Electronic device and method for controlling same

Abstract

Disclosed are an electronic device and a method for controlling same. The electronic device may comprise: a communication unit; a memory for storing at least one instruction; and a processor for executing the at least one instruction. The processor may: register a predetermined event and an operation of a first external device corresponding to the predetermined event on the basis of a registration request of a first user; when the predetermined event occurs, identify whether a second user is present in a space in which the first external device is located; provide a request for approval for the registered operation to the second user when the second user is identified as being present in the space; identify whether the second user approves the registered operation; and determine whether to transmit a control signal corresponding to the operation to the first external device on the basis of identifying whether the second user approves the registered operation.

Description

Electronic devices and methods for controlling electronic devices

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electronic device and a method for controlling the electronic device, and more particularly, to an electronic device capable of performing automated operations for an IoT device and a method for controlling the same.

[0002] Recently, technologies related to the Internet of Things (IoT) are rapidly developing. In particular, automation, which goes beyond manual control of IoT devices and triggers pre-defined devices to perform pre-defined actions when specific conditions are detected, is gaining attention.

[0003] However, in the technology of automation, when multiple users share one IoT device, resolving conflicts between automated actions (automated routines) registered by multiple users is an important task.

[0004] For example, family members within the same home network often share IoT devices, and because automation settings can be freely configured without interference, they often end up controlling specific IoT devices simultaneously. Furthermore, family members are unaware of how their automation actions overlap, making it difficult to determine which member should be given priority control.

[0005] However, conventional technologies only instantaneously execute control commands or automated control that meet specific conditions, regardless of user preference. Therefore, these technologies have limitations, including the risk of automated actions being performed against the user's intent and the inability to effectively resolve conflicts between automated actions on IoT devices shared by multiple users.

[0006] The present disclosure is intended to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide an electronic device and a control method thereof capable of preventing collisions between automated operations for an IoT device.

[0007] Aspects of embodiments of the present disclosure will be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will be obvious from the description or may be learned by practice of the embodiments presented.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronic device includes a communication unit, a memory storing at least one instruction, and a processor executing the at least one instruction, wherein the processor registers a preset event and an operation of a first external device corresponding to the preset event based on a registration request of a first user, and when the preset event occurs, identifies whether a second user exists in a space where the first external device is located, and when the second user is identified as existing in the space, provides a request for approval of the registered operation to the second user, identifies whether the second user approves the registered operation, and determines whether to transmit a control signal corresponding to the operation to the first external device based on the identification of whether the second user approves the registered operation.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor may determine to identify the approval of the second user for the registered action when a response indicating approval of the registered action is received from the second user or when no response to the registered action is received from the second user for a preset threshold time, and to transmit the control signal corresponding to the registered action to the first external device when the approval of the registered action is identified, and may control the communication unit to transmit the control signal corresponding to the registered action to the first external device.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the processor determines that the second user does not exist in the space, the processor can control the communication unit to transmit the control signal corresponding to the registered operation to the first external device.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor may receive status information indicating an operating status of the first external device from the first external device through the communication unit, and, based on the received status information, identify whether the first external device is performing the registered operation, and if it is identified that the first external device is not performing the registered operation, identify whether the second user is present in the space where the first external device is located, and if it is identified that the first external device is performing the registered operation, may not identify whether the second user is present in the space where the first external device is located.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor receives the registration request from the first user terminal of the first user through the communication unit, and when the second user is identified as being present in the space, the processor can control the communication unit to transmit information about the request for approval for the registered operation to at least one of the second user terminal of the second user and a second external device located in the space.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor can receive location information indicating the location of the second user terminal from the second user terminal through the communication unit, and identify whether the second user exists in the space based on the received location information.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the received location information includes information indicating whether the second user terminal is connected to at least one of an access point (AP), the first external device, and the second external device arranged in the space, and the processor can identify that the second user is present in the space when the second user terminal is identified as being connected to at least one of the AP, the first external device, and the second external device.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the received location information may include at least one of GPS (Global Positioning System) information of the second user terminal, information on a distance between the second user terminal and the first external device, and information on a distance between the second user terminal and the second external device.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor receives the location information from the second external device through the communication unit, and the received location information can be obtained based on at least one of image data obtained through a camera of the second external device and sensing data obtained through a sensor of the second external device.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor may control the communication unit to receive, from the first external device through the communication unit, the status information indicating the status of the operation of the first external device after the control signal corresponding to the registered operation is transmitted to the first external device, identify whether the first external device is maintaining the registered operation based on the received status information, and transmit information on whether the first external device is maintaining the registered operation to the first user terminal.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the registration request is received from the first user terminal through the communication unit, the processor can control the communication unit to identify whether the received registration request overlaps with pre-registered control information, and if the received registration request overlaps with the pre-registered control information, transmit information indicating that the received registration request overlaps with the pre-registered control information to the first user terminal.

[0019] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for controlling an electronic device may include, based on a registration request of a first user, a step of registering a preset event and an operation of a first external device corresponding to the preset event; a step of identifying whether a second user exists in a space where the first external device is located when the preset event occurs; a step of providing a request for approval of the registered operation to the second user when the second user is identified as existing in the space; a step of identifying whether the second user approves the registered operation; and a step of determining whether to transmit a control signal corresponding to the operation to the first external device based on the identification of whether the second user approves the registered operation.

[0020] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the step of identifying the result includes a step of identifying the approval of the second user for the registered operation when a response indicating approval of the registered operation is received from the second user or a response to the registered operation is not received from the second user for a preset threshold time, and the step of determining includes a step of determining to transmit the control signal corresponding to the registered operation to the first external device when the approval of the registered operation is identified, and the control method of the electronic device may further include a step of transmitting the control signal corresponding to the registered operation to the first external device.

[0021] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the control method of the electronic device may further include a step of transmitting the control signal corresponding to the registered operation to the first external device when the second user is identified as not being present in the space.

[0022] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the control method of the electronic device may further include the steps of receiving status information indicating an operating status of the first external device from the first external device, identifying whether the first external device is performing the registered operation based on the received status information, identifying whether the second user is present in the space where the first external device is located if the first external device is identified as not performing the registered operation, and not identifying whether the second user is present in the space where the first external device is located if the first external device is identified as performing the registered operation.

[0023] Other aspects, features and advantages of one embodiment according to the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0024] FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating a system according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0025] FIG. 2A is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling an electronic device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0026] FIG. 2b is a flowchart illustrating in more detail a method of controlling an electronic device (100) according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0027] FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are drawings illustrating various embodiments of the present disclosure related to messages provided to a second user;

[0028] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling an electronic device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0029] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling an electronic device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0030] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling an electronic device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0031] FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 are diagrams illustrating various embodiments of the present disclosure related to transmitting information indicating that an action corresponding to an event overlaps with previously registered control information to a first user terminal;

[0032] FIG. 10 is a block diagram briefly illustrating a configuration of an electronic device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, and

[0033] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a system according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0034] The present embodiments may be modified and have various embodiments. Specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. However, this is not intended to limit the scope to specific embodiments, but should be understood to encompass various modifications, equivalents, and / or alternatives of the embodiments of the present disclosure. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar components.

[0035] In describing the present disclosure, if it is determined that a specific description of a related known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present disclosure, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0036] Additionally, the following embodiments may be modified in various other forms, and the scope of the technical concepts of the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments. Rather, these embodiments are provided to further faithfully and completely convey the technical concepts of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0037] The terminology used in this disclosure is for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of the rights. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0038] In this disclosure, expressions such as “has,” “can have,” “includes,” or “may include” indicate the presence of a corresponding feature (e.g., a component such as a number, function, operation, or part), and do not exclude the presence of additional features.

[0039] In this disclosure, expressions such as “A or B,” “at least one of A and / or B,” or “one or more of A or / and B” can include all possible combinations of the listed items. For example, “A or B,” “at least one of A and B,” or “at least one of A or B” can all refer to (1) including at least one A, (2) including at least one B, or (3) including both at least one A and at least one B.

[0040] The expressions “first,” “second,” “first,” or “second,” etc., used in this disclosure can describe various components, regardless of order and / or importance, and are only used to distinguish one component from another, but do not limit the components.

[0041] When it is said that a component (e.g., a first component) is “(operatively or communicatively) coupled with / to” or “connected to” another component (e.g., a second component), it should be understood that said component may be directly coupled to said other component, or may be coupled via another component (e.g., a third component).

[0042] On the other hand, when it is said that a component (e.g., a first component) is "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another component (e.g., a second component), it can be understood that no other component (e.g., a third component) exists between said component and said other component.

[0043] The expression "configured to" as used in the present disclosure may be used interchangeably with, for example, "suitable for," "having the capacity to," "designed to," "adapted to," "made to," or "capable of." The term "configured to" may not necessarily mean only "specifically designed to" in terms of hardware.

[0044] Instead, in some contexts, the phrase "a device configured to" may mean that the device, in conjunction with other devices or components, is "capable of" performing A, B, and C. For example, the phrase "a processor configured (or set) to perform A, B, and C" may refer to a dedicated processor (e.g., an embedded processor) for performing those operations, or a general-purpose processor (e.g., a CPU or application processor) that can perform those operations by executing one or more software programs stored in a memory device.

[0045] In the embodiments, a 'module' or 'part' performs at least one function or operation, and may be implemented as hardware or software, or as a combination of hardware and software. Furthermore, a plurality of 'modules' or 'parts' may be integrated into at least one module and implemented as at least one processor, except for a 'module' or 'part' that needs to be implemented as a specific hardware.

[0046] Meanwhile, the various elements and areas in the drawings are schematically drawn. Therefore, the technical concept of the present invention is not limited by the relative sizes or spacing depicted in the attached drawings.

[0047] Hereinafter, with reference to the attached drawings, embodiments according to the present disclosure will be described in detail so that a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present disclosure pertains can easily implement the present disclosure.

[0048] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a system according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0049] As illustrated in FIG. 1, a system according to the present disclosure may include an electronic device (100) and a plurality of IoT devices (200-1, 200-2, 300-1, 300-2).

[0050] The 'electronic device (100)' according to the present disclosure refers to a device capable of providing an IoT (Internet of Things) service. Specifically, the electronic device (100) can register and manage various devices as IoT devices constituting an IoT network, and can collect and store data on a plurality of IoT devices (200-1, 200-2, 300-1, 300-2). In addition, the electronic device (100) can process or analyze the collected data, and can receive requests from a plurality of IoT devices (200-1, 200-2, 300-1, 300-2) or transmit control commands for controlling the plurality of IoT devices (200-1, 200-2, 300-1, 300-2) to the plurality of IoT devices (200-1, 200-2, 300-1, 300-2). The so-called electronic device (100) may also be referred to by terms such as 'IoT server', 'IoT cloud', etc.

[0051] In particular, the electronic device (100) can perform automation for an IoT device. Here, "automation" refers to registering specific conditions and operations of an IoT device corresponding to the specific conditions, and automatically controlling the IoT device to perform the registered operations when the registered conditions are met. The operations performed according to automation may be referred to as "automated operations" or "automated routines."

[0052] In the description of the present disclosure, a plurality of IoT devices (200-1, 200-2, 300-1, 300-2) are described by distinguishing them into a plurality of external devices (200-1, 200-2), a plurality of user terminals (300-1, 300-2), and an AP (400) (access point). In addition, the plurality of external devices (200-1, 200-2) may include a first external device (200-1) and a second external device (200-2), and the plurality of user terminals (300-1, 300-2) may include a first user terminal (300-1) and a second user terminal (300-2).

[0053] Specifically, the 'first external device (200-1)' refers to a device registered as a control target according to automation at the request of the first user, and the 'second external device (200-2)' refers to a device different from the first external device (200-1). Hereinafter, the device registered as a control target according to automation at the request of the first user will be described limited to the first external device (200-1), but this does not mean that the second external device (200-2) cannot be registered as a control target according to automation. Meanwhile, the 'first user terminal (300-1)' refers to a terminal device of the first user, and the 'second user terminal (300-2)' refers to a terminal device of the second user.

[0054] Unlike the multiple user terminals (300-1, 300-2), the multiple external devices (200-1, 200-2) can be shared by the first user and the second user. The first user terminal (300-1) and the second user terminal (300-2) are devices that can be carried and used personally by each of the first user and the second user, whereas the first external device (200-1) and the second external device (200-2) can be devices that can be placed in a space shared by the first user and the second user and used together by the first user and the second user.

[0055] For example, if the first user and the second user are family members, the first user terminal (300-1) and the second user terminal (300-2) may be devices such as a smartphone, a smartwatch, etc. that the first user and the second user can each carry and use personally, and the first external device (200-1) and the second external device (200-2) may be devices such as a TV, an air conditioner, a refrigerator, a washing machine, etc. that are placed in a house where the first user and the second user reside together and can be used together by the first user and the second user.

[0056] The following description of the present disclosure is based on the assumption that, as in the example described above, a first user and a second user share a single space and share a first external device (200-1) and a second external device (200-2) placed in the single space.

[0057] In FIG. 1, as an example, the first user terminal (300-1) is the first user's smartphone, the second user terminal (300-2) is the second user's smartphone, the first external device (200-1) is an air conditioner placed in the homes of the first and second users, and the second external device (200-2) is a TV placed in the homes of the first and second users. However, it should be understood that devices other than those in the example of FIG. 1 may be included in the system according to the present disclosure.

[0058] Meanwhile, 'AP (400)' refers to a device that configures a wireless network to help multiple IoT devices (200-1, 200-2, 300-1, 300-2) communicate and exchange data. Specifically, AP (400) can configure a Wi-Fi network to enable communication between multiple IoT devices (200-1, 200-2, 300-1, 300-2) and an electronic device (100) or between multiple IoT devices (200-1, 200-2, 300-1, 300-2). For example, a process of registering multiple external devices (200-1, 200-2) and multiple user terminals (300-1, 300-2) as IoT devices, a process of registering automated operations for IoT devices, a process of controlling IoT devices, etc. can be performed based on transmission and reception of signals through AP (400).

[0059] Meanwhile, the following describes an operation of transmitting and receiving signals / data / information between an electronic device (100), multiple external devices (200-1, 200-2), and multiple user terminals (300-1, 300-2). Such transmitting and receiving may be performed via a WiFi communication method through an AP (400), or may be performed via another communication method (e.g., Bluetooth, etc.) that does not go through the AP (400). Therefore, the electronic device (100) transmitting a control signal to the first external device (200-1) below may include both the electronic device (100) transmitting a control signal to the first external device (200-1) through the AP (400) and the electronic device (100) transmitting a control signal to the first external device (200-1) without going through the AP (400).

[0060] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the electronic device (100) may receive a registration request (A) from a first user terminal (300-1) of a first user. Here, the "registration request" refers to a user's request for registration of an automated operation. Specifically, the registration request may include information about a preset event and the operation of the first external device (200-1) corresponding to the event.

[0061] For example, a first user can set an "event of the first user reaching a house" and an "action of turning on the power" as an action of an air conditioner (first external device (200-1)) corresponding to the event through an application provided by the first user terminal (300-1), and accordingly, the first user terminal (300-1) can transmit a registration request to the electronic device (100). Then, when the registration request of the first user is received, the electronic device (100) can register the event preset by the first user and the action of the first external device (200-1) corresponding to the event as an automated action.

[0062] After an automated action is registered, if a preset event occurs, the electronic device (100) can transmit a control signal (B) to the first external device (200-1) so that the first external device (200-1) performs an action corresponding to the event. In the example described above, if an “event in which the first user arrives near the house” occurs, the electronic device (100) can transmit a control signal to the external device so that the first external device (200-1) performs an “action of turning on the power.”

[0063] Meanwhile, when an automated action is registered by a first user and a preset event occurs, a control signal is transmitted to the first external device (200-1), and even if the first external device (200-1) performs an action corresponding to the control signal based on the control signal, if a second user different from the first user exists in the space where the first external device (200-1) is located, there is a possibility that the action of the external device may be changed by the second user.

[0064] For example, in the example described above, after the "action of turning on the air conditioner" is performed as a result of the "event of the first user reaching near the house" occurring, the "action of turning off the air conditioner" may be performed by the operation of the second user, and thus a control result that does not conform to the intention of the first user who registered the automated action may be brought about.

[0065] Accordingly, before transmitting the control signal (B) to the first external device (200-1), the electronic device (100) can transmit a message (C) for requesting approval from the second user to the second user terminal (300-2) of the second user, and transmit the control signal (B) to the first external device (200-1) only when a response (D) indicating approval is received from the second user.

[0066] Hereinafter, various embodiments for resolving conflict issues between automated operations for IoT devices shared by multiple users will be described, including an embodiment involving transmitting a message (C) requesting approval from a second user to a second user terminal (300-2) of the second user and receiving a response (D) indicating approval from the second user. The terms and assumptions defined in the description of FIG. 1 also apply to the embodiments described below.

[0067] FIG. 2a is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling an electronic device (100) according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, and FIG. 2b is a flowchart illustrating more specifically a method for controlling an electronic device (100) according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0068] As illustrated in FIG. 2a, the electronic device (100) can register a preset event and an operation of the first external device (200-1) corresponding to the event based on a registration request of the first user (S210).

[0069] Specifically, the electronic device (100) can receive a registration request from a first user terminal (300-1) of a first user, and can register a set of preset events included in the registration request and actions of the first external device (200-1) corresponding to the events as automated actions.

[0070] For example, a registration request may include an “event of a first user reaching a vicinity of a house” and an “action of turning on the power” as an action of a first external device (200-1) corresponding to the event, and accordingly, the electronic device (100) may register the “event of a first user reaching a vicinity of a house” and the “action of turning on the power of the first external device (200-1)” as one automated action.

[0071] When a preset event occurs (S220-Y), the electronic device (100) can identify whether a second user exists in the space where the first external device (200-1) is located (S230).

[0072] Specifically, the occurrence of a preset event may be directly identified by the electronic device (100) or may be identified based on information received by the first user terminal (300-1) or an external device.

[0073] For example, if the preset event is an “event in which the first user arrives near the house” as in the example described above, the electronic device (100) can receive location information indicating the location of the first user terminal (300-1) from the first user terminal (300-1) and identify the occurrence of the event based on the received location information.

[0074] As another example, if the preset event is an “event in which the indoor temperature of the house becomes 30 degrees Celsius or higher,” the electronic device (100) can receive temperature information indicating the indoor temperature of the house from an external device capable of measuring the indoor temperature of the house, and identify the occurrence of the event based on the received temperature information.

[0075] As another example, if the preset event is an “event that occurs at 6:30 PM,” the electronic device (100) can identify the occurrence of the event using an RTC (real-time clock) or NTP (network time protocol) included in the electronic device (100).

[0076] When a preset event occurs, the electronic device (100) can identify whether a second user other than the first user exists in the space where the first external device (200-1) is located. Specifically, information about users of multiple IoT devices (200-1, 200-2, 300-1, 300-2) (e.g., account information of family members, etc.) may be stored in the electronic device (100). In addition, when a preset event occurs, the electronic device (100) can identify whether at least one user among the users of multiple IoT devices (200-1, 200-2, 300-1, 300-2) exists in the space where the first external device (200-1) is located (e.g., the first user's home).

[0077] Below, a process for identifying whether a second user, which is one user, exists in the space where the first external device (200-1) is located will be described, but this is only for convenience of explanation. It is possible to identify whether multiple users exist in the space where the first external device (200-1) is located, and the operations related to the second user described below can be similarly performed for each of the multiple users.

[0078] The electronic device (100) can identify whether a second user exists in the space where the first external device (200-1) is located based on location information received from the second user terminal (300-2) or multiple external devices (200-1, 200-2). Here, the term "location information" collectively refers to information indicating the location of the second user. Specifically, the location information may include not only information indicating the location of the second user, but also information indicating the location of the second user's second user terminal (300-2).

[0079] Below, various embodiments of identifying whether a second user exists in a space where a first external device (200-1) is located using various types of location information are described.

[0080] In one or more embodiments, the electronic device (100) may receive location information indicating the location of the second user terminal (300-2) from the second user terminal (300-2), and may identify whether the second user is present in the space where the first external device (200-1) is located based on the received location information.

[0081] In one or more embodiments, the location information may include information indicating whether the second user terminal (300-2) is connected to at least one of the AP (400) (access point), the first external device (200-1), and the second external device (200-2) located in the space where the first external device (200-1) is located. In this case, if the electronic device (100) identifies that the second user terminal (300-2) is connected to at least one of the AP (400), the first external device (200-1), and the second external device (200-2), the electronic device (100) may identify that the second user is present in the space where the first external device (200-1) is located.

[0082] Here, the 'information indicating whether or not it is connected' may include information indicating that the second user terminal (300-2) is 'currently' connected to at least one of the AP (400), the first external device (200-1), and the second external device (200-2) located in the space where the first external device (200-1) is located, as well as information indicating a history of connection in the 'past' within a threshold time.

[0083] In one or more embodiments, the location information may include at least one of GPS (Global Positioning System) information of the second user terminal (300-2), information about the distance between the second user terminal (300-2) and the first external device (200-1), and information about the distance between the second user terminal (300-2) and the second external device (200-2).

[0084] Specifically, if the GPS information of the second user terminal (300-2) is identified as corresponding to the space where the first external device (200-1) is located, the electronic device (100) can identify that the second user is present in the space where the first external device (200-1) is located.

[0085] In addition, if at least one of the distance between the second user terminal (300-2) and the first external device (200-1) and the distance between the second user terminal (300-2) and the second external device (200-2) is less than a preset threshold distance, the electronic device (100) can identify that the second user is present in the space where the first external device (200-1) is located.

[0086] Meanwhile, the electronic device (100) may also receive location information from multiple external devices (200-1, 200-2). In this case, the location information may be acquired based on at least one of image data acquired through cameras of the multiple external devices (200-1, 200-2) and sensing data acquired through sensors of the multiple external devices (200-1, 200-2).

[0087] For example, the electronic device (100) can receive image data acquired through a camera of a TV, which is a second external device (200-2). Then, if the received image data includes a second user, the electronic device (100) can identify that the second user is present in the space where the first external device (200-1) is located.

[0088] As another example, the electronic device (100) may acquire sensing data obtained through an infrared sensor of a TV, which is a second external device (200-2). If the sensing data indicates that a user adjacent to the TV has been detected, the electronic device (100) may identify that a second user is present in the space where the first external device (200-1) is located.

[0089] If the second user is identified as not being present in the space where the first external device (200-1) is located (S230-N), the electronic device (100) can determine whether to transmit a control signal corresponding to the operation of the first external device (200-1) to the first external device (200-1) (S260). In this case, the electronic device (100) can determine to transmit a control signal corresponding to the operation of the first external device (200-1) to the first external device (200-1) and transmit it to the first external device (200-1). In other words, if the first external device (200-1) does not exist in the space where the first external device (200-1) is located, there is no user to operate the first external device (200-1) so that it is placed in an automated operation in the space where the first external device (200-1) is located, and therefore the electronic device (100) can transmit a control signal corresponding to the operation of the first external device (200-1) to the first external device (200-1) without any additional operation.

[0090] On the other hand, if the second user is identified as being present in the space where the first external device (200-1) is located (S230-Y), the electronic device (100) can provide a message to the second user requesting approval for controlling the operation of the first external device (200-1) (S240).

[0091] Specifically, when the second user is identified as being present in the space where the first external device (200-1) is located, the electronic device (100) can transmit information about a message for requesting approval for controlling the operation of the first external device (200-1) to at least one of the second user terminal (300-2) of the second user and the second external device (200-2) present in the space where the first external device (200-1) is located.

[0092] For example, when the electronic device (100) transmits information about a message for requesting approval for controlling the operation of the first external device (200-1) to the second user terminal (300-2), the message for requesting approval for controlling the operation of the first external device (200-1) may be displayed on the display of the second user terminal (300-2).

[0093] As another example, when the electronic device (100) transmits information about a message for requesting approval for controlling the operation of the first external device (200-1) to a speaker, which is a second external device (200-2), the message for requesting approval for controlling the operation of the first external device (200-1) can be output as a voice through the speaker.

[0094] After providing a message requesting approval to the second user, the electronic device (100) can identify a result indicating whether the second user approves (S250). Specifically, when the message requesting approval is provided to the second user, the second user can respond with a response indicating approval, a response indicating rejection, or no response. In addition, the electronic device (100) can identify a result indicating whether the second user approves based on the second user's response or no response. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 2B, which more specifically illustrates the steps after step S240 of FIG. 2A, embodiments will be described for each of the cases where the second user responds with no response, the second user responds with a response indicating approval, and the second user responds with a response indicating rejection.

[0095] After providing a message requesting approval to the second user, the electronic device (100) can determine whether a response has been received from the second user within a preset threshold time. The threshold time may be, for example, 10 seconds and may be changed according to developer or user settings.

[0096] In one or more embodiments, neither a response indicating approval nor a response indicating rejection may be received from the second user within a preset threshold time. That is, if the second user responds without a response, the non-response may be preferably identified as an approval or a rejection.

[0097] For example, when a second user is identified as being present in the space where the first external device (200-1) is located and a message is provided to the second user requesting permission to control the operation of the first external device (200-1), but then the second user leaves the space where the first external device (200-1) is located, there may be cases where it is desirable to transmit a control signal corresponding to the operation of the first external device (200-1) to the first external device (200-1) even when no response is received from the second user.

[0098] Accordingly, if no response is received from the second user for a preset period of time (S251), the electronic device (100) may identify the approval of the second user (S252) and transmit a control signal corresponding to the operation of the first external device (200-1) to the first external device (200-1) (S261).

[0099] Meanwhile, in Fig. 2b, the second user's non-response is identified as approval, but conversely, the second user's non-response may be identified as rejection.

[0100] For example, if a second user is identified as being present in the space where the first external device (200-1) is located, a message is provided to the second user requesting permission to control the operation of the first external device (200-1), but there is a possibility that the second user may not respond with an intention to reject the permission. In this case, contrary to the above-described embodiment, it may be desirable not to transmit a control signal corresponding to the operation of the first external device (200-1) to the first external device (200-1).

[0101] Accordingly, if no response is received from the second user for a preset period of time, the electronic device (100) may identify the rejection of the second user and may not transmit a control signal corresponding to the operation of the first external device (200-1) to the first external device (200-1).

[0102] When a response is received from the second user within a preset threshold time, the electronic device (100) can identify whether the received response is a response indicating approval (S253).

[0103] In one or more embodiments, the electronic device (100) may receive a response indicating approval from the second user (S253-Y). If a response indicating approval is received from the second user, the electronic device (100) may identify the approval of the second user (S252). If the approval is identified, the electronic device may determine to transmit a control signal corresponding to the operation (i.e., the registered operation) of the first external device (200-1) to the first external device (200-1), and may transmit a control signal corresponding to the operation of the first external device (200-1) to the first external device (200-1) (S261).

[0104] For example, if a message requesting approval for controlling the operation of a first external device (200-1) is displayed on the display of a second user terminal (300-2), the second user may input a user input indicating approval into the second user terminal (300-2), and accordingly, the electronic device (100) may receive a response indicating approval from the second user terminal (300-2).

[0105] For another example, if a message requesting approval for controlling the operation of a first external device (200-1) is output as a voice through a speaker, the second user may utter a voice indicating approval, and accordingly, the electronic device (100) may receive a response indicating approval by receiving a signal corresponding to the voice uttered by the second user from the second user terminal (300-2).

[0106] Various embodiments of a method for providing a message to a second user requesting permission to control the operation of a first external device (200-1) are described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0107] In one or more embodiments, the electronic device (100) may receive a response indicating rejection from the second user (S253-N). If a response indicating rejection is received from the second user, the electronic device (100) may identify the rejection by the second user (S254). If the rejection is identified, the electronic device (100) may not transmit a control signal corresponding to the operation of the first external device (200-1) to the first external device (200-1) (S262).

[0108] If the control signal corresponding to the operation of the first external device (200-1) is not transmitted to the first external device (200-1), the electronic device (100) may transmit a message to the first user terminal (300-1) indicating that the second user's approval has not been obtained and that control according to the registered automated operation has not been performed. Accordingly, the first user may adjust the event included in the registration request and the corresponding operation of the first external device (200-1). Furthermore, the electronic device (100) may also transmit a control signal corresponding to the operation of the first external device (200-1) adjusted by the first user to the first external device (200-1).

[0109] According to one or more embodiments described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 2b, the electronic device (100) can effectively resolve the problem of conflicting control among multiple users for the IoT device.

[0110] In particular, when there are users other than the user who registered the automated operation in the home, the electronic device (100) can grant priority control to the actual user in the home by requesting approval for the automated operation from the other user in the home, who can be considered the actual user. Accordingly, control by the user who registered the automated operation that is against the intention of the actual user in the home can be prevented. In addition, indiscriminate control by the actual user in the home that is against the intention of the user who registered the automated operation can be prevented.

[0111] FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are drawings for explaining various embodiments related to messages provided to a second user.

[0112] As described above, if the second user is identified as being present in the space where the first external device (200-1) is located, the electronic device (100) may provide the second user with a message requesting approval for controlling the operation of the first external device (200-1) (hereinafter referred to as a “message requesting approval”). Then, if a response indicating approval is received from the second user, the electronic device (100) may transmit a control signal corresponding to the operation of the first external device (200-1) to the first external device (200-1).

[0113] In one or more embodiments, the electronic device (100) may transmit information regarding a message requesting approval to a second user terminal (300-2). In this case, the message requesting approval may be displayed on the display of the second user terminal (300-2).

[0114] In one or more embodiments, the electronic device (100) may transmit information regarding a message requesting approval to a second external device (200-2) (e.g., a TV). In this case, the message requesting approval may be displayed on the display of the second external device (200-2).

[0115] Referring to the example of FIG. 3, a user interface (310) including a message requesting approval, an item corresponding to approval, and an item corresponding to rejection may be displayed on the display of a second user terminal (300-2) or a second external device (200-2). For example, the message requesting approval may be a message such as "The air conditioner will turn on due to Mr. A's automated action. Do you wish to approve it?"

[0116] When a message requesting approval is displayed on the display of the second user terminal (300-2), the second user may input a user input to select an item corresponding to approval into the second user terminal (300-2), or input a user input to select an item corresponding to rejection into the second user terminal (300-2). Accordingly, the electronic device (100) may receive a response indicating approval or rejection from the second user terminal (300-2).

[0117] In one or more embodiments, the electronic device (100) may transmit information about a message requesting approval to a second external device (200-2), that is, a speaker. In this case, the message requesting approval may be output as a voice through the speaker.

[0118] Referring to the example of Fig. 4, a message requesting approval may be output as a voice message such as “The air conditioner will turn on with Mr. A’s automated action. Do you want to approve it?” through the second external device (200-2).

[0119] When a message requesting approval is outputted through a speaker, the second user can utter a voice indicating approval, such as “yes,” or a voice indicating rejection, such as “no,” and the electronic device (100) can receive a response indicating approval or rejection from the speaker accordingly.

[0120] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling an electronic device (100) according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0121] Specifically, FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a control method with steps S510 and 520 added to the control method described with reference to FIG. 2a. Since the control method including steps S210 to S260 has been described above with reference to FIG. 2a, steps S510 and 520 will be described below.

[0122] In one or more embodiments, the electronic device (100) may receive status information indicating the operating status of the first external device (200-1) from the first external device (200-1) (S510). Specifically, when a preset event occurs (S220-Y), the electronic device (100) may transmit a request to transmit status information to the first external device (200-1), and accordingly, may receive status information indicating the operating status of the first external device (200-1) from the first external device (200-1).

[0123] Here, 'status information' collectively refers to information indicating the status of the first external device (200-1) according to the operation of the first external device (200-1). For example, if the first external device (200-1) is an air conditioner, the status information may include information on whether the air conditioner is turned on, the set temperature of the air conditioner, the operation mode of the air conditioner, etc. As another example, if the first external device (200-1) is a washing machine, the status information may include information on whether the washing machine is turned on, whether the washing machine is performing laundry, the washing mode of the washing machine, the remaining washing time, etc.

[0124] When status information is received, the electronic device (100) can identify whether the first external device (200-1) is performing an operation corresponding to a preset event based on the status information (S520). For example, if the first external device (200-1) is an air conditioner, and the operation corresponding to the preset event is "operating the air conditioner at a set temperature of 25 degrees Celsius," the electronic device (100) can identify whether the air conditioner is operating at the set temperature of 25 degrees Celsius based on the status information.

[0125] If the first external device (200-1) is identified as performing an action corresponding to a preset event (S520-Y), the electronic device (100) may not identify whether a second user exists in the space where the first external device (200-1) is located.

[0126] In other words, if the first external device (200-1) is already performing an action corresponding to a preset event, there is no need to transmit a control signal to the first external device (200-1) to perform the action corresponding to the event, and therefore there is no need to identify whether a second user exists in the space where the first external device (200-1) is located. Accordingly, the electronic device (100) may not identify whether a second user exists in the space where the first external device (200-1) is located, and in this case, the electronic device (100) may transmit information indicating that the first external device (200-1) is already performing an action corresponding to the event to the first user terminal (300-1).

[0127] If it is identified that the first external device (200-1) is not performing an action corresponding to the event (S520-N), the electronic device (100) can identify whether a second user exists in the space where the first external device (200-1) is located (S230).

[0128] In other words, since it is necessary to transmit a control signal to the first external device (200-1) in order to perform the action corresponding to the event, unless the first external device (200-1) is already performing an action corresponding to the event, it is necessary to obtain approval from a second user present in the space where the first external device (200-1) is located. Accordingly, the electronic device (100) can identify whether a second user is present in the space where the first external device (200-1) is located, and transmit a control signal to the first external device (200-1) based on the identification result.

[0129] Meanwhile, in the above, an embodiment has been described in which the electronic device (100) receives status information indicating the operating status of the first external device (200-1) from the first external device (200-1) when a preset event occurs, and identifies whether the first external device (200-1) is performing an operation corresponding to the preset event based on the received status information. However, according to another embodiment, the electronic device (100) may receive status information indicating the operating status of the first external device (200-1) from the first external device when a second user is present in the space where the first external device (200-1) is located, and identify whether the first external device (200-1) is performing an operation corresponding to the preset event based on the received status information.

[0130] According to one or more embodiments described above with reference to FIG. 5, the electronic device (100) can resolve the problem of conflicting control among multiple users for the IoT device in a more efficient manner by considering whether the first external device (200-1) is already performing an operation corresponding to a preset event.

[0131] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling an electronic device (100) according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0132] As described above, the electronic device (100) can transmit a control signal corresponding to the operation of the first external device (200-1) to the first external device (200-1). Specifically, when the second user does not exist in the space where the first external device (200-1) is located, or a response indicating approval is received from the second user existing in the space where the first external device (200-1) is located, the electronic device (100) can transmit a control signal (hereinafter referred to as a “control signal”) for controlling the operation of the first external device (200-1) to the first external device (200-1).

[0133] However, when the control signal is transmitted to the first external device (200-1), the second user does not exist in the space where the first external device (200-1) is located. However, after that, the second user exists in the space where the first external device (200-1) is located, and the operating state of the first external device (200-1) may be changed by the second user.

[0134] Additionally, even though a response indicating approval is received from a second user present in the space where the first external device (200-1) is located and a control signal is transmitted to the first external device (200-1), the operational state of the first external device (200-1) may be changed by the second user.

[0135] Accordingly, the electronic device (100) needs to monitor the operating status of the first external device (200-1) even after transmitting the control signal to the first external device (200-1). Accordingly, FIG. 6 describes one or more embodiments related to the operation after transmitting the control signal to the first external device (200-1).

[0136] As illustrated in FIG. 6, the electronic device (100) can receive status information from the first external device (200-1) after a control signal is transmitted to the first external device (200-1) (S610). As described above, the status information collectively refers to information indicating the status of the first external device (200-1) according to the operation of the first external device (200-1).

[0137] Specifically, after a control signal is transmitted to the first external device (200-1), the electronic device (100) can transmit a request to the first external device (200-1) to transmit status information according to a preset cycle, and accordingly, can receive status information from the first external device (200-1). Meanwhile, the request to transmit status information may include a request not to transmit the status information when a preset termination condition is met or a preset period of time has elapsed.

[0138] The electronic device (100) can identify whether the first external device (200-1) is maintaining an operation corresponding to the control signal based on the status information (S620). In addition, the electronic device (100) can transmit information on whether the first external device (200-1) is maintaining an operation corresponding to the control signal to the first user terminal (300-1).

[0139] Specifically, if the first external device (200-1) is identified as maintaining an operation corresponding to the control signal (S620-Y), the electronic device (100) may not perform any additional operations. However, depending on the embodiment, information indicating that the first external device (200-1) is maintaining an operation corresponding to the control signal may be transmitted to the first user terminal (300-1).

[0140] Meanwhile, if it is identified that the first external device (200-1) is not maintaining an operation corresponding to the control signal (S620-N), the electronic device (100) can transmit information indicating that the operation corresponding to the control signal of the first external device (200-1) has changed to the first user terminal (300-1) (S630).

[0141] For example, if the first external device (200-1) is an air conditioner and the operation corresponding to the control signal is “operation of operating the air conditioner at a set temperature of 25 degrees Celsius,” the electronic device (100) can identify whether the “operation of operating the air conditioner at a set temperature of 25 degrees Celsius” is being maintained based on the status information. If the identification result indicates that the “operation of operating the air conditioner at a set temperature of 28 degrees Celsius” is being performed, the electronic device (100) can transmit a message such as “the set temperature has been changed to 28 degrees Celsius” to the first user terminal (300-1).

[0142] As a result, the first user can perform remote control to change the set temperature of the air conditioner, or change the set temperature of the air conditioner by contacting the second user, and at least be aware that the set temperature has been changed against his / her intention.

[0143] According to one or more embodiments described above with reference to FIG. 6, the electronic device (100) monitors a change in the state of a control target device by an actual user in the home after an automated operation is initiated, and notifies a user who has registered an automated operation of a change in the state, thereby improving the user's reliability of the automated operation.

[0144] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of an electronic device (100) according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Furthermore, FIGS. 8 and 9 are diagrams illustrating various embodiments related to transmitting information indicating that an action corresponding to an event overlaps with previously registered control information to a first user terminal (300-1). The following description will be made with reference to FIG. 7, FIG. 8, and FIG. 9 together.

[0145] In the above, one or more embodiments have been described to prevent an operation according to the intention of a first user from being conflicted by a second user after registering an automated operation for a first external device (200-1). However, the electronic device (100) may also control an operation according to the intention of a first user from being conflicted by a second user before registering an automated operation for the first external device (200-1).

[0146] Referring to FIG. 7, the electronic device (100) can receive a registration request from the first user terminal (300-1) (S710). Then, when the registration request is received from the first user terminal (300-1), the electronic device (100) can identify whether the registration request overlaps with previously registered control information (S720).

[0147] Here, "pre-registered control information" refers to information indicating an automated action registered by the first user or another user before the first user's registration request is received. That a registration request "overlaps" with pre-registered control information means that events and actions included in the registration request may conflict with events and actions included in the pre-registered control information. In particular, that a registration request overlaps with pre-registered control information may mean that the occurrence times of events included in the registration request overlap with the occurrence times of events included in the pre-registered control information, and that actions included in the registration request conflict with actions included in the pre-registered control information.

[0148] For example, a registration request of a first user may include an "event of the first user entering the vicinity of the house" and an "action of setting the desired air conditioner temperature to 25 degrees" as an action of the first external device (200-1) (air conditioner) corresponding to the event. Meanwhile, before the registration request of the first user is received, an "event of 6:30 PM" and an action of the first external device (200-1) (air conditioner) corresponding to the event, an "action of setting the desired air conditioner temperature to 23 degrees" may be registered as an automated action by the second user. Here, the action of setting the desired air conditioner temperature to 25 degrees or 23 degrees may include an action of turning on the air conditioner if the air conditioner is turned off.

[0149] In this case, the electronic device (100) may determine that the "event of the first user entering the vicinity of the house" and the "event of 6:30 PM" may overlap temporally, and the "action of setting the desired air conditioner temperature to 25 degrees" and the "action of setting the desired air conditioner temperature to 23 degrees" may be placed in a different location. Therefore, in this case, the electronic device (100) may identify that the registration request overlaps with previously registered control information.

[0150] If the registration request does not overlap with previously registered control information (S720-N), the electronic device (100) may register an automated operation based on the registration request. In addition, the electronic device (100) may transmit information indicating that the registration request does not overlap with previously registered control information to the first user terminal (300-1).

[0151] If the registration request overlaps with the previously registered control information (S720-Y), the electronic device (100) can transmit information indicating that the registration request overlaps with the previously registered control information to the first user terminal (300-1) (S730).

[0152] When information indicating that a registration request overlaps with previously registered control information is transmitted to the first user terminal (300-1), the first user terminal (300-1) can display a user interface including information indicating that a registration request overlaps with previously registered control information on the display of the first user terminal (300-1).

[0153] Referring to the example of FIG. 8, the user interface (810) "

[0154] The control you are trying to register overlaps with the control you have already registered, "Set the desired temperature of the living room air conditioner to 25 degrees when entering the vicinity of the house" and the control you have already registered, "Set the desired temperature of the living room air conditioner to 23 degrees at 6:30 PM every day." The control may include a message indicating that the registration request overlaps with the previously registered control information and what the overlapping control is specifically, and a message inquiring about the intent to change the automated operation, such as "Do you want to change the automated routine?"

[0155] Additionally, the user interface (810) may include items to enable selecting an option to "Do not run while other members are present", to cancel a registration request, to register according to a registration request before change, and to change a registration request, respectively.

[0156] When the user interface (810) is displayed on the display of the first user terminal (300-1), the first user can select one of the items included in the user interface (810), thereby selecting the option “Do not execute while other members are present,” changing the registration request so as not to overlap with previously registered control information, canceling the registration request, or forcing registration according to the registration request before the change.

[0157] However, if the first user selects the option "Do not run while other members are present", changes the registration request so that it does not overlap with the already registered control information, or cancels the registration request, there is no problem. However, if the registration is forced according to the registration request before the change, it may be desirable to send a guidance message to the second user.

[0158] Therefore, when an automated action is registered according to pre-registered control information and a duplicate registration request, the electronic device (100) can transmit information indicating that an automated action is registered according to pre-registered control information and a duplicate registration request to the second user terminal (300-2). When information indicating that an automated action is registered according to pre-registered control information and a duplicate registration request is transmitted to the second user terminal (300-2), the second user terminal (300-2) can display a user interface including information indicating that an automated action is registered according to pre-registered control information and a duplicate registration request on the display of the second user terminal (300-2).

[0159] Referring to the example of FIG. 9, the user interface (910) may include a message indicating that an automated action has been registered based on a registration request that overlaps with the previously registered control information, such as “The control ‘Set the desired temperature of the living room air conditioner to 23 degrees at 6:30 PM every day’ that you registered overlaps with the control ‘Set the desired temperature of the living room air conditioner to 25 degrees when entering the vicinity of the house’ that you newly registered.” and a message indicating what the overlapping control is specifically, and a message inquiring about the intention to change the automated action, such as “Do you want to change the automated routine?”

[0160] Additionally, the user interface (910) may include a close item to enable selection of a rejection of a registration request change and a change item to enable selection of a change of a registration request.

[0161] When the user interface (910) is displayed on the display of the second user terminal (300-2), the second user can reject a change in the registration request or change the registration request by selecting one of the items included in the user interface (910).

[0162] According to one or more embodiments described above with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9, the electronic device (100) may enable mutual coordination of automated operations between users by transmitting information indicating that the registration request overlaps with the pre-registered control information to the user terminal when the registration request overlaps with the pre-registered control information.

[0163] Meanwhile, the above has described an embodiment in which information indicating that a registration request overlaps with pre-registered control information is transmitted to a user terminal to enable mutual coordination of automated actions between users. However, if a registration request overlaps with pre-registered control information, the electronic device (100) may preferentially apply automated actions of a user with a higher preset priority.

[0164] For example, a higher priority may be set for a first user who has registered an automated action than for a second user who is an actual user present in the home. In this case, the electronic device (100) may preferentially apply the automated action registered by the first user with a higher priority over the automated action registered by the second user. In this case, the electronic device (100) may transmit a guidance message indicating that the automated action of the first user is preferentially applied to the second user terminal (300-2) of the second user. Accordingly, the electronic device (100) may prevent indiscriminate control by an actual user present in the home with a lower priority that runs counter to the intention of a user with a higher priority.

[0165] FIG. 10 is a block diagram briefly illustrating the configuration of an electronic device (100) according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0166] As illustrated in FIG. 10, an electronic device (100) according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure includes a communication unit (110), a memory (120), and a processor (130). However, the configurations illustrated in FIG. 10 are merely exemplary, and it is to be understood that new configurations may be added or some configurations may be omitted in addition to the configuration illustrated in FIG. 10 when implementing the present disclosure.

[0167] The communication unit (110) includes a circuit and can perform communication with an external device. Specifically, the processor (130) can receive various data or information from an external device connected via the communication unit (110) and can also transmit various data or information to the external device.

[0168] The communication unit (110) may include at least one of a WiFi module, a Bluetooth module, a wireless communication module, an NFC module, and an Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) module. Specifically, the WiFi module and the Bluetooth module may each perform communication in the WiFi or Bluetooth manner. When using a WiFi module or a Bluetooth module, various connection information, such as an SSID, may be first transmitted and received, and then communication may be established using this, after which various pieces of information may be transmitted and received.

[0169] In addition, the wireless communication module can perform communication according to various communication standards such as IEEE, Zigbee, 3G (3rd Generation), 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project), LTE (Long Term Evolution), 5G (5th Generation), etc. And, the NFC module can perform communication in the NFC (Near Field Communication) method using the 13.56MHz band among various RF-ID frequency bands such as 135kHz, 13.56MHz, 433MHz, 860~960MHz, 2.45GHz, etc. In addition, the UWB module can accurately measure ToA (Time of Arrival), which is the time it takes for a pulse to reach a target, and AoA (Ange of Arrival), which is the pulse arrival angle at the transmitting device, through communication between UWB antennas, and accordingly, precise distance and location recognition is possible within an error range of several tens of centimeters indoors.

[0170] In one or more embodiments, the processor (130) may receive a registration request from a first user from a first user terminal (300-1) via the communication unit (110). The processor (130) may control the communication unit (110) to transmit a message for requesting approval to a second user terminal (300-2). The processor (130) may control the communication unit (110) to transmit a control signal for controlling the first external device (200-1) to the first external device (200-1). The processor (130) may receive status information indicating an operating status of the first external device (200-1) from the first external device (200-1) via the communication unit (110). Additionally, the processor (130) can receive location information indicating the location of the second user terminal (300-2) from the second user terminal (300-2) or multiple external devices (200-1, 200-2) through the communication unit (110).

[0171] At least one instruction regarding the electronic device (100) may be stored in the memory (120). In addition, an O / S (Operating System) for driving the electronic device (100) may be stored in the memory (120). In addition, various software programs or applications for operating the electronic device (100) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may be stored in the memory (120). In addition, the memory (120) may include a semiconductor memory (120) such as a flash memory (120) or a magnetic storage medium such as a hard disk.

[0172] Specifically, the memory (120) may store various software modules for operating the electronic device (100) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, and the processor (130) may control the operation of the electronic device (100) by executing the various software modules stored in the memory (120). That is, the memory (120) is accessed by the processor (130), and data reading / recording / modifying / deleting / updating, etc. may be performed by the processor (130).

[0173] Meanwhile, in the present disclosure, the term memory (120) includes memory (120), ROM, RAM in the processor (130), or memory (120) card (e.g., micro SD card, memory (120) stick) mounted on the electronic device (100).

[0174] In one or more embodiments, the memory (120) may store various information, such as registration information for automated operations, a user's registration request, information indicating the occurrence of a preset event, status information for the first external device (200-1), location information for the first user, etc. In addition, various information necessary within the scope of achieving the purpose of the present disclosure may be stored in the memory (120), and the information stored in the memory (120) may be updated as received from an external device or input by a user.

[0175] The processor (130) controls the overall operation of the electronic device (100). Specifically, the processor (130) is connected to the configuration of the electronic device (100) including the communication unit (110) and the memory (120), and can control the overall operation of the electronic device (100) by executing at least one instruction stored in the memory (120) as described above.

[0176] The processor (130) may be implemented in various ways. For example, the processor (130) may be implemented as at least one of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) (AP(400)), an embedded processor (130), a microprocessor (130), hardware control logic, a hardware finite state machine (FSM), and a digital signal processor (130) (Digital Signal Processor, DSP). Meanwhile, the term processor (130) in the present disclosure may be used to mean a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU) (AP(400)), and a microprocessor unit (MPU).

[0177] In one or more embodiments, the processor (130) may control the communication unit (110) to register a preset event and an operation of the first external device (200-1) corresponding to the event based on a registration request of a first user, identify whether a second user exists in the space where the first external device (200-1) is located when the preset event occurs, and provide a message to the second user requesting approval for controlling the operation of the first external device (200-1) when the second user is identified as existing in the space where the first external device (200-1) is located, and transmit a control signal corresponding to the operation to the first external device (200-1) when a response indicating approval for the request is received from the second user.

[0178] Various embodiments based on the control of other processors (130) have been described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9, so a duplicate description of the same content will be omitted.

[0179] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a system according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0180] As illustrated in FIG. 11, another system according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure may include a home appliance (10), a user device (2), and a server (3). Here, the home appliance (10) corresponds to the plurality of external devices (200-1, 200-2) described above, the user device (2) corresponds to the plurality of user terminals (300-1, 300-2) described above, and the server (3) corresponds to the electronic device (100).

[0181] Hereinafter, in order to describe in more detail the electronic device (100), the plurality of external devices (200-1, 200-2), and the plurality of user terminals (300-1, 300-2), the devices included in the system according to the present disclosure are specifically described as a home appliance (10), a user device (2), and a server (3).

[0182] The home appliance (10) may include a communication module capable of communicating with another home appliance, a user device (2), or a server (3), a user interface for receiving user input or outputting information to a user, at least one processor for controlling the operation of the home appliance (10), and at least one memory in which a program for controlling the operation of the home appliance (10) is stored.

[0183] The home appliance (10) may be at least one of various types of home appliances. For example, the home appliance (10) may include, but is not limited to, at least one of a refrigerator (11), a dishwasher (12), an electric range (13), an electric oven (14), an air conditioner (15), a clothes manager (16), a washing machine (17), a dryer (18), and a microwave oven (19) as illustrated, and may include, for example, various types of home appliances such as a cleaning robot, a vacuum cleaner, and a television, which are not illustrated in the drawing. In addition, the home appliances mentioned above are merely examples, and in addition to the home appliances mentioned above, a device that is connected to another home appliance, a user device (2), or a server (3) and can perform the operations described below may be included in the home appliance (10) according to one embodiment.

[0184] In addition to the example illustrated in FIG. 11, another system according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure may include a smart device (not shown) that operates using a smart hub (not shown) as a relay device. Here, the 'smart hub (not shown)' is a device for connecting and controlling smart devices (not shown), and can monitor and control the operating status of the smart devices (not shown) using various communication methods such as Wi-Fi, Zigbee, and Z-Wave. For example, the smart devices (not shown) may include, but are not limited to, smart lights, smart outlets, security cameras, smart speakers, and thermostats.

[0185] The server (3) may include a communication module capable of communicating with another server, a home appliance (10), or a user device (2), at least one processor capable of processing data received from another server, a home appliance (10), or a user device (2), and at least one memory capable of storing a program for processing data or processed data. The server (3) may be implemented as various computing devices such as a workstation, a cloud, a data drive, or a data station. The server (3) may be implemented as one or more servers that are physically or logically separated based on function, detailed configuration of function, or data, and may transmit and receive data through communication between each server and process the transmitted and received data.

[0186] The server (3) can perform functions such as managing user accounts, registering home appliances (10) by linking them to user accounts, and managing or controlling registered home appliances (10). For example, a user can access the server (3) through a user device (2) and create a user account. The user account can be identified by an ID and password set by the user. The server (3) can register home appliances (10) to the user account according to a set procedure. For example, the server (3) can link identification information (e.g., serial number or MAC address) of the home appliance (10) to the user account, thereby registering, managing, and controlling the home appliance (10).

[0187] The user device (2) may include a communication module capable of communicating with a home appliance (10) or a server (3), a user interface for receiving user input or outputting information to a user, at least one processor for controlling the operation of the user device (2), and at least one memory in which a program for controlling the operation of the user device (2) is stored.

[0188] The user device (2) may be carried by the user or placed in the user's home or office, etc. The user device (2) may include, but is not limited to, a personal computer, a terminal, a portable telephone, a smart phone, a handheld device, a wearable device, etc.

[0189] A program for controlling a home appliance (10), i.e., an application, may be stored in the memory of the user device (2). The application may be sold installed in the user device (2) or downloaded and installed from an external server.

[0190] A user can access a server (3) by executing an application installed on a user device (2), create a user account, and communicate with the server (3) based on the logged-in user account to register a home appliance (10).

[0191] For example, when the home appliance (10) is operated so that the home appliance (10) can be connected to the server (3) according to the procedure guided by the application installed on the user device (2), the home appliance (10) can be registered in the user account by registering the identification information (e.g., serial number or MAC address) of the home appliance (10) in the corresponding user account on the server (3).

[0192] A user can control a home appliance (10) using an application installed on the user device (2). For example, when a user logs into a user account using an application installed on the user device (2), a home appliance (10) registered to the user account appears, and when a control command for the home appliance (10) is input, the control command can be transmitted to the home appliance (10) via the server (3).

[0193] A network can include both wired and wireless networks. Wired networks include cable networks or telephone networks, while wireless networks can include any network that transmits and receives signals via radio waves. Wired and wireless networks can be interconnected.

[0194] A network may include a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, a local area network (LAN) formed around an access point (AP), and a short-range wireless network that does not use an access point (AP). Short-range wireless networks may include, but are not limited to, Bluetooth (IEEE 802.15.1), Zigbee (IEEE 802.15.4), Wi-Fi Direct, Near Field Communication (NFC), Z-Wave, etc.

[0195] An access point (AP) can connect a home appliance (10) or a user device (2) to a wide area network (WAN) to which a server (3) is connected. The home appliance (10) or the user device (2) can be connected to the server (3) via the wide area network (WAN).

[0196] The access point (AP) can communicate with a home appliance (10) or user device (2) using wireless communication such as Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11), Bluetooth (IEEE 802.15.1), or Zigbee (IEEE 802.15.4), and can connect to a wide area network (WAN) using wired communication, but is not limited thereto.

[0197] According to various embodiments, the home appliance (10) may be directly connected to the user device (2) or server (3) without going through an access point (AP).

[0198] The home appliance (10) can be connected to a user device (2) or a server (3) via a long-distance wireless network or a short-distance wireless network.

[0199] For example, the home appliance (10) can be connected to the user device (2) via a short-range wireless network (e.g., Wi-Fi Direct).

[0200] As another example, the home appliance (10) may be connected to a user device (2) or a server (3) via a wide area network (WAN) using a long-distance wireless network (e.g., a cellular communication module).

[0201] As another example, a home appliance (10) can connect to a wide area network (WAN) using wired communication and be connected to a user device (2) or a server (3) through the wide area network (WAN).

[0202] If the home appliance (10) can connect to a wide area network (WAN) using wired communication, it can also function as an access relay. Accordingly, the home appliance (10) can connect other home appliances to the wide area network (WAN) to which the server (3) is connected. In addition, other home appliances can connect the home appliance (10) to the wide area network (WAN) to which the server (3) is connected.

[0203] A home appliance (10) can transmit information about its operation or status to another home appliance, a user device (2), or a server (3) via a network. For example, the home appliance (10) can transmit information about its operation or status to another home appliance, a user device (2), or a server (3) when a request is received from a server (3), when a specific event occurs in the home appliance (10), or periodically or in real time. When information about its operation or status is received from the home appliance (10), the server (3) can update the information about the operation or status of the home appliance (10) that has been stored therein, and transmit the updated information about the operation and status of the home appliance (10) to the user device (2) via a network. Here, updating information can include various operations that change existing information, such as an operation of adding new information to existing information, an operation of replacing existing information with new information, etc.

[0204] The home appliance (10) can obtain various information from other home appliances, user devices (2), or servers (3), and provide the obtained information to the user. For example, the home appliance (10) can obtain information related to the functions of the home appliance (10) (e.g., cooking methods, washing instructions, etc.) and various environmental information (e.g., weather, temperature, humidity, etc.) from the server (3), and output the obtained information through a user interface.

[0205] The home appliance (10) can operate according to a control command received from another home appliance, a user device (2), or a server (3). For example, if the home appliance (10) has obtained prior approval from the user to operate according to a control command from the server (3) even without user input, the home appliance (10) can operate according to a control command received from the server (3). Here, the control command received from the server (3) may include, but is not limited to, a control command input by the user through the user device (2) or a control command based on preset conditions.

[0206] The user device (2) can transmit information about the user to the home appliance (10) or the server (3) via the communication module. For example, the user device (2) can transmit information about the user's location, the user's health status, the user's preferences, the user's schedule, etc. to the server (3). The user device (2) can transmit information about the user to the server (3) with the user's prior consent.

[0207] The home appliance (10), user device (2), or server (3) may determine a control command using technology such as artificial intelligence. For example, the server (3) may receive information regarding the operation or status of the home appliance (10) or information regarding the user of the user device (2), process the information using technology such as artificial intelligence, and transmit the processing result or control command to the home appliance (10) or user device (2) based on the processing result.

[0208] Meanwhile, the control method of the electronic device according to the above-described embodiment may be implemented as a program and provided to the electronic device. In particular, the program including the control method of the electronic device may be stored and provided on a non-transitory computer-readable medium.

[0209] Specifically, in a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium including a program for executing a method for controlling an electronic device, the method for controlling an electronic device may include: a step of registering a preset event and an operation of a first external device corresponding to the event based on a registration request of a first user; a step of identifying whether a second user exists in a space where the first external device is located when the event occurs; a step of providing a message to the second user for requesting approval for controlling an operation when the second user is identified as existing in the space; and a step of transmitting a control signal corresponding to the operation to the first external device when a response indicating approval for the request is received from the second user.

[0210] A device-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, the term "non-transitory storage medium" simply means a tangible device that does not contain signals (e.g., electromagnetic waves). This term does not distinguish between cases where data is permanently stored in the storage medium and cases where data is temporarily stored. For example, a "non-transitory storage medium" may include a buffer in which data is temporarily stored.

[0211] According to one or more embodiments, the methods according to the various embodiments disclosed in the present document may be provided as included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded as a commodity between a seller and a buyer. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM)), or may be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) via an application store (e.g., Play Store™) or directly between two user devices (e.g., smartphones). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product (e.g., a downloadable app) may be temporarily stored or temporarily generated in a machine-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or an intermediary server.

[0212] Each of the components (e.g., modules or programs) according to the various embodiments of the present disclosure as described above may be composed of a single or multiple entities, and some of the sub-components described above may be omitted, or other sub-components may be further included in the various embodiments. Alternatively or additionally, some components (e.g., modules or programs) may be integrated into a single entity, which may perform the same or similar functions as those performed by each of the respective components prior to integration.

[0213] According to various embodiments, operations performed by a module, program or other component may be executed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively or heuristically, or at least some operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or other operations may be added.

[0214] Meanwhile, the terms "part" or "module" used in the present disclosure include units composed of hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with terms such as logic, logic block, component, or circuit. A "part" or "module" may be an integrally composed component, a minimum unit performing one or more functions, or a portion thereof. For example, a module may be composed of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0215] Various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented as software including instructions stored in a machine-readable storage medium that can be read by a machine (e.g., a computer). The device may include an electronic device (e.g., an electronic device (100)) according to the disclosed embodiments, which is a device capable of calling instructions stored in the storage medium and operating according to the called instructions.

[0216] When the above instruction is executed by the processor, the processor may perform the function corresponding to the instruction directly or by using other components under the control of the processor. The instruction may include code generated or executed by a compiler or interpreter.

[0217] Although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and various modifications may be made by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains without departing from the gist of the present disclosure as claimed in the claims, and such modifications should not be understood individually from the technical idea or prospect of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. In electronic devices, Department of Communications; a memory that stores at least one instruction; and a processor for executing at least one instruction; The above processor, Based on the registration request of the first user, register a preset event and an operation of the first external device corresponding to the preset event, When the above preset event occurs, it identifies whether a second user exists in the space where the first external device is located, If the second user is identified as existing in the space, a request for approval for the registered action is provided to the second user, Identify whether the second user has approved the registered action; An electronic device that determines whether to transmit a control signal corresponding to the operation to the first external device based on whether the second user approves the registered operation.

2. In paragraph 1, The above processor, If a response indicating approval for the registered action is received from the second user or no response for the registered action is received from the second user for a preset threshold time, the approval for the registered action of the second user is identified, When the above approval for the above registered action is identified, it is determined to transmit the control signal corresponding to the above registered action to the first external device, An electronic device that controls the communication unit to transmit the control signal corresponding to the registered operation to the first external device.

3. In paragraph 1, The above processor, An electronic device that controls the communication unit to transmit the control signal corresponding to the registered action to the first external device when the second user is identified as not being present in the space.

4. In paragraph 1, The above processor, Receive status information indicating the operating status of the first external device from the first external device through the communication unit, Based on the received status information, identify whether the first external device is performing the registered operation, If it is identified that the first external device is not performing the registered operation, it is identified whether the second user exists in the space where the first external device is located, An electronic device that does not identify whether the second user is present in the space where the first external device is located when the first external device is identified as performing the registered operation.

5. In paragraph 1, The above processor, Receive the registration request from the first user terminal of the first user through the communication unit, An electronic device that controls the communication unit to transmit information about the request for approval for the registered action to at least one of the second user terminal of the second user and a second external device located in the space when the second user is identified as being present in the space.

6. In paragraph 5, The above processor, Receive location information indicating the location of the second user terminal from the second user terminal through the communication unit, An electronic device that identifies whether the second user exists in the space based on the received location information.

7. In paragraph 6, The received location information includes information indicating whether the second user terminal is connected to at least one of an AP (access point) placed in the space, the first external device, and the second external device, The above processor, An electronic device that identifies that the second user is present in the space when the second user terminal is identified as being connected to at least one of the AP, the first external device, and the second external device.

8. In paragraph 6, An electronic device wherein the received location information includes at least one of GPS (Global Positioning System) information of the second user terminal, information about the distance between the second user terminal and the first external device, and information about the distance between the second user terminal and the second external device.

9. In paragraph 6, The above processor, Receive the location information from the second external device through the communication unit, An electronic device in which the received location information is obtained based on at least one of image data obtained through a camera of the second external device and sensing data obtained through a sensor of the second external device.

10. In paragraph 4, The above processor, After the control signal corresponding to the registered operation is transmitted to the first external device, the status information indicating the operation status of the first external device is received from the first external device through the communication unit, Based on the received status information, identify whether the first external device is maintaining the registered operation, An electronic device that controls the communication unit to transmit information on whether the first external device is maintaining the registered operation to the first user terminal.

11. In paragraph 5, The above processor, When the registration request is received from the first user terminal through the communication unit, it is identified whether the received registration request overlaps with the previously registered control information, An electronic device that controls the communication unit to transmit information indicating that the received registration request overlaps with the pre-registered control information to the first user terminal when the received registration request overlaps with the pre-registered control information.

12. In a method for controlling an electronic device, A step of registering a preset event and an operation of a first external device corresponding to the preset event based on a registration request of a first user; When the above-described preset event occurs, a step of identifying whether a second user exists in the space where the first external device is located; If the second user is identified as being present in the space, a step of providing a request for approval for the registered action to the second user; A step of identifying whether the second user approves the registered action; and A method for controlling an electronic device, comprising: a step of determining whether to transmit a control signal corresponding to the operation to the first external device based on identifying whether the second user approves the registered operation; 13. In paragraph 12, The step of identifying the above results is: A step of identifying the approval of the second user for the registered action when a response indicating approval for the registered action is received from the second user or no response for the registered action is received from the second user for a preset threshold time; The above decision step is, a step of determining, when the approval for the registered operation is identified, to transmit the control signal corresponding to the registered operation to the first external device; The method of controlling the above electronic device is as follows: A method for controlling an electronic device, further comprising: a step of transmitting the control signal corresponding to the registered operation to the first external device; 14. In paragraph 12, The method of controlling the above electronic device is as follows: A control method of an electronic device further comprising: a step of transmitting the control signal corresponding to the registered operation to the first external device when the second user is identified as not being present in the space; 15. In paragraph 12, The method of controlling the above electronic device is as follows: A step of receiving status information indicating the operating status of the first external device from the first external device; A step of identifying whether the first external device is performing the registered operation based on the received status information; If it is identified that the first external device is not performing the registered operation, a step of identifying whether the second user exists in the space where the first external device is located; and A method for controlling an electronic device, further comprising: a step of not identifying whether the second user exists in the space where the first external device is located, when the first external device is identified as performing the registered operation;

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