Patent Description:
With advances in communication technologies, electronic devices supporting various functions have become a necessity of modern life. Electronic devices have evolved into multimedia communication appliances that can provide voice call services, data transmission services, and other supplementary services. For example, such an electronic device may receive a broadcast or multicast signal to play back a video or TV program.

An electronic device may send data to another electronic device through wired or wireless communication such as Bluetooth or <NUM> mobile communication. For example, the electronic device may connect to a wearable device for data exchange through short-range communication.

Meanwhile, an electronic device may activate a specific application according to a motion detected by a sensor. For example, a wearable device worn by a user may activate a specific application (e.g., a clock application) responsive to a detected gesture of the user. However, when a wearable device activates a specific application according to only a detected gesture of the user, the application may be activated accidentally in response to an unintended gesture or accidental movement of the user. This may cause false detection of the user's intentions and increase current consumption due to unintended application activation and execution.

<CIT> discusses an electronic device to be worn on a user's forearm which includes a display and a set of one or more sensors that provide sensor data. <CIT> discusses a wearable computing device which can detect device raising gestures.

An aspect of the present disclosure is to provide an electronic device and method for activating applications therefor while addressing the above problem.

In a feature of the present disclosure, the electronic device may sense its movement in consideration of the frequency of application activation. Hence, it is possible to reduce false sensing and current consumption.

The electronic device may sense its movement in consideration of user state information (e.g. heart rate and body temperature). Hence, it is possible to reduce false sensing and current consumption through sensor optimization.

In addition, when the pattern of user movement for application activation is repetitive, the electronic device may deactivate the display, reducing false sensing and current consumption.

The claimed invention is mainly disclosed in <FIG> and associated description.

The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings is provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of various embodiments of the present disclosure as defined by the claims and their equivalents. It includes various specific details to assist in that understanding but these are to be regarded as merely an example. Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications of the various embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the present disclosure.

The terms and words used in the following description and claims are not limited to the dictionary meanings, but are merely used by the inventor to enable a clear and consistent understanding of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the following description of various embodiments of the present disclosure is provided for illustration purpose only and not for the purpose of limiting the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

The expressions such as "include" and "may include" may denote the presence of the disclosed functions, operations, and constituent elements and do not limit one or more additional functions, operations, and constituent elements. Terms such as "include" and/or "have" may be construed to denote a certain characteristic, number, operation, constituent element, component or a combination thereof, but may not be construed to exclude the existence of or a possibility of addition of one or more other characteristics, numbers, operations, constituent elements, components or combinations thereof.

Furthermore, in the present disclosure, the expression "and/or" includes any and all combinations of the associated listed words. For example, the expression "A and/or B" may include A, may include B, or may include both A and B.

In the present disclosure, expressions including ordinal numbers, such as "first" and "second," etc., may modify various elements. However, such elements are not limited by the above expressions. For example, the above expressions do not limit the sequence and/or importance of the elements. The above expressions are used merely for the purpose to distinguish an element from the other elements. For example, a first user device and a second user device indicate different user devices although both of them are user devices. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and similarly, a second element could be also termed a first element without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

In the case where a component is referred to as being "connected" or "accessed" to other component, it should be understood that not only the component is directly connected or accessed to the other component, but also there may exist another component between them. Meanwhile, in the case where a component is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly accessed" to other component, it should be understood that there is no component therebetween. The terms used in the present disclosure are only used to describe specific various embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

An electronic device according to the present disclosure may be a device including a communication function. For example, the device corresponds to a combination of at least one of a smartphone, a tablet Personal Computer (PC), a mobile phone, a video phone , an e-book reader, a desktop PC, a laptop PC, a netbook computer, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a Portable Multimedia Player (PMP), a digital audio player, a mobile medical device, an electronic bracelet, an electronic necklace, an electronic accessory, a camera, a wearable device, an electronic clock, a wrist watch, home appliances (for example, an air-conditioner, vacuum, an oven, a microwave, a washing machine, an air cleaner, and the like), an artificial intelligence robot, a TeleVision (TV), a Digital Video Disk (DVD) player, an audio device, various medical devices (for example, Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computed Tomography (CT), a scanning machine, a ultrasonic wave device, or the like), a navigation device, a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, an Event Data Recorder (EDR), a Flight Data Recorder (FDR), a set-top box, a TV box (for example, Samsung HomeSyncTM, Apple TVTM, or Google TVTM), an electronic dictionary, vehicle infotainment device, an electronic equipment for a ship (for example, navigation equipment for a ship, gyrocompass, or the like), avionics, a security device, electronic clothes, an electronic key, a camcorder, game consoles, a Head-Mounted Display (HMD), a flat panel display device, an electronic frame, an electronic album, furniture or a portion of a building/structure that includes a communication function, an electronic board, an electronic signature receiving device, a projector, and the like. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that the electronic device according to the present disclosure is not limited to the aforementioned devices.

<FIG> is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> may include a bus <NUM>, a processor <NUM>, a memory <NUM>, an input/output interface <NUM>, a display <NUM> and a communication interface <NUM>, and other similar and/or suitable components.

The bus <NUM> may be a circuit which interconnects the above-described elements and delivers a communication (e.g., a control message) between the above-described elements.

The processor <NUM> may receive commands from the above-described other elements (e.g., the memory <NUM>, input/output interface <NUM>, the display <NUM>, the communication interface <NUM>, etc.) through the bus <NUM>, may interpret the received commands, and may execute calculation or data processing according to the interpreted commands. The processor <NUM> may include a microprocessor or any suitable type of processing circuitry, such as one or more general-purpose processors (e.g., ARM-based processors), a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), a Programmable Logic Device (PLD), an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a Graphical Processing Unit (GPU), a video card controller, etc. In addition, it would be recognized that when a general purpose computer accesses code for implementing the processing shown herein, the execution of the code transforms the general purpose computer into a special purpose computer for executing the processing shown herein. Any of the functions and steps provided in the Figures may be implemented in hardware, software or a combination of both and may be performed in whole or in part within the programmed instructions of a computer.

The memory <NUM> may store commands or data received from the processor <NUM> or other elements (e.g., the input/output interface <NUM>, a display <NUM> and a communication interface <NUM>, etc.) or generated by the processor <NUM> or the other elements. The memory <NUM> may include programming modules, such as a kernel <NUM>, middleware <NUM>, an Application Programming Interface (API) <NUM>, an application (or applications) <NUM>, and the like. Each of the above-described programming modules may be implemented in software, firmware, hardware, or a combination of two or more thereof.

The kernel <NUM> may control or manage system resources (e.g., the bus <NUM>, the processor <NUM>, the memory <NUM>, and/or other hardware and software resources) used to execute operations or functions implemented by other programming modules (e.g., the middleware <NUM>, the API <NUM>, and the application <NUM>). Also, the kernel <NUM> may provide an interface capable of accessing and controlling or managing the individual elements of the electronic device <NUM> by using the middleware <NUM>, the API <NUM>, or the application <NUM>.

The middleware <NUM> may serve to go between the API <NUM> or the application <NUM> and the kernel <NUM> in such a manner that the API <NUM> or the application <NUM> communicates with the kernel <NUM> and exchanges data therewith. Also, in relation to work requests received from one or more applications <NUM> and/or the middleware <NUM>, for example, may perform load balancing of the work requests by using a method of assigning a priority, in which system resources (e.g., the bus <NUM>, the processor <NUM>, the memory <NUM>, etc.) of the electronic device <NUM> can be used, to at least one of the one or more applications <NUM>.

The API <NUM> is an interface through which the application <NUM> is capable of controlling a function provided by the kernel <NUM> or the middleware <NUM>, and may include, for example, at least one interface or function for file control, window control, image processing, character control, or the like.

The input/output interface <NUM>, for example, may receive a command or data as input from a user, and may deliver the received command or data to the processor <NUM> or the memory <NUM> through the bus <NUM>. The display module <NUM> may display a video, an image, data, or the like to the user.

The communication interface module <NUM> may connect communication between another electronic device <NUM> and the electronic device <NUM>. The communication interface module <NUM> may support a predetermined short-range communication protocol (e.g., Wi-Fi, BlueTooth (BT), and Near Field Communication (NFC)), or predetermined network <NUM> (e.g., the Internet, a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), a telecommunication network, a cellular network, a satellite network, a Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS), or the like). Each of the electronic devices <NUM> and <NUM> may be a device which is identical (e.g., of an identical type) to or different (e.g., of a different type) from the electronic device <NUM>. Further, the communication interface module <NUM> may connect communication between a server <NUM> and the electronic device <NUM> via the network <NUM>.

<FIG> is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an electronic device <NUM> according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The hardware shown in <FIG> may be, for example, the electronic device <NUM> illustrated in <FIG>.

Referring to <FIG>, the electronic device may include one or more application processors <NUM>, a communication module <NUM>, a Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) card <NUM>, a memory <NUM>, a sensor module <NUM>, a input device <NUM>, a display module <NUM>, an interface <NUM>, an audio module <NUM>, a camera module <NUM>, a power management module <NUM>, a battery <NUM>, an indicator <NUM>, a motor <NUM> and any other similar and/or suitable components.

The Application Processor (AP) <NUM> (e.g., the processor <NUM>) may include one or more Application Processors (APs), or one or more Communication Processors (CPs). The application processor <NUM> may be, for example, the processor <NUM> illustrated in <FIG>. The AP <NUM> is illustrated as being included in the application processor <NUM> in <FIG>, but may be included in different Integrated Circuit (IC) packages, respectively. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the AP <NUM> may be included in one IC package.

The AP <NUM> may execute an Operating System (OS) or an application program, and thereby may control multiple hardware or software elements connected to the AP <NUM> and may perform processing of and arithmetic operations on various data including multimedia data. The AP <NUM> may be implemented by, for example, a System on Chip (SoC). According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the AP <NUM> may further include a Graphical Processing Unit (GPU) (not illustrated).

The AP <NUM> may manage a data line and may convert a communication protocol in the case of communication between the electronic device (e.g., the electronic device <NUM>) including the hardware and different electronic devices connected to the electronic device through the network. The AP <NUM> may be implemented by, for example, a SoC. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the AP <NUM> may perform at least some of multimedia control functions. The AP <NUM>, for example, may distinguish and authenticate a terminal in a communication network by using a subscriber identification module (e.g., the SIM card <NUM>). Also, the AP <NUM> may provide the user with services, such as a voice telephony call, a video telephony call, a text message, packet data, and the like.

Further, the AP <NUM> may control the transmission and reception of data by the communication module <NUM>. In <FIG>, the elements such as the AP <NUM>, the power management module <NUM>, the memory <NUM>, and the like are illustrated as elements separate from the AP <NUM>. However, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the AP <NUM> may include at least some (e.g., the CP) of the above-described elements.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the AP <NUM> may load, to a volatile memory, a command or data received from at least one of a non-volatile memory and other elements connected to each of the AP <NUM>, and may process the loaded command or data. Also, the AP <NUM> may store, in a non-volatile memory, data received from or generated by at least one of the other elements.

The SIM card <NUM> may be a card implementing a subscriber identification module, and may be inserted into a slot formed in a particular portion of the electronic device <NUM>. The SIM card <NUM> may include unique identification information (e.g., Integrated Circuit Card IDentifier (ICCID)) or subscriber information (e.g., International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI)).

The memory <NUM> may include an internal memory <NUM> and an external memory <NUM>. The memory <NUM> may be, for example, the memory <NUM> illustrated in <FIG>. The internal memory <NUM> may include, for example, at least one of a volatile memory (e.g., a Dynamic RAM (DRAM), a Static RAM (SRAM), a Synchronous Dynamic RAM (SDRAM), etc.), and a non-volatile memory (e.g., a One Time Programmable ROM (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 Not AND (NAND) flash memory, a Not OR (NOR) flash memory, etc.). According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the internal memory <NUM> may be in the form of a Solid State Drive (SSD). The external memory <NUM> may further include a flash drive, for example, a Compact Flash (CF), a Secure Digital (SD), a Micro-Secure Digital (Micro-SD), a Mini-Secure Digital (Mini-SD), an extreme Digital (xD), a memory stick, or the like.

The communication module <NUM> may include a cellular module <NUM>, a wireless (WiFi) communication module <NUM> or a Radio Frequency (RF) module <NUM>. The communication module <NUM> may be, for example, the communication interface <NUM> illustrated in <FIG>. The communication module <NUM> may include, for example, a Wi-Fi module (or part) <NUM>, a BT part <NUM>, a GPS part <NUM>, or a NFC part <NUM>. For example, the wireless communication module <NUM> may provide a wireless communication function by using a radio frequency. Additionally or alternatively, the wireless communication module <NUM> may include a network interface (e.g., a LAN card), a modulator/demodulator (modem), or the like for connecting the hardware to a network (e.g., the Internet, a LAN, a WAN, a telecommunication network, a cellular network, a satellite network, a POTS, or the like).

The RF module <NUM> may be used for transmission and reception of data, for example, transmission and reception of RF signals or called electronic signals. Although not illustrated, the RF unit <NUM> may include, for example, a transceiver, a Power Amplifier Module (PAM), a frequency filter, a Low Noise Amplifier (LNA), or the like. Also, the RF module <NUM> may further include a component for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic waves in a free space in a wireless communication, for example, a conductor, a conductive wire, or the like.

The sensor module <NUM> may include, for example, at least one of a gesture sensor 240A, a gyro sensor 240B, an barometer sensor 240C, a magnetic sensor 240D, an acceleration sensor 240E, a grip sensor 240F, a proximity sensor <NUM>, a Red, Green and Blue (RGB) sensor <NUM>, a biometric sensor 240I, a temperature/humidity sensor 240J, an illuminance sensor <NUM>, and a Ultra Violet (UV) sensor <NUM>. The sensor module <NUM> may measure a physical quantity or may sense an operating state of the electronic device <NUM>, and may convert the measured or sensed information to an electrical signal. Additionally/alternatively, the sensor module <NUM> may include, for example, an E-nose sensor (not illustrated), an ElectroMyoGraphy (EMG) sensor (not illustrated), an ElectroEncephaloGram (EEG) sensor (not illustrated), an ElectroCardioGram (ECG) sensor (not illustrated), a fingerprint sensor (not illustrated), and the like. Additionally or alternatively, the sensor module <NUM> may include, for example, an E-nose sensor (not illustrated), an EMG sensor (not illustrated), an EEG sensor (not illustrated), an ECG sensor (not illustrated), a fingerprint sensor, and the like. The sensor module <NUM> may further include a control circuit (not illustrated) for controlling one or more sensors included therein.

The input device <NUM> may include a touch panel <NUM>, a pen sensor <NUM> (e.g., a digital pen sensor), keys <NUM>, and an ultrasonic input unit <NUM>. The input device <NUM> may be, for example, the input/output interface <NUM> illustrated in <FIG>. The touch panel <NUM> may recognize a touch input in at least one of, for example, a capacitive scheme, a resistive scheme, an infrared scheme, and an acoustic wave scheme. Also, the touch panel <NUM> may further include a controller (not illustrated). In the capacitive type, the touch panel <NUM> is capable of recognizing proximity as well as a direct touch. The touch panel <NUM> may further include a tactile layer (not illustrated). In this event, the touch panel <NUM> may provide a tactile response to the user.

The pen sensor <NUM> (e.g., a digital pen sensor), for example, may be implemented by using a method identical or similar to a method of receiving a touch input from the user, or by using a separate sheet for recognition. For example, a key pad or a touch key may be used as the keys <NUM>. The ultrasonic input unit <NUM> enables the terminal to sense a sound wave by using a microphone (e.g., a microphone <NUM>) of the terminal through a pen generating an ultrasonic signal, and to identify data. The ultrasonic input unit <NUM> is capable of wireless recognition. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the hardware may receive a user input from an external device (e.g., a network, a computer, or a server), which is connected to the communication module <NUM>, through the communication module <NUM>.

The display module <NUM> may include a panel <NUM>, a hologram <NUM>, or projector <NUM>. The display module <NUM> may be, for example, the display module <NUM> illustrated in <FIG>. The panel <NUM> may be, for example, a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) and an Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode (AM-OLED) display, and the like. The panel <NUM> may be implemented so as to be, for example, flexible, transparent, or wearable. The panel <NUM> may include the touch panel <NUM> and one module. The hologram <NUM> may display a three-dimensional image in the air by using interference of light. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the display module <NUM> may further include a control circuit for controlling the panel <NUM> or the hologram <NUM>.

The interface <NUM> may include, for example, a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) <NUM>, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) <NUM>, an optical interface <NUM>, and a D-subminiature (D-sub) <NUM>. Additionally or alternatively, the interface <NUM> may include, for example, SD/Multi-Media Card (MMC) (not illustrated) or Infrared Data Association (IrDA) (not illustrated).

The audio module (or codec) <NUM> may bidirectionally convert between a voice and an electrical signal. The audio module <NUM> may convert voice information, which is input to or output from the audio module <NUM>, through, for example, a speaker <NUM>, a receiver <NUM>, an earphone <NUM>, the microphone <NUM> or the like.

The camera module <NUM> may capture an image and a moving image. According to an embodiment, the camera module <NUM> may include one or more image sensors (e.g., a front lens or a back lens), an Image Signal Processor (ISP) (not illustrated), and a flash LED (not illustrated).

The power management module <NUM> may manage power of the hardware. Although not illustrated, the power management module <NUM> may include, for example, a Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC), a charger Integrated Circuit (IC), or a battery fuel gauge.

The PMIC may be mounted to, for example, an IC or a SoC semiconductor. Charging methods may be classified into a wired charging method and a wireless charging method. The charger IC may charge a battery, and may prevent an overvoltage or an overcurrent from a charger to the battery. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the charger IC may include a charger IC for at least one of the wired charging method and the wireless charging method. Examples of the wireless charging method may include a magnetic resonance method, a magnetic induction method, an electromagnetic method, and the like. Additional circuits (e.g., a coil loop, a resonance circuit, a rectifier, etc.) for wireless charging may be added in order to perform the wireless charging.

The battery fuel gauge may measure, for example, a residual quantity of the battery <NUM>, or a voltage, a current or a temperature during the charging. The battery <NUM> may supply power by generating electricity, and may be, for example, a rechargeable battery.

The indicator <NUM> may indicate particular states of the hardware or a part (e.g., the AP <NUM>) of the hardware, for example, a booting state, a message state, a charging state and the like. The motor <NUM> may convert an electrical signal into a mechanical vibration. The application processor <NUM> may control the sensor module <NUM>.

Although not illustrated, the hardware may include a processing unit (e.g., a GPU) for supporting a module TV. The processing unit for supporting a module TV may process media data according to standards such as, for example, Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB), Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB), media flow, and the like. Each of the above-described elements of the hardware according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include one or more components, and the name of the relevant element may change depending on the type of electronic device. The hardware according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least one of the above-described elements. Some of the above-described elements may be omitted from the hardware, or the hardware may further include additional elements. Also, some of the elements of the hardware according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be combined into one entity, which may perform functions identical to those of the relevant elements before the combination.

The term "module" used in the present disclosure may refer to, for example, a unit including one or more combinations of hardware, software, and firmware. The "module" may be interchangeable with a term, such as "unit," "logic," "logical block," "component," "circuit," or the like. The "module" may be a minimum unit of a component formed as one body or a part thereof. The "module" may be a minimum unit for performing one or more functions or a part thereof. The "module" may be implemented mechanically or electronically. For example, the "module" according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least one of an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) chip, a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), and a programmable-logic device for performing certain operations which have been known or are to be developed in the future.

<FIG> is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of one or more programming modules <NUM> according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The programming module <NUM> may be included (or stored) in the electronic device <NUM> (e.g., the memory <NUM>) or may be included (or stored) in the electronic device <NUM> (e.g., the memory <NUM>) illustrated in <FIG>. At least a part of the programming module <NUM> may be implemented in software, firmware, hardware, or a combination of two or more thereof. The programming module <NUM> may be implemented in hardware (e.g., the hardware), and may include an OS controlling resources related to an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device <NUM>) and/or various applications (e.g., an application <NUM>) executed in the OS. For example, the OS may be Android, iOS, Windows, Symbian, Tizen, Bada, and the like.

Referring to <FIG>, the programming module <NUM> may include a kernel <NUM>, a middleware <NUM>, an API <NUM>, and/or the application <NUM>.

The kernel <NUM> (e.g., the kernel <NUM>) may include a system resource manager <NUM> and/or a device driver <NUM>. The system resource manager <NUM> may include, for example, a process manager (not illustrated), a memory manager (not illustrated), and a file system manager (not illustrated). The system resource manager <NUM> may perform the control, allocation, recovery, and/or the like of system resources. The device driver <NUM> may include, for example, a display driver (not illustrated), a camera driver (not illustrated), a Bluetooth driver (not illustrated), a shared memory driver (not illustrated), a USB driver (not illustrated), a keypad driver (not illustrated), a Wi-Fi driver (not illustrated), and/or an audio driver (not illustrated). Also, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the device driver <NUM> may include an Inter-Process Communication (IPC) driver (not illustrated).

The middleware <NUM> may include multiple modules previously implemented so as to provide a function used in common by the applications <NUM>. Also, the middleware <NUM> may provide a function to the applications <NUM> through the API <NUM> in order to enable the applications <NUM> to efficiently use limited system resources within the electronic device. For example, as illustrated in <FIG>, the middleware <NUM> (e.g., 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 connectivity manager <NUM>, a notification manager <NUM>, a location manager <NUM>, a graphic manager <NUM>, a security manager <NUM>, and any other suitable and/or similar manager.

The runtime library <NUM> may include, for example, a library module used by a complier, in order to add a new function by using a programming language during the execution of the application <NUM>. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the runtime library <NUM> may perform functions which are related to input and output, the management of a memory, an arithmetic function, and/or the like.

The application manager <NUM> may manage, for example, a life cycle of at least one of the applications <NUM>. The window manager <NUM> may manage GUI resources used on the screen. The multimedia manager <NUM> may detect a format used to reproduce various media files and may encode or decode a media file through a codec appropriate for the relevant format. The resource manager <NUM> may manage resources, such as a source code, a memory, a storage space, and/or the like of at least one of the applications <NUM>.

The power manager <NUM> may operate together with a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS), may manage a battery or power, and may provide power information and the like used for an operation. The database manager <NUM> may manage a database in such a manner as to enable the generation, search and/or change of the database to be used by at least one of the applications <NUM>. The package manager <NUM> may manage the installation and/or update of an application distributed in the form of a package file.

The connectivity manager <NUM> may manage a wireless connectivity such as, for example, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The notification manager <NUM> may display or report, to the user, an event such as an arrival message, an appointment, a proximity alarm, and the like in such a manner as not to disturb the user. The location manager <NUM> may manage location information of the electronic device. The graphic manager <NUM> may manage a graphic effect, which is to be provided to the user, and/or a user interface related to the graphic effect. The security manager <NUM> may provide various security functions used for system security, user authentication, and the like. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the electronic device (e.g., the electronic device <NUM>) has a telephone function, the middleware <NUM> may further include a telephony manager (not illustrated) for managing a voice telephony call function and/or a video telephony call function of the electronic device.

The middleware <NUM> may generate and use a new middleware module through various functional combinations of the above-described internal element modules. The middleware <NUM> may provide modules specialized according to types of OSs in order to provide differentiated functions. Also, the middleware <NUM> may dynamically delete some of the existing elements, or may add new elements. Accordingly, the middleware <NUM> may omit some of the elements described in the various embodiments of the present disclosure, may further include other elements, or may replace the some of the elements with elements, each of which performs a similar function and has a different name.

The API <NUM> (e.g., the API <NUM>) is a set of API programming functions, and may be provided with a different configuration according to an OS. In the case of Android or iOS, for example, one API set may be provided to each platform. In the case of Tizen, for example, two or more API sets may be provided to each platform.

The applications <NUM> (e.g., the applications <NUM>) may include, for example, a preloaded application and/or a third party application. The applications <NUM> (e.g., the applications <NUM>) may include, for example, a home application <NUM>, a dialer application <NUM>, a Short Message Service (SMS)/Multimedia Message Service (MMS) application <NUM>, an Instant Message (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 electronic mail (e-mail) application <NUM>, a calendar application <NUM>, a media player application <NUM>, an album application <NUM>, a clock application <NUM>, and any other suitable and/or similar application.

At least a part of the programming module <NUM> may be implemented by instructions stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. When the instructions are executed by one or more processors (e.g., the one or more application processors <NUM>), the one or more processors may perform functions corresponding to the instructions. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, the memory <NUM>. At least a part of the programming module <NUM> may be implemented (e.g., executed) by, for example, the one or more application processors <NUM>. At least a part of the programming module <NUM> may include, for example, a module, a program, a routine, a set of instructions, and/or a process for performing one or more functions.

Names of the elements of the programming module (e.g., the programming module <NUM>) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may change depending on the type of OS. The programming module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include one or more of the above-described elements. Alternatively, some of the above-described elements may be omitted from the programming module. Alternatively, the programming module may further include additional elements. The operations performed by the programming module or other elements according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be processed in a sequential method, a parallel method, a repetitive method, or a heuristic method. Also, some of the operations may be omitted, or other operations may be added to the operations.

<FIG> is a block diagram of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> may include a processor <NUM>, a display <NUM>, a communication module <NUM>, and a memory (not shown) electrically connected with the processor <NUM>. One of the above components of the electronic device <NUM> may be omitted, or a new component may be added to the electronic device <NUM>.

The electronic device <NUM> may correspond to the electronic device <NUM> of <FIG> and/or the electronic device <NUM> of <FIG>. In one embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may be a wearable device. The processor <NUM> may correspond to the processor <NUM> of <FIG> and/or the application processor <NUM> of <FIG>.

The electronic device <NUM> may include: a housing; a fastener mounted on a portion of the housing and removably attachable to a portion of the body of the user; the display <NUM> exposed through a portion of the housing; and at least one sensor positioned inside the housing and generating data indicating movement of the electronic device <NUM> through sensing. In one embodiment, the at least one sensor may include one or more sensors of the sensor module <NUM> of <FIG> (e.g. gesture sensor 240A, gyro sensor 240B, and acceleration sensor 240E). The electronic device <NUM> may include the processor <NUM> positioned inside the housing and electrically connected with the display <NUM> and the sensor, and a memory (not shown) electrically connected with the processor <NUM>.

The memory (not shown) may store a software program triggering one or more application programs upon occurrence of a preset condition. The memory may store instructions that, when executed, cause the processor <NUM> to perform a specific function.

In one embodiment, the processor <NUM> may use at least one sensor (e.g. gyro sensor and acceleration sensor) to sense movement of the electronic device <NUM>. The sensor used to sense movement of the electronic device <NUM> may be set by default. For example, when the electronic device <NUM> is a wearable device worn on a portion of the body of the user, the electronic device <NUM> may configure the acceleration sensor as a default sensor to sense its movement.

In one embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may activate a specific application (e.g. clock application) if sensed movement data satisfies a preset condition. For example, when the electronic device <NUM> is worn as a wearable device on the wrist of the user, it may detect a motion (e.g. wrist-up) activating a specific application. For example, when the acceleration sensor is used, if a preset number of sensor sample values (e.g. x, y, z-axis values at a point in time) fall within the range set for activating an application, the electronic device <NUM> may activate the application. As another example, when the gyro sensor is used, if the rotation angle sensed by the gyro sensor falls within the range set for activating an application, the electronic device <NUM> may activate the application. As another example, when the acceleration sensor and the gyro sensor are both used, the electronic device <NUM> may determine whether to activate a specific application by calculating the rotation angle thereof using gyro sensor sample values and identifying the current location thereof using acceleration sensor sample values. Here, application activation may indicate activating an application with a specific function or turning on the screen on the display <NUM>.

In one embodiment, the processor <NUM> may determine at least one of the sensor to be used to sense the movement of the electronic device <NUM> and the sampling frequency of the above sensor on the basis of usage state information of the electronic device <NUM>. The usage state information may include information regarding at least one of the frequency of application activations during a preset period and the state of the user of the electronic device <NUM>.

An acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor may be used to sense the movement of the electronic device <NUM>. Such a sensor may sample the movement value of the electronic device <NUM>. For example, the acceleration sensor may sample the movement value of the electronic device <NUM> two or three times per preset period. The movement of the electronic device <NUM> may be accurately identified with the increasing sampling frequency. For example, three-times sampling per period may be better than two-times sampling per period for identifying the movement of the electronic device <NUM>.

It is possible to use multiple sensors for accurately identifying the movement of the electronic device <NUM>. For example, use of two sensors (e.g. acceleration sensor and gyro sensor) may be better than use of one sensor (e.g. acceleration sensor) with two-times sampling for identifying the movement of the electronic device <NUM>.

In one embodiment, the processor <NUM> may determine or change at least one of the sensor to be used to sense the movement of the electronic device <NUM> and the sampling frequency of the above sensor on the basis of the frequency of activations of a given application.

The processor <NUM> may count the number of times that a given application is activated (e.g. output on the display <NUM>) during a preset duration (e.g. one hour or two hours) after initial activation (e.g. booting). For example, to measure the frequency of application activations, the processor <NUM> may count the number of times that the application is activated during a preset duration after initial activation. As another example, when a specific application is initially activated at <NUM>:<NUM> p. , the processor <NUM> may count the number of times that the application is activated for one hour (preset duration) from <NUM>:<NUM> p. to <NUM>:<NUM> p. The preset duration may be stored in the memory in advance and may be changed according to user input.

When the application is activated again (second activation) after expiration of the preset duration from initial activation, the processor <NUM> may count the number of times that the application is activated during the preset duration after the time when the application was activated again. For example, when the application is initially activated at <NUM>:<NUM> p. and is activated again at <NUM>:<NUM> a. (second activation), the processor <NUM> may count the number of times that the application is activated for the preset duration (one hour) from <NUM>:<NUM> a. to <NUM>:<NUM> a.

In one embodiment, the processor <NUM> may determine or change at least one of the sensor to be used to sense the movement of the electronic device <NUM> and the sampling frequency of the above sensor according to whether the counted number of application activations exceeds at least one of multiple thresholds. For example, when the counted number of application activations exceeds one of multiple thresholds (e.g. <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM>), the processor <NUM> may change the sensor to be used to sense the movement of the electronic device <NUM>. The thresholds may be set in advance and may be changed later. For example, the thresholds may be set according to the stored information on the average usage pattern for the electronic device <NUM>.

For example, if the number of application activations counted during a given time (e.g. one hour) exceeds a first threshold (e.g. <NUM>), the processor <NUM> may change the sampling frequency of the acceleration sensor from <NUM> to <NUM>. Here, the movement value of the electronic device <NUM> is sampled by the acceleration sensor at the sampling frequency. The movement of the electronic device <NUM> may be accurately identified or measured with the increasing sampling frequency. If the number of application activations exceeds a second threshold (e.g. <NUM>), the processor <NUM> may monitor the movement of the electronic device <NUM> by using the acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM> and the gyro sensor instead of using the acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM>. Here, use of both the acceleration sensor and the gyro sensor may be better than use of the acceleration sensor for accurately measuring the movement of the electronic device <NUM>.

In one embodiment, the processor <NUM> may utilize the number of application activations counted during a first interval of a given time to determine at least one of the sensor to be used to sense the movement of the electronic device <NUM> and the sampling frequency of the above sensor during a second interval after the first interval.

For example, assume that the application is activated at <NUM>:<NUM> p. and the given time is one hour. If the number of application activations exceeds the first threshold of <NUM> at <NUM>:<NUM> p. , the processor <NUM> may change the sampling frequency of the acceleration sensor from <NUM> to <NUM> at <NUM>:<NUM> p. At the end of the first interval (<NUM>:<NUM> p. ), the movement of the electronic device <NUM> may be monitored by the acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM>.

Thereafter, during the second interval from <NUM>:<NUM> p. to <NUM>:<NUM> p. (one hour), the processor <NUM> may continue to use the acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM>. If the number of application activations is less than <NUM> during the second interval, the processor <NUM> may change the sampling frequency of the acceleration sensor from <NUM> to <NUM> at <NUM>:<NUM> p. (start of the third interval). If the number of application activations is greater than <NUM> during the second interval, the processor <NUM> may continue to use the acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM>.

In one embodiment, the processor <NUM> may utilize the number of application activations counted during a first section of one interval to change at least one of the sensor to be used to sense the movement of the electronic device <NUM> and the sampling frequency of the above sensor during the remaining section of the interval. For example, when the acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM> is used during the second interval from <NUM>:<NUM> p. , if the number of application activations exceeds the second threshold of <NUM> at <NUM>:<NUM> p. , the processor <NUM> may use the acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM> and the gyro sensor to sense the movement of the electronic device <NUM> from <NUM>:<NUM> p.

In various embodiments, the processor <NUM> may identify the state (e.g. driving, exercising, walking, or sleeping) of the user on the basis of sensing data obtained by at least one sensor (e.g. biosensor). For example, the processor <NUM> may identify an increase in heart rate or a change in body temperature by use of a biosensor. When the heart rate is greater than or equal to a first threshold, the processor <NUM> may determine that the user is exercising. When the heart rate is less than a second threshold, the processor <NUM> may determine that the user is sleeping. Here, the first and second thresholds may be determined on the basis of average data values stored in the electronic device <NUM>.

In one embodiment, the processor <NUM> may identify the state of the user on the basis of user input selecting one of user states. For example, the processor <NUM> may output a user interface (UI) window showing user states (e.g. driving, exercising, walking, and sleeping) on the display <NUM> and receive user input for selecting one of the user states on the user interface window.

In one embodiment, the processor <NUM> may determine at least one of the sensor to be used to sense the movement of the electronic device <NUM> and the sampling frequency of the above sensor on the basis of user input indicating the user state.

In one embodiment, upon determining that the user of the electronic device <NUM> is driving, the processor <NUM> may sense the movement of the electronic device <NUM> by use of the acceleration sensor and gyro sensor. For example, the processor <NUM> may deactivate a specific application upon determining that an up-and-down motion sensed by the gyro sensor senses (e.g. movement along the z-axis) is caused by turning the steering wheel.

In one embodiment, upon determining that the user of the electronic device <NUM> is exercising, the processor <NUM> may deactivate a function corresponding to repetitive sensing data for a preset duration. For example, when the user of the electronic device <NUM> is playing tennis, the processor <NUM> may deactivate an application corresponding to a left and right motion sensed by the gyro sensor (e.g. movement along the x-axis).

In one embodiment, upon determining that the user of the electronic device <NUM> is walking, the processor <NUM> may deactivate a specific application when the gyro sensor fails to sense a motion in a desired direction (e.g. movement along the z-axis).

In one embodiment, upon determining that the user of the electronic device <NUM> is sleeping, the processor <NUM> may deactivate a specific application when a sudden change in motion of the electronic device <NUM> is not detected.

In one embodiment, the processor <NUM> may apply different algorithms for different user states and change algorithms applied to a specific user state.

In various embodiments, the graphical user interface (GUI) of an activated application may have different images or colors for different user states. For example, the processor <NUM> may display a speed UI, an exercise UI, a lock screen, and a low luminance screen upon determining that the user is driving, exercising, walking, and sleeping, respectively.

In various embodiments, when the display <NUM> is turned off, the processor <NUM> may receive first data from the sensor. Here, the first data may be associated with the movement of the electronic device <NUM>. If the first data indicates a first pattern of movement for the electronic device <NUM>, the processor <NUM> may turn on the display <NUM>. Here, the first pattern may be an indication for activation of the display <NUM>.

In one embodiment, the processor <NUM> may receive second data from the sensor after the display <NUM> is turned on. Here, the second data may be associated with the movement of the electronic device <NUM>. If the second data corresponds to a repetition of the first pattern or a portion of the first pattern, the processor <NUM> may turn off the display <NUM>. For example, to reduce the current consumed by the electronic device <NUM>, when repetitive movement data is detected, the processor <NUM> may change the condition for application activation to thereby turn off the display <NUM> or keep the display <NUM> off.

The display <NUM> may correspond to the display <NUM> of <FIG> and/or the display module <NUM> of <FIG>. The display <NUM> may be used to display application related data.

The communication module <NUM> may correspond to the communication interface <NUM> of <FIG> and/or the communication module <NUM> of <FIG>. The communication module <NUM> may be used to send and receive data to and from another electronic device through short-range communication.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic device <NUM> may include a processor <NUM> and a memory (not shown) electrically connected with the processor <NUM>. The memory may store a software program triggering one or more application programs upon occurrence of a preset condition. The memory may store instructions that, when executed, cause the processor <NUM> to: determine at least one of the sensor to be used to sense the movement of the electronic device <NUM> and the sampling frequency of the above sensor on the basis of usage state information of the electronic device <NUM>; sense the movement of the electronic device <NUM> on the basis of the determination result; and activate a specific application if sensed movement data satisfies a preset condition.

The usage state information may include information regarding at least one of the frequency of activations of the application during a preset period and the state of the user of the electronic device <NUM>.

The instructions may cause the processor <NUM> to count the number of times that the application is activated during a preset duration after initial activation, and to count, if the application is activated again after expiration of the preset duration from initial activation, the number of times that the application is activated during the preset duration after the time when the application was activated again.

The instructions may cause the processor <NUM> to determine at least one of the sensor to be used to sense the movement of the electronic device <NUM> and the sampling frequency of the above sensor according to whether the counted number of application activations exceeds at least one of multiple thresholds.

The instructions may cause the processor <NUM> to utilize the number of application activations counted during a first interval of a given duration for determining at least one of the sensor to be used to sense the movement of the electronic device <NUM> and the sampling frequency of the above sensor during a second interval after the first interval.

The instructions may cause the processor <NUM> to change at least one of the sensor to be used to sense the movement of the electronic device <NUM> and the sampling frequency of the above sensor according to the number of application activations counted during the second interval.

The instructions may cause the processor <NUM> to identify the state of the user on the basis of sensing data obtained by at least one sensor or user input selecting one of user states.

The instructions may cause the processor <NUM> to: display a UI window showing multiple user states on the screen; receive user input for selecting one of the user states on the UI window; and determine at least one of the sensor to be used to sense the movement of the electronic device <NUM> and the sampling frequency of the above sensor according to the received user input. When the application is activated in response to user input, the graphical user interface (GUI) of the application may have different images for different user states.

The electronic device <NUM> may be a wearable device having a display, the sensor may include a gyro sensor and an acceleration sensor, and the application may be a clock application.

<FIG> illustrates application activation in the electronic device <NUM> according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

The electronic device <NUM> may be a wearable device. The electronic device <NUM> may activate the clock screen in response to a user gesture sensed by the sensor without separate manipulation of the user. For example, when sensed movement values (e.g. acceleration values, gyro values) satisfy a preset reference value, the electronic device <NUM> may turn on the display. The reference movement value may be stored in the memory and may be changed according to the usage pattern or user input.

<FIG> illustrates a case where the electronic device performs different functions depending upon user states according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> may receive user input for selecting one of user states. The electronic device <NUM> may display a window corresponding to the user input. The electronic device <NUM> may display different UI windows for different user states. For example, when the user state is "exercising", the electronic device <NUM> may display a running speed (e.g. speed <NUM>/s) on the screen <NUM>. When the user state is "sleeping", the electronic device <NUM> may display an alarm time (e.g. alarm for <NUM>:<NUM>) on the screen <NUM>. When the user state is "walking", the electronic device <NUM> may lock the screen <NUM>. When the user state is "driving", the electronic device <NUM> may receive destination information from a connected external device (e.g. mobile phone or automotive navigation system) and display the remaining distance to the destination (e.g. <NUM> to destination) on the screen <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrate different schemes for application activation in the electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> may count the number of times that the application is activated during a preset duration. The electronic device <NUM> may count the number of times that the application is activated during a preset duration after initial activation at time <NUM>. The electronic device <NUM> may count the number of application activations during a first interval <NUM> of a preset duration (e.g. one hour or two hours) and a second interval <NUM>, respectively. The electronic device <NUM> may use a default sensor with a default sampling frequency to sense its movement. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may use the acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM> by default.

When the number of application activations exceeds a first threshold (e.g. n) at time <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may change the sampling frequency of the acceleration sensor from <NUM> to <NUM>. That is, from time <NUM> when the number of application activations exceeds the first threshold, the electronic device <NUM> may use the acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM> to sense its movement. When the number of application activations exceeds a second threshold (e.g. m) at time <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may monitor its movement by using the acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM> and the gyro sensor. That is, from time <NUM> when the number of application activations exceeds the second threshold, the electronic device <NUM> may use the acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM> and the gyro sensor to monitor the movement of the electronic device <NUM>.

At time <NUM> when the first interval <NUM> ends and the second interval <NUM> begins, the electronic device <NUM> may continue to use the acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM> and the gyro sensor to monitor its movement. During the second interval <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may monitor its movement by using the acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM> and the gyro sensor.

Referring to <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> may use the acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM> by default to monitor its movement. The electronic device <NUM> may count the number of times that the application is activated during a preset duration after initial activation at time <NUM>. When the number of application activations exceeds a first threshold (e.g. n=<NUM>) at time <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may use the acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM> to monitor its movement.

At time <NUM> when the first interval <NUM> ends and the second interval <NUM> begins, the electronic device <NUM> may continue to use the acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM> to monitor its movement. During the second interval <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may monitor its movement by using the acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM>.

If the number of application activations is less than or equal to the first threshold during the second interval <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may use the acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM> according to default settings. For example, from time <NUM> when the second interval <NUM> ends, the electronic device <NUM> may use the acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM> to monitor its movement. During the third interval <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may monitor its movement by using the acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> may use the acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM> to monitor the movement of the electronic device <NUM> according to default settings. The electronic device <NUM> may count the number of times that the application is activated during a preset duration after initial activation at time <NUM>. When the number of application activations exceeds a first threshold (e.g. n=<NUM>) at time <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may use the acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM> to monitor its movement.

At time <NUM> when the first interval <NUM> ends and the second interval <NUM> begins, the electronic device <NUM> may continue to use the acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM> to monitor its movement.

When the number of application activations exceeds the first threshold at time <NUM> in the second interval <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may continue to use the acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM> to sense its movement from time <NUM> to time <NUM> when the second interval <NUM> ends. When the number of application activations exceeds the first threshold during the second interval <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may continue to use the acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM> during the third interval <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> may use the acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM> to monitor the movement of the electronic device <NUM> according to default settings. The electronic device <NUM> may count the number of times that the application is activated during a preset duration after initial activation at time <NUM>.

When the number of application activations exceeds a first threshold (e.g. n=<NUM>) at time <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may use the acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM> to monitor its movement. When the number of application activations exceeds a second threshold (e.g. m=<NUM>) at time <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may monitor its movement by using the acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM> and the gyro sensor.

From time <NUM> when the first interval <NUM> ends to time <NUM> when the number of application activations exceeds the second threshold in the second interval <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may continue to use the acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM> and the gyro sensor to sense its movement. The electronic device <NUM> may continue to use the acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM> and the gyro sensor to sense its movement from time <NUM> when the number of application activations exceeds the second threshold to the time when the second interval <NUM> ends.

If the number of application activations is greater than the first threshold and less than the second threshold during the second interval <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> use again the acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM> at time <NUM> when the third interval <NUM> begins.

When the number of application activations exceeds a first threshold (e.g. n=<NUM>) at time <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may start to use the acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM> to monitor its movement. The electronic device <NUM> may continue to use the acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM> to monitor its movement until time <NUM> when the first interval <NUM> ends.

The electronic device <NUM> may continue to use the acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM> to monitor its movement from time <NUM> when the second interval <NUM> ends and to time <NUM> when the number of application activations exceeds the first threshold. When the number of application activations exceeds the second threshold (e.g. <NUM>) at time <NUM> in the second interval <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may start to use the acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM> and the gyro sensor to monitor its movement.

At time <NUM> when the third interval begins, the electronic device <NUM> may use the acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM> and the gyro sensor to monitor its movement.

<FIG> is a flowchart of a method for activating an application in response to the sensed movement of the electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to <FIG>, at step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may determine at least one sensor to be used to sense the movement of the electronic device <NUM>, and also the sampling frequency of the sensor based usage state information of the electronic device <NUM>. The usage state information may include information regarding at least one of a frequency of application activations during a preset time period, and the state of the user of the electronic device <NUM>. Application activation may indicate activating an application with a specific function (e.g. clock) or turning on the screen on the display <NUM>.

In various embodiments, the electronic device <NUM> may count a number of times that the application is activated during a preset duration after initial activation. If the application is reactivated again, after expiration of the preset duration from initial activation, the electronic device <NUM> may count the number of times that the application is activated during the preset duration from the time when the application is activated again. For example, when the application is activated again <NUM> hours after the initial activation, the electronic device <NUM> may count a number of times that the application is activated until <NUM> hours have passed from initial activation (e.g., for another <NUM> hour). In one embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may determine at least one of the sensors to be used to detect the movement of the electronic device <NUM> and the sampling frequency of the determined sensor according to whether the counted number of application activations exceeds at least one of multiple thresholds. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may store information on algorithms for individual thresholds (e.g. <NUM> activations and <NUM> activations). The electronic device <NUM> may apply the first algorithm when the number of application activations exceeds the first threshold (e.g. <NUM> activations), and may apply the second algorithm when the number of application activations exceeds the second threshold (e.g. <NUM> activations). Accordingly, the first and second algorithms may be used to determine the sensor to be used and/or the sampling frequency thereof.

In one embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may utilize the number of application activations counted during a first interval of a given time to determine at least one of the sensor to be used to detect the movement of the electronic device <NUM> and the sampling frequency of the above sensor during a second interval occurring after the first interval. The electronic device <NUM> may change at least one of the sensors to be used to detect the movement of the electronic device <NUM> and the sampling frequency of the above sensor according to the number of application activations counted during the second interval.

In one embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may identify the state of the user based on sensing data obtained by at least one sensor. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may identify the user state based on bio (e.g., biometric) information of the user obtained by a sensor (e.g. biosensor).

In one embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may identify the state of the user based on a user input selecting one of user states. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may output a user interface window displaying multiple user states on the screen which are selectable.

In one embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may receive user input selecting one of the displayed user states on the UI window. The electronic device <NUM> may determine at least one of the sensors to be used to detect the movement of the electronic device <NUM>, and the sampling frequency of the above sensor according to the received user input. When the application is activated in response to detecting the corresponding user input, the graphical user interface of the application may displaying different images reflecting or corresponding to different user states.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may detected the movement thereof according to the above determination. The electronic device <NUM> may monitor its movement using the selected the sensor and/or the sampling frequency.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may activate the corresponding application if (e.g., when, responsive to) the sensed movement data satisfying a preset condition. The application may be an application that activates the display <NUM> or performs a specific function (e.g., a clock function).

<FIG> is a flowchart of a method for activating an application in response to the detected movement of the electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to <FIG>, at step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may monitor the movement of the electronic device using a sensor set to utilize a sampling frequency configured in advance. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may detect the movement of the electronic device using an acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of "<NUM>" (e.g., <NUM> samplings per unit time) according to pre-configured settings.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may count the number of times that the application is activated. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may count the number of times that the application is activated during a preset time duration (e.g. one hour or two hours). The application may be activated according to a preset condition. For example, when the electronic device <NUM> is a wearable device, the electronic device <NUM> may activate the application if the motion of the user wearing the electronic device <NUM> matches the preset condition.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> determines whether the counted number of application activations exceeds a first threshold (e.g., <NUM> activations).

If the number of application activations does not exceed the first threshold, at step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may continue to monitor the movement thereof using the existing sensor and sampling frequency without change or modification.

If the number of application activations exceeds the first threshold, at step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may change at least one of the utilized sensor and the sampling frequency thereof (e.g., by switching to another sensor and/or a new sampling frequency). For example, if the number of application activations exceeds the first threshold (e.g., <NUM> activations), the electronic device <NUM> may change the sampling frequency of the acceleration sensor from "<NUM>" to "<NUM>.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may use the changed sensor to detect movement. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may detect its own movement using the acceleration sensor, with the altered sampling frequency of <NUM>.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> determines whether the counted number of application activations exceeds a second threshold (e.g., <NUM> activations). If the number of application activations does not exceed the second threshold, the electronic device <NUM> may continue to use the existing sensor and sampling frequency to monitor its movement.

If the number of application activations positively exceeds the second threshold, at step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may change at least one of the sensors being used and the sampling frequency thereof. For example, if the number of application activations exceeds the second threshold, the electronic device <NUM> may detect its movement using the acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM> and the gyro sensor.

If sensed movement data satisfies a preset condition for application activation, the electronic device <NUM> may activate the application.

Referring to <FIG>, at step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may monitor the movement thereof by using a sensor with a sampling frequency configured in advance. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may sense the movement thereof using an acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM> (e.g., <NUM> samplings per unit time).

At step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may identify the state of the user. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may identify the user state based on sensing data detected using at least one sensor (e.g., a biosensor). As another example, the electronic device <NUM> may identify the state of the user based on a user input selecting one of user states.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may change at least one of the sensor being used (e.g., an acceleration sensor and gyro sensor) and the sampling frequency based on the identified user state. For example, upon determining that the user state is "sleeping," the electronic device <NUM> may use the acceleration sensor with a sampling frequency of <NUM> and the gyro sensor to more accurately detect any movement indicating an intention to cause activation of an application.

Referring to <FIG>, at step <NUM>, when the display <NUM> is turned off, the electronic device <NUM> receives first data from the sensor. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may receive data associated with the movement of the electronic device <NUM> from a gyro sensor and/or an acceleration sensor.

At step <NUM>, if the first data indicates a first pattern of movement for the electronic device <NUM> has been detected, the electronic device <NUM> turns on the display <NUM>. For example, if the received first data matches data preset for or pre-associated with the executable action of turning on the display, the electronic device <NUM> may activate the display <NUM>.

At step <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> receives second data from the sensor. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may receive data associated with the movement of the electronic device <NUM> from the gyro sensor and/or the acceleration sensor. The second data may be associated with the movement of the electronic device <NUM>.

At step <NUM>, if the second data corresponds to a repetition of the first pattern or a portion of the first pattern, the electronic device <NUM> deactivates the display <NUM>. For example, when the user of the electronic device <NUM> is playing tennis, the electronic device <NUM> may sense a pattern of repetitive movement for a preset time. When similar movement values (e.g., acceleration sensor values or gyro sensor values) are detected more frequently than a reference frequency during the preset time, the electronic device <NUM> may deactivate the display <NUM>.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a method for an electronic device to activate an application may include: determining at least one of a sensor to be used to detect the movement of the electronic device and the sampling frequency of the above sensor based on usage state information of the electronic device; detecting the movement of the electronic device according to the above determination; and activating the application if the detected movement data satisfies a preset condition. The usage state information may include information regarding at least one of the frequency for which an application or applications are activations during a preset period, and a detected state of the user of the electronic device.

Determining at least one of the sensor to be used and the sampling frequency may include: counting a number of times that the application is activated during a preset duration after initial activation; and counting, if the application is activated again after expiration of the preset duration from initial activation, a number of times that the application is activated during the preset duration after the time when the application was activated again.

Determining at least one of the sensor to be used and the sampling frequency thereof may include determining at least one of the sensor to be used to sense the movement of the electronic device and the sampling frequency of the above sensor according to whether the counted number of application activations exceeds at least one of multiple thresholds.

Determining at least one of the sensor to be used and the sampling frequency thereof may include utilizing the number of application activations counted during a first interval of a given duration for determining at least one of the sensor to be used to sense the movement of the electronic device and the sampling frequency of the above sensor during a second interval after the first interval.

The method may further include changing at least one of the sensor to be used to sense the movement of the electronic device and the sampling frequency of the above sensor according to the number of application activations counted during the second interval.

The method may further include at least one of identifying the state of the user on the basis of sensing data obtained by at least one sensor, and identifying the state of the user on the basis of user input for selecting one of user states.

Determining at least one of the sensor to be used and the sampling frequency thereof may include: displaying a user interface (UI) window showing multiple user states on the screen; receiving user input for selecting one of the user states on the UI window; and determining at least one of the sensor to be used to sense the movement of the electronic device and the sampling frequency of the above sensor according to the received user input.

When the application is activated in response to the user input, the graphical user interface (GUI) of the application may have different images for different user states. A programming module according to embodiments of the present disclosure may include one or more of the aforementioned components or may further include other additional components, or some of the aforementioned components may be omitted. Operations executed by a module, a programming module, or other component elements according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may be executed sequentially, in parallel, repeatedly, or in a heuristic manner. Further, some operations may be executed according to another order or may be omitted, or other operations may be added.

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.

The control unit may include a microprocessor or any suitable type of processing circuitry, such as one or more general-purpose processors (e.g., ARM-based processors), a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), a Programmable Logic Device (PLD), an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a Graphical Processing Unit (GPU), a video card controller, etc..

Claim 1:
An electronic device (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) comprising:
a memory (<NUM>, <NUM>) configured to store data including a predetermined pattern in relation to a user gesture moving the electronic device;
at least one sensor (<NUM>);
a display (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>); and
a processor (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) configured to:
while the display is deactivated, receive (<NUM>) first data related to a movement of the electronic device using the at least one sensor;
determine whether the first data corresponds to the predetermined pattern; transition (<NUM>) the display from deactivated to activated based on determining that the first data corresponds to the predetermined pattern;
while the display is activated, receive (<NUM>) second data from the at least one sensor;
the device being characterised in that:
in response to determining that the second data corresponds to a repetition of the predetermined pattern or a portion of the predetermined pattern, transition (<NUM>) the display from activated to deactivated.