IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,222,416
Granted Patent B2
US 12,222,416 · App. 17/668,528 · Granted Feb 11, 2025

Electronic device for identifying attribute of object by using millimeter wave and control method therefor

Inventors: Hyunkee Min (Gyeonggi-do, KR); Chiho Kim (Gyeonggi-do, KR); Junghun Lee (Gyeonggi-do, KR); Taehun Lim (Gyeonggi-do, KR); Junsu Choi (Gyeonggi-do, KR)
Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
G01S13/08G01S13/867G06V40/172G08C17/02H01Q21/08
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 12,222,416
App. No.
17/668,528
Granted
Feb 11, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

According to various embodiments, an electronic device using a millimeter wave comprises: a first antenna array; a second antenna array; a communication circuit; and at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor may be configured to: control the communication circuit to output a first signal through the first antenna array; when a first reflected signal acquired from the first signal reflected by an object is received through the second antenna array, determine the range between the object and the electronic device on the basis of the first reflected signal; determine an output period of a second signal on the basis of the determined range; control the communication circuit to output the second signal through the first antenna array according to the determined output period; and when a second reflected signal acquired from the second signal reflected by the object is received through the second antenna array, identify an attribute of the object on the basis of the second reflected signal. Various other embodiments may be possible.

Claims (53)

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a first antenna array;

a second antenna array;

a communication circuit;

a camera;

at least one hardware processor, and

memory, wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one hardware processor, cause the electronic device to:

control the communication circuit to output a first signal through the first antenna array,

receive, through the second antenna array, a first reflection signal of the first signal reflected by an object,

determine a distance between the object and the electronic device based on the first reflection signal,

based on the distance, determine whether the distance is less than a first threshold distance,

based on the distance being equal to or less than the first threshold distance:

determine whether an angle of incidence of the first reflection signal is equal to or less than a threshold angle, wherein the angle of incidence of the first reflection signal includes a maximum angle among angles of incidence detected with respect to the camera,

when the angle of incidence of the first reflection signal is equal to or less than the threshold angle, determine an output period of a second signal as a first output period,

set a mode of the electronic device to a gesture recognition mode configured to identify a gesture of the object, after determining the first output period of the second signal, and

output the second signal based on the first output period of the second signal in the gesture recognition mode,

based on the distance being greater than the first threshold distance:

determine whether the distance is less than a second threshold distance longer than the first threshold distance,

based on the distance is equal to or less than the second threshold distance, determine whether the object corresponds to a face of a user,

based on the object corresponding to the face of the user, determine the output period of the second signal as a second output period shorter than the first output period,

set the mode of the electronic device to an authentication mode configured to identify the face of the user, after determining the second output period of the second signal, and

output the second signal based on the second output period of the second signal in the authentication mode.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein an authentication function in the authentication mode is performed based on an image of the object obtained from the camera and an attribute of the object.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the attribute of the object comprises at least one of a position of the object, a material of the object, an angle of the object, an area of the object, a shape of the object, a direction of a movement of the object, or a speed of the movement.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions that, when executed by the at least one hardware processor, cause the electronic device to:

detect an occurrence of an event on the electronic device, and

control the communication circuit to output the first signal, in response to detecting the occurrence of the event.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the event comprises at least one of turn-on of a display, execution of a predesignated application, or reception of sensing data from a sensor.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions that, when executed by the at least one hardware processor, cause the electronic device to determine the first output period for outputting the second signal and the second output period for outputting the second signal, based on at least one of a type of a running application, a type of an occurring event, or sensing data obtained from a sensor.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions that, when executed by the at least one hardware processor, cause the electronic device to:

identify an operation state of the electronic device,

determine an output period of the first signal based on the identified operation state, and

control the communication circuit to output the first signal according to the determined output period of the first signal.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions that, when executed by the at least one hardware processor, cause the electronic device to:

determine at least one of time duration or a number of repetitions for outputting the second signal, based on the distance between the object and the electronic device, and

control the communication circuit to output the second signal according to at least one of the first output period of the second signal, the second output period of the second signal, the time duration, or the number of repetitions.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions that, when executed by the at least one hardware processor, cause the electronic device to identify the attribute of the object based on at least one a time-of-flight (ToF) identified from the second reflection signal, a channel impulse response, an amplitude, a phase, or an angle of reception.

10. A non-transitory storage medium storing one or more program, the one or more program comprising computer-executable instructions, when executed by at least one processor an electronic device, cause the electronic device to:

control a communication circuit of the electronic device to output a first signal through a first antenna array of the electronic device,

receive, through a second antenna array of the electronic device, a first reflection signal of the first signal reflected by an object,

determine a distance between the object and the electronic device based on the first reflection signal,

based on the distance, determine whether the distance is less than a first threshold distance,

based on the distance being equal to or less than the first threshold distance:

determine whether an angle of incidence of the first reflection signal is equal to or less than a threshold angle, wherein the angle of incidence of the first reflection signal includes a maximum angle among angles of incidence detected with respect to the camera,

when the angle of incidence of the first reflection signal is equal to or less than the threshold angle, determine an output period of a second signal as a first output period,

set a mode of the electronic device to a gesture recognition mode configured to identify a gesture of the object, after determining the first output period of the second signal, and

output the second signal based on the first output period of the second signal in the gesture recognition mode,

based on the distance being greater than the first threshold distance:

determine whether the distance is less than a second threshold distance longer than the first threshold distance,

based on the distance is equal to or less than the second threshold distance, determine whether the object corresponds to a face of a user,

based on the object corresponding to the face of the user, determine the output period of the second signal as a second output period shorter than the first output period,

set the mode of the electronic device to an authentication mode configured to identify the face of the user, after determining the second output period of the second signal, and

output the second signal based on the second output period of the second signal in the authentication mode.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 10, 2022
From: MIN, HYUNKEE; KIM, CHIHO; LEE, JUNGHUN; LIM, TAEHUN; CHOI, JUNSU
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 058970/0580 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2019-0100386 · Aug 16, 2019 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTKR2020010765 · Aug 13, 2020
Related Publication 20220163650A1 · May 26, 2022
References Cited (32)
US 10310621B1 · Lien · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 10664059B2 · Poupyrev · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 11132915B1 · Mclver · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 11869039B1 · Riding · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 20110181510A1 · Hakala · 2011 [cited by examiner]
US 20120092284A1 · Rofougaran et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 20150091694A1 · Degtyarev · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 20150207626A1 · Neftel · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 20150372735A1 · Chang · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 20160345275A1 · Zhang et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20180001952A1 · Rajamani · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20180196501A1 · Trotta · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20180357474A1 · Horng · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20190080066A1 · Van Os et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190164400A1 · Harman · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190187265A1 · Barbello · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20200019686A1 · Min et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200204541A1 · Nair · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200400811A1 · Gu · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20210088643A1 · Hayashi · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20210127076A1 · Oh · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20230288618A1 · Lev · 2023 [cited by examiner]
JP 4110896B2 · 2008 [cited by applicant]
JP 2010216980A · 2010 [cited by applicant]
JP 201926022A · 2019 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020150141414A · 2015 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020160085806A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020160097032A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020170040005A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020200006757A · 2020 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020200095691A · 2020 [cited by applicant]
Korean Office Action date Nov. 4, 2024. [cited by applicant]