Patent Publication Number: US-11662593-B2

Title: Folding-type wearable electronic device with optical transferring member for transferring light to transparent member from projector

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
     This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/237,982 filed on Jan. 2, 2019 which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-0003423, filed on Jan. 10, 2018, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Field 
     Various embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a folding-type wearable electronic device that may be worn as eyeglasses. 
     Description of Related Art 
     In an Augmented Reality (AR) wearable device, an image (an optical signal) emitted through a projector passes through a prism and then a waveguide, so as to output a picture to the user&#39;s eyes. 
     Conventionally, AR wearable devices that are in the shape of eyeglasses typically have fixed temples such that the eyeglasses cannot be folded. This is due to rigidity of the waveguide. 
     SUMMARY 
     The above presents a disadvantage because as the temple portion is constructed to be fixed and thus cannot be folded with respect to the frame of the AR wearable devices, the devices cannot be easily stored and there is a risk that the devices may be damaged when they are carried by the user. 
     One or more embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a wearable electronic device that can be folded. The temple portion of the wearable device may include a projector and a prism, and the temple portion may be constructed to be foldable with respect to the frame of the device, thereby allowing the device to be easily being stored and preventing damage when it is stored. 
     One or more embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a folding-type wearable electronic device of which the temple portion is replaceable and thus can be easily repaired. 
     One or more embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a folding-type wearable electronic device which implements a reliable guided wave structure of an optical signal by providing a structure in which the temple portion is fixed when the device is unfolded. 
     One or more embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a folding-type wearable electronic device which recognizes when the device is folded or unfolded, thereby reducing electric current consumption of the device. For example, the optical system of the wearable device may be automatically turned off when the device is folded. 
     One or more embodiments of the present disclosure may include: a transparent member; a housing coupled to the transparent member in a rotatable manner via a hinge portion, such that the housing is foldable in a designated direction with respect to the transparent member; a projector at least partially disposed in the housing; and an optical transferring member configured to guide light emitted from the projector to the transparent member when the housing is unfolded with respect to the transparent member in an unfolded state. 
     One or more embodiments of the present disclosure may include: at least one transparent member; a transparent member frame which supports the transparent member; first and second temple portions coupled to the transparent member frame in a rotatable manner so that the first and second temple portions can be folded or unfolded with respect to the transparent member frame; a light source disposed in the first temple portion; at least one optical system configured to guide a wave path of an optical signal emitted from the light source to a user&#39;s eyes; and a fixing device disposed between the transparent member frame and the first temple portion to provide a force for maintaining an unfolding state of the first temple portion with respect to the transparent member frame. 
     A wearable electronic device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure may include: a transparent member; a housing coupled to the transparent member in a rotatable manner via a hinge portion, such that the housing is foldable in a designated direction with respect to the transparent member; a projector at least partially disposed in the housing; a recognition device at least partially disposed in the housing to recognize an unfolded state or a folded state of the housing; and a controller configured to control the projector to emit light when the housing is in the unfolded state, and control the projector to cease emission of the light when the housing is in the folded state. 
     A wearable electronic device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure can be easily stored, and can be safely stored when it is being carried. 
     According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, electric current consumption of the optical system of the wearable electronic device can be reduced by recognizing whether the device is folded or unfolded. 
     According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the temple portion of the wearable electronic device may be replaceable, thereby various components of the device, such as the battery, the optical system, etc., can be easily upgraded. 
     Additional aspects of the present disclosure will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the presented embodiments. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certain embodiments of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG.  1 A ,  FIG.  1 B  and  FIG.  1 C  are perspective views illustrating an electronic device in which a first housing is folded in a designated direction according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  2 A  and  FIG.  2 B  are perspective views illustrating an electronic device in which first and second housings are unfolded in a designated direction according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  2 C  is a plan view illustrating an electronic device in which first and second housings are unfolded in a designated direction according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  3    and  FIG.  4    are exploded perspective views illustrating various structures of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  5    is a plan view illustrating an optical signal path of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  6    is a perspective view illustrating structures of a fixing device and a folding/unfolding recognition device of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  7    is a flowchart illustrating an operation in which a projector is turned on or off depending on detections made by a magnetic sensor of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and 
         FIG.  8    is a block diagram of an electronic device in a network environment according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be appreciated, however, it is not intended to limit the embodiments of the present disclosure to the particular form disclosed, but, on the contrary, it is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Like reference numerals denote like components throughout the drawings. 
       FIGS.  1 A- 1 C  are perspective views illustrating an electronic device in which a first housing is folded in a designated direction according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.  FIGS.  2 A- 2 B  are perspective views illustrating an electronic device in which first and second housings are unfolded in a designated direction according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.  FIG.  2 C  is a plan view illustrating an electronic device in which first and second housings are unfolded in a designated direction according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIGS.  1 A- 2 C , as a wearable device, an electronic device  100  according to an embodiment may be a device that can be worn on a specific portion of the user&#39;s body. For example, the electronic device  100  may be an eyeglasses-type device which can be worn on the user&#39;s face. Therefore, the electronic device  100  according to an embodiment may have structures substantially similar to those of eyeglasses. In addition, the electronic device  100  according to an embodiment may have two housings, i.e., first and second housings (first and second temple portions)  130  and  140 , that can be folded or unfolded with respect to the frame (transparent member frame)  120 , similar to eyeglasses. In one example, the electronic device  100  may be an Augmented Reality (AR) wearable device. 
     The electronic device  100  according to an embodiment may include a transparent member  110 , the transparent member frame  120 , and the housings  130  and  140 . For example, as eyeglasses, the electronic device  100  may have a pair of transparent members  110  and a pair of housings  130  and  140 . 
     For example, the transparent members may include the first transparent member  110  and a second transparent member (not shown in the figure), and the housings may include the first housing  130  and the second housing  140 . The housings  130  and  140  may be coupled to the frame  120  in a rotatable manner. Hereinafter, the pair of housings may be referred to as the first housing  130  and the second housing  140 . In addition, the first housing  130  may be referred to as a first temple portion, and the second housing  140  may be referred to as a second temple portion. 
     The first transparent member  110  according to an embodiment may be an optical member having a waveguide function for passing an optical signal (described in detail below) and a reflection function for changing the path of the optical signal by reflecting the optical signal. Therefore, the first transparent member  110  may be referred to as a waveguide through which the optical signal is guided, and may be referred to as a reflection optical member or optical reflection member that can change the path of the optical signal. For example, the first transparent member  110  may include glass, transparent synthetic resin, and/or the like. 
     The transparent member frame  120  according to an embodiment may have a support structure for supporting the first transparent member  110  and the second transparent member (not shown in the figure), and thus may be referred to as a transparent member support frame, a waveguide support frame, a waveguide support body, or the like. 
     The electronic device  100  according to an embodiment may be folded or unfolded since the first and second housings  130  and  140  are coupled to the transparent member frame  120  in a rotatable manner. The first and second housing  130  and  140  may be folded in a designated first direction, for example, in a direction in which the housings become close to each other, and may be unfolded in a designated second direction, for example, in a direction in which the housings become separated from each other. When the housing  130  is folded with respect to the transparent member frame  120  or the first transparent member  110 , the optical transferring member of the electronic device (described below) may be disposed not to be physically in contact with the transparent member frame  120  or the transparent member  110 . 
     The electronic device  100  according to an embodiment may have first and second hinge portions  170  and  172  disposed between the transparent member frame  120  and the first and second housings  130  and  140  respectively. The first and second hinge portions  170  and  172  may respectively define a first hinge axis A 1  and a second hinge axis A 2 . The first housing  130  may be folded or unfolded in a designated first direction with respect to the transparent member frame  120  by rotating about the first hinge axis A 1 , and the second housing  140  may be folded or unfolded in a designated second direction with respect to the transparent member frame  120  by rotating about the second hinge axis A 2 . 
     The electronic device  100  according to an embodiment may be divided into two regions about the center line of the transparent member frame  120 . That is, it may be divided into a first structure and a second structure. The first structure may include the first transparent member  110 , one lateral portion of the transparent member frame  120 , and the first housing  130 . The second structure may include the second transparent member (not shown), the other lateral portion of the transparent member frame  120 , and the second housing  140 . 
     In the first structure, an optical system may be disposed in the housing  130  and the one lateral portion, so that an optical signal emitted from a light source is output to the user&#39;s eyes. In the second structure, a power supply device, for example, a battery (e.g., the battery  889  of  FIG.  8   ) may be disposed in the second housing  140 . In addition, although not shown, the second structure may be configured to be the same as the first structure. For example, another projector and optical transferring member may be constructed in the second housing  140 , and first and second gratings (described below) may be included for the second transparent member. In this example, the wearable electronic device may include two optical systems for the user&#39;s left and right eyes, and thus the emitted optical signals are output to both of the user&#39;s eyes. In addition, the battery may be disposed in each of the first and second housings  130  and  140  so that the electronic device  100  is properly weight-balanced. 
     In addition, a processor (e.g., the processor  820  of  FIG.  8   ) may be disposed in the first structure. The processor may control a light source (e.g. a projector) to emit light when the first housing  130  is unfolded with respect to the first transparent member  110 , and may control the light source to cease emission of light when the first housing  130  is folded with respect to the first transparent member  110 . As described below, the processor may turn the light source on or off depending on if the electronic device  100  is folded or unfolded. The processor  820  may include a microprocessor or any suitable type of processing circuitry, such as one or more general-purpose processors (e.g., ARM-based processors), a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), a Programmable Logic Device (PLD), an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a Graphical Processing Unit (GPU), a video card controller, etc. In addition, it would be recognized that when a general purpose computer accesses code for implementing the processing shown herein, the execution of the code transforms the general purpose computer into a special purpose computer for executing the processing shown herein. Certain of the functions and steps provided in the Figures may be implemented in hardware, software or a combination of both and may be performed in whole or in part within the programmed instructions of a computer. No claim element herein is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112(f), unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for.” In addition, an artisan understands and appreciates that a “processor” or “microprocessor” may be hardware in the claimed disclosure. Under the broadest reasonable interpretation, the appended claims are statutory subject matter in compliance with 35 U.S.C. § 101. 
       FIG.  3    and  FIG.  4    are exploded perspective views illustrating various structures of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG.  3    and  FIG.  4   , an optical system mounted on the electronic device according to an embodiment may include a light source  150 , an optical transferring member  152 , optical reflection members  154  to  156  (shown in  FIG.  5   ), and the transparent member  110 . The light source  150  and the optical transferring member  152  may be disposed in the first housing  130 , and the optical reflection member may be included in the first transparent member  110 . A portion of the first transparent member  110  may serve as a waveguide. For example, one portion of the transparent member  110  may be utilized as a waveguide of an optical signal. The other portion may be utilized as a reflection member for changing the path of the optical signal. 
     The light source  150  according to an embodiment may be disposed in the first housing  130 , and for example may be a projector (i.e. hereinafter, the light source may be referred to as a projector). The projector  150  may have an image output unit to emit an image optical signal received from the processor  820  of  FIG.  8   . The optical signal emitted from the projector  150  may be output to the optical transferring member  152 . 
     The optical transferring member  152  according to an embodiment may receive the optical signal emitted from the projector  150  and thereafter may change the path of the received optical signal. For example, the optical transferring member  152  may include a prism. One surface of the optical transferring member  152  may be disposed to face an output lens of the projector  150 , and may be disposed in an end portion of the first housing  130 . The end portion of the first housing  130  referred to here may be the portion that is coupled to the transparent member frame  120 . The optical signal whose optical path is changed by the optical transferring member  152  may be output to a first optical reflection member  154  (shown in  FIG.  5   ) disposed on one side of the first transparent member  110  and located in an end portion of the transparent member frame  120 . 
     The end portion of the transparent member frame  120  referred to here may coincide with the portion of the transparent member  110  facing the end portion of the first housing  130 . 
       FIG.  5    is a plan view illustrating an optical signal path of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG.  5   , the optical path of an optical signal emitted from the projector  150  may be changed primarily via the optical transferring member  152 , and may be guided to be incident on the first optical reflection member  154 . The first optical reflection member  154  may include a first grating structure (i.e. hereinafter, the first optical reflection member may be referred to as a first grating structure). For example, the first grating structure  154  may be made of a plurality of diffraction gratings. 
     The optical path of the optical signal may be further changed by the first grating structure  154 , and may be guided by the first grating structure  154  to be incident on the second optical member  156  disposed in the transparent member  110 . For example, the second optical reflection member  156  may include a second grating structure (i.e. hereinafter, the second optical reflection member is referred to as a second grating structure). The optical signal may be reflected by the second grating structure  156  so that it is incident on the user&#39;s eyes. For example, the second grating structure  156  may be made of a plurality of diffraction gratings. 
     Accordingly, the optical reflection member for changing the path of the optical signal according to an embodiment may include the first grating structure  154  disposed in a first portion of the transparent member  110  and the second grating structure  156  disposed in a second portion of the transparent member  110 . For example, the first portion may be a peripheral portion of the transparent member, and the second portion may be a central portion of the transparent member. Thus, the transparent member  110  according to this embodiment may be used as a waveguide. The first grating structure  154  and the second grating structure  156  may be used as a waveguide so that an optical signal emitted from the first grating structure  154  may be output to the second grating structure  156 . The optical signal may then be emitted to the user&#39;s eyes from the second grating structure  156 . 
     According to another embodiment, the transparent member  110  may not include the optical reflection members  154  to  156 . For example, the optical signal output from the projector  150  may be emitted to the user&#39;s eyes by being reflected between the front surface (e.g., the surface closest to the user&#39;s eyes) and the rear surface (e.g., the surface furthest from the user&#39;s eyes) of the transparent member  110 . 
     Returning to  FIG.  3    and  FIG.  4   , the transparent member frame  120  according to an embodiment may include an upper frame  121  and a lower frame  122 . The first transparent member  110  may be fixed to be in between the upper and lower frames  121  and  122  of the transparent member frame  120 . A tunnel-shaped opening may be constructed between the upper and lower frames  121  and  122  to house a flexible circuit board  160 , which is further coupled to the second housing  140 . In other words, the opening may be a path through which the flexible circuit board  160  passes. 
       FIG.  6    is a perspective view illustrating structures of a fixing device and a folding/unfolding recognition device of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG.  3   ,  FIG.  4   , and  FIG.  6   , the electronic device  100  according to an embodiment may further include a fixing device between the transparent member frame  120  and the first housing  130 . The fixing device may provide a force that maintains the unfolding state of the first housing  130 . In other words, the fixing device may provide a retaining force for maintaining the unfolding state of the first housing  130 . 
     The fixing device according to an embodiment may include first and second magnetic bodies m 1  and m 2 . The first magnetic body m 1  may be one or more magnetic members provided in the first housing  130  and may have a first polarity. The second magnetic body m 2  may be one or more magnetic members provided in the transparent member frame  120  and may have a second polarity so that the first magnetic body m 1  and the second magnetic body m 2  generate an attractive force. When the first housing  130  is in the unfolding state with respect to the transparent member frame  120 , the unfolding state may be maintained by the attractive force generated by the fixing device. 
     When the first housing  130  is in the unfolding state with respect to the transparent member frame  120 , the first and second magnetic bodies m 1  and m 2  may be closely to each other or be in contact with each other. For example, when the first magnetic body m 1  has an N pole and an S pole, the second magnetic body m 2  may have a corresponding S pole and an N pole. The unfolding state of the first housing  130  may be fixed by the force of attraction between the first and second magnetic bodies m 1  and m 2 . 
     The first magnetic body m 1  according to an embodiment may be disposed to be exposed through an end  130   a  of the first housing  130 , and the second magnetic body m 2  may be disposed to be exposed through an end  120   a  of the transparent member frame  120 . The first magnetic body m 1  and the second magnetic body m 2  may maintain the unfolding state of the first housing  130  due to the attractive force between the exposed surfaces. Each of the exposed surfaces of the first and second magnetic bodies m 1  and m 2  may be planar. According to another embodiment, the first magnetic body m 1  and the second magnetic body m 2  may not be exposed through the housings. 
     The first magnetic body m 1  may be disposed below the optical transferring member  152 . The electronic device may further include a third magnetic body m 3  that is disposed above the optical transferring member  152 . This way, both the first magnetic body m 1  and the third magnetic body m 3  may be disposed at the end  130   a  of the first housing  130 . 
     The electronic device  100  according to an embodiment may further include a folding/unfolding recognition device (hereinafter, referred to as a recognition device) which recognizes whether the first housing  130  is in the unfolded state. The recognition device according to an embodiment may be used for turning off the optical system  150  when the first housing  130  is in the folded state, and turning on the optical system when the first housing  130  is in the unfolded state. 
     The recognition device according to an embodiment may include the third magnetic body m 3  and a magnetic sensor s. As described above, the third magnetic body m 3  may be provided in the first housing  130 , and may be disposed to the end  130   a  of the first housing  130 . For example, the third magnetic body m 3  may be disposed to be exposed to or hidden from the end  130   a  of the first housing  130 , and if it is disposed to be hidden from the end  130   a  of the first housing, may be disposed to be close to the surface of the first end  130   a.    
     The magnetic sensor s according to an embodiment is a hall sensor, and may be provided in the end  120   a  of the transparent member frame  120  to provide a sensing signal indicating whether the first housing  130  is folded or unfolded. For example, when the electronic device  100  is in the folded state, since the third magnetic body m 3  and the magnetic sensor s are relatively far apart from each other, the optical system  150  may be turned off due to the magnetic sensor s detecting the folded state. On the other hand, when the electronic device  100  is in the unfolded state, since the third magnetic body m 3  and the magnetic sensor s are relatively close to each other, the optical system  150  may be turned on due to the magnetic sensor s detecting the unfolded state. Thus, using the magnetic sensor, electric current consumption of the electronic device can be reduced. 
     In another embodiment, the recognition device may further include an optical sensor (not shown in figures) that can detect the folded/unfolded states using a light receiving unit and light emitting unit. For example, when the electronic device is unfolded, light of the light emitting unit may be detected by the light receiving unit. In yet another embodiment, the recognition device may further include a physical switch operated by a pressing operation or a touch operation. The physical switch may include, for example, a tact switch. When the electronic device is unfolded, the physical switch may be depressed or touched. 
     For example, the optical sensor may be disposed to the housing  130  to detect the folding/unfolded state of the housing  130 , and the physical switch may have a tact switch disposed to the housing  130  to detect the folding/unfolded state of the housing. 
     The recognition device according to another embodiment may have the third magnetic body m 3  disposed in the transparent member frame  120  and the magnetic sensor s disposed in the first housing  130 . Since the projector and the processor are disposed in the first housing  130 , for ease of signal transmission between the processor and the magnetic sensor s, the magnetic sensor s may be disposed in the first housing  130 . When the magnetic sensor s is disposed in the first housing  130 , the processor and the magnetic sensor may be disposed on a single flexible circuit board. 
     Referring to  FIG.  2    and  FIG.  6   , the electronic device  100  according to an embodiment may have the first and second hinge portions  170  and  172  to couple the first and second housings  130  and  140  respectively to both ends of the transparent member frame  120  in a rotatable manner. First and second hinge axes A 1  and A 2  may be provided respectively by the first and second hinge portions  170  and  172 . 
     The first hinge portion  170  according to an embodiment may couple the first housing  130  to the transparent member frame  120  in a rotatable manner, and the second hinge portion  172  may couple the second housing  140  to the transparent member frame in a rotatable manner. 
     The first hinge portion  170  according to an embodiment may include a plurality of hinge arms  1701  to  1704  and hinge pins p 1  and p 2  (shown in  FIG.  3   ). For example, the hinge pins p 1  and p 2  may be inserted to the hollow hinge arms  1701  to  1704 . Among the hinge arms  1701  to  1704 , the hinge arms  1701  and  1703  may be provided on the first housing  130 , and the hinge arms  1702  and  1704  may be provided on the transparent member frame  120 . 
     Among the hinge arms  1701  to  1704 , at least some portions of the hinge arms  1701  and  1702  may be located above the optical transferring member  152 , while at least some portions of the hinge arms  1703  and  1704  may be located below the optical transferring member  152 . For example, the first hinge pin p 1  may be inserted to the hinge arms  1701  and  1702  located above the optical transferring member  152 , and the second hinge pin p 2  may be inserted to the hinge arms  1703  and  1704  located below the optical transferring member  152 . The optical transferring member  152  may be disposed between the hinge arms  1701 / 1702  and  1703 / 1704 .  FIG.  6    further shows reference numeral  132  which indicates an operation button of the projector. 
     The first hinge axis A 1  of the first hinge portion  170  according to an embodiment may vertically penetrate the optical transferring member  152 . 
     Hereinafter, operations of a projector provided in a wearable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to  FIG.  7   . 
       FIG.  7    is a flowchart illustrating an operation in which a projector is turned on or off depending on detections made by a magnetic sensor of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG.  7   , at step  710 , the electronic device according to an embodiment may turn the projector on or off by detecting the folded/unfolded state of a housing of the electronic device (i.e. the housing  130 ). 
     When the housing  130  of  FIG.  1    is in the folded state, the processor  820  of  FIG.  8    may control the projector to cease emission of light by turning off the projector  150  of  FIG.  5    at step  712 . As explained above, the processor  820  detects the folded state by using a sensing signal from the magnetic sensor s of  FIG.  6   . When the housing is in the unfolded state, the processor  820  of  FIG.  8    may enable light emission from the projector by turning on the projector at step  714 . 
       FIG.  8    is a block diagram of an electronic device  800  in a network environment  801  according to various embodiments. Referring to  FIG.  8   , the electronic device  800  in the network environment  801  may communicate with an electronic device  802  via a first network  898  (e.g., short-range wireless communication), or an electronic device  804  or a server  808  via a second network  899  (e.g., long-range wireless communication). According to an embodiment, the electronic device  800  may communicate with the electronic device  804  via the server  808 . According to an embodiment, the electronic device  800  may include a processor  820 , a memory  830 , an input device  850 , a sound output device  855 , a display device  860 , an audio module  870 , a sensor module  876 , an interface  877 , a haptic module  879 , a camera module  880 , a power management module  888 , a battery  889 , a communication module  890 , a Subscriber Identification Module (SIM)  896 , or an antenna module  897 . In some embodiments, at least one (e.g., the display device  860  or the camera module  880 ) of the components may be omitted from the electronic device  800 , or one or more other components may be added in the electronic device  800 . In some embodiments, some of the components may be implemented in an integrated manner, for example, as in a case of the sensor module  876  (e.g., a fingerprint sensor, an iris sensor, or an illuminance sensor) embedded in the display device  860  (e.g., a display). 
     The processor  820  may drive, for example, software (e.g., a program  840 ) to control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware or software component) of the electronic device  800  coupled with the processor  820 , and may perform various data processing or computation. The processor  820  may load a command or data received from other components (e.g., the sensor module  876  or the communication module  890 ) in a volatile memory  832 , process the command or the data stored in the volatile memory  832 , and store resulting data in a non-volatile memory  834 . According to an embodiment, the processor  820  may include a main processor  821  (e.g., a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or an Application Processor (AP)), and an auxiliary processor  823  (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  821 . Additionally or alternatively, the auxiliary processor  823  may be adapted to consume less power than the main processor  821 , or to be specific to a specified function. Herein, the auxiliary processor  823  may be implemented as separate from, or imbedded in the main processor  821 . 
     In this case, the auxiliary processor  823  may control at least some of functions or states related to at least one component (e.g., the display device  860 , the sensor module  876 , or the communication module  890 ) among the components of the electronic device  800 , instead of the main processor  821  while the main processor  821  is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, or together with the main processor  821  while the main processor  821  is in an active state (e.g., executing an application). According to an embodiment, the auxiliary processor  823  (e.g., an image signal processor or a communication processor) may be implemented as part of another component (e.g., the camera module  880  or the communication module  890 ) functionally related to the auxiliary processor  823 . The memory  830  may store various data, for example, software (e.g., the program  840 ) and input data or output data for a command related thereto, used by at least one component (e.g., the processor  820  or the sensor module  876 ) of the electronic device  800 . The memory  830  may include the volatile memory  832  or the non-volatile memory  834 . 
     The program  840  may be stored in the memory  830  as software, and may include, for example, an Operating System (OS)  842 , middleware  844 , or an application  846 . 
     The input device  850  may be a device for receiving a command or data to be used by a component (e.g., the processor  820 ) of the electronic device  800  from the outside (e.g., a user) of the electronic device  800 , and may include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, or a keyboard. 
     The sound output device  855  may be a device for outputting sound signals to the outside of the electronic device  800 , and may 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 incoming calls. According to an embodiment, the receiver may be implemented as separate from, or as part of the speaker. 
     The display device  860  may be a device for visually provide information to a user of the electronic device  800 , and may include, for example, a display, a hologram device, or a projector and control circuitry to control a corresponding device. According to an embodiment, the display device  860  may include touch circuitry or a pressure sensor adapted to measure the intensity of force incurred by the touch. 
     The audio module  870  may convert a sound into an electrical signal and vice versa. According to an embodiment, the audio module  870  may obtain the sound via the input device  850 , or output the sound via the sound output device  855  or, for example, an external electronic device (e.g., an electronic device  802 , for example, a speaker or a headphone)) wiredly or wirelessly coupled with the electronic device  800 . 
     The sensor module  876  may generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to an internal operational state (e.g., power or temperature) of the electronic device  800  or an external environmental state. The sensor module  876  may 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 interface  877  may support a specified protocol to be coupled with the external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device  802 ) wiredly or wirelessly. According to an embodiment, the interface  877  may 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 connection terminal  878  may include a connector via which the electronic device  800  may be physically connected with the external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device  802 ), and may include, for example, a HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector). 
     The haptic module  879  may 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 tactile sensation or kinesthetic sensation. The haptic module  879  may include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electric stimulator. 
     The camera module  880  may capture still images or moving images. 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 be a module for managing power supplied to the electronic device  800 , and may be implemented as at least part of, for example, a Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC). 
     The battery  889  may be a device for supplying power to at least one component of the electronic device  800 , and may include, for example, a primary cell which is not rechargeable, a secondary cell which is rechargeable, or a fuel cell. 
     The communication module  890  may support establishing a wired communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the electronic device  800  and the external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device  802 , the electronic device  804 , or the server  808 ) and performing communication via the established communication channel. The communication module  890  may include one or more communication processors that are operable independently from the processor  820  (e.g., the Application Processor (AP)) and supports a wired communication or a wireless communication. According to an embodiment, the communication module  890  may include a wireless communication module  892  (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  894  (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  898  (e.g., a short-range communication network, such as Bluetooth™, Wireless-Fidelity (Wi-Fi) direct, or Infrared Data Association (IrDA)) or the second network  899  (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 the communication modules  890  may be implemented as a single chip, or may be implemented as chips separate from each other. 
     According to an embodiment, the wireless communication module  892  may identify and authenticate the electronic device  800  in a communication network by using user information stored in the subscriber identification module  896 . 
     The antenna module  897  may include one or more antennas for transmitting or receiving a signal or power to or from the outside. According to an embodiment, the communication module  890  (e.g., the wireless communication module  892 ) may transmit or receive a signal to or from the external electronic device via an antenna appropriate for a communication scheme. 
     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 device  800  and the external electronic device  804  via the server  808  coupled with the second network  899 . Each of the electronic devices  802  and  804  may be a device of a same type as, or a different type from, the electronic device  800 . According to an embodiment, all or some of operations to be executed at the electronic device  800  may be executed at one or more of the external electronic devices. According to an embodiment, if the electronic device  800  should perform a function or a service automatically, or in response to a request, the electronic device  800 , 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 external electronic devices receiving the request may perform the requested function or an additional function, and transfer an outcome of the performing to the electronic device  800 . The electronic device  800  may provide the requested function or service, with or without further processing of the outcome. To that end, a cloud computing, for example, distributed computing, or client-server computing technology may be used. 
     The term “module,” as used herein may represent, for example, a unit including a combination of one or two or more of hardware, software, or firmware. The “module” may be, for example, used interchangeably with the terms “unit”, “logic”, “logical block”, “component”, or “circuit” etc. The “module” may be the minimum unit of an integrally constructed component or a part thereof. The “module” may be also the minimum unit performing one or more functions or a part thereof. The “module” may be implemented mechanically or electronically. For example, the “module” may include at least one of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chip, Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) and a programmable-logic device performing some operations known to the art or to be developed in the future. 
     At least a part of an apparatus (e.g., modules or functions thereof) or method (e.g., operations) according to the present invention may be, for example, implemented as instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium in a form of a programming module. In case that the instruction is executed by a processor (e.g., processor  820 ), and the processor may perform functions corresponding to the instructions. The computer-readable storage media may be the memory  830 , for instance. 
     The computer-readable recording medium may include a hard disk, a floppy disk, and a magnetic medium (e.g., a magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., a Compact Disc-Read Only Memory (CD-ROM) and a Digital Versatile Disc (DVD)), a Magneto-Optical Medium (e.g., a floptical disk), and a hardware device (e.g., a Read Only Memory (ROM), a Random Access Memory (RAM), a flash memory, etc.). Also, the program instruction may include not only a mechanical language code such as a code made by a compiler but also a high-level language code executable by a computer using an interpreter, etc. The aforementioned hardware device may be constructed to operate as one or more software modules in order to perform operations of the present invention, and vice versa. 
     The module or programming module according to the present invention may include at least one or more of the aforementioned constituent elements, or omit some of the aforementioned constituent elements, or further include additional other constituent elements. Operations carried out by the module, the programming module or the other constituent elements according to the present invention may be executed in a sequential, parallel, repeated or heuristic method. Also, some operations may be executed in different order or may be omitted, or other operations may be added. 
     Certain aspects of the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in hardware, firmware or via the execution of software or computer code that can be stored in a recording medium such as a CD ROM, a Digital Versatile Disc (DVD), a magnetic tape, a RAM, a floppy disk, a hard disk, or a magneto-optical disk or computer code downloaded over a network originally stored on a remote recording medium or a non-transitory machine readable medium and to be stored on a local recording medium, so that the methods described herein can be rendered via such software that is stored on the recording medium using a general purpose computer, or a special processor or in programmable or dedicated hardware, such as an ASIC or FPGA. As would be understood in the art, the computer, the processor, microprocessor controller or the programmable hardware include memory components, e.g., RAM, ROM, Flash, etc. that may store or receive software or computer code that when accessed and executed by the computer, processor or hardware implement the processing methods described herein. 
     Meanwhile, the exemplary embodiments disclosed in the specification and drawings are merely presented to easily describe the technical contents of the present disclosure and help with the understanding of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, all changes or modifications derived from the technical idea of the present disclosure as well as the embodiments described herein should be interpreted to belong to the scope of the present disclosure.