Patent Description:
In an Augmented Reality (AR) wearable device, an image (an optical signal) emitted through a projector passes through a prism and then a waveguide, so as to output a picture to the user's eyes.

Conventionally, AR wearable devices that are in the shape of eyeglasses typically have fixed temples such that the eyeglasses cannot be folded. This is due to rigidity of the waveguide.

<CIT> discloses a mobile telephone device which includes first and second housings foldably coupled to each other by a hinge portion, and the first housing can turn about an axis in the direction orthogonal to the unfolding/folding direction. The mobile telephone also includes a first camera provided for a surface opposed to said second housing in a state that the device is folded, and a second camera provided for a surface of the first or second housing on the opposite side to the surface having the first camera.

<CIT> discloses an information display system including a head-mounted unit for displaying images by projecting display data on eyes of an observer so that the images can be observed as virtual images and a main unit having a hard disk or a record memory for storing display original information, a main unit memory for temporarily storing the display data read out and converted from the display original information, an LCD for displaying images based on the display data, and a second operating switch including a display select switch for alternatively selecting any one of the displaying by the head-mounted unit and the displaying by the LCD.

Certain conventional AR devices present a disadvantage because as the temple portion is constructed to be fixed and thus cannot be folded with respect to the frame of the AR wearable devices, the devices cannot be easily stored and there is a risk that the devices may be damaged when they are carried by the user.

According to the present invention there is provided an eyeglasses type wearable electronic device as defined by claim <NUM>.

One or more embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a wearable electronic device that can be folded. The temple portion of the wearable device may include a projector and a prism, and the temple portion may be constructed to be foldable with respect to the frame of the device, thereby allowing the device to be easily being stored and preventing damage when it is stored.

One or more embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a folding-type wearable electronic device of which the temple portion is replaceable and thus can be easily repaired.

One or more embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a folding-type wearable electronic device which implements a reliable guided wave structure of an optical signal by providing a structure in which the temple portion is fixed when the device is unfolded.

One or more embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a folding-type wearable electronic device which recognizes when the device is folded or unfolded, thereby reducing electric current consumption of the device. For example, the optical system of the wearable device may be automatically turned off when the device is folded.

One or more embodiments of the present disclosure may include: a transparent member; a housing coupled to the transparent member in a rotatable manner via a hinge portion, such that the housing is foldable in a designated direction with respect to the transparent member; a projector at least partially disposed in the housing; and an optical transferring member configured to guide light emitted from the projector to the transparent member when the housing is unfolded with respect to the transparent member in an unfolded state.

A wearable electronic device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure can be easily stored, and can be safely stored when it is being carried.

According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, electric current consumption of the optical system of the wearable electronic device can be reduced by recognizing whether the device is folded or unfolded.

According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the temple portion of the wearable electronic device may be replaceable, thereby various components of the device, such as the battery, the optical system, etc., can be easily upgraded.

Additional aspects of the present disclosure will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the presented embodiments.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be appreciated, however, it is not intended to limit the embodiments of the present disclosure to the particular form disclosed, but, on the contrary, it is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Like reference numerals denote like components throughout the drawings.

<FIG> are perspective views illustrating an electronic device in which a first housing is folded in a designated direction according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. <FIG> are perspective views illustrating an electronic device in which first and second housings are unfolded in a designated direction according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. <FIG> is a plan view illustrating an electronic device in which first and second housings are unfolded in a designated direction according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to <FIG>, as a wearable device, an electronic device <NUM> according to an embodiment may be a device that can be worn on a specific portion of the user's body. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may be an eyeglasses-type device which can be worn on the user's face. Therefore, the electronic device <NUM> according to an embodiment may have structures substantially similar to those of eyeglasses. In addition, the electronic device <NUM> according to an embodiment may have two housings, i.e., first and second housings (first and second temple portions) <NUM> and <NUM>, that can be folded or unfolded with respect to the frame (transparent member frame) <NUM>, similar to eyeglasses. In one example, the electronic device <NUM> may be an Augmented Reality (AR) wearable device.

The electronic device <NUM> according to an embodiment may include a transparent member <NUM>, the transparent member frame <NUM>, and the housings <NUM> and <NUM>. For example, as eyeglasses, the electronic device <NUM> may have a pair of transparent members <NUM> and a pair of housings <NUM> and <NUM>.

For example, the transparent members may include the first transparent member <NUM> and a second transparent member (not shown in the figure), and the housings may include the first housing <NUM> and the second housing <NUM>. The housings <NUM> and <NUM> may be coupled to the frame <NUM> in a rotatable manner. Hereinafter, the pair of housings may be referred to as the first housing <NUM> and the second housing <NUM>. In addition, the first housing <NUM> may be referred to as a first temple portion, and the second housing <NUM> may be referred to as a second temple portion.

The first transparent member <NUM> according to an embodiment may be an optical member having a waveguide function for passing an optical signal (described in detail below) and a reflection function for changing the path of the optical signal by reflecting the optical signal. Therefore, the first transparent member <NUM> may be referred to as a waveguide through which the optical signal is guided, and may be referred to as a reflection optical member or optical reflection member that can change the path of the optical signal. For example, the first transparent member <NUM> may include glass, transparent synthetic resin, and/or the like.

The transparent member frame <NUM> according to an embodiment may have a support structure for supporting the first transparent member <NUM> and the second transparent member (not shown in the figure), and thus may be referred to as a transparent member support frame, a waveguide support frame, a waveguide support body, or the like.

The electronic device <NUM> according to an embodiment may be folded or unfolded since the first and second housings <NUM> and <NUM> are coupled to the transparent member frame <NUM> in a rotatable manner. The first and second housing <NUM> and <NUM> may be folded in a designated first direction, for example, in a direction in which the housings become close to each other, and may be unfolded in a designated second direction, for example, in a direction in which the housings become separated from each other. When the housing <NUM> is folded with respect to the transparent member frame <NUM> or the first transparent member <NUM>, the optical transferring member of the electronic device (described below) may be disposed not to be physically in contact with the transparent member frame <NUM> or the transparent member <NUM>.

The electronic device <NUM> according to an embodiment may have first and second hinge portions <NUM> and <NUM> disposed between the transparent member frame <NUM> and the first and second housings <NUM> and <NUM> respectively. The first and second hinge portions <NUM> and <NUM> may respectively define a first hinge axis A1 and a second hinge axis A2. The first housing <NUM> may be folded or unfolded in a designated first direction with respect to the transparent member frame <NUM> by rotating about the first hinge axis A1, and the second housing <NUM> may be folded or unfolded in a designated second direction with respect to the transparent member frame <NUM> by rotating about the second hinge axis A2.

The electronic device <NUM> according to an embodiment may be divided into two regions about the center line of the transparent member frame <NUM>. That is, it may be divided into a first structure and a second structure. The first structure may include the first transparent member <NUM>, one lateral portion of the transparent member frame <NUM>, and the first housing <NUM>. The second structure may include the second transparent member (not shown), the other lateral portion of the transparent member frame <NUM>, and the second housing <NUM>.

In the first structure, an optical system may be disposed in the housing <NUM> and the one lateral portion, so that an optical signal emitted from a light source is output to the user's eyes. In the second structure, a power supply device, for example, a battery (e.g., the battery <NUM> of <FIG>) may be disposed in the second housing <NUM>. In addition, although not shown, the second structure may be configured to be the same as the first structure. For example, another projector and optical transferring member may be constructed in the second housing <NUM>, and first and second gratings (described below) may be included for the second transparent member. In this example, the wearable electronic device may include two optical systems for the user's left and right eyes, and thus the emitted optical signals are output to both of the user's eyes. In addition, the battery may be disposed in each of the first and second housings <NUM> and <NUM> so that the electronic device <NUM> is properly weight-balanced.

In addition, a processor (e.g., the processor <NUM> of <FIG>) may be disposed in the first structure. The processor may control a light source (e.g. a projector) to emit light when the first housing <NUM> is unfolded with respect to the first transparent member <NUM>, and may control the light source to cease emission of light when the first housing <NUM> is folded with respect to the first transparent member <NUM>. As described below, the processor may turn the light source on or off depending on if the electronic device <NUM> is folded or unfolded.

<FIG> and <FIG> are exploded perspective views illustrating various structures of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, an optical system mounted on the electronic device according to an embodiment may include a light source <NUM>, an optical transferring member <NUM>, optical reflection members <NUM> to <NUM> (shown in <FIG>), and the transparent member <NUM>. The light source <NUM> and the optical transferring member <NUM> may be disposed in the first housing <NUM>, and the optical reflection member may be included in the first transparent member <NUM>. A portion of the first transparent member <NUM> may serve as a waveguide. For example, one portion of the transparent member <NUM> may be utilized as a waveguide of an optical signal. The other portion may be utilized as a reflection member for changing the path of the optical signal.

The light source <NUM> according to an embodiment may be disposed in the first housing <NUM>, and for example may be a projector (i.e. hereinafter, the light source may be referred to as a projector). The projector <NUM> may have an image output unit to emit an image optical signal received from the processor <NUM> of <FIG>. The optical signal emitted from the projector <NUM> may be output to the optical transferring member <NUM>.

The optical transferring member <NUM> according to an embodiment may receive the optical signal emitted from the projector <NUM> and thereafter may change the path of the received optical signal. For example, the optical transferring member <NUM> may include a prism. One surface of the optical transferring member <NUM> may be disposed to face an output lens of the projector <NUM>, and may be disposed in an end portion of the first housing <NUM>. The end portion of the first housing <NUM> referred to here may be the portion that is coupled to the transparent member frame <NUM>. The optical signal whose optical path is changed by the optical transferring member <NUM> may be output to a first optical reflection member <NUM> (shown in <FIG>) disposed on one side of the first transparent member <NUM> and located in an end portion of the transparent member frame <NUM>.

The end portion of the transparent member frame <NUM> referred to here may coincide with the portion of the transparent member <NUM> facing the end portion of the first housing <NUM>.

<FIG> is a plan view illustrating an optical signal path of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to <FIG>, the optical path of an optical signal emitted from the projector <NUM> may be changed primarily via the optical transferring member <NUM>, and may be guided to be incident on the first optical reflection member <NUM>. The first optical reflection member <NUM> may include a first grating structure (i.e. hereinafter, the first optical reflection member may be referred to as a first grating structure). For example, the first grating structure <NUM> may be made of a plurality of diffraction gratings.

The optical path of the optical signal may be further changed by the first grating structure <NUM>, and may be guided by the first grating structure <NUM> to be incident on the second optical member <NUM> disposed in the transparent member <NUM>. For example, the second optical reflection member <NUM> may include a second grating structure (i.e. hereinafter, the second optical reflection member is referred to as a second grating structure). The optical signal may be reflected by the second grating structure <NUM> so that it is incident on the user's eyes. For example, the second grating structure <NUM> may be made of a plurality of diffraction gratings.

Accordingly, the optical reflection member for changing the path of the optical signal according to an embodiment may include the first grating structure <NUM> disposed in a first portion of the transparent member <NUM> and the second grating structure <NUM> disposed in a second portion of the transparent member <NUM>. For example, the first portion may be a peripheral portion of the transparent member, and the second portion may be a central portion of the transparent member. Thus, the transparent member <NUM> according to this embodiment may be used as a waveguide. The first grating structure <NUM> and the second grating structure <NUM> may be used as a waveguide so that an optical signal emitted from the first grating structure <NUM> may be output to the second grating structure <NUM>. The optical signal may then be emitted to the user's eyes from the second grating structure <NUM>.

According to another embodiment, the transparent member <NUM> may not include the optical reflection members <NUM> to <NUM>. For example, the optical signal output from the projector <NUM> may be emitted to the user's eyes by being reflected between the front surface (e.g., the surface closest to the user's eyes) and the rear surface (e.g., the surface furthest from the user's eyes) of the transparent member <NUM>.

Returning to <FIG> and <FIG>, the transparent member frame <NUM> according to an embodiment may include an upper frame <NUM> and a lower frame <NUM>. The first transparent member <NUM> may be fixed to be in between the upper and lower frames <NUM> and <NUM> of the transparent member frame <NUM>. A tunnel-shaped opening may be constructed between the upper and lower frames <NUM> and <NUM> to house a flexible circuit board <NUM>, which is further coupled to the second housing <NUM>. In other words, the opening may be a path through which the flexible circuit board <NUM> passes.

<FIG> is a perspective view illustrating structures of a fixing device and a folding/ unfolding recognition device of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to <FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> according to an embodiment may further include a fixing device between the transparent member frame <NUM> and the first housing <NUM>. The fixing device may provide a force that maintains the unfolding state of the first housing <NUM>. In other words, the fixing device may provide a retaining force for maintaining the unfolding state of the first housing <NUM>.

The fixing device according to an embodiment may include first and second magnetic bodies m1 and m2. The first magnetic body m1 may be one or more magnetic members provided in the first housing <NUM> and may have a first polarity. The second magnetic body m2 may be one or more magnetic members provided in the transparent member frame <NUM> and may have a second polarity so that the first magnetic body m1 and the second magnetic body m2 generate an attractive force. When the first housing <NUM> is in the unfolding state with respect to the transparent member frame <NUM>, the unfolding state may be maintained by the attractive force generated by the fixing device.

When the first housing <NUM> is in the unfolding state with respect to the transparent member frame <NUM>, the first and second magnetic bodies m1 and m2 may be closely to each other or be in contact with each other. For example, when the first magnetic body m1 has an N pole and an S pole, the second magnetic body m2 may have a corresponding S pole and an N pole. The unfolding state of the first housing <NUM> may be fixed by the force of attraction between the first and second magnetic bodies m1 and m2.

The first magnetic body m1 according to an embodiment may be disposed to be exposed through an end 130a of the first housing <NUM>, and the second magnetic body m2 may be disposed to be exposed through an end 120a of the transparent member frame <NUM>. The first magnetic body m1 and the second magnetic body m2 may maintain the unfolding state of the first housing <NUM> due to the attractive force between the exposed surfaces. Each of the exposed surfaces of the first and second magnetic bodies m1 and m2 may be planar. According to another embodiment, the first magnetic body m1 and the second magnetic body m2 may not be exposed through the housings.

The first magnetic body m1 may be disposed below the optical transferring member <NUM>. The electronic device may further include a third magnetic body m3 that is disposed above the optical transferring member <NUM>. This way, both the first magnetic body m1 and the third magnetic body m3 may be disposed at the end 130a of the first housing <NUM>.

The electronic device <NUM> according to an embodiment may further include a folding/unfolding recognition device (hereinafter, referred to as a recognition device) which recognizes whether the first housing <NUM> is in the unfolded state. The recognition device according to an embodiment may be used for turning off the optical system <NUM> when the first housing <NUM> is in the folded state, and turning on the optical system when the first housing <NUM> is in the unfolded state.

The recognition device according to an embodiment may include the third magnetic body m3 and a magnetic sensor s. As described above, the third magnetic body m3 may be provided in the first housing <NUM>, and may be disposed to the end 130a of the first housing <NUM>. For example, the third magnetic body m3 may be disposed to be exposed to or hidden from the end 130a of the first housing <NUM>, and if it is disposed to be hidden from the end 130a of the first housing, may be disposed to be close to the surface of the first end 130a.

The magnetic sensor s according to an embodiment is a hall sensor, and may be provided in the end 120a of the transparent member frame <NUM> to provide a sensing signal indicating whether the first housing <NUM> is folded or unfolded. For example, when the electronic device <NUM> is in the folded state, since the third magnetic body m3 and the magnetic sensor s are relatively far apart from each other, the optical system <NUM> may be turned off due to the magnetic sensor s detecting the folded state. On the other hand, when the electronic device <NUM> is in the unfolded state, since the third magnetic body m3 and the magnetic sensor s are relatively close to each other, the optical system <NUM> may be turned on due to the magnetic sensor s detecting the unfolded state. Thus, using the magnetic sensor, electric current consumption of the electronic device can be reduced.

In another embodiment, the recognition device may further include an optical sensor (not shown in figures) that can detect the folded/unfolded states using a light receiving unit and light emitting unit. For example, when the electronic device is unfolded, light of the light emitting unit may be detected by the light receiving unit. In yet another embodiment, the recognition device may further include a physical switch operated by a pressing operation or a touch operation. The physical switch may include, for example, a tact switch. When the electronic device is unfolded, the physical switch may be depressed or touched.

For example, the optical sensor may be disposed to the housing <NUM> to detect the folding/unfolded state of the housing <NUM>, and the physical switch may have a tact switch disposed to the housing <NUM> to detect the folding/unfolded state of the housing.

The recognition device according to another embodiment may have the third magnetic body m3 disposed in the transparent member frame <NUM> and the magnetic sensor s disposed in the first housing <NUM>. Since the projector and the processor are disposed in the first housing <NUM>, for ease of signal transmission between the processor and the magnetic sensor s, the magnetic sensor s may be disposed in the first housing <NUM>. When the magnetic sensor s is disposed in the first housing <NUM>, the processor and the magnetic sensor may be disposed on a single flexible circuit board.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> according to an embodiment may have the first and second hinge portions <NUM> and <NUM> to couple the first and second housings <NUM> and <NUM> respectively to both ends of the transparent member frame <NUM> in a rotatable manner. First and second hinge axes A1 and A2 may be provided respectively by the first and second hinge portions <NUM> and <NUM>.

The first hinge portion <NUM> according to an embodiment may couple the first housing <NUM> to the transparent member frame <NUM> in a rotatable manner, and the second hinge portion <NUM> may couple the second housing <NUM> to the transparent member frame in a rotatable manner.

The first hinge portion <NUM> according to an embodiment may include a plurality of hinge arms <NUM> to <NUM> and hinge pins p1 and p2 (shown in <FIG>). For example, the hinge pins p1 and p2 may be inserted to the hollow hinge arms <NUM> to <NUM>. Among the hinge arms <NUM> to <NUM>, the hinge arms <NUM> and <NUM> may be provided on the first housing <NUM>, and the hinge arms <NUM> and <NUM> may be provided on the transparent member frame <NUM>.

Among the hinge arms <NUM> to <NUM>, at least some portions of the hinge arms <NUM> and <NUM> may be located above the optical transferring member <NUM>, while at least some portions of the hinge arms <NUM> and <NUM> may be located below the optical transferring member <NUM>. For example, the first hinge pin p1 may be inserted to the hinge arms <NUM> and <NUM> located above the optical transferring member <NUM>, and the second hinge pin p2 may be inserted to the hinge arms <NUM> and <NUM> located below the optical transferring member <NUM>. The optical transferring member <NUM> may be disposed between the hinge arms <NUM>/<NUM> and <NUM>/<NUM>. <FIG> further shows reference numeral <NUM> which indicates an operation button of the projector.

The first hinge axis A1 of the first hinge portion <NUM> according to the invention may vertically penetrates the optical transferring member <NUM>.

Hereinafter, operations of a projector provided in a wearable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to <FIG>.

<FIG> is a flowchart illustrating an operation in which a projector is turned on or off depending on detections made by a magnetic sensor of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to <FIG>, at step <NUM>, the electronic device according to an embodiment may turn the projector on or off by detecting the folded/unfolded state of a housing of the electronic device (i.e. the housing <NUM>).

When the housing <NUM> of <FIG> is in the folded state, the processor <NUM> of <FIG> may control the projector to cease emission of light by turning off the projector <NUM> of <FIG> at step <NUM>. As explained above, the processor <NUM> detects the folded state by using a sensing signal from the magnetic sensor s of <FIG>. When the housing is in the unfolded state, the processor <NUM> of <FIG> may enable light emission from the projector by turning on the projector at step <NUM>.

<FIG> is a block diagram of an electronic device <NUM> in a network environment <NUM> according to various embodiments. Referring to <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> in the network environment <NUM> may communicate with an electronic device <NUM> via a first network <NUM> (e.g., short-range wireless communication), or an electronic device <NUM> or a server <NUM> via a second network <NUM> (e.g., long-range wireless communication). According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may include a processor <NUM>, a memory <NUM>, an input device <NUM>, a sound output device <NUM>, a display device <NUM>, an audio module <NUM>, a sensor module <NUM>, an interface <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 some embodiments, some of the components may be implemented in an integrated manner, for example, as in a case of the sensor module <NUM> (e.g., a fingerprint sensor, an iris sensor, or an illuminance sensor) embedded in the display device <NUM> (e.g., a display).

The processor <NUM> may drive, 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> coupled with the processor <NUM>, and may perform various data processing or computation. The processor <NUM> may load a command or data received from other components (e.g., the sensor module <NUM> or the communication module <NUM>) in a volatile memory <NUM>, process the command or the data stored in the volatile memory <NUM>, and store resulting data in a non-volatile memory <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> may include a main processor <NUM> (e.g., a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or an Application Processor (AP)), and an auxiliary processor <NUM> (e.g., a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), an Image Signal Processor (ISP), a sensor hub processor, or a Communication Processor (CP)) that is operable independently from, or in conjunction with, the main processor <NUM>. Herein, the auxiliary processor <NUM> may be implemented as separate from, or imbedded in the main processor <NUM>.

In this case, the auxiliary processor <NUM> may control at least some of functions or states related to at least one component (e.g., the display device <NUM>, the sensor module <NUM>, or the communication module <NUM>) among 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 together with the main processor <NUM> while the main processor <NUM> is in an active state (e.g., executing an application). The memory <NUM> may store various data, for example, software (e.g., the program <NUM>) and input data or output data for a command related thereto, used by at least one component (e.g., the processor <NUM> or the sensor module <NUM>) of the electronic device <NUM>.

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

The input device <NUM> may be a device for receiving a command or data to be used by a component (e.g., the processor <NUM>) of the electronic device <NUM> from the outside (e.g., a user) of the electronic device <NUM>, and may include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, or a keyboard.

The sound output device <NUM> may be a device for outputting sound signals to the outside of the electronic device <NUM>, and may include, for example, a speaker or a receiver.

The display device <NUM> may be a device for visually provide information to a user of the electronic device <NUM>, and may include, for example, a display, a hologram device, or a projector and control circuitry to control a corresponding device. According to an embodiment, the display device <NUM> may include touch circuitry or a pressure sensor adapted to measure the intensity of force incurred by the touch.

According to an embodiment, the audio module <NUM> may obtain the sound via the input device <NUM>, or output the sound via the sound output device <NUM> or, for example, an external electronic device (e.g., an electronic device <NUM>, for example, a speaker or a headphone)) wiredly or wirelessly coupled with the electronic device <NUM>.

The sensor module <NUM> may generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to an internal operational state (e.g., power or temperature) of the electronic device <NUM> or an external environmental state. 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 a specified protocol to be coupled with the external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device <NUM>) wiredly or wirelessly. According to an 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.

A connection terminal <NUM> may include a connector via which the electronic device <NUM> may be physically connected with the external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device <NUM>), and may include, for example, a HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).

The haptic module <NUM> may convert an electrical signal into a mechanical stimulus (e.g., a vibration or a movement) or electrical stimulus which may be recognized by a user via tactile sensation or kinesthetic sensation.

The camera module <NUM> may capture still images or moving images.

The power management module <NUM> may be a module for managing power supplied to the electronic device <NUM>, and may be implemented as at least part of, for example, a Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC).

The battery <NUM> may be a device for supplying power to at least one component of the electronic device <NUM>, and may include, for example, a primary cell which is not rechargeable, a secondary cell which is rechargeable, or a fuel cell.

The communication module <NUM> may support establishing a wired communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the electronic device <NUM> and the 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 arc operable independently from the processor <NUM> (e.g., the Application Processor (AP)) and supports a wired communication or a wireless communication. According to an 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 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 cellular network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., LAN or Wide Area Network (WAN)). These various types of the communication modules <NUM> may be implemented as a single chip, or may be implemented as chips separate from each other.

According to an embodiment, the wireless communication module <NUM> may identify and authenticate the electronic device <NUM> in a communication network by using user information stored in the subscriber identification module <NUM>.

The antenna module <NUM> may include one or more antennas for transmitting or receiving a signal or power to or from the outside. According to an embodiment, the communication module <NUM> (e.g., the wireless communication module <NUM>) may transmit or receive a signal to or from the external electronic device via an antenna appropriate for a communication scheme.

At least some of the above-described components may be coupled mutually and communicate signals (e.g., commands or data) therebetween via an inter-peripheral communication scheme (e.g., a bus, General Purpose Input and Output (GPIO), Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), or Mobile Industry Processor Interface (MIPI)).

Each of the electronic devices <NUM> and <NUM> may be a device of a same type as, or a different type from, the electronic device <NUM>. According to an embodiment, all or some of operations to be executed at the electronic device <NUM> may be executed at one or more of the external electronic devices. According to an embodiment, if the electronic device <NUM> should perform a function or a service automatically, or in response to a request, the electronic device <NUM>, instead of, or in addition to, executing the function or the service, may request the one or more external electronic devices to perform at least part of the function or the service. The external electronic devices receiving the request may perform the requested function or an additional function, and transfer an outcome of the performing to the electronic device <NUM>. The electronic device <NUM> may provide the requested function or service, with or without further processing of the outcome. To that end, a cloud computing, for example, distributed computing, or client-server computing technology may be used.

The term "module," as used herein may represent, for example, a unit including a combination of one or two or more of hardware, software, or firmware. The "module" may be, for example, used interchangeably with the terms "unit", "logic", "logical block", "component", or "circuit" etc. The "module" may be the minimum unit of an integrally constructed component or a part thereof. The "module" may be also the minimum unit performing one or more functions or a part thereof. The "module" may be implemented mechanically or electronically. For example, the "module" may include at least one of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chip, Field - Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) and a programmable-logic device performing some operations known to the art or to be developed in the future.

At least a part of an apparatus (e.g., modules or functions thereof) or method (e.g., operations) according to the present invention may be, for example, implemented as instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium in a form of a programming module. In case that the instruction is executed by a processor (e.g., processor <NUM>), and the processor may perform functions corresponding to the instructions. The computer-readable storage media may be the memory <NUM>, for instance.

The computer-readable recording medium may include a hard disk, a floppy disk, and a magnetic medium (e.g., a magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., a Compact Disc - Read Only Memory (CD-ROM) and a Digital Versatile Disc (DVD)), a Magneto-Optical Medium (e.g., a floptical disk), and a hardware device (e.g., a Read Only Memory (ROM), a Random Access Memory (RAM), a flash memory, etc.). Also, the program instruction may include not only a mechanical language code such as a code made by a compiler but also a high-level language code executable by a computer using an interpreter, etc. The aforementioned hardware device may be constructed to operate as one or more software modules in order to perform operations of the present invention, and vice versa.

The module or programming module according to the present invention may include at least one or more of the aforementioned constituent elements, or omit some of the aforementioned constituent elements, or further include additional other constituent elements. Operations carried out by the module, the programming module or the other constituent elements according to the present invention may be executed in a sequential, parallel, repeated or heuristic method. Also, some operations may be executed in different order or may be omitted, or other operations may be added.

Certain aspects of the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in hardware, firmware or via the execution of software or computer code that can be stored in a recording medium such as a CD ROM, a Digital Versatile Disc (DVD), a magnetic tape, a RAM, a floppy disk, a hard disk, or a magneto-optical disk or computer code downloaded over a network originally stored on a remote recording medium or a non-transitory machine readable medium and to be stored on a local recording medium, so that the methods described herein can be rendered via such software that is stored on the recording medium using a general purpose computer, or a special processor or in programmable or dedicated hardware, such as an ASIC or FPGA. As would be understood in the art, the computer, the processor, microprocessor controller or the programmable hardware include memory components, e.g., RAM, ROM, Flash, etc. that may store or receive software or computer code that when accessed and executed by the computer, processor or hardware implement the processing methods described herein.

Claim 1:
An eyeglasses type wearable electronic device (<NUM>) comprising:
a transparent member (<NUM>);
a housing (<NUM>,<NUM>) coupled to the transparent member (<NUM>) in a rotatable manner via a hinge portion (<NUM>,<NUM>), such that the housing (<NUM>,<NUM>) is foldable in a designated direction with respect to the transparent member (<NUM>);
a projector (<NUM>) at least partially disposed in the housing (<NUM>,<NUM>);
an optical transferring member (<NUM>) configured to guide light emitted from the projector (<NUM>) to the transparent member (<NUM>) when the housing (<NUM>,<NUM>) is unfolded with respect to the transparent member (<NUM>) in an unfolded state;
characterised in that a hinge axis (A1) provided by the hinge portion (<NUM>,<NUM>) penetrates at least a part of the optical transferring member (<NUM>).