Electronic device and method

Abstract

According to the present disclosure, an electronic device is disclosed. An electronic device according to the present disclosure may comprise a memory, a communication circuit, and at least one processor. The at least one processor may obtain environment parameter data related to operations of external devices, cluster the external devices into at least one cluster on the basis of the environment parameter data, and assign at least one label related to the corresponding cluster to external devices included in each cluster.

Description

Electronic device and method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electronic device and a method related to control.

[0002] With the recent rapid advancement of Internet of Things (IoT) technology, various home appliances are being connected to networks and equipped with diverse smart features to enhance user convenience. IoT home appliances can operate by connecting to other devices via wireless networks to remotely execute user commands or by automatically controlling operations by collecting and processing various environmental data.

[0003] These IoT home appliances are being utilized across various fields in environments such as smart homes, including indoor air quality management, lighting and heating / cooling control, and security surveillance. In particular, technologies that allow for the control of appliances and the grouping of multiple devices to enhance user convenience enable users to improve the ease of their daily lives and achieve energy savings. Such technological advancements in IoT home appliances are creating an environment where various types of devices can interconnect to provide integrated services to users.

[0004] The information described above may be provided as related art for the purpose of aiding understanding of the present disclosure. No claim or determination is made as to whether any of the foregoing may be applied as prior art related to the present disclosure.

[0005] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronic device may be provided. The electronic device may include a display, a communication circuit, a memory including at least one storage medium storing at least one instruction, and / or at least one processor capable of executing said at least one instruction. The at least one processor may include a processing circuit and control a method of operation of the electronic device by executing at least one instruction.

[0006] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may be configured to obtain environmental parameter data related to the operation of external devices, cluster the external devices into at least one cluster based on the environmental parameter data, and assign at least one label related to the cluster to which each of the external devices belongs to each of the external devices.

[0007] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may be configured to identify, based on environment parameter data, at least one of a list of at least one other device to replace the first external device among devices labeled the same as the first external device, or a priority among devices to replace the first external device.

[0008] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may be configured to transmit an operation command to a first external device and to identify whether the first external device is operating normally based on at least one of the state information of the first external device or the change in parameter values ​​of environmental parameter data related to the operation of the first external device.

[0009] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may be configured to transmit an operation command to at least one second external device based on identifying that the first external device is not operating normally, identify whether the at least one second external device is operating normally based on at least one of changes in the parameter values ​​of the state information or environment parameter data of the at least one second external device, and control the second external device based on identifying that the at least one second external device is operating normally. The at least one second external device may be an external device assigned the same label as the first external device.

[0010] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may be configured to stop controlling at least one second external device and control the first external device based on identifying that the first external device, which was not operating normally, is operating normally.

[0011] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may be configured to control at least one external device corresponding to a specific label according to priority based on receiving a command associated with a specific label. The priority may be determined based on at least one of the location of the external device, the user's behavioral pattern, the user's preference settings, or the efficiency of the at least one external device.

[0012] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may be configured to control at least one part of at least one external device assigned at least one first label corresponding to a specific scenario, based on identifying the occurrence of a specific scenario.

[0013] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may be configured to define the specific situation based on the identification of a specific user, the user's input and / or the user's behavioral pattern.

[0014] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may be configured to define the specific situation, including at least one of an operation priority between at least one first label or at least one external device to which the same label as the at least one first label is assigned.

[0015] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may be configured to identify the location of an electronic device, communicate with external devices through a communication circuit, cluster or classify the external devices into at least one group related to a function, assign at least one label related to the group to which each of the external devices belongs to each of the external devices, and control at least one external device corresponding to the specific label based on identifying a command associated with the specific label.

[0016] According to one embodiment, a method for operating an electronic device may be provided. The method for operating an electronic device may include at least one step. The at least one step may include: acquiring environmental parameter data related to the operation of external devices; clustering external devices into at least one cluster based on the environmental parameter data; and assigning at least one label related to the cluster to which each of the external devices belongs to each of the external devices.

[0017] According to one embodiment, a method of operating an electronic device may include the step of identifying at least one of a list of at least one other device to replace the first external device among devices labeled identically to the first external device based on environmental parameter data, or a priority among devices to replace the first external device.

[0018] According to one embodiment, a method for operating an electronic device may include: transmitting an operation command to a first external device; and identifying whether the first external device is operating normally based on at least one of the state information of the first external device or the change in parameter values ​​of the environment parameter data of the first external device.

[0019] According to one embodiment, a method for operating an electronic device may include: transmitting an operation command to at least one second external device based on identifying that a first external device is not operating normally; identifying whether the at least one second external device is operating normally based on at least one of changes in parameter values ​​of state information or environmental parameter data of the at least one second external device; and controlling the at least one second external device based on identifying that the at least one second external device is operating normally. The at least one second external device may be an external device assigned the same label as the first external device.

[0020] According to one embodiment, a method of operating an electronic device may include the step of stopping control of at least one second external device and controlling the first external device based on identifying that the first external device is operating normally again.

[0021] According to one embodiment, a method of operating an electronic device may include the step of controlling at least one part of an external device to which a label corresponding to a specific situation is assigned, based on identifying the occurrence of a specific situation defined to correspond to at least one of at least one label.

[0022] According to one embodiment, a method of operating an electronic device may include: determining an operating priority between at least one external device assigned the same label based on at least one of the location of the external device, a user’s behavioral pattern, a user’s preference setting, or device efficiency; and controlling an external device corresponding to a specific label according to the operating priority based on receiving a command associated with a specific label.

[0023] According to one embodiment, a method of operating an electronic device may include: identifying the location of the electronic device; communicating with external devices; clustering or classifying the external devices into at least one group related to a function; assigning at least one label related to the group to which the external device belongs to each external device; and controlling at least one external device corresponding to a specific label based on identifying a command associated with a specific label.

[0024] In relation to the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used for identical or similar components.

[0025] FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG. 2a is a diagram illustrating the operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure acquiring environmental parameter data.

[0027] FIG. 2b is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure acquiring environmental parameter data.

[0028] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure clustering external devices.

[0029] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure labeling external devices.

[0030] FIGS. 5a and 5b are flowcharts illustrating the operation of an electronic device controlling an external device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] FIGS. 6a and 6b are drawings illustrating the operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure exchanging information with the outside.

[0032] FIG. 7 is a drawing for explaining the operation of an electronic device defining a situation according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure controlling external devices.

[0034] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure exchanging information with the outside.

[0035] FIG. 10 is a drawing for explaining a situation in which the location of an electronic device changes according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail with reference to the drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement them. However, the present disclosure may be embodied in various different forms and should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutions of the embodiments described herein, rather than being limited to the embodiments described herein. The present disclosure is capable of various modifications by those skilled in the art without departing from the gist of the claims, and such modifications should not be understood individually from the technical spirit or perspective of the present disclosure.

[0037] In the following drawings and related descriptions, functions, configurations, technical terms, and technical details well known in the art to which this disclosure pertains may be omitted. This is intended to convey the essentials of this disclosure more clearly and concisely by minimizing unnecessary detailed descriptions.

[0038] In the drawings, each block of the flowcharts and combinations of the flowcharts may be performed by at least one instruction. The instruction may be loaded into a processor of a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to generate means for performing the functions described in the drawings. The instruction may also provide steps for performing the functions described in the drawings by being executed on a computer or other programmable data processing equipment.

[0039] Meanwhile, various elements and regions in the drawings are depicted schematically, and the technical concept of the present disclosure is not limited by the relative sizes, spacing, or arrangements depicted in the attached drawings. The electronic device of the present disclosure is not limited to the configuration and / or operation shown in the drawings and may include all other configurations capable of performing the same or similar functions.

[0040] The individual components depicted in the drawings are not necessarily physically separated but are separated to aid in the explanation and understanding of the present disclosure. The present disclosure may include configurations in which the individual components shown in the drawings are merged, modified, or have some components deleted and / or added. Likewise, the operations depicted in the drawings are illustrative for the purpose of explanation and understanding, and the present disclosure may be modified by merging, changing the order of, or deleting and / or adding parts of the operations depicted in the drawings. For example, two or more operations depicted consecutively in the drawings may be performed substantially simultaneously or, if necessary, in reverse order.

[0041] FIG. 1 illustrates a block configuration of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] The electronic device (100) of FIG. 1 may be a smartphone, gateway, hub, smart home hub, server, tablet PC, PC, TV, smart TV, mobile phone, PDA (personal digital assistant), laptop, media player, micro server, digital broadcasting terminal, navigation, kiosk, home appliance, and other mobile or non-mobile computing devices, but is not limited thereto. Additionally, the electronic device (100) may perform various computing functions such as communication, remote control of peripheral devices (e.g., smart home devices), and processing and storage of cloud data. The embodiments of the present disclosure regarding the electronic device (100) described below may be equally applicable to other electronic devices.

[0043] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (100) may include at least one processor (110), memory (120), and communication unit (130).

[0044] According to one embodiment, the memory (120) is a storage medium used by the electronic device (100) and can store data such as at least one instruction (121) corresponding to at least one program or setting information. The program may include an operating system (OS) program and various application programs. When the at least one instruction (121) stored in the memory (120) is executed by at least one processor (110), the electronic device (100) may be able to perform at least one operation.

[0045] According to one embodiment, the memory (120) may include at least one type of storage medium among a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (e.g., SD or XD memory, etc.), RAM (random access memory, RAM), SRAM (static random access memory), ROM (read only memory, ROM), EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable ROM), PROM (programmable ROM), magnetic memory, a magnetic disk, and an optical disk.

[0046] According to one embodiment, the communication unit (130) includes a communication circuit and can perform the function of receiving data from the outside or transmitting data to the outside by the electronic device (100). The communication unit (130) can be connected to a network or exchange data with another device through wired and / or wireless communication methods. For example, the communication unit (130) can support various communication protocols such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC (near field communication), 4G / 5G mobile communication networks, Ethernet, or USB. Additionally, the communication unit (130) can manage the connection status with an external device and allow the external device to remotely control the operation of the electronic device (100).

[0047] According to one embodiment, the communication unit (130) can receive a signal transmitted from an external device. The signal transmitted from the external device may be received by the communication unit by being transmitted directly from the external device or by being relayed through a hub and / or gateway. The received signal may be processed by the communication unit (130) and used to check the presence and / or status of the external device, to transmit a specific command, or to identify the occurrence of a specific event.

[0048] According to one embodiment, the communication unit (130) may provide various functions that support interaction with external devices. For example, the communication unit (130) may support low-power wireless communication protocols such as BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), Zigbee, LoRa (Long Range), or NB-IoT (Narrowband IoT) to exchange data with external devices or transmit and receive control commands. The external devices may be, for example, Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

[0049] According to one embodiment, the communication unit (130) may act as a hub or gateway, or communicate with an external hub or gateway to enable external devices to be connected to a server or a central management system. Through this, the electronic device (100) can collect and analyze real-time data from multiple connected external devices and perform at least one operation based on the data. For example, the communication unit (130) can obtain information regarding changes in the state of peripheral devices (e.g., on / off, mode change) and / or data regarding environmental parameters.

[0050] According to one embodiment, the communication unit (130) can also communicate directly with an external server, for example, an Internet of Things server. Through this, the electronic device (100) can transmit data to the external server or receive necessary information from the server, and through interaction with the server, it can support functions such as the latest software updates, device status monitoring, and remote control. The server may include a physical server and / or a non-physical server (virtual server).

[0051] In the following, the 'external device' is assumed to be a device (e.g., Internet of Things device, smart home appliance, etc.) capable of exchanging information (e.g., signals, control commands, status information, etc.) with the electronic device (100), and may sometimes be referred to simply as 'device' where the meaning is clear in the context, and may be referred to as 'external home appliance' or 'home appliance' if the external device is a home appliance.

[0052] According to one embodiment, at least one processor (110) can perform control, computation, and / or data processing of at least a part of an electronic device (100) by executing at least one instruction (121) stored in memory (120).

[0053] According to one embodiment, at least one processor (110) includes a processing circuit and may include at least one processing circuit and / or multiple processors. One or more of the at least one processor (110) may be configured to perform various functions described in the present disclosure individually and / or collectively. Where in the present disclosure, "processor," "at least one processor," or "one or more processors" is described as being configured to perform various functions, these terms may cover, for example, a situation in which one processor performs some of the cited functions and other processor(s) perform other parts of the cited functions, and may also cover, but are not limited to, a situation in which a single processor can perform all of the cited functions. Additionally, at least one processor (110) may include, for example, a combination of processors performing the cited / disclosed various functions in a distributed manner. At least one processor (110) may execute program instructions to achieve or perform various functions.

[0054] According to one embodiment, at least one processor (110) may include at least one of a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a neural network processing unit (NPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a microcontroller unit (MCU), a sensor hub, a supplementary processor, a communication processor, an application processor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and may have a plurality of cores.

[0055] According to one embodiment, at least one processor (110) can identify the presence of an external device connected through a communication unit (130) and receive information related to the external device.

[0056] According to one embodiment, at least one processor (110) can obtain ambient environment parameter data. The environmental parameter data may include various data regarding the ambient environment, such as information on physical conditions like temperature, humidity, and illuminance. The environmental parameter data may be referred to as ambient condition data, environmental variables, environmental information, or other similar terms.

[0057] According to one embodiment, at least one processor (110) can obtain environmental parameter data from an external sensor (e.g., light sensor, temperature sensor) through a communication unit (130).

[0058] According to one embodiment, when the electronic device (100) includes a sensing unit (e.g., an internal sensor), at least one processor (110) can directly sense the surrounding environment through the sensing unit to obtain environment parameter data.

[0059] According to one embodiment, at least one processor (110) can perform clustering to divide a given set of multiple data into multiple subgroups. In this process, at least one processor (110) can analyze the similarity of each data and, accordingly, calculate the centroid or representative value of the data set grouped into groups. Through this, the processor (110) can identify specific patterns or trends and form groups of data with similar characteristics, i.e., clusters. Clustering may also be referred to as cluster analysis.

[0060] According to one embodiment, clustering can be performed by measuring the distance or similarity between data. For example, data that is close to each other can be grouped into the same cluster based on the Euclidean distance between data.

[0061] According to one embodiment, clustering is a type of unsupervised learning in machine learning and can be used to discover patterns in unlabeled data. For example, external home appliances can be classified based on the similarity of their functions and / or characteristics using clustering.

[0062] According to one embodiment, at least one processor (110) can perform clustering based on multiple data where the operation (e.g., power on) of a specific external device (e.g., lighting) and a specific environmental state (e.g., increased illuminance) are connected. For example, each environmental parameter (e.g., temperature, illuminance, humidity) can be set as a coordinate axis, and K-means clustering based on the Euclidean distance between the data can be performed.

[0063] According to one embodiment, through clustering, at least one processor (110) can identify and manage groups associated with each environmental state. For example, device state changes related to an increase in illumination (e.g., lights on, curtains opened) can be grouped into one cluster, or device state changes related to a decrease in temperature (e.g., air conditioner on, windows opened) can be grouped into one cluster and managed.

[0064] According to one embodiment, at least one processor (110) may assign a label to a device and / or operation of a device within a cluster classified through clustering. The act of assigning a label may be referred to as 'labeling'. At least one processor (110) may use the label to define the characteristics of each cluster, process related data, or issue control commands suitable for a specific cluster. In particular, by assigning a label that is easy to intuitively understand the characteristics and / or meaning of the cluster, the user may intuitively understand the meaning of the cluster. Accordingly, according to one embodiment, at least one processor (110) may enable the user to quickly grasp the meaning of each cluster and easily control necessary external devices through labeling.

[0065] FIG. 2a is a drawing illustrating external devices and an electronic device (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0066] Referring to FIG. 2a, according to one embodiment, an electronic device (100) may obtain data for detecting changes in the surrounding environment from a first external device (201) and / or a second external device (202). The changes in the surrounding environment may include changes in various environmental parameters, such as temperature, illuminance, humidity, and noise, for example. The external device is a device capable of communicating wirelessly with the electronic device (100) and may be, for example, an air handling unit, HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning), a lighting device, a TV, a curtain, a window, a speaker, but is not limited thereto.

[0067] According to one embodiment, environmental parameter data may be directly detected through a sensing unit included in the electronic device (100), i.e., a built-in sensor, or the electronic device (100) may receive and obtain data from an external sensor through a communication unit (e.g., the communication unit (130) of FIG. 1). The external sensor may measure environmental parameter values ​​and transmit them to the electronic device (100) via wireless communication.

[0068] According to one embodiment, an electronic device (100) may map or associate the operation of at least one external device with at least one environmental parameter value or amount of change. For example, referring to FIG. 2a, the electronic device (100) may map environmental parameter data resulting from the operation of a first external device (201) and map environmental parameter data resulting from the operation of a second external device (202). Through this, the electronic device (100) may store data linking the operation of a specific external device with a specific environmental state in a memory (memory (120) in FIG. 1) and / or an external server. The environmental state may include the value and / or amount of change of at least one environmental parameter.

[0069] According to one embodiment, an electronic device (100) may collect and analyze data regarding environmental parameters that have changed due to the operation of a first external device (201) and a second external device (202). The analysis may include operations such as calculating and storing a representative value (e.g., an average value) of the collected data, or performing normalization between different types of parameters.

[0070] Table 1 below is a table showing the data of environmental parameters organized by operation of each external device by an electronic device (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. All numerical values ​​in Table 1 may be values ​​normalized to values ​​between 0 and 1.

[0071] Device Operation Illumination Temperature Humidity Sound Air Quality TV Power On +0.37 +0.100 +0.320 Volume Increase 000 +0.050 Volume Decrease 000 -0.050… … … … … … Air Conditioner Cooling On 0 -0.47 -0.13 +0.09 +0.07… … … … … … Lighting A Power On +0.70 +0.03000… … … … … …

[0072] Referring to Table 1, in one embodiment, when the operation to turn on the power of a TV is performed, for example, there may be changes in the environmental parameters illuminance (+0.37), temperature (+0.10), and sound (+0.32). For example, when the operation to decrease the volume of a TV is performed, only the sound (-0.05) among the environmental parameters may change. For example, when the operation to turn on light A is performed, the illuminance (+0.70) and temperature (+0.03) among the environmental parameters may change.

[0073] FIG. 2b is a diagram illustrating the operation of an electronic device (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure acquiring environmental parameter data.

[0074] Referring to FIG. 2b, in operation 210, the electronic device (100) may transmit a control command to the target device. For example, the electronic device (100) may transmit a power on / off command or a mode change command (e.g., changing from mode A to mode B) to the target device. When operating normally, the target device may perform at least one operation in response to the control command.

[0075] In operation 220, the electronic device (100) can identify whether there is a change in the state of the target device. The state change may not mean any state change, but a state change corresponding to a control command in operation 210. For example, if the control command is a command to change the mode of the target device from A mode to B mode, the state change may be a state change from A mode to B mode.

[0076] In operation 230, the electronic device (100) can identify whether environmental parameters change based on identifying that the state of the target device has changed. For example, if the target device is a light, the electronic device (100) can identify that the illuminance has increased based on identifying that the power of the target device has been turned on.

[0077] In operation 240, the electronic device (100) can acquire and store environmental parameter data related to the operation of the target device based on identifying that the environmental parameters are changing. The electronic device (100) can associate the acquired environmental parameter data with the operation of the target device or the target device.

[0078] FIG. 3 is a drawing for explaining the operation of an electronic device (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0079] Referring to FIG. 3, in operation 310, the electronic device (100) can identify the operation of external devices. The identification may include identifying a specific external device in operation (e.g., operation of an air conditioner) and / or identifying a specific operation of the external device (e.g., air conditioner-desired temperature setting operation, mode setting operation, power on / power off operation).

[0080] In operation 320, the electronic device (100) can acquire environmental parameter data. The environmental parameter data may include one or more parameter values ​​(environmental parameter values). The electronic device (100) can associate the acquired data with a specific external device and a specific operation identified in operation 310.

[0081] In operation 330, the electronic device (100) can cluster external devices into at least one cluster based on acquired environmental parameter data (e.g., data such as Table 1). The clustering can be performed on all environmental parameters detectable through the built-in sensor or external sensor of the electronic device (100) (e.g., clustering based on Euclidean distance with each of the environmental parameters as a coordinate axis), or it can be performed separately on only a subset of the entire environmental parameters (e.g., clustering only temperature and humidity as variables, clustering only illuminance as variables).

[0082] According to one embodiment, if clustering is performed multiple times for some environmental parameters, a single external device may belong to two or more clusters. For example, if clustering is performed using environmental parameters including temperature as variables and separate clustering is performed using other environmental parameters including humidity as variables, the air conditioner may belong to the cluster related to temperature and the cluster related to humidity, respectively. That is, the electronic device (100) may classify and analyze external devices according to each environmental parameter, and thereby determine which environmental parameter a specific device is associated with.

[0083] According to one embodiment, clustering can be performed in various ways through various clustering algorithms. Various clustering algorithms may include, for example, K-means clustering, hierarchical clustering, DBSCAN (density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise) clustering, GMM (Gaussian mixture model) clustering, or K-medoids clustering. In certain clustering algorithms (e.g., K-means), for example, the desired number of clusters can be defined in advance.

[0084] According to one embodiment, when clustering is performed using a distance-based algorithm, various normalization techniques may be applied to minimize the influence of unit differences between each variable (e.g., each environmental parameter). For example, in distance-based K-means clustering, since the values ​​of each variable may have different units and ranges, the variables can be adjusted to the same standard through a normalization process. Such normalization methods may include, for example, min-max normalization, Z-score normalization, or robust normalization (based on the median and interquartile range), thereby preventing the values ​​of specific variables from excessively affecting the clustering results. In other words, distortion caused by unit differences between variables can be reduced through normalization.

[0085] According to one embodiment, in order to give more weight to the same variables—that is, the distance between variables on the same coordinate axis or the distance between variables with high correlation—in distance-based clustering, clustering may be performed using a distance calculation method other than the basic Euclidean distance. For example, clustering may be performed using weighted Euclidean distance with appropriate weights applied as needed, or clustering may be performed using Mahalanobis distance.

[0086] According to one embodiment, even for the same data, the results of clustering may differ depending on the distance calculation method, normalization method, and / or algorithm described above. For example, when clustering external devices (or their operations) using environmental parameters as variables, a specific cluster may be formed in relation to a specific parameter, a single cluster may be formed in relation to one or more parameters, or one or more clusters may be formed in relation to a single environmental parameter.

[0087] In operation 340, the electronic device (100) may assign at least one label to each external device associated with the cluster to which the external device belongs. The label may be any label for simple identification, or it may be a label that intuitively conveys meaning in relation to the associated environmental parameter value or amount of change (e.g., a label related to temperature increase – “warming up”). The environmental parameter value may refer to the parameter value of the environmental parameter data. The label does not necessarily have to correspond one-to-one with the cluster. For example, if a cluster related to temperature change is created through clustering, different labels may be assigned within it according to the direction or degree of temperature change as needed.

[0088] According to one embodiment, the operations illustrated in FIG. 3 can be performed by at least one processor (e.g., at least one processor (110) of FIG. 1) executing at least one instruction (e.g., at least one instruction (121) of FIG. 1).

[0089] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the operation of an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (100) of FIG. 1) clustering and labeling external devices according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0090] Referring to FIG. 4, according to one embodiment, the electronic device (100) can cluster external devices (e.g., clustering of operation 330). As a result of the clustering, clusters including cluster A (410) and cluster B (420) may be formed.

[0091] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (100) may assign at least one label to the devices within each cluster. At this time, the same label may be assigned to all devices within the same cluster, or two or more labels may be assigned. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, a label A1 (411) may be assigned to all devices included in cluster A (410), a label B1 (421) may be assigned to some devices included in cluster B (420), and a label B2 (422) may be assigned to some.

[0092] According to one embodiment, if a single device belongs to a plurality of clusters, a plurality of labels may be assigned to the device.

[0093] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (100) can determine the priority of operation among devices with the same label. The priority of operation may be determined based on at least one of, for example, the location of the device, the characteristics of the device (e.g., energy consumption efficiency), the user's settings, or the user's behavioral pattern.

[0094] According to one embodiment, the criteria for determining the operating priority among devices with the same label assigned to the sperm device (100) may vary depending on the corresponding label. For example, for a target device assigned a label with relatively high power consumption (e.g., a label including electric heating devices), the weight of the device energy efficiency among the criteria may be high.

[0095] According to one embodiment, the user may indirectly issue control commands based on a label rather than directly issuing control commands to a specific device related to the desired environmental change. For example, if the user wants to reduce the indoor temperature, instead of sending a direct control command to the air conditioner, the user may send a label-based control command of 'temperature reduction' to the electronic device (100) and / or server, and the electronic device (100) and / or server may send a control command to the air conditioner based on the operating priority within the label.

[0096] FIG. 5a is a drawing for explaining the operation of an electronic device (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0097] Referring to FIG. 5a, in operation 510, the electronic device (100) may transmit a target device control command. The target device control command may be a control command for a target device selected according to priority within a specific label, received by the electronic device (100) and / or server from a user's specific label-based control command.

[0098] In operation 520, the electronic device (100) can identify whether the target device is operating normally.

[0099] According to one embodiment, an electronic device (100) can identify whether the target device is operating normally based on information regarding changes in the state of the target device and / or information regarding changes in environmental parameters. For example, if environmental parameter data is stored such that the illuminance increases by 50 to 60 lux when the power of the target device is turned on, and the electronic device (100) transmits a power-on command to the target device, the electronic device (100) can identify that the target device is operating normally based on identifying the change in the state of the target device from off to on and / or the increase in ambient illuminance by 50 to 60 lux. For example, if it is identified that there is no change in the state even after transmitting a power-on command to the target device, or if the change in ambient illuminance is not appropriate (if there is no change in illuminance at all, or if it is too small or too large), the electronic device (100) can identify that the target device is not operating normally.

[0100] In operation 521, the electronic device (100) can check the label of the target device based on identifying that the target device is not operating normally.

[0101] In operation 522, the electronic device (100) may select a replacement device to replace the target device or determine a replacement device priority among devices that are labeled the same as the target device. The criteria for the electronic device (100) to select a replacement device or determine a replacement device priority may include, for example, distance proximity, operational priority within the label (e.g., operational priority described in FIG. 4), functional similarity with the target device, similarity of environmental parameters affecting, or at least one of user settings.

[0102] According to one embodiment, the criteria for an electronic device (100) to select a replacement device to replace a target device or to determine the priority of replacement devices may vary depending on the label assigned to the target device. For example, for a target device assigned a label with spatial constraints (e.g., 'bright'), the weight of proximity in the criteria may be significant. That is, if the target device is a light in a specific room, proximity in the criteria is judged to have a high weight, so a device within the same room, such as another light or curtain, may be selected as a replacement device.

[0103] According to one embodiment, two or more alternative devices may be selected for a single target device. For example, if the target device is a main light corresponding to an increase in illuminance of 300 lux among the environmental parameter data, two auxiliary lights corresponding to an increase in illuminance of 100 lux and 150 lux, respectively, may be simultaneously selected as alternative devices. Through this, the electronic device (100) can maintain a more consistent user experience with the existing target device compared to the case where only one alternative device is selected.

[0104] In operation 523, the electronic device (100) can set a control command mapping. The control command mapping may be a process of converting a control command for a target device into a control command for a replacement device.

[0105] In operation 524, the electronic device (100) can transmit a control command to a replacement device through the mapping in operation 523 and control the replacement device accordingly. For example, if the target device control command is 'turn on lights' and the replacement device control command is 'open blinds' in relation to the label 'brighten', the increase in illuminance, which is an intended change in environmental parameters, can be similarly implemented through the control command mapping. The electronic device (100) can provide an intuitive and consistent user experience through such labeling and control command mapping based on the label-based replacement device selection. For example, if a user inputs a control command for the label 'brighten', the user can experience the surrounding environment becoming brighter as originally intended without a separate replacement device setting, even if the target device does not respond.

[0106] In operation 525, the electronic device (100) can control the target device based on identifying that the target device is operating normally.

[0107] FIG. 5b is a drawing for explaining the operation of an electronic device (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0108] Referring to FIG. 5b, in operation 530, the electronic device (100) can identify that the target device is operating while controlling the alternative device (e.g., the alternative device control of operation 524).

[0109] In operation 531, the electronic device (100) may disable or reset a control command mapping (e.g., a control command mapping in operation 523) based on identifying that the target device is operating during alternate device control. For example, if a target device control command is mapped to an alternate device control command, the mapping setting may be disabled or the target device control command may be mapped to the original target device control command.

[0110] In operations 532 and 533, the electronic device (100) transmits a target device control command and can control the target device through this.

[0111] At least some of the operations in FIG. 5a and / or FIG. 5b may be performed by the electronic device (100) exchanging data with an external server. For example, the operation 522 of selecting a replacement device may include storing labeling information and replacement priority information of external devices on the server, and the operation of the electronic device (100) notifying the server that the target device is not functioning normally, and / or the operation of the server determining a replacement device and transmitting it to the electronic device (100).

[0112] FIG. 6a is a diagram illustrating the operation of an electronic device (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure exchanging data with external devices and a server.

[0113] In operation 610a, the electronic device (100) can transmit a control command (D1) to a target device. When the target device is operating normally, the target device can perform at least one corresponding operation in response to receiving the control command (D1). For example, a smart speaker can output music in response to receiving a music playback command.

[0114] In operation 620a, the electronic device (100) can identify that the target device is not operating normally. This can be identified by the fact that there is no change in the state of the target device or no change in the associated environmental parameters despite the control command (D1). For example, if there is no change in the state of the smart speaker despite the music playback command, or if there is no increase in the sound among the environmental parameters, the electronic device (100) can identify that the smart speaker is not operating normally.

[0115] In operation 621a, the electronic device (100) may transmit information to the server that the target device is not functioning properly. In response to receiving information that the target device is not functioning properly, the server may query a database or cloud resource to retrieve a list of replacement devices and / or replacement device priorities. The server may reconfirm the status of the target device by methods such as transmitting a signal to the target device once again to identify whether a normal response is received or by analyzing related data logs.

[0116] In operation 630, the server may transmit a list of replacement devices and / or replacement device priorities to the electronic device (100). The electronic device (100) may perform at least one operation related to the replacement devices in response to receiving the list of replacement devices and / or replacement device priorities.

[0117] In operation 640, the electronic device (100) may transmit a control command (D2) to a replacement device. The control command (D2) in operation 640 may actually be a command to control the replacement device, or a command to identify whether the replacement device is operating normally.

[0118] In operation 650, the electronic device (100) can identify that the replacement device is operating normally.

[0119] In operation 660a, the electronic device (100) may map a target device control command (D1) to a replacement device control command (D2) based on identifying that the replacement device is operating normally. The mapping may be such that when the target device control command (D1) is generated by an external input (e.g., user input, automated command input), the control command is not transmitted to the target device, but instead the replacement device control command (D2) is transmitted to the replacement device.

[0120] In operation 670a, the electronic device (100) can transmit control command mapping information to a server. By storing the mapping information on the electronic device (100) server and performing central management and auxiliary roles for the mapping information, consistency in the user experience can be maintained. For example, even when attempting to control the device using an electronic device other than the electronic device (100) or a different platform (e.g., a mobile application), consistent control command mapping can be applied. For example, it can perform a backup role to enable recovery even if the mapping information is lost from the electronic device (100).

[0121] In operation 680a, the electronic device (100) can identify that a target device control command (D1) is generated by an external input. In response, the electronic device (100) can convert the target device control command (D1) into an alternative device control command (D2) by means of a pre-set mapping setting.

[0122] In operation 690a, the electronic device (100) may transmit a replacement device control command (D2) to the replacement device. The replacement device may respond to the replacement device control command (D2) and perform at least one corresponding operation, thereby minimizing the impairment of the user experience even though the target device is not functioning normally. For example, if the target device, a smart speaker, does not respond to a music playback command (D1), the electronic device (100) may instead transmit the music playback command (D2) to the replacement device, a smart TV, to play music.

[0123] FIG. 6b is a diagram illustrating the operation of an electronic device (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure to exchange data with external devices and a server when controlling a replacement device as the target device is not operating normally (e.g., during an operation such as FIG. 6a).

[0124] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (100) can identify a change in the state information of the original target device after controlling the replacement device (e.g., after the operation of FIG. 6a). The change in state information may be, for example, a change related to indicating that the target device is operating normally again (e.g., a network response signal update). The state information may be, for example, a signal received directly from the target device as in FIG. 6b, or state report data received through a server.

[0125] In operation 610b, the electronic device (100) can transmit a control command (D1) to the target device. As in operation 610a, if the target device is operating normally, the target device can perform at least one corresponding operation in response to receiving the control command (D1).

[0126] In operation 620b, the electronic device (100) can identify that the target device is operating normally. This can be identified from the state change of the target device and / or the change in environmental parameters corresponding to the control command (D1). For example, if the target device is a light, the target device can be identified that it is operating normally when there is a state change in which the light is turned on based on a light power-on command and the ambient light level increases.

[0127] In operation 660b, the electronic device (100) may release the control command mapping to the alternate device (mapping from D1 to D2) or reset the new control command mapping (mapping from D1 to D1) based on identifying that the target device is operating normally. After such release or reset of mapping, when a target device control command (D1) is input, it may be transmitted to the target device without being converted into an alternate device control command (D2).

[0128] In operation 670b, the electronic device (100) can transmit the changed command mapping information to the server.

[0129] In operation 680b, the electronic device (100) can identify that a target device control command (D1) is generated by an external input. The external input may be, for example, user input or automated command input.

[0130] In operation 690b, the electronic device (100) can transmit a control command (D1) to a target device. The target device can perform at least one corresponding operation in response to receiving the control command (D1).

[0131] FIG. 7 is a drawing for explaining the definition of a scenario according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0132] Referring to FIG. 7, according to one embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (100) of FIG. 1) may define or set a specific situation Q1 (710). Situation Q1 (710) may be, for example, a situation in which a specific user returns home.

[0133] Referring to FIG. 7, according to one embodiment, an electronic device (100) may define a situation Q1 (710) to correspond to one or more labels. The one or more labels may include at least one label attached to each device in relation to the cluster after clustering external devices based on environmental parameters, for example, the label of FIG. 4. For example, Q1 (710) may be defined to correspond to 'bright' (720), 'music' (730), 'ventilation' (740), and 'warm'.

[0134] Referring to FIG. 7, according to one embodiment, each label may be assigned to at least one external device. For example, the light 1, light 2, and curtain may be labeled 'bright' (720), and the window and fan may be labeled 'ventilation' (740). An operating priority may be determined among devices within the same label.

[0135] Referring to FIG. 7, according to one embodiment, an electronic device (100) can identify the occurrence of situation Q1 (710) and, based thereon, control at least some of the external devices labeled corresponding to situation Q1 (710). For example, if situation Q1 (710) is a situation where a specific user returns home, the electronic device (100) can control at least some of the devices labeled correspondingly (720, 730, 740 and 750), such as lighting 1, a TV, a fan, and an air conditioner 1, based on identifying the return of the specific user. The control of the at least some may follow the operating priority among devices with the same label.

[0136] According to one embodiment, a situation may be defined based on user input. That is, the user may define at least one of a label corresponding to the situation or an operation priority among devices assigned the same label.

[0137] According to one embodiment, a situation can be defined based on a user's behavioral pattern. For example, if a pattern is repeatedly detected in which a specific user always controls a device belonging to at least one label after returning home, a situation can be automatically defined according to that pattern.

[0138] According to one embodiment, the occurrence of situation Q1 (710) can be identified based on identifying the entry of a specific user associated with Q1 (710). That is, if a user unrelated to Q1 (710) is identified, situation Q1 (710) can be deactivated. For example, if Q1 (710) is a situation of user A1 returning home, at least some of the devices with corresponding labels may be controlled when the electronic device (100) identifies user A1 returning, but not when it identifies user A2 returning. In other words, the situation can be defined individually for each user.

[0139] According to one embodiment, through context-based device control, the environment desired by the user can be provided quickly and naturally, thereby increasing user convenience. For example, an electronic device (100) can identify the occurrence of a situation Q1 (710) and control corresponding devices, such as a light 1, a TV, a window, and an air conditioner 1. This reduces the user's effort and saves time compared to when the user inputs control commands to each device or inputs control commands for labels corresponding to Q1 (710), such as 'bright' (720), 'music' (730), 'ventilation' (740), and 'warm' (750). In other words, a more convenient user environment can be implemented through context-based control.

[0140] FIG. 8 is a drawing for explaining the operation of an electronic device (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure controlling an external device.

[0141] In operation 810, the electronic device (100) can identify the occurrence of a specific situation. The occurrence of a situation can be identified using various functions of the electronic device (100). For example, the occurrence of a specific user's return home can be identified using at least one of a global positioning system (GPS) and location-based services, identification of Wi-Fi connection status, Bluetooth and / or BLE beacons, or artificial intelligence-based user pattern learning.

[0142] In operation 820, the electronic device (100) can identify the definition of the situation that occurred and extract one or more corresponding labels.

[0143] In operation 830, the electronic device (100) can select a target device group, which is at least one device to be controlled based on the extracted label.

[0144] In operation 840, the electronic device (100) can transmit a target device group control command.

[0145] In operation 850, the electronic device (100) can identify whether all devices belonging to the target device group are operating normally. The electronic device (100) can identify whether they are operating normally based on information on the state change of each device and / or information on changes in environmental parameters.

[0146] In operations 851, 852, 853, and 854, the electronic device (100) may perform a series of operations based on identifying that a specific device among a target device group is not operating normally, checking the label of the device not operating normally, selecting a replacement device among devices of the same label, setting a control command mapping, and transmitting a control command to the replacement device. The series of operations may be, for example, as in operations 521, 522, 523, and 524 in FIG. 5a.

[0147] In operation 860, the electronic device (100) can control an external device based on the situation through a target device group control command and / or an alternative device control command.

[0148] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the operation of an electronic device (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure exchanging data with a target device group and a server.

[0149] In operation 910, the electronic device (100) can identify the occurrence of a specific situation. The specific situation may be a predefined situation (e.g., situation Q1 (710) of FIG. 7).

[0150] In operation 920, the electronic device (100) may transmit to the server that a specific situation has occurred. The server may respond to receiving the situation by verifying the definition of the received situation. Verifying the definition of the situation may include verifying at least one label and / or device list corresponding to the specific situation.

[0151] In operation 930, the server may transmit a list of devices corresponding to a situation that occurred in the electronic device (100). For example, the server may transmit a list of labels corresponding to a situation that occurred in the electronic device (100) and extract a list of devices belonging to the labels received from the electronic device (100).

[0152] In operation 940, the electronic device (100) can generate a group control command using a list of devices. The group control command may be, for example, the target group control command in FIG. 8.

[0153] In operation 950, the electronic device (100) can transmit a generated group control command to a group of target devices. The target devices, when operating normally, can perform at least one corresponding operation in response to receiving the control command.

[0154] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (100) can identify whether each of the target devices is operating normally by checking the state change and environmental parameter change of the target devices after transmitting a group control command.

[0155] According to one embodiment, if a device that is not functioning normally is identified among the devices belonging to the target device group after transmitting a group control command, a replacement device for the device that is not functioning normally can be controlled, for example, through operations 851, 852, 853 and / or 854 of FIG. 8.

[0156] FIG. 10 is a drawing for explaining a case where the position of an electronic device (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure changes.

[0157] Referring to FIG. 10, according to one embodiment, an electronic device (100) can control external devices in a house (1010) based on labels and / or situations. For example, the electronic device (100) can assign a first label (e.g., 'cool') to an air conditioner (1011) and a second label (e.g., 'play music') to an audio output device (1012), and control the air conditioner (1011) and / or the audio output device (1012) based on receiving a label-based control command from a user or identifying the occurrence of a situation involving the labels.

[0158] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (100) can similarly control external devices in a vehicle (1020) based on labels and / or situations. For example, the electronic device (100) may assign a first label (e.g., 'cool') to a vehicle air conditioner (1021) and a second label (e.g., 'play music') to a vehicle audio output device (1022), and control the air conditioner (1011) and / or the vehicle audio output device (1012) based on receiving a label-based control command from a user or identifying the occurrence of a situation defined to include the labels.

[0159] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (100) can perform clustering algorithms and / or labeling consistently at different locations (e.g., a house and a car, a living room and a bedroom, etc.). Accordingly, external devices at different locations can be classified and / or labeled according to consistent criteria for the same environmental change (e.g., a specific directional change of a specific environmental parameter) by location. For example, an air conditioner (1011) and a vehicle air conditioner (1021) may belong to a cluster related to 'temperature reduction' at the house (1010) and the car (1020), respectively, and may be assigned the same label (e.g., 'cooling'). For example, a light (1012) and a vehicle audio output device (1022) may belong to a cluster related to 'sound' at the (1010) and the car (1020), respectively, and may be assigned the same label (e.g., 'playing music').

[0160] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (100) can consistently define situations at different locations. For example, a situation in which a specific user enters can be defined to include a first label (including an air conditioner (1011) and a vehicle air conditioner (1021)) and a second label (including an audio output device (1012) and a vehicle audio output device (1022)).

[0161] According to one embodiment, compared to controlling individual devices separately, the electronic device (100) can provide a seamless user experience by performing consistent clustering, labeling, and / or situation definition. For example, the electronic device (100) can enable a user to control devices of the same or similar functions (e.g., air conditioner (1011) and vehicle air conditioner (1021)) through the same interaction (e.g., first label) at different locations (e.g., home (1010) and car (1020)). For example, the electronic device (100) can enable the user to control devices of the same or similar functions at different locations based on identifying the occurrence of situations defined identically or similarly at different locations (e.g., entry of a specific user - return to home (1010), boarding of car (1020)).

[0162] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronic device may be provided. The electronic device may include a display, a communication circuit, a memory including at least one storage medium storing at least one instruction, and / or at least one processor capable of executing said at least one instruction. The at least one processor may include a processing circuit and control a method of operation of the electronic device by executing at least one instruction.

[0163] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may be configured to obtain environmental parameter data related to the operation of external devices, cluster the external devices into at least one cluster based on the environmental parameter data, and assign at least one label related to the cluster to which each of the external devices belongs to each of the external devices.

[0164] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may be configured to identify, based on environment parameter data, at least one of a list of at least one other device to replace the first external device among devices labeled the same as the first external device, or a priority among devices to replace the first external device.

[0165] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may be configured to transmit an operation command to a first external device and to identify whether the first external device is operating normally based on at least one of the state information of the first external device or the change in parameter values ​​of environmental parameter data related to the operation of the first external device.

[0166] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may be configured to transmit an operation command to at least one second external device based on identifying that the first external device is not operating normally, identify whether the at least one second external device is operating normally based on at least one of changes in the parameter values ​​of the state information or environment parameter data of the at least one second external device, and control the second external device based on identifying that the at least one second external device is operating normally. The at least one second external device may be an external device assigned the same label as the first external device.

[0167] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may be configured to stop controlling at least one second external device and control the first external device based on identifying that the first external device, which was not operating normally, is operating normally.

[0168] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may be configured to control at least one external device corresponding to a specific label according to priority based on receiving a command associated with a specific label. The priority may be determined based on at least one of the location of the external device, the user's behavioral pattern, the user's preference settings, or the efficiency of the at least one external device.

[0169] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may be configured to control at least one part of at least one external device assigned at least one first label corresponding to a specific scenario, based on identifying the occurrence of a specific scenario.

[0170] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may be configured to define the specific situation based on the identification of a specific user, the user's input and / or the user's behavioral pattern.

[0171] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may be configured to define the specific situation, including at least one of an operation priority between at least one first label or at least one external device to which the same label as the at least one first label is assigned.

[0172] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may be configured to identify the location of an electronic device, communicate with external devices through a communication circuit, cluster or classify the external devices into at least one group related to a function, assign at least one label related to the group to which each of the external devices belongs to each of the external devices, and control at least one external device corresponding to the specific label based on identifying a command associated with the specific label.

[0173] According to one embodiment, a method for operating an electronic device may be provided. The method for operating an electronic device may include at least one step. The at least one step may include: acquiring environmental parameter data related to the operation of external devices; clustering external devices into at least one cluster based on the environmental parameter data; and assigning at least one label related to the cluster to which each of the external devices belongs to each of the external devices.

[0174] According to one embodiment, a method of operating an electronic device may include the step of identifying at least one of a list of at least one other device to replace the first external device among devices labeled identically to the first external device based on environmental parameter data, or a priority among devices to replace the first external device.

[0175] According to one embodiment, a method for operating an electronic device may include: transmitting an operation command to a first external device; and identifying whether the first external device is operating normally based on at least one of the state information of the first external device or the change in parameter values ​​of the environment parameter data of the first external device.

[0176] According to one embodiment, a method for operating an electronic device may include: transmitting an operation command to at least one second external device based on identifying that a first external device is not operating normally; identifying whether the at least one second external device is operating normally based on at least one of changes in parameter values ​​of state information or environmental parameter data of the at least one second external device; and controlling the at least one second external device based on identifying that the at least one second external device is operating normally. The at least one second external device may be an external device assigned the same label as the first external device.

[0177] According to one embodiment, a method of operating an electronic device may include the step of stopping control of at least one second external device and controlling the first external device based on identifying that the first external device is operating normally again.

[0178] According to one embodiment, a method of operating an electronic device may include the step of controlling at least one part of an external device to which a label corresponding to a specific situation is assigned, based on identifying the occurrence of a specific situation defined to correspond to at least one of at least one label.

[0179] According to one embodiment, a method of operating an electronic device may include: determining an operating priority between at least one external device assigned the same label based on at least one of the location of the external device, a user’s behavioral pattern, a user’s preference setting, or device efficiency; and controlling an external device corresponding to a specific label according to the operating priority based on receiving a command associated with a specific label.

[0180] According to one embodiment, a method of operating an electronic device may include: identifying the location of the electronic device; communicating with external devices; clustering or classifying the external devices into at least one group related to a function; assigning at least one label related to the group to which the external device belongs to each external device; and controlling at least one external device corresponding to a specific label based on identifying a command associated with a specific label.

[0181] Meanwhile, the contents of the present disclosure described above may also be applied in cases where external devices are classified arbitrarily or according to specific criteria instead of being clustered. For example, the operations described in FIG. 8 may also be applied in cases where labels are not assigned based on clusters formed through clustering, but rather where devices are classified arbitrarily and then labels are assigned to each group.

[0182] Meanwhile, the various embodiments described above may be implemented in software containing instructions stored on a device-readable storage medium, included in a computer program product in the form of a device-readable storage medium or distributed online through an application store, or implemented within a recording medium readable by a computer or similar device using software, hardware, or a combination thereof.

[0183] Each component according to the various embodiments described above may be composed of a single or multiple entities, and some auxiliary components may be omitted or additionally included. Some components may be integrated into a single entity to perform the same or similar functions as those performed by each corresponding component prior to integration.

[0184] The operations according to the various embodiments described above 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.

Claims

1. In an electronic device, at least one processor including a processing circuit; comprising, The above at least one processor is: Obtain environmental parameter data related to the operation of external devices, Based on the above environment parameter data, the above external devices are clustered into at least one cluster, and Each of the above external devices is configured to be assigned at least one label associated with the cluster to which each of the above external devices belongs. Electronic device.

2. In Paragraph 1, The above-mentioned at least one processor is, Based on the above environmental parameter data, configured to identify at least one of a list of at least one other device to replace the first external device among devices labeled identically to the first external device, or a priority among devices to replace the first external device. Electronic device.

3. In Paragraph 1 or 2, It further includes a communication circuit; and The above at least one processor is: Transmits an operation command to the first external device, and Configured to identify whether the first external device is operating normally based on at least one of the changes in parameter values ​​of the environment parameter data related to the operation of the first external device or the status information of the first external device. Electronic device.

4. In Paragraph 1 or 3, The above at least one processor is: Based on identifying that the first external device is not operating normally, an operation command is transmitted to at least one second external device assigned the same label as the first external device, and Identifying whether the at least one second external device is operating normally based on at least one of the changes in parameter values ​​of the environment parameter data related to the operation of the at least one second external device or the status information of the at least one second external device, and Configured to control the at least one second external device based on identifying that the at least one second external device is operating normally, Electronic device.

5. In Paragraph 4, The above-mentioned at least one processor is, Based on identifying that the first external device that was not operating normally is operating normally, the control of the at least one second external device is stopped and the first external device is configured to be controlled. Electronic device.

6. In any one of paragraphs 1 through 5, The above-mentioned at least one processor is, Based on receiving a command associated with a specific label, it is configured to control at least one external device corresponding to the specific label according to priority, and The above priority is determined based on at least one of the location of the at least one external device, the user's behavioral pattern, the user's preference settings, or the efficiency of the at least one external device. Electronic device.

7. In any one of paragraphs 1 through 5, The above-mentioned at least one processor is, Based on identifying the occurrence of a specific scenario, configured to control at least a part of at least one external device to which at least one first label corresponding to the specific scenario is assigned. Electronic device.

8. In Paragraph 7, The above-mentioned at least one processor is, Configured to define the specific situation based on at least one of the identification of a specific user, user input, or user behavior pattern, Electronic device.

9. In Paragraph 7, The above-mentioned at least one processor is, At least one of the operating priorities between at least one first label or at least one external device with the same label included in the at least one first label is configured to define the specific situation. Electronic device.

10. In an electronic device, Memory including at least one storage medium for storing instructions; Communication circuit; and at least one processor including a processing circuit; comprising, The above at least one processor is: Identify the location of the above electronic device, and Communicate with external devices associated with the above location through the above communication circuit, and Clustering or classifying the above external devices into at least one group related to function, and To each of the above external devices, at least one label associated with the group to which each of the above external devices belongs is assigned, and Based on identifying a command associated with a specific label, configured to control at least one external device corresponding to said specific label, Electronic device.

11. In a method of operating an electronic device, A step of obtaining environmental parameter data related to the operation of external devices; A step of clustering the external devices into at least one cluster based on the above environmental parameter data; and A step comprising: assigning at least one label to each of the above external devices that is associated with the cluster to which each of the above external devices belongs; method.

12. In Paragraph 11, The method further comprises the step of identifying, based on the above environmental parameter data, at least one of a list of at least one other device to replace the first external device among devices labeled identically to the first external device, or a priority of devices to replace the first external device. method.

13. In Paragraph 11 or 12, A step of transmitting an operation command to a first external device; and The method further comprises the step of identifying whether the first external device is operating normally based on at least one of the status information of the first external device or the change in parameter values ​​of the environment parameter data of the first external device. method.

14. In Paragraph 13, A step of transmitting an operation command to at least one second external device assigned the same label as the first external device based on identifying that the first external device is not operating normally; A step of identifying whether the at least one second external device is operating normally based on at least one of the change in parameter values ​​of environmental parameter data related to the operation of the at least one second external device or the status information of the at least one second external device; and The method further comprises the step of controlling the at least one second external device based on identifying that the at least one second external device is operating normally. method.

15. In any one of paragraphs 11 through 14, A step of identifying the occurrence of a specific situation defined to correspond to one or more of the at least one label; and Based on identifying the occurrence of the specific situation, the method further comprises the step of controlling at least one part of at least one external device labeled to correspond to the specific situation. method.

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