Wearable electronic device and method for detecting contact between living body and wearable electronic device

Abstract

According to an embodiment, a wearable electronic device may include: at least two electrodes for measuring biometric signals; a living body contact detection unit configured to: apply a voltage to at least one electrode of the at least two electrodes that contacts a living body, and output information indicating an operating state of the wearable electronic device's biometric signal measurement based on the voltage output from the at least one electrode; and a processor configured to determine the operating state of the wearable electronic device's biometric signal measurement based on information received from the living body contact detection unit. Various other embodiments may be provided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] One or more embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to a wearable electronic device capable of detecting contact of a living body part therewith using electrodes and a method for detecting contact of a living body with the wearable electronic device. Background Art

[0002] With the development of hardware and software technologies, electronic devices supporting various functions have been introduced to the market. Recently, people have become increasingly concerned about their health, leading to a growing demand for measuring and managing the health status of users of electronic devices. As a result, a market has emerged for electronic devices equipped with various biometric sensors for measuring health status and providing related services.

[0003] Biometric sensors may include blood glucose meters, blood pressure monitors, thermometers, heart rate monitors (HRMs), electrocardiogram (ECG) sensors, photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors, fingerprint scanners, iris scanners, and the like.

[0004] Among the aforementioned sensors, ECG sensors can detect the electrical potential difference generated when the heart muscle contracts and relaxes via ECG electrodes in contact with the skin of a living person. The action potential generated by the heartbeat causes an electric current to spread from the heart throughout the body, and this current generates an electrical potential difference. ECG sensors can be used to determine the size of the heartbeat and whether the heart is damaged by detecting the heart's electrical activity and measuring whether the heart rate remains constant. ECG sensors can be deployed in various applications, such as using unique ECG values ​​to identify a user's emotional state or perform user authentication.

[0005] Various biometric sensors can be equipped in wearable electronic devices that can be placed on the user. When the wearable electronic device detects that the device is being worn, it can obtain biometric signals and check the user's health status. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Technical issues

[0007] Wearable electronic devices equipped with various biometric sensors can apply current to two electrodes of the device and use the potential between the two electrodes to detect whether the wearable electronic device is worn on the user's body. This method of using the potential between the two electrodes to which current has been applied to detect whether the wearable electronic device is worn on the user's body changes the potential between the two electrodes and thus limits the detection of biometric signals. When alternating current (AC) is applied to the two electrodes, unnecessarily high-frequency sampling may be required, or additional analog circuitry may be required to extract the impedance component.

[0008] Solution to the problem

[0009] According to certain embodiments, a wearable electronic device capable of detecting contact of a living body part therewith using electrodes, and a method for detecting contact of a living body with the wearable electronic device are provided.

[0010] According to an embodiment, a wearable electronic device includes: at least two electrodes, the at least two electrodes being used to measure biometric signals; a living body contact detection unit configured to: apply a voltage to at least one electrode of the at least two electrodes that contacts a living body, and output information indicating an operating status of the biometric signal measurement of the wearable electronic device based on the voltage output from the at least one electrode; and a processor configured to determine the operating status of the biometric signal measurement of the wearable electronic device based on the information received from the living body contact detection unit.

[0011] According to an embodiment, a method for detecting contact between a living body and a wearable electronic device includes: applying a voltage to at least one electrode in contact with the living body among at least two electrodes for biometric signal measurement; outputting information indicating an operating state of the biometric signal measurement of the wearable electronic device based on another voltage output from the at least one electrode; and determining the operating state of the biometric signal measurement of the wearable electronic device based on the information indicating the operating state of the biometric signal measurement of the wearable electronic device.

[0012] Other aspects, advantages, and salient features of the disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses exemplary embodiments of the disclosure.

[0013] Beneficial effects of the present invention

[0014] As is apparent from the above description, according to certain embodiments, a buffer having a high input impedance is used so that the bias unit as a voltage source can operate at a very low output current. In addition, compared to the conventional operating method of measuring voltage by applying current, the battery life of the wearable electronic device can be extended. Because no current is applied between the two electrodes in some cases, no additional noise (current * IR voltage drop caused by contact resistance) occurs. It is also possible to measure biometric signals when two electrodes are used simultaneously to detect contact between a body part and the wearable electronic device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] A more complete understanding of the present disclosure and its many attendant aspects will be readily obtained by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0016] Figure 1A is a diagram illustrating an electronic device in a network environment according to an embodiment;

[0017] Figure 1B is a front perspective view showing an electronic device according to an embodiment;

[0018] Figure 1C It shows that Figure 1B a rear perspective view of the electronic device shown;

[0019] Figure 1D It shows that Figure 1B an exploded perspective view of the electronic device shown;

[0020] Figure 2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a wearable electronic device according to an embodiment;

[0021] Figure 3 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a living body contact detection unit of a wearable electronic device according to an embodiment;

[0022] Figure 4A 、 Figure 4B 、 Figure 4C and Figure 4D is a view showing electrodes of a wearable electronic device according to an embodiment;

[0023] Figure 5 is a circuit diagram illustrating a living body contact detection unit of a wearable electronic device according to an embodiment;

[0024] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of detecting living body contact by a wearable electronic device according to an embodiment;

[0025] Figure 7A 、 Figure 7B 、 Figure 7C and Figure 7D is a diagram illustrating an example of detecting living body contact by a wearable electronic device according to an embodiment;

[0026] Figure 8A 、 Figure 8B and Figure 8C is a diagram illustrating an example of detecting living body contact by a wearable electronic device according to an embodiment;

[0027] Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of detecting living body contact by a wearable electronic device according to an embodiment;

[0028] Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of detecting living body contact by a wearable electronic device according to an embodiment;

[0029] Figure 11 is a flow chart illustrating an example of detecting a biometric signal by a wearable electronic device according to an embodiment;

[0030] Figure 12Ais a front perspective view showing a wearable electronic device according to an embodiment;

[0031] Figure 12B It shows that Figure 12A A rear perspective view of the wearable electronic device is shown.

[0032] Throughout the drawings, like reference numerals will be understood to refer to like parts, components and structures. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] Figure 1A 1 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device 101 in a network environment 100a according to various embodiments. Figure 1A , the electronic device 101 in the network environment 100a can communicate with the electronic device 102 via the first network 198 (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network), or communicate with the electronic device 104 or the server 108 via the second network 199 (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). According to an embodiment, the electronic device 101 can communicate with the electronic device 104 via the server 108. According to an embodiment, the electronic device 101 may include a processor 120, a memory 130, an input device 150, a sound output device 155, a display device 160, an audio module 170, a sensor module 176, an interface 177, a haptic module 179, a camera module 180, a power management module 188, a battery 189, a communication module 190, a subscriber identification module (SIM) 196, or an antenna module 197. In some embodiments, at least one of the components (e.g., the display device 160 or the camera module 180) may be omitted from the electronic device 101, or one or more other components may be added to the electronic device 101. In some embodiments, some of the components may be implemented as a single integrated circuit. For example, the sensor module 176 (eg, a fingerprint sensor, an iris sensor, or an illumination sensor) may be implemented as embedded in the display device 160 (eg, a display).

[0034] The processor 120 may run, for example, software (e.g., program 140) to control at least one other component of the electronic device 101 connected to the processor 120 (e.g., a hardware component or a software component), and may perform various data processing or calculations. According to one embodiment, as at least part of the data processing or calculation, the processor 120 may load commands or data received from another component (e.g., sensor module 176 or communication module 190) into the volatile memory 132, process the commands or data stored in the volatile memory 132, and store the resulting data in the non-volatile memory 134. Depending on the embodiment, the processor 120 may include a main processor 121 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU) or an application processor (AP)) and an auxiliary processor 123 (e.g., a graphics processing unit (GPU), an image signal processor (ISP), a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor (CP)) that is operationally independent of or integrated with the main processor 121. Additionally or alternatively, the auxiliary processor 123 may be configured to consume less power than the main processor 121 or to be specifically configured for a designated function. The auxiliary processor 123 may be implemented separately from the main processor 121 or as part of the main processor 121 .

[0035] When the main processor 121 is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, the auxiliary processor 123 may control at least some of the functions or states related to at least one component (e.g., the display device 160, the sensor module 176, or the communication module 190) among the components of the electronic device 101 (not the main processor 121), or when the main processor 121 is in an active state (e.g., running an application), the auxiliary processor 123 may control at least some of the functions or states related to at least one component (e.g., the display device 160, the sensor module 176, or the communication module 190) together with the main processor 121. Depending on the embodiment, the auxiliary processor 123 (e.g., an image signal processor or a communication processor) may be implemented as part of another component (e.g., the camera module 180 or the communication module 190) that is functionally related to the auxiliary processor 123.

[0036] The memory 130 may store various data used by at least one component of the electronic device 101 (e.g., the processor 120 or the sensor module 176). The various data may include, for example, software (e.g., the program 140) and input data or output data for commands related thereto. The memory 130 may include a volatile memory 132 or a non-volatile memory 134.

[0037] The program 140 may be stored as software in the memory 130 , and includes, for example, an operating system (OS) 142 , middleware 144 , or applications 146 .

[0038] The input device 150 may receive commands or data from outside the electronic device 101 (e.g., a user) to be used by other components of the electronic device 101 (e.g., the processor 120). The input device 150 may include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard, or a digital pen (e.g., a stylus).

[0039] The sound output device 155 can output sound signals to the outside of the electronic device 101. The sound output device 155 may include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker can be used for general purposes such as playing multimedia or records, and the receiver can be used for incoming calls. Depending on the embodiment, the receiver can be implemented separately from the speaker or as part of the speaker.

[0040] The display device 160 can visually provide information to the outside of the electronic device 101 (e.g., a user). The display device 160 may include, for example, a display, a holographic device, or a projector, and a control circuit for controlling a corresponding one of the display, the holographic device, and the projector. Depending on the embodiment, the display device 160 may include a touch circuit adapted to detect a touch or a sensor circuit adapted to measure the strength of the force caused by the touch (e.g., a pressure sensor).

[0041] The audio module 170 can convert sound into an electrical signal, and vice versa. According to an embodiment, the audio module 170 can obtain sound via the input device 150, or output sound via the sound output device 155 or an earphone of an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device 102) directly (e.g., wired) or wirelessly connected to the electronic device 101.

[0042] The sensor module 176 can detect an operating state (e.g., power or temperature) of the electronic device 101 or an environmental state (e.g., a user's state) outside the electronic device 101, and then generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the detected state. Depending on the embodiment, the sensor module 176 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 illumination sensor.

[0043] The interface 177 may support one or more specific protocols to be used to connect the electronic device 101 directly (e.g., wired) or wirelessly to an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device 102). Depending on the embodiment, the interface 177 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.

[0044] The connection end 178 may include a connector, wherein the electronic device 101 can be physically connected to an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device 102) via the connector. Depending on the embodiment, the connection end 178 may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).

[0045] The haptic module 179 may convert the electrical signal into mechanical stimulation (eg, vibration or motion) or electrical stimulation that can be recognized by the user via his sense of touch or kinesthetic sense. According to an embodiment, the haptic module 179 may include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulator.

[0046] The camera module 180 may capture still images or moving images. Depending on the embodiment, the camera module 180 may include one or more lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.

[0047] The power management module 188 may manage power supply to the electronic device 101. According to one embodiment, the power management module 188 may be implemented as at least part of, for example, a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

[0048] The battery 189 may power at least one component of the electronic device 101. According to an embodiment, the battery 189 may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell.

[0049] The communication module 190 may support establishing a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the electronic device 101 and an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device 102, electronic device 104, or server 108), and perform communication via the established communication channel. The communication module 190 may include one or more communication processors capable of operating independently from the processor 120 (e.g., an application processor (AP)) and supporting direct (e.g., wired) communication or wireless communication. Depending on the embodiment, the communication module 190 may include a wireless communication module 192 (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 194 (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module or a power line communication (PLC) module). A corresponding one of these communication modules can communicate with an external electronic device via a first network 198 (e.g., a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) Direct, or Infrared Data Association (IrDA)) or a second network 199 (e.g., a long-range communication network such as a cellular network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a LAN or a wide area network (WAN))). These various types of communication modules can be implemented as a single component (e.g., a single chip), or these various types of communication modules can be implemented as multiple components separated from each other (e.g., multiple chips). The wireless communication module 192 can identify and authenticate the electronic device 101 in a communication network (such as the first network 198 or the second network 199) using user information (e.g., an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI)) stored in the user identification module 196.

[0050] The antenna module 197 can transmit signals or power to the outside (e.g., an external electronic device) or receive signals or power from the outside (e.g., an external electronic device). According to an embodiment, the antenna module may include an antenna including a radiator formed by a conductor or conductive pattern formed on a substrate (e.g., a printed circuit board (PCB)). According to an embodiment, the antenna module 197 may include a plurality of antennas. In this case, at least one antenna suitable for a communication scheme used in a communication network (such as the first network 198 or the second network 199) may be selected from the plurality of antennas by, for example, the communication module 190. Signals or power can then be transmitted or received between the communication module 190 and the external electronic device via the selected at least one antenna. According to an embodiment, additional components other than the radiator (e.g., a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) may further be formed as part of the antenna module 197.

[0051] At least some of the above components can be connected to each other via an inter-peripheral communication scheme (e.g., a bus, general-purpose input output (GPIO), serial peripheral interface (SPI), or mobile industry processor interface (MIPI)) and communicatively transmit signals (e.g., commands or data) therebetween.

[0052] According to an embodiment, commands or data may be transmitted or received between the electronic device 101 and the external electronic device 104 via the server 108 connected to the second network 199. Each of the external electronic device 102 and the external electronic device 104 may be a device of the same type as the electronic device 101, or a device of a different type than the electronic device 101. According to an embodiment, all or some operations to be executed on the electronic device 101 may be executed on one or more of the external electronic device 102, the external electronic device 104, or the server 108. For example, if the electronic device 101 should automatically execute a function or service or should execute a function or service in response to a request from a user or another device, the electronic device 101 may request the one or more external electronic devices to execute at least part of the function or service instead of executing the function or service, or the electronic device 101 may request the one or more external electronic devices to execute at least part of the function or service in addition to executing the function or service. The one or more external electronic devices that receive the request may execute at least a portion of the requested function or service, or execute another function or service related to the request, and transmit the result of the execution to the electronic device 101. The electronic device 101 may provide the result as at least a partial response to the request, either by further processing the result or without further processing the result. To this end, for example, cloud computing technology, distributed computing technology, or client-server computing technology may be used.

[0053] Figure 1B is a front perspective view 100b showing an electronic device according to an embodiment. Figure 1C It shows that Figure 1B A rear perspective view 100c of an electronic device is shown.

[0054] refer to Figure 1B and Figure 1C According to an embodiment, the wearable device 101b (e.g., Figure 1AThe electronic device 101b may include: a housing 110a; a coupling member 150a and a coupling member 160a. The housing 110a includes a first surface (or front surface) 110A, a second surface (or rear surface) 110B, and a side surface 110C surrounding the space between the first surface 110A and the second surface 110B. The coupling member 150a and the coupling member 160a are connected to at least a portion of the housing 110a and are configured to allow the electronic device 101b to be detachably worn on the user's body (for example, his wrist or ankle). According to another embodiment (not shown), the housing may be a structure that forms only a portion of the first surface 110A, the second surface 110B, and the side surface 110C of Figure 1. According to an embodiment, at least a portion of the first surface 110A may have a substantially transparent front plate 112a (for example, a glass plate or a polymer plate including various coatings). The second surface 110B may be formed by a substantially opaque rear plate 107a. According to an embodiment, when the electronic device 101b includes a sensor module 165 arranged on the second surface 110B, the back plate 107a may at least partially include a transparent area. The back plate 107a may be made of laminated or tinted glass, ceramic, polymer, metal (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel (STS) or magnesium), or a combination of at least two thereof. The side surface 110C may be formed by a side frame structure (or "side member" or "side frame") 106a, which is coupled to the front plate 112a and the back plate 107a and includes metal and / or polymer. According to an embodiment, the back plate 107a and the side frame structure 106a may be formed integrally together and include the same material (e.g., a metal such as aluminum). The coupling member 150a and the coupling member 160a may be made of various materials of various shapes. A flexible monomer structure or multi-unit linker may be formed by fabric, leather, rubber, urethane, metal, ceramic or a combination of at least two thereof.

[0055] According to an embodiment, the electronic device 101b may include at least one or more of the following: a display 120a (refer to Figure 1D ), audio module 105a and audio module 108a, sensor module 165, key input devices 102a, 103a and 104a, and connector hole 109a. Depending on the embodiment, the electronic device 101b may exclude at least one of the components (e.g., key input devices 102a, 103a and 104a, connector hole 109a, or sensor module 165) or may add other components.

[0056] According to an embodiment, the electronic device 101b may include a plurality of electrodes for measuring biometric signals. At least one of the plurality of electrodes may be integrated with at least one of the key input device 102a, 103a or 104a, the side frame 106a, the display 120a or the housing 110a. Among the key input devices, the scroll wheel key 102a may include a rotating side frame. The display 120a may be exposed, for example, through a large portion of the front plate 112a. The display 120a may have a shape corresponding to the shape of the front plate 112a, for example, a circle, an ellipse or a polygon. The display 120a may be coupled to a touch detection circuit, a pressure sensor capable of measuring the intensity (pressure) of the touch, and / or a fingerprint sensor, or arranged adjacent thereto.

[0057] According to an embodiment, the display 120 a may include at least one transparent electrode for measuring a biometric signal, wherein the transparent electrode is one of a plurality of electrodes for measuring a biometric signal.

[0058] The audio module 105a and the audio module 108a may include a microphone hole 105a and a speaker hole 108a. The microphone hole 105a allows an internal microphone to receive sounds generated outside the electronic device. Depending on the embodiment, multiple microphones may be present to detect the direction of the sound. The speaker hole 108a may be used for an external speaker or receiver for telephone conversations. Depending on the embodiment, a speaker (e.g., a piezoelectric speaker) may be included without the speaker hole.

[0059] The sensor module 165 can generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the internal operating state or external environmental state of the electronic device 101b. The sensor module 165 (for example, the biometric sensor module 165 located on the second surface 110B of the housing 110a) may include an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor 165a for ECG measurement and a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor 165b for heart rate measurement, wherein the ECG sensor 165a includes at least two electrodes a1 and a2. The electronic device 101b may also include a sensor module not shown, such as at least one of a gesture sensor, a gyroscope sensor, an atmospheric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a color sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illumination sensor.

[0060] The key input devices 102a, 103a, and 104a may include: a scroll wheel 102a arranged on the first surface 110A of the housing 110a, which is rotatable in at least one direction, and / or side key buttons 103a and 104a arranged on the side surface 110C of the housing 110a. The scroll wheel 102a may have a shape corresponding to the shape of the front panel 112a. Depending on the embodiment, the electronic device 101b may exclude all or some of the key input devices 102a, 103a, and 104a mentioned above, and the excluded key input devices 102a, 103a, and 104a may be implemented in other forms, such as soft keys on the display 120a. The connector hole 109a may receive a connector (e.g., a universal serial bus (USB) connector) for transmitting and receiving power and / or data to and from an external electronic device. Another connector hole (not shown) may be included for receiving a connector for transmitting and receiving audio signals to and from an external electronic device. The electronic device 101b may further include a connector cover (not shown) for covering, for example, at least a portion of the connector hole 109a, thereby preventing undesirable substances (eg, dirt) from entering the connector hole.

[0061] Coupling members 150a and 160a can be removably fastened to at least a portion of housing 110a via locking members 151a and 161a. Locking members 151a and 161a may include components or portions for coupling, such as pogo pins, and, depending on the embodiment, may be replaced by protrusions or recesses formed on or in coupling members 150a and 160a. For example, coupling members 150a and 160a may be coupled by fitting into or over a recess or protrusion formed on housing 110. Coupling members 150a and 160a may include one or more of a fastening member 152a, a fastening member coupling hole 153a, a strap guide member 154a, and a strap fastening ring 155a.

[0062] The fastening member 152a can be configured to allow the housing 110a and the coupling members 150a and 160a to be fastened to the user's body (e.g., a wrist or ankle). The fastening member coupling holes 153a can fasten the housing 110a and the coupling members 150a and 160a to the user's body in correspondence with the fastening member 152a. The strap guide member 154a can be configured to limit the movement of the fastening member 152a to a certain range when the fastening member 152a is fitted into one of the fastening member coupling holes 153a, thereby allowing the coupling members 150a and 160a to be tightly fastened to the user's body. The strap fastening ring 155a can limit the range of movement of the coupling members 150a and 160a using the fastening member 152a fitted into one of the fastening member coupling holes 153a.

[0063] Figure 1D It shows Figure 1B 100d is an exploded perspective view of the electronic device 101b.

[0064] refer to Figure 1D , electronic device 101b (e.g., Figure 1A The electronic device 101b may include a side frame structure 210a, a scroll wheel key 220a, a front panel 112a, a display 120a, a first antenna 250a, a second circuit board 255a, a housing 260a (e.g., a bracket), a battery 270a, a printed circuit board 280a, a sealing member 290a, a rear panel 293a, and coupling members 295a and 297a. At least one of the components of the electronic device 101b may be connected to the Figure 1A or Figure 1CAt least one of the components of the electronic device 101b is the same or similar, and a repeated description is not given below. The support member 260a can be arranged inside the electronic device 101b so as to be connected to or integrated with the side frame structure 210a. The support member 260a can be made of a metal material and / or a non-metallic material (e.g., a polymer). The display 120a can be bonded to one surface of the support member 260a, and the printed circuit board 280a can be bonded to the opposite surface of the support member 260a. The processor, memory and / or interface can be mounted on the printed circuit board 280a. The processor can include, for example, one or more of a central processing unit, an application processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), a sensor processor or a communication processor. The processor can include a microprocessor or any appropriate type of processing circuit, such as one or more general-purpose processors (e.g., an ARM-based processor), a digital signal processor (DSP), a programmable logic device (PLD), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a graphics card controller, and the like. In addition, it will be appreciated that when a general-purpose computer accesses the code for implementing the processing shown in this article, the operation of the code transforms the general-purpose computer into a special-purpose computer for executing the processing shown in this article. Some of the functions and steps provided in the figure and the steps can be implemented in the form of hardware, software, or a combination of the two and can be executed in whole or in part within the programming instructions of the computer. The claim elements in this article will not be interpreted according to Section 35, U.S. Code, §112 (f), unless the phrase "means for" is used to clearly describe the elements. In addition, the technician understands and appreciates that a "processor" or "microprocessor" can be the hardware in the disclosure claimed. Under the broadest reasonable interpretation, the appended claims are statutory subject matter in accordance with Section 35, U.S. Code, Section 101.

[0065] The memory may include, for example, a volatile or non-volatile memory. The interface may include, for example, a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, a Secure Digital (SD) card interface, and / or an audio interface. The interface may electrically or physically connect the electronic device 101b to an external electronic device and may include a USB connector, an SD card / MultiMediaCard (MMC) connector, or an audio connector.

[0066] The battery 270a may be a device for supplying power to at least one component of the electronic device 101b. The battery 270a may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell. At least a portion of the battery 270a may be arranged on substantially the same plane as the printed circuit board 280a. The battery 270a may be arranged integrally or detachably within the electronic device 101b.

[0067] The first antenna 250a may be arranged between the display 120a and the supporting member 260a. The first antenna 250a may, for example, include a near field communication (NFC) antenna, a wireless charging antenna, and / or a magnetic secure transmission (MST) antenna. The first antenna 250a may perform short-range communication with an external device, wirelessly transmit / receive the power necessary to charge the electronic device 101b, or transmit a magnetic-based signal or a short-range communication signal including payment data. According to an embodiment, the antenna structure of the first antenna 250a may be formed by part or a combination of the side frame structure 210a and / or the supporting member 260a.

[0068] The second circuit board 255a may be arranged between the circuit board 280a and the back plate 293a. The second circuit board 255a may include an antenna, for example, a near field communication (NFC) antenna, a wireless charging antenna and / or a magnetic secure transmission (MST) antenna. The second circuit board 255a may perform short-range communication with an external device, wirelessly send / receive the power necessary to charge the electronic device 101b, or send a magnetic-based signal or a short-range communication signal including payment data. According to an embodiment, the antenna structure of the antenna of the second circuit board 255a may be formed by part or a combination of the side frame structure 210a and / or the back plate 293a. According to an embodiment, when the electronic device 101b (for example, Figure 1B or Figure 1C The electronic device 101b) includes a sensor module (eg, Figure 1B When the electronic device 101b includes a sensor module 165 (e.g., a photoelectric conversion element or an electrode pad) that is separate from the second circuit board 255a, or a sensor circuit disposed on the second circuit board 255a, the electronic device 101b may be disposed. For example, the electronic component referred to as the sensor module 165 may be disposed between the circuit board 280a and the rear plate 293a.

[0069] The sealing member 290a may be located between the side frame structure 210a and the rear plate 293a. The sealing member 290a may be configured to block moisture or foreign matter from entering a space surrounded by the side frame structure 210a and the rear plate 293a.

[0070] Figure 2 is a block diagram 200 schematically illustrating a wearable electronic device according to an embodiment.

[0071] refer to Figure 2 , the wearable electronic device 201 (eg, Figures 1A to 1D The electronic devices 101a to 101d) may include a living body measurement unit 210, a processor 220, a memory 230, and a display 260.

[0072] According to an embodiment, the living body measurement unit 210 can detect contact between a portion of a living body and an electronic device and measure a biometric signal. The living body measurement unit 210 can include a living body interface unit 211, a biometric data acquisition unit 213, and a living body contact detection unit 215.

[0073] According to an embodiment, the living body interface unit 211 may include at least one electrode that directly contacts the living body. The living body interface unit 211 may electrically contact the living body so as to exchange electrical signals between the living body and the biometric data acquisition unit 213 or the living body contact detection unit 215 .

[0074] According to an embodiment, the biometric data acquisition unit 213 may detect an electrical signal received via at least one electrode, thereby generating a biometric signal. The biometric signal may be transmitted to the processor 220 for analysis via an analog-to-digital converter (ADC).

[0075] According to an embodiment, the living body contact detection unit 215 may determine an operating state of a biometric signal measurement of the wearable electronic device 201 using two electrodes included in the living body interface unit 211 and may analyze a biometric signal generated from the biometric data acquisition unit 213 to thereby measure the biometric signal.

[0076] According to an embodiment, when at least two electrodes contact a living body to measure a biometric signal, the living body contact detection unit 215 may apply different voltages to the at least two electrodes. The living body contact detection unit 215 may output information indicating the operating status of the biometric signal measurement of the wearable electronic device 201 based on the voltages output from the at least two electrodes.

[0077] According to an embodiment, when a first electrode among at least two electrodes for biometric signal measurement contacts a first part of a living body (e.g., a wrist), the living body contact detection unit 215 may apply a first voltage to the first electrode. Based on the first voltage applied to the first electrode, the living body contact detection unit 215 may output information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device 201 is a state ready for biometric signal measurement (this state may be referred to as a biometric signal measurement-ready state). When a first electrode and a third electrode among the at least two electrodes contact a first part of a living body (e.g., a wrist) and a second part of the living body (e.g., a finger), respectively, the living body contact detection unit 215 may apply a second voltage different from the first voltage to each of the first and third electrodes. Based on the first voltage and the second voltages applied to the first and third electrodes, respectively, the living body contact detection unit 215 may output information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device 201 is a state in which biometric signals can be measured (this state may be referred to as a "state capable of biometric signal measurement").

[0078] According to an embodiment, when a first electrode for measuring biometric signals and a second electrode for applying voltage contact a first part of a living body (e.g., a wrist), the living body contact detection unit 215 can form a path between the first electrode and the second electrode, thereby creating a closed loop between the first electrode and the second electrode via the first part of the living body (e.g., the wrist). Because the path is formed between the first electrode and the second electrode, the living body contact detection unit 215 can output first information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device 201 is ready for biometric signal measurement based on the first voltage applied from the second electrode to the first electrode. When the third electrode for measuring biometric signals contacts a second part of the living body (e.g., a finger) while the first information is being output, the living body contact detection unit 215 can form an additional path between the second electrode and the third electrode. The living body contact detection unit 215 can output second information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device 201 is ready for biometric signal measurement based on a second voltage (different from the first voltage) applied from the second electrode to each of the first and third electrodes.

[0079] According to an embodiment, when the first electrode and the third electrode are not in contact with any part of the living body when the second information is output, based on the voltage output from the third electrode to which no voltage is applied and the first electrode (for example, 0V), the living body contact detection unit 215 can output third information from the second electrode indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device is a state in which the biometric signal measurement has been stopped (this state is referred to as a biometric signal measurement stop state).

[0080] According to an embodiment, the living body contact detection unit 215 may measure the biometric signal using a difference between potential values ​​measured at at least two electrodes for biometric signal measurement.

[0081] The following references Figure 3 The living body contact detection unit 215 is described.

[0082] According to an embodiment, the processor 220 (e.g., Figure 1A The processor 120) can control the overall operation of the wearable electronic device 201.

[0083] According to an embodiment, the processor 220 (e.g., Figure 1A The processor 120 of the wearable electronic device 201 can determine the operating status of the biometric signal measurement of the wearable electronic device 201 based on the information output from the living contact detection unit 215.

[0084] According to an embodiment, upon receiving the first information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device 201 is a biometric signal measurement ready state, the processor 220 may switch to a biometric signal measurement (e.g., ECG measurement) ready state. For example, the processor 220 may detect an application capable of performing biometric signal measurement and prepare to run the application. In the biometric signal measurement ready state, the processor 220 may perform a biometric signal measurement based on a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor ( Figure 4A 415) receives the signal to measure the heart rate.

[0085] According to an embodiment, upon receiving second information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device 201 is a state capable of performing biometric signal measurement, the processor 220 may switch to a state capable of performing biometric signal measurement (eg, a state in which ECG is measured).

[0086] According to an embodiment, when receiving third information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device 201 is a biometric signal measurement stop state in a state capable of performing biometric signal measurement, the processor 220 may switch to the biometric signal measurement stop state. In this state, measurement of the biometric signal may be stopped.

[0087] According to an embodiment, upon receiving first information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device 201 is a biometric signal measurement-ready state, the processor 220 may switch to the biometric signal measurement-ready state and then maintain a session for the biometric signal measurement-ready state. Upon receiving second information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device 201 is a state capable of performing biometric signal measurement while maintaining the session for the biometric signal measurement-ready state, the processor 220 may automatically switch to a state capable of performing biometric signal measurement and measure the biometric signal.

[0088] According to an embodiment, upon receiving first information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device 201 is a state ready for biometric signal measurement, the processor 220 may display, via a user interface (UI), on the display 260, that the wearable electronic device 201 is currently in the state ready for biometric signal measurement. Upon receiving second information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device 201 is a state capable of performing biometric signal measurement while displaying that the wearable electronic device 201 is currently in the state ready for biometric signal measurement, the wearable electronic device 201 may display, via the UI on the display 260, that the wearable electronic device 201 is currently in the state of measuring biometric signals.

[0089] According to an embodiment, the memory 230 may store data (eg, biometric signal data) from the wearable electronic device 201. Figure 1A The memory 230 may be implemented in substantially the same or similar manner as the memory 130 described above. The memory 230 may be implemented as a non-volatile memory.

[0090] According to an embodiment, the Figure 1A The display 260 is implemented in a manner substantially the same as or similar to the display device 160 described above. The display 260 may display information indicating that the wearable electronic device is operating in a state ready for biometric signal measurement, or information indicating that the wearable electronic device is operating in a state of measuring biometric signals, via the UI. When the electrodes of the wearable electronic device are not in contact with any part of a living body while measuring biometric signals, the display 260 may display information indicating that biometric signal measurement is stopped, via the UI.

[0091] Figure 3 FIG3 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a living body contact detection unit of a wearable electronic device according to an embodiment.

[0092] refer to Figure 3 , the living body contact detection unit 310 (eg, Figure 2The living body contact detection unit 215 may include a plurality of electrodes 311 , 312 and 313 , an electrode connection detection unit 330 , a bias unit 350 , and a measurement unit 370 .

[0093] According to an embodiment, the plurality of electrodes may include a first electrode 311 and a third electrode 313 for measuring a biometric signal, and a second electrode 312 for applying a voltage to the first electrode 311 and / or the third electrode 313 .

[0094] According to an embodiment, the first electrode 311 and the third electrode 313 may include sensing electrodes capable of measuring biometric signals at both ends (eg, right hand and / or left hand) of a living body.

[0095] According to an embodiment, the first electrode 311 may be installed at a position where a first part of the living body (e.g., a wrist) can contact it, and the third electrode 313 may be installed at a position where a second part of the living body (e.g., a finger) can contact it. The third electrode 313 may be installed at a position different from the position where the first electrode 311 and the second electrode 312 are installed, and the second part of the living body (e.g., a finger) can contact the third electrode 313.

[0096] According to an embodiment, the second electrode 312 may be located on the same surface as the first electrode 311 or the third electrode 313. For example, the second electrode 312 may be located on the same surface as the first electrode 311 and may contact the first part of the living body (e.g., wrist) simultaneously with the first electrode 311.

[0097] According to an embodiment, when the second electrode 312 and the first electrode 311 simultaneously contact the first part of the living body (e.g., the wrist), a path can be formed between the second electrode 312 and the first electrode 311, thereby generating a closed loop between the second electrode 312 and the first electrode 311 via the first part of the living body (e.g., the wrist), and the first voltage can be applied to the first electrode 311 via the path.

[0098] According to an embodiment, when the third electrode 313 contacts a second part of a living body (e.g., a finger) while the first voltage is applied to the first electrode 311, thereby forming an additional path between the second electrode 312 and the third electrode 313, the second electrode 312 may apply the same second voltage to each of the first electrode 311 and the third electrode 313. The second voltage may be lower than the first voltage.

[0099] According to an embodiment, the electrode connection detection unit 330 may output an indication of the wearable electronic device (eg, Figure 2Information on the operating status of the wearable electronic device 201) measured by the biometric signal.

[0100] According to an embodiment, the electrode connection detection unit 330 may output first information indicating that the operation state of the wearable electronic device is a biometric signal measurement ready state based on the voltage (eg, the first voltage or the second voltage) output from the first electrode 311 .

[0101] According to an embodiment, the electrode connection detection unit 330 may output second information indicating that the operation state of the wearable electronic device is a state capable of biometric signal measurement based on the second voltage output from the first electrode 311 and the third electrode 313 .

[0102] According to an embodiment, when the first electrode 311 and the third electrode 313 do not contact any part of the living body, the electrode connection detection unit 330 can output third information from the second electrode 312 indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device is a biometric signal measurement stop state based on no voltage (for example, 0V) being output from the third electrode 313 and the first electrode 311.

[0103] According to an embodiment, the electrode connection detection unit 330 may include a first connection detection unit 331 that outputs a first comparison value obtained by comparing a first reference voltage with the first voltage and / or the second voltage output from the first electrode 311. The electrode connection detection unit 330 may further include a second connection detection unit 332 that outputs a second comparison value obtained by comparing a second reference voltage with the second voltage output from the third electrode 313. The electrode connection detection unit 330 may sum the first comparison value output from the first connection detection unit 331 and the second comparison value output from the second connection detection unit 332, and output the summed value as information indicating the operating status of the biometric signal measurement of the wearable electronic device.

[0104] According to an embodiment, when forming a path with the second electrode 312 , the bias unit 350 may adjust a voltage to be applied to the first electrode 311 and / or the third electrode 313 to the first voltage and / or the second voltage.

[0105] According to an embodiment, the bias unit 350 may be configured as an inverting adding amplifier.

[0106] According to an embodiment, the measurement unit 370 may measure a biometric signal using a difference between potential values ​​measured at the first electrode 311 and the third electrode 313 .

[0107] According to an embodiment, the measuring unit 370 may include a differential amplifier or an instrumentation amplifier (IA) having a very high input impedance.

[0108] Figure 4A 、 Figure 4B 、 Figure 4C and Figure 4D 400a to 400d are views illustrating electrodes of a wearable electronic device according to an embodiment.

[0109] Figure 4A A front surface 401 a and a back surface 401 b of a wearable electronic device 401 are shown.

[0110] refer to Figure 4A , a first electrode 411 (eg, Figure 3 The first electrode 311 of the wearable electronic device 401 may be arranged on the rear surface 401b of the wearable electronic device 401 to apply a voltage to the first electrode 411 and the third electrode 413 (eg, Figure 3 The second electrode 412 (eg, the third electrode 313) Figure 3 The second electrode 312) can be arranged on the same surface as the first electrode 411. The third electrode 413 for measuring a biometric signal can be arranged on the side surface of the wearable electronic device 401, which can be contacted by the user's other hand when the wearable electronic device 401 is worn on one hand. A photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor 415 for heart rate measurement can be installed at the center of the rear surface 401b of the wearable electronic device 401.

[0111] like Figure 4B As shown, the wearable electronic device 401 can be worn on the user's wrist, and a first part of the user's body (e.g., the user's wrist) can contact the first electrode 411 and the second electrode 412, and a second part of the user's body (e.g., the user's finger) can contact the third electrode 413 located on the right side surface of the wearable electronic device 401.

[0112] The third electrode can be touched by a second part of the user's body (e.g., a finger) when the wearable electronic device 401 is worn on the user's wrist and a first part of the user's body (e.g., the wrist) contacts the first electrode 411 and the second electrode 412. The third electrode can be arranged in various positions. For example, the third electrode 413 can be arranged on the left side surface of the wearable electronic device 401, or as Figure 4B The arrangement shown is on the right side surface.

[0113] Or, as Figure 4CAs shown, the third electrode 413 may be included as a transparent electrode in the display 460 (eg, Figure 1D Display 120a or Figure 2 260) and is contacted by a second part of the user's body (e.g., a finger).

[0114] Or, as Figure 4D As shown, the third electrode 413 may be arranged on the side frame 402 (eg, Figure 1B 106a) and is contacted by a second part of the user's body (eg, a finger). When the wearable electronic device 401 has no side frame, the third electrode 413 may be arranged on a housing (eg, Figure 1B 110a) and is contacted by a second part of the user's body (e.g., a finger).

[0115] Figure 5 FIG5 is a circuit diagram 500 illustrating a living body contact detection unit of a wearable electronic device according to an embodiment. Figure 5 yes Figure 3 1. Circuit diagram of a living body contact detection unit 310 of a wearable electronic device.

[0116] refer to Figure 5 The living contact detection unit 510 may include: a plurality of electrodes 511, 512 and 513; a plurality of buffers 523 with high input impedance, which process voltages output from the first electrode 511 and the third electrode 513 for biometric signal measurement; an electrode connection detection unit 531 and an electrode connection detection unit 532; a bias unit 550; and a measurement unit 570, which measures biometric signals based on the first electrode 511 and the third electrode 513.

[0117] The plurality of electrodes may include a first electrode 511 and a third electrode 513 for measuring a biometric signal, and a second electrode 512 for applying a predetermined voltage to the first electrode 511 and the third electrode 513 .

[0118] The electrode connection detection unit 531 and the electrode connection detection unit 532 may include a first connection detection unit 531 and a second connection detection unit 532, wherein the first connection detection unit 531 compares the first reference voltage with the first voltage and / or the second voltage output from the first electrode 511, and the second connection detection unit 532 compares the second reference voltage with the second voltage output from the third electrode 513.

[0119] The first connection detection unit 531 may include a first comparator 531 a and a second comparator 531 b , and may set a first reference voltage TH_L of the first comparator 531 a to “0.4V” and a first reference voltage TH_H of the second comparator 531 b to “1.4V”.

[0120] According to an embodiment, the processor (e.g. Figure 2 The processor 220 of the wearable electronic device may be used to adjust the first reference voltage TH_L of the first comparator 531a and the first reference voltage TH_H of the second comparator 531b to enhance detection capabilities. The processor may adjust the first reference voltage TH_L of the first comparator 531a and the first reference voltage TH_H of the second comparator 531b according to the operating state of the biometric signal measurement of the wearable electronic device. When the operating state of the biometric signal measurement of the wearable electronic device is a biometric signal measurement ready state, the processor may adjust the range of the first reference voltage TH_L of the first comparator 531a and the first reference voltage TH_H of the second comparator 531b to a first range. When the operating state of the biometric signal measurement of the wearable electronic device is a state of measuring biometric signals, the processor may adjust the range of the first reference voltage TH_L of the first comparator 531a and the first reference voltage TH_H of the second comparator 531b to a second range that is smaller than or larger than the first range.

[0121] The second connection detection unit 532 may include a first comparator 532a and a second comparator 532b, and may set the second reference voltage TH_H of the first comparator 532a to "1.4V" and the second reference voltage TH_L of the second comparator 532b to "0.4V".

[0122] According to an embodiment, the processor (e.g. Figure 2The processor 220 of the wearable electronic device may adjust the second reference voltage TH_H of the first comparator 532a and the second reference voltage TH_L of the second comparator 532b to enhance detection capabilities. The processor may adjust the second reference voltage TH_H of the first comparator 532a and the second reference voltage TH_L of the second comparator 532b according to the operating state of the biometric signal measurement of the wearable electronic device. When the operating state of the biometric signal measurement of the wearable electronic device is a biometric signal measurement ready state, the processor may adjust the range between the second reference voltage TH_H of the first comparator 532a and the second reference voltage TH_L of the second comparator 532b to a third range. Furthermore, when the operating state of the biometric signal measurement of the wearable electronic device is a state of measuring a biometric signal, the processor may adjust the range between the second reference voltage TH_H of the first comparator 532a and the second reference voltage TH_L of the second comparator 532b to a fourth range that is smaller than or larger than the third range.

[0123] According to an embodiment, the comparator (e.g., the first comparator 531a and the second comparator 531b of the first connection detection unit 531 and / or the first comparator 532a and the second comparator 532b of the second connection detection unit 532) may compare the voltages applied to the non-inverting (+) input terminal and the inverting (-) input terminal and output a comparison result. For example, when the voltage applied to the non-inverting (+) input terminal is higher than the voltage applied to the inverting (-) input terminal, the comparator may output "1", and when the voltage applied to the non-inverting (+) input terminal is the same as or lower than the voltage applied to the inverting (-) input terminal, the comparator may output "0". The comparator (e.g., the first comparator 531a and the second comparator 531b of the first connection detection unit 531 and / or the first comparator 532a and the second comparator 532b of the second connection detection unit 532) may compare the voltages applied to the non-inverting (+) input terminal and the inverting (-) input terminal based on various other comparison conditions and output a result.

[0124] According to an embodiment, the properties of the electrode connection detection unit 531 and the electrode connection detection unit 532 may be adjusted according to external factors, such as characteristics of the user (eg, dryness of the hands) and / or the surrounding environment (eg, temperature).

[0125] According to an embodiment, the properties of the electrode connection detection unit 531 and the electrode connection detection unit 532 can be adjusted by increasing the input resistance (Rin) of the front end of the buffer 523 or by changing the comparator (e.g., the first comparator 531a and the second comparator 531b of the first connection detection unit 531 and / or the first comparator 532a and the second comparator 532b of the second connection detection unit 532) to a default operating voltage (e.g., 0.4V).

[0126] According to an embodiment, the properties of the electrode connection detection unit 531 and the electrode connection detection unit 532 can be changed by user selection or automatically changed according to the detection results by a detection unit capable of detecting external factors (for example, user characteristics (for example, the dryness of the hands) and / or the surrounding environment (for example, temperature)).

[0127] The electrode connection detection unit 531 and the electrode connection detection unit 532 may output information obtained by summing up the information output from the first connection detection unit 531 and the information output from the second connection detection unit 532, and sequentially list such information items as information for indicating the wearable electronic device (for example, Figure 2 Information on the operating status (eg, first information or second information) measured by a biometric signal of the wearable electronic device 201).

[0128] The bias unit 550 may include an inverting summing amplifier, the average voltage of the first electrode 511 and the third electrode 513 may be input to the inverting (-) terminal of the amplifier, and Vbias input to the non-inverting (+) terminal may be set to 0.9 V. The amplifier may be configured to output 0 V up to 1.8 V.

[0129] The plurality of buffers 523 are high impedance elements and may allow a high voltage to be applied to respective front nodes B1 and B2 of the first electrode 511 and the third electrode 513 .

[0130] Due to their high impedance, the multiple buffers 523 can stop the current flowing through the front nodes B1 and B2 of the first electrode 511 and the third electrode 513 from flowing to the multiple buffers 523, thereby preventing the biometric measurement (e.g., ECG measurement) signal from being weakened due to a drop in the voltage applied to the front nodes B1 and B2 of the first electrode 511 and the third electrode 513.

[0131] Multiple buffers 523 may be used for signals for precise biometric measurements (eg, ECG measurements) where contact resistance is increased due to dry skin of the user or smaller electrode area as in wearable electronic devices.

[0132] In the case where the electrode impedance is maintained below a predetermined reference in the wearable electronic device, the plurality of buffers 523 may not be included in the living body contact detection unit 510. The plurality of buffers 523 is an element for minimizing the influence of the electrode impedance and may be omitted in a system where the electrode impedance is maintained below a predetermined reference.

[0133] Figure 6 600 is a diagram illustrating an example of detecting living contact by a wearable electronic device according to an embodiment. Figure 6 : is a diagram showing a state where a biometric signal measurement is stopped in a wearable electronic device in which no living body contact is made. Figure 6 Shown with Figure 5 The same living body contact detection unit 610.

[0134] refer to Figure 6 , when the living body is not in contact with both the first electrode 611 and the third electrode 613 for biometric measurement, the first electrode 611 and the third electrode 613 can both output a voltage of 0V. The first comparator 631a and the second comparator 631b included in the first connection detection unit 631 can compare the voltage (0V) output from the first electrode 611 with the first reference voltage (TH_L=0.4V, TH_H=1.4V), and output "NL=1, NH=0" as information according to the comparison result. The first comparator 632a and the second comparator 632b included in the second connection detection unit 632 can compare the voltage (0V) output from the third electrode 613 with the second reference voltage (TH_H=1.4V, TH_L=0.4V), and output "PL=1, PH=0" as information according to the comparison result. "PL, PH, NL, NH=1010" (690) can be output as the third information to the processor (for example, Figure 2 The processor 220 of the present invention may detect that the biometric signal measurement operation state of the wearable electronic device is the biometric signal measurement stop state based on the third information "PL, PH, NL, NH = 1010" (690) output from the living body contact detection unit 610.

[0135] Figure 7A 、 Figure 7B 、 Figure 7C and Figure 7D 700a to 700d illustrate an example of detecting living body contact by a wearable electronic device according to an embodiment. 7A to 7D1 is a diagram showing a biometric signal measurement ready state in a wearable electronic device, and shows a process from the time when the wearable electronic device contacts the first part (e.g., wrist) of a living body to a final stable state, during which information indicating that the first part (e.g., wrist) of the living body is in contact with the wearable electronic device can be output. Except for using different reference numerals, 7A to 7D Shown with Figure 5 and Figure 6 The same living body contact detection unit 710.

[0136] refer to Figure 7A When the wearable electronic device is worn on a user's wrist, the first electrode 711 and the second electrode 712 located on the same surface can contact a first part of the living body (e.g., the wrist). When the first electrode 711 and the second electrode 712 contact the first part of the living body (e.g., the wrist) so that a path A1 is formed between the first electrode 711 and the second electrode 712, the second electrode 712 can apply a maximum voltage Vsat of, for example, 1.8V to the first electrode 711 (a1).

[0137] refer to Figure 7B When the maximum voltage of 1.8V is applied from the second electrode 712 to the first electrode 711, the voltage of 1.8V output from the first electrode 711 can be input to each of the first comparator 731a and the second comparator 731b included in the first connection detection unit 731 (a2). Since the third electrode 713 has an output of 0V, which is not in contact with the living body, the first comparator 732a and the second comparator 732b included in the second connection detection unit 732 can maintain the input of 0V output from the third electrode 713. The average voltage of 0.9V of the first electrode 711 and the third electrode 713 can be input to the inverting (-) terminal (a3) ​​of the bias unit 760.

[0138] refer to Figure 7C , 1.8V input to each of the first comparator 731a and the second comparator 731b included in the first connection detection unit 731 can be compared with the first reference voltage (TH_L=0.4V, TH_H=1.4V), and can output (a4) "NL=0, NH=1" as information according to the comparison result. The first comparator 732a and the second comparator 732b included in the second connection detection unit 732 can compare the voltage (0V) output from the third electrode 713 with the second reference voltage (TH_H=1.4V, TH_L=0.4V), and maintain the output of "PL=1, PH=0" as information according to the comparison result.

[0139] pass 7A to 7C The process shown in Figure 7DWhen the final stable state is reached, "PL, PH, NL, NH = 1001" (790) can be output as the first information to the processor (eg, Figure 2 The processor 220 of the present invention may detect that the biometric signal measurement operation state of the wearable electronic device is the biometric signal measurement ready state based on the first information "PL, PH, NL, NH = 1001" (790) output from the living body contact detection unit 710.

[0140] Figure 8A 、 Figure 8B and Figure 8C 800a to 800c are views illustrating an example of detecting living body contact by a wearable electronic device according to an embodiment. Figures 8A to 8C This is a diagram showing a state in which biometric signal measurement is possible in a wearable electronic device, and shows a process from the time when the wearable electronic device contacts a second part (e.g., a finger) of the living body when a first part (e.g., a wrist) of the living body contacts the wearable electronic device to a final stable state in which information indicating that both the first part (e.g., wrist) and the second part (e.g., finger) of the living body are in contact with the wearable electronic device can be output. Except for using different reference numerals, Figures 8A to 8C Shown with Figure 5 The living body contact detection unit 810 is the same as that in FIG. 7 .

[0141] refer to Figure 8A , when the third electrode 813 contacts the second part (e.g., finger) of the living body while the first information "PL, PH, NL, NH=1001" (790) indicating that the wearable electronic device contacts the first part (e.g., wrist) of the living body is output from the living body contact detection unit 810, an additional path A2 may be formed between the second electrode 812 and the third electrode 813. When the additional path A2 is formed between the second electrode 812 and the third electrode 813, the voltage at the third electrode 813 may rise (b1), so that the voltage output to the second connection detection unit 832 may also rise (b2), and the average voltage at the first electrode 811 and the third electrode 813 of the inverting (-) terminal increases (b3), so that the output voltage of the bias unit 860 may drop (b4).

[0142] refer to Figure 8B, as the average voltage input to the inverting (-) terminal of the bias unit 860 increases, if the output voltage of the bias unit 860 decreases, the voltage applied from the second electrode 812 to the first electrode 811 can decrease (b5), so that the voltage output from the first connection detection unit 831 can decrease (b6).

[0143] refer to Figure 8A and Figure 8B , when the output value of the bias unit 860 changes as the third electrode 813 contacts the second part (e.g., finger) of the living body in a case where the first part (e.g., wrist) of the living body contacts the first electrode 811 and the second electrode 812 at the same time, the average voltage between the first electrode 811 and the third electrode 813 input to the inverting (-) terminal of the bias unit 860 may be adjusted to a predetermined voltage (e.g., 0.9 V) so that the same second voltage is applied from the second electrode 812 to each of the first electrode 811 and the third electrode 813, as shown in FIG. Figure 8C When the average voltage is adjusted to a predetermined voltage (eg, 0.9V), the second voltage applied to the first electrode 811 and the third electrode 813 may become 0.4V to 1.4V.

[0144] refer to Figure 8C , the voltage at the first electrode 811 can be reduced to a target voltage (e.g., 0.9 V), and the voltage at the third electrode 813 can be increased to a target voltage (e.g., 0.9 V) (b7), so that the average voltage can be adjusted to a predetermined voltage (e.g., 0.9 V) (b8). When the average voltage (e.g., 0.9 V) adjusted to the predetermined voltage is input to the inverting (-) terminal of the bias unit 860, the bias unit 860 can output the target voltage (e.g., 0.9 V) (b9). As the second electrode 812 applies the second voltage (e.g., 0.9 V) to each of the first electrode 811 and the third electrode 813, the second voltage (e.g., 0.9 V) can be output to the first connection detection unit 831 and the second connection detection unit 832.

[0145] The second voltage (e.g., 0.9V) input to each of the first comparator 831a and the second comparator 831b included in the first connection detection unit 831 can be compared with the first reference voltage (TH_L=0.4V, TH_H=1.4V), and "NL=0, NH=0" can be output (b10) as information according to the comparison result. The second voltage (e.g., 0.9V) input to each of the first comparator 832a and the second comparator 832b included in the second connection detection unit 832 can be compared with the second reference voltage (TH_H=1.4V, TH_L=0.4V), and the output "PL=0, PH=0" can be maintained, which is information according to the comparison result. "PL, PH, NL, NH=0000" (890) can be output to the processor (e.g., Figure 2 In the processor 220, "PL, PH, NL, NH = 0000" (890) is second information obtained by summing the information (PL, PH) output from the second connection detection unit 832 and the information (NL, NH) output from the first connection detection unit 831 and listing the information in order. The processor can detect that the biometric signal measurement operation state of the wearable electronic device is a state in which biometric signal measurement is possible based on the second information "PL, PH, NL, NH = 0000" (890) output from the living body contact detection unit 810.

[0146] According to an embodiment, a wearable electronic device (e.g., Figure 2 The wearable electronic device 201 includes at least two electrodes (eg, Figure 3 a first electrode 312 and a third electrode 313); a living body contact detection unit (eg, Figure 2 Living body contact detection unit 215 or Figure 3 a living body contact detection unit 310 configured to apply a voltage to at least one electrode of the at least two electrodes that contacts the living body and output information indicating an operating state of a biometric signal measurement of the wearable electronic device based on the voltage output from the at least one electrode; and a processor (e.g., Figure 1A Processor 120 or Figure 2 The processor 220 is configured to determine an operating state of the biometric signal measurement of the wearable electronic device based on information received from the living contact detection unit.

[0147] According to an embodiment, a living body contact detection unit (eg, Figure 3 The living contact detection unit 310 is configured to: when the first electrode (eg, Figure 3When the first electrode 311 of the at least two electrodes contacts the first part of the living body, a first voltage is applied to the first electrode; and when the first electrode and the third electrode (eg, Figure 3 When the third electrode 313 of the present invention contacts the first part of the living body and the second part of the living body respectively, a second voltage different from the first voltage is applied to each of the first electrode and the third electrode.

[0148] According to an embodiment, a living body contact detection unit (eg, Figure 3 The living body contact detection unit 310) is configured to: when the first electrode for biometric signal measurement and the second electrode for applying voltage contact a first part of the living body, output first information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device is a biometric signal measurement-ready state based on the first voltage applied to the first electrode; and when the third electrode for biometric signal measurement contacts a second part of the living body during the process of outputting the first information, output second information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device is a state capable of performing biometric signal measurement based on the second voltage applied to each of the first electrode and the third electrode.

[0149] According to an embodiment, a living body contact detection unit (eg, Figure 3 The living body contact detection unit 310) is configured to: when the first electrode and the third electrode are not in contact with any part of the living body, output third information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device is a biometric signal measurement stop state based on the absence of voltage output from the third electrode and the first electrode.

[0150] According to an embodiment, a living body contact detection unit (eg, Figure 3 The living contact detection unit 310 includes at least two electrodes, the at least two electrodes including a first electrode for measuring a biometric signal (eg, Figure 3 ) and a third electrode (e.g., Figure 3 a third electrode 313) and a second electrode (eg, Figure 2 The second electrode of the electrode is connected to the detection unit (for example, Figure 3 an electrode connection detection unit 330 configured to output first information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device is a biometric signal measurement-ready state based on a first voltage output from the first electrode, and to output second information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device is a state capable of performing biometric signal measurement based on a second voltage output from the third electrode; a bias unit (e.g., Figure 3 a bias unit 350 configured to adjust the voltage applied from the second electrode to the first electrode and / or the third electrode to the first voltage and / or the second voltage; and a measuring unit (eg, Figure 3 A measuring unit 370 is configured to measure a biometric signal using one or more differences between potential values ​​measured at the first electrode and the third electrode.

[0151] According to an embodiment, the electrode connection detection unit (e.g., Figure 3 The electrode connection detection unit 330 includes: a first connection detection unit (eg, Figure 3 a first connection detection unit 331 configured to compare the first reference voltage with the first voltage and / or the second voltage output from the first electrode; and a second connection detection unit (eg, Figure 3 The second connection detection unit 332 is configured to compare the second reference voltage with the second voltage output from the third electrode.

[0152] According to an embodiment, a first electrode and a second electrode among the at least two electrodes are located at positions where the first electrode and the second electrode of the wearable electronic device can contact a first part of a living body, and a third electrode among the at least two electrodes can contact a second part of the living body at a position different from the positions of the first electrode and the second electrode.

[0153] According to an embodiment, the wearable electronic device further includes a memory configured to store the bio-information, and a display to display the bio-information.

[0154] According to an embodiment, the processor is configured to: upon receiving first information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device is a biometric signal measurement ready state, switch to the biometric signal measurement ready state and maintain a session for the biometric signal measurement ready state; and upon receiving second information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device is a state capable of performing biometric signal measurement during the process of maintaining the session for the biometric signal measurement ready state, automatically switch to a state capable of performing biometric signal measurement to measure the biometric signal.

[0155] According to an embodiment, the processor is configured to: upon receiving first information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device is a biometric signal measurement-ready state, display information related to the biometric signal measurement-ready state of the wearable electronic device on a user interface (UI); and, when second information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device is a state capable of performing biometric signal measurement is received during the process of displaying the information related to the biometric signal measurement-ready state on the UI, display information related to the state capable of performing biometric signal measurement of the wearable electronic device on the UI.

[0156] According to an embodiment, the processor is configured to: upon receiving third information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device is a biometric signal measurement stop state, switch to the biometric signal measurement stop state.

[0157] Figure 9 FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of detecting living body contact by a wearable electronic device according to an embodiment. The living body contact detection operation may include operations 901 to 905. The living body contact detection operation may be performed by a wearable electronic device (e.g., the electronic device 101 of FIG. 1 ), at least one processor of the electronic device (e.g., Figure 1A Processor 120), Figure 2 The wearable electronic device 201 or the processor of the wearable electronic device (eg, Figure 2 The processor 220 and / or Figure 2 Depending on the embodiment, at least one of operations 901 to 905 may be omitted, or some operations may be performed in a different order, or other operations may be added.

[0158] refer to Figure 9 In operation 901, the wearable electronic device may apply different voltages to at least two electrodes based on at least one electrode contacting a living body among at least two electrodes for biometric signal measurement.

[0159] According to an embodiment, when a living body contacts a detection unit (e.g., Figure 3 The first electrode for measuring the biometric signal (eg, Figure 3 a first electrode 311 for applying a voltage and a second electrode for applying a voltage (eg, Figure 3 When the second electrode 312 of the living body contacts a first part (eg, a wrist), the second electrode may apply a first voltage (eg, a maximum voltage, eg, 1.8 V) to the first electrode.

[0160] According to an embodiment, when the third electrode for biometric signal measurement (e.g., Figure 3 The third electrode 313 of the living body contacts the living body contact detection unit (for example, Figure 3 The first electrode (eg, Figure 3 ) and a second electrode (e.g., Figure 3 When the second electrode 313 of the first electrode contacts a second part of the living body (e.g., a finger), the second electrode can apply a second voltage (e.g., 0.9 V) lower than the first voltage to each of the first electrode and the third electrode.

[0161] In operation 903 , the wearable electronic device may output information indicating an operating state of a biometric signal measurement of the wearable electronic device based on voltages output from at least two electrodes.

[0162] According to an embodiment, when a living body contacts a detection unit (e.g., Figure 3 The first electrode for measuring the biometric signal (eg, Figure 3 a first electrode 311 for applying a voltage and a second electrode for applying a voltage (eg, Figure 3 When the second electrode 312 of the wearable electronic device contacts a first part of the living body (e.g., a wrist) so that the second electrode applies a first voltage (e.g., a maximum voltage, such as 1.8V) to the first electrode, first information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device is a biometric signal measurement-ready state can be output based on the first voltage.

[0163] According to an embodiment, when the third electrode for biometric signal measurement (e.g., Figure 3 The third electrode 313 of the living body contacts the living body contact detection unit (for example, Figure 3 The first electrode (eg, Figure 3 ) and a second electrode (e.g., Figure 3 When the second electrode 313) contacts a second part of the living body (for example, a finger) so that the second electrode applies a second voltage (for example, 0.9 V) to each of the first electrode and the third electrode, second information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device is a state capable of measuring biometric signals can be output based on the second voltage.

[0164] According to an embodiment, when a detection unit (e.g., Figure 3 When the living body contact detection unit 310) outputs the second information, when the first electrode and the third electrode are not in contact with any part of the living body, the third information indicating that the wearable electronic device is not in contact with any part of the living body can be output based on the voltage output by the first electrode and the third electrode to which no voltage is applied from the second electrode (for example, 0V).

[0165] In operation 905 , the wearable electronic device may determine an operating state of the biometric signal measurement of the wearable electronic device based on information indicating the operating state of the biometric signal measurement of the wearable electronic device.

[0166] According to an embodiment, the living body contact detection unit (e.g., Figure 3 The operating state of the wearable electronic device is determined to be a biometric signal measurement ready state based on the first information output by the living body contact detection unit 310.

[0167] According to an embodiment, the living body contact detection unit (e.g., Figure 3 The second information output by the living body contact detection unit 310) is used to determine that the operating state of the wearable electronic device is a state in which biometric signal measurement can be performed.

[0168] According to an embodiment, the living body contact detection unit (e.g., Figure 3 The operating state of the wearable electronic device is determined to be a biometric signal measurement stop state based on the third information output by the living body contact detection unit 310.

[0169] Figure 10 FIG1 is a flowchart 1000 illustrating an example of detecting living body contact by a wearable electronic device according to an embodiment. The living body contact detection operation may include operations 1001 to 1005. The living body contact detection operation may be performed by a wearable electronic device (e.g., the electronic device 101 of FIG1 ), at least one processor of the electronic device (e.g., Figure 1A Processor 120), Figure 2 The wearable electronic device 201 or the processor of the wearable electronic device (eg, Figure 2 The processor 220 and / or Figure 2 Depending on the embodiment, at least one of operations 1001 to 1005 may be omitted, or some operations may be performed in a different order, or other operations may be added.

[0170] refer to Figure 10 In operation 1001, when the wearable electronic device contacts a first part (e.g., a wrist) of a living body and detects first information indicating that the running state of the wearable electronic device for measuring a biometric signal is a biometric signal measurement ready state, the wearable electronic device may switch to the biometric signal measurement ready state. Figure 7D When receiving the first information (PL, PH, NL, NH=1001) (790), the wearable electronic device may search for an application for biometric signal measurement (eg, an ECG application) and prepare to run the application.

[0171] According to an embodiment, in response to receiving the first information (PL, PH, NL, NH=1001) ( Figure 7D When the wearable electronic device switches to the biometric signal measurement ready state in the biometric signal measurement ready state, the wearable electronic device can measure the biometric signal based on the PPG sensor (e.g., Figure 4A415) receives the signal to measure at least one of heart rate, oxygen saturation, blood pressure, stress level or sleep information, and displays it on a display (e.g., Figure 2 Information about at least one of the measured heart rate, oxygen saturation, blood pressure, stress level, or sleep information is displayed on the display 260).

[0172] According to an embodiment, the wearable electronic device may be based on the living body proximity information detected by the PPG sensor and the information detected by the electrode (PL, PH, NL, NH=1001) ( Figure 7D (790)) and switches to the biometric signal measurement ready state. In the case of using the PPG sensor alone to detect living body proximity information, a predetermined number of samples or more may be required, so that it may take time to determine the biometric signal measurement ready state. Therefore, when the electrode is used together with the PPG sensor, it is possible to quickly determine whether it is in the biometric signal measurement ready state. When it is difficult for the wearable electronic device to determine the contact of a living body - such as when the user wears the wearable electronic device with a shirt in between, the user's skin is relatively dry, the ambient temperature is low, or the user's arms are hairy, by using the PPG sensor together with the electrode, it is possible to quickly and accurately determine whether it is in the biometric signal measurement ready state.

[0173] In operation 1003, when second information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device for biometric signal measurement is a state capable of performing biometric signal measurement is detected due to a first part of the living body (e.g., a wrist) and a second part of the living body (e.g., a finger) contacting the wearable electronic device, the wearable electronic device can be switched to a state capable of performing biometric signal measurement.

[0174] According to an embodiment, upon receiving the second information (eg, Figure 8C When the second information (PL, PH, NL, NH=0000) (890) is received, the wearable electronic device may run an application for measuring a biometric signal (e.g., an ECG application), receive a biometric signal from a living contact detection unit (e.g., Figure 3 The living body contact detection unit 310) is a measuring unit (eg, Figure 3 The biometric signal is measured by the measuring unit 370 and displayed on a display (eg, Figure 2 Information about the biometric signal is displayed on a display 260).

[0175] In operation 1005, when the wearable electronic device is not in contact with any part of the living body, the third information (eg, Figure 6When the wearable electronic device receives the third information (PL, PH, NL, NH=1010) (690), the wearable electronic device may switch to a biometric signal measurement stop state. According to an embodiment, in this state, the contact between the first part (e.g., wrist) of the living body and the second part (e.g., finger) of the living body and the wearable electronic device is released. Therefore, the third information may be information indicating the release of the contact between the first part (e.g., wrist) of the living body and / or the second part (e.g., finger) of the living body.

[0176] According to an embodiment, the wearable electronic device may be configured to detect the proximity of the living body based on the living body proximity information detected by the PPG sensor and the information detected by the electrodes (eg, Figure 6 The third information (PL, PH, NL, NH = (PL, PH, NL, NH = 1010) (690)) is switched to the biometric signal measurement stop state.

[0177] When using a PPG sensor alone to detect living body proximity information, a predetermined number of samples or more may be required, making it possible to take time to determine the biometric signal measurement stop state. Therefore, when electrodes that can instantly detect contact and / or non-contact with a living body are used in conjunction with a PPG sensor, it is possible to quickly determine whether the biometric signal measurement is stopped. When using electrodes, a DC-based method is used rather than an AC-based method, which performs poorly when detecting contact or non-contact between a first portion and a second portion of a living body and a wearable electronic device due to the formation of a path between two electrodes that should be electrically insulated from each other. When using electrodes using a DC-based method, unlike in AC-based methods that apply alternating current, no additional noise is caused.

[0178] Because Figure 10 The wearable electronic device shown in the embodiment accurately determines contact or non-contact with a part of a living body (e.g., a first part and a second part), so it can help accurately determine the user's context, thereby improving the reliability of user authentication and payment services. Since the wearable electronic device quickly determines contact or non-contact with a part of a living body (e.g., a first part and a second part) based on proximity information from a PPG sensor and information from electrodes, even when there is a temporary non-contact with a body part (e.g., a first part and a second part), the context can be determined in a supplementary manner (e.g., supplementing the PPG sensor).

[0179] Figure 11 FIG11 is a flow chart 1110 illustrating an example of detecting a biometric signal by a wearable electronic device according to an embodiment.

[0180] Figure 111, 2, and 3 intervals A, B, and C are shown. In the first interval A, the wearable electronic device (eg, Figure 2 A wearable electronic device 201 is worn on a user's wrist and is in a biometric signal measurement ready state. In a second interval B, while the first interval A is maintained, a finger contacts the third electrode of the wearable electronic device, causing the biometric signal to be automatically measured. In a third interval C, no contact of the finger with the third electrode of the wearable electronic device is detected.

[0181] In the first interval A, the wearable electronic device (eg Figure 2 The wearable electronic device 201 is worn on a first part of a living body (eg, a wrist), and the wearable electronic device is currently in a biometric signal measurement ready state. In the first interval A, due to the first electrode 1111 (eg, 7A to 7D The first electrode 711 of the embodiment of the present invention contacts the first part of the living body (for example, the wrist), and the first electrode 1111 outputs a maximum voltage, for example, 1.8V, which is the maximum voltage generated from the second electrode (for example, 7A to 7D The second electrode 712) is applied, and the living body has no contact with the third electrode 1113 (for example, 7A to 7D Since the first electrode 1111 outputs a maximum voltage of 1.8V and the third electrode 1113 outputs 0V in the first interval A, the wearable electronic device (eg, Figure 3 The living contact detection unit 215) can output first information indicating a biometric signal measurement ready state (for example, PL, PH, NL, NH=1001).

[0182] In the second interval B, while the first interval A in which the wearable electronic device is worn on the first part (eg, wrist) of the living body is maintained, the third electrode 1113 (eg, Figures 8A to 8C The wearable electronic device may automatically measure a biometric signal in response to the second part of the living body (eg, a finger) being in contact with the third electrode 1113.

[0183] The second interval B may include an initial stabilization interval B1 , a biometric signal measurement interval B2 , and a biometric signal measurement termination interval B3 .

[0184] The initial stabilization interval B1 may include a first time b1, a second time b2, a third time b3, and a fourth time b4, and may include a predetermined time interval (eg, 1 second) or less.

[0185] The first time b1 is a time when a second part (eg, a finger) of the living body actually contacts the third electrode 1113 when the wearable electronic device is worn on a first part (eg, a wrist) of the living body.

[0186] The second time b2 may occur within a predetermined time interval (e.g., 10 ms or less) after the first time b1. The second time b2 is the time when the wearable electronic device detects contact between the second part (e.g., finger) of the living body and the third electrode 1113 when the wearable electronic device is worn on the first part (e.g., wrist) of the living body. Figures 8A to 8C The first electrode 811) contacts a first part of a living body (e.g., a wrist), and the third electrode 1113 contacts a second part of the living body (e.g., a finger), the first electrode 1111 and the third electrode 1113 can output a voltage that is applied from the second electrode that forms a path with each of the first electrode 1111 and the third electrode 1113. The interval between the first time b1 and the second time b2 is a stable interval for outputting a target voltage (e.g., 0.9V) from the second electrode to each of the first electrode 1111 and the third electrode 1113. Therefore, at the second time b2, the second electrode outputs the target voltage (e.g., 0.9V) to each of the first electrode 1111 and the third electrode 1113, so that the second information (e.g., PL, PH, NL, NH=0000) indicating that the wearable electronic device is in a state capable of performing biometric signal measurement can be output. At the second time b2, the measurement unit (e.g., Figure 3 The measuring unit 370) transmits a preparation signal for biometric signal measurement.

[0187] The third time b3 is a time when the biometric signal may be measured, and an interval between the second time b2 and the third time b3 may be referred to as a signal saturation interval.

[0188] The fourth time b4 is the time when a valid signal value for biometric signal measurement can be collected. During the interval (e.g., 10 ms) between the third time b3 and the fourth time b4, excessive response signal values ​​received when the voltage value changes can be ignored. From the fourth time b4 onward, a stable and valid signal value for biometric signal measurement can be obtained.

[0189] In the interval B2 for collecting the signal for biometric signal measurement, a stable and valid signal value b7 for biometric signal measurement may be received during a predetermined time interval (e.g., 30 ms), and the biometric signal may be measured. During the interval B2 for collecting the signal for biometric signal measurement, the measuring unit (e.g., Figure 3 The measuring unit 370 can measure the biometric signal based on the valid signal value for biometric signal measurement received during a predetermined time (for example, 30ms) using the difference between the voltages of the first electrode 1111 and the third electrode 1113.

[0190] The biometric signal measurement termination interval B3 may include a fifth time b5 and a sixth time b6, wherein the fifth time b5 is the time when the contact between the second part (e.g., finger) of the living body and the third electrode 1113 is basically released when the wearable electronic device remains worn on the first part (e.g., wrist) of the living body, and the sixth time b6 is the time when the wearable electronic device detects the release of the contact between the second part (e.g., finger) of the living body and the third electrode 1111 when the wearable electronic device remains worn on the first part (e.g., wrist) of the living body.

[0191] The third section C is a section in which, when the wearable electronic device is worn on a first part (e.g., a wrist) of a living body, as the second part (e.g., a finger) of the living body comes into contact with the third electrode 1113 (e.g., 7A to 7D The contact of the third electrode 713 of the wearable electronic device is released, and the wearable electronic device is currently in a biometric signal measurement ready state. In the third interval C, as in the first interval A, the wearable electronic device (for example, Figure 3 The living contact detection unit 215) can output first information indicating a biometric signal measurement ready state (for example, PL, PH, NL, NH=1001).

[0192] Figure 12A is a front perspective view 1200a illustrating a wearable electronic device according to an embodiment. Figure 12B It shows Figure 12A Rear perspective view 1200b of the wearable electronic device.

[0193] refer to Figure 12A and Figure 12B , a pair of earplugs 1201 as a wearable electronic device may include an earplug 1201a. An earplug 1201a may include a plurality of electrodes 1211, 1212 and 1213 for detecting biometric signals. The plurality of electrodes may include: a first electrode 1211 for measuring biometric signals (e.g., Figure 3 ) and a third electrode 1213 (e.g., Figure 3 ), and a second electrode 1212 (eg, a third electrode 313) for applying a voltage to the first electrode 1211 and / or the third electrode 1213. Figure 3 The earplug 1201 may include a second electrode 312. Figure 2 and Figure 3 Configuration.

[0194] When a pair of earbuds 1201, or one earbud 1201a of the pair 1201, is inserted into a user's ear, the first electrode 1211 and the second electrode 1212 located on the same surface of the earbud 1201a contact a first part of a living body (e.g., the ear), forming a path between the first electrode 1211 and the second electrode 1212. Furthermore, since the first electrode 1211 outputs the voltage applied from the second electrode 1212, the earbud pair 1201 can enter a state ready for biometric signal measurement. While the earbud pair 1201 remains in the biometric signal measurement ready state, if the third electrode 1213 contacts a second part of the living body (e.g., a finger), an additional path can be formed between the second electrode 1212 and the third electrode 1213. Both the first electrode 1211 and the third electrode 1213 can output the voltage applied from the second electrode 1212, allowing the earbud pair 1201 to automatically measure biometric signals. The results of the biometric signal measurement can be output via an electronic device communicating with the earbud pair 1201.

[0195] Although wearable electronic devices such as Figures 1B to 1D and Figures 4A to 4D The example shown in the table is a watch. Figure 12A and Figure 12B Although the embodiment of the present disclosure is shown in FIG, earplugs are used as an example, the embodiments of the present disclosure may also be applicable to other embodiments, such as glasses that are worn on the user's face and contact a living body.

[0196] As a wearable electronic device, a watch can be worn not only on the user's wrist but also on the user's ankle, and can detect living contact and measure biometric signals in the same way.

[0197] According to an embodiment, a method for detecting a living body and a wearable electronic device (eg, Figure 2 The method of contacting a wearable electronic device 201) may include: applying a voltage to at least one electrode in contact with a living body among at least two electrodes for biometric signal measurement; outputting information indicating an operating status of the biometric signal measurement of the wearable electronic device based on another voltage output from the at least one electrode; and determining the operating status of the biometric signal measurement of the wearable electronic device based on the information indicating the operating status of the biometric signal measurement of the wearable electronic device.

[0198] According to an embodiment, applying voltage includes: applying a first voltage to the first electrode when the first electrode among at least two electrodes for biometric signal measurement contacts a first part of a living body; and applying a second voltage different from the first voltage to each of the first electrode and the third electrode when the first electrode and the third electrode among the at least two electrodes contact the first part of the living body and the second part of the living body, respectively.

[0199] According to an embodiment, the output information includes: when a first electrode for biometric signal measurement and a second electrode for applying voltage contact a first part of a living body, outputting first information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device is a biometric signal measurement-ready state based on a first voltage applied to the first electrode; and when a third electrode for biometric signal measurement contacts a second part of the living body during the process of outputting the first information, outputting second information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device is a state capable of performing biometric signal measurement based on a second voltage applied to each of the first electrode and the third electrode.

[0200] According to an embodiment, the method further includes: outputting third information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device is a biometric signal measurement stop state based on no voltage being output from the third electrode and the first electrode when the first electrode and the third electrode are not in contact with any part of the living body.

[0201] According to an embodiment, the first electrode and the second electrode among the at least two electrodes are located at positions where the first electrode and the second electrode of the wearable electronic device can contact the first part of the living body.

[0202] According to an embodiment, the third electrode among the at least two electrodes can contact the second part of the living body at a position different from the positions of the first electrode and the second electrode.

[0203] According to an embodiment, the method further includes: upon receiving first information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device is a biometric signal measurement ready state, switching to the biometric signal measurement ready state and maintaining a session for the biometric signal measurement ready state; and, upon receiving second information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device is a state capable of performing biometric signal measurement during the process of maintaining the session for the biometric signal measurement ready state, automatically switching to a state capable of performing biometric signal measurement to measure the biometric signal.

[0204] According to an embodiment, the method further includes: when first information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device is a biometric signal measurement-ready state is received, information related to the biometric signal measurement-ready state of the wearable electronic device is displayed on a user interface (UI); and when second information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device is a state capable of performing biometric signal measurement is received during the process of displaying the information related to the biometric signal measurement-ready state on the UI, information related to the state capable of performing biometric signal measurement of the wearable electronic device is displayed on the UI.

[0205] According to an embodiment, the method further includes: upon receiving third information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device is a biometric signal measurement stop state, switching to the biometric signal measurement stop state.

[0206] The electronic device according to various embodiments may be one of various types of electronic devices. The electronic device may include, for example, a portable communication device (e.g., a smartphone), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a camera, a wearable device, or a household appliance. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device is not limited to those described above.

[0207] It should be understood that the various embodiments of the present disclosure and the terms used therein are not intended to limit the technical features set forth herein to specific embodiments, but rather include various changes, equivalents or alternative forms for corresponding embodiments. For the description of the accompanying drawings, similar reference numerals may be used to refer to similar or related elements. It will be understood that the nouns in the singular form corresponding to the term may include one or more things, unless the relevant context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, each phrase in the phrases such as "A or B", "at least one of A and B", "at least one of A or B", "A, B or C", "at least one of A, B and C" and "at least one of A, B or C" may include all possible combinations of the items listed together with the corresponding one of the multiple phrases. As used herein, terms such as "1st" and "2nd" or "first" and "second" may be used to simply distinguish corresponding parts from another part, and do not limit the parts in other aspects (e.g., importance or order). It will be understood that if an element (e.g., a first element) is referred to as being “combined with another element (e.g., a second element)”, “combined to another element (e.g., a second element)”, “connected with another element (e.g., a second element)”, or “connected to another element (e.g., a second element)”, when the term “operably” or “communicatively” is used or when the term “operably” or “communicatively” is not used, it means that the element can be directly (e.g., wired) connected to the other element, wirelessly connected to the other element, or connected to the other element via a third element.

[0208] As used herein, the term "module" may include units implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with other terms (e.g., "logic," "logic block," "portion," or "circuit"). A module may be a single integrated component adapted to perform one or more functions or the smallest unit or portion of the single integrated component. For example, depending on an embodiment, a module may be implemented in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0209] The various embodiments described herein can be implemented as software (e.g., program 140) comprising one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (e.g., internal memory 136 or external memory 138) that can be read by a machine (e.g., electronic device 101). For example, under the control of a processor, a processor (e.g., processor 120) of the machine (e.g., electronic device 101) can call at least one of the one or more instructions stored in the storage medium and execute the at least one instruction with or without the use of one or more other components. This enables the machine to be operable to perform at least one function according to the called at least one instruction. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code that can be executed by an interpreter. The machine-readable storage medium can be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. The term "non-transitory" only means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not include signals (e.g., electromagnetic waves), but the term does not distinguish between data being semi-permanently stored in the storage medium and data being temporarily stored in the storage medium.

[0210] According to an embodiment, the method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may be included and provided in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded as a commodity between a seller and a buyer. The computer program product may be released in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)), or may be downloaded through an application store (e.g., Play Store TM ) The computer program product may be published online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) or may be distributed (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) directly between two user devices (e.g., smartphones). If published online, at least part of the computer program product may be temporarily generated or at least part of the computer program product may be at least temporarily stored in a machine-readable storage medium (such as a memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or a forwarding server).

[0211] According to various embodiments, each component (for example, module or program) in the above-mentioned components may include a single entity or multiple entities. According to various embodiments, one or more components in the above-mentioned components may be omitted, or one or more other components may be added. Alternatively or additionally, multiple components (for example, module or program) may be integrated into a single component. In this case, according to various embodiments, the integrated component may still perform the one or more functions of each component in the multiple components in the same or similar manner as a corresponding component in the multiple components before integration. According to various embodiments, the operations performed by module, program or another component may be performed sequentially, in parallel, repeatedly or in a heuristic manner, or one or more operations in the operations may be run or omitted in different orders, or one or more other operations may be added.

[0212] A storage medium storing instructions may be provided, wherein the instructions are configured to enable the at least one processor to perform operations when executed by the at least one processor, such as: applying a voltage to at least one electrode in contact with a living body among at least two electrodes for biometric signal measurement; outputting information indicating an operating status of the biometric signal measurement of the wearable electronic device based on another voltage output from the at least one electrode; and determining the operating status of the biometric signal measurement of the wearable electronic device based on the information indicating the operating status of the biometric signal measurement of the wearable electronic device.

[0213] The embodiments herein are provided only for a better understanding of the disclosure, and the disclosure should not be limited thereto or thereby. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes in form or detail may be made to the embodiments without departing from the scope of the disclosure as defined in the appended claims.

[0214] Certain aspects of the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in hardware, firmware, or via software or computer code that can be stored in a recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a digital versatile disk (DVD), a magnetic tape, a RAM, a floppy disk, a hard disk, or a magneto-optical disk, or by executing computer code that is initially stored on a remote recording medium or a non-transitory machine-readable medium and downloaded via a network and stored locally, so that the methods described herein can be presented using a general-purpose computer or a special processor via such software stored on a recording medium or in programmable or dedicated hardware such as an ASIC or FPGA. As will be understood in the prior art, a computer, a processor, a microprocessor controller, or programmable hardware includes memory components such as RAM, ROM, flash memory, etc., which can store or receive software or computer code that, when accessed and executed by a computer, processor, or hardware, implements the processing methods described herein.

Claims

1. A wearable electronic device, comprising: a living body contact detection unit, the living body contact detection unit including a plurality of electrodes, the plurality of electrodes including a first electrode and a third electrode for measuring a biometric signal, and a second electrode for applying a voltage to at least one of the first electrode and the third electrode; as well as a processor configured to determine an operating state of a biometric signal measurement of the wearable electronic device based on information received from the living contact detection unit, Wherein, the living body contact detection unit is configured as follows: When the first electrode and the second electrode contact a first part of a living body, applying a first voltage to the first electrode through the second electrode, and outputting first information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device is a biometric signal measurement ready state based on the first voltage output from the first electrode; as well as When the first electrode and the third electrode contact the first part and the second part of the living body, respectively, a second voltage different from the first voltage is applied to each of the first electrode and the third electrode through the second electrode, and based on the second voltage output from each of the first electrode and the third electrode, second information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device is a state capable of biometric signal measurement is output.

2. The wearable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The living body contact detection unit is further configured to: When the first electrode and the third electrode are not in contact with any part of the living body, third information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device is a biometric signal measurement stop state is output based on no voltage being output from the third electrode and the first electrode.

3. The wearable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The living body contact detection unit further includes: an electrode connection detection unit, the electrode connection detection unit being configured to output the first information and output the second information; a bias unit configured to adjust a voltage applied from the second electrode to the first electrode and / or the third electrode to the first voltage and / or the second voltage; and A measuring unit configured to measure the biometric signal using one or more differences between potential values ​​measured at the first electrode and the third electrode.

4. The wearable electronic device according to claim 3, wherein: The electrode connection detection unit includes: a first connection detection unit configured to compare a first reference voltage with the first voltage and / or the second voltage output from the first electrode; and a second connection detecting unit configured to compare a second reference voltage with the second voltage output from the third electrode.

5. The wearable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The first electrode and the second electrode are located at positions of the wearable electronic device where the first electrode and the second electrode are configured to contact a first portion of the living body, and The third electrode is configured to contact the second part of the living body at a position different from the positions of the first electrode and the second electrode.

6. The wearable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The processor is configured to: Upon receiving the first information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device is the biometric signal measurement ready state, switching to the biometric signal measurement ready state; maintaining a session for the biometric signal measurement readiness state; as well as When the second information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device is the state capable of performing biometric signal measurement is received while maintaining the session for the biometric signal measurement ready state, the wearable electronic device is automatically switched to the state capable of performing biometric signal measurement to measure the biometric signal.

7. The wearable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The processor is configured to: Upon receiving the first information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device is the biometric signal measurement ready state, displaying information related to the biometric signal measurement ready state of the wearable electronic device via a user interface UI; as well as When the second information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device is the state capable of performing biometric signal measurement is received when the information related to the biometric signal measurement ready state is displayed via the UI, the information related to the state capable of performing biometric signal measurement of the wearable electronic device is displayed via the UI.

8. A method for operating a wearable electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, the method comprising: When the first electrode and the second electrode contact the first part of the living body, applying the first voltage to the first electrode through the second electrode, and outputting the first information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device is the biometric signal measurement ready state based on the first voltage output from the first electrode; as well as When the first electrode and the third electrode contact the first part of the living body and the second part of the living body, respectively, the second voltage different from the first voltage is applied to each of the first electrode and the third electrode through the second electrode, and based on the second voltage output from each of the first electrode and the third electrode, the second information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device is the state capable of biometric signal measurement is output.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: When the first electrode and the third electrode are not in contact with any part of the living body, third information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device is a biometric signal measurement stop state is output based on no voltage being output from the third electrode and the first electrode.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein The first electrode and the second electrode are located at positions of the wearable electronic device where the first electrode and the second electrode are configured to contact the first portion of the living body.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein: The third electrode is configured to contact the second portion of the living body at a position different from a position of the first electrode and a position of the second electrode.

12. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: Upon receiving the first information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device is the biometric signal measurement ready state, switching to the biometric signal measurement ready state; maintaining a session for the biometric signal measurement readiness state; as well as When the second information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device is the state capable of performing biometric signal measurement is received while maintaining the session for the biometric signal measurement ready state, the wearable electronic device is automatically switched to the state capable of performing biometric signal measurement to measure the biometric signal.

13. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: Upon receiving the first information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device is the biometric signal measurement ready state, displaying information related to the biometric signal measurement ready state of the wearable electronic device via a user interface UI; as well as When the second information indicating that the operating state of the wearable electronic device is the state capable of performing biometric signal measurement is received when the information related to the biometric signal measurement ready state is displayed via the UI, the information related to the state capable of performing biometric signal measurement of the wearable electronic device is displayed via the UI.

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