WO2021107328A1

WO2021107328A1 - Electronic device for searching peripheral environment and method for operating same

Info

Publication number: WO2021107328A1
Application number: PCT/KR2020/010569
Authority: WO
Inventors: 유리에비치 니키쇼브아르템; 블라디미로비치 클레쵸브안드레이; 겐나디에비치 체르노카로브알렌산더; 이고레브나 세메르냐에카테리나; 니코라에비치 마쿠린미카일; 루돌포비치 빌렌스키아르템
Original assignee: 삼성전자주식회사
Priority date: 2019-11-28
Filing date: 2020-08-10
Publication date: 2021-06-03

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for searching a peripheral environment by an electronic device wherein: when a sensor for searching a peripheral environment can emit a plurality of senor signals in a direction belonging to a first direction range, the sensor emits the plurality of sensor signals through an antenna of a first opening, and searches a first peripheral region on the basis of reflected signals related to the plurality of sensor signals emitted through the antenna of the first opening; and when the sensor can emit a plurality of senor signals in a direction belonging to a second direction range, the sensor emits the plurality of sensor signals through an antenna of a second opening, and searches a second peripheral region on the basis of reflected signals related to the plurality of sensor signals emitted through the second opening.

Description

Electronic device searching for surrounding environment and operating method therefor

The present disclosure relates to an electronic device searching for a surrounding environment and an operating method thereof.

The sensor for searching the surrounding environment may be installed in various mobile devices to provide the mobile device with a search result of the surrounding environment so that the mobile device can determine a moving route by itself. For example, based on the information about the surrounding environment obtained by the sensor (eg, radar sensor, lidar sensor), the mobile device (eg, robot vacuum cleaner, delivery robot, vehicle) creates a map about its surrounding environment Alternatively, by detecting an object located in the surrounding environment, the moving route may be determined by itself.

The mobile device may obtain search results for various areas around it by using a sensor that searches the surrounding environment. Depending on the sensor state when the sensor signal is emitted, search results for different areas may be obtained. have.

An object of the present invention is to propose a more efficient method for searching the surrounding environment of a mobile device by using a sensor for searching the surrounding environment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present disclosure is to solve the above-described problem, and to provide an electronic device for searching a surrounding environment and an operating method thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a computer-readable recording medium in which a program for executing the method in a computer is recorded. The technical problem to be solved is not limited to the technical problems as described above, and other technical problems may exist.

1 is a diagram illustrating an example of searching a surrounding environment according to an embodiment.

2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a direction range in which a plurality of sensor signals may be radiated according to an embodiment.

3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a top down view of an electronic device emitting a plurality of sensor signals according to an embodiment.

4 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment.

5 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment.

6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of searching for a surrounding environment according to an exemplary embodiment.

7 illustrates an example of a sensor provided in an electronic device according to an embodiment.

8 illustrates an example of a sensor operating in a first operation mode and a second operation mode according to an embodiment.

9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a signal detected by a sensor according to an embodiment.

10, 11, and 12 are diagrams illustrating an example of a signal obtained by a sensor operating in a first operation mode according to an embodiment.

13 and 14 are diagrams illustrating an example of searching a second surrounding area in a second operation mode according to an embodiment.

15 is a diagram illustrating an example of detecting a state of an object according to an embodiment.

As a technical means for achieving the above-described technical problem, a first aspect of the present disclosure provides a method for searching a surrounding environment in an electronic device, in which a sensor for searching the surrounding environment is included in a first direction range, and a plurality of radiating the plurality of sensor signals through the antenna of the first opening when the sensor signals can be radiated; searching for a first peripheral area based on reflection signals of a plurality of sensor signals radiated through the antenna of the first opening; radiating the plurality of sensor signals through an antenna of a second opening when the sensor can radiate a plurality of sensor signals in a direction belonging to a second direction range; and searching for a second peripheral area based on reflection signals of a plurality of sensor signals radiated through the second opening.

In addition, according to a second aspect of the present disclosure, when a plurality of sensor signals can be radiated in a direction belonging to a first direction range in an electronic device for searching a surrounding environment, through an antenna of a first aperture , a sensing unit that radiates the plurality of sensor signals and radiates the plurality of sensor signals through an antenna of a second opening when the plurality of sensor signals can be radiated in a direction belonging to a second direction range; and based on the reflected signals for the plurality of sensor signals radiated through the antenna of the first opening, the first peripheral region is searched for, and the reflected signal for the plurality of sensor signals radiated through the second opening An electronic device that includes at least one processor that searches for a second peripheral area based on the data may be provided.

In addition, a third aspect of the present disclosure may provide a recording medium in which a program for performing the method of the first aspect is stored.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those of ordinary skill in the art can easily implement them. However, the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. And in order to clearly explain the present invention in the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted, and similar reference numerals are attached to similar parts throughout the specification.

Throughout the specification, when a part is "connected" with another part, this includes not only the case of being "directly connected" but also the case of being "electrically connected" with another element interposed therebetween. . In addition, when a part "includes" a certain component, this means that other components may be further included rather than excluding other components unless otherwise stated.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring to FIG. 1 , an electronic device 1000 according to an embodiment radiates a sensor signal through a sensor 100 for searching a surrounding environment, thereby providing a first surrounding area 110 and a second surrounding area ( 120) can be explored.

The electronic device 1000 according to an embodiment may be implemented in various forms. For example, the electronic device 1000 described herein is a movable device, and may include a delivery robot, a robot cleaner, a vehicle, and the like, but is not limited thereto.

The electronic device 1000 according to an embodiment may generate map data for the surrounding environment or detect various types of objects existing in the surrounding environment based on a result of searching the surrounding environment. Accordingly, the electronic device 1000 may determine the moving path of the electronic device 1000 according to the map data generation result and the object recognition result, and may move according to the determined moving path.

The sensor 100 according to an embodiment may radiate a plurality of sensor signals through an aperture of a predetermined size.

For example, a plurality of sensor signals may be radiated through an antenna having an opening of a predetermined size provided in the sensor 100 . The sensor 100 according to an embodiment emits a plurality of sensor signals using a plurality of antennas having openings of different sizes, and generates image data based on reflected signals of the radiated signals. By doing so, you can explore the surrounding environment. For example, the electronic device 1000 may generate map data for the surrounding environment or recognize an object existing in the surrounding environment, based on image data including the surrounding environment.

The sensor 100 according to an embodiment may be a radar sensor capable of generating image data including a surrounding environment by emitting radio signals as a sensor signal. In addition, the sensor 100 may be a lidar sensor, an image sensor, etc. capable of generating image data including a surrounding environment by emitting laser or light as a sensor signal.

The sensor 100 according to an exemplary embodiment is not limited to the above-described example, and may be various types of sensors capable of searching a surrounding environment.

According to an embodiment, as the size of the opening, that is, the larger the area, the greater the directivity of the emitted sensor signals, the more distant the surrounding

environments

111 and 113 may be searched. , a narrower range of the surrounding environment 112 may be explored. On the other hand, as the area of the opening of the antenna becomes narrower, the directivity of the radiated sensor signals decreases, so that a nearby environment may be searched at a closer distance, but the surrounding environment 121 of a wider range may be searched in a vertical plane. .

The sensor 100 according to an embodiment may radiate a plurality of sensor signals for searching the surrounding environment in various directions. For example, the sensor 100 may radiate a plurality of sensor signals in a direction horizontal to the horizontal plane while rotating on a horizontal plane, but is not limited thereto, and rotates in an omnidirentional direction, including a horizontal plane, It may radiate a plurality of sensor signals in various directions.

The sensor 100 according to an embodiment may use the antenna of the first opening when it is possible to radiate sensor signals in a direction belonging to a first direction range among various directional ranges in which a plurality of sensor signals may be radiated. By using it, a plurality of sensor signals may be radiated. For example, when the sensor 100 rotates 360 degrees on a horizontal plane and radiates a plurality of sensor signals, while the sensor 100 is in the first direction range in the 360 degree direction range, the antenna of the first opening Through , a plurality of sensor signals may be radiated.

Similarly, according to an embodiment, the sensor 100 may radiate a plurality of sensor signals through the antenna of the second opening in a direction belonging to the second direction range other than the first direction range. For example, when the sensor 100 faces a direction belonging to the second direction range among the 360 degree direction range, a plurality of sensor signals may be radiated through the antenna of the second opening.

According to an embodiment, the sensor 100 radiates a plurality of sensor signals through the antenna of the first opening together with the antenna of the second opening in the direction belonging to the second direction range, so that the first peripheral region and the second 2 surrounding areas can be searched together. Accordingly, when the sensor 100 according to an embodiment is present in the first direction range, a plurality of sensor signals may be radiated through the antenna of the first opening, and when the sensor 100 is present in the second direction range, the first opening A plurality of sensor signals may be radiated by using both the antenna of , and the antenna of the second aperture.

According to an embodiment, when the sensor signals are radiated so that the first peripheral area and the second surrounding area can be searched together in the second direction range, the sensor signal for searching the first surrounding area is expressed in Equation 1 below. Accordingly, it may be determined based on a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT).

In Equation 1,

is a complex expression containing information about the phase and amplitude of the reflected signal. R represents the radius of rotation,

may represent an angle corresponding to a boundary between the first direction range and the second direction range. λ may represent a wavelength for the reflected signal. α may represent the emitted direction of the reflected signal.

Not limited to the above-described example, the sensor signals according to an embodiment may be acquired according to various methods.

Accordingly, the sensor 100 according to an embodiment may radiate a plurality of sensor signals using antennas having different apertures according to a direction range toward which the sensor 100 is directed. As a plurality of sensor signals are radiated through antennas having different apertures, the electronic device 1000 according to an embodiment may search different surrounding areas using one sensor rotating in various directions.

Without being limited to the above-described example, the sensor 100 may radiate a plurality of sensor signals in directions belonging to different directional ranges through antennas having openings of various sizes.

The sensor 100 according to an embodiment may radiate a plurality of sensor signals using a plurality of antennas having different openings while rotating on a horizontal plane at a constant period. According to an embodiment, based on the rotation period of the sensor 100 , a direction range toward which the sensor 100 is directed may be determined.

For example, when the rotation period of the sensor 100 is T, in a time interval between n*T-10ms and n*T+10ms (n is a constant value greater than or equal to 0), a plurality of Sensor signals may be radiated. In addition, in the remaining time interval excluding the time interval between n*T-10ms and n*T+10ms, that is, in the time interval between n*T+10ms and (n+1)*T-10ms, the second opening A plurality of sensor signals may be radiated through the antenna.

When the sensor 100 according to an embodiment can radiate sensor signals in the second direction range, the sensor signals may be radiated by using not only the antenna of the second opening but also the antenna of the first opening. . According to an embodiment, the area detected by the sensor signals radiated through the antenna of the second opening is vertically wider than the area detected by the sensor signals radiated using the antenna of the first opening. may include Therefore, within the same size range, even if the sensor signals are radiated through the antenna of the second opening less times than the number of times that the sensor signals are radiated through the antenna of the first opening, regions searched by the respective sensor signals The sensor signals may be radiated so that regions overlapping each other are minimized.

For example, in the second directional range, the sensor 100 may radiate sensor signals by alternately using the antenna of the first aperture and the antenna of the second aperture. According to an embodiment, when the sensor 100 performs an operation of radiating a total of a number of sensor signals in the second direction range, the radiation operation of the sensor signal through the antenna of the second opening is performed at a predetermined interval (ex. It can be performed b times (where b is a constant value less than a) at intervals of multiples of 3). In addition, the radiation operation of the sensor signal through the antenna of the first opening may be performed a-b times in the second direction range.

For example, when the radiation operation of the sensor signal is performed N times while the sensor 100 rotates once, from the 1st to the M (M is a constant value less than N) th, a multiple of 3 intervals (ex. 1, 3, 6, 9 ... th), a radiation operation of the sensor signal through the antenna of the second opening may be performed. In addition, the remaining 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 ... In the second, the radiation operation of the sensor signal through the antenna of the first opening may be performed. In addition, from the M+1-th to the N-th, a radiation operation of the sensor signal through the antenna of the first opening may be performed.

Based on the moving speed of the electronic device 1000 according to an embodiment, the sensor may be used to stop the electronic device 1000 according to the search result of the second surrounding area while moving as shown in FIG. 1 . A range of rotational speeds of can be determined. For example, when the electronic device 1000 moves at a moving speed of 30 cm/sec, the moving distance and time taken from the moment a signal for controlling the electronic device 1000 is output until the electronic device 1000 stops It is assumed that these are 5 cm and 1/6 second, respectively. In this case, the rotation speed of the sensor should be 1/6 second or more per rotation.

In addition, the wavelength (λ) of the sensor signal emitted by the sensor according to an embodiment is 2πR/N < λ/3 (R is the rotation radius, N is the number of measurements per time to minimize distortion due to rotation) ) can be determined by Without being limited to the above-described example, the frequency of the sensor signal may be determined in various ways.

Referring to FIG. 2 , reference numeral 210 illustrates an example of a direction range in which a plurality of sensor signals may be radiated. Each of the circles shown in 210 corresponds to the position of the sensor 100 at different viewpoints as the sensor 100 rotates in a circle with a radius R on a horizontal plane when the sensor 100 is viewed from above. .

Reference numeral 220 illustrates an example of the electronic device 1000 including the sensor 100 emitting a plurality of sensor signals, viewed from the side, according to an embodiment.

When the electronic device 1000 according to an embodiment moves in the right direction, the sensor 100 may search the surrounding environment by radiating a plurality of sensor signals while rotating in a circular shape having a radius of R on a horizontal plane. .

When the sensor 100 according to an exemplary embodiment exists in a range of 211 except for a range of 212 in a range of 360 degrees, a plurality of sensor signals may be radiated through the antenna 213 of the first opening. Accordingly, when the sensor 100 is in the range of 211 , the surrounding environment detected by the sensor 100 may include an area of a relatively greater distance, but may include an area of a narrower range in the vertical plane. can For example, as the surrounding environment detected by the sensor 100 includes an area of a narrower range in a vertical plane, an object existing at a position lower or higher than the sensor 100 may be detected by the sensor 100 . It may not be included in the surrounding environment 215 searched for by the

Also, when the sensor 100 included in the electronic device 1000 according to an embodiment is in the range of 212 , a plurality of sensor signals may be radiated through the antenna 214 of the second opening. Accordingly, when the sensor 100 is in the range of 212 , the surrounding environment detected by the sensor 100 may include an area of a relatively closer distance, but may include an area of a wider range in the vertical plane. can For example, as the surrounding environment detected by the sensor 100 includes a wider area in a vertical plane, an object existing at a position lower or higher than the sensor 100 may also be detected by the sensor 100 . may be included in the surrounding environment 216 discovered by

In addition, according to an embodiment, when the sensor 100 is in the range of 212, a plurality of sensor signals are radiated by using not only the antenna 214 of the second opening but also the antenna 213 of the first opening. Thus, the surrounding area can be searched. For example, in the range of 212, when a plurality of sensor signals are radiated n times, the sensor signals may be radiated m times at a predetermined interval through the antenna 214 of the second opening. Also, through the antenna 213 of the first aperture, in the remaining range, sensor signals may be radiated n-m times.

3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a top down view of the electronic device 1000 emitting a plurality of sensor signals according to an embodiment.

The electronic device 1000 shown in FIG. 3 corresponds to the side view of the electronic device 1000 shown in FIG. 1 .

Referring to FIG. 3 , when the electronic device 1000 moves in the right direction, the sensor 100 rotates in a circular shape having a radius of a predetermined size on a horizontal plane and radiates a plurality of sensor signals, thereby protecting the surrounding environment. can explore.

When the sensor 100 according to an embodiment exists in the range 211 illustrated in FIG. 2 , the plurality of sensor signals 315 are radiated through the antenna 213 of the first opening, so that the object belongs to the area 310 .

Fields

311 and 313 may be detected.

When the sensor 100 according to an embodiment is in the range of 212 shown in FIG. 2 among the ranges of 360 degrees, as a plurality of sensor signals 322 are radiated through the antenna 214 of the second opening, Objects belonging to area 320 may be detected.

In addition, the sensor 100 transmits a plurality of sensor signals 322 through the antenna 214 of the second aperture m at a predetermined interval when the sensor signals are radiated n times at the same time interval in the range of 212 . While radiating once, the plurality of sensor signals 322 are transmitted through the antenna 213 of the first aperture in the remaining section, that is, in the section between two time points when the sensor signal is radiated to the antenna 214 of the second aperture. can be radiated.

312 and 321 illustrated in FIG. 3 correspond to 112 and 121 illustrated in FIG. 1 , respectively. 312 corresponds to an area that can be searched through the antenna 213 of the first opening. Also, 321 corresponds to a region that can be searched through the antenna 214 of the second opening, but is not searched through the antenna 213 of the first opening.

4 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration of the electronic device 1000 according to an embodiment.

5 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration of the electronic device 1000 according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 4 , the electronic device 1000 may include a processor 1300 and a sensing unit 1400 . However, not all of the components shown in FIG. 4 are essential components of the electronic device 1000 . The electronic device 1000 may be implemented by more components than those illustrated in FIG. 4 , or the electronic device 1000 may be implemented by fewer components than those illustrated in FIG. 4 .

For example, as shown in FIG. 5 , the electronic device 1000 includes a user input unit 1100 and an output unit ( 1200 ), a communication unit 1500 , an A/V input unit 1600 , and a memory 1700 may be further included.

The user input unit 1100 means a means for a user to input data for controlling the electronic device 1000 . For example, the user input unit 1100 includes a keypad, a dome switch, and a touch pad (contact capacitive method, pressure resistance film method, infrared sensing method, surface ultrasonic conduction method, integral type). There may be a tension measurement method, a piezo effect method, etc.), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like, but is not limited thereto.

According to an embodiment, the user input unit 1100 may receive a user input for the electronic device 1000 to search for a surrounding environment.

The output unit 1200 may output an audio signal, a video signal, or a vibration signal, and the output unit 1200 may include a display unit 1210 , a sound output unit 1220 , and a vibration motor 1230 . have.

The display unit 1210 displays and outputs information processed by the electronic device 1000 . According to an embodiment, the display unit 1210 may output information about a result of searching for a surrounding environment.

On the other hand, when the display unit 1210 and the touch pad form a layer structure to form a touch screen, the display unit 1210 may be used as an input device in addition to an output device. The display unit 1210 includes a liquid crystal display, a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display, an organic light-emitting diode, a flexible display, a three-dimensional display ( 3D display) and electrophoretic display (electrophoretic display) may include at least one. Also, depending on the implementation form of the electronic device 1000 , the electronic device 1000 may include two or more display units 1210 .

The sound output unit 1220 outputs audio data received from the communication unit 1500 or stored in the memory 1700 . According to an embodiment, the sound output unit 1220 may output information about a result of searching for a surrounding environment.

The vibration motor 1230 may output a vibration signal. Also, the vibration motor 1230 may output a vibration signal when a touch is input to the touch screen. According to an embodiment, the vibration motor 1230 may output information about a result of searching for a surrounding environment.

The processor 1300 generally controls the overall operation of the electronic device 1000 . For example, the processor 1300 executes programs stored in the memory 1700 , and thus the user input unit 1100 , the output unit 1200 , the sensing unit 1400 , the communication unit 1500 , and the A/V input unit 1600 . ) can be controlled in general.

The electronic device 1000 may include at least one processor 1300 . For example, the electronic device 1000 may include various types of processors, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), and a neural processing unit (NPU).

The processor 1300 may be configured to process instructions of a computer program by performing basic arithmetic, logic, and input/output operations. The command may be provided to the processor 1300 from the memory 1700 or may be received through the communication unit 1500 and provided to the processor 1300 . For example, the processor 1300 may be configured to execute instructions according to program codes stored in a recording device such as a memory.

The processor 1300 according to an embodiment of the present invention may generate a plurality of sensor signals through an antenna of a first aperture when a sensor for searching the surrounding environment can radiate a plurality of sensor signals in a direction belonging to the first direction range. It can emit sensor signals. The processor 1300 according to an embodiment may search for a first surrounding area based on reflection signals of the plurality of radiated sensor signals.

The processor 1300 according to an embodiment is configured to, when the sensor for searching the surrounding environment can radiate a plurality of sensor signals in a direction belonging to the second direction range, the plurality of sensor signals through the antenna of the second opening. can radiate The processor 1300 according to an embodiment may search for a second surrounding area based on reflection signals of the plurality of radiated sensor signals.

Accordingly, the processor 1300 according to an embodiment may search for different surrounding areas by using antennas including apertures of different sizes according to a direction range in which the sensor can radiate a plurality of sensor signals. have.

When the size of the first opening according to an embodiment is greater than the size of the second opening, the first peripheral area may include a surrounding environment located at a relatively greater distance than the second peripheral area.

In addition, the second peripheral area according to an embodiment may include a surrounding environment of a wider area in a vertical plane than the first peripheral area. Accordingly, the first peripheral region may include a peripheral environment relatively flush with or at a height similar to that of the sensor, whereas the second peripheral region may further include a peripheral environment having a height higher or lower than that of the sensor.

Accordingly, according to an embodiment, a search for a surrounding environment having different characteristics may be performed at a location with respect to the electronic device 1000 using antennas having openings of different sizes. The electronic device 1000 according to an embodiment may generate map data or detect an object in the surrounding environment based on surrounding environments having different characteristics.

According to an embodiment, map data for the surrounding environment of the electronic device 1000 may be generated based on a result of searching for at least one of the first surrounding area and the second surrounding area. Also, the electronic device 1000 according to an embodiment may recognize at least one object located in the vicinity of the electronic device 1000 based on a result of the search for the second surrounding area.

The sensing unit 1400 may detect a state of the electronic device 1000 or a state around the electronic device 1000 , and transmit the sensed information to the processor 1300 .

The sensing unit 1400 includes a geomagnetic sensor 1410 , an acceleration sensor 1420 , a temperature/humidity sensor 1430 , an infrared sensor 1440 , a gyroscope sensor 1450 , and a position sensor. (For example, GPS, lidar sensor, radar sensor) 1460, barometric pressure sensor 1470, proximity sensor 1480, and may include at least one of the RGB sensor (illuminance sensor) 1490, but is limited thereto no.

The sensing unit 1400 according to an embodiment is a position sensor 1460 for searching a surrounding environment, and may include, for example, a lidar sensor or a radar sensor. A lidar sensor or a radar sensor according to an embodiment may radiate a plurality of sensor signals using antennas having openings of various sizes, and based on the reflected signals for the radiated signals, it is possible to search the surrounding environment. have. According to an embodiment, the lidar sensor or the radar sensor may search the surrounding environment by using antennas having different sizes of apertures according to a direction range in which a plurality of sensor signals may be radiated.

The communication unit 1500 may include one or more components that allow the electronic device 1000 to communicate with the server 2000 or an external device (not shown). For example, the communication unit 1500 may include a short-range communication unit 1510 , a mobile communication unit 1520 , and a broadcast receiving unit 1530 .

Short-range wireless communication unit 1510, Bluetooth communication unit, BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) communication unit, short-range wireless communication unit (Near Field Communication unit), WLAN (Wi-Fi) communication unit, Zigbee (Zigbee) communication unit, infrared ( It may include an IrDA, infrared Data Association) communication unit, a Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) communication unit, an ultra wideband (UWB) communication unit, an Ant+ communication unit, and the like, but is not limited thereto.

The mobile communication unit 1520 transmits/receives a radio signal to and from at least one of a base station, an external terminal, and a server on a mobile communication network. Here, the wireless signal may include various types of data according to transmission/reception of a voice call signal, a video call signal, or a text/multimedia message.

The broadcast receiver 1530 receives a broadcast signal and/or broadcast-related information from the outside through a broadcast channel. The broadcast channel may include a satellite channel and a terrestrial channel. According to an embodiment, the electronic device 1000 may not include the broadcast receiver 1530 .

According to an embodiment, the communication unit 1500 may transmit/receive information necessary to search for a surrounding environment.

The A/V (Audio/Video) input unit 1600 is for inputting an audio signal or a video signal, and may include a camera 1610 , a microphone 1620 , and the like. The camera 1610 may obtain an image frame such as a still image or a moving image through an image sensor in a video call mode or a photographing mode. The image captured through the image sensor may be processed through the processor 1300 or a separate image processing unit (not shown).

The microphone 1620 receives an external sound signal and processes it as electrical voice data. For example, the microphone 1620 may receive a user's voice input for performing a surrounding environment search.

The memory 1700 may store a program for processing and control of the processor 1300 , and may also store data input to or output from the electronic device 1000 .

The memory 1700 according to an embodiment may store data required to search for a surrounding environment. For example, the memory 1700 may store the generated map data based on a result of searching the surrounding environment.

The memory 1700 may include a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (eg, SD or XD memory), and a RAM. (RAM, Random Access Memory) SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), ROM (Read-Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), PROM (Programmable Read-Only Memory), magnetic memory, magnetic disk , may include at least one type of storage medium among optical disks.

Programs stored in the memory 1700 may be classified into a plurality of modules according to their functions, for example, may be classified into a UI module 1710 , a touch screen module 1720 , a notification module 1730 , and the like. .

The UI module 1710 may provide a specialized UI, GUI, or the like that interworks with the electronic device 1000 for each application. The touch screen module 1720 may detect a touch gesture on the user's touch screen and transmit information about the touch gesture to the processor 1300 . The touch screen module 1720 according to some embodiments may recognize and analyze a touch code. The touch screen module 1720 may be configured as separate hardware including a controller.

Various sensors may be provided inside or near the touch screen to detect a touch or a proximity touch of the touch screen. A tactile sensor is an example of a sensor for detecting a touch of a touch screen. A tactile sensor refers to a sensor that senses a touch of a specific object to a degree or more that a person feels. The tactile sensor may sense various information such as the roughness of the contact surface, the hardness of the contact object, and the temperature of the contact point.

The user's touch gesture may include a tap, touch & hold, double tap, drag, pan, flick, drag and drop, swipe, and the like.

The notification module 1730 may generate a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event in the electronic device 1000 .

Referring to FIG. 6 , in operation 610 , the electronic device 1000 may radiate a plurality of sensor signals output by the sensor through the antenna of the first opening in a direction belonging to the first direction range. When the sensor can radiate sensor signals in a direction belonging to the first direction range, the electronic device 1000 according to an embodiment may radiate the sensor signals through the antenna of the first opening.

A sensor according to an embodiment may radiate a plurality of sensor signals through an antenna of a first opening in a direction belonging to a first direction range among various directional ranges in which a plurality of sensor signals may be radiated. For example, when the sensor rotates 360 degrees on a horizontal plane and radiates a plurality of sensor signals, while the sensor 100 faces a direction belonging to the first direction range in a 360 degree direction range, the antenna of the first opening Through this, a plurality of sensor signals may be radiated.

In operation 620 , the electronic device 1000 may search for a first surrounding area based on reflection signals of the plurality of radiated sensor signals in operation 610 . The reflected signal according to an embodiment may include signals reflected by a plurality of radiated sensor signals hitting surfaces of various objects existing in the surrounding environment in step 610 .

The electronic device 1000 according to an embodiment searches the surrounding environment by determining the location and shape of objects with which sensor signals collide, based on various characteristics of the reflected signal, such as intensity, reception time, and waveform of the reflected signal. can do. According to an embodiment, as sensor signals radiated through the antenna of the first opening are reflected from the surfaces of objects belonging to the first peripheral region, the electronic device 1000 detects the first peripheral region based on the reflected signals. can explore.

In operation 630, the electronic device 1000 radiates a plurality of sensor signals in a direction belonging to the second direction range through the antenna of the second opening, and in operation 640, Based on the reflected signal, the second peripheral area may be searched.

According to an embodiment, as the size of the opening, that is, the larger the area, the greater the directivity of the emitted sensor signals, the greater the distance the surrounding environment can be searched, but in the vertical plane, the narrower range The surrounding environment may be explored. On the other hand, as the area of the opening of the antenna decreases, the directivity of the radiated sensor signals decreases, so that a nearby environment may be searched at a closer distance, but a surrounding environment of a wider range may be searched in a vertical plane.

According to an embodiment, sensor signals may be radiated by using not only the antenna of the second opening but also the antenna of the first opening. For example, in the second direction range, the sensor 100 may radiate sensor signals using the antenna of the first aperture and the antenna of the second aperture.

In addition, according to an embodiment, when the sensor 100 performs an operation of radiating a total of a number of sensor signals at regular intervals in the second direction range, the radiation operation of the sensor signal through the antenna of the second opening is , may be performed b times (where b is a constant value smaller than a) at a predetermined interval (eg, a multiple of 3). In addition, the radiation operation of the sensor signal through the antenna of the first aperture is performed at regular intervals or all sections in the sections between two points at which the radiation action of the sensor signal through the antenna of the second aperture is performed at a predetermined interval. , within the range of the second direction, it may be performed a total of ab times. Alternatively, as the radiation operation of the sensor signal through the antenna of the first opening is performed together with the radiation operation of the sensor signal through the antenna of the second opening, within the second direction range, a total of a times may be performed.

7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a sensor 730 included in the electronic device 1000 according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 7 , the sensor 720 may be mounted on a rotating part 740 for rotation coupled with a fixing part 790 fixed to the electronic device 1000 , and the sensor 730 may include the electronic device 1000 . A search operation may be performed on the surrounding area of 1000 .

The control unit 710 according to an embodiment is a configuration for controlling the sensor 720 , and controls the sensor 720 according to a control signal received from the processor 1300 of FIG. 5 , or the processor 1300 of FIG. 5 . ) and may have a corresponding configuration. Without being limited to the above-described example, the control unit 710 may be configured to control the sensor 720 in various ways.

The sensor 720 according to an embodiment, while rotating according to the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 7, radiates a plurality of sensor signals for searching the surrounding area, and based on the reflected signals for the radiated signals, You can explore the surrounding area. The sensor 720 according to an embodiment corresponds to the sensor 100 of FIG. 1 , and is mounted on an upper portion of the electronic device 1000 to perform an operation of searching a surrounding area.

The sensor 720 according to an embodiment may be, for example, a radar sensor. Not limited to the above-described example, the sensor 720 according to an embodiment may include various types of sensors that radiate sensor signals through antennas of various apertures and search a surrounding area based on the reflected signals. can

The sensor 720 according to an embodiment may further include a switch 730 , an antenna 740 having a first opening, and an antenna 750 having a second opening. The example is not limited to the above-described example, and the sensor 720 may further include various components necessary to search a surrounding area of the electronic device 1000 .

The switch 730 according to an embodiment rotates according to the rotational direction, depending on the position of the sensor 720 , so that the sensor signals can be radiated using antennas having different apertures, the operation mode of the sensor 720 . can be converted The operation mode of the sensor 720 according to an embodiment includes a first operation mode in which sensor signals are radiated using the antenna 740 having a first opening and a sensor signals radiated using the antenna 750 having a second opening. and a second mode of operation. Not limited to the above-described example, the operation mode of the sensor 720 may exist as many operation modes as the types of antennas having different apertures.

When the sensor 720 is operated in the first operation mode by the switch 730 according to the rotation position of the sensor 720 according to the antenna 740 of the first opening according to an embodiment, the sensor 720 is By emitting a plurality of sensor signals, it may be used to search for a first surrounding area. When the size of the first opening according to an embodiment is larger than the size of the second opening, the antenna 740 of the first opening is farther away than the second peripheral area searched by the antenna 750 of the second opening. It can be used to search for a first surrounding area existing in .

The antenna 750 of the second opening according to an embodiment, according to the rotational position of the sensor 720, in the second operation mode by the switch 730, when the sensor 720 is operated, the sensor 720 may emit a plurality of sensor signals, and may be used to search for a second surrounding area. The antenna 750 of the second opening according to an exemplary embodiment may be used to search for a second peripheral area that exists closer than the above-described first peripheral area, but includes a vertically wider area.

The rotation unit 760 according to an embodiment rotates according to the rotation direction indicated by the arrow shown in FIG. 7 so that the sensor 720 mounted on the rotation unit 760 can be rotated in a circular shape having a radius of R. can Not limited to the illustrated example, the sensor 720 according to an embodiment may rotate in the electronic device 1000 by the rotating part 760 of various types.

The detection unit 770 according to an embodiment may detect a rotational position of the sensor 720 , and may operate so that the switch 730 may switch an operation mode according to the position of the sensor 720 . As shown in FIG. 7 , the detection unit 770 according to an embodiment may be mounted on the rotating unit 760 together with the sensor 720 to rotate at the same speed as the sensor 720 .

The detection unit 770 according to an embodiment detects the rotational position of the sensor 720 by detecting surfaces 780 of different characteristics of the fixing unit 790 that are converted according to the rotation of the detection unit 770 . can do. For example, the detection unit 770 may be a photodiode capable of detecting the surfaces 780 having different characteristics of the fixing unit 790 , but is not limited thereto, and may be various types and types of sensors. .

For example, according to the rotation of the rotating unit 760, surfaces with different characteristics (eg, a light-colored surface and a dark-colored surface) may be alternately detected by the detecting unit 770 , and the length is shorter than that of the other surfaces. Longer special surfaces can be detected. According to an embodiment, as the special surface is detected by the detection unit 770 , the switch 730 may change the operation mode. For example, as the special surface is detected by the detection unit 770 , the control unit 710 may control the switch 730 to switch the switch 730 from the first operation mode to the second operation mode. .

The fixing unit 790 according to an embodiment may be mounted on the surface of the electronic device 1000 so that the rotating unit 760 and the sensor 720 can search a surrounding area of the electronic device 1000 while rotating. and may include surfaces 780 having different characteristics that can be detected by the detection unit 770 .

8 illustrates an example of a sensor 820 operating in a first operation mode and a second operation mode according to an embodiment.

Reference numerals

810 and 820 of FIG. 8 illustrate an example of the sensor 720, the detection unit 770, and the rotation unit 760 shown in FIG. 7 as viewed from the top down.

Also, reference numeral 830 of FIG. 8 illustrates an example of operation modes of the signal 831 detected by the detection unit 811 and the sensor 720 according to rotation.

Referring to FIG. 8 , at 810 and 820 , the sensor 720 and the detection unit 770 may rotate counterclockwise in a circular shape having a radius of R by the rotation of the rotating unit 760 .

According to an embodiment, while the sensor 720 passes the special surface 811 of the fixing unit 790 , which is longer than other surfaces, the detection unit 770 may operate in the second operation mode. is mounted in a position preceding the sensor 720 in the rotating unit 760 , and may rotate together with the sensor 720 . For example, in 810 , as the detector 770 detects the special surface 811 , the sensor 720 passes the special surface 811 as shown in 820 , while the second mode of operation is switched from the first mode of operation. can operate as

According to an embodiment, the signal detected by the detector 770 may be obtained in the form of a pulse signal, such as the signal 831 shown in 830 . For example, 0 in the pulse signal may correspond to a dark surface of the surface of the fixing

unit

790 , and 1 may correspond to a bright surface. In addition, the special surface 811 for switching the operation mode of the sensor 720 may correspond to a

section

832 or 833, which is longer than other pulse sections.

According to the rotation, the detection unit 770 according to an embodiment detects the 811 surface, which is longer than the other surfaces, at the time when the 832 or 833 section ends, the sensor 720, the 832 or 833 From the point in time when the section ends, the operation may be switched from the first operation mode to the second operation mode. The sensor 720 according to an embodiment operates in the second operation mode during the time taken for the detection unit 770 to detect the special surface 811 , that is, during the time period equal to the 832 or 833 period. and, thereafter, may be switched back to the first operation mode and operated.

9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a signal detected by the sensor 720 according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 9 , reference numeral 920 denotes an example of signals used to recognize an object among signals detected by the sensor 720 , and reference numeral 930 denotes a peripheral area among signals detected by the sensor 720 . An example of signals used to generate map data for . At 920 and 930, the horizontal axis corresponds to the rotation angle of the sensor 720, which is rotated from -180 to 180 degrees in the horizontal plane, and the vertical axis corresponds to the signal strength (dB).

Referring to 920 , in a section 910 in which the sensor 720 operates in the second operation mode, signals used to recognize an object may be detected. Also, referring to 930 , signals used to generate map data may be sensed in a section operating in the first operation mode.

However, in 930 , the section 910 operated in the second operation mode may include greater noise than the remaining sections due to interference with signals used to recognize an object. For example, in section 910 of 930, signals of -20 dB or less include noise generated due to interference, and thus may not be used to generate map data.

10, 11 and 12 , in the electronic device 1000 according to an embodiment, when sensor signals according to the second operation mode are radiated in different ranges, respectively, in 1010, 1020, and 1030, Sensor signals may be received through the antenna of the first aperture.

According to an embodiment, according to the first operation mode, while the reflection signals for the plurality of first sensor signals are received, in some section, according to the second operation mode, as the plurality of second sensor signals are emitted , a portion of the first sensor signals received through the antenna of the first aperture may be distorted by the second sensor signals.

Referring to 1010 , in all sections, as a plurality of second sensor signals according to the second operation mode are not radiated, the first sensor signals received through the antenna of the first opening are distorted at -23 dB or less. may include. According to an embodiment, the first sensor signals received through the antenna of the first opening may include a distorted portion according to the state of the surrounding environment to which the sensor signals are radiated.

Referring to 1020 , in a partial section 1021 of a 360-degree rotation section, as a plurality of second sensor signals according to the second operation mode are radiated, the first sensor signals received through the antenna of the first opening are -16dB. Hereinafter, a distorted portion may be included. According to an embodiment, the first sensor signals received through the antenna of the first opening, in addition to the distorted portion according to the state of the surrounding environment to which the sensor signals are radiated, due to the interference phenomenon by the second sensor signals, It may contain distortions greater than 1010.

Referring to 1030 , in a partial section 1031 of a 360-degree rotation section, as a plurality of second sensor signals according to the second operation mode are radiated, the first sensor signals received through the antenna of the first opening are -12 dB. Hereinafter, a distorted portion may be included. According to an embodiment, the first sensor signals received through the antenna of the first opening, in addition to the distorted portion according to the state of the surrounding environment to which the sensor signals are radiated, due to the interference phenomenon by the second sensor signals, It may contain distortions greater than 1020.

13 and 14 , the sensor of the electronic device 1000 according to an exemplary embodiment performs at least one of a first operation mode and a second operation mode while rotating, thereby providing a first peripheral area and a second operation mode. You can explore the surrounding area.

Referring to 1110 , the sensor of the electronic device 1000 according to an embodiment operates according to the second operation mode in the

rotation sections

1113 and 1114 , so that the sensor signals 1111 and 1112 are radiated to the second periphery. area can be explored.

According to an embodiment, in a plurality of rotation sections, as the second peripheral region is searched according to the second operation mode, a vertically wider peripheral region of the electronic device 1000 may be searched.

Referring to 1120 , the sensor of the electronic device 1000 according to an embodiment operates according to the second operation mode at the rotation points 1124 , 1125 , and 1126 , so that the sensor signals 1121 , 1122 , and 1123 are radiated. , the second surrounding area may be searched.

Unlike the sensor signals of 1110 , the sensor signals emitted from 1120 may be signals emitted from at least one sensor signal at one rotation point rather than a rotation section. Accordingly, according to the embodiment of 1120 , the second surrounding area may be searched according to a smaller number of sensor signals.

Referring to FIG. 15 , the electronic device 1000 according to an embodiment may search for a first peripheral region and a second peripheral region 1201 using a sensor.

The electronic device 1000 according to an embodiment may further sense the state of the object as well as the presence of the object located in the second peripheral area 1201 . The state of the object according to an embodiment may include various states related to the movement of the object, such as a movement state, heart rate, and respiration rate.

For example, when the human hand sensed in the second peripheral region 1201 of the electronic device 1000 is reciprocally moving in the direction of the arrow 1202 , the reflected signals of the human hand detected by the sensor are displayed as shown in 1205 . can be obtained.

According to an embodiment, a motion of a human hand may be detected based on the Doppler effect. For example, when the human hand moves away from the sensor, low frequency reflection signals 1203 may be detected at the sensor, but when the human hand moves closer to the sensor, high frequency reflection signals 1204 are detected. ) can be detected by the sensor.

The sensor according to an embodiment may also acquire information about the heart rate or respiration rate of the object by detecting the external movement of the object. For example, the electronic device 1000 may detect the movement of the object by applying a fourth transform function (FFT) to the sensor signal reflected from the chest region of the object.

The sensor signal emitted by the sensor according to an embodiment is a faster rotational speed (ex. per second) than the frequency (ex. 0.2 to 2Hz) of the heart rate or respiration rate so as to obtain information about the heart rate or respiration rate 50 times), and can be spun.

The sensor according to an embodiment is not limited to the above-described example, and according to various methods, the sensor may acquire information about the movement as well as the position of an object existing around the electronic device 1000 .

According to an embodiment, by using one sensor, various areas around may be searched for by radiating a sensor signal through an antenna having an opening having a different size according to a direction the sensor faces.

The device-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, 'non-transitory storage medium' is a tangible device and only means that it does not contain a signal (eg, electromagnetic wave), and this term refers to cases in which data is semi-permanently stored in a storage medium and temporary It does not distinguish the case where it is stored as For example, the 'non-transitory storage medium' may include a buffer in which data is temporarily stored.

According to one embodiment, the method according to various embodiments disclosed in this document may be provided as included in a computer program product. Computer program products may be traded between sellers and buyers as commodities. The computer program product is distributed in the form of a device-readable storage medium (eg compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM)), or through an application store (eg Play Store™) or on two user devices ( It can be distributed (eg downloaded or uploaded) directly, online between smartphones (eg: smartphones). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product (eg, a downloadable app) is stored at least in a machine-readable storage medium, such as a memory of a manufacturer's server, a server of an application store, or a relay server. It may be temporarily stored or temporarily created.

Also, in this specification, “unit” may be a hardware component such as a processor or circuit, and/or a software component executed by a hardware component such as a processor.

The above description of the present invention is for illustration, and those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains can understand that it can be easily modified into other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential features of the present invention. will be. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. For example, each component described as a single type may be implemented in a dispersed form, and likewise components described as distributed may be implemented in a combined form.

The scope of the present invention is indicated by the following claims rather than the above detailed description, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalent concepts should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the present invention. do.

Claims

A method for exploring a surrounding environment in an electronic device, the method comprising:

radiating the plurality of sensor signals through an antenna of a first aperture when a sensor for searching a surrounding environment can radiate a plurality of sensor signals in a direction belonging to a first direction range;

searching for a first peripheral area based on reflection signals of a plurality of sensor signals radiated through the antenna of the first opening;

radiating the plurality of sensor signals through an antenna of a second opening when the sensor can radiate a plurality of sensor signals in a direction belonging to a second direction range; and

based on reflected signals for a plurality of sensor signals radiated through the second aperture, searching for a second surrounding area.
According to claim 1,

The size of the first opening is larger than the size of the second opening,

The plurality of sensor signals radiated through the antenna of the first aperture are radiated to a greater distance in a narrower range in a vertical plane than the plurality of sensor signals radiated through the antenna of the second aperture.
According to claim 1,

The method of claim 1, wherein the first peripheral region includes a peripheral environment located at a relatively greater distance from the electronic device than the second peripheral region.
According to claim 1,

wherein the second peripheral region comprises a larger area of the peripheral environment in a vertical plane than the first peripheral region.
According to claim 1,

The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating map data for a surrounding environment of the electronic device based on a result of finding at least one of the first surrounding area and the second surrounding area.
According to claim 1,

The method further comprising the step of obtaining information about at least one object located in the vicinity of the electronic device based on a result of the search for the second surrounding area.
The method of claim 6, wherein the information about the object

A method comprising at least one of information about the position of the object and information about a movement state of the object.
An electronic device for searching a surrounding environment, comprising:

When a plurality of sensor signals can be radiated in a direction belonging to the first direction range, the plurality of sensor signals are radiated through an antenna of a first aperture, and a plurality of sensor signals are radiated in a direction belonging to the second direction range. a sensing unit that radiates the plurality of sensor signals through the antenna of the second opening when capable of radiating the sensor signals; and

Based on the reflected signals for the plurality of sensor signals radiated through the antenna of the first opening, a first peripheral region is searched for, and the reflected signals for the plurality of sensor signals radiated through the second opening The electronic device comprising: at least one processor configured to search for a second peripheral area based on .
9. The method of claim 8,

The size of the first opening is larger than the size of the second opening,

The plurality of sensor signals radiated through the antenna of the first opening are radiated to a greater distance in a narrower range in a vertical plane than the plurality of sensor signals radiated through the antenna of the second opening, the electronic device .
9. The method of claim 8,

The first peripheral region includes a peripheral environment located at a relatively greater distance from the electronic device than the second peripheral region.
9. The method of claim 8,

The second peripheral region includes a peripheral environment of a wider area in a vertical plane than the first peripheral region.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor comprises:

and generating map data for a surrounding environment of the electronic device based on a result of a search for at least one of the first surrounding area and the second surrounding area.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor comprises:

The electronic device is configured to acquire information about at least one object located in the vicinity of the electronic device based on a result of the search for the second surrounding area.
The method of claim 13, wherein the information about the object

The electronic device comprising at least one of information about the position of the object and information about the movement state of the object.
A computer-readable recording medium in which a program for implementing the method of any one of claims 1 to 7 is recorded.