Patent Description:
Typically, an electronic device such as a smartphone, a tablet personal computer (PC), a portable multimedia player (PMP), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a laptop PC, and a wearable device may share a screen and content with another electronic device or an electronic appliance equipped with a display such as a television (TV) and refrigerator or a vehicle having a communication function and a display function. <CIT> discloses an image processing method and system, and a vehicle electronic device and portable terminal supporting the same. <CIT> discloses an apparatus and method for providing a screen mirroring service. <CIT> discloses a system and method for display mirroring.

A display of an electronic device supports various resolutions and aspect ratios. Meanwhile, if the resolution and aspect ratio differ between devices, this makes it difficult to share a screen or content in optimal condition therebetween.

Various embodiments of the disclosure disclose a method for providing an optimized screen to an electronic device as a recipient of video data while a screen and content are being shared between electronic devices and an electronic device using the method.

According to various embodiments of the disclosure, an electronic device is provided in accordance with claim <NUM>.

According to various embodiments of the disclosure, a screen sharing method of an electronic device is provided in accordance with claim <NUM>.

The electronic device and screen sharing method thereof according to various embodiments of the disclosure is advantageous in terms of allowing a user to enjoy a video comfortably by providing an optimized screen to an electronic device as a recipient of video data while a screen is shared between electronic devices.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present document will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In connection with descriptions of the drawings, similar components are designated by the same reference numeral. In this document, the expressions such as "A or B" or "at least one of A and / or B" may include any or all of combinations of words listed together. The expression "<NUM>", "<NUM>", "first", or "second" used in various embodiments of the present disclosure may modify various components of the various embodiments but does not limit the corresponding components. When it is stated that a component is "coupled to" or "connected to" another component, the component may be directly coupled or connected to another component or a new component may exist between the component and another component.

In the present document, depending on the situation, the expression such as "~ configured to" can be used interchangeably with "~suitable for", "having the ability to", "~ changed to", "~ made to", "capable of ~", or "designed to ~" in hardware or software. In some situations, the expression such as "a device configured to~" may mean that the device is capable of "doing with" other devices or components. For example, the phrases "a processor configured(or, configured to) perform a, b, and c" may mean that a dedicated processor(e.g., embedded processor) for performing the corresponding operation or a general purpose processor (e.g., CPU or application processor) capable of performing the operations by executing one or more software programs stored in the memory device.

An electronic device according to various embodiments of the present document may include various devices such as, for example, smart phones, tablet PCs, mobile phones, videophones, electronic book readers, desktop PCs, laptop PCs, netbook computers, workstations , a server, a PDA, a portable multimedia player (PMP), an MP3 player, a medical device, a camera, or a wearable device. A wearable device may include at least one of an accessory type such as a watch, a ring, a bracelet, a necklace, a pair of glasses, a contact lens or a head-mounted-device (HMD), a fabric or a garment integral type(e.g., electronic garment), a body attachment type (e.g., a skin pad or a tattoo), or a bio implantable circuit. According to some embodiments, the electronic device may include, for example, at least one of a television, a digital video disk (DVD) player, an audio player, a refrigerator, an air conditioner, a vacuum cleaner, an oven, a microwave oven, a washing machine, an air cleaner, a set top box, a home automation control panel, a media box(e. g, Samsung HomeSync™, Apple TV™, or Google TV™), a game console(e.g., Xbox™, PlayStation™), an electronic dictionary, an electronic key, a camcorder, or an electronic frame.

In another embodiment, the electronic device may include at least one of any of a variety of medical devices (for example, various portable medical measurement devices(e.g.,a blood glucose meter, a heart rate meter, a blood pressure meter or a temperature measuring device), a magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), an imaging device, or an ultrasonic device), navigation devices, global navigation satellite system (GNSS), event data recorder (EDR), flight data recorder (FDR), automobile infotainment device, marine electronic devices (e.g., marine navigation devices, gyro compass, etc.), avionics, security devices, car head units, industrial or home robots, drones, ATMs at financial institutions, points of sale (POS) of stores or Internet Of Things devices(e.g., a light bulb, various sensors, a sprinkler device, a fire alarm, a thermostat, a streetlight, a toaster, a fitness device, a hot water tank, a heater, a boiler, etc.). According to some embodiments, the electronic device may include at least one of a piece of furniture, a building / structure, a part of an automobile, an electronic board, an electronic signature receiving device, a projector, or a variety of measuring devices (e.g., Gas, or radio wave measuring instruments, etc.). In various embodiments, the electronic device is flexible or may be a combination of two or more of the various devices described above. The electronic device according to the embodiment of the present document is not limited to the above-described devices. In this document, the term "user" used in various embodiments may refer to a person who uses an electronic device or a device (for example, an artificial intelligence electronic device) which uses an electronic device.

<FIG> illustrates a network environment <NUM> including an electronic device <NUM> according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The electronic device <NUM> includes a bus <NUM>, a processor <NUM>, a memory <NUM>, a input/output interface <NUM>, a display <NUM> and a communication interface <NUM>. According to some embodiments, the electronic device <NUM> may omit at least one of the components, or may additionally comprise other components. The bus <NUM> may be a circuit connecting the above described components <NUM> to <NUM> and transmitting communication (for example, a control message or data) between the above described components. The processor <NUM> may include one or more of a central processing unit(CPU), an application processor(AP), or a communications processor (CP). The processor <NUM> may execute operations or data processing related to control and/or communicate at least one the other components of the electronic device (<NUM>).

The memory <NUM> may include volatile and / or non-volatile memory. For example, the memory <NUM> may store instructions or data related to at least one other component of the electronic device <NUM>. According to one embodiment, the memory <NUM> may store software and / or programs <NUM>. For example, the program <NUM> may include a kernel <NUM>, a middleware <NUM>, an application programming interface (API) <NUM>, and/or an application program (or application) <NUM>. At least one of the kernel <NUM>, middleware <NUM>, or API <NUM> may be referred to as an operating system. For example, the kernel <NUM> controls or manages system resources (e.g., bus <NUM>, processor <NUM>, or memory <NUM>, etc.) used for executing an operation or function implemented by the remaining other programming modules, for example, the middleware <NUM>, the API <NUM>, or the application <NUM>. Further, the kernel <NUM> provides an interface for accessing individual components of the electronic device <NUM> from the middleware <NUM>, the API <NUM>, or the application <NUM> to control or manage the components.

The middleware <NUM> performs a relay function of allowing the API <NUM> or the application <NUM> to communicate with the kernel <NUM> to exchange data. Further, in operation requests received from the application <NUM>, the middleware <NUM> performs a control for the operation requests by using a method of assigning a priority. For example, the middleware <NUM> performs a control for the operation requests by using a method of assigning a priority by which system resources (for example, the bus <NUM>, the processor <NUM>, the memory <NUM> and the like) of the electronic device <NUM> can be used, to the application <NUM>. The API <NUM> is an interface by which the application <NUM> can control a function provided by the kernel <NUM> or the middleware <NUM> and includes, for example, at least one interface or function (for example, command) for a file control, a window control, image processing, or a character control. The input/output interface150 can receive, for example, a command and/or data from a user or external device, and transfer the received command and/or data to the components of the electronic device <NUM>. The input/output interface150 can ouptut the received command and/or data to the components of the user or the external device.

The display <NUM> may include a display device such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, or a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) display, or an electronic paper display. The display <NUM> may display various content (e.g., text, images, video, icons, and / or symbols, etc.) to a user. The display <NUM> may include a touch screen and may receive a touch, gesture, proximity, or hovering input using an electronic pen or a portion of a user's body. The communication interface170 connects communication between the electronic device <NUM> and the external device (e.g., electronic device <NUM>, <NUM> or server <NUM>). For example, the communication interface <NUM> may access a network <NUM> through wireless or wired communication to communicate with the external device (e.g., the second electronic device <NUM> or server <NUM>).

The wireless communication may include, for example, at least one of LTE, LTE-A (LTE Advance), code division multiple access (CDMA), wideband CDMA (WCDMA), universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), WiBro System for Mobile Communications). According to one embodiment, the wireless communication may include, for example, at least one of wireless fidelity (WiFi), Bluetooth, Bluetooth low power (BLE), Zigbee, near field communication, Magnetic Secure Transmission, Frequency (RF), or body area network (BAN). According to one example, wireless communication may include Global navigation satellite system (GNSS). For example, the GNSS may be a Global Positioning System (GPS), a Global Navigation Satellite System (Glonass), a Beidou Navigation Satellite System (Beidou), or a Galileo, the European global satellite-based navigation system. Hereinafter, the term 'GPS' can be used interchangeably with the term 'GNSS' in this document. The wired communication may include, for example, at least one of a universal serial bus (USB), a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a recommended standard <NUM> (RS-<NUM>), a power line communication, or a plain old telephone service (POTS). The network <NUM> may include at least one of a telecommunications network, a computer network (e.g., LAN or WAN), the Internet, or a telephone network.

Each of the first and second external electronic devices <NUM> and <NUM> may be the same or a different kind of device as the electronic device <NUM>. According to various embodiments, all or a portion of the operations performed in the electronic device <NUM> may be performed in another electronic device or multiple electronic devices (e.g., electronic devices <NUM>, <NUM>, or server <NUM>). According to one embodiment, in the event that the electronic device <NUM> has to perform certain functions or services automatically or upon request, the electronic device <NUM> may request other devices to perform at least some of the functions associated therewith instead of performing the function or service itself. Other electronic devices (e.g., the electronic devices <NUM> and <NUM>, or server <NUM>) may execute the requested function or additional function and transmit the results to electronic device <NUM>. The electronic device <NUM> can directly or additionally process the received result to provide the requested function or service. For this purpose, for example, cloud computing, distributed computing, or client-server computing technology may be used.

<FIG> is a block diagram of an electronic device <NUM> according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The electronic device <NUM> may configure, for example, a whole or a part of the electronic device <NUM> illustrated in <FIG>. The electronic device <NUM> includes one or more processors (e.g., AP) <NUM>, a communication module <NUM>, a subscriber identification module(SIM) <NUM>, a memory <NUM>, a sensor module <NUM>, an input device <NUM>, a display <NUM>, an interface <NUM>, an audio module <NUM>, a camera module <NUM>, a power management module <NUM>, a battery <NUM>, an indicator <NUM>, and a motor <NUM>. For example, the processor <NUM> may operate an operating system(OS) or an application program to control a plurality of hardware or software components connected to the processor <NUM>, and may perform various data processing and operations. The processor <NUM> may be implemented by, for example, a system on chip (SoC). According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> may further include a graphics processing unit (GPU) and / or an image signal processor. The processor <NUM> may include at least some of the components shown in <FIG> (e.g., cellular module <NUM>). The processor <NUM> may load and process instructions or data received from at least one of the other components (e.g., non-volatile memory) and store the processed data in non-volatile memory.

May have the same or similar configuration as communication module <NUM> (e.g., communication interface <NUM>). The communication module <NUM> may include, for example, a cellular module <NUM>, a WiFi module <NUM>, a Bluetooth module <NUM>, a GNSS module <NUM>, an NFC module <NUM> and an RF module <NUM> have. The cellular module <NUM> may provide, for example, voice calls, video calls, text services, or Internet services through a communication network. According to an embodiment, the cellular module <NUM> may distinguish and authenticate the electronic device <NUM> within the communication network by using the subscriber identity module (e.g., a SIM card) <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the cellular module <NUM> performs at least some of the functions which can be provided by the processor <NUM>. According to one embodiment, the cellular module <NUM> may include a communications processor (CP). At least some (e.g., two or more) of the cellular module <NUM>, the WiFi module <NUM>, the Bluetooth module <NUM>, the GNSS module <NUM>, or the NFC module <NUM> may be included in one integrated chip(IC) or IC package according to one embodiment. The RF module <NUM> transmits/receives data, for example, an RF signal. The RF module <NUM> may include, for example, a transceiver, a Power Amp Module (PAM), a frequency filter, a Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) or the like. According to another embodiment, at least one of the cellular module <NUM>, the WiFi module <NUM>, the Bluetooth module <NUM>, the GNSS module <NUM>, or the NFC module <NUM> transmits/receives an RF signal through a separate RF module. The SIM card <NUM> is a card including a Subscriber Identification Module or an embedded SIM. The SIM card <NUM> includes unique identification information (for example, Integrated Circuit Card IDentifier (ICCID)) or subscriber information (for example, International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI).

The memory <NUM> (for example, memory <NUM>) may include an internal memory <NUM> or an external memory <NUM>. The internal memory <NUM> may include, for example, at least one of a volatile memory (for example, a dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), a static RAM (SRAM), a synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM), and the like), and a non-volatile Memory (for example, a one time programmable Read Only Memory (OTPROM), a programmable ROM (PROM), an erasable and programmable ROM (EPROM), an electrically erasable and programmable ROM (EEPROM), a mask ROM, a flash ROM, a NAND flash memory, a hard drive, a solid state drive(SSD). The external memory <NUM> may include a flash drive, for example, a Compact Flash (CF), a Secure Digital (SD), a Micro Secure Digital (Micro-SD), a Mini Secure Digital (Mini-SD), an extreme Digital (xD), a multimedia card(MMC), or a memory stick. The external memory <NUM> may be functionally connected to the electronic device <NUM> through various interfaces.

The sensor module <NUM> measures a physical quantity or detects an operation state of the electronic device <NUM>, and converts the measured or detected information to an electronic signal. The sensor module <NUM> may include, for example, at least one of a gesture sensor 240A, a gyro sensor 240B, an atmospheric pressure (barometric) sensor 240C, a magnetic sensor 240D, an acceleration sensor 240E, a grip sensor 240F, a proximity sensor <NUM>, a color sensor <NUM> (for example, Red, Green, and Blue (RGB) sensor) <NUM>, a biometric sensor 240I, a temperature/humidity sensor 240J, an illumination (light) sensor <NUM>, and a Ultra Violet (UV) sensor <NUM>. Additionally or alternatively, the sensor module <NUM> may include, for example, a E-nose sensor, an electromyography (EMG) sensor, an electroencephalogram (EEG) sensor, an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor, an InfraRed (IR) sensor, an iris sensor, a fingerprint sensor (not illustrated), and the like. The sensor module <NUM> may further include a control circuit for controlling one or more sensors included in the sensor module <NUM>. According to some embodiments, to control the sensor module <NUM> while the processor <NUM> is in the sleep state, the electronic device <NUM> further includes a processor configured as part of the processor <NUM> or a processor that is separately configured from the processor <NUM>.

The input device <NUM> may include, for example, a touch panel <NUM>, a (digital) pen sensor <NUM>, a key <NUM>, and an ultrasonic input device <NUM>. For example, the touch panel <NUM> may recognize a touch input in at least one type of a capacitive type, a resistive type, an infrared type, and an acoustic wave type. The touch panel <NUM> may further include a control circuit. The touch panel <NUM> may further include a tactile layer. In this event, the touch panel <NUM> provides a tactile reaction to the user. For example, the (digital) pen sensor <NUM> may be part of the touch panel or may include a separate recognition sheet. The key <NUM> may include, for example, a physical button, an optical key, or a keypad. The ultrasonic input device <NUM> is a device which can detect an acoustic wave by a microphone (for example, microphone <NUM>) of the electronic device <NUM> through an input means generating an ultrasonic signal to identify data and can perform wireless recognition.

The display <NUM> (for example, display <NUM>) includes a panel <NUM>, a hologram device <NUM>, and a projector <NUM>. The panel <NUM> may be implemented to be, for example, flexible, transparent, or wearable. The panel <NUM> may be configured by the touch panel <NUM> and one module. According to an embodiment, the panel <NUM> may include a pressure sensor (or force sensor) capable of measuring the intensity of the pressure on the user's touch. The pressure sensor may be integrated with the touch panel <NUM> or may be implemented by one or more sensors separate from the touch panel <NUM>. The hologram device <NUM> shows a stereoscopic image in the air by using interference of light. The projector <NUM> projects light on a screen to display an image. For example, the screen may be located inside or outside the electronic device <NUM>. The interface <NUM> may include, for example, an HDMI <NUM>, a USB <NUM>, an optical interface <NUM>, or a D-sub (D-subminiature) <NUM>. The interface <NUM> may be included, for example, in the communication interface <NUM> shown in <FIG>. Additionally or alternatively, the interface <NUM> may include, for example, a mobile high-definition link (MHL) interface, an SD card / multi-media card (MMC) interface, or an infrared data association (IrDA) standard interface.

The audio module <NUM> bi-directionally converts a sound and an electronic signal. At least some components of the audio module <NUM> may be included in, for example, the input/output interface150 illustrated in <FIG>. The audio module <NUM> processes sound information input or output through, for example, a speaker <NUM>, a receiver <NUM>, an earphone <NUM>, the microphone <NUM> or the like. The camera module <NUM> is a device which can photograph a still image and a video. According to an embodiment, the camera module <NUM> may include one or more image sensors (for example, a front sensor or a back sensor), an Image Signal Processor (ISP) (not shown) or a flash (for example, an LED or xenon lamp). The power managing module <NUM> manages power of the electronic device <NUM>. The power managing module <NUM> may include, for example, a Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC), a charger Integrated Circuit (IC), or a battery or fuel gauge. The PMIC may have a wired and / or wireless charging method. The wireless charging method may include, for example, a magnetic resonance method, a magnetic induction method and an electromagnetic wave method, and additional circuits for wireless charging, for example, circuits such as a coil loop, a resonant circuit, a rectifier or the like may be added. The battery gauge measures, for example, a remaining quantity of the battery <NUM>, or a voltage, a current, or a temperature during charging. The battery <NUM> may include a rechargeable battery or a solar battery.

The indicator <NUM> shows particular statuses of the electronic device <NUM> or a part (for example, the processor <NUM>) of the electronic device <NUM>, for example, a booting status, a message status, a charging status and the like. The motor <NUM> converts an electrical signal to a mechanical vibration, and can generate vibration, haptic effects, and the like. The electronic device <NUM> may include a processing unit (for example, GPU) for supporting a module TV. The processing unit for supporting the mobile TV may process, for example, media data according to a standard of Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB), Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB), mediaFlo™ or the like. Each of the components described in this document may be composed of one or more components, and the name of the component may be changed according to the type of the electronic device. The electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of the above described components, a few of the components may be omitted, or additional components may be further included. Also, some of the components of the electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may be combined to form a single entity, and thus may equivalently execute functions of the corresponding components before being combined.

<FIG> is a block diagram of a programming module according to an embodiment. The programming module <NUM> may include an Operating System (OS) controlling resources related to the electronic device (for example, electronic device <NUM>) or various applications (for example, applications <NUM>) driving on the OS. For example, the OS may be Android™, iOS™, Windows™, Symbian™, Tizen™, Bada™ or the like. Referring to <FIG>, the programming module <NUM> includes a kernel <NUM>, a middleware <NUM>, an Application Programming Interface (API) <NUM>, and applications <NUM>. At least a portion of the program module <NUM> is preloaded on the electronic device or downloadable from an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device <NUM>, <NUM>, server <NUM>, etc.).

The kernel <NUM> (for example, kernel <NUM>) includes a system resource manager <NUM> and a device driver <NUM>. The system resource manager <NUM> performs a system resource control, allocation, and recall. According to an embodiment, the system resource manager <NUM> may include, for example, a process manager, a memory manager, and a file system manager. The device driver <NUM> may include, for example, a display driver, a camera driver, a Bluetooth driver, a shared memory driver, a USB driver, a keypad driver, a WiFi driver, an audio driver, or an InterProcess Communication (IPC) driver. The middleware <NUM> provides various functions through the API <NUM> to allow the application <NUM> to provide a function required in common by the applications <NUM>, or use limited system resources within the electronic device. According to an embodiment, the middleware <NUM> may include at least one of a runtime library <NUM>, an application manager <NUM>, a window manager <NUM>, a multimedia manager <NUM>, a resource manager <NUM>, a power manager <NUM>, a database manager <NUM>, a package manager <NUM>, a connection manager <NUM>, a notification manager <NUM>, a location manager <NUM>, a graphic manager <NUM>, and a security manager <NUM>.

The runtime library <NUM> may include, for example, a library module used by a complier to add a new function through a programming language while the application <NUM> is executed. According to an embodiment, the runtime library <NUM> executes input and output, management of a memory, a function associated with an arithmetic function and the like. The application manager <NUM> manages, for example, a life cycle of at least one of the applications <NUM>. The window manager <NUM> manages GUI resources used on the screen. The multimedia manager <NUM> detects a format required for reproducing various media files and performs an encoding or a decoding of a media file by using a codec suitable for the corresponding format. The resource manager <NUM> manages resources such as a source code, a memory, or a storage space of at least one of the applications <NUM>. The power manager <NUM> may manage, for example, the capacity or power of the battery and provide the power information necessary for the operation of the electronic device. According to an embodiment, the power manager <NUM> operates together with a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) The database manager <NUM> manages generation, search, and change of a database to be used by at least one of the applications <NUM>. The package manager <NUM> manages an installation or an update of an application distributed in a form of a package file.

The connection manager <NUM> manages, for example, a wireless connection. The notification manager <NUM> displays or notifies a user of an event such as an arrival message, an appointment, a proximity alarm or the like. The location manager <NUM> may manage, for example, location information of the electronic device. The graphic manager <NUM> may manage a graphic effect provided to the user or a user interface related to the graphic effect. The security manager <NUM> provides a general security function required for a system security or a user authentication. According to an embodiment, the middleware <NUM> may include a telephony manager for managing a voice of the electronic device or a video call function. The middleware <NUM> may provide a module specified for each type of operating system to provide a differentiated function. The middleware <NUM> may dynamically delete some of the conventional components or add new components. The API <NUM> (for example, API <NUM>) is a set of API programming functions, and may be provided with a different configuration according to an operating system. For example, in Android or iOS, a single API set may be provided for each platform. In Tizen, two or more API sets may be provided.

The applications <NUM> may include a home application <NUM>, a dialer application <NUM>, a Short Messaging Service (SMS)/Multlimedia Messaging Service (MMS) application <NUM>, an Instant Messaging (IM) application <NUM>, a browser application <NUM>, a camera application <NUM>, an alarm application <NUM>, a contact application <NUM>, a voice dial application <NUM>, an email application <NUM>, a calendar application <NUM>, a media player application <NUM>, an album application <NUM>, a clock application <NUM>, a healthcare (e.g., measuring exercise or blood sugar) application, or an environmental information (e.g., pressure, humidity, or temperature information) application. According to an embodiment, the application <NUM> may include an information exchange application capable of supporting the exchange of information between the electronic device and the external electronic device. The information exchange application may include, for example, a notification relay application for communicating specific information to an external electronic device, or a device management application for managing an external electronic device. For example, the notification relay application may transmit notification information generated in another application of the electronic device to an external electronic device, or may receive notification information from an external electronic device and provide the notification information to the user. The device management application may, for example, install, delete, or update the functions such as turning on/off the external electronic device itself (or some component) or adjusting the brightness (or resolution) of the display of the external electronic device of an external electronic device that communicates with the electronic device, or an application that operates on the external electronic device. According to an embodiment, the application <NUM> may include an application (e.g., a healthcare application of a mobile medical device) designated according to the attributes of the external electronic device. According to an embodiment, the application <NUM> may include an application received from an external electronic device. At least some of the program modules <NUM> may be implemented (e.g., executed) in software, firmware, hardware (e.g., processor <NUM>), or a combination of at least two of the same, and may comprise modules, programs, routines, instruction sets or processes for performing one or more functions.

<FIG> is a flowchart illustrating a screen sharing method of an electronic device <NUM> according to various embodiments of the disclosure.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may establish a communication link with an external electronic device for sharing a screen under the control of the processor <NUM>.

The external electronic device may be identical with the electronic device (e.g., electronic device <NUM> in <FIG> and electronic device <NUM> in <FIG>). The external electronic device may include a communication function (e.g., communication module <NUM> in <FIG>) and a display (e.g., display <NUM> in <FIG>). The external electronic device may be a home appliance (such as a TV, refrigerator, and washing machine), a virtual reality (VR) headset, or a vehicle including a display function and a communication function. The external electronic device may support wireline and/or wireless communication functions and include at least one of an HDMI (HDMI <NUM> in <FIG>), a USB interface (e.g., USB <NUM> in <FIG>), an optical interface (e.g., optical interface <NUM> in <FIG>), a D-subminiature (D-SUB) interface (e.g., D-SUB <NUM> in <FIG>), a digital visual interface (DVI), or a display port as its wireline communication interface. The external electronic device may also include at least one of a cellular module (e.g., cellular module <NUM> in <FIG>), a Wi-Fi module (e.g., Wi-Fi module <NUM> in <FIG>), or the Bluetooth module (e.g., BT module <NUM> in <FIG>) as its wireless communication interface.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may establish a communication link via the wireline communication interface and/or wireless communication interface for sharing a screen with the external electronic device under the control of the processor <NUM>. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may establish a wireline communication link with the external device using the HDMI (e.g., HDMI <NUM> in <FIG>), the USB (e.g., USB <NUM> in <FIG>), or the display port. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may establish at least one of a Wi-Fi miracast link, a Google cast™ link, or a mirror link with the external electronic device using at least one of the cellular module (e.g., cellular module <NUM> in <FIG>), the Wi-Fi module (e.g., Wi-Fi module <NUM> in <FIG>), or the Bluetooth module (e.g., BT module <NUM> in <FIG>).

At step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may execute an application for sharing a screen in the middle of establishing a communication link with the external electronic device for sharing the screen via the wireline communication interface and/or wireless communication interface under the control of the processor <NUM>. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may perform a screen sharing operation using the screen sharing application as to be described later. The screen sharing application may be the Wi-Fi miracast, Google cast™, or mirror link.

After establishing a communication link for sharing a screen with the external electronic device, the electronic device <NUM> may receive, at step <NUM>, display information of the external electronic device from the external electronic device through the wireline interface and/or the wireless interface.

The display information may include resolutions supported by the external electronic device and an aspect ratio of the external electronic device. For example, the display information may include extended display identification data (EDID) information. The display information may include video format information (e.g., Wi-Fi display (WFD) video format of Wi-Fi miracast). The video format information may include at least one display-related parameter. For example, the WFD video format information may include wfd video format parameters or wfd <NUM> video format parameters.

In the case where the electronic device <NUM> and the external electronic device communicate through a wireline communication link, the display information may be exchanged through a display data channel (DDC).

In the case where the electronic device <NUM> and the external electronic device communicate through a wireless communication link, the video format information (e.g., WFD video format) may be exchanged via a specific protocol (e.g., real time streaming protocol).

After establishing a communication link for sharing a screen with the external electronic device, the electronic device <NUM> may request for display information of the external electronic device and receive the display information of the external electronic device from the external electronic device, at step <NUM>, in response to the request through the wireline interface and/or wireless interface.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may determine information on the screen to be transmitted to the external electronic device and information on the screen to be displayed on the electronic device in preferential consideration of the aspect ratio of the external electronic device based on the display information of the external electronic device under the control of the processor <NUM>.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may determine the information on the screen to be transmitted to the external electronic device and the information on the screen to be displayed on the electronic device by selecting a maximum resolution among the resolutions supported by the external electronic device, while considering the aspect ratio of the external electronic device preferentially, under the control of the processor <NUM>. The information on the screen to be displayed may be identical with the information on the screen to be transmitted. The information on the screen to be displayed may be information indicative of a change of the aspect ratio of the electronic device according to the aspect ratio of the external electronic device.

The electronic device <NUM> may transmit data related to the screen displayed on the display <NUM> to the external electronic device through the wireline communication interface and/or wireless communication interface based on the information on the screen to be transmitted and display the screen on the display <NUM> based on the information on the screen to be displayed under the control of the processor <NUM>.

In the case of transmitting the data related to the screen displayed on the display <NUM> to the external electronic device through the wireline communication interface and/or wireless communication interface, the electronic device <NUM> may selectively encode or not encode the data related to the screen displayed on the display <NUM> before transmission.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device may establish a communication link for sharing a screen with an external electronic device under the control of the processor <NUM>.

After establishing a communication link for sharing a screen with the external electronic device, the electronic device <NUM> may receive, at step <NUM>, display information of the external electronic device from the external electronic device through the wireline interface and/or the wireless interface under the control of the processor <NUM>.

The display information may include resolutions supported by the external electronic device and aspect ratio of the external electronic device. For example, the display information may include extended display identification data (EDID) information. The display information may include video format information (e.g., Wi-Fi display (WFD) video format of Wi-Fi miracast). The video format information may include at least one display-related parameter. For example, the WFD video format information may include wfd video format parameters or wfd <NUM> video format parameters.

In the case where the electronic device <NUM> and the external electronic device communicate through a wireless communication link, the video format information (e.g., WFD video format) may be exchanged via a specific protocol (e.g., real time streaming protocol (RTSP)).

At step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may transmit the data on the screen display on the display <NUM> to the external electronic device through the wireline communication link and/or wireless communication link based on the information on the screen to be transmitted and display the screen on the display <NUM> based on the information on the screen to be displayed under the control of the processor <NUM>. In the case of transmitting, at step <NUM>, the data related to the screen displayed on the display <NUM> through the wireline communication interface and/or wireless communication interface, the electronic device <NUM> may selectively encode or not encode the data before transmission.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device may determine whether a user input for changing the aspect ratio is received under the control of the processor <NUM>. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may include a touchscreen implemented by integrating the display and a touch panel. The electronic device <NUM> may receive a user input for changing the aspect ratio through the touchscreen.

If no user input for changing the aspect ratio is received at step <NUM>, the procedure goes back to step <NUM>.

If a user input for changing the aspect ratio is received at step <NUM>, the procedure goes to step <NUM>.

Upon receipt of the user input for changing the aspect ratio, the electronic device <NUM> may change, at step <NUM>, the aspect ratio of the screen displayed on the display <NUM>.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may execute an application for sharing a screen in the middle of establishing a communication link with the external electronic device for sharing the screen via the wireline communication interface and/or wireless communication interface under the control of the processor <NUM>. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may establish a wireline communication link with the external electronic device using the HDMI (e.g., HDMI <NUM> in <FIG>), the USB interface (e.g., USB <NUM> in <FIG>), or the display port. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may establish at least one of a Wi-Fi miracast link, a Google cast™ link, or a mirror link with the external electronic device using at least one of the cellular module (e.g., cellular module <NUM> in <FIG>), the Wi-Fi module (e.g., Wi-Fi module <NUM> in <FIG>), or the Bluetooth module (e.g., BT module <NUM> in <FIG>).

In the case where the electronic device <NUM> and the external electronic device communicate through a wireline communication link, the display information may be exchanged through a display data channel (DDC); in the case where the electronic device <NUM> and the external electronic device communicate through a wireless communication link, the video format information (e.g., WFD video format) may be exchanged via a specific protocol (e.g., real time streaming protocol (RTSP)).

In various embodiments, in the case where the electronic device <NUM> and the external electronic device communicate through a wireless communication link, they may exchange display information as supplementary information according to a wireless communication scheme (e.g., operation as specified in a communication standard).

At step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may determine the information on the screen to be transmitted to the external electronic device and the information on the screen to be displayed on the electronic device by selecting the best (e.g., maximum) resolution among the resolutions supported by the external electronic device, while considering the aspect ratio of the external electronic device preferentially, under the control of the processor <NUM>. The information on the screen to be displayed may be identical with the information on the screen to be transmitted. The information on the screen to be displayed may be information indicative of a change of the aspect ratio of the electronic device according to the aspect ratio of the external electronic device.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may determine whether the data to be transmitted to the external device are data downloaded from a server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>). The data may be a video downloaded from the server in the form of a streaming service. For example, the data being downloaded from the server may be a streaming video provided by a Youtube™, Facebook™, or Samsung VR™ site.

If it is determined at step <NUM> that the data to be transmitted to the external electronic device are not data downloaded from the server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>), the procedure may go to step <NUM> under the control of the processor <NUM>.

If it is determined at step <NUM> that the data to be transmitted to the external electronic device are data downloaded from the server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>), the procedure may go to step <NUM> under the control of the processor <NUM>.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may request to the server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>) for data based on the screen information to be transmitted and receive data transmitted by the server under the control of the processor <NUM>.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may transmit data related to the screen displayed on the display <NUM> to the external electronic device through the wireline communication interface and/or wireless communication interface based on the information on the screen to be transmitted and display the screen on the display <NUM> based on the information of the screen to be displayed, under the control of the processor <NUM>. In the case of transmitting the data on the screen displayed on the display <NUM> to the external electronic device through the wireline communication interface and/or wireless communication interface based on the information on the screen to be transmitted at step <NUM> under the control of the processor <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may selectively encode or not encode the data related to the screen displayed on the display <NUM> before transmission.

For example, at steps <NUM> and <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may receive a content of a video with a large view angle (e.g., polyhedron-mapped <NUM>-degree video streaming service) from the server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>) in a streaming fashion and transmit the content to the external electronic device.

In the case where the server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>) transmits data to the electronic device <NUM> in an adaptative quality streaming scheme such as MPEG-DASH and HLS, the electronic device <NUM> may request for view angle information (e.g., degree of view angle) of the data to be received from the server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>) based on the aspect ratio of the external electronic device. In the case of requesting for view angle information (e.g., degree of view angle) of the data to be received from the server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>) based on the aspect ratio of the external electronic device, the electronic device <NUM> may use a data requesting unit (e.g., DASH controller) included in the electronic device <NUM>. The data requesting unit (e.g., DASH controller) may be at least part of the processor <NUM> or a component of another electronic device <NUM> that is not associated with the processor <NUM>.

The polyhedron-mapped <NUM>-degree video streaming service may provide contents or data supporting a <NUM>-degree video by way of example.

The server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>) may store the <NUM>-degree video so as to be mapped to a virtual <NUM>-dimensional projection space (e.g., polyhedron), and the server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>) may establish a channel per <NUM>-dimensional projection space to provide a video streaming service. For example, the virtual <NUM>-dimensional projection space may be designed in the forms of various polyhedra such as a regular tetrahedron, a regular octahedron, and a regular icosahedron; the server may establish streaming channels for video data mapped to respective sides of the polyhedron and transmit the video data through streaming channels.

At steps <NUM> and <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may request, to the server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>) providing a <NUM>-degree video streaming service, for a <NUM>-degree video or data based on the aspect ratio of the external electronic device and receive videos corresponding to the current view angle (e.g., view angle of the external electronic device or the electronic device <NUM>) or videos or contents corresponding to some channels or sides from the server <NUM> without the necessity of establishing all streaming channels corresponding to the videos mapped to the respective sides of the polyhedron.

For example, if the <NUM>-degree video stored in the server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>) is mapped to a virtual <NUM>-dimensional projection space of a regular octahedron and if the aspect ratios of the electronic device and the external electronic device are <NUM>:<NUM> and <NUM>:<NUM> respectively, there is no need for the electronic device <NUM> to receive all streaming channels mapped to the regular octahedron and it needs only to receive videos corresponding to <NUM> sides or <NUM> channels for the view angle required for output of the external electronic device, the electronic device <NUM> may display videos of <NUM> sides or channels among the <NUM> sides or channels.

<FIG> and <FIG> are a flowchart illustrating a screen sharing method of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the disclosure.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may establish a communication link for sharing a screen with an external electronic device under the control of a processor <NUM>.

The external electronic device may be identical with the electronic device (e.g., electronic device <NUM> in <FIG> and electronic device <NUM> in <FIG>). The external electronic device may include a communication function (e.g., communication module <NUM> in <FIG>) and a display (e.g., display <NUM> in <FIG>). The external electronic device may be a home appliance (such as a TV, refrigerator, and washing machine), a virtual reality (VR) headset, or a vehicle including a display function and a communication function. The external electronic device may support wireline and/or wireless communication functions and include at least one of an HDMI (HDMI <NUM> in <FIG>), a USB interface (e.g., USB <NUM> in <FIG>), an optical interface (e.g., optical interface <NUM> in <FIG>), a D-subminiature (D-SUB) interface (e.g., D-SUB <NUM> in <FIG>), a digital visual interface (DVI), or a display port as its wireline communication interface. The external electronic device may also include at least one of a cellular module (e.g., cellular module <NUM> in <FIG>), a Wi-Fi module (e.g., Wi-Fi module <NUM> in <FIG>), or a Bluetooth module (e.g., BT module <NUM> in <FIG>) as its wireless communication interface.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may check the display information of the electronic device <NUM> under the control of the processor <NUM>.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device may generate a list of resolutions and aspect ratios supported by the display <NUM> of the electronic device <NUM> under the control of the processor <NUM>.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device may check the display information supported by the electronic device <NUM> based on at least one of an application request, a data processing capability of the electronic device, a network bandwidth, a channel condition, and a data transfer rate under the control of the processor <NUM>.

The data processing capability of the electronic device <NUM> may include information on supportable and unsupportable compression codecs. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may support MPEG-<NUM> and H. <NUM> codecs and may not support an H. <NUM> (HEVC) codec; the electronic device <NUM> may store the information on the supportable and unsupportable codecs as data processing capability information.

The display information supported by the electronic device <NUM> may be information on the resolutions and aspect ratios supported by the display <NUM> of the electronic device, which are computed based on at least one of the application request, the data processing capability of the electronic device <NUM>, the network bandwidth, the channel condition, and the data transfer rate.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may check display information of the electronic device <NUM> and generate a list of identified display information under the control of the processor <NUM>.

After establishing the communication link for sharing a screen with the external electronic device, the electronic device <NUM> may request, at step <NUM>, to the external electronic device for display information of the external electronic device through a wireline interface and/or a wireless interface under the control of the processor <NUM>.

After establishing the communication link for sharing a screen with the external electronic device, the electronic device <NUM> may receive, at step <NUM>, the display information of the external electronic device from the external electronic device through a wireline interface and/or a wireless interface under the control of the processor <NUM>.

The display information may include resolutions supported by the external electronic device and an aspect ratio (or horizontal/vertical ratio) of the external electronic device. For example, the display information may include extended display identification data (EDID) information.

The display information may include video format information (e.g., Wi-Fi display (WFD) video format of Wi-Fi miracast). The video format information may include at least one display-related parameter. For example, the WFD video format information may include wfd video format parameters or wfd <NUM> video format parameters.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may generate a list of transfer screen information based on the display information of the electronic device <NUM> and the display information of the external electronic device under the control of the processor <NUM>.

The transfer screen information may include resolutions and aspect ratios supported in common by the electronic device <NUM> and the external electronic device.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device may select transfer screen information from the list generated in preferential consideration of the aspect ratio of the external electronic device under the control of the processor <NUM>.

For example, the list generated at step <NUM> and the transfer screen information selected at step <NUM> may be expressed as Tables <NUM> and <NUM>.

As shown in Tables <NUM> and <NUM>, it may be possible to determine an aspect ratio of the selected transfer screen information in preferential consideration of the aspect ratio of the external electronic device and select the best resolution available at the determined aspect ratio as the resolution for the selected transfer screen information.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may determine whether the aspect ratio included in the selected screen information is identical with the aspect ratio of the electronic device under the control of the processor.

If it is determined at step <NUM> that the aspect ratio included in the selected screen information is identical with the aspect ratio of the electronic device <NUM>, the procedure may go to step <NUM> under the control of the processor <NUM>.

If it is determined at step <NUM> that the aspect ratio included in the selected screen information is different from the aspect ratio of the electronic device <NUM>, the procedure may go to step <NUM> under the control of the procedure <NUM>.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may change the aspect ratio of the screen displayed on the display <NUM> of the electronic device according to the aspect ratio included in the selected screen information under the control of the processor <NUM>.

With reference to Table <NUM> in which the aspect ratio included in the selected screen information differs from the aspect ratio of the electronic device <NUM>, given the aspect ratio <NUM>:<NUM> of the electronic device and the aspect ratio <NUM>:<NUM> of the external electronic device, the aspect ratio included in the selected transfer screen information becomes <NUM>:<NUM> because the aspect ratio of the external electronic device is preferentially considered.

Accordingly, the aspect ratio (e.g., <NUM>:<NUM>) of the electronic device <NUM> and the aspect ratio (e.g., <NUM>:<NUM>) of the selected transfer screen information may differ from each other. In this case, the electronic device <NUM> may change its aspect ratio to become identical with the aspect ratio (e.g., <NUM>:<NUM>) of the selected transfer screen information. Here, the resolution of the electronic device <NUM> may vary according to the aspect ratio (e.g., <NUM>:<NUM>) of the selected transfer screen information.

The resolution of the electronic device <NUM> may be changed from the maximum supportable resolution (e.g., <NUM> * <NUM>) to a modified resolution (e.g., <NUM> * <NUM>) according to the aspect ratio (e.g., <NUM>:<NUM>) of the selected transfer screen information. In the case of changing from the maximum supportable resolution (e.g., <NUM> * <NUM>) to a modified resolution (e.g., <NUM> * <NUM>) in accordance with the aspect ratio (e.g., <NUM>:<NUM>) of the selected transfer screen information, data may be letterboxed or pillarboxed on the display <NUM> to maintain the aspect ratio.

With reference to Table <NUM> in which the aspect ratio included in the selected screen information is identical with the aspect ratio of the electronic device <NUM>, given the aspect ratio <NUM>:<NUM> of the electronic device and the aspect ratio <NUM>:<NUM> of the external electronic device, the aspect ratio included in the selected transfer screen information becomes <NUM>:<NUM> because the aspect ratio of the external electronic device is preferentially considered. If the aspect ratio (e.g., <NUM>:<NUM>) of the electronic device <NUM> and the aspect ratio (e.g., <NUM>:<NUM>) of the selected transfer screen information are identical with each other, it is not necessary to change the resolution of the electronic device <NUM>.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may change a setting according to the selected transfer screen information under the control of the processor <NUM>.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may change settings of the display <NUM> and the processor <NUM> according to the selected transfer screen information under the control of the processor <NUM>.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device may generate data to be transmitted based on the selected transfer screen information under the control of the processor <NUM>.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may generate the data to be transmitted with the data of the screen displayed on the display <NUM> or streaming data based on the selected transfer screen information under the control of the processor <NUM>.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may encode data of the screen displayed on the display unit <NUM> or streaming data received from the server to generate data to be transmitted based on the selected transfer screen information under the control of the processor <NUM>.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may transmit the generated data to the external electronic device via the wireline communication interface and/or the wireless communication interface under the control of the processor <NUM>.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device may display the data on the display <NUM> under the control of the processor. The data may be information on the content or screen that is currently displayed.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device may check the display information supported by the electronic device <NUM> based on at least one of an application request, a data processing capability of the electronic device, a network bandwidth, a channel condition, and a data transfer rate under the control of the processor <NUM>. The display information supported by the electronic device <NUM> may be information on the resolutions and aspect ratios supported by the display <NUM> of the electronic device, which are computed based on at least one of the application request, the data processing capability of the electronic device <NUM>, the network bandwidth, the channel condition, and the data transfer rate. The data processing capability of the electronic device <NUM> may include information on supportable and unsupportable compression codecs. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may support MPEG-<NUM> and H. <NUM> codecs and may not support an H. <NUM> (HEVC) codec; the electronic device <NUM> may store the information on the supportable and unsupportable codecs as data processing capability information.

In the case where the electronic device <NUM> and the external electronic device communicate through a wireline communication link, the display information may be exchanged through a display data channel (DDC); in the case where the electronic device <NUM> and the external electronic device communicate through a wireless communication link, the video format information (e.g., WFD video format) may be exchanged via a specific protocol (e.g., real time streaming protocol).

If it is determined at step <NUM> that the aspect ratio included in the selected screen information is different from the aspect ratio of the electronic device <NUM>, the procedure may go to step <NUM> under the control of the processor <NUM>.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may determine whether the data to be transmitted are data downloaded from the server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>) under the control of the processor <NUM>.

If it is determined at step <NUM> that the data to be transmitted are not data downloaded from the server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>), the procedure may go to step <NUM> under the control of the processor <NUM>.

If it is determined at step <NUM> that the data to be transmitted are data downloaded from the server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>), the procedure may go to step <NUM> under the control of the processor <NUM>.

If it is determined that the data to be transmitted are data downloaded from the server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>), the electronic device <NUM> may request, at step <NUM>, to the server for data matching or almost matching up with the transfer screen information through the wireline communication interface and/or wireless communication interface under the control of the processor. If it is determined that the data to be transmitted are data downloaded from the server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>), the electronic device <NUM> may request, at step <NUM>, to the server for data related to the transfer screen information (e.g., data matching or almost matching resolution ratio) through the wireline communication interface and/or wireless communication interface under the control of the processor.

In reference to Table <NUM>, a resolution of 2220x1080 and an aspect ratio of <NUM>:<NUM> may be data matching or almost matching between the resolutions (e.g., at least one of 1440x1080, 1920x1080 (FHD), or 2220x1080) and aspect ratios (e.g., at least one of <NUM>:<NUM>, <NUM>:<NUM>, or <NUM>:<NUM>) provided by the server and the resolutions and aspect ratios included in the transfer screen information. The electronic device <NUM> may request to the server for the data identical or almost identical with the transfer screen information.

In the case where the content or data requested by electronic device <NUM> to the server is a <NUM>-degree video, there is no need to display the original content on the display of the electronic device <NUM> or the external electronic device by the nature of the <NUM>-degree video. Because the <NUM>-degree video is characterized such that a video corresponding to a view angle or location on the display of the electronic device <NUM> or the external electronic device is displayed, part of the original content may be displayed on the display of the electronic device <NUM> or the external electronic device by the nature of the <NUM>-degree video.

In the case where the content or data requested by the electronic device <NUM> to the server is a <NUM>-degree video, the electronic device <NUM> may request to the server for data matching or almost matching up with the transfer screen information, and the server may transmit the data to the electronic device <NUM> in preferential consideration of the resolution rather than the aspect ratio in the screen information in response to the request.

In various embodiments, the server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>) may split the content or data by a predetermined unit of time for various resolutions and/or aspect ratios and store the produced result in a predetermined file format. In the case of splitting the content or data by a predetermined unit of time for various resolutions and/or aspect ratios and storing the produced result, the server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>) may store a list of paths (e.g., URLs) corresponding to split files. For example, the server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>) may split a video with a length of <NUM> hour into <NUM> second lengths and store <NUM>-second videos per resolution and/or aspect ratio. For example, the <NUM>-second videos may have a resolution of 1920x1080 (FHD) or 1440x1080 and be stored per resolution as split into <NUM> second lengths.

For example, if being requested for data matching or almost matching up with the transfer screen information, the server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>) transmits a list of paths (e.g., URLs) corresponding to the split files to the electronic device.

If the list of the paths (e.g., URLs) corresponding to the split files is received from the server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>), a data requesting unit (e.g., Dash Controller) of the electronic device <NUM> may determine files to download. The data requesting unit (e.g., Dash Controller) of the electronic device <NUM> may be included in the processor <NUM> of the electronic device <NUM>. The data requesting unit (e.g., Dash Controller) of the electronic device <NUM> may control the electronic device <NUM> to download pertinent files in consideration of the environment (e.g., network speed and data processing capability ) of the electronic device <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may transmit a DASH descriptor having an option field set to an aspect ratio (screen_ratio, <NUM>, <NUM>" /) such as <SupplementalProperty schemeIdUri="urn:mpeg:dash:VR:<NUM>" screen _ratio, <NUM>, <NUM>" /> to the server in order to receive data matching or almost matching up with the transfer screen information from the server, and the server may refer to the transfer screen information received from the electronic device so as to transmit the data optimized for the aspect ratio indicated in the transfer screen information to the external electronic device.

According to an embodiment, in order for the electronic device <NUM> to receive data matching or almost matching up with the transfer screen information, the data requesting unit (e.g., Dash Controller) of the electronic device <NUM> may request to the server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>) for video, contents, or data in consideration of the aspect ratio of the external electronic device based on the transfer screen information.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device may receive the data matching or almost matching up with the transfer screen information from the server via the wireline communication interface and/or wireless communication interface under the control of the processor <NUM>.

In various embodiments, the electronic device <NUM> may receive the data related to the transfer screen information (e.g., data matching or almost matching up with the resolution ratio) via the wireline communication interface and/or wireless communication interface under the control of the processor <NUM>.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may generate data to be transmitted based on the selected transfer screen information, transmit the generated data to the external electronic device through the wireline communication interface and/or wireless communication interface, and display the data on the display <NUM> under the control of the processor <NUM>.

In the case of transmitting, at step <NUM>, the data related to the screen displayed on the display <NUM>, based on the information of the screen to be transmitted, to the external electronic device through the wireline communication interface and/or wireless communication interface, the electronic device <NUM> may selectively encode or not encode the data related to the screen displayed on the display <NUM> before transmission.

For example, at steps <NUM> and <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may receive a content with a large view angle (e.g., polyhedron-mapped <NUM>-degree video streaming service) from the server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>) in a streaming fashion and transmit the content to the external electronic device.

The server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>) may store the <NUM>-degree video so as to be mapped to a virtual <NUM>-dimensional projection space (e.g., polyhedron), and the server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>) may establish a channel per <NUM>-dimensional projection space to provide a video streaming service. For example, the virtual <NUM>-dimensional projection space may be designed in the forms of various polyhedra such as a regular tetrahedron, a regular octahedron, and a regular icosahedron; the server may establish streaming channels for video data mapped to respective sides of the polyhedron and transmit the video data through the streaming channels.

For example, if the <NUM>-degree video stored in the server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>) is mapped to a virtual <NUM>-dimensional projection space of a regular octahedron and if the aspect ratios of the electronic device and the external electronic device are <NUM>:<NUM> and <NUM>:<NUM> respectively, there is no need for the electronic device <NUM> to receive all streaming channels mapped to the regular octahedron and it only needs to receive videos corresponding to <NUM> sides or <NUM> channels for the view angle required for output of the external electronic device, the electronic device <NUM> may display videos of <NUM> sides or channels among the <NUM> sides or channels.

<FIG> is a flowchart illustrating an aspect ratio changing procedure of an electronic device <NUM> according to various embodiments of the disclosure.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may display a screen including sharing state alert information on the display <NUM> under the control of the processor <NUM>. At step <NUM>, the screen displayed on the display may be in a state of the screen after completing the screen sharing with the external electronic device as described with reference to <FIG>.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may determine whether an input for changing an aspect ratio is received through a touch panel under the control of the processor <NUM>.

If it is determined at step <NUM> that no input for changing the aspect ratio is received through the touch panel, the procedure may go back to step <NUM>.

If it is determined at step <NUM> that an input for changing the aspect ratio is received through the touch panel, the procedure may go to stop <NUM>.

If an input for changing the aspect ratio is received through the touch panel, the electronic device may display, at step <NUM>, a user interface (UI) for changing the aspect ratio on the display <NUM> under the control of the processor <NUM>. The UI may include information on at least one of aspect ratio or resolution.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device may display a screen with an aspect ratio selected through the UI on the display <NUM> under the control of the processor <NUM>.

<FIG> is a signal flow diagram illustrating a screen sharing method between a first electronic device <NUM> and a second electronic device <NUM> according to various embodiments of the disclosure.

At step <NUM>, the first electronic device <NUM> may establish a communication link for sharing a screen with an external electronic device. The first electronic device may be identical with the electronic device <NUM> in <FIG>. The second electronic device <NUM> may be identical with the external device mentioned in <FIG>.

At step <NUM>, the first electronic device <NUM> may check the display information of the first electronic device <NUM>.

At step <NUM>, the first electronic device may generate a list of information on resolutions and aspect ratios supported by a display of the first electronic device.

At step <NUM>, the first electronic device may check for display information of the first electronic device <NUM> to generate a list of the display information.

After establishing the communication link for sharing a screen with the second electronic device <NUM>, the first electronic device may request, at step <NUM>, for display information of the second electronic device <NUM> through a wireline interface and/or a wireless interface.

At step <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM> may transmit the display information of the second electronic device <NUM> to the first electronic device <NUM> through the wireline interface and/or wireless interface. The display information may include information on resolutions and aspect ratios (or horizontal-vertical ratios) supported by the second electronic device <NUM>.

Upon receipt of the display information of the second electronic device <NUM>, the first electronic device may compute, at step <NUM>, transfer screen information in preferential consideration of the aspect ratio of the second electronic device <NUM> based on the display information of the second electronic device <NUM>.

At step <NUM>, the first electronic device <NUM> may generate data to be transmitted to the second electronic device <NUM> based on the computed transfer screen information.

At step <NUM>, the first electronic device <NUM> may transmit the generated data to the second electronic device <NUM> through the wireline interface and/or wireless interface.

At step <NUM>, the first electronic device <NUM> may display a screen generated based on the transfer screen information on the display.

At step <NUM>, the second electronic device <NUM> may display received data on its display.

<FIG> are diagrams illustrating exemplary screen displays of an electronic device <NUM> and an external electronic device <NUM> for explaining a method for sharing a screen between the electronic device <NUM> and the external electronic device <NUM> according to various embodiments of the disclosure.

The electronic device <NUM> may be identical with the electronic device <NUM> in <FIG>. The external electronic device <NUM> may be identical with the external electronic device in <FIG>.

In <FIG>, reference number <NUM> denotes the electronic device <NUM> displaying a screen after screen sharing has been completed between the electronic device <NUM> and the external electronic device <NUM> as described with reference to <FIG>.

Reference number <NUM> denotes the external electronic device <NUM> displaying a screen after screen sharing has been completed between the electronic device <NUM> and the external electronic device <NUM> as described with reference to <FIG>. Because the screen sharing is performed in preferential consideration of the second electronic device <NUM> when the aspect ratio of the external electronic device <NUM> differs from the aspect ratio of the electronic device <NUM>, the shared screen may be letterboxed or pillarboxed on the electronic device <NUM>, which is not the case for the external electronic device <NUM>.

Assuming that an aspect ratio of the electronic device <NUM> is <NUM>:<NUM> and an aspect ratio of the external electronic device <NUM> is <NUM>:<NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may adjust the output aspect ratio of data (e.g., application execution screen), because the screen sharing is performed in preferential consideration of the external electronic device <NUM>, to become <NUM>:<NUM> and identical with the aspect ratio of the external electronic device <NUM> such that black bars <NUM> and <NUM> are placed in both sides of the screen of the display (e.g., display <NUM>), which is not the case for the external electronic device <NUM>.

Assuming that an aspect ratio of the electronic device <NUM> is <NUM>:<NUM> and an aspect ratio of the external electronic device <NUM> is <NUM>:<NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may adjust the output aspect ratio of a content (e.g., video), because the screen sharing is performed in preferential consideration of the external electronic device <NUM>, to become <NUM>:<NUM> and identical with the aspect ratio of the external electronic device <NUM> such that black bars <NUM> and <NUM> are placed in both sides of the screen of the display (e.g., display <NUM>), which is not the case for the external electronic device <NUM>.

Assuming that an aspect ratio of the electronic device <NUM> is <NUM>:<NUM> and an aspect ratio of the external electronic device <NUM> is <NUM>:<NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may adjust the output aspect ratio of a content (e.g., video), because the screen sharing is performed in preferential consideration of the external electronic device <NUM>, to become <NUM>:<NUM> and identical with the aspect ratio of the external electronic device <NUM> such that black bars <NUM> and <NUM> are placed in the top and bottom sides of the screen of the display (e.g., display <NUM>), which is not the case for the external electronic device <NUM>.

In the case of downloading the content from the server, the electronic device <NUM> may download, from the server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>), the content or data matched up with the aspect ratio and resolution of the external electronic device <NUM> such that the letterboxed content (e.g., video) is displayed with the output aspect ratio of <NUM>:<NUM> along with black bars <NUM> and <NUM> placed in the top and bottom sides of the screen of the display (e.g., display <NUM>).

Assuming that an aspect ratio of the electronic device <NUM> is <NUM>:<NUM> and an aspect ratio of the external electronic device <NUM> is <NUM>:<NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may adjust the output aspect ratio of a content (e.g., video), because the screen sharing is performed in preferential consideration of the external electronic device <NUM>, to become <NUM>:<NUM> and identical with the aspect ratio of the external electronic device <NUM> such that black bars <NUM> and <NUM> are placed in top and bottom sides of the screen of the display (e.g., display <NUM>), which is not the case for the external electronic device <NUM>.

In the case of downloading, from the server, the content such as a <NUM>-degree video of which part is displayed on the electronic device <NUM> or the external electronic device <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may download, from the server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>), the content or data matched up with the aspect ratio and resolution of the external electronic device <NUM> such that the external electronic device <NUM> may display an extra part <NUM> of the content that is not displayed on the electronic device <NUM>.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating exemplary screen displays for explaining an aspect ratio changing method of the electronic device <NUM> of <FIG> according to various embodiments of the disclosure.

The electronic device <NUM> may display a screen including sharing state alert information on a display as denoted by reference number <NUM>.

The electronic device <NUM> may determine whether an input for changing an aspect ratio in received through a touch panel as denoted by reference number <NUM>. If an input for changing the aspect ratio is received through the touch panel, the electronic device <NUM> may display a user interface (UI) for changing the aspect ratio. The UI for changing the aspect ratio may be provided semi-transparently or transparently on the currently displayed screen in an overlapped fashion. The UI for changing the aspect ratio may include information on at least one of an aspect ratio and a resolution.

The electronic device <NUM> may change the aspect ratio according to the aspect ratio selected on the UI and display the changed aspect ratio on the display as denoted by reference numbers <NUM> and <NUM>.

Claim 1:
An electronic device (<NUM>; <NUM>) comprising:
a communication module;
a display (<NUM>);
a memory (<NUM>);
a processor (<NUM>) configured to:
establish (<NUM>) a communication link for sharing a screen with an external electronic device;
check (<NUM>) display information of the electronic device, the display information comprising display resolutions and aspect ratios supported by the electronic device;
transmit (<NUM>), via the communication link, a request for display information of the external electronic device to the external electronic device;
receive (<NUM>), via the communication link, the display information of the external electronic device from the external electronic device, the display information comprising an aspect ratio and at least one display resolution supported by the external device;
generate (<NUM>) a list of transfer screen information based on display information of the electronic device and the display information of the external electronic device;
select (<NUM>), from the list, transfer screen information having a maximum display resolution at the aspect ratio of the external electronic device that is also supported by the electronic device;
determine (<NUM>) whether the aspect ratio of the selected transfer screen information corresponds to a current aspect ratio of the electronic device;
if the current aspect ratio of the electronic device is different from the aspect ratio of the selected transfer screen information, change the aspect ratio of the electronic display to the aspect ratio of the selected transfer screen information; and
generate (<NUM>) data to be transmitted at least based on the resolution of the selected transfer screen information and transmitting the generated data to the external electronic device.