Electronic device and method for identifying location by electronic device

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor electrically connected with the memory,

wherein the processor is configured to:

obtain a plurality of locations in a space,

detect a wireless signal from at least one external electronic device located in the space,

obtain detection count data according to a number of detections of the wireless signal,

identify at least one candidate location among the plurality of locations based on at least part of the detection count data, and

identify a current location of the electronic device based on the at least one candidate location, and

wherein the at least one candidate location is at least one location corresponding to reference data of a ratio same as or similar to a ratio of the detection count data from a database stored in the memory.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to identify that at least one location adjacent to a prior-identified location of the electronic device is the at least one candidate location, when the at least one location corresponding to the reference data of the same or similar ratio to the detection count data is not identified.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to, when there are a plurality of candidate locations:

identify a similarity between each of the plurality of candidate locations and a wireless communication fingerprint of the electronic device, the wireless communication fingerprint set based on a strength of the wireless signal detected from the at least one external electronic device, and

determine that a candidate location with a highest similarity as identified is the current location.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to, when there are a plurality of candidate locations, determine that a midway location of a predetermined area between selected adjacent candidate locations is the current location.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

identify a plurality of candidate locations among the plurality of locations based on a signal strength of the detected wireless signal, and

identify the current location among the plurality of identified candidate locations based on the detection count data.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate the reference data used for identifying a candidate location in each of the plurality of locations before obtaining the plurality of locations in the space according to a request for identifying the current location of the electronic device,

control the memory to store the generated reference data in a database of the memory, and

when generating the reference data:

set the space and set the plurality of locations to be identified in the set space,

generate a map for the space using the plurality of set locations,

detect the wireless signal from the at least one external electronic device in each of the plurality of locations during a preset time,

obtain the detection count data for the detected wireless signal, and

generate the reference data using the generated map and the obtained detection count data.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

split the space into preset unit areas,

obtain the detection count data for the wireless signal detected from the at least one external electronic device in each of the preset unit areas, and

differentiate the plurality of locations based on the obtained detection count data.

8. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to set space areas divided by a user according to a property of the space as the plurality of locations.

9. The electronic device of claim 6 , further comprising a display,

wherein the processor is further configured to:

control the display to display the generated map visually representing the candidate location and the plurality of locations identified in the space,

upon identifying the current location of the electronic device, control the display to display the identified current location on the generated map, and

when the current location is identified, update pre-stored reference data based on the obtained detection count data.

10. A method for identifying a location by an electronic device, the method comprising:

obtaining a plurality of locations in a space;

detecting a wireless signal from at least one external electronic device located in the space;

obtaining detection count data according to a number of detections of the wireless signal;

identifying at least one candidate location among the plurality of locations based on at least part of the detection count data; and

identifying a current location of the electronic device based on the at least one candidate location,

wherein the at least one candidate location is at least one location corresponding to reference data of a ratio same as or similar to a ratio of the detection count data from a database stored in a memory.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the identifying of the at least one candidate location comprises identifying that at least one location adjacent to a prior-identified location of the electronic device is the at least one candidate location, when the at least one location corresponding to the reference data of the same or similar ratio to the detection count data is not identified.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the identifying of the current location comprises, when there are a plurality of candidate locations as identified:

identifying a similarity between each of the plurality of candidate locations and a wireless communication fingerprint of the electronic device, the wireless communication fingerprint set based on a strength of the wireless signal detected from the at least one external electronic device; and

determining that a candidate location with a highest similarity as identified is the current location.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

identifying a plurality of candidate locations among the plurality of locations based on a signal strength of the detected wireless signal,

wherein the current location is identified to be one of the plurality of identified candidate locations based on the detection count data.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

generating the reference data used for identifying a candidate location in each of the plurality of locations before obtaining the plurality of locations in the space according to a request for identifying the current location of the electronic device; and

controlling the memory to store the generated reference data in a database of the memory,

wherein the generating of the reference data comprises:

setting the space and the plurality of locations to be identified in the set space,

generating a map for the space using the plurality of set locations,

detecting the wireless signal from the at least one external electronic device in each of the plurality of locations during a preset time,

obtaining the detection count data for the detected wireless signal, and

generating the reference data using the generated map and the obtained detection count data.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the setting of the plurality of locations comprises:

splitting the space into preset unit areas,

obtaining the detection count data for the wireless signal detected from the at least one external electronic device in each of the preset unit areas, and

differentiating the plurality of locations based on the obtained detection count data.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the setting of the plurality of locations comprises setting space areas divided by a user according to a property of the space as the plurality of locations.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

controlling a display of the electronic device to display the generated map for the space visually representing the candidate location and the plurality of locations identified in the space; and

upon identifying the current location of the electronic device, controlling the display to display the identified current location on the generated map.

18. A computer readable recording medium recording a program running on a computer of an electronic device, the program comprising executable instructions executed by a processor to enable the processor to:

obtain a plurality of locations in a space;

detect a wireless signal from at least one external electronic device located in the space;

obtain detection count data according to a number of detections of the wireless signal;

identify at least one candidate location among the plurality of locations based on at least part of the detection count data; and

identify a current location of the electronic device based on the at least one candidate location,

wherein the at least one candidate location is at least one location corresponding to reference data of a ratio same as or similar to a ratio of the detection count data from a database stored in a memory.