Method of providing notification and electronic device supporting same

This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-0003716, filed on Jan. 11, 2018, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

The present disclosure relates to a method of providing a notification and an electronic device supporting the same.

With the development of Internet of Things (IoT) technology for accessing the Internet through a sensor function and a communication function included in various items, various types of IoT devices providing various services have rapidly proliferated.

A user of an electronic device may install an application for managing an IoT device in the electronic device and registering the IoT device, thereby controlling a function of the IoT device or receiving information on the status of the IoT device from the IoT device.

The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present disclosure.

An electronic device may receive a notification of information on a change in the status of an IoT device from the IoT device whenever a change in the status of the IoT device occurs. When a user of the electronic device does not need to receive (or identify) the notification of the change in the status of the IoT device or even when the user is unable to receive the notification (notification is not possible), the electronic device may receive the notification of the change in the status of the IoT device from the IoT device. In this case, the information may be considered unnecessary by the user of the electronic device, and a high frequency of generated notifications may be difficult to read and thus unnoticeable.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method of providing a notification for selectively providing information on a change in the status of an IoT device to a user of an electronic device based on information on locations of the electronic device and another electronic device for controlling the IoT device and an electronic device for supporting the same.

The present disclosure may not be limited to the above mentioned aspects and features, and other aspects and features which are not mentioned may be clearly understood, through the following descriptions, by those skilled in the art of the present disclosure.

In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic device is provided. The electronic device may include: a communication interface comprising communication circuitry; a processor electrically connected to the communication interface; and a memory electrically connected to the processor, wherein the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic device: to receive information on a status of at least one external device, information related to a location of the electronic device, and information related to a location of at least one external electronic device from a server through the communication interface; identify whether to output the status of the at least one external device based at least in part on the information related to the location of the electronic device and the information related to the location of the at least one external electronic device; and output the status of the at least one external device in response to identification of the output of the status of the at least one external device.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a method of providing a notification by an electronic device is provided. The method includes: receiving information on a status of at least one external device, information related to a location of the electronic device, and information related to a location of at least one external electronic device from a server; identifying whether to output the status of the at least one external device based at least in part on the information related to the location of the electronic device and the information related to the location of the at least one external electronic device; and outputting the status of the at least one external device in response to identification of the output of the status of the at least one external device.

A method of providing a notification and an electronic device for supporting the same according to various example embodiments of the present disclosure can selectively provide information on a change in a status of an IoT device to a user of an electronic device based on information on locations of the electronic device and another electronic device for controlling the IoT device. Accordingly, the user may act appropriately without missing an important change in the status of the IoT device.

is a block diagram illustrating an electronic devicein a network environmentaccording to various embodiments.

Referring to, the electronic devicein the network environmentmay communicate with an electronic devicevia a first network(e.g., a short-range wireless communication network), or an electronic deviceor a servervia a second network(e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). According to an embodiment, the electronic devicemay communicate with the electronic devicevia the server. According to an embodiment, the electronic devicemay include a processor, memory, an input device, a sound output device, a display device, an audio module, a sensor module, an interface, a haptic module, a camera module, a power management module, a battery, a communication module, a subscriber identification module (SIM), or an antenna module. In some embodiments, at least one (e.g., the display deviceor the camera module) of the components may be omitted from the electronic device, or one or more other components may be added in the electronic device. In some embodiments, some of the components may be implemented as single integrated circuitry. For example, the sensor module(e.g., a fingerprint sensor, an iris sensor, or an illuminance sensor) may be implemented as embedded in the display device(e.g., a display).

The processormay execute, for example, software (e.g., a program) to control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware or software component) of the electronic devicecoupled with the processorand may perform various data processing or computation. According to one embodiment, as at least part of the data processing or computation, the processormay load a command or data received from another component (e.g., the sensor moduleor the communication module) in volatile memory, process the command or the data stored in the volatile memory, and store resulting data in non-volatile memory. According to an embodiment, the processormay include a main processor(e.g., a central processing unit (CPU) or an application processor (AP)), and an auxiliary processor(e.g., a graphics processing unit (GPU), an image signal processor (ISP), a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor (CP)) that is operable independently from, or in conjunction with, the main processor. Additionally or alternatively, the auxiliary processormay be adapted to consume less power than the main processor, or to be specific to a specified function. The auxiliary processormay be implemented as separate from, or as part of the main processor.

The auxiliary processormay control at least some of functions or states related to at least one component (e.g., the display device, the sensor module, or the communication module) among the components of the electronic device, instead of the main processorwhile the main processoris in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, or together with the main processorwhile the main processoris in an active state (e.g., executing an application). According to an embodiment, the auxiliary processor(e.g., an image signal processor or a communication processor) may be implemented as part of another component (e.g., the camera moduleor the communication module) functionally related to the auxiliary processor.

The memorymay store various data used by at least one component (e.g., the processoror the sensor module) of the electronic device. The various data may include, for example, software (e.g., the program) and input data or output data for a command related thereto. The memorymay include the volatile memoryor the non-volatile memory.

The programmay be stored in the memoryas software, and may include, for example, an operating system (OS), middleware, or an application.

The input devicemay receive a command or data to be used by other component (e.g., the processor) of the electronic device, from the outside (e.g., a user) of the electronic device. The input devicemay include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, or a keyboard.

The sound output devicemay output sound signals to the outside of the electronic device. The sound output devicemay include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker may be used for general purposes, such as playing multimedia or playing record, and the receiver may be used for an incoming calls. According to an embodiment, the receiver may be implemented as separate from, or as part of the speaker.

The display devicemay visually provide information to the outside (e.g., a user) of the electronic device. The display devicemay include, for example, a display, a hologram device, or a projector and control circuitry to control a corresponding one of the display, hologram device, and projector. According to an embodiment, the display devicemay include touch circuitry adapted to detect a touch, or sensor circuitry (e.g., a pressure sensor) adapted to measure the intensity of force incurred by the touch.

The audio modulemay convert a sound into an electrical signal and vice versa. According to an embodiment, the audio modulemay obtain the sound via the input device, or output the sound via the sound output deviceor a headphone of an external electronic device (e.g., an electronic device) directly (e.g., wiredly) or wirelessly coupled with the electronic device.

The sensor modulemay detect an operational state (e.g., power or temperature) of the electronic deviceor an environmental state (e.g., a state of a user) external to the electronic device, and then generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the detected state. According to an embodiment, the sensor modulemay include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, an atmospheric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

The interfacemay support one or more specified protocols to be used for the electronic deviceto be coupled with the external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device) directly (e.g., wiredly) or wirelessly. According to an embodiment, the interfacemay include, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, a secure digital (SD) card interface, or an audio interface.

A connecting terminalmay include a connector via which the electronic devicemay be physically connected with the external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device). According to an embodiment, the connecting terminalmay include, for example, a HDMI connector, a USB connector, a SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).

The haptic modulemay convert an electrical signal into a mechanical stimulus (e.g., a vibration or a movement) or electrical stimulus which may be recognized by a user via his tactile sensation or kinesthetic sensation. According to an embodiment, the haptic modulemay include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electric stimulator.

The camera modulemay capture a still image or moving images. According to an embodiment, the camera modulemay include one or more lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.

The power management modulemay manage power supplied to the electronic device. According to one embodiment, the power management modulemay be implemented as at least part of, for example, a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

The batterymay supply power to at least one component of the electronic device. According to an embodiment, the batterymay include, for example, a primary cell which is not rechargeable, a secondary cell which is rechargeable, or a fuel cell.

The communication modulemay support establishing a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the electronic deviceand the external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device, the electronic device, or the server) and performing communication via the established communication channel. The communication modulemay include one or more communication processors that are operable independently from the processor(e.g., the application processor (AP)) and supports a direct (e.g., wired) communication or a wireless communication. According to an embodiment, the communication modulemay include a wireless communication module(e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module(e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module or a power line communication (PLC) module). A corresponding one of these communication modules may communicate with the external electronic device via the first network(e.g., a short-range communication network, such as Bluetooth™, wireless-fidelity (Wi-Fi) direct, or infrared data association (IrDA)) or the second network(e.g., a long-range communication network, such as a cellular network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., LAN or wide area network (WAN)). These various types of communication modules may be implemented as a single component (e.g., a single chip), or may be implemented as multi components (e.g., multi chips) separate from each other. The wireless communication modulemay identify and authenticate the electronic devicein a communication network, such as the first networkor the second network, using subscriber information (e.g., international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)) stored in the subscriber identification module.

The antenna modulemay transmit or receive a signal or power to or from the outside (e.g., the external electronic device) of the electronic device. According to an embodiment, the antenna modulemay include one or more antennas, and, therefrom, at least one antenna appropriate for a communication scheme used in the communication network, such as the first networkor the second network, may be selected, for example, by the communication module(e.g., the wireless communication module). The signal or the power may then be transmitted or received between the communication moduleand the external electronic device via the selected at least one antenna.

At least some of the above-described components may be coupled mutually and communicate signals (e.g., commands or data) therebetween via an inter-peripheral communication scheme (e.g., a bus, general purpose input and output (GPIO), serial peripheral interface (SPI), or mobile industry processor interface (MIPI)).

According to an embodiment, commands or data may be transmitted or received between the electronic deviceand the external electronic devicevia the servercoupled with the second network. Each of the electronic devicesandmay be a device of a same type as, or a different type, from the electronic device. According to an embodiment, all or some of operations to be executed at the electronic devicemay be executed at one or more of the external electronic devices,, or. For example, if the electronic deviceshould perform a function or a service automatically, or in response to a request from a user or another device, the electronic device, instead of, or in addition to, executing the function or the service, may request the one or more external electronic devices to perform at least part of the function or the service. The one or more external electronic devices receiving the request may perform the at least part of the function or the service requested, or an additional function or an additional service related to the request, and transfer an outcome of the performing to the electronic device. The electronic devicemay provide the outcome, with or without further processing of the outcome, as at least part of a reply to the request. To that end, a cloud computing, distributed computing, or client-server computing technology may be used, for example.

The electronic device according to various embodiments may be one of various types of electronic devices. The electronic devices may include, for example, a portable communication device (e.g., a smart phone), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a camera, a wearable device, or a home appliance. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the electronic devices are not limited to those described above.

It should be appreciated that various embodiments of the present disclosure and the terms used therein are not intended to limit the technological features set forth herein to particular embodiments and include various changes, equivalents, or replacements. With regard to the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used to refer to similar or related elements. It is to be understood that a singular form corresponding to an item may include one or more of the things, unless the relevant context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, each of such phrases as “A or B,” “at least one of A and B,” “at least one of A or B,” “A, B, or C,” “at least one of A, B, and C,” and “at least one of A, B, or C,” may include all possible combinations of the items enumerated together in a corresponding one of the phrases. As used herein, such terms as “1st” and “2nd,” or “first” and “second” may be used to simply distinguish a corresponding component from another, and does not limit the components in other aspect (e.g., importance or order). It is to be understood that if an element (e.g., a first element) is referred to, with or without the term “operatively” or “communicatively”, as “coupled with,” “coupled to,” “connected with,” or “connected to” another element (e.g., a second element), the element may be coupled with the other element directly (e.g., wiredly), wirelessly, or via a third element.

As used herein, the term “module” may include a unit implemented in hardware, software, and/or firmware, or any combinations thereof, and may interchangeably be used with other terms, for example, “logic,” “logic block,” “part,” or “circuitry”. A module may be a single integral component, or a minimum unit or part thereof, adapted to perform one or more functions. For example, according to an embodiment, the module may be implemented in a form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

Various embodiments as set forth herein may be implemented as software (e.g., the program) including one or more instructions that are stored in a storage medium (e.g., internal memoryor external memory) that is readable by a machine (e.g., the electronic device). For example, a processor (e.g., the processor) of the machine (e.g., the electronic device) may invoke at least one of the one or more instructions stored in the storage medium, and execute it, with or without using one or more other components under the control of the processor. This allows the machine to be operated to perform at least one function according to the at least one instruction invoked. The one or more instructions may include a code generated by a complier or a code executable by an interpreter. The machine-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Wherein, the term “non-transitory” simply means that the storage medium is a tangible device, but this term does not differentiate between where data is semi-permanently stored in the storage medium and where the data is temporarily stored in the storage medium.

According to an embodiment, a method according to various embodiments of the disclosure may be included and provided in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded as a product between a seller and a buyer. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM)), or be distributed (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) online via an application store (e.g., Play Store™), or between two user devices (e.g., smart phones) directly. If distributed online, at least part of the computer program product may be temporarily generated or at least temporarily stored in the machine-readable storage medium, such as memory of the manufacturer's server, a server of the application store, or a relay server.

According to various embodiments, each component (e.g., a module or a program) of the above-described components may include a single entity or multiple entities. According to various embodiments, one or more of the above-described components may be omitted, or one or more other components may be added. Alternatively or additionally, a plurality of components (e.g., modules or programs) may be integrated into a single component. In such a case, according to various embodiments, the integrated component may still perform one or more functions of each of the plurality of components in the same or similar manner as they are performed by a corresponding one of the plurality of components before the integration. According to various embodiments, operations performed by the module, the program, or another component may be carried out sequentially, in parallel, repeatedly, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be executed in a different order or omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

An electronic device according to various embodiments disclosed herein may be various types of devices. The electronic device may, for example, include at least one of a portable communication device (e.g., smartphone) a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a camera, a wearable device, and a home appliance. The electronic device according to embodiments of the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described devices.

The embodiments and the terms used therein are not intended to limit the disclosure to specific forms, and should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, and/or alternatives to the corresponding embodiments. In describing the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used to designate similar constituent elements.

The term “module” or the ending of a word, such as “or”, “er”, or the like may refer, for example, to a unit of processing at least one function or operation, and this may be embodied by hardware, software, or any combination of hardware and software. These terms are illustrated for convenience of illustration. Accordingly, the present disclosure is not limited to the following terms and other terms having the same technical meaning may be used.

is a diagram illustrating a system for describing a method of providing a notification according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to, a systemmay include an external device, a master electronic device-, a first electronic device-, a second electronic device-, and a server.

According to an embodiment, the external devicemay be a device (or an IoT device) which can be controlled by at least one of the master electronic device-, the first electronic device-, and the second electronic device-. According to an embodiment, the external devicemay be a device disposed (or positioned) within a fixed area (or a fixed place). For example, and without limitation, the external devicemay include a door lock, a television, a Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV), a refrigerator, a washing machine, an air conditioner, a window, a bulb, an oven, or the like, within a home. However, the external deviceis not limited thereto. For example, the external devicemay be disposed in various places (for example, an office) other than a home, and may include various types of devices.

According to an embodiment, the external devicemay be a device that can directly perform wireless communication with the serveror perform wireless communication with the serverthrough a relay device (or a hub device) (for example, an access point or a wireless router). According to an embodiment, the external devicemay be a device that can be registered in the server. The external devicemay be a device which is registered in the serverand thus can be controlled by at least one of the master electronic device-, the first electronic device-, or the second electronic device-. According to an embodiment, the external devicemay be a device which is registered in the serverand thus can provide information on the status of the external deviceto at least one of the master electronic device-, the first electronic device-, or the second electronic device-.

According to an embodiment, in the case in which the external deviceis a door lock, when the door lock is closed and then opened, the status of the door lock may be changed and information on the status of the door lock (the external device) may be provided. According to an embodiment, the information on the status of the external devicemay include information on a status change (or occurrence of an event) made in the external device. The information on the status of the external devicemay include information on a change in a function performed by the external device. For example, when the external deviceis a refrigerator, the information on the status of the external devicemay include information on window opening, window closing, or temperature control of the refrigerator. In another embodiment, when the external deviceis a television, the information on the status of the external devicemay include information on a channel change, turning on/off, or volume control. In another example, the information on the status of the external devicemay include information (for example, communication connection or communication disconnection) related to a communication connection between the external deviceand another device. According to an embodiment, when at least one of the master electronic device-, the first electronic device-, and the second electronic device-transmits a control signal (or a control command) to the external device, the information on the status of the external devicemay include a response to the control signal (or information on the response). For example, when the external device(for example, the television) receives a control signal (for example, a signal for turning on the television) from the master electronic device-, the external devicemay perform a function (for example, a function of turning on power of the television) corresponding to the control signal and then transmit information indicating completion of execution of the function. However, the response to the control signal is not limited thereto.

According to an embodiment, the master electronic device may register the external devicein the serverbased on an account of the user of the master electronic device-(or may be an electronic device capable of registering the external devicein the server). According to an embodiment, the master electronic device-may register the external devicein the serverin order to manage the external devicethrough an application for managing the external device(for example, for controlling the external deviceor receiving information on the status of the external devicefrom the external device). For example, the master electronic device-may receive user input for selecting at least one external device from among external devices that the master electronic device-can manage while executing the application for managing the external device. The master electronic device-may register at least one external device selected by user input in the server.

According to an embodiment, the master electronic device-may set at least one group (hereinafter, referred to as an “external devicegroup”) including at least one external deviceselected by the user input and register the set external devicegroup in the server. For example, the master electronic device-may set a first external device group including the external devicedisposed within the homeand a second external device group including an external device disposed within an office and may register the generated first external device group and second external device group in the server. According to an embodiment, the master electronic device-may simultaneously control a plurality of external devices included in an external device group. For example, the master electronic device-may configure a plurality of external devices included in an external device group to be simultaneously turned off at a predetermined time point (for example, 10 p.m.). However, the operation in which the master electronic device-simultaneously controls the plurality of external devices included in the external device group is not limited thereto.

According to an embodiment, the master electronic device-may register the first electronic device-(or a user account of the first electronic device-) and the second electronic device-(or a user account of the second electronic device-) in the server. The master electronic device-may assign a right (hereinafter, referred to as a “control right”) for controlling the external deviceto the first electronic device-and the second electronic device-. Each of the first electronic device-and the second electronic device-assigned the control right from the master electronic device-may perform a predetermined registration procedure with the serverthrough an application for controlling the external devicebased on the user account, thereby being registered in the server.

According to an embodiment, the master electronic device-may assign a control right for a plurality of external devices registered in the serverto both the first electronic device-and the second electronic device-.