Patent Publication Number: US-2019187758-A1

Title: Flexible device and operating method therefor

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
     This application is a National Phase Entry of PCT International Application No. PCT/KR2017/003953, which was filed on Apr. 12, 2017, and claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2016-0045114, which was filed on Apr. 12, 2016, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field 
     The present disclosure generally relates to an electronic device and a method of operating the same, and more particularly, to a flexible device including a flexible display and a method of operating the same. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Presently, technology related to flexible displays which can be extended by force applied from the outside is being actively developed. The flexible display may be temporarily bent or may maintain a bent state by applied force and, accordingly, a user may watch a screen displayed on a display which has various areas according to user&#39;s taste. Further, with the recent development of electronics that include a flexible Printed Circuit Board (PCB), a flexible device of which the whole device is capable of being temporarily bent or maintaining a bent state by force applied from the outside has been developed. 
     The user may control the flexible device in a desired form and then use the controlled device. Further, the flexible device may include a touch panel and the user may input various control commands into the device controlled in the desired form. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to a flexible device of the prior art, when the form of the flexible device is changed due to the bending characteristic thereof, a function/functions or an operation/operations according to the bending characteristic cannot be provided to a user and thus the user may have difficulty controlling the flexible device. 
     Various embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a flexible device capable of providing a user with various graphic user interfaces and various control methods for controlling the flexible device based on the bending characteristic of the flexible device. 
     Various embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a method of operating a flexible device capable of providing a user with various graphic user interfaces and various control methods for controlling the flexible device based on the bending characteristic of the flexible device. 
     In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, a flexible device is provided. The flexible device includes: a sensor module; a flexible display; and a processor configured to, when an event for bending the flexible device is detected by the sensor module while an execution screen of a main application and an execution screen of a sub application are displayed in a first window and a second window, respectively, perform control to relocate the first window and the second window according to the event for bending, and the sub application may include an application for performing at least one of a plurality of functions included in the main application. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a flexible device is provided. The flexible device includes: a sensor module; a flexible display; and a processor configured to, when the generation of the event for bending the flexible display is detected by the sensor module while a plurality of windows in which a plurality of applications are executed are displayed on the flexible display, perform control to relocate the plurality of displayed windows according to the generated event for bending. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable recording medium that stores instructions configured to perform at least one operation by a processor is provided. The at least one operation includes: displaying an execution screen of a main application and an execution screen of a sub application in a first window and a second window, respectively; detecting the generation of an event for bending a flexible display; and relocating the first window and the second window according to the event for bending when the generation of the event for bending the flexible display is detected, wherein the sub application includes an application for performing at least one function among a plurality of functions included in the main application. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable recording medium that stores instructions configured to perform at least one operation by a processor is provided. The at least one operation includes: displaying a plurality of windows in which a plurality of applications are executed on the flexible display; detecting the generation of the event for bending the flexible display; and relocating the plurality of displayed windows according to the generated event for bending when the generation of the event for bending the flexible display is detected. 
     Various embodiments of the present disclosure can improve user convenience by providing a user with various graphic user interfaces and various control methods for controlling the flexible device based on the bending characteristic of the flexible device. 
     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the advantages of the present disclosure are not limited to those mentioned above, and the present disclosure includes various implicit advantages. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating a flexible device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a method of operating the flexible device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIGS. 3A to 3C  illustrate the flexible device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIGS. 3D to 4D  illustrate a function/functions or an operation/operations for controlling various objects displayed on the flexible device according to bending of the flexible device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a function/functions or an operation/operations for controlling various objects displayed on the flexible device when the flexible device is turned over while the flexible device is bent according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIGS. 6A to 6E  illustrate functions or operations for switching the main application and the sub application displayed on the flexible device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIGS. 7A to 7D  illustrate a function/functions or an operation/operations for relocating a plurality of windows displayed on the flexible device as the flexible device is bent according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIGS. 8A and 8B  illustrate a function/functions or an operation/operations for relocating a plurality of windows displayed on the flexible device when the flexible device is open while being bent according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 9  illustrates functions or operations for relocating the main application, the sub application, and the status bar as the flexible device is bent according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 10  illustrates functions or operations for relocating two windows and the status bar as the flexible device is bent according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 11  illustrates functions or operations for relocating three windows and the status bar as the flexible device is bent according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 12  illustrates functions or operations for relocating four windows and the status bar as the flexible device is bent according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 13  illustrates functions or operations for displaying windows on the flexible device according to the window orientation determined on the basis of a connection terminal included in the flexible device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIGS. 14 to 17  illustrate function or operations for displaying windows on the flexible device according to the window orientation determined based on shape of the user&#39;s hand or fingers gripping the flexible device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 18  illustrates an example for describing an electronic device within a network environment according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 19  illustrates an example for describing an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; and 
         FIG. 20  illustrates an example for describing a program module according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that there is no intent to limit the present disclosure to the particular forms disclosed herein; rather, the present disclosure should be construed to cover various modifications, equivalents, and/or alternatives of embodiments of the present disclosure. In describing the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used to designate similar constituent elements. 
     As used herein, the expression “have”, “may have”, “include”, or “may include” refers to the existence of a corresponding feature (e.g., numeral, function, operation, or constituent element such as component), and does not exclude one or more additional features. 
     In the present disclosure, the expression “A or B”, “at least one of A or/and B”, or “one or more of A or/and B” may include all possible combinations of the items listed. For example, the expression “A or B”, “at least one of A and B”, or “at least one of A or B” refers to all of (1) including at least one A, (2) including at least one B, or (3) including all of at least one A and at least one B. 
     The expression “a first”, “a second”, “the first”, or “the second” used in various embodiments of the present disclosure may modify various components regardless of the order and/or the importance but does not limit the corresponding components. For example, a first user device and a second user device indicate different user devices although both of them are user devices. For example, a first element may be termed a second element, and similarly, a second element may be termed a first element without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. 
     It should be understood that when an element (e.g., first element) is referred to as being (operatively or communicatively) “connected,” or “coupled,” to another element (e.g., second element), it may be directly connected or coupled directly to the other element or any other element (e.g., third element) may be interposer between them. In contrast, it may be understood that when an element (e.g., first element) is referred to as being “directly connected,” or “directly coupled” to another element (second element), there are no element (e.g., third element) interposed between them. 
     The expression “configured to” used in the present disclosure may be exchanged with, for example, “suitable for”, “having the capacity to”, “designed to”, “adapted to”, “made to”, or “capable of” according to the situation. The term “configured to” may not necessarily imply “specifically designed to” in hardware. Alternatively, in some situations, the expression “device configured to” may mean that the device, together with other devices or components, “is able to”. For example, the phrase “processor adapted (or configured) to perform A, B, and C” may mean a dedicated processor (e.g., embedded processor) only for performing the corresponding operations or a generic-purpose processor (e.g., Central Processing Unit (CPU) or Application Processor (AP)) that can perform the corresponding operations by executing one or more software programs stored in a memory device. 
     The terms used herein are merely for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of other embodiments. A singular expression may include a plural expression unless they are definitely different in a context. Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein, including technical and scientific terms, have the same meaning as those commonly understood by a person skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains. Such terms as those defined in a generally used dictionary may be interpreted to have the meanings equal to the contextual meanings in the relevant field of art, and are not to be interpreted to have ideal or excessively formal meanings unless clearly defined in the present disclosure. In some cases, even the term defined in the present disclosure should not be interpreted to exclude embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     An electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of, for example, a smart phone, a tablet Personal Computer (PC), a mobile phone, a video phone, an electronic book reader (e-book reader), a desktop PC, a laptop PC, a netbook computer, a workstation, a server, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a Portable Multimedia Player (PMP), a MPEG-1 audio layer-3 (MP3) player, a mobile medical device, a camera, and a wearable device. According to various embodiments, the wearable device may include at least one of an accessory type (e.g., a watch, a ring, a bracelet, an anklet, a necklace, a glasses, a contact lens, or a Head-Mounted Device (HMD)), a fabric or clothing integrated type (e.g., an electronic clothing), a body-mounted type (e.g., a skin pad, or tattoo), and a bio-implantable type (e.g., an implantable circuit). 
     According to some embodiments, the electronic device may be a home appliance. The home appliance may include at least one of, for example, a television, a Digital Video Disk (DVD) player, an audio, a refrigerator, an air conditioner, a vacuum cleaner, an oven, a microwave oven, a washing machine, an air cleaner, a set-top box, a home automation control panel, a security control panel, a TV box (e.g., Samsung HomeSync™, Apple TV™, or Google TV™), a game console (e.g., Xbox™ and PlayStation™), an electronic dictionary, an electronic key, a camcorder, and an electronic photo frame. 
     According to another embodiment, the electronic device may include at least one of various medical devices (e.g., various portable medical measuring devices (a blood glucose monitoring device, a heart rate monitoring device, a blood pressure measuring device, a body temperature measuring device, etc.), a Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA), a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), a Computed Tomography (CT) machine, and an ultrasonic machine), a navigation device, a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, an Event Data Recorder (EDR), a Flight Data Recorder (FDR), a Vehicle Infotainment Devices, an electronic devices for a ship (e.g., a navigation device for a ship, and a gyro-compass), avionics, security devices, an automotive head unit, a robot for home or industry, an Automatic Teller&#39;s Machine (ATM) in banks, Point Of Sales (POS) in a shop, or internet device of things (e.g., a light bulb, various sensors, electric or gas meter, a sprinkler device, a fire alarm, a thermostat, a streetlamp, a toaster, a sporting goods, a hot water tank, a heater, a boiler, etc.). 
     According to some embodiments, the electronic device may include at least one of a part of furniture or a building/structure, an electronic board, an electronic signature receiving device, a projector, and various kinds of measuring instruments (e.g., a water meter, an electric meter, a gas meter, and a radio wave meter). In various embodiments, the electronic device may be a combination of one or more of the aforementioned various devices. According to some embodiments, the electronic device may also be a flexible device. Further, the electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited to the aforementioned devices, and may include a new electronic device according to the development of technology. 
     Hereinafter, an electronic device according to various embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present disclosure, the term “user” may indicate a person using an electronic device or a device (e.g., an artificial intelligence electronic device) using an electronic device. 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating a flexible device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a flexible device  100  according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may include a processor  110 , a sensor module  120 , a touch panel  130 , and a display  140 . 
     The processor  110  may include one or more of a Central Processing Unit (CPU), an Application Processor (AP), and a Communication Processor (CP). The processor  110  may control, for example, at least one other element of the flexible device  100  and/or carry out operations or data processing related to communication. 
     The sensor module  120  may measure a physical amount or detect an operational state of the flexible device  100  and convert the measured or detected information into an electrical signal. For example, the sensor module  120  may include a bending determination sensor that may detect a bending state of the flexible device  100 . When the flexible device  100  is bent at a predetermined angle or more, the sensor module  120  may determine that the flexible device  100  is bent. 
     The touch panel  130  may use at least one of, for example, a capacitive type, a resistive type, an infrared type, and an ultrasonic type. The touch panel  130  may further include a control circuit. The touch panel  130  may further include a tactile layer and provide a tactile reaction to the user. 
     The display device  140  may include a flexible display. The display  140  may include, for example, a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), a Light-Emitting Diode (LED) display, an Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) display, a MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) display, and an electronic paper display. The display  140  may display, for example, various types of content (for example, text, images, videos, icons, symbols, etc.) to users. The display  140  may include a touch screen and receive, for example, a touch input, a gesture input, a proximity input, or a hovering input using an electronic pen or a user&#39;s body part. The display  140  may be extended or bent by force applied from the outside. 
     At least one element of the flexible device  100 , according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, may be manufactured on a flexible printed circuit board (PCB). At least the part of the flexible PCB may be extended or bent by force applied from the outside. Accordingly, the flexible device  100  including the flexible display may be extended or bent by force applied from the outside, as illustrated in  FIGS. 3B and 3C . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a method of operating the flexible device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the method of operating the flexible device, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, may include a process  202  of executing a first application in the flexible device. The “first application” may include a “main application.” The main application may be referred to as the term including, for example, a certain application which can be independently executed in a flexible device (for example, the flexible device  100 ). The executable application may include various applications, for example, an S Note™ application, an e-mail application, an e-book reader application, and a calendar application. 
     The method of operating the flexible device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, may include a process  204  of executing a second application related to the first application. The “second application” may be used to mean a “sub application” or a “composing application”. The sub application or the composing application may be an application for performing at least one function (for example, a function of a “new event” for a specific day) among a plurality of functions included in the main application (for example, a calendar application). In other words, the sub application may be a function or an application included independent/dependent from/on the main application. For example, when the main application is the “S Note™ application,” the sub application may be a function/application of “new page.” Further, when the main application is the “e-book reader application,” the sub application may be a function/application of “memo”. However, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the term “second application” may be a term that includes a specific application different from the “first application” (that is, an application executed independently from the first application). 
     The method of operating the flexible device, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, may include a process  206  of hierarchically displaying an execution screen of the first application and an execution screen of the second application. In this specification, the execution screen on which an application is executed or the area in which the execution screen is displayed may be referred to as a “window” for convenience of description. The process  206  will be described below in detail. 
     The method of operating the flexible device, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, may include a process  208  of determining whether a control signal is input into the processor. The control signal may include signals acquired by various elements included in the flexible device. For example, the control signals may include a signal related to an event for bending the flexible device, which is detected by a sensor module (for example, the sensor module  120 ). Alternatively, the control signals may include a signal related to a touch input received from the user in order to control various objects displayed on the flexible device. In addition, the control signals may further include various signals. 
     The method of operating the flexible device, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, may include a process  210  of, when it is determined that the control signal is input, rearranging the execution of the first application and the execution screen of the second application. The process  210  will be described below in detail. 
       FIGS. 3A to 3C  illustrate the flexible device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3A , a flexible device  300 , according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, may include a flexible display  310 , a volume control button  320 , a connection terminal  330 , and a power button  340 . On the flexible display  310  there may be, for example, a home screen  312 , a network operator to which the flexible device  300  subscribes, and a status bar  314  for displaying information related to the current state of the flexible device  300  such as a network connection state, the remaining charge of a battery, and the current time. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the flexible display  310  may be located on both sides of the flexible device  300 . The flexible display  310  may receive a touch input from the user. The flexible display  310  may include a single display. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, when the flexible display  310  is bent, lateral parts of the flexible display  310  may be bent with a predetermined curvature unlike  FIGS. 3B and 3C . 
     The volume control button  320  may receive a volume control command from the user. The flexible device  300  may control the volume of the sound output from the flexible device  300  according to the received volume control command. 
     An external device such as a USB may be connected to the connection terminal  330 . The flexible device  300  may transmit/receive data to/from the external device connected to the connection terminal  330 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3B and 3C , the flexible device  300 , according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, may be extended or bent by force applied from the outside as described above. To this end, at least some of the housing of the flexible device  300  may be formed with a flexible material which can be extended or bent by force applied from the outside. Alternatively, the housing may be configured such that the bent part of the flexible device  300  is formed by hinge coupling. The housing may fix the flexible display  310  located on the front surface and the rear surface of the flexible device  300 . The volume control button  320 , the connection terminal  330 , and the power button  340  may be included in the housing. 
       FIGS. 3D to 4D  illustrate a function/functions or an operation/operations for controlling various objects displayed on the flexible device as the flexible device is bent according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3D , the flexible display  310  of the flexible device  300  may display a first window  312  on which the execution screen of the main application and the status bar  316  are displayed. The processor (for example, the processor  110 ) of the flexible device  300  may display a second window  314  for displaying the execution screen of the sub application on the flexible display  310  according to a request for executing the sub application. As illustrated in  FIG. 3B , the main application and the sub application may be displayed on different layers. Further, the main application and the sub application may be overlappingly displayed according to a predetermined ratio. However, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the main application and the sub application may be displayed on the same layer. In this case, the main application and the sub application may be split in order to be displayed according to a predetermined ratio. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3E , the processor may perform control to display a particular window (for example, the second window  314 ) on the top layer according to a user&#39;s touch input on the flexible display  300 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3F , when generation of an event for bending the flexible device  300  or the flexible display  310  is detected in a state in which the particular window is displayed on the top layer according to the touch input, the processor may perform control to display the first window  312  on the top layer. When the generation of the event for bending is detected, the processor may switch the flexible display  310  on the rear surface into an idle mode or turn off the display on the rear surface. The processor may perform control to overlappingly display the first window  312  and the second window  314  according to a predetermined ratio. However, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the processor may perform control to continuously display the currently displayed screen without switching the display on the rear surface into the idle mode or turning off the display. 
     Although  FIG. 3F  illustrates that the first window  312  is located on top regardless of which window is located on the top before the generation of the event for bending is detected, this is only an example of description of the present disclosure. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, when the generation of the event for bending is detected in a state in which a particular window (for example, the second window  314 ) is displayed on a higher layer according to the touch input, the processor may perform control to display the second window  314  on the top layer while the flexible display is bent. In other words, when the second window  314  is the window last focused on before the generation of the event for bending and the flexible device is bent, the second window  314  may be displayed on the top layer. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3G , when a user&#39;s particular gesture (for example, a flick gesture) is received in a state in which the first window  312  and the second window  314  overlap each other, the processor may perform control to display the second window  314  on the top layer. On the contrary, the processor may perform control to display the first window  312  on the top layer as illustrated in  FIG. 3H . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3I , when a predetermined time passes in the state in which the first window  312  and the second window  314  overlap each other, the processor may perform control to display only the first window  312  on the flexible display  310 . Referring to  FIG. 3J , when the user&#39;s particular gesture is input in the state in which only the first window  312  is displayed, the process may perform control to display the second window  314 . According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the first window  312  and the second window  314  may be interchangeably executed. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3K , when the generation of an event for opening of the flexible device  300  or the flexible display  310  is detected in the state in which the first window  312  is displayed, the processor may display the first window  312  and the second window  314  in the state before the generation of the event for bending is detected. For example, when the second window  314  is located on the top layer before the generation of the event for bending is detected, the processor may perform control to display the second window  314  on the top layer even though the first window  314  is displayed on the top layer while the flexible device  300  is bent. On the contrary, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, when the generation of the event for opening is detected, the processor may perform control to display the window (for example, the first window  312 ), which is displayed on the top layer before the generation of the event for opening is detected, on the top even in the open state. 
     As described above, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the first window  312  and the second window  314  may be displayed on the same layer. In this case, the processor may have the effect of overlappingly displaying the respective windows by controlling the display ratios of the first window  312  and the second window  314  on the same layer. That is, various embodiments of the present disclosure can be equally applied even to the case in which the first window  312  and the second window  314  are displayed on the same layer. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4A , a first window  412  and a second window  414  may be displayed on a flexible device  400  according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. When an event for copying or moving a particular object  418  (for example, a drag gesture for the particular object  418 ) is input from the user, the processor of the flexible device  400  may move the particular object  418  to a position designated by the user or copy the particular object  418  at a position designated by the user. Referring to  FIG. 4B , when the event for opening of the flexible device  400  is generated, the particular moved or copied object  418  may be displayed together with the first window  412  and the second window  414 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4C and 4D , when the generation of the event for bending the flexible device  400  is detected, the processor may perform control to display a status bar  416  on a side portion  420  of the flexible device  410 . The processor may perform control to display not only various pieces of information included in the status bar  416  but also notification information related to the operation of the flexible device, for example, the content of received SNS messages or a list of missed calls. After the status bar  416  moves to the side portion  420 , an indicator  419  for displaying the notification information on the front portion of the flexible device  400  may be displayed. When a user&#39;s touch input for the indicator  419  is received, the processor may perform control to display a notification window  415  including applications related to the notification information, for example, various applications such as an SNS application, a phone application, and/or an SMS application. The indicator  419  may be displayed around a part  413  touched by a user&#39;s particular body part (for example, a thumb). 
     According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the processor may perform control to display only information included in the status bar  416  on the side portion  420 . As illustrated in  FIG. 4C , a process in which the status bar  416  moves to the side portion  420  may be displayed on the flexible display  410  for a visual effect. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a function/functions or an operation/operations for controlling various objects displayed on the flexible device when the flexible device is turned over while bent according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , in a state in which a first window  512  and a second window  514  are displayed on a flexible display  510  of a flexible device  500  according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the generation of an event for turning over the flexible device  500  may be detected. When the generation of the event for turning over the flexible device  500  is detected, the processor may change the display orientation of the first window  512  and the second window  514  according to the turning over. 
       FIGS. 6A to 6E  illustrate functions or operations for switching the main application and the sub application displayed on the flexible device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6A , in a state in which a first window  612  and a second window  614  are displayed on a flexible display  610  of a flexible device  600  according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, various gestures may be input by the user. For example, when a swipe gesture is input by the user, the processor of the flexible device  600  may visually display and provide the user with an operation/process of switching (in other words, swapping) the layers of the first window  610  and the second window  614 . For example, when a flick gesture is input by the user, the processor of the flexible device  600  performs control to display the first window  612  (or the second window  614 ) without the operation/process of switching the layers of the first window  610  and the second window  614 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6B , the user may change the hand holding (gripping) the flexible display  600  (for example, from the left hand to the right hand). When the hand holding the flexible display  600  is changed, the processor may change the display orientation of the first window  612  and the second window  614 . Whether the hand holding the flexible device  600  is changed may be determined on the basis of various pieces of information such as the direction or shape of the hand of the user gripping the flexible device  600  detected by the rear flexible display of the flexible device  600  or the number of fingers that touch the flexible device  600 . The rear surface of the flexible display  610  includes a touch panel and thus may detect the user&#39;s touch input as illustrated in  FIG. 6C . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6D , the processor may receive a touch gesture (for example, a swipe gesture) on the rear surface of the flexible device  610  from the user. When the touch gesture is input, the processor may display a quick panel window  619  for displaying an application predetermined by the user on the front surface of the flexible device  610 . The flexible device  600  may receive the user&#39;s touch gesture on the rear surface while the quick panel window  619  is displayed. In this case, the processor may perform control to display a window (for example, the second window  614 ), which was displayed before the quick panel window  619 . According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, when the user&#39;s touch gesture on the rear surface of the flexible display  610  is input, the processor may perform control to display a notification window (for example, the notification window  415 ) together with the quick panel window  619 . 
       FIGS. 7A to 7D  illustrate a function/functions or an operation/operations for relocating a plurality of windows displayed on the flexible device as the flexible device is bent according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 7A , a flexible device  700  according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may display a plurality of windows  712 ,  714 ,  716 , and  718  for displaying respective execution screen of a plurality of applications. The plurality of applications may be applications executed independently from each other having no relation with the main application and the sub application. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the execution screens of the plurality of applications may be displayed on the first window  712 , the second window  714 , the third window  716 , and the fourth window  718 , respectively. When the generation of an event for bending the flexible device  700  is detected, the processor of the flexible device  700  may perform control to display a currently activated application in a main area  730  and other applications in a sub area  720 . Although the applications displayed in the sub area are marked with “numbers” in  FIG. 7A , various objects, such as representative icons or representative screens indicating characteristics of the applications as well as the numbers, may be displayed. 
     Referring to  FIG. 7B , the flexible device  700  may receive a touch (or hovering) gesture for one of a plurality of applications displayed in the sub area. When the touch gesture is input, the processor may perform control to display a preview screen  714   a  for one application corresponding to the touch gesture. The touch gesture may include various gestures, for example, a tap, long tap, or swipe. Further, as illustrated in  FIG. 7C , when the touch (or hovering) gesture input ends, the processor may perform control to end displaying the preview screen  714   a.    
     Referring to  FIG. 7D , when a touch gesture (for example, a swipe gesture) for one application (for example, application  3 ) of the plurality of applications displayed in the sub area  720  is input, the processor may perform control to display the application corresponding to the touch gesture in the main area  730 . 
       FIGS. 8A and 8B  illustrate a function/functions or an operation/operations for relocating a plurality of windows displayed on the flexible device when the flexible device is open while being bent according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 8A , when a flexible device  800  is changed from a bending state to an open state according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the processor of the flexible device  800  may split and relocate a plurality of windows  812 ,  814 ,  816 , and  818 , to be in a state right before the generation of the event for bending is detected. 
     Referring to  FIG. 8B , when the flexible device  800  is bent and a focused (in other words, activated) application (for example, a map application) is an application for displaying/reproducing an image/video file (for example, a map application, a gallery application, or a video application), the processor may perform control to enlarge and display the focused application. That is, when the flexible device  800  is open, the processor may determine the display type (in other words,  FIG. 8A or 8B ) of at least one window displayed on the flexible device  800  according to the type of the focused application (that is, whether the application is an application for displaying/reproducing an image/video file) and display the at least one window according to the determined display type. The application for displaying/reproducing the image/video file may be designated by the user or designated in advance during the manufacturing process of the flexible device  800 . 
       FIG. 9  illustrates functions or operations for relocating the main application, the sub application, and the status bar as the flexible device is bent according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 9 , a flexible device  900 , according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, may display an execution screen  912  of the main application, an execution screen  914  of the sub application, and a status bar  916 . When the generation of an event for bending the flexible device  900  is detected, the processor of the flexible device  900  may perform control to hierarchically display the execution screen  912  of the main application and the execution screen  914  of the sub application. Further, the processor may perform control to display the status bar  916  and/or a notification window  918 , including information displayed on the status bar  916 , on a side portion of the flexible device  900 . When the generation of the event for opening the flexible device  900  is detected, the processor may perform control to display the execution screen  912  of the main application, the execution screen  914  of the sub application, and the status bar  916  in the form right before the generation of the event for bending. 
       FIG. 10  illustrates functions or operations for relocating two windows and the status bar as the flexible device is bent according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.  FIG. 11  illustrates functions or operations for relocating three windows and the status bar as the flexible device is bent according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.  FIG. 12  illustrates functions or operations for relocating four windows and the status bar as the flexible device is bent according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 10 , a flexible device  1000 , according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, may display a status bar  1016 , and an execution screen  1012  of a first application and execution screen  1014  of a second application, which are executed independently from each other in a split manner. When the generation of an event for bending the flexible device  1000  is detected, the processor of the flexible device  1000  may perform control to display one application currently focused (for example, the first application  1012 ) in the main area and display the other application in the sub area. Further, the processor may perform control to display the status bar  1016  and/or a notification window  1018  including information displayed on the status bar  1016  on a side portion of the flexible device  1000 . When the generation of an event for opening the flexible device  1000  is detected, the processor may perform control to determine a type of the application displayed in the main area and relocate the execution screens  1012  and  1014  of the plurality of applications according to the type. In  FIG. 10 , since the application displayed in the main area is a “map application” in the type of image displayed, the processor may perform control to enlarge and display the execution screen  1012  of the first application in the open state as illustrated in  FIG. 10 . The description of  FIG. 10  may be equally applied to  FIGS. 11 and 12 . 
       FIG. 13  illustrates functions or operations for displaying windows on the flexible device according to the window orientation determined on the basis of a connection terminal included in the flexible device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     The processor of the flexible device, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, may determine upper and lower parts of the flexible device based on the location of the connection terminal  1320  located at the lower end of the flexible display  1310 . The processor may determine a direction in which at least one window is displayed according to upper and lower part directions determined based on the location of the connection terminal  1320  and display the at least one window on the flexible display  1310 . 
       FIGS. 14 to 17  illustrate functions or operations for displaying windows on the flexible device according to the window orientation determined based on shape of the user&#39;s hand or fingers gripping the flexible device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 14 , the processor of the flexible device, according to various embodiments, may determine upper and lower parts of the flexible device based on the shape of the user&#39;s hand or fingers gripping the flexible device.  FIG. 14  illustrates the case in which the location of the connection terminal (for example, the connection terminal  1320 ) faces downward (forward). The processor may determine the actual orientation (physical location) of the flexible device based on the shape of the user&#39;s hand or fingers holding the flexible device. Further, the processor may determine the left/right side directions of the flexible device based on the number of the user&#39;s fingers (for example, one finger on the left side, three fingers on the right side, and one finger on the rear surface). The processor may display at least one window on the flexible display based on the determined actual upward, downward, leftward, and rightward directions of the flexible device. 
     Referring to  FIG. 15 , the location of the connection terminal faces upward (backward). In this case, the processor may determine the actual orientation (physical location) of the flexible device by preferentially applying the shape of the user&#39;s hand gripping the flexible device. Further, the processor may determine the left/right side directions of the flexible device based on the number of the user&#39;s fingers (for example, one finger on the left side, three fingers on the right side, and one finger on the rear surface). At least one window may be displayed on the flexible display on the basis of the determined upward, downward, leftward, and rightward directions of the flexible device. 
       FIGS. 16 and 17  illustrate examples of the case in which the user holds the flexible device with the user&#39;s right hand. The description of  FIGS. 14 and 15  may be equally applied to  FIGS. 16 and 17 . 
     Further, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, at least one window may be displayed according to the actual orientation of the flexible device determined by a sensor module (for example, a gyro sensor) of the flexible device. 
       FIG. 18  illustrates an electronic device within a network environment according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     An electronic device  1801  within a network environment  1800  according to various embodiments will be described with reference to  FIG. 18 . The electronic device  1801  may include a bus  1810 , a processor  1820 , a memory  1830 , an input/output interface  1850 , a display  1860 , a communication interface  1870 , and a bending determination module  1880 . In some embodiments, the electronic device  1801  may omit at least one of the elements, or may further include other elements. 
     The bus  1810  may include, for example, a circuit which interconnects the elements  1810  to  1870  and delivers communication (for example, a control message and/or data) between the elements. 
     The processor  1820  may include one or more of a Central Processing Unit (CPU), an Application Processor (AP), and a Communication Processor (CP). The processor  1820 , for example, may carry out operations or data processing relating to the control and/or communication of at least one other element of the electronic device  1801 . 
     The memory  1830  may include volatile and/or non-volatile memory. The memory  1830  may store, for example, instructions or data relevant to at least one other element of the electronic device  1801 . According to an embodiment, the memory  1830  may store software and/or a program  1840 . The program  1840  may include, for example, a kernel  1841 , middleware  1843 , an Application Programming Interface (API)  1845 , and/or applications (apps”)  1847 . At least some of the kernel  1841 , the middleware  1843 , and the API  1845  may be referred to as an Operating System (OS). 
     The kernel  1841  may control or manage system resources (for example, the bus  1810 , the processor  1820 , or the memory  1830 ) used for executing an operation or function implemented by other programs (for example, the middleware  1843 , the API  1845 , or the application  1847 ). Furthermore, the kernel  1841  may provide an interface through which the middleware  1843 , the API  1845 , or the applications  1847  may access the individual elements of the electronic device  1801  to control or manage the system resources. 
     The middleware  1843  may function as, for example, an intermediary for allowing the API  1845  or the applications  1847  to communicate with the kernel  1841  to exchange data. 
     Furthermore, the middleware  1843  may process one or more task requests, which are received from the applications  1847 , according to priorities thereof. For example, the middleware  1843  may assign priorities for using the system resources (for example, the bus  1810 , the processor  1820 , the memory  1830 , or the like) of the electronic device  1801  to one or more of the applications  1847 . For example, the middleware  1843  may perform scheduling or loading balancing on the one or more task requests by processing the one or more task requests according to the priorities assigned to the one or more applications. 
     The API  1845 , which is an interface through which the applications  1847  control functions provided from the kernel  1841  or the middleware  1843 , may include, for example, at least one interface or function (for example, instruction) for file control, window control, image processing, text control, or the like. 
     The input/output interface  1850  may function as, for example, an interface that can forward instructions or data, which are input from a user or an external device, to the other element(s) of the electronic device  1801 . Furthermore, the input/output interface  1850  may output instructions or data, which are received from the other element(s) of the electronic device  1801 , to the user or the external device. 
     The display  1860  may include, for example, a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), a Light-Emitting Diode (LED) display, an Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) display, a MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) display, and an electronic paper display. The display  1860  may display, for example, various types of contents (for example, text, images, videos, icons, or symbols) to the user. The display  1860  may include a touch screen and may receive, for example, a touch, gesture, proximity, or hovering input using an electronic pen or the user&#39;s body part. 
     The communication interface  1870  may establish communication, for example, between the electronic device  1801  and an external device (for example, a first external electronic device  1802 , a second external electronic device  1804 , or a server  1806 ). For example, the communication interface  1870  may be connected to a network  1862  through wireless or wired communication to communicate with the external device (for example, the second external electronic device  1804  or the server  1806 ). 
     The wireless communication may use, for example, at least one of Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advance (LTE-A), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband CDMA (WCDMA), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), WiBro (Wireless Broadband), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), and the like, as a cellular communication protocol. In addition, the wireless communication may include, for example, short range communication  1864 . The short range communication  1864  may include at least one of, for example, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Near Field Communication (NFC), Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), and the like. The GNSS may include at least one of, for example, a Global Positioning System (GPS), a Global Navigation Satellite System (Glonass), a Beidou Navigation Satellite System (hereinafter referred to as “Beidou”), and a European Global Satellite-based Navigation System (Galileo), according to a use area, a bandwidth, or the like. Hereinafter, in the present disclosure, the “GPS” may be interchangeably used with the “GNSS”. The wired communication may include, for example, at least one of a Universal Serial Bus (USB), a High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), Recommended Standard 232 (RS-232), a Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS), and the like. The network  1862  may include at least one of a communication network such as a computer network (for example, a LAN or a WAN), the Internet, and a telephone network. 
     Each of the first and second external electronic devices  1802  and  1804  may be of the same or a different type from the electronic device  1801 . According to an embodiment, the server  1806  may include a group of one or more servers. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, all or some of operations performed by the electronic device  1801  may be performed by another electronic apparatus or multiple electronic devices (for example, the first and second external electronic apparatuses  1802  and  1804  or the server  1806 ). According to an embodiment, when the electronic device  1801  has to perform some functions or services automatically or in response to a request, the electronic device  1801  may make a request for performing at least some functions relating thereto to another device (for example, the electronic device  1802  or  1804  or the server  1806 ) instead of performing the functions or services by itself or in addition. Another electronic device (for example, the electronic device  1802  or  1804 , or the server  1806 ) may execute the requested functions or the additional functions, and may deliver a result of the execution to the electronic apparatus  1801 . The electronic device  1801  may provide the received result as it is, or may additionally process the received result to provide the requested functions or services. To this end, for example, cloud computing, distributed computing, or client-server computing technology may be used. 
     The bending determination module  1880  may determine bending of the electronic device  1801  or the display  1860 . The bending determination module  1880  may include various sensor modules for determining bending of the electronic device  1801  or the display  1860 . 
       FIG. 19  illustrates an example for describing an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 19 , an electronic device  1901  may include, for example, the entirety or a part of the electronic device  1801  illustrated in  FIG. 18 . The electronic device  1901  may include at least one Application Processor (AP)  210 , a communication module  1920 , a subscriber identification module  1924 , a memory  1930 , a sensor module  1940 , an input device  1950 , a display  1960 , an interface  1970 , an audio module  1980 , a camera module  1991 , a power management module  1995 , a battery  1996 , an indicator  1997 , and a motor  1998 . 
     The processor  1910  may control a plurality of hardware or software elements connected thereto and may perform various data processing and operations by driving an operating system or an application. The processor  1910  may be implemented by, for example, a System on Chip (SoC). According to an embodiment, the processor  210  may further include a Graphic Processing Unit (GPU) and/or an image signal processor. The processor  1910  may also include at least some of the elements illustrated in  FIG. 2  (for example, a cellular module  1921 ). The processor  1910  may load, in a volatile memory, instructions or data received from at least one of the other elements (for example, non-volatile memory) to process the loaded instructions or data, and may store various types of data in the non-volatile memory. 
     The communication module  1920  may have a configuration equal or similar to that of the communication interface  1870  of  FIG. 1 . The communication module  1920  may include, for example, a cellular module  1921 , a Wi-Fi module  1923 , a Bluetooth module  1925 , a GNSS module  1927  (for example, a GPS module, a Glonass module, a Beidou module, or a Galileo module), an NFC module  1928 , and a Radio Frequency (RF) module  1929 . 
     The cellular module  1921  may provide, for example, a voice call, a video call, a text message service, an Internet service, or the like through a communication network. According to an embodiment, the cellular module  1921  may identify and authenticate the electronic device  1901  within a communication network using the subscriber identification module  1924  (for example, a SIM card). According to an embodiment, the cellular module  1921  may perform at least some of the functions that the processor  1910  may provide. According to an embodiment, the cellular module  1921  may include a Communication Processor (CP). 
     The Wi-Fi module  1923 , the BT module  1925 , the GNSS module  1927 , or the NFC module  1928  may include, for example, a processor for processing data that is transmitted and received through the corresponding module. According to some embodiments, at least some (for example, two or more) of the cellular module  1921 , the Wi-Fi module  1923 , the BT module  1925 , the GNSS module  1927 , and the NFC module  1928  may be included in one Integrated Chip (IC) or IC package. 
     The RF module  1929  may transmit/receive, for example, a communication signal (for example, an RF signal). The RF module  1929  may include, for example, a transceiver, a Power Amplifier Module (PAM), a frequency filter, a Low Noise Amplifier (LNA), an antenna, and the like. According to another embodiment, at least one of the cellular module  1921 , the Wi-Fi module  1923 , the BT module  1925 , the GPS module  1927 , and the NFC module  1928  may transmit/receive an RF signal through a separate RF module. 
     The subscriber identification module  1924  may include, for example, a card that includes a subscriber identity module and/or an embedded SIM, and may contain unique identification information (for example, an Integrated Circuit Card Identifier (ICCID)) or subscriber information (for example, an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI)). 
     The memory  1930  (for example, the memory  1830 ) may include, for example, an internal memory  1932  or an external memory  1934 . The internal memory  1932  may include, for example, at least one of a volatile memory (for example, a Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), a Static RAM (SRAM), a Synchronous Dynamic RAM (SDRAM), and the like) and a non-volatile memory (for example, a One Time Programmable Read Only Memory (OTPROM), a Programmable ROM (PROM), an Erasable and Programmable ROM (EPROM), an Electrically Erasable and Programmable ROM (EEPROM), a mask ROM, a flash ROM, a flash memory (for example, a NAND flash memory or a NOR flash memory), a hard disc drive, a Solid State Drive (SSD), and the like). 
     The external memory  1934  may further include a flash drive, for example, a Compact Flash (CF), a Secure Digital (SD), a Micro-Secure Digital (Micro-SD), a Mini-Secure Digital (Mini-SD), an extreme Digital (xD), a Multi-Media Card (MMC), a memory stick, or the like. The external memory  1934  may be functionally and/or physically connected to the electronic device  1901  through various interfaces. 
     The sensor module  1940  may, for example, measure a physical quantity or detect the operating state of the electronic device  1901  and may convert the measured or detected information into an electrical signal. The sensor module  1940  may include, for example, at least one of a gesture sensor  1940 A, a gyro sensor  1940 B, an atmospheric pressure sensor  1940 C, a magnetic sensor  1940 D, an acceleration sensor  1940 E, a grip sensor  1940 F, a proximity sensor  1940 G, a color sensor  1940 H (for example, a Red, Green, and Blue (RGB) sensor), a biometric sensor  1940 I, a temperature/humidity sensor  1940 J, an illumination sensor  1940 K, and a ultraviolet (UV) sensor  1940 M. Additionally or alternatively, the sensor module  1940  may include, for example, an E-nose sensor, an electromyography (EMG) sensor, an electroencephalogram (EEG) sensor, an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor, an Infrared (IR) sensor, an iris sensor, and/or a fingerprint sensor. The sensor module  1940  may further include a control circuit for controlling one or more sensors included therein. In some embodiments, the electronic device  201  may further include a processor configured to control the sensor module  1940  as a part of or separately from the AP  1910 , and may control the sensor module  1940  while the AP  1910  is in a sleep state. 
     The input device  1950  may include, for example, a touch panel  1952 , a (digital) pen sensor  1954 , a key  1956 , or an ultrasonic input unit  1958 . The touch panel  1952  may use, for example, at least one of a capacitive type, a resistive type, an infrared type, and an ultrasonic type. Furthermore, the touch panel  1952  may further include a control circuit. The touch panel  1952  may further include a tactile layer to provide a tactile reaction to a user. 
     The (digital) pen sensor  1954  may include, for example, a recognition sheet that is a part of, or separate from, the touch panel. The key  1956  may include, for example, a physical button, an optical key, or a keypad. The ultrasonic input device  1958  may detect ultrasonic waves, which are generated by an input tool, through a microphone (for example, a microphone  1988 ) to identify data corresponding to the detected ultrasonic waves. 
     The display  1960  (for example, the display  1860 ) may include a panel  1962 , a hologram device  1964  or a projector  1966 . The panel  1962  may have a configuration that is the same as, or similar to, that of the display  1860  illustrated in  FIG. 1 . The panel  1962  may be implemented to be, for example, flexible, transparent, or wearable. The panel  1962 , together with the touch panel  1952 , may be implemented as one module. The hologram device  1964  may show a three dimensional image in the air by using an interference of light. The projector  1966  may display an image by projecting light onto a screen. The screen may be located, for example, in the interior of, or on the exterior of, the electronic device  1901 . According to one embodiment, the display  1960  may further include a control circuit for controlling the panel  1962 , the hologram device  1964 , or the projector  1966 . 
     The interface  1970  may include, for example, a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI)  1972 , a Universal Serial Bus (USB)  1974 , an optical interface  1976 , or a D-subminiature (D-sub)  1978 . The interface  1970  may be included, for example, in the communication interface  1870  illustrated in  FIG. 18 . Additionally or alternatively, the interface  1970  may include, for example, a Mobile High-definition Link (MHL) interface, a Secure Digital (SD) card/Multi-Media Card (MMC) interface, or an Infrared Data Association (IrDA) standard interface. 
     The audio module  1980  may convert, for example, a sound into an electrical signal, and vice versa. At least some elements of the audio module  1980  may be included, for example, in the input/output interface  1845  illustrated in  FIG. 18 . The audio module  1980  may process sound information that is input or output through, for example, a speaker  1982 , a receiver  1984 , earphones  1986 , the microphone  1988 , and the like. 
     The camera module  1991  is a device that can photograph a still image and a dynamic image. According to an embodiment, the camera module  1991  may include one or more image sensors (for example, a front sensor or a rear sensor), a lens, an Image Signal Processor (ISP), or a flash (for example, an LED, a xenon lamp, and the like). 
     The power management module  1995  may manage, for example, the power of the electronic device  1901 . According to an embodiment, the power management module  1995  may include a Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC), a charger Integrated Circuit (IC), or a battery or fuel gauge. The PMIC may use a wired and/or wireless charging method. Examples of the wireless charging method may include a magnetic resonance method, a magnetic induction method, an electromagnetic wave method, and the like. Additional circuits (for example, a coil loop, a resonance circuit, a rectifier, and the like) for wireless charging may be further included. The battery gauge may measure, for example, the residual amount of the battery  1996  and a voltage, current, or temperature while charging. The battery  1996  may include, for example, a rechargeable battery and/or a solar battery. 
     The indicator  1997  may display a particular state, for example, a booting state, a message state, a charging state, or the like of the electronic device  1901  or a part (for example, the processor  1910 ) of the electronic device  1901 . The motor  1998  may convert an electrical signal into a mechanical vibration and may generate a vibration, a haptic effect, and the like. Although not illustrated, the electronic device  1901  may include a processing unit (for example, a GPU) for supporting mobile TV. The processing unit for supporting the mobile TV may process media data according to a standard, such as Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB), Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB), MediaFlo™, and the like. 
     Each of the above-described component elements of hardware according to the present disclosure may be configured with one or more components, and the names of the corresponding component elements may vary based on the type of electronic device. The electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of the aforementioned elements. Some elements may be omitted or other additional elements may be further included in the electronic device. Also, some of the hardware components according to various embodiments may be combined into one entity, which may perform functions identical to those of the relevant components before the combination. 
       FIG. 20  illustrates an example for describing a program module according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     According to an embodiment, the program module  2010  (for example, the program  1840 ) may include an Operating System (OS) that controls resources relating to an electronic device (for example, the electronic device  1801 ) and/or various applications (for example, the applications  1847 ) that are executed in the operating system. The operating system may be, for example, Android, iOS, Windows, Symbian, Tizen, Bada, and the like 
     The program module  2010  may include a kernel  2020 , middleware  2030 , an Application Programming Interface (API)  2060 , and/or applications  2070 . At least a part of the program module  2010  may be preloaded on the electronic device, or may be downloaded from an external electronic device (for example, the electronic device  1802  or  1804  or the server  1806 ). 
     The kernel  2020  (for example, the kernel  1841 ) may include, for example, a system resource manager  2021  and/or a device driver  2023 . The system resource manager  2021  may control, allocate, or retrieve system resources. According to an embodiment, the system resource manager  2021  may include a process manager, a memory manager, or a file system manager. The device driver  2023  may include, for example, a display driver, a camera driver, a Bluetooth driver, a shared memory driver, a USB driver, a keypad driver, a Wi-Fi driver, an audio driver, or an Inter-Process Communication (IPC) driver. 
     The middleware  2030  may provide a function required by the applications  2070  in common or provide various functions to the applications  2070  through the API  2060  so that the applications  2070  may efficiently use limited system resources within the electronic device. According to an embodiment, the middleware  2030  (for example, the middleware  1843 ) may include, for example, at least one of a runtime library  2035 , an application manager  2041 , a window manager  2042 , a multimedia manager  2043 , a resource manager  2044 , a power manager  2045 , a database manager  2046 , a package manager  2047 , a connectivity manager  2048 , a notification manager  2049 , a location manager  2050 , a graphic manager  2051 , and a security manager  2052 . 
     The runtime library  2035  may include, for example, a library module that a compiler uses in order to add a new function through a programming language while the applications  2070  are being executed. The runtime library  2035  may perform input/output management, memory management, the functionality for an arithmetic function, and the like. 
     The application manager  2041  may manage, for example, the life cycle of at least one of the applications  2070 . The window manager  2042  may manage Graphical User Interface (GUI) resources used on a screen. The multimedia manager  2043  may determine formats required to reproduce various media files and may encode or decode a media file using a coder/decoder (codec) appropriate for the corresponding format. The resource manager  2044  may manage resources, such as the source code, the memory, the storage space, and the like of at least one of the applications  2070 . 
     The power manager  2045  may operate together with, for example, a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) to manage a battery or power and provide power information required for the operation of the electronic device. The database manager  2046  may generate, search for, and/or change a database to be used by at least one of the applications  2070 . The package manager  2047  may manage the installation or update of an application that is distributed in the form of a package file. 
     The connectivity manager  2048  may manage a wireless connection, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and the like. The notification manager  2049  may display or notify an event, such as an arrival message, an appointment, a proximity notification, and the like, in such a manner as not to disturb a user. The location manager  2050  may manage the location information of the electronic device. The graphic manager  2051  may manage a graphic effect to be provided to a user and a user interface relating to the graphic effect. The security manager  2052  may provide various security functions required for system security, user authentication, and the like. According to an embodiment, in a case where the electronic device (for example, the electronic device  1801 ) has a telephone call function, the middleware  2030  may further include a telephony manager for managing a voice or video call function of the electronic device. 
     The middleware  2030  may include a middleware module that forms a combination of various functions of the above-described elements. The middleware  2030  may provide specialized modules according to the types of operating systems in order to provide differentiated functions. Furthermore, the middleware  2030  may dynamically remove some of the existing elements, or may add new elements. 
     The API  2060  (for example, the API  1845 ) is, for example, a set of API programming functions, and may be provided with different configurations according to operating systems. For example, in the case of Android or iOS, one API set may be provided for each platform, and in the case of Tizen, two or more API sets may be provided for each platform. 
     The applications  2070  (for example, the applications  1847 ) may include one or more applications that can perform functions, for example, a home application  2071 , dialer  2072 , an SMS/MMS application  2073 , an Instant Message (IM) application  2074 , a browser application  2075 , a camera application  2076 , an alarm application  2077 , a contact application  2078 , a voice dial application  2079 , an e-mail application  2080 , a calendar application  2081 , a media player application  2082 , an album application  2083 , a clock application  2084 , a health care application (for example, measuring exercise quantity or blood sugar), and an application of providing environment information (for example, atmospheric pressure, humidity, temperature information, and the like). 
     According to an embodiment, the applications  2070  may include an application (hereinafter, referred to as an “information exchange application” for convenience of description) that supports information exchange between the electronic device (for example, the electronic device  1801 ) and an external electronic device (for example, the electronic device  1802  or  1804 ). The information exchange application may include, for example, a notification relay application for transferring specific information to an external electronic device or a device management application for managing an external electronic device. 
     For example, the notification relay application may include a function of transferring, to the external electronic device (for example, the electronic device  1802  or  1804 ), notification information that is generated from the other applications (for example, the SMS/MMS application, the e-mail application, the health care application, the environmental information application, and the like) of the electronic device. Furthermore, the notification relay application may, for example, receive notification information from the external electronic device and may provide the received notification information to a user. 
     The device management application may manage (for example, install, delete, or update), for example, at least one function of an external electronic device (for example, the electronic device  1802  or  1804 ) that communicates with the electronic device (for example, a function of turning on/off the external electronic device itself (or some components thereof) or a function of adjusting the brightness (or resolution) of a display), applications that operate in the external electronic device, or services (for example, a call service, a message service, and the like) that are provided by the external electronic device. 
     According to an embodiment, the applications  2070  may include applications (for example, a health care application of a mobile medical appliance, and the like) that are specified according to attributes of an external electronic device (for example, the electronic device  1802  or  1804 ). According to an embodiment, the applications  2070  may include applications that are received from an external electronic device (for example, the server  1806 , or the electronic device  1802  or  1804 ). According to an embodiment, the applications  2070  may include preloaded applications or third-party applications that can be downloaded from a server. Names of the elements of the program module  2010 , according to the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure, may change depending on the type of OS. 
     According to various embodiments, at least a part of the program module  2010  may be implemented in software, firmware, hardware, or a combination of two or more thereof. At least some of the program module  2010  may be implemented (for example, executed) by, for example, the processor (for example, the processor  1910 ). At least some of the program module  2010  may include, for example, a module, a program, a routine, a set of instructions, and/or a process for performing one or more functions. 
     The term “module” as used herein may, for example, mean a unit including one of hardware, software, and firmware or a combination of two or more of them. The “module” may be interchangeably used with, for example, the term “unit”, “logic”, “logical block”, “component”, or “circuit”. The “module” may be a minimum unit of an integrated component element or a part thereof. The “module” may be a minimum unit for performing one or more functions or a part thereof. The “module” may be mechanically or electronically implemented. For example, the “module” according to the present disclosure may include at least one of an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) chip, a Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA), and a programmable-logic device for performing operations which has been known or are to be developed hereinafter. 
     According to various embodiments, at least some of the devices (for example, modules or functions thereof) or the method (for example, operations) according to the present disclosure may be implemented by a command stored in a computer-readable storage medium in a programming module form. The instruction, when executed by a processor (e.g., the processor  1820 ), may cause the one or more processors to execute the function corresponding to the instruction. The computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, the memory  1830 . 
     The computer readable recoding medium may include a hard disk, a floppy disk, magnetic media (e.g., a magnetic tape), optical media (e.g., a Compact Disc Read Only Memory (CD-ROM) and a Digital Versatile Disc (DVD)), magneto-optical media (e.g., a floptical disk), a hardware device (e.g., a Read Only Memory (ROM), a Random Access Memory (RAM), a flash memory), and the like. In addition, the program instructions may include high class language codes, which can be executed in a computer by using an interpreter, as well as machine codes made by a compiler. The aforementioned hardware device may be configured to operate as one or more software modules in order to perform the operation of the present disclosure, and vice versa. 
     The programming module according to the present disclosure may include one or more of the aforementioned components or may further include other additional components, or some of the aforementioned components may be omitted. Operations executed by a module, a programming module, or other component elements according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may be executed sequentially, in parallel, repeatedly, or in a heuristic manner. Furthermore, some operations may be executed in a different order or may be omitted, or other operations may be added. Various embodiments disclosed herein are provided merely to easily describe technical details of the present disclosure and to help the understanding of the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure should be construed as including all modifications or various other embodiments based on the technical idea of the present disclosure.