Patent Description:
A variety of wearable electronic devices providing an augmented reality (AR) service is being released. The AR service, a service providing a virtual image having additional information by overlapping it with a real-world image currently viewed by a user, may provide the user with a virtual object image including a content associated with a real object identified from the real-world image. The wearable electronic devices providing the AR service may have, for example, a form of a head-mounted display (HMD).

<CIT>discloses a method for using a HMD in conjunction with a mobile device such as a smartphone that shall overcome a display size limit of the smartphone, while allowing for a convenient user input to a virtual display via a touch input to the smartphone.

Accordingly, an aspect of the disclosure is to provide an electronic device that provides an extended screen of a mobile device based on wireless communication instead of a vision sensor.

Another aspect of the disclosure is to provide an electronic device that provides an extended screen of a mobile device without recognition of planes and markers in a space.

Another aspect of the disclosure is to provide an electronic device that provides an extended screen of a mobile device in an augmented reality (AR) environment without environment and device limitations, using wireless communication.

In accordance with an aspect of the disclosure, an electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a wireless communication module for wireless communication with an external device, an AR display module configured to output an extended screen of a mobile device, a memory configured to store therein computer-executable instructions, and a processor configured to access the memory and execute the instructions. The instructions, when executed, cause the processor to determine a reference display position in an AR environment at which the extended screen received from the mobile device is to be provided based on wireless communication with the external device, and when a portion of the extended screen to be provided at the reference display position is included in a field of view (FOV) area of the AR display module, provide a user with the portion of the extended screen through the AR display module and when the extended screen to be provided at the reference display position is fully comprised in the FOV area of the AR display, provide a user with the entire area of the extended screen through the AR display.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, a computer-implemented method is provided. The method includes determining a reference display position at which an extended screen of a mobile device is to be provided in an AR environment based on wireless communication with an external device, and when a portion of the extended screen to be provided at the reference display position is included in a FOV area of an AR display module, providing a user with the portion of the extended screen through the AR display module, and when the extended screen to be provided at the reference display position is fully comprised in the FOV area of the AR display, provide a user with the entire area of the extended screen through the AR display.

According to various embodiments described herein, an electronic device may determine a reference display position with respect to an external device based on wireless communication, thereby reducing real-time computing resources.

According to various embodiments described herein, an electronic device may enable an output in an AR environment even when only a portion of an extended screen is included in a field of view (FOV) without requesting recognition of a visual marker, through wireless communication.

According to various example embodiments described herein, an electronic device may track a change in a relative position between the electronic device and an external device with an average latency time of <NUM> microseconds (µs) corresponding to a frequency higher than <NUM> hertz (Hz) to <NUM> through ultra-wideband (UWB) communication, thereby providing a natural extended screen content without a disconnection.

The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certain embodiments of the disclosure will be more apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:.

<FIG> is a block diagram illustrating an example electronic device in a network environment according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to <FIG>, an electronic device <NUM> in a network environment <NUM> may communicate with an electronic device <NUM> via a first network <NUM> (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network), or communicate with at least one of an electronic device <NUM> and a server <NUM> via a second network <NUM> (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). According to an example embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may communicate with the electronic device <NUM> via the server <NUM>. According to an example embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may include a processor <NUM>, a memory <NUM>, an input module <NUM>, a sound output module <NUM>, a display module <NUM>, an audio module <NUM>, and a sensor module <NUM>, an interface <NUM>, a connecting terminal <NUM>, a haptic module <NUM>, a camera module <NUM>, a power management module <NUM>, a battery <NUM>, a communication module <NUM>, a subscriber identification module (SIM) <NUM>, or an antenna module <NUM>. In various example embodiments, at least one (e.g., the connecting terminal <NUM>) of the above components may be omitted from the electronic device <NUM>, or one or more other components may be added in the electronic device <NUM>. In various example embodiments, some (e.g., the sensor module <NUM>, the camera module <NUM>, or the antenna module <NUM>) of the components may be integrated as a single component (e.g., the display module <NUM>).

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

The auxiliary processor <NUM> may control at least some of functions or states related to at least one (e.g., the display module <NUM>, the sensor module <NUM>, or the communication module <NUM>) of the components of the electronic device <NUM>, instead of the main processor <NUM> while the main processor <NUM> is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state or along with the main processor <NUM> while the main processor <NUM> is an active state (e.g., executing an application). According to an example embodiment, the auxiliary processor <NUM> (e.g., an ISP or a CP) may be implemented as a portion of another component (e.g., the camera module <NUM> or the communication module <NUM>) that is functionally related to the auxiliary processor <NUM>. According to an example embodiment, the auxiliary processor <NUM> (e.g., an NPU) may include a hardware structure specified for artificial intelligence (AI) model processing. An AI model may be generated by machine learning. Such learning may be performed by, for example, the electronic device <NUM> in which the AI model is performed, or performed via a separate server (e.g., the server <NUM>). Learning algorithms may include, but are not limited to, for example, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or reinforcement learning. The AI model may include a plurality of artificial neural network layers. An artificial neural network may include, for example, a deep neural network (DNN), a convolutional neural network (CNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), a restricted Boltzmann machine (RBM), a deep belief network (DBN), and a bidirectional recurrent deep neural network (BRDNN), a deep Q-network, or a combination of two or more thereof, but is not limited thereto. The AI model may alternatively or additionally include a software structure other than the hardware structure.

The data may include, for example, software (e.g., the program <NUM>) and input data or output data for a command related thereto. The non-volatile memory <NUM> may include an internal memory <NUM> and an external memory <NUM>.

The program <NUM> may be stored as software in the memory <NUM>, and may include, for example, an operating system (OS) <NUM>, middleware <NUM>, or an application <NUM>.

The sound output module <NUM> may output a sound signal to the outside of the electronic device <NUM>. The speaker may be used for general purposes, such as playing multimedia or playing records. The receiver may be used to receive an incoming call. According to an example embodiment, the receiver may be implemented separately from the speaker or as a part of the speaker.

The display module <NUM> may include, for example, a display, a hologram device, or a projector, and a control circuitry to control a corresponding one of the display, the hologram device, and the projector. According to an example embodiment, the display module <NUM> may include a touch sensor adapted to sense a touch, or a pressure sensor adapted to measure an intensity of a force incurred by the touch.

The audio module <NUM> may convert a sound into an electric signal or vice versa. According to an example embodiment, the audio module <NUM> may obtain the sound via the input module <NUM> or output the sound via the sound output module <NUM> or an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device <NUM> such as a speaker or a headphone) directly or wirelessly connected to the electronic device <NUM>.

The sensor module <NUM> may detect an operational state (e.g., power or temperature) of the electronic device <NUM> or an environmental state (e.g., a state of a user) external to the electronic device <NUM>, and generate an electric signal or data value corresponding to the detected state. According to an example embodiment, the sensor module <NUM> 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 <NUM> may support one or more specified protocols to be used for the electronic device <NUM> to be coupled with an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device <NUM>) directly (e.g., wiredly) or wirelessly. According to an example embodiment, the interface <NUM> 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.

The connecting terminal <NUM> may include a connector via which the electronic device <NUM> may be physically connected to an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device <NUM>). According to an example embodiment, the connecting terminal <NUM> may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).

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

The camera module <NUM> may capture a still image and moving images. According to an example embodiment, the camera module <NUM> may include one or more lenses, image sensors, ISPs, or flashes.

According to an example embodiment, the power management module <NUM> may be implemented as, for example, at least a part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

According to an example embodiment, the battery <NUM> may include, for example, a primary cell which is not rechargeable, a secondary cell which is rechargeable, or a fuel cell.

The communication module <NUM> may support establishing a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the electronic device <NUM> and an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM>, or the server <NUM>) and performing communication via the established communication channel. The communication module <NUM> may include one or more communication processors that are operable independently of the processor <NUM> (e.g., an AP) and that support direct (e.g., wired) communication or wireless communication. According to an example embodiment, the communication module <NUM> may include a wireless communication module <NUM> (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 <NUM> (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 <NUM> via the first network <NUM> (e.g., a short-range communication network, such as Bluetooth™, wireless-fidelity (Wi-Fi) direct, or infrared data association (IrDA)) or the second network <NUM> (e.g., a long-range communication network, such as a legacy cellular network, a 5th generation (<NUM>) network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a LAN or a wide area network (WAN)). These various types of communication modules may be implemented as a single component (e.g., a single chip), or may be implemented as multiple components (e.g., multi chips) separate from each other. The wireless communication module <NUM> may identify and authenticate the electronic device <NUM> in a communication network, such as the first network <NUM> or the second network <NUM>, using subscriber information (e.g., international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)) stored in the SIM <NUM>.

The wireless communication module <NUM> may support a <NUM> network after a <NUM> network, and a next-generation communication technology, e.g., a new radio (NR) access technology. The wireless communication module <NUM> may support a high-frequency band (e.g., an mmWave band) to achieve, e.g., a high data transmission rate. The wireless communication module <NUM> may support various technologies for securing performance on a high-frequency band, such as, e.g., beamforming, massive multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO), full dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), an array antenna, analog beamforming, or a large-scale antenna. According to an example embodiment, the wireless communication module <NUM> may support a peak data rate (e.g., <NUM> Gbps or more) for implementing eMBB, loss coverage (e.g., <NUM> dB or less) for implementing mMTC, or U-plane latency (e.g., <NUM> or less for each of downlink (DL) and uplink (UL), or a round trip of <NUM> or less) for implementing URLLC.

The antenna module <NUM> may transmit or receive a signal or power to or from the outside (e.g., an external electronic device) of the electronic device <NUM>. According to an example embodiment, the antenna module <NUM> may include an antenna including a radiating element including a conductive material or a conductive pattern formed in or on a substrate (e.g., a printed circuit board (PCB)). According to an example embodiment, the antenna module <NUM> may include a plurality of antennas (e.g., array antennas). In such a case, at least one antenna appropriate for a communication scheme used in a communication network, such as the first network <NUM> or the second network <NUM>, may be selected by, for example, the communication module <NUM> from the plurality of antennas. The signal or the power may be transmitted or received between the communication module <NUM> and the external electronic device via the at least one selected antenna. According to an example embodiment, another component (e.g., a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) other than the radiating element may be additionally formed as a part of the antenna module <NUM>.

According to various example embodiments, the antenna module <NUM> may form an mmWave antenna module. According to an example embodiment, the mmWave antenna module may include a PCB, an RFIC disposed on a first surface (e.g., a bottom surface) of the PCB or adjacent to the first surface and capable of supporting a designated high-frequency band (e.g., the mmWave band), and a plurality of antennas (e.g., array antennas) disposed on a second surface (e.g., a top or a side surface) of the PCB or adjacent to the second surface and capable of transmitting or receiving signals in the designated high-frequency band.

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 example embodiment, commands or data may be transmitted or received between the electronic device <NUM> and the external electronic device <NUM> via the server <NUM> coupled with the second network <NUM>. Each of the external electronic devices <NUM> and <NUM> may be a device of the same type as or a different type from the electronic device <NUM>. The external electronic device <NUM> may be a wearable electronic device (e.g., a wearable electronic device <NUM> of <FIG>), for example.

According to an example embodiment, all or some of operations to be executed by the electronic device <NUM> may be executed at one or more of the external electronic devices <NUM> and <NUM>, or the server <NUM>. For example, if the electronic device <NUM> needs to perform a function or a service automatically, or in response to a request from a user or another device, the electronic device <NUM>, instead of, or in addition to, executing the function or the service, may request one or more external electronic devices to perform at least a part of the function or the service. The one or more external electronic devices receiving the request may perform the at least part of the function or the service requested, or an additional function or an additional service related to the request, and may transfer an outcome of the performing to the electronic device <NUM>. The electronic device <NUM> may provide the outcome, with or without further processing of the outcome, as at least a part of a reply to the request. The electronic device <NUM> may provide ultra-low latency services using, e.g., distributed computing or mobile edge computing. In an example embodiment, the external electronic device <NUM> may include an Internet-of-things (IoT) device. According to an example embodiment, the external electronic device <NUM> or the server <NUM> may be included in the second network <NUM>. The external electronic device <NUM> is described herein mainly as a wireless communication device having a display module, but examples of which are not limited thereto.

<FIG> is a perspective view illustrating a structure of a wearable electronic device according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to <FIG>, the wearable electronic device <NUM> (e.g., the electronic device <NUM> or <NUM> of <FIG>) may be worn on a face of a user to provide the user with an image associated with an augmented reality (AR) service and/or a virtual reality (VR) service.

In an embodiment, the wearable electronic device <NUM> may include a first display <NUM>, a second display <NUM>, screen display portions 215a and 215b, optical input members 220a and 220b, a first transparent member 225a, a second transparent member 225b, lighting units 230a and 230b, a first printed circuit board (PCB) 235a, a second PCB 235b, a first hinge 240a, a second hinge 240b, an imaging camera <NUM>, a plurality of microphones (e.g., a first microphone 250a, a second microphone 250b, and a third microphone 250c), a plurality of speakers (e.g., a first speaker 255a and a second speaker 255b), a battery <NUM>, a first recognition camera 265a, a second recognition camera 265b, a first eye detection camera 270a, and a second eye detection camera 270b.

In an embodiment, an AR display module (e.g., the first display <NUM> and the second display <NUM>) may include, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a digital mirror device (DMD), or a liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), a micro light-emitting diode (a micro LED), or the like. Although not illustrated, when a display (e.g., the first display <NUM> and/or the second display <NUM>) is provided as one of an LCD, a DMD, and an LCoS, the wearable electronic device <NUM> may include a light source that emits light to a screen output area of the display <NUM> and/or <NUM>. In another embodiment, when the display <NUM> and/or <NUM> is capable of generating light by itself, for example, when the display <NUM> and/or <NUM> is either an OLED or a micro-LED, the wearable electronic device <NUM> may provide a virtual image of a relatively high quality to the user even though a light source is not included. For example, when the display <NUM> and/or <NUM> is implemented as an OLED or a micro-LED, such a light source may be unnecessary, and the wearable electronic device <NUM> may be lightened accordingly. The display <NUM> and/or <NUM> capable of generating light by itself may be referred to herein as a "self-luminous display," and the following description will be made on the assumption of the self-luminous display. For example, as to be described below, the AR display module may output an extended screen of a mobile device.

According to various embodiments, the display <NUM> and/or <NUM> may include at least one micro-LED. For example, the micro-LED may express red (R), green (G), and blue (B) by emitting light by itself, and a single chip may implement a single pixel (e.g., one of R, G, and B pixels) because the micro-LED is relatively small in size (e.g., <NUM> or less). Accordingly, the display <NUM> and/or <NUM> may provide a high resolution without a backlight unit (BLU), when it is implemented by the micro-LED. However, examples are not limited thereto, and a single chip may be implemented by a plurality of pixels including R, G, and B pixels. The display <NUM> and/or <NUM> may also be referred to as a "light source.

In an embodiment, the display <NUM> and/or <NUM> may include pixels for displaying a virtual image. The display <NUM> and/or <NUM> may further include infrared (IR) pixels that emit IR light.

In an embodiment, the display <NUM> and/or <NUM> may further include light-receiving pixels (e.g., photo sensor pixels) that are disposed between pixels and configured to receive light reflected from eyes of a user, convert the received light into electrical energy, and output the electrical energy. A light-receiving pixel may also be referred to herein as a "gaze tracking sensor. " The gaze tracking sensor may detect IR light generated as light emitted by the IR pixels included in the display <NUM> and/or <NUM> is reflected by the eyes of a user.

The wearable electronic device <NUM> may detect a gaze direction (e.g., a pupil movement) of the user using the light-receiving pixels. For example, the wearable electronic device <NUM> may detect and track a gaze direction of a right eye of the user and a gaze direction of a left eye of the user through one or more light-receiving pixels of the first display <NUM> and one or more light-receiving pixels of the second display <NUM>. The wearable electronic device <NUM> may determine a central position of a virtual image based on the gaze directions (e.g., directions in which pupils of the right eye and the left eye of the user gaze) that are detected through the light-receiving pixels.

The wearable electronic device <NUM> may include the first display <NUM> and the second display <NUM>, and the first transparent member 225a and/or the second transparent member 225b. The user may use the wearable electronic device <NUM> with the wearable electronic device <NUM> on their face. In an embodiment, the first transparent member 225a may be disposed to face the right eye of the user, and the second transparent member 225b may be disposed to face the left eye of the user. For example, when the display <NUM> and/or <NUM> is transparent, they may be disposed to face the eyes of the user to configure the screen display portions 215a and 215b.

The first display <NUM> and the second display <NUM> may each include a first control circuit (not shown). The first control circuit may control the first display <NUM> and the second display <NUM>. The first control circuit may control an operation of a liquid crystal element of a transparent cover (not shown) included in the first display <NUM> and the second display <NUM>. In an embodiment, light emitted from the display <NUM> and/or <NUM> may reach the screen display portion 215a formed on the first transparent member 225a that faces the right eye of the user, and the screen display portion 215b formed on the second transparent member 225b that faces the left eye of the user, by passing through a lens (not shown) and a waveguide.

The lens may be disposed in front of the display <NUM> and/or <NUM>. The lens may include a concave and/or convex lens. For example, the lens may include a projection lens or a collimation lens.

In an embodiment, the light emitted from the display <NUM> and/or <NUM> may be guided by the waveguide through the optical input members 220a and 220b. The light traveling in the waveguide may be guided toward the eyes of the user through an optical output member. The screen display portions 215a and 215b may be determined based on the light emitted toward the eyes of the user.

For example, the light emitted from the display <NUM> and/or <NUM> may be reflected from a grating area of the waveguide formed in the optical input members 220a and 220b and the screen display portions 215a and 215b, and may then be transmitted to the eyes of the user.

In an embodiment, the screen display portions 215a and 215b or a transparent member (e.g., the first transparent member 225a and the second transparent member 225b) may include a reflective lens, a lens including the waveguide. The waveguide may function to transmit a light source generated by the display <NUM> and/or <NUM> to the eyes of the user, and may be referred to as an "optical waveguide. " The optical waveguide or the waveguide may correspond to the screen display portions 215a and 215b.

The screen display portions 215a and 215b may be a path through which external light is incident, totally reflected, and emitted, and may be distinguished from the first transparent member 225a and the second transparent member 225b through which external light is simply reflected or transmitted.

In an embodiment, the screen display portions 215a and 215b may be formed of glass, plastic, or a polymer, and may have a nanopattern formed on one surface of the inside or outside thereof, for example, a grating structure of a polygonal or curved shape. According to an embodiment, light incident on one end of the screen display portions 215a and 215b through the optical input members 220a and 220b may be propagated inside the display optical waveguide by the nanopattern to be provided to the user. For example, the screen display portions 215a and 215b including a freeform prism may provide the incident light to the user through a reflection mirror.

The screen display portions 215a and 215b may include at least one of a reflective element (e.g., a reflection mirror) and at least one diffractive element (e.g., a diffractive optical element (DOE) or a holographic optical element (HOE)). The screen display portions 215a and 215b may guide light emitted from the display <NUM> and/or <NUM> to the eyes of the user, using the diffractive element or the reflective element included in the screen display portions 215a and 215b.

According to various embodiments, the diffractive element may include the optical input members 220a and 220b and/or the optical output member. For example, the optical input members 220a and 220b may correspond to an input grating area, and the optical output member may correspond to an output grating area. The input grating area may function as an input end to diffract (or reflect) light output from the display <NUM> and/or <NUM> (e.g., a micro LED) to transmit the light to the screen display portions 215a and 215b. The output grating area may function as an outlet to diffract (or reflect), to the eyes of the user, light transmitted to the waveguide.

According to various embodiments, the reflective element may include an optical total reflection element or a total reflection waveguide for total internal reflection (TIR). For example, total reflection or TIR, which is one of methods of inducing light, may form an angle of incidence such that light (e.g., a virtual image) input through the input grating area is completely or almost completely reflected from a portion (e.g., a specific surface) of the screen display portions 215a and 215b, to completely or almost completely transmit the light to the output grating area.

The first transparent member 225a and/or the second transparent member 225b may be formed of, for example, a glass plate, a plastic plate, or a polymer, and may be transparently or translucently formed. According to an embodiment, the first transparent member 225a may be disposed to face the right eye of the user, and the second transparent member 225b may be disposed to face the left eye of the user.

The lighting units 230a and 230b may be used differently according to positions to which the light units 230a and 230b are attached. For example, the lighting units 230a and 230b may be attached around a frame of the wearable electronic device <NUM>. The lighting units 230a and 230b may be used as an auxiliary means for facilitating detection of an eye gaze when pupils are captured using the eye detection camera 270a and/or 270b. The lighting units 230a and 230b may use an IR LED with a visible light wavelength or an IR light wavelength.

Alternatively, the lighting units 230a and 230b may be attached around a hinge (e.g., the first hinge 240a and the second hinge 240b) connecting the frame (e.g., a rim) of the wearable electronic device <NUM> and a temple portion corresponding to eyeglass temples, or attached around a camera (e.g., the first recognition camera 265a and the second recognition camera 265b) mounted adjacent to a bridge connecting the frame. In this case, the recognition camera 265a and/or 265b may be, for example, global shutter (GS) cameras, but examples of which are not limited thereto.

In this case, when the GS camera is used to capture an image, the lighting units 230a and 230b may be used to supplement a surrounding brightness. For example, the lighting units 230a and 230b may be used in a dark environment or when it is not easy to detect an object to be captured due to a mixture or a reflection of various light sources.

The lighting units 230a and 230b may be omitted according to an embodiment. The lighting units 230a and 230b may be replaced by the IR pixels included in the first display <NUM> and the second display <NUM>. In another embodiment, the lighting units 230a and 230b may be included in the wearable electronic device <NUM> to assist the IR pixels included in the first display <NUM> and the second display <NUM>.

A PCB (e.g., the first PCB 235a and the second PCB 235b) may be disposed in the temple portion of the wearable electronic device <NUM>, and may transmit an electrical signal to each module (e.g., a camera, a display, an audio, or a sensor) and another PCB through a flexible PCB (FPCB). According to various embodiments, at least one PCB may include the first PCB 235a, the second PCB 235b, and an interposer (not shown) disposed between the first PCB 235a and the second PCB 235b.

In an embodiment, on the PCB (e.g., the first PCB 235a and the second PCB 235b), a control circuit (not shown) configured to control the components of the wearable electronic device <NUM>, excluding the first display <NUM> and the second display <NUM>, may be disposed. The control circuit may control the components other than the first display <NUM> and the second display <NUM> and perform operations such as depth value estimation. The control circuit may include a wireless communication module (e.g., the communication module <NUM> of <FIG>) or a memory (e.g., the memory <NUM> of <FIG>). The control circuit may control the first display <NUM>, the second display <NUM>, and/or the other components. For example, the wireless communication module may establish wireless communication with another external device (e.g., the electronic device <NUM> or the electronic device <NUM> of <FIG>) in an ultra-wideband (UWB), but a communication band of the wireless communication module is not limited thereto.

The hinges 240a and 240b may correspond to a portion at which the temple and the frame (e.g., the rim) of the wearable electronic device <NUM> are coupled.

In an embodiment, the imaging camera <NUM> may be referred to as a "high resolution (HR) camera" or a "photo video (PV) camera," and may include the HR camera. The imaging camera <NUM> may include a color camera having functions for obtaining a high-quality image, such as an automatic focus (AF) function and an optical image stabilizer (OIS). However, examples of the imaging camera <NUM> are not limited thereto, and may include a GS camera or a rolling shutter (RS) camera.

In an embodiment, the microphones (e.g., the first microphone 250a, the second microphone 250b, and the third microphone 250c) may convert an external acoustic signal into electrical audio data. The electrical audio data obtained through the processing may be variously utilized according to a function (or an application being executed) being performed by the wearable electronic device <NUM>.

In an embodiment, the speakers (e.g., the first speaker 255a and the second speaker 255b) may output audio data received from a communication circuit (e.g., the communication module <NUM> of <FIG>) or stored in a memory (e.g., the memory <NUM> of <FIG>).

In an embodiment, the battery <NUM> may be provided as one or more batteries, and may supply power to the components included in the wearable electronic device <NUM>.

In an embodiment, the first recognition camera 265a and the second recognition camera 265b may include cameras used for three degrees of freedom (3DoF) and six degrees of freedom (6DoF) head tracking, hand detection and tracking, and gesture and/or space recognition. For example, the first recognition camera 265a and the second recognition camera 265b may each include a GS camera to detect and track a movement of a head and a hand. For example, for head tracking and space recognition, two GS cameras of the same specifications and performance may be used because a stereo camera may be used. For detection and tracking of a quick hand movement and a fine finger movement, an RS camera may be used. In an embodiment, the GS camera exhibiting a favorable performance (e.g., image drag) compared to a camera may be mainly used, but the RS camera may also be used according to other various embodiments. The first recognition camera 265a and the second recognition camera 265b may perform functions such as 6DoF space recognition and depth imaging-based simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM). The first recognition camera 265a and the second recognition camera 265b may also perform a function of recognizing a user gesture.

In an embodiment, at least one sensor (not shown, e.g., a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, and/or a gesture sensor), the first recognition camera 265a, and the second recognition camera 265b may perform at least one function among 6DoF head tracking, pose estimation and prediction, gesture and/or space recognition, and depth imaging-based SLAM.

In another embodiment, the first recognition camera 265a and the second recognition camera 265b may be classified and used as a camera for head tracking and a camera for hand tracking.

In an embodiment, the first eye detection camera 270a and the second eye detection camera 270b may detect and track pupils. The first eye detection camera 270a and the second eye detection camera 270b may be used to dispose a center of a virtual image projected on the wearable electronic device <NUM> at a position according to a direction in which the pupils of the user wearing the wearable electronic device <NUM> gazes. For example, the first eye detection camera 270a and the second eye detection camera 270b may mainly use a GS camera to detect pupils and track a fast movement of the pupils. The first eye detection camera 270a may be installed to correspond to the right eye of the user, and the second eye detection camera 270b may be installed to correspond to the left eye of the user. In this case, the first eye detection camera 270a and the second eye detection camera 270b may have the same camera performance and specifications, but examples of which are not limited thereto.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating an example software architecture of an AR system according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to <FIG>, an electronic device <NUM> may be the wearable electronic device <NUM> (e.g., the electronic device <NUM> of <FIG>). A mobile device <NUM>, a device providing an extended screen, may be the electronic device <NUM> of <FIG>. An external device <NUM> may be a device that establishes communication with the electronic device <NUM> and provides information associated with a reference display position at which the extended screen is to be provided to the electronic device <NUM>.

A software architecture of the mobile device <NUM> may include an extended screen application <NUM>, a virtual display manager <NUM>, an operating system (OS) <NUM>, an application manager <NUM>, a network interface <NUM>, and a video transmission service <NUM>.

The extended screen application <NUM> may display an application being executed on the mobile device <NUM>, an icon, and a notification on a plane corresponding to an extended screen. The extended screen may also be a desktop experience (DeX) screen, for example. The extended screen may be a screen output in another display module that is not its own display module of the mobile device <NUM>, and may be output in an AR environment provided by an AR display module of the electronic device <NUM>. The extended screen may include a graphic representation, an icon, a content, and an application screen of the mobile device <NUM>. For example, the extended screen may have a resolution, an icon arrangement, and a ratio that are different from those of the screen output on the display module of the mobile device <NUM> itself.

The AR environment, which is a virtual space defined based on the electronic device <NUM>, may be an environment providing an overlap of real-world objects and/or a virtual content rendered on the objects. AR may also be represented as virtual reality (VR) and/or mixed reality (MR).

The virtual display manager <NUM> may manage the application screen rendered on a memory. For example, the extended screen application <NUM> may generate a virtual display, and the extended screen may be rendered on the virtual display. A plane (e.g., a plane corresponding to the extended screen) on which the virtual display is to be disposed in the AR environment may cross a gaze direction of a user of the electronic device <NUM>.

The OS <NUM> may manage the execution and end of each application, manager, and service of the mobile device <NUM>. The application manager <NUM> may manage a priority of applications (e.g., applications A and B).

The video transmission service <NUM> may encode image information including a video and the extended screen and transmit the encoded image information to another device through a network. For example, the video transmission service <NUM> may transmit the extended screen.

The network interface <NUM> may manage data communication with another device through a wireless communication module (e.g., a UWB module and a Wi-Fi module).

A software architecture of the electronic device <NUM> may include a positioning service <NUM>, a target position manager <NUM>, an OS <NUM>, a communication protocol <NUM>, and a network interface <NUM>.

When receiving a wireless communication signal (e.g., a scan signal) from the external device <NUM>, the positioning service <NUM> may calculate position information and pose information associated with the external device <NUM> transmitting the wireless communication signal and with the electronic device <NUM>. For example, the position information may include coordinates indicating a position of the external device <NUM> based on a coordinate system of the electronic device <NUM>. The pose information may include a difference in angle between an orientation of the electronic device <NUM> and a direction from the external device <NUM> toward the electronic device <NUM>. The wireless communication signal may be a UWB scan signal transmitted to a UWB, but examples of which are not limited thereto. The orientation of the electronic device <NUM> may be a direction in which one surface of the electronic device <NUM> faces and be, for example, a direction perpendicular to the screen plane of the electronic device <NUM>. The orientation of the electronic device <NUM> may indicate the same direction as a reference vector of the electronic device <NUM>.

The target position manager <NUM> may calculate and manage the position information for mapping a digital content to a real-world object and/or background in the AR environment and visualizing the mapped digital content.

The OS <NUM> may manage the execution and end of each application, manager, and service of the electronic device <NUM>. The communication protocol <NUM> may refer to a protocol for establishing communication with another device. For example, the communication protocol <NUM> may establish communication with the external device <NUM> using a UWB protocol. The network interface <NUM> may perform data communication with a network interface (e.g., the network interface <NUM>) of another device.

A software architecture of the external device <NUM> may include a positioning service <NUM>, an OS <NUM>, and a communication protocol <NUM>.

When receiving a wireless communication signal (e.g., a scan signal) from the electronic device <NUM>, the positioning service <NUM> may calculate position information and pose information associated with the external device <NUM> and the electronic device <NUM> transmitting the wireless communication signal. The position information may include a difference in height between the external device <NUM> and the electronic device <NUM> based on a coordinate system of the electronic device <NUM>. The pose information may include a difference in angle between an orientation of the external device <NUM> and a direction from the external device <NUM> toward the electronic device <NUM>.

The OS <NUM> may manage the execution and end of each application, manager, and service of the external device <NUM>. The communication protocol <NUM> may refer to a protocol for establishing communication with another device. For example, the communication protocol <NUM> may establish communication with the electronic device <NUM> using a UWB protocol.

Although the external device <NUM> and the mobile device <NUM> are illustrated separately in <FIG>, examples of which are not limited thereto. For example, the external device <NUM> may be the mobile device <NUM> or a wireless communication device. Hereinafter, the mobile device <NUM> operating as the external device <NUM> will be described as an example with reference to <FIG>. In this example, when the external device <NUM> is the mobile device <NUM>, the mobile device <NUM> may provide the electronic device <NUM> with both an extended screen and information associated with a reference display position. Hereinafter, a separate wireless communication device operating as the external device <NUM> will be described as another example with reference to <FIG>. In this example, when the external device <NUM> is the wireless communication device, the mobile device <NUM> may provide an extended screen, and the wireless communication device may provide information associated with a reference display position. The wireless communication device may be an independent device separated from the mobile device <NUM>, and may be the electronic device <NUM> of <FIG> as a main example.

<FIG> is a flowchart illustrating an example method of providing an extended screen according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to <FIG>, in operation <NUM>, an electronic device (e.g., the wearable electronic device <NUM> of <FIG> and the electronic device <NUM> of <FIG>) may determine a reference display position in an AR environment at which an extended screen received from a mobile device (e.g., the electronic device <NUM> of <FIG> and the mobile device <NUM> of <FIG>) is to be provided, based on wireless communication with an external device (e.g., the external device <NUM> of <FIG>). The external device may be the mobile device or a separate wireless communication device, as described above with reference to <FIG>. The wireless communication device may have a display module, but examples of which are not limited thereto. For example, the wireless communication device may be a tag device without having such a display module.

Referring to <FIG>, in operation <NUM>, when at least a portion of the extended screen to be provided at the reference display position is included in a field of view (FOV) area of an AR display module, the electronic device may provide a user with the portion of the extended screen through the AR display module. The FOV area of the AR display module may be an area corresponding to an observable extent by the eyes of the user wearing the electronic device and/or an eye box of the user. The screen display portions 215a and 215b described above with reference to <FIG> may each cover at least a portion of the FOV area of the AR display module. In an area in the FOV area that is covered by the screen display portions 215a and 215b, a virtual content and/or the extended screen may be displayed. In an embodiment, even before the reference display position is captured within the FOV area, the electronic device may output the portion of the extended screen captured within the FOV area. The output of the portion of the extended screen will be described in detail below with reference to <FIG>.

<FIG> are diagrams illustrating an example of providing an extended screen based on a mobile device according to various embodiments of the disclosure.

Hereinafter, an external device connected to an electronic device <NUM>, which is a mobile device <NUM>, will be described as an example with reference to <FIG>.

Referring to <FIG>, the mobile device <NUM> may execute an extended screen application. The electronic device <NUM> may receive an extended screen <NUM> from the mobile device <NUM>. The electronic device <NUM> may output the extended screen <NUM> on a virtual display plane determined based on a position of the mobile device <NUM> in an AR environment <NUM>. The electronic device <NUM> may obtain position information and pose information between the mobile device <NUM> and the electronic device <NUM> while performing communication with the mobile device <NUM> in a UWB. The electronic device <NUM> and/or the mobile device <NUM> may estimate an angle of arrival (AOA) of the wireless communication signal by receiving the received wireless communication signal through multiple antennas. The electronic device <NUM> and/or the mobile device <NUM> may determine respective pose information (e.g., a difference in angle between an orientation of each device and a direction in which each of the two devices faces) using the estimated AOA. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may visualize the extended screen <NUM> at a position separated from one surface (e.g., the ground, or a surface of an object on which the mobile device <NUM> is disposed) on which the mobile device <NUM> is disposed in the AR environment <NUM> from the mobile device <NUM>, and provide the user with the visualized extended screen <NUM>. The estimation of position information and pose information will be described in detail below with reference to <FIG>.

In response to a change in at least one of a position or a pose of the mobile device <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may change at least one of a position and a pose of the plane on which the extended screen <NUM> is visualized.

<FIG> are diagrams illustrating an example of calculating position information and pose information between an electronic device (e.g., <NUM> of <FIG> and <NUM> of <FIG>) (e.g., the electronic device <NUM> of <FIG>) and an external device (e.g., <NUM> of <FIG> and <NUM> of <FIG>) (e.g., the external device <NUM> of <FIG>) when the external device is a mobile device (e.g., the mobile device <NUM> of <FIG>). <FIG> is a flowchart illustrating a method of calculating position information and pose information. <FIG> is a perspective view of an electronic device and an external device in an AR environment, and <FIG> and <FIG> are respectively a top view and a side view of the electronic device and the external device.

Referring to <FIG>, when the external device (e.g., <NUM> and <NUM>) is a mobile device, a processor of the electronic device (e.g., <NUM> and <NUM>) may determine, to be a reference display position <NUM>, a position separated from one surface (e.g., a surface on which a display panel of the mobile device is disposed) of the mobile device. The reference display position <NUM> may be a position defined as a reference for displaying an extended screen <NUM>, for example, a position at which a central point of the extended screen <NUM> is disposed. For example, the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may determine the reference display position <NUM> based on the external device <NUM>/<NUM> through operations to be described hereinafter with reference to <FIG>. A first coordinate system (X1, Y1, Z1) of the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> and a second coordinate system (X2, Y2, Z2) of the external device <NUM>/<NUM> may be defined as illustrated in <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may calculate coordinates of the reference display position <NUM> based on the first coordinate system (X1, Y1, Z1).

For example, in operation <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may transmit a wireless signal (e.g., a wireless communication signal) for calculating a position (e.g., the reference display position <NUM>). For example, the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may transmit the wireless communication signal to the external device <NUM>/<NUM> in a UWB. However, a band for wireless communication is not limited to the UWB, and communication may be performed in another communication band. The electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may radiate the wireless communication signal from a first reference point <NUM>.

In operation <NUM>, the external device <NUM>/<NUM> may calculate a first angle <NUM> between a direction toward the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> and a reference vector <NUM> of the external device <NUM>/<NUM>. In this case, pose information between the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> and the external device <NUM>/<NUM> may include the first angle <NUM> as a relative pose between the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> and the external device <NUM>/<NUM>. The direction toward the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> from the external device <NUM>/<NUM> may be a direction toward the first reference point <NUM> of the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> from a second reference point <NUM> of the external device <NUM>/<NUM>. The first reference point <NUM> may be, for example, a point at which a wireless communication signal is radiated from a wireless communication module of the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM>, but examples are not limited thereto. The second reference point <NUM> may be, for example, a point at which a wireless communication signal is radiated from a wireless communication module of the external device <NUM>/<NUM>, but examples are not limited thereto. The reference vector <NUM> of the external device <NUM>/<NUM> may be a vector perpendicular to a front surface (e.g., a surface on which a display panel of the mobile device is disposed) of the external device <NUM>/<NUM> from the second reference point <NUM>. The external device <NUM>/<NUM> may include the communication module having three or more antennas with different receiving axes, and calculate the first angle <NUM> based on an AOA at which the wireless communication signal is received by the antennas.

In operation <NUM>, the external device <NUM>/<NUM> may calculate a height of the reference display position <NUM> separated from the external device <NUM>/<NUM> by a first distance <NUM>. In an embodiment, the external device <NUM>/<NUM> may calculate a height coordinate separated from one surface of the external device <NUM>/<NUM> by the first distance <NUM>. For example, the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> and/or the external device <NUM>/<NUM> may obtain the reference display position <NUM> based on a gaze height of a user. The first distance <NUM> may be a distance corresponding to a height from the ground and/or one surface of the external device <NUM>/<NUM>, and may be determined based on the gaze height of the user. However, examples are not limited thereto, and the first distance <NUM> may be determined based on a height from the ground to the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> without an additional process of determining the gaze height. As to be described below, using the first distance <NUM> may provide the extended screen <NUM> to a height of eyes of the user.

In addition, when an angle formed between a second distance <NUM> between the reference points <NUM> and <NUM> and a straight line between the reference points <NUM> and <NUM> with respect to the one surface of the external device <NUM>/<NUM> is given, the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> and/or the external device <NUM>/<NUM> may calculate the second distance <NUM> by applying, to the second distance <NUM>, a trigonometrical function (e.g., a sine function) that is based on the angle formed by the straight line between the reference points <NUM> and <NUM>. However, examples are not limited to the foregoing, and the second distance <NUM> may be a preset value.

In operation <NUM>, the external device <NUM>/<NUM> may transmit the first angle <NUM> and the height of the reference display position <NUM> through wireless communication.

In operation <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may calculate a second angle <NUM> and the second distance <NUM> based on a wireless signal received from the external device <NUM>/<NUM>. For example, the external device <NUM>/<NUM> may transmit a wireless communication signal along with the first angle <NUM> and the height of the reference display position <NUM> in operation <NUM>. The wireless communication module of the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may include three or more antennas with different receiving axes, and the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may calculate the second angle <NUM> based on an AOA at which the antennas receive the wireless communication signal. For example, the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may calculate the second distance <NUM> between the reference points <NUM> and <NUM> based on strength of the received wireless communication signal and/or a time of flight (TOF) used for the signal transmission.

In operation <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may calculate a plane coordinate of the second reference point <NUM> of the external device <NUM>/<NUM> that is separated from the first reference point <NUM> of the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> by the second distance <NUM> in a direction forming the second angle <NUM> with respect to the reference vector <NUM> of the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM>, based on the first coordinate system of the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM>.

In operation <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may determine, to be the reference display position <NUM>, the height of the reference display position <NUM> and the plane coordinate of the second reference point <NUM>. That is, the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may determine, to be coordinates of the reference display position <NUM>, the height coordinate obtained in operation <NUM> and the plane coordinate obtained in operation <NUM>. The reference display position <NUM> may be a position that floats from the external device <NUM>/<NUM>.

In operation <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may rotate a plane <NUM> of the extended screen <NUM> based on the first angle <NUM> and the second angle <NUM>. For example, the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may determine a rotation angle of the plane <NUM> of the extended screen <NUM> by subtracting the second angle <NUM> from the first angle <NUM>. Thus, when the mobile device is rotated on one axis perpendicular to the one surface of the mobile device, the processor of the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may rotate the plane <NUM> of the extended screen <NUM> in the same direction as a rotation direction in which the mobile device is rotated on the axis. The plane <NUM> of the extended screen <NUM> may thereby be rotated on a rotation axis parallel to a reference axis (e.g., a central axis perpendicular to one surface on which the display panel is disposed) of the external device <NUM>/<NUM>. When the external device <NUM>/<NUM> is rotated clockwise with respect to the reference axis, the plane <NUM> of the extended screen <NUM> may be rotated clockwise with respect to the rotation axis to be output in operation <NUM>. Similarly, when the external device <NUM>/<NUM> is rotated counterclockwise with respect to the reference axis, the plane <NUM> of the extended screen <NUM> may be rotated counterclockwise with respect to the rotation axis to be output in operation <NUM>.

In operation <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may transmit a display preparation completion event indicating the completion of preparation for displaying the extended screen <NUM>.

In operation <NUM>, the external device <NUM>/<NUM> may transmit the extended screen <NUM>. For example, in response to the display preparation completion event being received from the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM>, the external device <NUM>/<NUM> may transmit the extended screen <NUM> to the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM>.

In operation <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may output the extended screen <NUM> at the reference display position <NUM>. For example, in response to the extended screen <NUM> being received from the external device <NUM>/<NUM>, the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may provide the extended screen <NUM> on the plane <NUM> (or a virtual display plane) determined based on the reference display position <NUM>. When the rotation angle is determined in operation <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may output the extended screen <NUM> rotated by the rotation angle. The processor of the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may provide the user with the extended screen <NUM> on a plane non-parallel to a screen plane (e.g., one surface on which the display panel is disposed) of the mobile device in the AR environment. For example, the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may output the extended screen <NUM> on a virtual display plane that is substantially perpendicular to the screen plane.

Although operations <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> are described above as being performed by the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> and operations <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> are described above as being performed by the external device <NUM>/<NUM>, examples are not limited thereto. What has been described above with reference to <FIG> is provided merely as an example, and operations <NUM> through <NUM> may be performed by one of the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> and the external device <NUM>/<NUM>. In addition, the order of the foregoing operations is not limited to what has been described above with reference to <FIG>, and operations <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> may be performed after operations <NUM> and <NUM> are performed, for example. In this case, the height of the reference display position <NUM> may be calculated using a second angle and a second distance in operation <NUM>.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating an example of providing an extended screen when a mobile device is hidden according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

In an embodiment, an electronic device <NUM> may establish communication with an external device <NUM> (e.g., a mobile device) even when the external device <NUM> is not visually exposed. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may search for the external device <NUM> hidden by an object <NUM> using a wireless communication signal (e.g., a UWB signal) in a space corresponding to an AR environment <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, the external device <NUM> is stored in a desk drawer.

When detecting the external device <NUM> in the space corresponding to the AR environment <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may attempt to visually identify the external device <NUM> within a FOV (e.g., a FOV of the imaging camera <NUM> of <FIG>) of the electronic device <NUM>. When the external device <NUM> is not visually identified in the FOV, the electronic device <NUM> may visualize a notification content that indicates a hidden position of the external device <NUM>. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may visualize the notification content at a point <NUM> on the object <NUM> hiding the external device <NUM>. The notification content may include a graphic representation that indicates, explicitly or implicitly, a type of the external device <NUM>.

In addition, when the external device <NUM> is hidden by the object <NUM> between the external device <NUM> and the electronic device <NUM>, a processor of the electronic device <NUM> may determine a reference display position based on the point <NUM> on the object <NUM>. The electronic device <NUM> may determine, to be the reference display position, a position separated from the point <NUM> on the object <NUM> in a direction perpendicular to one of the ground, one surface of the object <NUM>, and one surface of the external device <NUM>. The electronic device <NUM> may visualize an extended screen <NUM> of the mobile device at the determined reference display position. While visualizing the extended screen <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may update, in real time, coordinates of the reference display position in response to a change in relative position and angle between the electronic device <NUM> and the external device <NUM>, through calculation of an AOA based on transmission and reception of the wireless communication signal. Thus, even when the external device <NUM> is hidden by the object <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may display the extended screen <NUM> at a position adjacent to the external device <NUM> using the wireless communication signal (e.g., the UWB signal). The electronic device <NUM> may thereby provide the extended screen <NUM> at a more intuitive position.

The notification content may also include information (including, for example, the number of messages yet to be checked after being received and a summary of contents of a received message) indicating a message received from the external device <NUM>. When receiving a message from the external device <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may visualize the notification content at a position corresponding to the external device <NUM>. For example, in response to a manipulation activating the notification content (e.g., a manipulation of the user touching a space occupied by the notification content in the AR environment <NUM> with their body), the electronic device <NUM> may visualize the extended screen <NUM>. The user may thereby have a desktop experience by checking a notification readily and handling a related task.

<FIG> are diagrams illustrating an example of providing an extended screen based on a wireless communication device according to various embodiments of the disclosure.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating an example of an external device <NUM> connected to an electronic device <NUM> being a separate and independent wireless communication device from a mobile device <NUM>. Although the wireless communication device is illustrated as a device including a display module in <FIG>, examples of which are not limited thereto.

Referring to <FIG>, the mobile device <NUM> may execute an extended screen application. The electronic device <NUM> may receive an extended screen <NUM> from the mobile device <NUM>. The electronic device <NUM> may output the extended screen <NUM> on a virtual display plane determined based on a position of the external device <NUM> in an AR environment <NUM>.

The electronic device <NUM> may obtain position information and pose information between the external device <NUM> and the electronic device <NUM> while communicating with the external device <NUM> in a UWB. The electronic device <NUM> and/or the external device <NUM> may receive a wireless communication signal through multiple antennas and estimate an AOA of the wireless communication signal. The electronic device <NUM> and/or the external device <NUM> may determine respective pose information (e.g., a difference in angle between an orientation of each device and a direction in which each of the two devices faces) using the estimated AOA. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may visualize the extended screen <NUM> at a position separated from the external device <NUM> in the AR environment <NUM>, and provide a visualized screen to a user. The electronic device <NUM> may determine, to be a reference display position, a non-overlapping position between a display module of the external device <NUM> and the extended screen <NUM>. The electronic device <NUM> may output the extended screen <NUM> around the display module of the external device <NUM>, for example, on one side (e.g., side, upward, or downward), excluding front and back sides of the display panel. The electronic device <NUM> may thereby provide the user with the extended screen <NUM> without a hindrance by a screen of the display module of the external device <NUM>. To this end, the external device <NUM> may share, with the electronic device <NUM>, physical size information (including, for example, a screen size and a position of a communication module in a device) of the display module of the external device <NUM> while communicating wirelessly (e.g., communicating in the UWB). The electronic device <NUM> and/or the external device <NUM> may calculate an accurate reference display position using the screen size of the display module of the external device <NUM> which is the shared information. The estimation of position information and pose information will be described in detail below with reference to <FIG>.

In response to a change in at least one of a position or a pose of the external device <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may change at least one of a position or a pose of a plane on which the extended screen <NUM> is visualized. That is, in response to a manipulation (e.g., moving and rotating) performed by the user on the external device <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may move and rotate the extended screen <NUM>. For example, when the external device <NUM> moves, the electronic device <NUM> may move the extended screen <NUM> in response to a position of the external device <NUM> that is changed by the movement.

<FIG> are diagrams illustrating an example of calculating position information and pose information between an electronic device (e.g., <NUM> of <FIG> and <NUM> of <FIG>) (e.g., the electronic device <NUM> of <FIG>) and an external device (e.g., <NUM> of <FIG> and <NUM> of <FIG>) (e.g., the external device <NUM> of <FIG>) when the external device <NUM>/<NUM> is a wireless communication device. <FIG> is a flowchart illustrating a flow of operations performed to calculate the position information and the pose information. <FIG> is a perspective view of the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> and the external device <NUM>/<NUM> in an AR environment. <FIG> is a top view thereof when they stand still, and <FIG> is a top view thereof at a rotation. Although a mobile device (e.g., the mobile device <NUM> of <FIG>) is not illustrated in <FIG>, the mobile device may establish communication with the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> and the external device <NUM>/<NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, when the external device <NUM>/<NUM> is another wireless communication device, a processor of the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may determine, to be a reference display position <NUM>, a position set by the wireless communication device based on the wireless communication device. The reference display position <NUM> may be a position defined as a reference for displaying the extended screen <NUM>, and may be a position at which a central point of the extended screen <NUM> is disposed, for example. For example, the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may determine the reference display position <NUM> based on the external device <NUM>/<NUM> through operations to be described with reference to <FIG>. A first coordinate system (X1, Y1, Z1) of the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> and a second coordinate system (X2, Y2, Z2) of the external device <NUM>/<NUM> may be defined as illustrated in <FIG>, and the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may calculate coordinates of the reference display position <NUM> based on the first coordinate system (X1, Y1, Z1).

For example, in operation <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may transmit a wireless signal (e.g., a wireless communication signal) for calculating a position (e.g., the reference display position <NUM>). For example, the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may transmit the wireless communication signal to the external device <NUM>/<NUM> in a UWB. However, a band for wireless communication is not limited to the UWB, and the communication may be performed in another communication band. The electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may radiate the wireless communication signal from a first reference point <NUM>.

In operation <NUM>, the external device <NUM>/<NUM> may calculate a first angle <NUM> between a direction from the external device <NUM>/<NUM> toward the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> and a reference vector <NUM> of the external device <NUM>/<NUM>. In this case, pose information between the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> and the external device <NUM>/<NUM> may include the first angle <NUM> as a relative pose between the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> and the external device <NUM>/<NUM>. The direction from the external device <NUM>/<NUM> toward the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may be a direction from a second reference point <NUM> of the external device <NUM>/<NUM> toward the first reference point <NUM> of the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM>. For example, the first reference point <NUM> may be a point at which a wireless communication module of the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> radiates a wireless communication signal, but examples of which are not limited thereto. Also, the second reference point <NUM> may be a point at which a wireless communication module of the external device <NUM>/<NUM> radiates a wireless communication signal, but examples of which are not limited thereto. The reference vector <NUM> of the external device <NUM>/<NUM> may be a vector perpendicular to a front surface (e.g., a surface on which a display panel of the wireless communication device is disposed) of the external device <NUM>/<NUM> from the second reference point <NUM>. The external device <NUM>/<NUM> may include the communication module having three or more antennas with different receiving axes, and may calculate the first angle <NUM> based on an AOA at which the antennas receive the wireless communication signal.

In operation <NUM>, the external device <NUM>/<NUM> may transmit, to the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM>, a size of a display module of the wireless communication device and the first angle <NUM>. In this case, information associated with the size of the display module may include, for example, one of or a combination of two or more of a diagonal length of a plane of the display panel, a horizontal length of the plane, and a vertical length of the plane.

However, examples are not limited to the foregoing example where the external device <NUM>/<NUM> transmits the screen size of the display module. For example, the external device <NUM>/<NUM> may transmit, to the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM>, information (e.g., a relative distance and a relative direction) defining a relative position of the reference display position <NUM> with respect to the second reference point <NUM> of the external device <NUM>/<NUM>, and thus a position at which the extended screen <NUM> is to be displayed may be indicated by the external device <NUM>/<NUM>.

In operation <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may calculate a second angle <NUM> and a second distance <NUM> based on the wireless communication signal received from the external device <NUM>/<NUM>. For example, the external device <NUM>/<NUM> may transmit the wireless communication signal along with the first angle <NUM> and the screen size of the display module in operation <NUM>. The wireless communication module of the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may include three or more antennas having different receiving axes, and the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may calculate the second angle <NUM> based on an AOA at which the antennas receive the wireless communication signal. The electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may calculate the second distance <NUM> between the reference points <NUM> and <NUM> based on strength of the received wireless communication signal and/or a TOF used for signal transmission.

In operation <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may calculate the reference display position <NUM> separated from the second reference point <NUM> by the first distance <NUM> using the screen size of the wireless communication device. For example, when the wireless communication device includes a display module, the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may determine, to be the reference display position <NUM>, a position separated by a distance determined based on a screen size of the display module. That is, the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may determine the first distance <NUM> based on the screen size of the display module. The first distance <NUM> may be a non-overlapping distance by which a display screen of the display module and the extended screen <NUM> do not overlap each other, and may be a length that is greater than or equal to one of a horizontal length, a vertical length, and a diagonal length of the display module. For example, when the extended screen <NUM> is disposed in parallel to the wireless communication device in a horizontal direction, the first distance <NUM> may have a value that is greater than or equal to the horizontal length of the display module of the wireless communication device. For another example, when the extended screen <NUM> is disposed in parallel to the wireless communication device in a vertical direction, the first distance <NUM> may have a value that is greater than or equal to the vertical length of the display module of the wireless communication device. For still another example, when the extended screen <NUM> is disposed in parallel to the wireless communication device in a diagonal direction, the first distance <NUM> may have a value that is greater than or equal to the diagonal length of the display module of the wireless communication device. Thus, the reference display position <NUM> may be a position separated such that the extended screen <NUM> does not hinder an output of a screen of the external device <NUM>/<NUM>.

In operation <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may rotate a plane of the extended screen <NUM> based on the first angle <NUM> and the second angle <NUM>. For example, the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may determine a rotation angle of the plane of the extended screen <NUM> by subtracting the second angle <NUM> from the first angle <NUM>. Thus, when the display module is rotated on a rotation axis of the wireless communication device, the processor of the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may rotate the plane of the extended screen <NUM> in a direction (e.g., an opposite direction) different from a rotation direction of the display module with respect to the rotation axis. When the external device <NUM>/<NUM> is rotated clockwise with respect to a reference axis, the plane of the extended screen <NUM> may be rotated counterclockwise with respect to the rotation axis and the rotated plane may be output in operation <NUM>. Similarly, when external device <NUM>/<NUM> is rotated counterclockwise with respect to the reference axis, the plane of the extended screen <NUM> may be rotated clockwise with respect to the rotation axis and the rotated plane may be output in operation <NUM>.

In operation <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may transmit, to a mobile device <NUM>, a display preparation completion event indicating the completion of preparation for displaying the extended screen <NUM>.

In operation <NUM>, the mobile device <NUM> may transmit the extended screen <NUM>. For example, in response to the display preparation completion event being received from the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM>, the mobile device <NUM> may transmit the extended screen <NUM> to the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM>.

In operation <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may output the extended screen <NUM> at the reference display position <NUM>. For example, the in response to the extended screen <NUM> being received from the mobile device <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may provide the extended screen <NUM> on a virtual display plane determined based on the reference display position <NUM>. When the rotation angle is determined in operation <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may output the extended screen <NUM> rotated by the rotation angle. An angle formed by the screen plane of the display module of the wireless communication device with respect to the ground in an AR environment may be the same as an angle formed by the plane of the extended screen <NUM> with respect to the ground. Thus, the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> may provide the user with an extended screen having the same tilting angle as the display module of the wireless communication device without an additional setting, thereby providing the user with a more consistent desktop experience.

Although operations <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> are described above as being performed by the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> and operations <NUM> and <NUM> are described above as being performed by the external device <NUM>/<NUM>, examples are not limited thereto. What has been described above with reference to <FIG> is provided merely as an example, and operations <NUM> through <NUM> may be performed by one of the electronic device <NUM>/<NUM> and the external device <NUM>/<NUM>. In addition, the order of the foregoing operations is not limited to what has been described above with reference to <FIG>, and operations <NUM> and <NUM> may be performed after operations <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> are performed, for example.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating an example of providing a portion of an extended screen based on a FOV of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to <FIG>, an electronic device <NUM> may establish connection to an external device (e.g., a mobile device or a wireless communication device) through wireless communication (e.g., communication in a UWB) as described above. The electronic device <NUM> may establish wireless communication even though the external device is not visible within an area corresponding to a FOV. When wireless communication is established with a non-observable external device in an area out of a FOV of the electronic device <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may perform a preparation operation for visualizing an extended screen <NUM> of a mobile device. After the establishment of the connection to the external device, the electronic device <NUM> may calculate and track a positional relationship between an area corresponding to the FOV of the electronic device <NUM> and the extended screen <NUM>. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may determine a plane equation for a plane on which the extended screen <NUM> is to be disposed, based on a reference display position based on a first reference point (e.g., a point from which a wireless communication module of the electronic device <NUM> radiates a wireless communication signal). The electronic device <NUM> may calculate two linear equations (straight line equations) indicating a boundary line of the FOV on the plane (e.g., an X1Y1 plane of a first coordinate system of the electronic device <NUM>), based on the first reference point. The electronic device <NUM> may determine an intersection point between the two linear equations and the plane equation described above. The electronic device <NUM> may monitor whether the intersection point between the two linear equations and the plane equation is in a plane area of the extended screen <NUM> determined based on the reference display position.

When at least a portion <NUM> of the extended screen <NUM> to be provided at the reference display position is included in a FOV area of an AR display module, the electronic device <NUM> may provide a user with the portion <NUM> through the AR display module. For example, when the intersection point between the two linear equations and the plane equation is detected in the plane area of the extended screen <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may determine the portion <NUM> of the extended screen <NUM> that is included in the FOV of the electronic device <NUM> based on the intersection point. That is, the electronic device <NUM> may hold an output when the extended screen <NUM> is not included in the FOV even when the external device is detected through wireless communication, and provide the user with the extended screen <NUM> starting from the portion <NUM> when the portion <NUM> comes within the FOV. When the extended screen <NUM> is fully included in the FOV, the electronic device <NUM> may provide an entire area of the extended screen <NUM> in the AR environment. The electronic device <NUM> may not require vision recognition of markers, and may thus immediately provide the user with the portion <NUM> as described above.

In addition, when the portion <NUM> is not included in the FOV area, the communication module of the electronic device <NUM> may perform communication with the external device at a first data rate. When the portion <NUM> is included in the FOV area, the communication module of the electronic device <NUM> may perform communication with the external device at a second data rate different from the first data rate. The first data rate may be a lower data rate than the second data rate. That is, until the extended screen <NUM> comes within the FOV, the electronic device <NUM> may monitor a positional relationship between the extended screen <NUM> and the FOV of the electronic device <NUM> based on the reference display position that is determined based on a reference point of the external device at the low data rate. When the portion <NUM> of the extended screen <NUM> comes within the FOV, the electronic device <NUM> may increase a communication speed to the second data rate, thereby minimizing disconnection of playback of the extended screen <NUM>. For example, the second data rate may be determined based on a frame rate (e.g., <NUM> frames per second (FPS) and <NUM> FPS) for providing a screen provided by the AR display module of the electronic device <NUM>.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating an example of rotational tracking using an inertial sensor according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to <FIG>, when rotational detection using a wireless communication signal is not available, a processor of an electronic device <NUM> may perform at least one of rotation or movement on an extended screen based on at least one of rotation information or movement information that is detected by an external device using an inertial sensor. For example, when receiving the wireless communication signal (e.g., a UWB signal) fails according to a surrounding environment, the electronic device <NUM> may automatically activate a position tracking function (e.g., an inertial measurement unit (IMU) mode) using the inertial sensor of the external device, but examples are not limited thereto. In response to a manual user input, the electronic device <NUM> may start performing position tracking using the inertial sensor. For example, the external device may track a change in a first angle <NUM> using the inertial sensor, and transmit a variance in the tracked first angle <NUM> to the electronic device <NUM>. The electronic device <NUM> may track a variance in a second angle that is based on a rotation itself, using its inertial sensor. The electronic device <NUM> may rotate the extended screen based on the first angle <NUM> and second angle tracked individually using the inertial sensors.

Although the rotational tracking using the inertial sensor has been described above with reference to <FIG>, examples are not limited thereto. The electronic device <NUM> and/or the external device may also track a movement of a position of each device itself using the inertial sensor and share the tracked movement with another device.

<FIG> are diagrams illustrating an example of controlling an extended screen based on a manipulation performed on a mobile device according to various embodiments of the disclosure.

In an embodiment, a processor of an electronic device may control an extended screen based on a gesture input to a mobile device.

Referring to <FIG>, in operation <NUM>, the electronic device may identify an alignment direction of the mobile device with respect to the electronic device. The electronic device may identify whether the mobile device is horizontally aligned or vertically aligned. The processor of the electronic device may provide the extended screen as one of a horizontal screen <NUM> and a vertical screen <NUM> based on the alignment between the electronic device and the mobile device. For example, when a difference in direction between a reference vector of the electronic device and a vertical axis (e.g., an axis in a longitudinal direction of the mobile device) of the mobile device is less than a threshold difference, the electronic device may determine that the mobile device is vertically aligned with respect to the electronic device. Conversely, when the difference in direction between the reference vector of the electronic device and the vertical axis of the mobile device is greater than or equal to the threshold difference, the electronic device may determine that the mobile device is horizontally aligned with respect to the electronic device. For example, as illustrated in <FIG>, when the electronic device and the mobile device start rotational tracking based on an inertial sensor, and the mobile device is rotated by a threshold angle or greater based on a reference vector of the mobile device, the electronic device may determine that the alignment of the mobile device is changed as illustrated in <NUM> in <FIG>, for example, the horizontal alignment may be changed to the vertical alignment and the vertical alignment may be changed to the horizontal alignment.

In operation <NUM>, when the mobile device is vertically aligned, the electronic device may output the extended screen as the vertical screen <NUM>. The vertical screen <NUM> may refer to a screen having a vertical length greater than a horizontal length. In operation <NUM>, when the mobile device is horizontally aligned, the electronic device may output the extended screen as the horizontal screen <NUM>. The horizontal screen <NUM> may refer to a screen having a horizontal length greater than a vertical length.

Referring to <FIG>, the electronic device may output the extended screen as the horizontal screen <NUM> when a horizonal screen is output on the mobile device, and output the extended screen as the vertical screen <NUM> when a vertical screen is output on the mobile device.

In operation <NUM>, an external device may transmit the extended screen to the electronic device. For example, the external device may transmit, to the electronic device, the extended screen determined through operations <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM>.

In operation <NUM>, the electronic device may monitor whether a first gesture <NUM> is performed on the mobile device. In operation <NUM>, when the first gesture <NUM> is detected, the electronic device may change a size of the extended screen (e.g., an extended screen <NUM> in <FIG>). For example, in response to the first gesture <NUM> being input to the mobile device, the processor of the electronic device may change the size of the extended screen <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, the electronic device may change the size of the extended screen <NUM> in response to the first gesture <NUM> (e.g., pinch to zoom in and zoom out) by which a distance between two touch points on a screen of the mobile device is changed. For example, the electronic device may decrease the size of the extended screen <NUM> when the distance between the two touch points decreases, and may increase the size of the extended screen <NUM> when the distance between the two touch points increases.

In operation <NUM>, the electronic device may monitor whether a second gesture <NUM> is performed on the mobile device. In operation <NUM>, when the second gesture <NUM> is detected, the electronic device may change a brightness of the extended screen (e.g., an extended screen <NUM> in <FIG>). For example, in response to the second gesture <NUM> being input to the mobile device, the processor of the electronic device may change the brightness of the extended screen <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, the electronic device may change the brightness of the extended screen <NUM> in response to a linear movement (e.g., a scroll input) along one axis of a touch input to the screen of the mobile device. For example, the electronic device may increase the brightness of the extended screen <NUM> when a touch point moves along one axis in a first direction, and may decrease the brightness of the extended screen <NUM> when the touch point moves in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

The mobile device may detect such gesture inputs described above by itself and request the electronic device for corresponding operations (e.g., changing the screen size and changing the brightness) in response to the gesture inputs. However, examples are not limited thereto, and these gesture inputs may be visually recognized by the electronic device.

Claim 1:
An electronic device (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>), comprising:
a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication with an external device (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>);
an augmented reality, AR, display configured to output an extended screen (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) of a mobile device (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>);
a memory (<NUM>) configured to store therein computer-executable instructions; and
a processor (<NUM>) configured to access the memory (<NUM>) and execute the instructions,
wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor (<NUM>) to:
determine a reference display position (<NUM>, <NUM>) in an AR environment (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) at which the extended screen (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) received from the mobile device (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) is to be provided based on wireless communication with the external device (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>),
when a portion (<NUM>) of the extended screen (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) to be provided at the reference display position (<NUM>, <NUM>) is comprised in a field of view, FOV, area of the AR display, provide a user with the portion (<NUM>) of the extended screen (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) through the AR display, and
when the extended screen (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) to be provided at the reference display position (<NUM>, <NUM>) is fully comprised in the FOV area of the AR display, provide a user with the entire area of the extended screen (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) through the AR display.