IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,425,787
Granted Patent B2
US 12,425,787 · App. 18/214,001 · Granted Sep 23, 2025

Electronic apparatus for identifying position of user and control method thereof

Inventors: Jisoo Kim (Suwon-si, KR); Hyeontaek Lim (Suwon-si, KR); Boseok Moon (Suwon-si, KR); Sangdok Mo (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
H04S7/00H04S2400/11
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,425,787
App. No.
18/214,001
Granted
Sep 23, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is an electronic apparatus comprising a microphone, a communication interface, a memory, and at least one processor to control the electronic apparatus. The processor may execute at least one instruction stored in the memory to: based on a preset user voice of a user being received through the microphone, control the communication interface to request at least one first sound information from at least one home appliance, each of the at least one first sound information corresponding to the preset user voice received at each of the at least one home appliance, receive, through the communication interface, the at least one first sound information from the at least one home appliance, and identify a position of the user based on the preset user voice and the at least one first sound information.

Claims (76)

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a microphone;

a communication interface;

a memory storing at least one instruction; and

at least one processor connected to the microphone and the communication interface, and configured to execute the at least one instruction to:

based on a preset user voice of a user being received through the microphone, control the communication interface to request at least one first sound information from at least one home appliance, each of the at least one first sound information corresponding to the preset user voice received at each of the least one home appliance,

receive, through the communication interface, the at least one first sound information from the at least one home appliance, and

identify a position of the user based on the preset user voice and the at least one first sound information.

2. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the at least one instruction to:

based on the preset user voice being received through the microphone, control the communication interface to transmit time information indicating when the preset user voice is received to the at least one home appliance, and

receive, through the communication interface, the at least one first sound information corresponding to the time information from the at least one home appliance.

3. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the memory is further configured to store a position information of the at least one home appliance, and

wherein the processor is further configured to execute the at least one instruction to identify the position of the user based on the position information, the preset user voice, and the at least one first sound information.

4. The electronic apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising:

a speaker,

wherein the processor is further configured to execute the at least one instruction to:

output an inaudible sound through the speaker based on a preset event occurring,

receive, through the communication interface, at least one second sound information corresponding to the inaudible sound from the at least one home appliance, and

identify a position of the at least one home appliance based on a position of the electronic apparatus outputting the inaudible sound and the at least one second sound information.

5. The electronic apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising:

a driver,

wherein the processor is further configured to execute the at least one instruction to:

control the driver to move the electronic apparatus to each of a plurality of positions,

output the inaudible sound through the speaker at each of the plurality of positions, and

identify the position of the at least one home appliance based on the plurality of positions and the at least one second sound information received at each of the plurality of positions.

6. The electronic apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the preset event comprises at least one of an event of initializing the electronic apparatus and an event having no response to a request for the at least one first sound information.

7. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the memory is configured to store latency information of the at least one home appliance in each of a plurality of regions, and

wherein the processor is further configured to execute the at least one instruction to:

identify latency information of each of the at least one first sound information, and

identify the position of the user based on the identified latency information and the latency information stored in the memory.

8. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a driver,

wherein the processor is further configured to execute the at least one instruction to control the driver to move the electronic apparatus to the position of the user.

9. The electronic apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:

a camera,

wherein the processor is further configured to execute the at least one instruction to:

based on the electronic apparatus moving to the position of the user, capture an image through the camera, and

identify the user based on the image.

10. The electronic apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the memory is further configured to store user information in which face information of each of a plurality of users and voice information of each of the plurality of users are mapped, and

wherein the processor is further configured to execute the at least one instruction to:

obtain face information corresponding to the preset user voice based on the user information, and

identify the user corresponding to the face information from the image.

11. The electronic apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:

a speaker,

wherein the processor is further configured to execute the at least one instruction to output the preset sound through the speaker based on the face information corresponding to the preset user voice not being obtained based on the user information, or based on the user corresponding to the face information not being identified from the image.

12. A method of controlling an electronic apparatus, comprising:

receiving a preset user voice of a user;

requesting at least one first sound information from at least one home appliance, each of the at least one first sound information corresponding to the preset user voice received at each of the at least one home appliance;

receiving the at least one first sound information from the at least one home appliance; and

identifying a position of the user based on the preset user voice and the at least one first sound information.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the requesting the at least one first sound information comprises:

based on the preset user voice being received, transmitting time information about when the preset user voice is received to the at least one home appliance, and

wherein the at least one first sound information received from the at least on home appliance corresponds to the time information.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the identifying the position of the user comprises:

identifying position information of the at least one home appliance by determining latency information of each of the at least one first sound information received from each of the at least one home appliance, and

identifying the position of the user based on the position information of the at least one home appliance.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the identifying the position of the user comprises:

identifying the position of the user based on a position information of the at least one home appliance, the preset user voice, and the at least one first sound information.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the identifying the position information of the at least one home appliance comprises:

outputting an inaudible sound based on a preset event occurring;

receiving at least one second sound information corresponding to the inaudible sound from the at least one home appliance; and

identifying a position of the at least one home appliance based on a position of the electronic apparatus outputting the inaudible sound and the at least one second sound information.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

controlling the electronic apparatus to move to each of a plurality of positions;

outputting the inaudible sound at each of the plurality of positions; and

identifying the position of the at least one home appliance based on the plurality of positions and the at least one second sound information received at each of the plurality of positions.

18. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

controlling the electronic apparatus to move to the position of the user.

19. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

capturing an image at the position of the user, based on the electronic apparatus moving to the position of the user; and

identifying the user based on the image and face information corresponding to the preset user voice.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium for storing computer readable program code or instructions which are executable by a processor to perform a method of controlling an electronic apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving a preset user voice of a user;

requesting at least one first sound information from at least one home appliance, each of the at least one first sound information corresponding to the preset user voice received at each of the at least one home appliance;

receiving the at least one first sound information from the at least one home appliance; and

identifying a position of the user based on the preset user voice and the at least one first sound information.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 26, 2023
From: KIM, JISOO; LIM, HYEONTAEK; MOON, BOSEOK; MO, SANGDOK
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 064056/0660 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2022-0105490 · Aug 23, 2022 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTKR2023007283 · May 26, 2023
Related Publication 20240073637A1 · Feb 29, 2024
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