Patent Description:
In positioning systems in the related art, positioning systems based on satellite signals are widely used. However, in the case of positioning based on satellite signals, it is difficult to perform positioning indoors and there is a disadvantage in that accuracy is low. In particular, for applications operating based on the distance between two electronic devices, high accuracy is required. For example, for an application supporting keyless entry, user access may be allowed only when the user is positioned within a specific distance.

For more accurate distance measurement and higher data throughput, ultra-wideband (UWB) communication may be used. In UWB communication, an electronic device may communicate with another electronic device using pulse signals having a wideband frequency of <NUM> or higher. Due to the wideband characteristics, the electronic device is able to identify a distance to other electronic devices with high accuracy. Since wideband frequencies are used in UWB communication, UWB communication may provide a more robust solution to path delays such as multi-path. In addition, UWB communication may minimize interference with other wireless protocols by using pulse signals.

Mobile electronic devices, such as cell phones, may have a limited amount of available power. Accordingly, when a UWB communication module for the UWB communication is continuously activated, battery consumption of an electronic device may increase. In order to reduce power consumption of the electronic device, activation of UWB communication based on Bluetooth (e.g., Bluetooth low energy, BLE) communication having relatively low power consumption may be performed. For example, the electronic device may be configured to, after performing Bluetooth-based communication with an external electronic device, perform the UWB communication with the external electronic device based on a communication result.

Document <CIT>) discloses turning on an off the ultra wideband (UWB) module of a terminal, by measuring distance of terminal, by calculating first distance between terminal and base station according to Bluetooth signal, and calculating second distance between terminal and base station by ultra wide band module. In case the first distance is below a threshold, the UWB module is turned on.

With the miniaturization of electronic devices, electronic devices supporting wireless connections are widely used. The number of wireless electronic devices carried by users is increasing. For example, instead of wired earphones, wirelessly connected earbuds may be used. In addition, unlike conventional watches, an electronic device such as a smart watch may support a wireless connection with other electronic devices (e.g., a mobile phone) of a user. Furthermore, the number of electronic devices supporting wireless connection positioned within a limited space, such as a printer and a camera supporting wireless connection, is increasing.

For the activation of Bluetooth-based UWB communication, if there are many electronic devices supporting Bluetooth connection nearby, an electronic device may have to attempt the UWB communication with all of the nearby electronic devices. For example, the electronic device may attempt UWB ranging after Bluetooth connection with the nearby electronic devices. For UWB ranging, the electronic device may perform contention-based ranging. For example, the electronic device may perform UWB ranging by broadcasting a signal for ranging and receiving responses from nearby electronic devices within a specified time. In this case, collision may occur between responses as nearby electronic devices simultaneously transmit responses. In order to reduce collisions, a response waiting time of the electronic device may be increased, but the accuracy of UWB ranging may decrease as the response waiting time increases. Further, by performing ranging, power consumption of nearby electronic devices may increase.

Various embodiments disclosed herein may provide an electronic device and a method for solving the above-described problems.

According to an aspect of the disclosure, there is provided an electronic device including a first communication circuit that supports communication according to a Bluetooth protocol, a second communication circuit that supports communication according to an ultra-wideband (UWB) protocol, a processor, and a memory. The memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic device to receive a first signal from a second external electronic device using the first communication circuit, transmit, to at least one first external electronic device, first quality information related to communication with the second external electronic device using the first communication circuit, receive, from the at least one first external electronic device, second quality information related to communication between the at least one first external electronic device and the second external electronic device using the first communication circuit, determine, based on the first quality information and the second quality information, a device to communicate with the second external electronic device based on the UWB protocol, from among the electronic device and the at least one first external electronic device; and communicate with the second external electronic device using the second communication circuit based on the determination.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a method for ultra-wideband (UWB) communication of an electronic device, the method including receiving a first signal from a second external electronic device based on a Bluetooth protocol, transmitting, to at least one first external electronic device, first quality information related to communication with the second external electronic device based on the Bluetooth protocol, receiving, from the at least one first external electronic device, second quality information related to communication between the at least one first external electronic device and the second external electronic device based on the Bluetooth protocol, and determining, based on the first quality information and the second quality information, a device to communicate with the second external electronic device based on the UWB protocol, from among the electronic device and the at least one first external electronic device.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, there is provided an electronic device including a first communication circuit that supports communication according to a Bluetooth protocol, a second communication circuit that supports communication according to an ultra-wideband (UWB) protocol, a processor, and a memory. The memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic device to receive a first signal from a second external electronic device using the first communication circuit, determine whether to share a first reception quality of the first signal with at least one first external electronic device, transmit the first reception quality to the at least one first external electronic device using the first communication circuit, based on determination of sharing of the first reception quality, receive, from the at least one first external electronic device, second quality information related to communication between the at least one first external electronic device and the second external electronic device using the first communication circuit, determine, based on the first quality information and the second quality information, a device to communicate with the second external electronic device based on the UWB protocol, from among the electronic device and the at least one first external electronic device, and communicate with the second external electronic device using the second communication circuit based on the determination.

An electronic device according to an embodiment disclosed herein may perform a response exclusively through communication quality sharing.

The electronic device according to an embodiment disclosed herein may reduce power consumption through the exclusive response.

The electronic device according to an embodiment disclosed herein may prevent collision between a plurality of electronic devices through the exclusive response.

Besides, various effects may be provided that are directly or indirectly identified through the disclosure.

With respect to the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference signs may be used for the same or similar elements.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this is not intended to limit the disclosure to the specific embodiments, and it is to be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, and/or alternatives of embodiments of the disclosure.

Referring to <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> in the network environment <NUM> may communicate with an electronic device <NUM> via a first network <NUM> (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network), or at least one of an electronic device <NUM> or a server <NUM> via a second network <NUM> (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may include a processor <NUM>, memory <NUM>, an input module <NUM>, a sound output module <NUM>, a display module <NUM>, an audio module <NUM>, a sensor module <NUM>, an interface <NUM>, a connecting terminal <NUM>, a haptic module <NUM>, a camera module <NUM>, a power management module <NUM>, a battery <NUM>, a communication module <NUM>, a subscriber identification module (SIM) <NUM>, or an antenna module <NUM>. In some embodiments, at least one of the components (e.g., the connecting terminal <NUM>) may be omitted from the electronic device <NUM>, or one or more other components may be added in the electronic device <NUM>. In some embodiments, some of the components (e.g., the sensor module <NUM>, the camera module <NUM>, or the antenna module <NUM>) may be implemented as a single component (e.g., the display module <NUM>).

<FIG> illustrates a UWB communication environment according to an embodiment.

In an example of <FIG>, a user may carry a first electronic device <NUM>, a second electronic device <NUM>, and a third electronic device <NUM>. In <FIG>, the first electronic device <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM>, and the third electronic device <NUM> are illustrated as a mobile phone, a smart watch, and an earbud respectively, but the embodiments of the disclosure are not limited thereto. For example, each of the first electronic device <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM>, and the third electronic device <NUM> may be any electronic device that supports UWB communication and Bluetooth communication (e.g., Bluetooth legacy and/or BLE).

An external electronic device <NUM> may be, for example, a vehicle owned by the user. In <FIG>, although the external electronic device <NUM> is illustrated as a vehicle, embodiments of the disclosure are not limited thereto. For example, the external electronic device <NUM> may be any electronic device (e.g., a door lock device, a point-of-sale (POS) terminal, or a beacon) that supports a UWB-based application (e.g., keyless entry, payment, or positioning).

According to an embodiment, the external electronic device <NUM> may perform UWB and/or Bluetooth-based communication with another electronic device that has entered a second coverage <NUM>. For example, the external electronic device <NUM> may perform a Bluetooth communication with another electronic device positioned within the second coverage <NUM> and perform UWB ranging with the other electronic device through Bluetooth communication. As a result of UWB ranging, if it is confirmed that another electronic device is positioned within the first coverage <NUM>, the external electronic device <NUM> may perform an operation according to a UWB-based application. For example, the external electronic device <NUM> may unlock a door of the vehicle. In an example, the external electronic device <NUM> may perform separate authentication for the user and then unlock the door of the vehicle if the authentication is successful.

Hereinafter, with reference to <FIG>, operations for UWB ranging between the external electronic device <NUM> and the first electronic device <NUM> may be described. For convenience of description, the first electronic device <NUM> is described, but the second electronic device <NUM> and the third electronic device <NUM> may also perform UWB ranging with the external electronic device <NUM> in the same manner.

<FIG> illustrates a signal flow diagram for UWB ranging according to an embodiment.

According to an embodiment, in operation <NUM>, the external electronic device <NUM> may transmit an advertising signal. For example, the external electronic device <NUM> may transmit advertising signals based on a Bluetooth protocol (e.g., Bluetooth legacy and/or BLE). The external electronic device <NUM> may transmit a first advertising signal <NUM>, a second advertising signal <NUM>, and a third advertising signal <NUM>. In an example, each of the first advertising signal <NUM>, the second advertising signal <NUM>, and the third advertising signal <NUM> may include an advertising packet including information (e.g., identifier and/or Bluetooth address information) about the external electronic device <NUM>. The advertising packet may be multicast or broadcast. Each of the first advertising signal <NUM>, the second advertising signal <NUM>, and the third advertising signal <NUM> may be transmitted through different channels (e.g., any one of Bluetooth channels <NUM>, <NUM>, or <NUM>). The external electronic device <NUM> may search for nearby devices by periodically performing advertising (e.g., operation <NUM>). In <FIG>, the advertising signal is shown as being transmitted three times, but the embodiments of the disclosure are not limited thereto.

For example, the first electronic device <NUM> may be configured to periodically perform a Bluetooth scan. For example, the first electronic device <NUM> may periodically monitor reception of a Bluetooth signal using a receive path of a Bluetooth communication circuit. In the example of <FIG>, the first electronic device <NUM> may receive the first advertising <NUM>.

In operation <NUM>, the first electronic device <NUM> may perform the Bluetooth scan. For example, the first electronic device <NUM> may transmit a scan request <NUM> to the external electronic device <NUM> in response to the first advertising <NUM>. The scan request <NUM> may include information (e.g., identification information and Bluetooth address information) about the first electronic device <NUM>. The external electronic device <NUM> may transmit a scan response <NUM> to the first electronic device <NUM> in response to receiving the scan request <NUM>.

In operation <NUM>, the first electronic device <NUM> and the external electronic device <NUM> may establish a link and communicate with each other. For example, the external electronic device <NUM> may transmit a connection request (e.g., a low energy (LE) connection request) to the first electronic device <NUM> and the first electronic device <NUM> may respond to the connection request, thereby establishing a link between the first electronic device <NUM> and the external electronic device <NUM>. After establishing the link, the first electronic device <NUM> and the external electronic device <NUM> may communicate. For example, the external electronic device <NUM> may initiate UWB ranging with the first electronic device <NUM> by transmitting a signal indicating the UWB ranging through the established link. In an example, the external electronic device <NUM> checks whether the first electronic device <NUM> supports UWB ranging through the established link, and if the first electronic device <NUM> is able to perform the UWB ranging, the external electronic device may transmit a signal requesting the UWB ranging. Upon receiving the signal requesting the UWB ranging, the first electronic device <NUM> may activate a communication module for UWB communication.

According to an embodiment, operation <NUM> may be omitted. The external electronic device <NUM> may perform UWB ranging (e.g., operation <NUM>) immediately after the scan with the first electronic device <NUM> (operation <NUM>). For example, for a UWB application for file sharing, UWB ranging may be attempted after confirming the existence of a nearby device (e.g., the first electronic device <NUM>) through the Bluetooth scan. In this case, the external device <NUM> may transmit information indicating the start of UWB ranging (e.g., operation <NUM>) to the first electronic device <NUM> through the scan response <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, for a UWB application requiring security (e.g., keyless entry, or the like), the external device <NUM> may share necessary information by performing operation <NUM>. For example, the external electronic device <NUM> may perform UWB ranging after exchanging important information such as security ranging measurement and/or a unique identifier through the established link.

In operation <NUM>, the first electronic device <NUM> and the external electronic device <NUM> may perform UWB ranging. For example, the external electronic device <NUM> may transmit a poll <NUM>. The external electronic device <NUM> may transmit (e.g., broadcast) the poll <NUM> at a designated period. The poll <NUM> may include a contention phase length value (e.g., the number of unit slots). After transmitting the poll <NUM>, the external electronic device <NUM> may activate a receive path and attempt to receive a response signal for the contention phase length. Upon receiving the poll <NUM>, the first electronic device <NUM> may transmit a response <NUM> (e.g., a UWB frame) to the poll <NUM>. For example, the first electronic device <NUM> may transmit (e.g., unicast) the response <NUM> at any point in time within the contention phase length value indicated by the poll <NUM>. For example, the response <NUM> may include positioning information (e.g., an angle of arrival), reception time information, a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and/or response time information.

According to an embodiment, the external electronic device <NUM> may measure a distance between the external electronic device <NUM> and the first electronic device <NUM> using round trip time (RTT) and response time information based on the poll <NUM> and the response <NUM>. The UWB application of the external electronic device <NUM> may be configured to perform an operation (e.g., keyless entry) based on the measured distance.

In operation <NUM>, for example, the external electronic device <NUM> and the first electronic device <NUM> may perform single sided two way ranging (SS-TWR). In this case, the external electronic device <NUM> may measure the distance between the external electronic device <NUM> and the first electronic device <NUM> based on the response <NUM> from the first electronic device <NUM>. In operation <NUM>, for another example, the external electronic device <NUM> and the first electronic device <NUM> may perform double sided two way ranging (DS-TWR). For example, after receiving the response <NUM>, the external electronic device <NUM> may transmit a signal in response to the response <NUM> to the first electronic device <NUM>. In this case, not only the external electronic device <NUM> but also the first electronic device <NUM> may measure the distance between the first electronic device <NUM> and the external electronic device <NUM>.

In the example of <FIG>, the first electronic device <NUM> is mainly described, but as illustrated in <FIG>, other electronic devices may exist adjacently. In this case, as several electronic devices transmit responses to the poll, collisions between responses may occur. In order to reduce collisions, the contention phase length may be increased, but positioning accuracy decreases as the contention phase length increases.

According to an embodiment, only one electronic device among a plurality of electronic devices belonging to the same account (e.g., the first electronic device <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM>, and/or the third electronic device <NUM>) may exclusively respond to a poll signal of the external electronic device <NUM>. A plurality of electronic devices may share information about an advertising signal received from the external electronic device <NUM> and determine one electronic device among the plurality of electronic devices as a device to transmit a response.

According to an embodiment, at least some of the operations of <FIG> may be omitted. For example, the first electronic device <NUM> and the external electronic device <NUM> may perform UWB ranging (e.g., operation <NUM>) without establishing the link. For example, the first electronic device <NUM> and the external electronic device <NUM> may exchange information for UWB ranging through the scan (e.g., operation <NUM>) and perform UWB ranging without establishing the link based on the scan.

In the following, various embodiments for an exclusive response may be described with reference to <FIG>.

<FIG> illustrates a block diagram of a first electronic device according to an embodiment.

According to an embodiment, the first electronic device <NUM> may include a processor <NUM> (e.g., the processor <NUM> of <FIG>), a memory <NUM> (e.g., the memory <NUM> of <FIG>), a first communication circuit <NUM> (e.g., the communication module <NUM> of <FIG>), and/or a second communication circuit <NUM> (e.g., the communication module <NUM> of <FIG>).

The processor <NUM> may be operatively connected to the memory <NUM>, the first communication circuit <NUM>, and the second communication circuit <NUM>. The memory <NUM> may store instructions that cause the processor <NUM> to perform various operations of the first electronic device <NUM>.

The processor <NUM> may communicate with other electronic devices based on the Bluetooth protocol using the first communication circuit <NUM>. For example, the first communication circuit <NUM> may correspond to a communication module configured to support Bluetooth communication (e.g., Bluetooth legacy and/or BLE). The first electronic device <NUM> may communicate with the second electronic device <NUM>, the third electronic device <NUM>, and/or the external electronic device <NUM> using the first communication circuit <NUM>.

The processor <NUM> may communicate with other electronic devices based on a UWB communication protocol using the second communication circuit <NUM>. For example, the second communication circuit <NUM> may correspond to a communication module configured to support UWB communication. The first electronic device <NUM> may communicate with the external electronic device <NUM> using the second communication circuit <NUM>.

The configuration of the first electronic device <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> is exemplary, and embodiments of the disclosure are not limited thereto. For example, the first electronic device <NUM> may further include a component not illustrated in <FIG>. The first electronic device <NUM> may further include, for example, at least a part of the configuration of the electronic device <NUM> of <FIG>. The second electronic device <NUM>, the third electronic device <NUM>, and the external electronic device <NUM> may have components similar to those of the first electronic device <NUM>.

For example, the first electronic device <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM>, and the third electronic device <NUM> may be electronic devices owned by the same user. For another example, the first electronic device <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM>, and the third electronic device <NUM> may be electronic devices belonging to the same group or to the same account. For yet another example, the first electronic device <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM>, and the third electronic device <NUM> may be devices connected to the same device or devices connected to the same access point (AP) (e.g., mobile hotspot).

According to an embodiment, the first electronic device <NUM> may be configured to perform a BLE scan for a UWB ranging operation. The memory <NUM> of the first electronic device <NUM> may store a UWB application. For example, the UWB application may be installed in the first electronic device <NUM> by a manufacturer or installed in the first electronic device <NUM> by a user. The UWB application may perform the BLE scan for UWB ranging at an arbitrary or specified point in time. For example, the processor <NUM> may perform the BLE scan using the first communication circuit <NUM> in response to a request of the UWB application.

The UWB application may set a scan parameter in the first electronic device <NUM>. For example, the scan parameter may be set by a manufacturer or by a user. The scan parameter may include, for example, information on a duty cycle (e.g., an activation time period and length of the first communication circuit <NUM>) of the BLE scan for UWB communication. The processor <NUM> may perform the BLE scan by controlling the first communication circuit <NUM> according to the scan parameter. The BLE scan duty cycle may be set to <NUM>% (e.g., full period <NUM>, scan interval length <NUM>). In this case, the processor <NUM> may monitor a first channel (e.g., channel <NUM>) for <NUM> from the starting point in time of the BLE scan, and then stop the BLE scan for <NUM>. The processor <NUM> may monitor a second channel (e.g., channel <NUM>) for the following <NUM> and stop the BLE scan for <NUM>. Then, the processor <NUM> may monitor a third channel (e.g., channel <NUM>) for the following <NUM> and stop the BLE scan for <NUM>. For example, the processor <NUM> may repeatedly perform the BLE scan as described above until the Bluetooth function is deactivated, until stop of the BLE scan is requested by the UWB application, or until scan is stopped based on the Bluetooth protocol.

In an example, when the BLE scan for UWB ranging is performed, the processor <NUM> may transmit only information about an electronic device that satisfies a specified condition among other discovered electronic devices to the UWB application. For example, the electronic device that satisfies a specified condition may be an electronic device in which a UWB application is installed. For another example, the electronic device that satisfies a specified condition may be an electronic device corresponding to an identifier of another electronic device stored in the memory <NUM>.

The first electronic device <NUM> may communicate with the second electronic device <NUM> and the third electronic device <NUM> using the first communication circuit <NUM>. The first electronic device <NUM> may establish a first link with the second electronic device <NUM> using the first communication circuit <NUM> and communicate with the second electronic device <NUM> through the first link. The first electronic device <NUM> may establish a second link with the second electronic device <NUM> and communicate with the third electronic device <NUM> through the second link.

In the following, communication of the first electronic device <NUM> with the second electronic device <NUM> and the third electronic device <NUM> may be described with reference to <FIG>.

<FIG> illustrates a signal flow diagram of scan result sharing according to an embodiment.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, in operation <NUM>, the first electronic device <NUM> and the second electronic device <NUM> may establish a first link (<NUM>). For example, the first electronic device <NUM> may periodically perform a scan (e.g., the BLE scan) using the first communication circuit <NUM>. For example, the first electronic device <NUM> may monitor advertising signals from other electronic devices by activating a receive path of the first communication circuit for a specified period (e.g., scan window) according to a specified period (e.g., scan interval). For example, the first electronic device <NUM> may be configured to monitor one channel (e.g., an advertising channel) in one interval. The second electronic device <NUM> and the third electronic device <NUM> may also be configured to perform a scan in a similar manner.

For example, the second electronic device <NUM> may transmit an advertising signal in a multicast or broadcast manner. The second electronic device <NUM> may transmit the advertising signal based on at least one of power supply, a specified time period, and/or a user input regarding the second electronic device <NUM>.

The advertising signal may include information for connection with a nearby electronic device and/or information about an account (e.g., a paired electronic device). For example, the advertising signal may include at least one of identification information about the second electronic device <NUM>, user account information, information indicating whether the second electronic device <NUM> is currently paired with another device, information about at least one previously paired device, information about devices that may be paired at the same time, transmission power, a detection region, and/or information about remaining battery capacity of the second electronic device <NUM>.

The first electronic device <NUM> may connect with the second electronic device <NUM> based on receiving the advertising signal from the second electronic device <NUM>. For example, the first electronic device <NUM> may output a user interface including information about the second electronic device <NUM> and connect with the second electronic device <NUM> based on a user input to the user interface. An exemplary user interface may be described below with reference to <FIG>. Although it has been described that the first link is established based on BLE, the embodiments of the disclosure are not limited thereto. For example, the first electronic device <NUM> and the second electronic device <NUM> may establish the first link based on Bluetooth legacy.

In operation <NUM>, the first electronic device <NUM> and the second electronic device <NUM> may share a scan parameter. For example, the first electronic device <NUM> and the second electronic device <NUM> may check whether the BLE scan for UWB communication is set by sharing a scan parameter through the first link. For another example, the first electronic device <NUM> and the second electronic device <NUM> may exchange information indicating whether the UWB application is installed. In the example of <FIG>, it may be assumed that the BLE scan for UWB communication is set for the first electronic device <NUM> and the second electronic device <NUM>. Sharing of the scan parameter may be performed at any point in time after establishment of the first link. For example, the first electronic device <NUM> may share the scan parameter when the first link is established or when the BLE scan is triggered by the UWB application.

According to an embodiment, the first electronic device <NUM> and the second electronic device <NUM> may determine a time interval (hereinafter, a comparison time interval) for comparing scan results through sharing of the scan parameter. For example, the first electronic device <NUM> and the second electronic device <NUM> may negotiate the comparison time interval based on sharing of the scan parameter. Times at which the first electronic device <NUM> and the second electronic device <NUM> receive advertising signals through the BLE scan for UWB communication may be different. Accordingly, by comparing scan results received during the comparison time interval, a device to perform UWB communication may be determined within the comparison time interval. For example, the comparison time interval may be set by the number of scan intervals, the number of scan windows, or a specified time value. In an example, the comparison time interval may be set according to the number of other electronic devices that is to share scan results with. The first electronic device <NUM> and the second electronic device <NUM> may be configured to have the same comparison time interval or different comparison time intervals. The comparison time interval may be defined as, for example, a predetermined time interval after receiving the advertising signal. The comparison time interval may be defined by the UWB application or a Bluetooth controller.

In operation <NUM>, the first electronic device <NUM> and the third electronic device <NUM> may establish a second link. For example, in a manner similar to operation <NUM>, the first electronic device <NUM> may establish the second link with the third electronic device <NUM> using the first communication circuit <NUM>.

In operation <NUM>, the first electronic device <NUM> and the third electronic device <NUM> may share the scan parameter through the second link. The first electronic device <NUM> and the third electronic device <NUM> may share the scan parameter in a manner similar to operation <NUM>. It may be assumed that the BLE scan for UWB communication is set for the first electronic device <NUM> and the third electronic device <NUM>.

In operation <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM> may receive an advertising signal from the external electronic device <NUM>. For example, the second electronic device <NUM> may perform the BLE scan by the UWB application. Through the BLE scan, the second electronic device <NUM> may receive an advertising signal including an advertising packet from the external electronic device <NUM>.

In operation <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM> may share a scan result with the first electronic device <NUM> through the first link. The scan result may include, for example, information on reception strength of the received advertising signal and Bluetooth address information about the external electronic device <NUM>. The scan result may further include reception sensitivity, a PHY type of the advertising packet, an advertising packet type, an event type indicating a scan response, reception channel information, advertiser transmission power, a manufacturer identifier, and first link clock information upon reception of the advertising packet, and the like. In an example, the first electronic device <NUM> may share the scan result received from the second electronic device <NUM> with the third electronic device <NUM>. When the second electronic device <NUM> and the third electronic device <NUM> have a separate link, the second electronic device <NUM> may share the scan result with the third electronic device <NUM>.

In operation <NUM>, the third electronic device <NUM> may receive an advertising signal from the external electronic device <NUM>. For example, the third electronic device <NUM> may perform the BLE scan by the UWB application. Through the BLE scan, the third electronic device <NUM> may receive an advertising signal including an advertising packet from the external electronic device <NUM>.

In operation <NUM>, the third electronic device <NUM> may share a scan result with the first electronic device <NUM>. The third electronic device <NUM> may transmit the scan result to the first electronic device <NUM> through the second link. In an example, the first electronic device <NUM> may share the scan result received from the third electronic device <NUM> with the second electronic device <NUM>. When the second electronic device <NUM> and the third electronic device <NUM> have a separate link, the third electronic device <NUM> may share the scan result with the second electronic device <NUM>.

In operation <NUM>, the first electronic device <NUM> may receive an advertising signal from the external electronic device <NUM>. For example, the first electronic device <NUM> may perform the BLE scan by the UWB application. Through the BLE scan, the first electronic device <NUM> may receive an advertising signal including an advertising packet from the external electronic device <NUM>.

In operation <NUM>, the first electronic device <NUM> may share the scan result with the second electronic device <NUM> and the third electronic device <NUM>. The first electronic device <NUM> may transmit the scan result to the second electronic device <NUM> through the first link and transmit the scan result to the third electronic device <NUM> through the second link.

For example, the first electronic device <NUM> may collect the scan result of the first electronic device <NUM>, the scan result of the second electronic device <NUM>, and the scan result of the third electronic device <NUM>, and transmit the collected results to the second electronic device <NUM> and the third electronic device <NUM>. For another example, when the first electronic device <NUM> receives the scan result, the first electronic device <NUM> may share the scan result with other connected electronic devices.

According to an embodiment, each of the first electronic device <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM>, and the third electronic device <NUM> may determine an electronic device to perform UWB communication by comparing the scan results. For example, the first electronic device <NUM> may determine the first electronic device <NUM> as the device to perform UWB communication when the advertising signal that the first electronic device <NUM> has received has better reception strength or sensitivity than those of the second electronic device <NUM> and the third electronic device <NUM>. In this case, the second electronic device <NUM> and the third electronic device <NUM> may not perform UWB communication because the scan result of the first electronic device <NUM> are better than their own scan results.

For example, the first electronic device <NUM> may compare scan results received within the comparison time interval with the first electronic device's own scan result. The comparison time interval may be a predetermined time before reception of the advertising signal, a predetermined time including reception of the advertising signal, or a predetermined time after reception of the advertising signal. For example, the second electronic device <NUM> do not receive scan results from other electronic devices when the second electronic device <NUM> receives the advertising signal (operation <NUM>). In this case, the second electronic device <NUM> may determine the device to perform UWB communication using scan results received during the comparison time interval after reception of the advertising signal. Upon reception of the advertising signal (e.g., operation <NUM>), the first electronic device <NUM> may be in a state in which scan results have been acquired from all electronic devices (the second electronic device <NUM> and the third electronic device <NUM>) that will share the scan results. In this case, the first electronic device <NUM> may determine the device to perform UWB communication using scan results received within the comparison time interval before reception of the advertising signal.

In <FIG>, various operations are described centering on sharing of scan results, but some operations may be omitted. For example, when there is no electronic device to share the scan result with, the first electronic device <NUM> may not share scan results and determine the device to perform UWB communication.

According to an embodiment, scan result sharing (e.g., operation <NUM> and/or operation <NUM>) may be omitted. The first electronic device <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM>, and the third electronic device <NUM> may be configured to share the scan results when reception strengths of advertising signals are greater than or equal to a threshold value. When the reception strength of the advertising signal of one electronic device (e.g., the first electronic device <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM>, or the third electronic device <NUM>) is less than the threshold value, the corresponding electronic device may not share the scan result. For example, when reception strength of the advertising signal of a specific electronic device is less than the threshold value, the specific electronic device may not perform UWB communication. For another example, when the reception strength of the advertising signal of a specific electronic device is less than the threshold value, the specific electronic device may not receive scan results from nearby electronic devices. This may mean that reception strengths of advertising signals of all nearby electronic devices including the specific electronic device being less than the threshold value. All nearby electronic devices including the specific electronic device may be configured to, when reception strengths of the all nearby electronic devices are less than the threshold value, attempt UWB communication.

In <FIG>, it has been described that the scan results are shared by the first electronic device <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM>, and the third electronic device <NUM>, but the embodiments of the disclosure are not limited thereto. For example, the scan results may be transmitted to the first electronic device <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM>, and the third electronic device <NUM> by the external electronic device <NUM>. The external electronic device <NUM> may receive signals from the first electronic device <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM>, and the third electronic device <NUM> through scanning, and identify reception strength of each received signal. The external electronic device <NUM> may transmit the identified reception strengths to the first electronic device <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM>, and/or the third electronic device <NUM>. Each of the first electronic device <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM>, and the third electronic device <NUM> may determine the electronic device to perform UWB communication based on the reception strength received from the external electronic device <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates user interfaces (UI) showing connections of devices in a Bluetooth network environment according to an embodiment.

Referring to <FIG>, at reference numeral <NUM>, the first electronic device <NUM> may recognize the second electronic device <NUM> by receiving the advertising signal transmitted from the second electronic device <NUM>, and may output, through a display <NUM> of the first electronic device <NUM>, a first user interface <NUM> for informing the user of the recognized second electronic device <NUM>.

For example, the first user interface <NUM> may include at least one of an image <NUM> representing the shape of the second electronic device <NUM> or a text <NUM> indicating a device name (e.g., My Galaxy Buds) of the second electronic device <NUM>. For another example, although not illustrated in <FIG>, the first user interface <NUM> may include information indicating whether or not the second electronic device <NUM> has a history of previous connections.

According to an embodiment, the first electronic device <NUM> may establish (e.g., operation <NUM> of <FIG>) the first link with the second electronic device <NUM>, in response to receiving a user input to a connecting UI <NUM> for requesting connection to the second electronic device <NUM> or automatically without the user input.

Once the first link is established, as in reference numeral <NUM>, the first electronic device <NUM> may output, through the display <NUM>, a second user interface <NUM> indicating that the second electronic device <NUM> is connected to the first electronic device <NUM>. The second user interface <NUM> may further include, for example, an image <NUM> indicating a battery state of the second electronic device <NUM>. The second user interface <NUM> may include volume information <NUM> related to the second electronic device <NUM>. The second user interface <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> is exemplary, and embodiments of the disclosure are not limited thereto. For example, although a case is illustrated in the second user interface <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM> may not include the case, or the case of the second electronic device <NUM> may not be illustrated in the second user interface <NUM>. For another example, the volume information <NUM> may be omitted.

<FIG> illustrates scan result sharing between electronic devices according to an embodiment.

Referring to <FIG>, each of the first electronic device <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM>, and the third electronic device <NUM> may perform a periodic BLE scan. For example, each of the first electronic device <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM>, and the third electronic device <NUM> may perform the BLE scan based on a request from the UWB application. The first electronic device <NUM> may scan channel <NUM> in interval T10, channel <NUM> in interval T11, channel <NUM> in interval T12, and channel <NUM> in interval T13. The second electronic device <NUM> may scan channel <NUM> in interval T21, channel <NUM> in interval T22, and channel <NUM> in interval T23. The third electronic device <NUM> may scan channel <NUM> in interval T31, channel <NUM> in interval T32, and channel <NUM> in interval T33.

In interval T31, the third electronic device <NUM> may perform the BLE scan on channel <NUM> and receive an advertising signal transmitted through channel <NUM> from the external electronic device <NUM>. In response to receiving the advertising signal, the third electronic device <NUM> may transmit a first signal S1 including a scan result to the first electronic device <NUM>. The first electronic device <NUM> may transmit a second signal S2 including the scan result received from the third electronic device <NUM> to the second electronic device <NUM> sharing the scan parameter. For example, the first electronic device <NUM> may transmit the scan result of the third electronic device <NUM> through the first link.

In interval T22, the second electronic device <NUM> may perform the BLE scan on channel <NUM> and receive an advertising signal transmitted through channel <NUM> from the external electronic device <NUM>. In response to receiving the advertising signal, the second electronic device <NUM> may transmit a third signal S3 including a scan result to the first electronic device <NUM>. The first electronic device <NUM> may transmit a fourth signal S4 including the scan result received from the second electronic device <NUM> to the third electronic device <NUM> sharing the scan parameter. For example, the first electronic device <NUM> may transmit the scan result of the second electronic device <NUM> through the second link.

In interval T13, the first electronic device <NUM> may perform the BLE scan on channel <NUM> and receive an advertising signal transmitted through channel <NUM> from the external electronic device <NUM>. In response to receiving the advertising signal, the first electronic device <NUM> may transmit a fifth signal S5 including the scan result to the second electronic device <NUM> through the first link, and may transmit a sixth signal S6 including the scan result to the third electronic device <NUM> through the second link.

According to an embodiment, the first electronic device <NUM> may determine an electronic device to perform UWB communication based on the scan result. For example, the first electronic device <NUM> may determine the electronic device to perform UWB communication by comparing the scan results received within the comparison time interval T with the scan result of the first electronic device <NUM>. The first electronic device <NUM> may determine an electronic device having the best communication quality among electronic devices sharing the scan parameter (e.g., the first electronic device <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM>, and the third electronic device <NUM>) as the electronic device to perform UWB communication. For example, when the communication quality of the first electronic device <NUM> is the best, the first electronic device <NUM> may perform the UWB communication (e.g., operation <NUM> of <FIG>) with the external electronic device <NUM>.

In an example, communication quality of the second electronic device <NUM> may be improved during the UWB communication between the first electronic device <NUM> and the external electronic device <NUM>. For example, as the second electronic device <NUM> moves closer to the external electronic device <NUM>, the reception strength of the advertising signal may be increased. In this case, the second electronic device <NUM> may compare the reception strength of the received advertising signal with the previously shared scan results. When the reception strength of the second electronic device <NUM> is better than the previously received scan results of the first electronic device <NUM> and the third electronic device <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM> may also perform the UWB communication with the external electronic device <NUM>.

In the example of <FIG>, the comparison time interval T may be set to three scan intervals or three scan windows. For example, the comparison time interval T may be set according to the number of electronic devices sharing the scan results.

<FIG> illustrates a signal flow diagram of UWB ranging according to link quality according to an embodiment.

With reference to <FIG>, the determination of the UWB communication device according to sharing of scan results has been described. However, embodiments of the disclosure are not limited thereto. According to an embodiment, the first electronic device <NUM> may determine the device to perform UWB communication based on communication quality (e.g., the scan results and/or link quality).

Referring to <FIG>, in operation <NUM>, the external electronic device <NUM> may transmit an advertising signal. The first electronic device <NUM> may receive the advertising signal by scanning channel <NUM> in interval T11, and the second electronic device <NUM> may receive the advertising signal by scanning channel <NUM> in interval T21.

In operation <NUM>, the first electronic device <NUM> may create a first communication link with the external electronic device <NUM>. The first electronic device <NUM> may create the first communication link based on receiving the advertising signal. For example, the first electronic device <NUM> may exchange information (e.g., security information and/or authentication information) for UWB communication through the first communication link.

In operation <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM> may create a second communication link with the external electronic device <NUM>. The second electronic device <NUM> may create the second communication link based on receiving the advertising signal. For example, the second electronic device <NUM> may exchange information (e.g., security information and/or authentication information) for UWB communication through the second communication link.

In operation <NUM>, the first electronic device <NUM> and the second electronic device <NUM> may compare link qualities. The first electronic device <NUM> may transmit information about the quality of the first communication link to the second electronic device <NUM> through the first link. The second electronic device <NUM> may transmit information about the quality of the second communication link to the first electronic device <NUM> through the first link. In an example, the link quality of the first communication link may be better than that of the second communication link. In this case, in operation <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM> may release the second communication link. The second electronic device <NUM> may release the second communication link with the external electronic device <NUM>, and may not perform any further operations for UWB communication.

In operation <NUM>, the first electronic device <NUM> may perform UWB ranging with the external electronic device <NUM> (e.g., operation <NUM> of <FIG>). The first electronic device <NUM> may exchange information for UWB ranging through the first communication link and activate a UWB module (e.g., the second communication circuit <NUM> of <FIG>) of the first electronic device <NUM>. In the example of <FIG>, the first electronic device <NUM> may compare communication qualities more accurately than the scan result by comparing link qualities.

<FIG> illustrates a flowchart of a UWB communication method for an electronic device according to an embodiment.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, in operation <NUM>, an electronic device (e.g., the first electronic device <NUM> of <FIG>) may connect communication with at least one first external electronic device (e.g., the second electronic device <NUM> of <FIG> and/or the third electronic device <NUM>). For example, the electronic device may connect communication with at least one first external electronic device using a first communication circuit (e.g., the first communication circuit <NUM> of <FIG>). The first communication circuit may connect communication with at least one first external electronic device based on a Bluetooth protocol (e.g., Bluetooth legacy and/or BLE) (e.g., operations <NUM> and <NUM> of <FIG>).

After communication is connected, the electronic device may identify whether the at least one first external electronic device supports a Bluetooth scan for UWB communication. For example, the electronic device may receive a scan parameter from the at least one first external electronic device at any point in time. The electronic device may identify whether the at least one first external electronic device is a device configured to perform the Bluetooth scan for UWB communication based on the scan parameter. In the example of <FIG>, it may be assumed that the at least one first external electronic device is the device configured to perform the Bluetooth scan for UWB communication.

In operation <NUM>, the electronic device may receive a signal (e.g., operation <NUM> of <FIG>) from a second external electronic device (e.g., the external electronic device <NUM> of <FIG>). The electronic device may receive an advertising signal from the second external electronic device using the first communication circuit. For example, the electronic device may receive a signal from the second external electronic device by performing a Bluetooth scan using the first communication circuit in response to a request of the UWB application.

In operation <NUM>, the electronic device may transmit first quality information related to signal reception quality from the second external electronic device to at least one first external electronic device (e.g., operation <NUM> of <FIG>). The first quality information may include reception quality (e.g., reception sensitivity and/or reception strength) of the signal received from the second external electronic device. The electronic device may transmit identification information (e.g., the identifier of the first external electronic device and/or the address of the first external electronic device) about the first external electronic device to at least one first external electronic device, together with the first quality information. For example, the electronic device may transmit the first quality information using the first communication circuit.

In operation <NUM>, the electronic device may receive second quality information related to communication between the at least one first external electronic device and the second external electronic device from the at least one first external electronic device (e.g., operations <NUM> and <NUM> of <FIG>). The second quality information may include reception quality (e.g., reception sensitivity and/or reception strength) of the signal received by the at least one first external electronic device from the second external electronic device. For example, the electronic device may receive the second quality information using the first communication circuit.

In operation <NUM>, the electronic device may determine whether to perform UWB protocol based communication with the second external electronic device. The electronic device may compare the first quality information and the second quality information and determine a device to communicate with the second external electronic device from among the electronic device and the at least one first external electronic device. The electronic device may compare the first quality information with the second quality information and determine a device having the best quality as a device to communicate with the second external electronic device. When the electronic device is not determined as a device to communicate with the second external electronic device (e.g., NO in operation <NUM>), the electronic device may not perform UWB communication.

When the electronic device is determined as the device to communicate with the second external electronic device (e.g., YES in operation <NUM>), in operation <NUM>, the electronic device may communicate with the second external electronic device based on UWB. The electronic device may activate a second communication circuit (e.g., the second communication circuit <NUM> of <FIG>) and perform UWB ranging with the second external electronic device.

In an example, even if the electronic device performs UWB ranging, the at least one first external electronic device may also perform UWB ranging with the second external electronic device. For example, the communication quality of one first external electronic device among at least one first external electronic device may be improved. When the communication quality of one first external electronic device is superior to that of the electronic device, the corresponding first external electronic device may also perform UWB ranging with the second external electronic device.

In various embodiments of the disclosure, it is disclosed that the electronic device and one external electronic device perform ranging, but the embodiments of the disclosure are not limited thereto. The electronic device may perform ranging with a plurality of external electronic devices. For example, when an application of the electronic device requires high accuracy or high security, the electronic device may be configured to perform UWB ranging with a plurality of external electronic devices.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, in operation <NUM>, an electronic device (e.g., the first electronic device <NUM> of <FIG>) may receive a signal (e.g., operation <NUM> of <FIG>) from a second external electronic device (e.g., the external electronic device <NUM> of <FIG>). The electronic device may receive an advertising signal from the second external electronic device using a first communication circuit (e.g., the first communication circuit <NUM> of <FIG>). For example, the electronic device may receive a signal from the second external electronic device by performing a Bluetooth scan using the first communication circuit in response to a request of the UWB application.

In operation <NUM>, the electronic device may determine whether quality information is able to be shared with at least one first external electronic device (e.g., the second electronic device <NUM> and/or the third electronic device <NUM> of <FIG>). For example, if the electronic device is in a state of being connected to at least one first external electronic device based on Bluetooth, and the at least one connected first external electronic device is a device to perform the Bluetooth scan for UWB communication, the electronic device may determine that the at least one first external electronic device is in a sharing possible state. For example, the electronic device may identify whether the external electronic device is a device configured to perform the Bluetooth scan for UWB communication by receiving a scan parameter from the at least one first external electronic device at a point in time.

When sharing of quality information with the at least one first external electronic device is possible (e.g., YES in operation <NUM>), in operation <NUM>, the electronic device may share quality information with the at least one first external electronic device. For example, the electronic device may share quality information using the first communication circuit. The electronic device may share quality information by performing operations <NUM> and <NUM> of <FIG>.

In operation <NUM>, the electronic device may determine whether to perform UWB protocol based communication with the second external electronic device. The electronic device may compare the shared quality information and determine a device to communicate with the second external electronic device from among the electronic device and the at least one first external electronic device. The electronic device may compare first quality information with second quality information and determine a device having the best quality as the device to communicate with the second external electronic device. When the electronic device is not determined as the device to communicate with the second external electronic device (e.g., NO in operation <NUM>), the electronic device may not perform UWB communication.

When it is not possible to share quality information with the at least one first external electronic device (e.g., NO in operation <NUM>), the electronic device may communicate with the first external electronic device based on UWB (operation <NUM>) without sharing quality information.

Claim 1:
An electronic device comprising:
a first communication circuit configured to support communication according to a Bluetooth protocol;
a second communication circuit configured to support communication according to an ultra-wideband (UWB) protocol;
a processor; and
a memory, wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic device to:
receive a first signal from a second external electronic device using the first communication circuit;
transmit, to at least one first external electronic device, first quality information related to communication with the second external electronic device using the first communication circuit;
receive, from the at least one first external electronic device, second quality information related to communication between the at least one first external electronic device and the second external electronic device using the first communication circuit;
determine, based on the first quality information and the second quality information, a device to communicate with the second external electronic device based on the UWB protocol, from among the electronic device and the at least one first external electronic device; and
communicate with the second external electronic device using the second communication circuit based on the determination.