodiment, a method of operating an electronic device may include an operation of determining that location estimation of the electronic device has failed if there is no external electronic device that satisfies a specified similarity condition.

[0164] According to one embodiment, the operation of determining the location of the electronic device may include the operation of determining a valid device in an area where an external electronic device is placed within a designated space, and, if a signal is obtained from a valid device, determining that the electronic device is located in an area where an external electronic device is placed within the designated space.

[0165] According to one embodiment, a method of operating an electronic device may include an operation of determining that position estimation of the electronic device has failed if a signal from a valid device is not obtained.

[0166] The embodiments of the present disclosure disclosed in this specification and drawings are merely specific examples presented to easily explain the technical contents according to the embodiments of the present disclosure and to help understand the embodiments of the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of one embodiment of the present disclosure should be interpreted as including all changes or modified forms derived based on the technical idea of ​​one embodiment of the present disclosure, in addition to the embodiments disclosed herein, within the scope of one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. In an electronic device (101), Communication circuit (310), At least one processor (300) operatively connected to the above communication circuit, and A memory (320) operatively connected to at least one processor, The above memory (320), when executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor (300), the electronic device (101), Check information related to the first signal strength pattern of a plurality of external electronic devices (212, 222 and 232) placed within a designated space (200), Generating a second signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) through a scan related to the operating frequencies of the plurality of external electronic devices (212, 222 and 232), If there is a signal intensity pattern corresponding to the second signal intensity pattern among the first signal intensity patterns, an external electronic device of the signal intensity pattern corresponding to the second signal intensity pattern is identified, An electronic device storing instructions for determining the location of the electronic device based on the location where the external electronic device is placed within the designated space (200).

2. In paragraph 1, The above instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor (300), cause the electronic device (101) to: Check the operating frequency of the above multiple external electronic devices, Transmitting a request signal related to position estimation based on the above-mentioned confirmed operating frequency, An electronic device including instructions for generating the second signal strength pattern based on the received signal strength of the response signal when a response signal corresponding to the request signal is received from at least some of the plurality of external electronic devices.

3. In any one of paragraphs 1 and 2, When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor (300), the electronic device (101) Performing a scan related to the operating frequency of the above-mentioned plurality of external electronic devices (212, 222 and 232) a specified number of times, An electronic device comprising instructions for generating the second signal strength pattern based on the results of the scan performed the specified number of times.

4. In paragraph 3, When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor (300), the electronic device (101) Based on the scan results performed the above specified number of times, the average value of the reception intensity of the response signal is determined, An electronic device comprising instructions for generating the second signal strength pattern based on an average value of the received strength of the response signal.

5. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 4, When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor (300), the electronic device (101) Identifying at least one external electronic device among the plurality of external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232) that satisfies a similarity condition in which the similarity between the first signal intensity pattern and the second signal intensity pattern is specified, Identifying an external electronic device having a first signal intensity pattern having the best similarity to the second signal intensity pattern among at least one external electronic device identified above, An electronic device comprising instructions that cause the electronic device to determine that the electronic device is located in an area in which the identified external electronic device is placed within the designated space.

6. In paragraph 5, The above memory (320), when executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor (300), the electronic device (101), An electronic device storing instructions that determine that location estimation of the electronic device has failed if there is no external electronic device satisfying the above-mentioned similarity condition.

7. In paragraph 5, When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor (300), the electronic device (101) Verify the valid device in the area where the above-mentioned external electronic device is placed within the above-mentioned designated space, An electronic device including instructions that cause the electronic device to determine that the electronic device is located in an area where the identified external electronic device is placed within the designated space when a signal is obtained from the valid device.

8. In paragraph 7, The above memory (320), when executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor (300), the electronic device (101), An electronic device storing instructions that determine that position estimation of the electronic device has failed if a signal from the above valid device is not obtained.

9. In the operating method of the electronic device (101), An operation of checking information related to a first signal strength pattern of a plurality of external electronic devices (212, 222 and 232) placed within a designated space (200); An operation of generating a second signal intensity pattern of the electronic device (101) through a scan related to the operating frequencies of the plurality of external electronic devices (212, 222 and 232); An operation of checking an external electronic device of a signal intensity pattern corresponding to the second signal intensity pattern when a signal intensity pattern corresponding to the second signal intensity pattern exists among the first signal intensity patterns, and A method comprising an action of determining a location of the electronic device based on a location where the external electronic device is placed within the designated space (200).

10. In paragraph 9, The operation of generating the above second signal intensity pattern comprises: An operation for checking the operating frequency of the above multiple external electronic devices; An operation of transmitting a request signal related to position estimation based on the above-mentioned confirmed operating frequency, and A method comprising: generating the second signal strength pattern based on a received signal strength of the response signal when a response signal corresponding to the request signal is received from at least some of the plurality of external electronic devices.

11. In paragraph 10, The operation of generating the above second signal intensity pattern comprises: An operation of performing a scan related to the operating frequency of the above-mentioned plurality of external electronic devices (212, 222 and 232) a specified number of times, and A method comprising the action of generating the second signal intensity pattern based on the results of the scan performed the specified number of times.

12. In paragraph 11, The operation of generating the above second signal intensity pattern is An operation of checking an average value of the reception intensity of the response signal based on the scan results performed the above-mentioned specified number of times, and A method comprising an operation of generating the second signal strength pattern based on an average value of the reception strength of the response signal.

13. In any one of paragraphs 9 to 12, The action of checking the above external electronic device is: An operation of identifying at least one external electronic device among the plurality of external electronic devices (212, 222 and / or 232) that satisfies a similarity condition specified by the similarity between the first signal intensity pattern and the second signal intensity pattern, and A method comprising the action of identifying an external electronic device having a first signal strength pattern having the best similarity to the second signal strength pattern among the at least one external electronic device identified above.

14. In paragraph 13, The operation of determining the location of the above electronic device is as follows: An operation of checking the valid device of the area where the above-mentioned external electronic device is placed within the above-mentioned designated space, and A method comprising: when a signal is obtained from the valid device, an action of determining that the electronic device is located in an area where the identified external electronic device is placed within the designated space.

15. In paragraph 14, A method further comprising an action of determining that the position estimation of the electronic device has failed if a signal from the valid device is not obtained.

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