IP Library Granted Patent US 12699159
Granted Patent B2
US 12699159 · App. 18/623,947 · Granted Aug 4, 2026

Method for directing user and electronic device

Inventors: Qi Wang (Shenzhen, CN); Lan Peng (Shenzhen, CN); Zhenguo Du (Shenzhen, CN)
Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
G01S3/805
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12699159
App. No.
18/623,947
Granted
Aug 4, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

This application provides a method for directing a user and an electronic device. A first electronic device exchanges an ultrasonic signal with a second electronic device, and the first electronic device outputs a directing signal according to the ultrasonic signal and angle information between the two devices, to guide user to search for the second electronic device. The first electronic device and the second electronic device do not need to be installed with a UWB chip, thereby reducing costs.

Claims (57)

1 . A method for a first electronic device directing a user, the method comprising:

determining, by the first electronic device and based on a first ultrasonic signal sent by a second electronic device, information about a first angle of the second electronic device relative to the first electronic device;

outputting, by the first electronic device, a first prompt signal, the first prompt signal prompting the user to rotate the first electronic device;

determining, by the first electronic device and based on a second ultrasonic signal sent by the second electronic device, information about a second angle of the second electronic device relative to the first electronic device; and

outputting, by the first electronic device, a first directing signal based on the information about the first angle, the information about the second angle, and a rotation angle of the first electronic device, the first directing signal directing the user to search for the second electronic device.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the outputting a first directing signal based on the information about the first angle, the information about the second angle, and a rotation angle of the first electronic device comprises:

determining, based on the information about the first angle, the information about the second angle, and the rotation angle of the first electronic device, a target angle of the second electronic device relative to the first electronic device; and

outputting the first directing signal based on the target angle, wherein the first directing signal is for directing the user to search for the second electronic device based on the target angle.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the determining, based on the information about the first angle, the information about the second angle, and the rotation angle of the first electronic device, a target angle of the second electronic device relative to the first electronic device comprises:

determining information about a third angle based on the rotation angle of the first electronic device and the information about the first angle; and

determining the target angle based on the information about the second angle and the information about the third angle.

4 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein the information about the first angle indicates the first angle and the second angle, and the second angle is an angle opposite to the first angle, wherein

the determining information about a third angle based on the rotation angle of the first electronic device and the information about the first angle comprises:

subtracting the rotation angle of the first electronic device from the first angle indicated by the information about the first angle, to obtain the third angle; and

subtracting the rotation angle of the first electronic device from the second angle indicated by the information about the first angle, to obtain a fourth angle, wherein the information about the third angle indicates the third angle and the fourth angle.

5 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein the information about the second angle indicates a fifth angle and a sixth angle, and the sixth angle is an angle opposite to the fifth angle, wherein

the determining the target angle based on the information about the second angle and the information about the third angle comprises:

determining two closest angles in the third angle, the fourth angle, the fifth angle, and the sixth angle; and

determining the target angle based on the two closest angles.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

sending a first notification message to the second electronic device in response to a first operation instruction, wherein the first notification message is for notifying the second electronic device to send an ultrasonic signal; and

receiving the first ultrasonic signal from the second electronic device.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein after the outputting a first prompt signal, the method further comprises:

sending a second notification message to the second electronic device, wherein the second notification message is for notifying the second electronic device to send an ultrasonic signal; and

receiving the second ultrasonic signal from the second electronic device.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

sending a third notification message to the second electronic device in response to a first operation instruction, wherein the third notification message is for notifying the second electronic device to periodically send an ultrasonic signal, and the ultrasonic signal periodically sent by the second electronic device comprises the first ultrasonic signal and the second ultrasonic signal.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

determining signal strength of a received third ultrasonic signal; and

outputting a second directing signal, wherein the second directing signal indicates the signal strength.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first electronic device comprises a first microphone and a second microphone, and a distance between the first microphone and the second microphone is greater than a preset distance.

11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein:

the determining, based on the first ultrasonic signal sent by the second electronic device, information about the first angle of the second electronic device relative to the first electronic device comprises:

determining, based on the first ultrasonic signal, a first distance difference between a distance between a speaker of the second electronic device that sends the first ultrasonic signal and the first microphone and a distance between the speaker and the second microphone; and

determining the information about the first angle based on the first distance difference and the distance between the first microphone and the second microphone; and

the determining, based on a second ultrasonic signal sent by the second electronic device, information about a second angle of the second electronic device relative to the first electronic device comprises:

determining, based on the second ultrasonic signal, a second distance difference between the distance between the speaker of the second electronic device that sends the second ultrasonic signal and the first microphone and the distance between the speaker and the second microphone; and

determining the information about the second angle based on the second distance difference and the distance between the first microphone and the second microphone.

12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein:

the determining, based on the first ultrasonic signal, the first distance difference between the distance between the speaker of the second electronic device that sends the first ultrasonic signal and the first microphone and the distance between the speaker and the second microphone comprises:

determining, based on the first ultrasonic signal and a sound speed, the first distance difference between the distance between the speaker of the second electronic device and the first microphone and the distance between the speaker and the second microphone; and

the determining, based on the second ultrasonic signal, the second distance difference between the distance between the speaker of the second electronic device that sends the second ultrasonic signal and the first microphone and the distance between the speaker and the second microphone comprises:

determining, based on the second ultrasonic signal and the sound speed, the second distance difference between the distance between the speaker of the second electronic device and the first microphone and the distance between the speaker and the second microphone;

wherein the sound speed is a fixed value, or the sound speed is determined based on a temperature, wherein the temperature is obtained by the first electronic device through detection, or the temperature is received by the first electronic device from the second electronic device.

13 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first electronic device is a mobile phone, and the second electronic device is a TAG device.

14 . A first electronic device, comprising:

a memory storing instructions; and

at least one processor in communication with the memory, the at least one processor configured, upon execution of the instructions, to perform the following steps:

determining, based on a first ultrasonic signal sent by a second electronic device, information about a first angle of the second electronic device relative to the first electronic device;

outputting a first prompt signal, the first prompt signal prompting the user to rotate the first electronic device;

determining, based on a second ultrasonic signal sent by the second electronic device, information about a second angle of the second electronic device relative to the first electronic device; and

outputting a first directing signal based on the information about the first angle, the information about the second angle, and a rotation angle of the first electronic device, the first directing signal directing the user to search for the second electronic device.

15 . A non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer instructions that configure at least one processor of a first electronic device, upon execution of the instructions, to perform the following steps:

determining, based on a first ultrasonic signal sent by a second electronic device, information about a first angle of the second electronic device relative to the first electronic device;

outputting a first prompt signal, the first prompt signal prompting the user to rotate the first electronic device;

determining, based on a second ultrasonic signal sent by the second electronic device, information about a second angle of the second electronic device relative to the first electronic device; and

outputting a first directing signal based on the information about the first angle, the information about the second angle, and a rotation angle of the first electronic device, the first directing signal directing the user to search for the second electronic device.