WO2020235818A1

WO2020235818A1 - Wearable electronic device and method for identifying wearing state of wearable electronic device

Info

Publication number: WO2020235818A1
Application number: PCT/KR2020/005349
Authority: WO
Inventors: 박해규
Original assignee: 삼성전자 주식회사
Priority date: 2019-05-22
Filing date: 2020-04-23
Publication date: 2020-11-26
Also published as: KR20200134450A

Abstract

An electronic device is disclosed. The electronic device according to various embodiments comprises: a housing; a sound sensor, which is arranged in the housing, emits an audio signal in one direction and receives a reflected audio signal reflected from an external object; a proximity sensor, which is arranged outside the housing and identifies the external object located in the one direction; a motion detection sensor, which is arranged inside the electronic device and can detect the motion of the electronic device; and a processor electrically connected to the sound sensor, the proximity sensor, and the motion detection sensor, wherein the processor can be configured to detect the motion of the electronic device by using the motion detection sensor, change the state of the proximity sensor to an active state in response to the detection, identify whether the external object is located in proximity to the electronic device by using the proximity sensor in the active state, change the state of the sound sensor to an active state on the basis of the identification result indicating that the external object is located in proximity to the electronic device, control the sound sensor so that the sound sensor in the active state outputs the audio signal, identify whether a reflected audio signal of the audio signal is received by using the sound sensor, and recognize the state of the electronic state as a wearing state in response to the reception of the reflected audio signal of the audio signal.

Description

Wearable electronic device and method for identifying the wearing state of the wearable electronic device

Various embodiments of the present invention relate to a wearable electronic device and a method of identifying a wearing state of the wearable electronic device.

With the miniaturization and weight reduction of electronic devices, the demand for wearable electronic devices is increasing, and users can easily listen to music, receive phone calls, or obtain various information through the wearable electronic device.

The wearable electronic device may be used in a wired or wireless combination with an external electronic device, and may connect to an external electronic device or perform various functions according to a state of use of the wearable electronic device. The wearable electronic device may be worn on the user's ear, neck, or wrist, and the wearable electronic device may include various sensors to determine a usage state of the wearable electronic device. In response to determining the use state of the wearable electronic device, a function necessary for the designated use state may be provided to the user. The wearable electronic device can provide the user with a necessary user environment without restriction of time and place.

A sensor is being used to determine whether a wearable electronic device is worn. In the case of the sound output device, in order to determine whether the user wears the sound sensor, it may be determined whether the user uses the sound output device.

If the sound sensor is always activated, the power consumption of the wearable electronic device may increase. If an external object is detected based only on a proximity sensor or a sound sensor, the external object is in a pocket or other objects other than the user's Even if it is recognized, it can be determined as a wearing state, and a solution to this is required.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, an electronic device includes a housing, a sound sensor disposed inside the housing and emitting an audio signal in one direction and receiving a reflected audio signal reflected by an external object, and an external of the housing. A proximity sensor disposed in and identifying an external object positioned in the one direction, a motion detection sensor disposed inside the electronic device and capable of detecting movement of the electronic device, the sound sensor, the proximity sensor, And a processor electrically connected to the motion detection sensor, wherein the processor detects movement of the electronic device using the motion detection sensor, and converts a state of the proximity sensor to an active state in response to the detection. And, based on identifying whether the external object is located around the electronic device using the active proximity sensor, and based on identifying that the external object is located around the electronic device, the sound sensor Switching a state to an active state, controlling the sound sensor so that the sound sensor in the active state outputs the audio signal, using the sound sensor to identify whether to receive a reflected audio signal for the audio signal, and In response to receiving the reflected audio signal for the audio signal, it may be set to recognize the state of the electronic device as a wearing state.

A method of operating a wearable device including a motion detection sensor, a proximity sensor, and a sound sensor according to various embodiments of the present disclosure includes an operation of detecting a movement of a wearable device using the motion detection sensor, and in response to the detection, the An operation of converting a proximity sensor to an active state, an operation of identifying whether an external object is located around the wearable device using the active proximity sensor, and identifying that the external object is located around the wearable device Based on the operation, switching the state of the sound sensor to an active state, an operation of controlling the sound sensor so that the sound sensor in the active state outputs an audio signal, and the audio signal using the sound sensor It may include an operation of identifying whether to receive a reflected audio signal, and an operation of recognizing a state of the wearable device as a wearing state in response to receiving the reflected audio signal for the first audio signal.

The wearable electronic device according to various embodiments may include a motion detection sensor and deactivate the sensors when the detected motion is less than a specified reference, thereby reducing power consumption.

The wearable electronic device according to various embodiments may increase the accuracy of determining the wearing state by the user by using the detection values of the sound sensor and the proximity sensor together.

The wearable electronic device according to various embodiments may provide a function necessary to a user according to the determination of the wearing state.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a wearable electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

2 is a perspective view illustrating a wearable electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an interior of a wearable electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation method of determining a wearing state of a wearable electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

5 is a flowchart illustrating an operation method of determining a non-wearing state of a wearable electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of determining a wearable electronic device from a non-wearing state to a worn state.

7 is a flow chart illustrating an operation of determining a wearable electronic device as a non-wearing state.

8 is a block diagram illustrating a wearable electronic device in a network environment according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 1, a wearable electronic device 100 according to various embodiments may include a processor 110, a motion detection sensor 120, a proximity sensor 130, a sound sensor 140, or a power supply 150. have.

According to various embodiments, the motion detection sensor 120 may detect the movement of the wearable electronic device 100. The motion detection sensor 120 is disposed inside the housing of the wearable electronic device 100, and may detect a movement amount such as a direction and a distance in which the wearable electronic device 100 moves. The motion detection sensor 120 may detect the movement of the wearable electronic device 100 based on various methods. The motion detection sensor 120 may be an acceleration sensor, a gyro type, an inertial type, or a silicon semiconductor type detection sensor. However, it is not limited thereto. The motion detection sensor 120 may detect the motion state of the wearable electronic device 100 by processing the output signal in the processor 110 to measure dynamic forces such as acceleration, vibration, and impact of the wearable electronic device 100. have.

According to various embodiments, the motion detection sensor 120 may detect the motion of the wearable electronic device 100 and may transmit the detected signal to the processor 110. The processor 110 may process the transmitted motion detection signal to determine the movement of the wearable electronic device 100. The processor 110 may receive the motion detection signal and identify whether there is motion of the wearable electronic device 100 for a predetermined period of time. The processor 110 includes a proximity sensor 130 mounted in the wearable electronic device 100 to determine whether the wearable electronic device 100 is in a wearing state when the wearable electronic device 100 has a designated movement for a predetermined period of time. Alternatively, the sound sensor 140 may be activated. The wearing state of the wearable electronic device 100 may be defined as a state in which the wearable electronic device can be worn and used by the user, and the unworn state of the wearable electronic device 100 is a state in which the wearable electronic device is removed from the user and cannot be used. Can be defined as

According to various embodiments, even when the proximity sensor 130 or the sound sensor 140 of the wearable electronic device 100 is activated, the motion detection sensor 120 is used by the processor 110 to control the wearable electronic device 100. It can deliver a motion detection signal. The processor 110 may process the detection signal to identify whether the wearable electronic device 100 does not move for a predetermined period of time. When there is no designated movement of the wearable electronic device 100 for a predetermined period of time, the processor 110 determines the wearing state of the wearable electronic device 100 based on a signal transmitted from the proximity sensor 130 or the sound sensor 140. It can be determined, and the proximity sensor 130 or the sound sensor 140 can be deactivated.

According to various embodiments, the proximity sensor 130 may be set to an active state or an inactive state by the processor 110 in response to a signal detected from the moved detection sensor 120. The proximity sensor 130 may be disposed on the outer surface of the wearable electronic device 100 and may recognize an external object (eg, a user's body part, ear, neck, or wrist) that approaches the wearable electronic device 100. have. The proximity sensor 130 may include at least one of an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, and a touch sensor. The proximity sensor 130 may include a transmitter that transmits infrared rays or ultrasonic waves and a receiver that receives infrared rays or ultrasonic waves reflected from an external object.

According to various embodiments, the transmitter of the proximity sensor 130 may utilize an infrared sensor. According to another embodiment, the proximity sensor 130 may use a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) method with a narrow beam pattern at the transmitter. The VCSEL may be a semiconductor laser diode that emits a laser in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the wearable electronic device 100. Since the proximity sensor 130 using the VCSEL can have a narrow beam pattern and has strong straightness, it can be prevented from being misrecognized as being worn by the user when placed close to other objects other than those worn by the user. .

According to various embodiments, the proximity sensor 130 may be set to an activated or deactivated state in response to a movement of the wearable electronic device 100 by the processor 110. When the wearable electronic device 100 is in a non-wearing state, when the wearable electronic device 100 shows a specified movement, the processor 110 may activate the proximity sensor 130, and the proximity sensor 130 , Can emit a signal (eg, infrared or ultrasonic). The emitted signal may be reflected by an external object and transmitted to the receiver of the proximity sensor. The proximity sensor 130 may detect a time when a signal is reflected from an external object and detect a distance to the external object.

According to various embodiments, the proximity sensor 130 may transmit the detected distance to the external object to the processor 110, and the processor 110 may identify whether the distance to the external object is within a specified distance. The processor 110 may activate the sound sensor 140 when the distance to the external object is within a specified distance. When the distance to the external object is located farther than the specified distance, the processor 110 may determine that the wearable electronic device 100 is not worn.

According to various embodiments, in the wearing state of the wearable electronic device 100, when the movement of the wearable device 100 is not detected or is detected less, the proximity sensor 130 may be set to an inactive state.

According to various embodiments, the sound sensor 140 may be disposed inside the housing, and the housing may include an acoustic channel for transmitting audio from the sound sensor 140 to the outside. The sound sensor 140 may include an audio emitting device such as a speaker and an audio receiving device such as a microphone. The sound sensor 140 may receive an audio signal in which an audio signal generated from a speaker is reflected from an external object as a microphone. The audio signal generated from the speaker may be an audio signal of an inaudible band or an audio signal of a designated band. The processor 110 may identify whether a change in a waveform or tone of the reflected and received audio signal is included within a specified range. The processor 110 may determine whether the signal is within a specified range and recognize whether the wearable device is in a wearing state.

According to various embodiments, since the power consumption of the sound sensor 140 is greater than the power consumption of the proximity sensor 130 or the acceleration sensor 120, in order to reduce the power consumption of the wearable device 100, it is normally in an inactive state. I can. The sound sensor 140 may be changed to an active state based on a detection signal of the proximity sensor 130 and a detection signal of the motion detection sensor 120, and may be maintained in an inactive state after the state of the wearable electronic device is recognized. I can.

According to various embodiments, the processor 110 may be electrically connected to the sound sensor 140, the proximity sensor 130, and the motion detection sensor 120. The processor 110 may identify a usage state of the wearable electronic device 100 based on values detected by the sound sensor 140, the proximity sensor 130, and the motion detection sensor 120.

According to various embodiments, the processor 110 may detect a motion greater than a specified motion using the motion detection sensor 120 and switch the state of the proximity sensor 130 to an active state in response to the motion detection. The processor 110 identifies whether an external object is located around the wearable electronic device 100 using the proximity sensor 130 in an active state, and identifies that the external object is located around the wearable electronic device 100. In response, it is possible to switch the state of the sound sensor to an active state.

According to various embodiments, the processor 110 controls the sound sensor 140 so that the active sound sensor 140 outputs an audio signal, and reflects the audio signal output using the sound sensor 140. Whether to receive an audio signal can be identified. The processor 110 may recognize the state of the wearable electronic device 100 as a wearing state in response to receiving the reflected audio signal for the audio signal. According to various embodiments, the processor 110 may determine the state of the wearable electronic device as the wearing state by comparing the reflected audio signal with the characteristic of the designated audio signal.

According to various embodiments, the processor 110, after recognizing as a wearing state, detects a motion smaller than a specified motion for a specified time using the motion detection sensor 120, and in response to detecting a small motion, the sound sensor (140) can be switched to an inactive state.

The processor 110, through the proximity sensor 130, identifies that an external object is not located within a specified distance from the wearable electronic device 100, and in response to identifying that the external object is not located within the specified distance, The state of the wearable electronic device 100 may be recognized as an unworn state.

According to various embodiments, the power supply 150 may supply power to electronic components disposed inside the housing. When the wearable electronic device 100 is not supplied with external power, the power supply 150 may be a battery built into the wearable electronic device 100. When the wearable electronic device 100 is used in combination with an external electronic device such as a wired earphone or a headset, power may be supplied through a power transmission line instead of a separate built-in battery.

2 is a perspective view illustrating a wearable electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an interior of the wearable electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

2 and 3, the wearable electronic device 100 may include a housing 190, a processor 110, a motion detection sensor 120, a proximity sensor 130, or a sound sensor 140. .

According to various embodiments, the housing 190 includes an inner space in which the processor 110, the motion detection sensor 120, and the sound sensor 140 may be mounted, and a proximity sensor ( 130) may be exposed. According to various embodiments, the housing includes a first outer surface 101 to which the proximity sensor 130 is exposed, a second outer surface 101 protruding from the first outer surface 101 in a first direction (x), and wrapped with the ear tip 181. It may include an outer surface 102 and a fourth outer surface 104 directed in a direction opposite to the first outer surface 101 (-x). The housing 190 may form a third outer surface 103 formed by protruding at least partially in a second direction (y) or a third direction (z) between the second outer surface 102 and the fourth outer surface 104. I can.

According to various embodiments, the housing 190 may include a nozzle unit 180 formed at an end of the second outer surface 102. The nozzle unit 180 may be formed at one end of the first acoustic pipe 185 through which sound emitted from the sound sensor 140 can be transmitted to the outside.

According to various embodiments, the proximity sensor 130 may be exposed to the outside of the wearable electronic device 100 through the opening 135 formed in the first outer surface 101. The direction 131 in which the exposed surface of the proximity sensor 130 faces may be substantially parallel to each other in the same direction as the direction 141 in which the audio signal transmitted to the outside through the first acoustic channel 185 faces. The proximity sensor 130 and the sound sensor 140 are arranged in the same direction, and even if the proximity sensor 130 recognizes the proximity of an external object, the sound sensor 140 confirms that the external object is actually close and wears it. The accuracy of state determination can be improved. According to various embodiments, when the VCSEL type infrared sensor is used, when the wearable electronic device 100 is placed on a desk because of good straightness of the beam, the proximity sensor 130 may prevent recognition as a wearing state.

According to various embodiments, the motion detection sensor 120 is disposed inside the wearable electronic device 100 and may detect a motion of the wearable electronic device 100. The motion detection sensor 120 may be composed of an acceleration sensor or a gyro sensor, and may detect a motion state of an object by measuring a dynamic force such as acceleration, vibration, and impact of the wearable electronic device 100. According to various embodiments, in order to increase the detection accuracy of the motion detection sensor 120, the motion detection sensor 120 may be disposed around a center of gravity of the wearable electronic device 100. The motion detection sensor 120 may be disposed adjacent to a heavy component among electronic components of the wearable electronic device 100. For example, when the wearable electronic device 100 is an earphone, it may be disposed adjacent to a speaker 145 or a battery (not shown), and may be disposed between the speaker 145 and the battery to be disposed around the center of gravity. have.

According to various embodiments, the sound sensor 140 may be formed of a speaker 145 and a microphone 146. The sound sensor 140 may identify whether the external object 199 is close or whether the user wears the wearable electronic device 100 based on the audio signal 143 received by reflecting the audio signal 142. For example, the speaker 145 may emit the audio signal 142 to the outside and transmit it to the external object 199 (eg, the user's ear). The transmitted audio signal 142 may be reflected by an external object 199. The reflected audio signal 143 may be transmitted to the microphone 146. The audio signal 143 transmitted to the microphone 146 may be compared with a designated acoustic characteristic to determine whether the user wears the wearable electronic device 100.

According to various embodiments, the processor 110 may be electrically connected to the motion detection sensor 120, the proximity sensor 130, and the sound sensor 140 mounted on the wearable electronic device 100. The processor 110 may detect the motion of the wearable electronic device 100 from the motion detection sensor 120. The processor 110 may control the proximity sensor 130 or the sound sensor 140 to an active state or an inactive state in response to the detected movement. When the proximity sensor 130 is activated, the processor 110 may detect whether the proximity sensor 130 is close to the external object 199, and activate the sound sensor 140 in response to detection of the proximity. It can be controlled in a state or inactive state. When the sound sensor 140 is activated, the processor 110 may determine a user's wearing state by processing the characteristics of the audio signal 143 received from the microphone 146 of the sound sensor 140.

According to various embodiments, the processor 110 may determine whether the user wears the wearable electronic device 100 based on signals detected by the sound sensor 140, the proximity sensor 130, and the motion detection sensor 120. I can. According to various embodiments, the processor 110 may interact with an external electronic device according to a wearing state or a non-wear state of the wearable electronic device 100, and a related voice of an application executed by the external electronic device is transmitted to the speaker 145 It can be adjusted to be output through ). For example, when the external electronic device and the wearable electronic device 100 are connected through respective communication modules, the external electronic device may execute a music playback application. Based on the signal detected by the sound sensor 140 or the proximity sensor 130 activated by motion detection by the motion detection sensor 120, the wearable electronic device is a specified distance from the sound sensor 140 and the proximity sensor 130 If it is recognized that it exists within, the wearable electronic device 100 may be recognized as a wearing state. When the wearable electronic device 100 is recognized as a wearing state, audio executed through the music playback application may be reproduced through the wearable electronic device 100. When the wearable electronic device 100 is removed from the user and it is detected that the wearable electronic device 100 is out of the specified distance from the sound sensor 140 or the proximity sensor 130, the wearable electronic device 100 is in an unworn state. Can be recognized. When the wearable electronic device 100 is recognized as a non-wearing state, audio executed through the music reproduction application may be reproduced by the sound output device of the external electronic device. For another example, when the wearable electronic device 100 is recognized as a wearing state, when a call is received, a voice output may be set to be output to the wearable electronic device 100. When the wearable electronic device 100 is recognized as not being worn, when a call is received, the voice output may be reproduced by the sound output device of the external electronic device.

According to various embodiments, the processor 110 may be connected to the motion detection sensor 120, the proximity sensor 130, the sound sensor 140 and a plurality of printed

circuit boards

161, 162, 163, and 164. For example, the speaker 145 and the microphone 146 of the sound sensor 140 may be mounted on the first printed circuit board 161, and the processor 110 and the motion detection sensor 120 are the second printed circuit. It may be mounted on the substrate 162, and the proximity sensor 130 may be mounted on the third printed circuit board 163. The first printed circuit board 161 and the second printed circuit board 162 may be connected to the fourth printed circuit board 163. However, it is not limited to the illustrated configuration, and may be mounted in various positions, and the processor 110, the motion detection sensor 120, the proximity sensor 130, or the sound sensor 140 is a single printed circuit board. At least one of the processor 110, the motion detection sensor 120, the proximity sensor 130, or the sound sensor 140 may be mounted on the rear side or on one printed circuit board, and the remaining parts are flexible printed circuits. It can also be connected to a substrate.

According to various embodiments, the housing 190 includes a first acoustic conduit 185 and a second acoustic conduit 186 connected to the microphone 146 so that the audio signal 142 from the speaker 145 is emitted to an external object. can do. The first acoustic conduit 185 is connected to the speaker 145 to transmit sound to the outside, and the second acoustic conduit 186 may transmit sound reflected from the outside to the microphone. The first acoustic pipe 185 and the second acoustic pipe 186 may be branched by the third acoustic pipe 187. The audio signal 142 transmitted through the first acoustic channel 185 may be reflected by the external object 199. The reflected audio signal 143 may be transmitted to the microphone 146 through the first sound channel 185, the third sound channel 187, and the second sound channel 186 in sequence. At least a portion of the first acoustic channel 185 may include both a transmission path of the audio signal 142 and a transmission path of the reflected audio signal 143.

According to various embodiments, the first acoustic conduit 185 may include a nozzle unit 180 including an opening for transmitting the audio signal 142 to the outside, and the first acoustic conduit 185 is wearable. It may be used as an acoustic hole of the electronic device 100.

According to various embodiments, the height of the nozzle unit 180 may be different from the height of the proximity sensor 130 with respect to one surface of the speaker 145 facing the first direction x. For example, the nozzle unit 180 protrudes from one surface of the speaker 145 and may be a positive distance in the first direction (x), and the proximity sensor 130 is based on one surface of the speaker 145 As a result, it may be a negative distance in the first direction x. For another example, the nozzle unit 180 and the proximity sensor 130 have a positive distance in the first direction (x) with respect to one surface of the speaker 145, but the nozzle unit 180 and the proximity sensor 130 ) The distance from one side of the speaker 145 may be different. According to various embodiments, the exposed surfaces of the nozzle unit 180 and the proximity sensor 130 have different heights, so when inserted into the ear, the nozzle unit 180 is inserted into the outer ear, and the proximity sensor 130 May be encountered around the auricle. In the case of not being inserted into the ear, since it is less likely that external objects come into contact with the nozzle unit 180 or the proximity sensor 130 at the same time, it is possible to prevent the proximity sensor 130 and the sound sensor 140 from being misrecognized at the same time. have.

According to various embodiments, when the user grips the wearable electronic device, it may be gripped by using the third outer surface 103 protruding from the outside of the housing 190. When the wearable electronic device 100 is held by using the third outer surface 103, the sound sensor 140 or the proximity sensor 130 may not detect the approach of an external object. According to another embodiment, when gripping using the first outer surface 101 and the fourth outer surface 104, the proximity sensor 130 detects the proximity of an external object, but the sound sensor 140 is May not be detected. According to another embodiment, when gripping by using the second outer surface 102 and the fourth outer surface 104, the sound sensor 140 may detect the approach of an external object, but the proximity sensor 130 Object access may not be detected. Therefore, when the user grips the wearable electronic device 100, it is possible to prevent the user from recognizing it as a worn state. For example, in order for the wearable electronic device 100 to recognize a state worn by the user, the sound sensor 140 and the proximity sensor 130 must recognize that an external object is adjacent, but the user may use the wearable electronic device 100. When the wearable electronic device 100 is gripped, since it cannot be gripped using the first outer surface 101 and the second outer surface 102, the wearable electronic device 100 recognizes as a wearing state. Can be prevented.

Hereinafter, a method of determining a wearing state of a wearable electronic device will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7.

Referring to FIG. 4, in operation 401, a processor (eg, the processor 110 of FIGS. 1 and 3) of a wearable electronic device (eg, the wearable electronic device 100 of FIGS. 1 to 3) is a motion detection sensor ( Example: The motion detection sensor 120 of FIG. 1 may be used to detect the motion of the wearable device. For example, the motion detection sensor may detect a dynamic feature of the wearable device and transmit it to the processor, and the processor may detect the motion of the wearable electronic device based on the detected dynamic feature. When the movement of the wearable electronic device (eg, speed, acceleration, movement direction, or movement distance) is greater than or in the specified movement direction, it may be determined that there is movement of the wearable electronic device.

In operation 402, in response to detecting the movement of the wearable device, the processor may switch the state of the proximity sensor (eg, the proximity sensor 130 of FIGS. 1 to 3) to the active state. For example, if the processor determines that the wearable device has moved, the processor may switch the proximity sensor from an off state to an on state. For another example, the processor may switch the proximity sensor from a sleep state to a wake-up state.

In operation 403, the processor may identify whether an external object (eg, the external object 199 of FIG. 3) is located within a specified distance from the wearable device using the active proximity sensor. For example, the proximity sensor can emit light from the light emitting unit, acquire the time that the emitted light is reflected and received by the light receiving unit, and transmit it to the processor, and the processor processes this to determine the distance between the external object and the wearable device. I can judge. If the processor identifies that the distance between the external object and the wearable device is within the specified distance, the processor may proceed to operation 404.

In operation 404, based on identifying that an external object is located around the wearable device, the state of the sound sensor (eg, the sound sensor 140 of FIGS. 1 and 3) may be switched to the active state. For example, the processor may switch the sound sensor from an off state to an on state. For another example, the processor may switch the sound sensor from a sleep state to a wake-up state. According to various embodiments, it is possible to detect whether an external object is in proximity through a proximity sensor, and secondly, to identify whether a user actually wears a wearable device through a sound sensor.

In operation 405, the processor may receive a reflected audio signal for the audio signal output from the activated sound sensor using the sound sensor. For example, the processor may control the sound sensor so that the active sound sensor outputs an audio signal, and use the sound sensor to identify whether to receive a reflected audio signal for the audio signal. For example, the processor may output an audio signal through a sound output device such as a speaker of an activated sound sensor (eg, speaker 145 of FIG. 3). The processor may receive a reflected audio signal reflected from an external object through a sound receiving device such as a microphone of an activated sound sensor (for example, the microphone 146 of FIG. 3 ). According to various embodiments, the processor includes a difference in reception time of reflected audio reflected from an external object from a time when an audio signal is output or acoustic characteristics of the reflected audio (eg, change in tone, change in frequency, or amplitude or amplitude of sound). (The degree of reduction), it can be compared with a specified acoustic characteristic or a time difference.

In operation 406, in response to receiving the reflected audio signal for the audio signal, the processor may recognize the state of the wearable device as the wearing state. For example, the processor may receive an audio signal and recognize a wearing state of the wearable device when a specified condition is satisfied based on a change in acoustic characteristics of the audio signal or a round trip time to an external object of the audio signal. In response to recognition of the wearing state of the wearable electronic device, the processor may set the wearable electronic device from an unworn state to a worn state, and may set the wearable device to perform a function that can be performed in the wearing state. For example, when the external electronic device connected to the wearable electronic device receives a call, the processor may receive a call through the wearable electronic device. For another example, when the external electronic device plays music or executes content, the processor may output audio through the wearable electronic device.

Referring to FIG. 5, in operation 501, the processor may identify that an external object is not located within a specified distance from the wearable electronic device through an activated proximity sensor. For example, the processor may identify that an external object is not located within a specified distance from the wearable electronic device if it is longer than a specified time based on a time when light emitted from the light emitting unit of the proximity sensor is reflected and received.

In operation 503, in response to identifying that the external object is not in proximity, the processor may recognize the state of the wearable device as an unworn state. For example, when it is identified that an external object is located outside a specified distance from the wearable electronic device, it may be identified as unworn by the user, and the processor may recognize the state of the wearable electronic device as an unworn state. The processor may set the state of the wearable electronic device to the non-wearing state in response to the recognition of the wearable electronic device as the non-wearing state. The wearable device may be set to stop performing functions that can be performed while wearing. For example, when receiving a call from an external electronic device connected to the wearable electronic device, the processor may receive a call through the sound output device of the external electronic device, not the wearable electronic device. For another example, when the external electronic device plays music or executes content, the processor may output the voice through the sound output device of the external electronic device rather than the wearable electronic device.

Referring to FIG. 6, in operation 601, the motion detection sensor may detect the motion of the wearable electronic device and transmit dynamic information related to the motion of the wearable electronic device to the processor. In operation 602, the processor may determine whether there is a movement greater than a specified movement distance for a specified time, based on the received dynamic information related to the movement of the wearable electronic device. For example, when the moving distance according to the motion-related dynamic information is greater than the specified moving distance for a specified time, the processor may determine that there is a movement intended for use of the wearable electronic device. For another example, the processor may determine that there is a motion intended to use the wearable electronic device when it is greater than an acceleration, a velocity, a specified acceleration for a specified time, and a specified velocity, among dynamic information related to the motion. The processor may determine that there is a movement intended for use of the wearable electronic device when there is movement in the specified movement direction for a specified time in the movement direction among dynamic information related to movement. For example, when detecting that the wearable electronic device has moved upward, the processor may determine the movement intended by the user.

According to various embodiments, the processor may determine that the user intends to use the wearable electronic device as a movement through at least one of acceleration, velocity, movement direction, or movement distance, or a combination thereof, among dynamic information related to movement.

If the user determines that the use of the electronic device is the intended movement, in operation 603, the processor may switch the proximity sensor from an inactive state to an active state. If the processor determines that there is no movement intended by the user to use the electronic device, in operation 621, the processor recognizes that the wearable electronic device is not worn by the user, and performs operation 601.

In operation 604, the processor may detect a distance between the external object and the wearable electronic device through the activated proximity sensor. For example, the proximity sensor may transmit a signal received between the wearable electronic device and the external object to the processor, and the processor may detect the distance between the external object and the wearable electronic device by processing the transmitted signal.

In operation 605, the processor may determine whether the external object is located within a specified distance based on the detected distance. If the external object is located within the specified distance, the processor may switch the sound sensor from the deactivated state to the activated state in operation 606. For example, the processor may switch the sound sensor from an off state to an on state or from a sleep state to a wakeup state.

In operation 605, if the external object is not located within the specified distance, in operation 631, the processor recognizes that the wearable device is in a non-wearing state, and sets the wearable electronic device to the non-wearing state in response to recognizing that the wearable device is in a non-wearing state.

In operation 607, through the sound output device of the activated sound sensor, the emitted audio signal may be reflected by an external object. The reflected audio signal may be received through the sound receiving device of the sound sensor. According to various embodiments, the audio signal may be a signal having a frequency of an inaudible band or a signal having a frequency of a designated band.

In operation 608, the processor may determine whether the audio signal received through the sound receiving device has a specified voice characteristic. For example, the voice characteristic may include at least one of a change in an amplitude of an audio signal, a change in a frequency of an audio signal, or a change in a tone of an audio signal. For example, the processor is a characteristic of an audio signal in which the characteristic of an audio signal returned by reflecting the received speech characteristic to an external object is specified (for example, an acoustic characteristic reflected by an external object located in the nozzle unit 180 and returned) And can be compared.

If the processor determines that the received sound has a specified voice characteristic, in operation 609, the processor recognizes the wearable electronic device as a wearing state and, in response to recognizing the wearable electronic device as a wearing state, may set the wearable electronic device to the wearing state. In operation 610, the processor may switch the sound sensor from an active state to an inactive state.

If the processor determines that the received sound does not have the specified voice characteristic, in operation 641, the processor recognizes the wearable electronic device as a non-wearing state, and in response to recognizing the wearable electronic device as a non-wearing state, it may set the wearable electronic device to the non-wearing state. In operation 642, the processor may transition the sound sensor from an active state to an inactive state. In operation 643, the processor may determine whether the external object is out of the specified distance through the proximity sensor, and if not, may repeatedly perform operation 644. In operation 644, the processor may detect the distance to the external object, re-determine operation 643 based on this, and perform operation 604 again if the external object is out of the specified distance.

In operation 701, the processor may activate the proximity sensor. For example, during the wearing state, the proximity sensor may be maintained to be activated. In operation 702, the processor recognizes the wearing state, and the processor may maintain the wearing state setting of the wearable electronic device. According to various embodiments, operations 701 and 702 may be omitted when they are previously set to the wearing state.

In operation 703, the processor may detect the motion of the wearable electronic device using the motion detection sensor. In operation 704, based on the detection of the movement through the motion detection sensor, the processor may determine whether there is no movement greater than the specified movement distance for a specified time. Like operation 602, the processor may determine whether there is no movement greater than the specified movement distance for a specified time based on dynamic information related to the movement of the wearable electronic device received from the movement detection sensor.

If there is a movement greater than the specified movement distance during the specified time, in operation 705, the processor may detect the distance to the external object through the proximity sensor. In operation 706, the processor may determine whether the external object is located within a specified distance from the wearable electronic device based on the detected distance to the external object.

If the external object is located within the specified distance, operation 704 is repeatedly performed, and if the external object is not located within the specified distance, in operation 707, the processor may recognize the wearable electronic device as unworn.

In operation 720, the processor may determine whether there is no movement greater than the specified movement distance for a specified time, based on detection of the movement through the motion detection sensor. If there is a movement greater than the specified movement distance for a specified time, the processor may deactivate the proximity sensor in operation 722. If there is no movement greater than the specified movement distance for the specified time, in operation 721, the processor may continuously detect the movement using the movement detection sensor.

Through

operations

708 and 720, in operation 722, the processor may deactivate the proximity sensor, and in operation 723, the processor may detect motion through the motion detection sensor. Based on the detected motion, in operation 724, the processor determines whether there is a movement larger than the specified movement distance for a specified time, and if there is no large movement, it may repeatedly detect the movement through operation 723. If there is a movement greater than the specified movement distance for the specified time, the processor may activate the proximity sensor in operation 725.

In the above, it has been described that the processor further performs at least some of the operations 720 to 725 after performing the operation 707 of recognizing the non-wearing state of the wearable electronic device. However, according to various embodiments of the present invention, the processor is a wearable electronic device. After performing operation 707 of recognizing the unworn state of the electronic device, the algorithm may be terminated.

Referring to FIG. 8, in the network environment 800, the electronic device 801 communicates with the electronic device 802 through a first network 898 (for example, a short-range wireless communication network), or a second network 899 It is possible to communicate with the electronic device 804 or the server 808 through (eg, a long-distance wireless communication network). According to an embodiment, the electronic device 801 may communicate with the electronic device 804 through the server 808. According to an embodiment, the electronic device 801 includes a processor 820, a memory 830, an input device 850, an audio output device 855, a display device 860, an audio module 870, and a sensor module ( 876), interface 877, haptic module 879, camera module 880, power management module 888, battery 889, communication module 890, subscriber identification module 896, or antenna module 897 ) Can be included. In some embodiments, at least one of these components (for example, the display device 860 or the camera module 880) may be omitted or one or more other components may be added to the electronic device 801. In some embodiments, some of these components may be implemented as one integrated circuit. For example, the sensor module 876 (eg, a fingerprint sensor, an iris sensor, or an illuminance sensor) may be implemented while being embedded in the display device 860 (eg, a display).

The processor 820, for example, executes software (eg, a program 840) to perform at least one other component (eg, a hardware or software component) of the electronic device 801 connected to the processor 820. It can be controlled and can perform various data processing or operations. According to an embodiment, as at least a part of data processing or operation, the processor 820 stores commands or data received from other components (for example, the sensor module 876 or the communication module 890) to the volatile memory 832 The command or data stored in the volatile memory 832 may be processed, and result data may be stored in the nonvolatile memory 834. According to an embodiment, the processor 820 includes a main processor 821 (eg, a central processing unit or an application processor), and a secondary processor 823 (eg, a graphics processing unit, an image signal processor) that can be operated independently or together with , A sensor hub processor, or a communication processor). Additionally or alternatively, the secondary processor 823 may be configured to use lower power than the main processor 821, or to be specialized for a designated function. The secondary processor 823 may be implemented separately from the main processor 821 or as a part thereof.

The secondary processor 823 is, for example, on behalf of the main processor 821 while the main processor 821 is in an inactive (eg, sleep) state, or the main processor 821 is active (eg, application execution). ), along with the main processor 821, at least one of the components of the electronic device 801 (for example, the display device 860, the sensor module 876, or the communication module 890) It is possible to control at least some of the functions or states related to. According to an embodiment, the coprocessor 823 (eg, an image signal processor or a communication processor) may be implemented as part of another functionally related component (eg, a camera module 880 or a communication module 890). have.

The memory 830 may store various types of data used by at least one component of the electronic device 801 (eg, the processor 820 or the sensor module 876 ). The data may include, for example, software (eg, a program 840) and input data or output data for commands related thereto. The memory 830 may include a volatile memory 832 or a nonvolatile memory 834.

The program 840 may be stored as software in the memory 830, and may include, for example, an operating system 842, middleware 844, or an application 846.

The input device 850 may receive a command or data to be used for a component of the electronic device 801 (eg, the processor 820) from outside (eg, a user) of the electronic device 801. The input device 850 may include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard, or a digital pen (eg, a stylus pen).

The sound output device 855 may output an sound signal to the outside of the electronic device 801. The sound output device 855 may include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker can be used for general purposes such as multimedia playback or recording playback, and the receiver can be used to receive incoming calls. According to an embodiment, the receiver may be implemented separately from or as a part of the speaker.

The display device 860 may visually provide information to the outside of the electronic device 801 (eg, a user). The display device 860 may include, for example, a display, a hologram device, or a projector and a control circuit for controlling the device. According to an embodiment, the display device 860 may include a touch circuitry set to sense a touch, or a sensor circuit (eg, a pressure sensor) set to measure the strength of a force generated by the touch. have.

The audio module 870 may convert sound into an electric signal, or conversely, convert an electric signal into sound. According to an embodiment, the audio module 870 acquires sound through the input device 850, the sound output device 855, or an external electronic device directly or wirelessly connected to the electronic device 801 (for example, Sound may be output through the electronic device 802) (for example, a speaker or headphones).

The sensor module 876 detects an operating state (eg, power or temperature) of the electronic device 801, or an external environmental state (eg, a user state), and generates an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the detected state. can do. According to an embodiment, the sensor module 876 includes, 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 IR (infrared) sensor, a biometric sensor, It may include a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

The interface 877 may support one or more designated protocols that may be used to connect the electronic device 801 directly or wirelessly to an external electronic device (eg, the electronic device 802). According to an embodiment, the interface 877 may include, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, an SD card interface, or an audio interface.

The connection terminal 878 may include a connector through which the electronic device 801 may be physically connected to an external electronic device (eg, the electronic device 802). According to an embodiment, the connection terminal 878 may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (eg, a headphone connector).

The haptic module 879 may convert an electrical signal into a mechanical stimulus (eg, vibration or movement) or an electrical stimulus that a user can perceive through a tactile or motor sense. According to an embodiment, the haptic module 879 may include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

The camera module 880 may capture a still image and a video. According to an embodiment, the camera module 880 may include one or more lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.

The power management module 888 may manage power supplied to the electronic device 801. According to an embodiment, the power management module 388 may be implemented as at least a part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC), for example.

The battery 889 may supply power to at least one component of the electronic device 801. According to an embodiment, the battery 889 may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary cell, a rechargeable secondary cell, or a fuel cell.

The communication module 890 is a direct (eg, wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the electronic device 801 and an external electronic device (eg, electronic device 802, electronic device 804, or server 808). It is possible to support establishment and communication through the established communication channel. The communication module 890 operates independently of the processor 820 (eg, an application processor) and may include one or more communication processors that support direct (eg, wired) communication or wireless communication. According to an embodiment, the communication module 890 is a wireless communication module 892 (eg, a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module 894 (eg : A LAN (local area network) communication module, or a power line communication module) may be included. Among these communication modules, a corresponding communication module is a first network 898 (for example, a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, WiFi direct or IrDA (infrared data association)) or a second network 899 (for example, a cellular network, the Internet, or It can communicate with external electronic devices through a computer network (for example, a telecommunication network such as a LAN or WAN). These various types of communication modules may be integrated into one component (eg, a single chip), or may be implemented as a plurality of separate components (eg, multiple chips). The wireless communication module 892 uses subscriber information stored in the subscriber identification module 896 (eg, International Mobile Subscriber Identifier (IMSI)) within a communication network such as the first network 898 or the second network 899. The electronic device 801 may be checked and authenticated.

The antenna module 897 may transmit a signal or power to the outside (eg, an external electronic device) or receive from the outside. According to an embodiment, the antenna module may include one antenna including a conductor formed on a substrate (eg, a PCB) or a radiator formed of a conductive pattern. According to an embodiment, the antenna module 897 may include a plurality of antennas. In this case, at least one antenna suitable for a communication method used in a communication network such as the first network 898 or the second network 899 is, for example, provided by the communication module 890 from the plurality of antennas. Can be chosen. Signal or power may be transmitted or received between the communication module 890 and an external electronic device through the at least one selected antenna. According to some embodiments, other components (eg, RFIC) other than the radiator may be additionally formed as part of the antenna module 897.

At least some of the components are connected to each other through a communication method (e.g., a bus, general purpose input and output (GPIO), serial peripheral interface (SPI), or mobile industry processor interface (MIPI))) between peripheral devices and signals ( E.g. commands or data) can be exchanged with each other.

According to an embodiment, the command or data may be transmitted or received between the electronic device 801 and the external electronic device 804 through the server 808 connected to the second network 899. Each of the

electronic devices

802 and 804 may be a device of the same or different type as the electronic device 801. According to an embodiment, all or part of the operations executed by the electronic device 801 may be executed by one or more of the external

electronic devices

802, 804, or 808. For example, when the electronic device 801 needs to perform a function or service automatically or in response to a request from a user or another device, the electronic device 801 does not execute the function or service by itself. In addition or in addition, it is possible to request one or more external electronic devices to perform the function or at least part of the service. One or more external electronic devices that have received the request may execute at least a part of the requested function or service, or an additional function or service related to the request, and transmit the execution result to the electronic device 801. The electronic device 801 may process the result as it is or additionally and provide it as at least part of a response to the request. To this end, for example, cloud computing, distributed computing, or client-server computing technology may be used.

Electronic devices according to various embodiments disclosed in this document may be devices of various types. The electronic device may include, for example, a portable communication device (eg, a smart phone), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a camera, a wearable device, or a home appliance. The electronic device according to the embodiment of the present document is not limited to the above-described devices.

Various embodiments of the present document and terms used therein are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, and should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutes of the corresponding embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related components. The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or a plurality of the items unless clearly indicated otherwise in a related context. In this document, “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 “A Each of phrases such as "at least one of, B, or C" may include any one of the items listed together in the corresponding one of the phrases, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as "first", "second", or "first" or "second" may be used simply to distinguish the component from other corresponding components, and the components may be referred to in other aspects (eg, importance or Order) is not limited. Some (eg, a first) component is referred to as “coupled” or “connected” with or without the terms “functionally” or “communicatively” to another (eg, second) component. When mentioned, it means that any of the above components can be connected to the other components directly (eg by wire), wirelessly, or via a third component.

The term "module" used in this document may include a unit implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with terms such as logic, logic blocks, parts, or circuits. The module may be an integrally configured component or a minimum unit of the component or a part thereof that performs one or more functions. For example, according to an embodiment, the module may be implemented in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

Various embodiments of this document include one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (eg, internal memory 836 or external memory 838) that can be read by a machine (eg, electronic device 801). It may be implemented as software (eg, a program 840) including them. For example, the processor (eg, the processor 820) of the device (eg, the electronic device 801) may call and execute at least one command among one or more commands stored from a storage medium. This makes it possible for the device to be operated to perform at least one function according to the at least one command invoked. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code executable by an interpreter. A storage medium that can be read by a device may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here,'non-transient' only means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not contain a signal (e.g., electromagnetic waves). It does not distinguish between temporary storage cases.

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

According to various embodiments, each component (eg, module or program) of the above-described components may include a singular number or a plurality of entities. According to various embodiments, one or more components or operations among the above-described corresponding components may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Alternatively or additionally, a plurality of components (eg, a module or a program) may be integrated into one component. In this case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each component of the plurality of components in the same or similar to that performed by the corresponding component among the plurality of components prior to the integration. . According to various embodiments, operations performed by a module, program, or other component are sequentially, parallel, repeatedly, or heuristically executed, or one or more of the above operations are executed in a different order or omitted. Or one or more other actions may be added.

An electronic device (eg, the electronic device 100 of FIG. 3) according to the various embodiments described above is a housing (eg, the housing 190 of FIG. 3 ), and is disposed inside the housing, and emits an audio signal in one direction. And a sound sensor (for example, the sound sensor 140 in FIG. 3) for receiving a reflected audio signal reflected by an external object, a proximity sensor disposed outside the housing and identifying an external object positioned in the one direction ( Example: the proximity sensor 130 of FIG. 3), a motion detection sensor disposed inside the electronic device and capable of detecting the movement of the electronic device (eg, the motion detection sensor 120 of FIG. 3), and the A sound sensor, the proximity sensor, and a processor electrically connected to the motion detection sensor (for example, the processor 110 of FIG. 3), wherein the processor includes, through the sound sensor, the proximity sensor, and the motion detection sensor. It may be set to identify the state of use of the electronic device.

According to various embodiments, the sound sensor includes a speaker that emits the audio signal (eg, speaker 145 of FIG. 3) and a microphone that receives the reflected audio signal (eg, microphone 146 of FIG. 3). The housing may include a first acoustic conduit connected to the speaker (for example, the first acoustic conduit 185 of FIG. 3) and a second acoustic conduit connected to the microphone (for example, the second acoustic conduit of FIG. 3 ). (186)).

According to various embodiments, at least a portion of the first acoustic channel may include a transmission path of the audio signal and a transmission path of the reflected audio signal.

According to various embodiments, the first sound pipe may include a nozzle unit (eg, the nozzle unit 180 of FIG. 3) having an opening for transmitting the audio signal to the outside at an end thereof.

According to various embodiments, the height of the proximity sensor may be different from the height of the nozzle part based on one surface of the speaker facing the one direction.

According to various embodiments, a path of an audio signal emitted from the sound sensor and a path of a signal emitted from the proximity sensor may be substantially the same.

According to various embodiments, the processor detects a motion greater than a specified motion using the motion detection sensor, switches a state of a proximity sensor to an active state in response to the detection, and uses the proximity sensor in the active state. Thus, it may be set to identify whether an external object is located around the wearable device, and change the state of the sound sensor to an active state based on identifying that the external object is located around the wearable device.

According to various embodiments, the processor controls the sound sensor so that the sound sensor in the active state outputs an audio signal, and identifies whether to receive a reflected audio signal for the audio signal using the sound sensor. Can be set to

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, in response to receiving a reflected audio signal for the audio signal, the processor may recognize the state of the electronic device as a wearing state.

According to various embodiments, recognizing the state of the wearable device as the wearing state may be determined by comparing the reflected audio signal with characteristics of a specified audio signal.

According to various embodiments, the processor, after recognizing the wearing state as the wearing state, detects a movement smaller than a specified movement for a specified time using the movement detection sensor, and in response to the detection of the small movement, the sound sensor It can be switched to inactive state.

According to various embodiments, in response to identifying, through the proximity sensor, that an external object is not located within a specified distance from the wearable device, and in response to identifying that an external object is not located within the specified distance, The state of the electronic device may be recognized as an unworn state.

A motion detection sensor (eg, the motion detection sensor 120 of FIG. 1 ), a proximity sensor (eg, the proximity sensor 130 of FIG. 1 ), and a sound sensor (eg, the sound sensor 140 of FIG. 1) according to various embodiments ), the operation method of the wearable device (for example, the electronic device 100 of FIG. 1) includes an operation of detecting a motion of the wearable device using the motion detection sensor, and in response to the detection, a state of the proximity sensor is determined. Based on an operation of switching to an active state, an operation of identifying whether an external object is located around the wearable device using the proximity sensor in an active state, and identifying that the external object is located around the wearable device, Switching the sound sensor to an active state, controlling the sound sensor so that the sound sensor in the active state outputs an audio signal, and receiving a reflected audio signal for the audio signal using the sound sensor In response to receiving the reflected audio signal for the first audio signal, identifying whether or not the wearable device is in a worn state.

According to various embodiments, the operation of recognizing the state of the wearable device as the wearing state may be determined by comparing the reflected audio signal with characteristics of a designated audio signal.

According to various embodiments, after the operation is recognized as the wearing state, an operation of detecting a movement smaller than a specified movement for a specified time using the movement detection sensor, and in response to the detection of the small movement, the sound sensor is deactivated. It may further include an operation of switching to the state.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, in response to motion detection of the wearable device, when there is a motion greater than a specified motion for a specified time, the state of the proximity sensor may be switched to an active state.

According to various embodiments, if there is no movement greater than a specified movement for a specified time in response to detection of the movement of the wearable device, an operation of recognizing that the wearable device is not worn.

According to various embodiments, the motion detection sensor may be at least one of a gyro sensor and an acceleration sensor.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, after the wearable device is recognized as a wearing state, determining whether the movement of the wearable device is smaller than a specified movement using the motion detection sensor, and the wearable device is designated as the specified movement. In response to being smaller than the movement, the operation of maintaining the wearable device in a wearing state may be further included.

When the movement of the wearable device according to various embodiments is greater than the specified movement, an operation of identifying, through the proximity sensor, that an external object is located outside a specified distance from the wearable device, and an external object outside the specified distance In response to identifying that is located, the operation of recognizing the state of the wearable device as an unworn state may be further included.

The methods according to the embodiments described in the claims or specification of the present disclosure may be implemented in the form of hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

When implemented in software, a computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs (software modules) may be provided. One or more programs stored in a computer-readable storage medium are configured to be executable by one or more processors in an electronic device (device). The one or more programs include instructions that cause the electronic device to execute methods according to embodiments described in the claims or specification of the present disclosure.

These programs (software modules, software) include random access memory, non-volatile memory including flash memory, read only memory (ROM), and electrically erasable programmable ROM. (EEPROM: electrically erasable programmable read only memory), magnetic disc storage device, compact disc-ROM (CD-ROM), digital versatile discs (DVDs), or other types of It may be stored in an optical storage device or a magnetic cassette. Alternatively, it may be stored in a memory composed of a combination of some or all of them. In addition, a plurality of configuration memories may be included.

In addition, the program is a communication network such as the Internet (Internet), intranet (Intranet), LAN (local area network), WLAN (wide LAN), or SAN (storage area network), or a communication network consisting of a combination thereof. It may be stored in an attachable storage device that can be accessed. Such a storage device may access a device performing an embodiment of the present disclosure through an external port. In addition, a separate storage device on the communication network may access a device performing an embodiment of the present disclosure.

In the above-described specific embodiments of the present disclosure, components included in the disclosure are expressed in the singular or plural according to the presented specific embodiments. However, the singular or plural expression is selected appropriately for the situation presented for convenience of description, and the present disclosure is not limited to the singular or plural constituent elements, and even constituent elements expressed in plural are composed of the singular or in the singular. Even the expressed constituent elements may be composed of pluralities.

Meanwhile, although specific embodiments have been described in the detailed description of the present disclosure, various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure is limited to the described embodiments and should not be determined, and should be determined by the scope of the claims as well as the equivalents of the claims to be described later.

Claims

In the electronic device,

housing;

A sound sensor disposed inside the housing, emitting an audio signal in one direction and receiving a reflected audio signal reflected by an external object;

A proximity sensor disposed outside the housing and identifying an external object positioned in the one direction;

A motion detection sensor disposed inside the electronic device and capable of detecting movement of the electronic device; And

And a processor electrically connected to the sound sensor, the proximity sensor, and the motion detection sensor,

The processor,

Detecting the motion of the electronic device using the motion detection sensor,

In response to the detection, switching the state of the proximity sensor to an active state,

Identifying whether the external object is located around the electronic device using the proximity sensor in the active state,

Based on identifying that the external object is located around the electronic device, switching the state of the sound sensor to an active state,

Controlling the sound sensor so that the sound sensor in the active state outputs the audio signal,

Identifying whether to receive a reflected audio signal for the audio signal using the sound sensor,

In response to receiving a reflected audio signal for the audio signal, an electronic device configured to recognize a state of the electronic device as a worn state.
The method of claim 1,

The sound sensor may include a speaker emitting the audio signal and a microphone receiving the reflected audio signal,

The housing includes an electronic device including a first sound channel connected to the speaker and a second sound channel connected to the microphone
The method of claim 2,

At least a portion of the first acoustic channel includes a transmission path of the audio signal and a transmission path of the reflected audio signal.
The method of claim 2,

An electronic device including a nozzle portion at an end portion of the first sound channel and having an opening for transmitting the audio signal to the outside.
The method of claim 4,

An electronic device in which a height of the proximity sensor is different from a height of the nozzle unit based on one surface of the speaker facing in the one direction.
The method of claim 1,

An electronic device in which a path of an audio signal emitted from the sound sensor and a path of a signal emitted from the proximity sensor are substantially in the same direction.
The method of claim 1,

Recognizing the state of the electronic device as a wearing state is an electronic device for determining the reflected audio signal by comparing characteristics of a specified audio signal.
The method of claim 1,

The processor,

After recognizing the wearing state, using the motion detection sensor, detects a motion smaller than the specified motion for a specified time,

In response to the detection of the small motion, the electronic device switches the sound sensor to an inactive state.
The method of claim 1,

The processor,

Identifying that an external object is not located within a specified distance from the electronic device through the proximity sensor,

In response to identifying that an external object is not located within the specified distance, the electronic device recognizes the state of the electronic device as an unworn state.
In the method of operating a wearable device including a motion detection sensor, a proximity sensor, and a sound sensor,

Detecting motion of the wearable device using the motion detection sensor;

In response to the detection, switching a state of the proximity sensor to an active state;

Identifying whether an external object is located around the wearable device using the active proximity sensor;

Switching a state of the sound sensor to an active state based on identifying that the external object is located around the wearable device;

Controlling the sound sensor so that the active sound sensor outputs an audio signal;

Identifying whether to receive a reflected audio signal for the audio signal using the sound sensor; And

And recognizing a state of the wearable device as a wearing state in response to receiving a reflected audio signal for the audio signal.
The method of claim 10,

In the operation of recognizing the state of the wearable device as the wearing state, the method of determining the reflected audio signal by comparing characteristics of a specified audio signal.
The method of claim 10,

After the operation is recognized as the wearing state, detecting a motion smaller than a specified motion for a specified time using the motion detection sensor; And

And in response to detecting the small motion, switching the sound sensor to an inactive state.
The method of claim 10,

In the operation of switching to the active state, in response to motion detection of the wearable device, if there is a motion greater than a specified motion for a specified time, the proximity sensor is switched to an active state.
The method of claim 10,

And in response to detecting the motion of the wearable device, recognizing that the wearable device is not worn if there is no motion greater than the specified motion for a specified time.
The method of claim 12,

Determining whether a movement of the wearable device is less than a specified movement using the motion detection sensor after the wearable device is recognized as a wearing state;

In response to the wearable device being smaller than the designated movement, the operation method further comprises maintaining the wearable device in a worn state.