Wearable electronic device and method for controlling transmission power in wearable electronic device
The processor-controlled transmission power adjustment system in wearable electronic devices addresses heat generation issues by lowering power levels during music playback, reducing signal blocking and improving user experience.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- PCT/KR2024/010309
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2023-07-20
- Filing Date
- 2024-07-17
- Publication Date
- 2025-01-23
AI Technical Summary
Wearable electronic devices experience increased heat generation during music playback due to high data throughput, leading to frequent communication signal transmission blocking and user discomfort, as they are not effectively managed to balance transmission power with music playback functionality.
Incorporating a processor-controlled system that adjusts transmission power levels based on music playback activation, using first transmission power control information when playback is deactivated and second transmission power control information when activated, to reduce heat generation and prevent blocking.
This approach effectively reduces heat generation and minimizes the frequency of communication signal blocking during music playback, enhancing user comfort and maintaining network connectivity.
Smart Images

Figure KR2024010309_23012025_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Wearable electronic devices and methods for controlling transmission power in wearable electronic devices
[0001] Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method for controlling transmission power in a wearable electronic device.
[0002] Electronic devices can refer to devices that perform specific functions based on embedded programs, such as home appliances, electronic notebooks, portable multimedia players, mobile communication terminals, tablet PCs, audio / video devices, desktop / laptop computers, or in-vehicle navigation systems. For example, these electronic devices can output stored information as audio or video. As electronic device integration increases and ultra-high-speed, high-capacity wireless communications become more widespread, a single electronic device, such as a mobile communication terminal, can now incorporate a variety of functions. For example, in addition to communication functions, a single electronic device can also integrate entertainment functions such as games, multimedia functions such as music / video playback, communication and security functions for mobile banking, or even functions such as schedule management and electronic wallets. These electronic devices are becoming smaller and more convenient for users to carry and wear. With the advancement of electronics and communication technologies, these devices are becoming smaller and lighter enough to be worn on the body without significant discomfort, enabling them to be provided in the form of wearable electronic devices.
[0003] A wearable electronic device can support wireless communication through a network and transmit communication signals based on transmission power values for each frequency band specified in advance. When transmitting a communication signal, the wearable electronic device may be more likely to generate heat as the transmission power values for each frequency band increase. When the wearable electronic device receives music data through a network and plays music, the wearable electronic device may also be more likely to generate heat due to the high data processing volume. The wearable electronic device may be configured to block transmission of communication signals (or operate in cool-down mode) when the internal temperature of the device exceeds a certain temperature due to heat generation. In addition, when transmitting a communication signal by maximizing the transmission power values for each frequency band in a weak electric field and receiving music data through a network and playing music, heat generation may become severe, which may cause frequent occurrence of the operation of blocking transmission of communication signals, which may cause discomfort to the user.
[0004] According to one embodiment, a wearable electronic device and a method for controlling transmission power in a wearable electronic device can be provided that can reduce the possibility of heat generation by lowering transmission power values for each frequency band when receiving music data through a network and playing music.
[0005] According to one embodiment, a wearable electronic device may include an audio output module, a communication circuit, a memory, and at least one processor. According to one embodiment, the at least one processor may identify whether a music playback function is activated based on an occurrence of a communication signal transmission event. According to one embodiment, the at least one processor may control the communication circuit to transmit the communication signal using first transmission power control information based on the deactivation of the music playback function. According to one embodiment, the at least one processor may control the communication circuit to transmit the communication signal using second transmission power control information based on the activation of the music playback function.
[0006] In one embodiment, a method for controlling transmission power in a wearable electronic device may include an operation of identifying whether a music playback function is activated based on an occurrence of a communication signal transmission event. In one embodiment, the method may include an operation of transmitting the communication signal using first transmission power control information through a communication circuit based on the deactivation of the music playback function. In one embodiment, the method may include an operation of transmitting the communication signal using second transmission power control information through the communication circuit based on the activation of the music playback function.
[0007] According to one embodiment, a non-volatile storage medium storing commands is provided, wherein the commands, when executed by an electronic device, are configured to cause the electronic device to perform at least one operation, wherein the at least one operation may include: an operation of identifying whether a music playback function is activated based on an occurrence of a communication signal transmission event; an operation of transmitting the communication signal using first transmission power control information through a communication circuit based on deactivation of the music playback function; and an operation of transmitting the communication signal using second transmission power control information through the communication circuit based on activation of the music playback function.
[0008] According to one embodiment, by receiving music data through a network and lowering the transmission power values for each frequency band when playing music, the possibility of heat generation can be reduced.
[0009] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device within a network environment according to one embodiment.
[0010] FIG. 2A is a front perspective view of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment.
[0011] FIG. 2B is a rear perspective view of the wearable electronic device of FIG. 2A according to one embodiment.
[0012] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment.
[0013] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a wearable electronic device for supporting network communication according to one embodiment.
[0014] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a transmission power control operation in a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment.
[0015] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation through communication between an application processor and a communication processor according to one embodiment.
[0016] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a transmission power control operation considering a power back-off condition associated with SAR in a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment.
[0017] FIG. 8A is a graph showing peak current when second transmission power control information is not applied according to activation of a music playback function in a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment.
[0018] FIG. 8b is a graph showing peak currents when second transmission power control information is applied according to activation of a music playback function in a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment.
[0019] Hereinafter, electronic devices according to various embodiments will be described with reference to the attached drawings. The term "user" used in various embodiments may refer to a person using an electronic device or a device (e.g., an artificial intelligence electronic device) that uses an electronic device.
[0020] The terms used in this document are used only to describe specific embodiments and may not be intended to limit the scope of other embodiments. The singular expression may include the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. All terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, may have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art of the present invention. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries may be interpreted as having the same or similar meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and shall not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined in this document. In some cases, even if a term is defined in this document, it cannot be interpreted to exclude embodiments of the present invention.
[0021] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device (101) within a network environment (100) according to one embodiment.
[0022] Referring to FIG. 1, in a network environment (100), an electronic device (101) may communicate with an electronic device (102) via a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network), or may communicate with at least one of an electronic device (104) or a server (108) via a second network (199) (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may communicate with the electronic device (104) via the server (108). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a processor (120), a memory (130), an input module (150), an audio output module (155), a display module (160), an audio module (170), a sensor module (176), an interface (177), a connection terminal (178), a haptic module (179), a camera module (180), a power management module (188), a battery (189), a communication module (190), a subscriber identification module (196), or an antenna module (197). In some embodiments, the electronic device (101) may omit at least one of these components (e.g., the connection terminal (178)), or may have one or more other components added. In some embodiments, some of these components (e.g., the sensor module (176), the camera module (180), or the antenna module (197)) may be integrated into one component (e.g., the display module (160)).
[0023] The processor (120) may control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware or software component) of the electronic device (101) connected to the processor (120) by executing, for example, software (e.g., a program (140)), and may perform various data processing or calculations. According to one embodiment, as at least a part of the data processing or calculation, the processor (120) may store a command or data received from another component (e.g., a sensor module (176) or a communication module (190)) in a volatile memory (132), process the command or data stored in the volatile memory (132), and store the resulting data in a non-volatile memory (134). According to one embodiment, the processor (120) may include a main processor (121) (e.g., a central processing unit or an application processor) or a secondary processor (123) (e.g., a graphics processing unit, a neural processing unit (NPU), an image signal processor, a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor) that can operate independently or together therewith. For example, if the electronic device (101) includes a main processor (121) and a secondary processor (123), the secondary processor (123) may be configured to use less power than the main processor (121) or to be specialized for a specified function. The secondary processor (123) may be implemented separately from the main processor (121) or as a part thereof.
[0024] The auxiliary processor (123) may control at least a part of functions or states associated with at least one component (e.g., a display module (160), a sensor module (176), or a communication module (190)) of the electronic device (101), for example, on behalf of the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, or together with the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an active (e.g., application execution) state. In one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., an image signal processor or a communication processor) may be implemented as a part of another functionally related component (e.g., a camera module (180) or a communication module (190)). In one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., a neural network processing unit) may include a hardware structure specialized for processing artificial intelligence models. The artificial intelligence models may be generated through machine learning. This learning can be performed, for example, on the electronic device (101) itself where the artificial intelligence model is executed, or can be performed through a separate server (e.g., server (108)). The learning algorithm can include, for example, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or reinforcement learning, but is not limited to the examples described above. The artificial intelligence model can include multiple artificial neural network layers.The artificial neural network may be one of a deep neural network (DNN), a convolutional neural network (CNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), a restricted Boltzmann machine (RBM), a deep belief network (DBN), a bidirectional recurrent deep neural network (BRDNN), a deep Q-network, or a combination of two or more of the above, but is not limited to the examples described above. In addition to, or alternatively to, a hardware structure, an artificial intelligence model may include a software structure.
[0025] The memory (130) can store various data used by at least one component (e.g., processor (120) or sensor module (176)) of the electronic device (101). The data can include, for example, software (e.g., program (140)) and input data or output data for commands related thereto. The memory (130) can include volatile memory (132) or non-volatile memory (134).
[0026] The program (140) may be stored as software in the memory (130) and may include, for example, an operating system (142), middleware (144), or an application (146).
[0027] The input module (150) can receive commands or data to be used in a component of the electronic device (101) (e.g., a processor (120)) from an external source (e.g., a user) of the electronic device (101). The input module (150) can include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard, a key (e.g., a button), or a digital pen (e.g., a stylus pen).
[0028] The audio output module (155) can output audio signals to the outside of the electronic device (101). The audio output module (155) can include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker can be used for general purposes, such as multimedia playback or recording playback. The receiver can be used to receive incoming calls. According to one embodiment, the receiver can be implemented separately from the speaker or as part of the speaker.
[0029] The display module (160) can visually provide information to an external party (e.g., a user) of the electronic device (101). The display module (160) may include, for example, a display, a holographic device, or a projector and a control circuit for controlling the device. According to one embodiment, the display module (160) may include a touch sensor configured to detect a touch, or a pressure sensor configured to measure the intensity of a force generated by the touch.
[0030] The audio module (170) can convert sound into an electrical signal, or vice versa, convert an electrical signal into sound. According to one embodiment, the audio module (170) can acquire sound through the input module (150), output sound through the sound output module (155), or an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)) (e.g., speaker or headphone) directly or wirelessly connected to the electronic device (101).
[0031] The sensor module (176) can detect the operating status (e.g., power or temperature) of the electronic device (101) or the external environmental status (e.g., user status) and generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the detected status. According to one embodiment, the sensor module (176) can include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an IR (infrared) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.
[0032] The interface (177) may support one or more designated protocols that may be used to directly or wirelessly connect the electronic device (101) with an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (102)). In one embodiment, the interface (177) may include, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, an SD card interface, or an audio interface.
[0033] The connection terminal (178) may include a connector through which the electronic device (101) may be physically connected to an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)). According to one embodiment, the connection terminal (178) may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).
[0034] A haptic module (179) can convert electrical signals into mechanical stimuli (e.g., vibration or movement) or electrical stimuli that a user can perceive through tactile or kinesthetic sensations. According to one embodiment, the haptic module (179) can include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.
[0035] The camera module (180) can capture still images and videos. According to one embodiment, the camera module (180) may include one or more lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.
[0036] The power management module (188) can manage power supplied to the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, the power management module (188) can be implemented as, for example, at least a part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).
[0037] A battery (189) may power at least one component of the electronic device (101). In one embodiment, the battery (189) may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell.
[0038] The communication module (190) may support the establishment of 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 the performance of communication through the established communication channel. The communication module (190) may operate independently from the processor (120) (e.g., application processor) and may include one or more communication processors that support direct (e.g., wired) communication or wireless communication. According to one 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 module). Among these communication modules, the corresponding communication module can communicate with an external electronic device (104) via a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, wireless fidelity (WiFi) direct, or infrared data association (IrDA)) or a second network (199) (e.g., a long-range communication network such as a legacy cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a LAN or WAN)). These various types of communication modules can be integrated into a single component (e.g., a single chip) or implemented as multiple separate components (e.g., multiple chips). The wireless communication module (192) can verify or authenticate the electronic device (101) within a communication network such as the first network (198) or the second network (199) by using subscriber information (e.g., an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)) stored in the subscriber identification module (196).
[0039] The wireless communication module (192) can support 5G networks and next-generation communication technologies following the 4G network, such as NR access technology (new radio access technology). The NR access technology can support high-speed transmission of high-capacity data (eMBB (enhanced mobile broadband)), minimization of terminal power and connection of multiple terminals (mMTC (massive machine type communications)), or high reliability and low latency (URLLC (ultra-reliable and low-latency communications)). The wireless communication module (192) can support, for example, a high-frequency band (e.g., mmWave band) to achieve a high data transmission rate. The wireless communication module (192) can support various technologies for securing performance in a high-frequency band, such as beamforming, massive multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO), full dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, analog beam-forming, or large scale antenna. The wireless communication module (192) can support various requirements specified in the electronic device (101), an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (104)), or a network system (e.g., the second network (199)). According to one embodiment, the wireless communication module (192) may support a peak data rate (e.g., 20 Gbps or more) for eMBB realization, a loss coverage (e.g., 164 dB or less) for mMTC realization, or a U-plane latency (e.g., 0.5 ms or less for downlink (DL) and uplink (UL), or 1 ms or less for round trip) for URLLC realization.
[0040] The antenna module (197) can transmit or receive signals or power to or from an external device (e.g., an external electronic device). According to one embodiment, the antenna module (197) may include an antenna including a radiator formed of a conductor or a conductive pattern formed on a substrate (e.g., a PCB). According to one embodiment, the antenna module (197) may include a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna). In this case, at least one antenna suitable for a communication method used in a communication network, such as the first network (198) or the second network (199), may be selected from the plurality of antennas, for example, by the communication module (190). A signal or power may be transmitted or received between the communication module (190) and an external electronic device via the selected at least one antenna. According to some embodiments, in addition to the radiator, another component (e.g., a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) may be additionally formed as a part of the antenna module (197).
[0041] In one embodiment, the antenna module (197) may form a mmWave antenna module. In one embodiment, the mmWave antenna module may include a printed circuit board, an RFIC disposed on or adjacent to a first side (e.g., a bottom side) of the printed circuit board and capable of supporting a designated high-frequency band (e.g., a mmWave band), and a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna) disposed on or adjacent to a second side (e.g., a top side or a side side) of the printed circuit board and capable of transmitting or receiving signals in the designated high-frequency band.
[0042] At least some of the above components can be interconnected and exchange signals (e.g., commands or data) with each other via a communication method between peripheral devices (e.g., a bus, GPIO (general purpose input and output), SPI (serial peripheral interface), or MIPI (mobile industry processor interface)).
[0043] According to one embodiment, commands or data may be transmitted or received between the electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (104) via a server (108) connected to a second network (199). Each of the external electronic devices (102 or 104) may be the same or a different type of device as the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, all or part of the operations executed in the electronic device (101) may be executed in one or more of the external electronic devices (102, 104, or 108). For example, when the electronic device (101) is to perform a certain function or service automatically or in response to a request from a user or another device, the electronic device (101) may, instead of or in addition to executing the function or service itself, request one or more external electronic devices to perform the function or at least a part of the service. One or more external electronic devices that receive the request may execute at least a portion of the requested function or service, or an additional function or service related to the request, and transmit the result of the execution to the electronic device (101). The electronic device (101) may process the result as is or additionally and provide it as at least a portion of a response to the request. For this purpose, cloud computing, distributed computing, mobile edge computing (MEC), or client-server computing technology may be used, for example. The electronic device (101) may provide an ultra-low latency service by using distributed computing or mobile edge computing, for example. In another embodiment, the external electronic device (104) may include an Internet of Things (IoT) device. The server (108) may be an intelligent server utilizing machine learning and / or a neural network. According to one embodiment, the external electronic device (104) or the server (108) may be included in the second network (199).The electronic device (101) can be applied to intelligent services (e.g., smart home, smart city, smart car, or healthcare) based on 5G communication technology and IoT-related technology.
[0044] An electronic device according to an embodiment (e.g., electronic device (101) of FIG. 1) may have a structure of a wearable electronic device. According to an embodiment, the electronic device (101) is a wearable electronic device in the form of a watch, and the electronic device (101) according to an embodiment may be worn by a user. For example, the electronic device (101) may be a smart watch that may be worn on a user's wrist.
[0045] FIG. 2A is a front perspective view of a wearable electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1) according to one embodiment. FIG. 2B is a rear perspective view of the electronic device (101) of FIG. 2A according to one embodiment.
[0046] Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B , an electronic device (101) according to one embodiment may include a housing (210) including a front surface (210A), a back surface (210B), and a side surface (210C) surrounding a space between the front surface (210A) and the back surface (210B), and a fastening member (250, 260) connected to at least a portion of the housing (210) and configured to removably fasten the electronic device (101) to a portion of a user's body (e.g., a wrist, an ankle, etc.). In another embodiment (not shown), the housing may refer to a structure forming a portion of the front surface (210A), the back surface (210B), and the side surface (210C) of FIG. 2A . In one embodiment, the front surface (210A) may be formed by a front plate (201) that is at least partially substantially transparent (e.g., a glass plate including various coating layers, or a polymer plate). The back (210B) may be formed by a substantially opaque back cover (207). The back cover (207) may be formed by, for example, coated or colored glass, ceramic, polymer, metal (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel (STS), or magnesium), or a combination of at least two of the foregoing materials. The side (210C) may be formed by a side bezel structure (or side member) (206) that is coupled to the front plate (201) and the back cover (207) and comprises a metal and / or polymer. In some embodiments, the back cover (207) and the side bezel structure (206) may be formed integrally and comprise the same material (e.g., a metal material such as aluminum). The fastening members (250, 260) may be formed of various materials and shapes. The integral and multiple unit links can be formed to be movable with each other by a combination of at least two of the above materials, such as woven fabric, leather, rubber, urethane, metal, ceramic, or a combination of at least two of the above materials.
[0047] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include at least some or all of the components included in FIG. 1, including the display (220) (e.g., the display (160) of FIG. 1). In some embodiments, the electronic device (101) may omit at least one of the components included in FIG. 1 or may additionally include other components.
[0048] A display (220) according to one embodiment may be exposed, for example, through a significant portion of the front plate (201). The shape of the display (220) may correspond to the shape of the front plate (201), and may be in various shapes such as circular, oval, or polygonal. The display (220) may be combined with or disposed adjacent to a touch detection circuit, a pressure sensor capable of measuring the intensity (pressure) of a touch, and / or a fingerprint sensor.
[0049] According to one embodiment, a microphone hole (205) (e.g., an audio output module (155) of FIG. 1) may have a microphone disposed therein for acquiring external sounds, and in some embodiments, multiple microphones may be disposed so as to detect the direction of sounds. A speaker hole (208) (e.g., an audio output module (155) of FIG. 1) may be used as an external speaker and a receiver for calls. In some embodiments, the speaker hole (208) and the microphone hole (205) may be implemented as a single hole, or a speaker may be included without the speaker hole (208) (e.g., a piezo speaker).
[0050] A sensor module (211) according to an embodiment (e.g., sensor module (176) of FIG. 1) may generate an electric signal or data value corresponding to an internal operating state of the electronic device (101) or an external environmental state. The sensor module (211) may include, for example, a biometric sensor module (211) (e.g., HRM sensor) disposed on the rear surface (210B) of the housing (210). According to an embodiment, the sensor module (211) may include a plurality of biometric sensors (211a, 211b). The electronic device (101) may further include at least one of a sensor module not shown, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a color sensor, an IR (infrared) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor. According to one embodiment, the sensor module (211) may include a pressure sensor for measuring the intensity of pressure applied to the electronic device (101) according to the degree of contact between the user's wearing portion and the electronic device (101) when the user wears the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, a processor (e.g., processor (120) of FIG. 1) may determine a biosignal (e.g., an electrocardiogram signal or a heart rate signal) based on a signal acquired from the sensor module (211).
[0051] According to one embodiment, a key input device (202, 203, 204) (e.g., an input module of FIG. 1) may include a wheel key (202) disposed on a front surface (210A) of a housing (210) and rotatable in at least one direction, and / or a side key button (202, 203) disposed on a side surface (210C) of the housing (210). The wheel key may have a shape corresponding to the shape of the front plate (202). In another embodiment, the electronic device (101) may not include some or all of the above-mentioned key input devices (202, 203, 204), and the key input devices (202, 203, 204) that are not included may be implemented in another form, such as a soft key, on a display (220). A connector hole (209) according to one embodiment (e.g., a connection terminal (178) of FIG. 1) may include another connector hole (not shown) that may accommodate a connector (e.g., a USB connector) for transmitting and receiving power and / or data with an external electronic device (e.g., an electronic device (102) of FIG. 1) and a connector for transmitting and receiving audio signals with the external electronic device. The electronic device (101) may further include, for example, a connector cover (not shown) that covers at least a portion of the connector hole (209) and blocks the inflow of external foreign substances into the connector hole.
[0052] According to one embodiment, a fastening member (250, 260) may be detachably fastened to at least a portion of a housing (210) using a hinge structure. The fastening member (250, 260) may include one or more of a fixing member (252), a fixing member fastening hole (253), a band guide member (254), and a band fastening ring (255).
[0053] According to one embodiment, the fixing member (252) may be configured to fix the housing (210) and the fastening members (250, 260) to a part of the user's body (e.g., wrist, ankle, etc.). The fastening member fastening hole (253) may correspond to the fastening member (252) to fasten the housing (210) and the fastening members (250, 260) to a part of the user's body. The band guide member (254) may be configured to limit the range of motion of the fastening member (252) when the fastening member (252) is fastened to the fastening member fastening hole (253), thereby allowing the fastening members (250, 260) to be fastened in close contact with a part of the user's body. The band fixing ring (255) may limit the range of motion of the fastening members (250, 260) when the fastening member (252) and the fastening member fastening hole (253) are fastened.
[0054] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1) according to one embodiment.
[0055] Referring to FIG. 3, an electronic device (101) according to an embodiment may include a side bezel structure (310), a wheel key (320), a front plate (101), a display (120), a first antenna (350), a second antenna (355), a support member (360) (e.g., a bracket), a battery (370), a first printed circuit board (380), a sealing member (390), a rear plate (393), and fastening members (395, 397). At least one of the components of the electronic device (101) may be identical to or similar to at least one of the components of the electronic device (101) of FIG. 2A or 2B, and a redundant description thereof will be omitted below. The support member (360) may be disposed inside the electronic device (101) and connected to the side bezel structure (310), or may be formed integrally with the side bezel structure (310). The support member (360) may be formed of, for example, a metallic material and / or a non-metallic (e.g., polymer) material. The support member (360) may have a display (120) coupled to one surface and a first printed circuit board (380) coupled to the other surface. A processor (e.g., the processor (120) of FIG. 1), a memory (e.g., the memory (130) of FIG. 1), and / or an interface (e.g., the interface (177) of FIG. 1) may be mounted on the first printed circuit board (380).
[0056] At least a portion of a battery (370) according to one embodiment (e.g., battery (189) of FIG. 1) may be disposed substantially on the same plane as, for example, the first printed circuit board (380). The battery (370) may be disposed integrally within the electronic device (101), or may be disposed detachably from the electronic device (101).
[0057] According to one embodiment, a first antenna (350) may be disposed between the display (220) and the support member (360). The first antenna (350) may, for example, transmit or receive a wireless RF signal to or from an external device (e.g., an external electronic device). According to one embodiment, the second antenna (350) may include an antenna including a radiator formed of a conductor or a conductive pattern. According to one embodiment, the second antenna (350) may include a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna), and at least one antenna suitable for a communication method used in a communication network may be selected from the plurality of antennas by, for example, a communication circuit (493). In another embodiment, the antenna structure may be formed by a side bezel structure (310) and / or a portion or a combination of the support member (360).
[0058] According to one embodiment, a second antenna (355) may be disposed between the circuit board (380) and the back plate (393). The second antenna (355) may include, for example, a near field communication (NFC) antenna, a wireless charging antenna, and / or a magnetic secure transmission (MST) antenna. The second antenna (355) may, for example, perform short-range communication with an external device, wirelessly transmit and receive power required for charging, and transmit a magnetic-based signal including a short-range communication signal or payment data.
[0059] According to one embodiment, a sealing member (390) may be positioned between the side bezel structure (310) and the rear plate (393). The sealing member (390) may be configured to block moisture and foreign substances from entering the space surrounded by the side bezel structure (310) and the rear plate (393) from the outside.
[0060] A second printed circuit board (333) (e.g., a printed circuit board (PCB), a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB), or a rigid-flexible PCB (RFPCB)) may be placed between the rear plate (393) and the rear cover (207) according to one embodiment. The second printed circuit board (333) may be electrically connected to the first printed circuit board (380) through a hole formed in the rear plate (393). A coil (not shown) for wireless charging may be placed to surround an outer periphery of the second printed circuit board (333).
[0061] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a wearable electronic device for supporting network communication according to one embodiment.
[0062] Referring to FIG. 4, a wearable electronic device (401) according to one embodiment (e.g., electronic device (101) of FIG. 1) may include at least one processor (e.g., application processor (420), communication processor (491)), memory (430), audio output module (455), communication circuit (493), and antenna module (497).
[0063] At least one processor (420, 491) according to an embodiment may be implemented as an integrated chip or implemented as a separate chip. At least one processor (420, 491) according to an embodiment may identify whether a music playback function is activated based on the occurrence of a communication signal transmission event. At least one processor (420, 491) according to an embodiment may control the communication circuit (493) to transmit the communication signal using first transmission power control information based on the deactivation of the music playback function. The first transmission power control information according to an embodiment may include information for causing the communication circuit (493) to use transmission power levels for each designated frequency band or maximum transmission power levels (MTPL) (e.g., 23 dB according to 3GPP communication standards). For example, the first transmission power control information may include transmission power control information in a normal state (e.g., a normal transmission power control table (or default transmission power control table)). At least one processor (420) according to an embodiment may control the communication circuit (493) to transmit a communication signal using second transmission power control information based on the activation of the music playback function. The second transmission power control information according to an embodiment may include information for lowering each of the transmission power levels for each of the specified frequency bands by a specified value (e.g., several dB or about -1 dB). For example, the second transmission power control information may include a transmission power control table preset in response to the activation of the music playback. At least one processor (420, 491) according to an embodiment may further identify whether a power (e.g., transmission power) back-off condition associated with a specific absorption rate (SAR) is satisfied based on the occurrence of a communication signal transmission event.According to one embodiment, the SAR is a numerical value indicating how much of the electromagnetic waves radiated from the wearable electronic device (401) are absorbed by the human body. SAR uses a unit of KW / g (or mW / g), which may mean the amount of power (KW, W, or mW) absorbed per 1 gram of human body. According to one embodiment, a power back-off condition associated with SAR may be a condition in which the expected SAR due to the transmission power exceeds a threshold. For example, a power back-off condition associated with SAR may include a condition in which a microphone or speaker is being used in a call connection state and a country code associated with the communication corresponding to the call connection is a designated country code (MCC (mobile country code)). According to an embodiment, at least one processor (420, 491) may control the communication circuit (493) to transmit a communication signal using the first transmission power control information according to deactivation of the music playback function when the power back-off condition associated with the SAR is not satisfied, or to transmit a communication signal using the second transmission power control information according to activation of the music playback function. According to an embodiment, at least one processor (420, 491) may control the communication circuit (493) to transmit a communication signal using the third transmission power control information regardless of whether the music playback function is activated when the power back-off condition associated with the SAR is satisfied. The third power control information according to an embodiment may include information for adjusting each of the transmission power levels of the designated frequency bands to a value corresponding to the power back-off condition associated with the SAR.
[0064] At least one processor (420, 491) according to an embodiment may include an application processor (420) and a communication processor (491). The application processor (420) and the communication processor (491) according to an embodiment may communicate through an interprocessor communication method (e.g., interprocessor communication (IPC)). The application processor (420) and the communication processor (491) according to an embodiment may transmit and receive data through an HS-UART interface or a PCIe interface, but there may be no limitation on the type of interface. Alternatively, the application processor (420) and the communication processor (491) may exchange control information and packet data information using a shared memory.
[0065] According to one embodiment, the application processor (420) can identify whether the music playback function is activated based on the occurrence of an interrupt associated with audio processing (or an audio data block of the memory (430)). According to one embodiment, the application processor (420) can identify whether the music playback function is activated based on the occurrence of an interrupt associated with audio processing (or an audio data block of the memory (430)) in a state where a power back-off condition associated with SAR is not satisfied. According to one embodiment, when the music playback function is in a deactivated state, the application processor (420) can transmit a first value corresponding to the deactivation of the music playback function (e.g., code value A (0x200010)) to the communication processor (491). According to one embodiment, when the music playback function is in an activated state, the application processor (420) can transmit a second value corresponding to the activation of the music playback function (e.g., code value B (0x100000)) to the communication processor (491).
[0066] According to an embodiment, a communication processor (491) may control a communication circuit (493) to transmit a communication signal using first transmission power control information based on reception of a first value from an application processor (420). According to an embodiment, a communication processor (491) may control a communication circuit (493) to transmit a communication signal using second transmission power control information based on reception of a second value from the application processor (420). The communication processor (491) and the communication circuit (493) according to an embodiment may also be referred to as a wireless communication module (492) (e.g., the wireless communication module (192) of FIG. 1).
[0067] A communication processor (491) according to one embodiment may support the establishment of a communication channel in a band to be used for wireless communication with a network (e.g., a second network (199)), and communication with the network (or a cellular network or a legacy network) through the established communication channel. According to one embodiment, the cellular network may be a network including a second generation (2G), 3G, 4G, or long term evolution (LTE) network.
[0068] A communication circuit (493) according to an embodiment may process a wireless communication signal received from the outside through an antenna module (497) based on the control of a communication processor (491) or transmit a wireless communication signal to the outside through the antenna module (497). The communication circuit (493) according to an embodiment may include a radio frequency integrated chip (RFIC) (495) and a radio frequency front end (RFFE) (496).
[0069] In one embodiment, the RFIC (495) may, upon transmission, convert a baseband signal generated by the communication processor (491) into a radio frequency (RF) signal of about 700 MHz to about 3 GHz used in a network (e.g., a legacy network). In one embodiment, the RFIC (495) may, upon reception, convert an RF signal acquired from a network through an antenna module (497) and preprocessed through an RFFE (496) into a baseband signal and provide the converted RF signal to the communication processor (491).
[0070] An RFFE (495) according to an embodiment may include a power amplifier, a switch, and a filter, and may amplify the power of a transmission signal to be output through an antenna module (497). An RFIC (495) according to an embodiment may control the operation of a power amplifier of the RFFE (495) for amplifying a transmission RF signal according to control based on the first transmission power control information, the second transmission power control information, or the third transmission power control information of the communication processor (491). When receiving power, the RFFE (495) according to an embodiment may preprocess a received signal and provide it to the RFIC (495).
[0071] An antenna module (497) according to an embodiment (e.g., the antenna module (197) of FIG. 1 or the second antenna (355) of FIG. 3) may transmit or receive a signal or power to or from an external device (e.g., an external electronic device). According to an embodiment, the antenna module (497) may include an antenna including a radiator made of a conductor or a conductive pattern. According to an embodiment, the antenna module (497) may include a plurality of antennas, and at least one antenna suitable for a communication method used in a network may be selected by a switch of the RFFE (496). A signal or power may be transmitted or received between the communication circuit (493) and the external electronic device through the at least one selected antenna.
[0072] An audio output module (455) according to one embodiment (e.g., audio output module (155) of FIG. 1) may output an audio signal to the outside of the wearable electronic device (401) according to activation of a music playback function based on control of an application processor (420). The audio output module (455) may include, for example, a speaker or a receiver.
[0073] A memory (430) according to an embodiment (e.g., memory (130) of FIG. 1) may store various data used by at least one component (e.g., application processor (420) or communication processor module (491)) of an electronic device (401). The memory (430) according to an embodiment may store first transmission power control information, second transmission power control information, and third transmission power control information. The memory (430) according to an embodiment may store instructions configured to cause at least one processor (420, 391) to perform a transmission power control operation.
[0074] A wearable electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 or the wearable electronic device (401) of FIG. 4) according to an embodiment may include an audio output module (e.g., the audio output module (155) of FIG. 1 or the audio output module (455) of FIG. 4), a communication circuit (e.g., the communication circuit (493) of FIG. 4), a memory (e.g., the memory (130) of FIG. 1 or the memory (430) of FIG. 4), and at least one processor (an application processor (420) and a communication processor (491) of FIG. 4). The at least one processor according to an embodiment may identify whether a music playback function is activated based on an occurrence of a communication signal transmission event. The at least one processor according to an embodiment may control the communication circuit to transmit the communication signal using first transmission power control information based on deactivation of the music playback function. In one embodiment, the at least one processor may control the communication circuit to transmit a communication signal using second transmission power control information based on activation of the music playback function.
[0075] The first transmission power control information according to one embodiment may include information causing the communication circuit to use transmission power levels designated for each frequency band. The second transmission power control information according to one embodiment may include information causing each of the transmission power levels designated for each frequency band to be lowered by a designated value in response to activation of the music playback function.
[0076] In one embodiment, the specified value may be -1 dB.
[0077] According to one embodiment, the above-described value may be assigned a different value depending on the music playback time based on the activation of the music playback function.
[0078] In one embodiment, the at least one processor may further identify whether a power back-off condition associated with a specific absorption rate (SAR) is satisfied based on the occurrence of the communication signal transmission event.
[0079] In one embodiment, the at least one processor may control the communication circuit to transmit the communication signal using the first transmission power control information or the second transmission power control information depending on whether the music playback function is activated when the power back-off condition associated with the SAR is not satisfied.
[0080] In one embodiment, the at least one processor may be configured to transmit the communication signal based on the third transmission power information when a power back-off condition associated with the SAR is satisfied.
[0081] The power back-off conditions associated with the SAR according to one embodiment may include a condition in which a microphone or speaker is in use in a call connection state and a country code associated with the communication corresponding to the call connection is a designated country code (MCC (mobile country code)).
[0082] In one embodiment, the at least one processor may include a processor and a communication processor. In one embodiment, the application processor may be configured to identify whether the music playback function is activated based on an interrupt occurrence related to audio processing, and if the music playback function is deactivated, to transmit a first value corresponding to the deactivation of the music playback function to the communication processor, and if the music playback function is activated, to transmit a second value corresponding to the activation of the music playback function to the communication processor.
[0083] In one embodiment, the communication processor may be configured to control the communication circuit to transmit the communication signal based on the first transmission power information based on reception of the first value, and to control the communication circuit to transmit the communication signal based on the second transmission power information based on reception of the second value.
[0084] According to one embodiment, the application processor and the communication processor may be configured to communicate using an interprocessor communication (IPC) protocol.
[0085] In one embodiment, the application processor may be configured to identify activation of the music playback function based on a media session created as the music data streaming application is executed.
[0086] The communication circuit according to one embodiment may include an RFIC and an RFFE.
[0087] According to one embodiment, the RFIC may convert a transmission baseband signal into a transmission RF signal and output the converted signal. According to one embodiment, the RFFE may amplify the power of the transmission RF signal and output the amplified signal through an antenna module. According to one embodiment, the communication processor may be configured to control the operation of a power amplifier of the RFFE for amplifying a transmission RF signal generated by the RFIC based on the first transmission power control information, the second transmission power control information, or the third transmission power control information.
[0088] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a transmission power control operation in a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment.
[0089] Referring to FIG. 5, at least one processor (e.g., the processor (120) and the wireless communication module (192) of FIG. 1 or the application processor (420) and the communication processor (491) of FIG. 4) of an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 or the electronic device (401) of FIG. 4) according to one embodiment may perform at least one operation among operations 510 to 540.
[0090] In operation 510, at least one processor (420, 491) according to an embodiment may identify the occurrence of a communication signal transmission event. At least one processor (420, 491) according to an embodiment may identify whether a baseband signal to be transmitted exists.
[0091] In operation 520, at least one processor (420, 491) according to an embodiment may identify whether the music playback function is activated based on the occurrence of a communication signal transmission event. At least one processor (420, 491) according to an embodiment may identify whether the music playback function is activated based on an interrupt associated with audio processing (or an audio data block of the memory (430)). At least one processor (420, 491) according to an embodiment may identify whether the music playback function is activated based on a media session generated when a music playback application is executed or a music data streaming application is executed. The application processor (420) according to an embodiment may identify whether the music playback function is activated based on an interrupt associated with audio processing (or an audio data block of the memory (430)) in a state where a power back-off condition associated with SAR is not satisfied.
[0092] In operation 530, at least one processor (420, 491) according to an embodiment may control the communication circuit (493) to transmit the communication signal using first transmission power control information when the music playback function is inactive. The first transmission power control information according to an embodiment may include information for causing the communication circuit (493) to use transmission power levels for each designated frequency band or maximum transmission power levels (MTPL) (e.g., 23 dB according to 3GPP communication standards). For example, the first transmission power control information may include transmission power control information in a normal state (e.g., a normal transmission power control table (or default transmission power control table)). The first transmission power control information according to an embodiment may include information as shown in Table 1 below.
[0093] INDEXBANDPower control12024035041205130.........
[0094] Referring to Table 1 above, BAND according to one embodiment may be frequency band identification information. According to one embodiment, BAND: 2 may be a band in the band of approximately 1850 to 1910 MHz. According to one embodiment, BAND: 4 may be a band in the band of approximately 1710 to 1755 MHz. According to one embodiment, BAND: 5 may be a band in the band of approximately 824 to 849 MHz. According to one embodiment, BAND: 12 may be a band in the band of approximately 699 to 716 MHz. According to one embodiment, BAND: 13 may be a band in the band of approximately 777 to 787 MHz. Power control according to one embodiment may be power control information for each frequency band. For example, BAND: 2, Power control: 0 may be information indicating that the power of the frequency band corresponding to 2 is not adjusted. BAND: 4, Power control: 0 may be information indicating that the power of the frequency band corresponding to 4 is not adjusted. The first transmission power control information according to an embodiment may be information for controlling the use of transmission power levels or maximum transmission power level (MTPL) (e.g., 23 dB according to 3GPP communication standards) for each of the specified frequency bands without adjustment. In operation 540, at least one processor (420, 491) according to an embodiment may control the communication circuit (493) to transmit a communication signal using the second transmission power control information when the music playback function is activated. The second transmission power control information according to an embodiment may include information for lowering each of the transmission power levels (e.g., 23 dB according to 3GPP communication standards) for each of the specified frequency bands by a specified value (e.g., several dB or about -1 dB). For example, the second transmission power control information may include a transmission power control table that is preset in response to music playback activation.The second transmission power control information according to one embodiment may include information for lowering each of the transmission power levels for each of the specified frequency bands by a specified value (e.g., several dB or about -1 dB) according to the music playback time.
[0095] The second transmission power control information according to one embodiment may include information as shown in Table 2 below.
[0096] INDEXBANDTime(m)Power control12005-110-215-324005-110-215-335005-110-215-3412005-110-215-3513005-110-215-3............
[0097] Referring to Table 2 above, BAND according to an embodiment may be frequency band identification information. Time(m) according to an embodiment may be music playback time. Power control according to an embodiment may be power control information for each frequency band. For example, BAND: 2, Time(m): 0, Power control: 0 may be information indicating that the power of the frequency band corresponding to 2 is not adjusted when the music playback time is 0 minutes. BAND: 2, Time(m): 5, Power control: 0 may be control information to adjust the power of the frequency band corresponding to 2 by -1 dB when the music playback time is more than 0 minutes but less than 5 minutes. BAND: 2, Time(m): 10, Power control: 0 may be control information to adjust the power of the frequency band corresponding to 2 by -2 dB when the music playback time is more than 5 minutes but less than 10 minutes. BAND: 2, Time(m): 15, Power control: 0 may be control information to adjust the power of the frequency band corresponding to 2 to be lowered by -3 dB when the music playback time is more than 10 minutes and less than 15 minutes. According to one embodiment, when the music playback time exceeds 15 minutes, the power of the frequency band corresponding to 2 may be maintained or adjusted to be lowered by 3 dB. In Table 2 above, the case where the music playback time interval is 5 minutes is described as an example, but the music playback time interval may be designated as another interval between several minutes to several tens of minutes. In addition, Table 2 above describes the case where the power adjustment range is -1 dB as an example, but the power adjustment range may be adjusted in a range less than or greater than -1 dB. In one embodiment, the power adjustment range is set differently depending on the music playback time, but the power of the frequency band may be uniformly lowered by a certain value when music playback is activated regardless of the music playback time.In one embodiment, a method for controlling transmission power in a wearable electronic device (electronic device 101 of FIG. 1 or wearable electronic device 401 of FIG. 4) may include an operation of identifying whether a music playback function is activated based on occurrence of a communication signal transmission event. In one embodiment, the method may include an operation of transmitting the communication signal using first transmission power control information through a communication circuit based on deactivation of the music playback function. In one embodiment, the method may include an operation of transmitting the communication signal using second transmission power control information through the communication circuit based on activation of the music playback function. In one embodiment, the first transmission power control information may include information causing the communication circuit to use transmission power levels designated for each frequency band. In one embodiment, the second transmission power control information may include information causing each of the transmission power levels designated for each frequency band to be lowered by a designated value in response to activation of the music playback function.
[0098] In the method according to one embodiment, the specified value may be specified as a different value depending on the music playback time based on the activation of the music playback function.
[0099] The method according to one embodiment may include an operation of identifying whether a power back-off condition associated with a specific absorption rate (SAR) is satisfied based on an occurrence of the communication signal transmission event. The method according to one embodiment may include an operation of transmitting the communication signal by the communication circuit using the first transmission power control information or the second transmission power control information depending on whether the music playback function is activated if the power back-off condition associated with the SAR is not satisfied. The method according to one embodiment may include an operation of transmitting the communication signal based on third transmission power information if the power back-off condition associated with the SAR is satisfied.
[0100] In the method according to one embodiment, the power back-off condition associated with the SAR may include a condition that a microphone or speaker is being used in a call connection state and a country code associated with a communication corresponding to the call connection is a designated country code (MCC (mobile country code)).
[0101] In the method according to one embodiment, the wearable electronic device may include an application processor and a communication processor. In one embodiment, the method may include an operation in which the application processor identifies whether the music playback function is activated based on an occurrence of an interrupt related to audio processing, and if the music playback function is deactivated, transmits a first value corresponding to the deactivation of the music playback function to the communication processor, and if the music playback function is activated, transmits a second value corresponding to the activation of the music playback function to the communication processor. In one embodiment, the method may include an operation in which the communication processor controls the communication circuit to transmit the communication signal based on the first transmission power information based on reception of the first value, and controls the communication circuit to transmit the communication signal based on the second transmission power information based on reception of the second value.
[0102] In the method according to one embodiment, the application processor and the communication processor can communicate using an interprocessor communication (IPC) protocol.
[0103] The method according to one embodiment may include an operation in which the application processor identifies activation of the music playback function based on a media session created as the music data streaming application is executed.
[0104] The method according to one embodiment may include an operation of converting a transmission baseband signal into a transmission RF signal and outputting the converted signal through an RFIC based on the occurrence of the communication signal transmission event.
[0105] The method according to one embodiment may include an operation of amplifying the transmission RF signal through an RFFE and outputting the signal through an antenna module based on the first transmission power control information, the second transmission power control information, or the third transmission power control information.
[0106] FIG. 6 is a procedure diagram showing an operation through communication between an application processor (420) and a communication processor (491) according to one embodiment.
[0107] Referring to FIG. 6, an application processor (e.g., processor (120) of FIG. 1 or application processor (420) of FIG. 4) of an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 or electronic device (401) of FIG. 4) according to an embodiment may perform at least one operation from 610 to 640, and a communication processor (e.g., wireless communication module (192) of FIG. 1 or communication processor (491) of FIG. 4) of an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 or electronic device (401) of FIG. 4) according to an embodiment may perform at least one operation from 650 to 670.
[0108] In operation 610, the application processor (420) according to one embodiment may identify the occurrence of an interrupt associated with audio processing. The application processor (420) according to one embodiment may identify the occurrence of an interrupt associated with audio processing (or an audio data block of the memory (430)). The application processor (420) according to one embodiment may identify whether a music playback function is activated based on a media session created when a music playback application is executed or a music data streaming application is executed. The application processor (420) according to one embodiment may also identify whether a music playback function is activated based on the occurrence of an interrupt associated with audio processing (or an audio data block of the memory (430)) in a state where a power back-off condition associated with SAR is not satisfied.
[0109] In operation 620, the application processor (420) according to one embodiment may determine whether the music playback function is activated based on the occurrence of an interrupt associated with audio processing. The application processor (420) according to one embodiment may determine whether music playback is active or not in the audio configuration. If the music playback function is inactive, the application processor (420) according to one embodiment may proceed to operation 640.
[0110] In operation 630, the application processor (420) according to one embodiment may obtain music playback time information if the music playback function is activated and proceed to operation 640.
[0111] In operation 640, the application processor (420) according to one embodiment may transmit a first value corresponding to deactivation of the music playback function (e.g., code value A (0x200010)) to the communication processor (491) using the IPC protocol, or transmit a second value corresponding to activation of the music playback function (e.g., code value B (0x100000)) and music playback time information.
[0112] In operation 650, the communication processor (491) according to one embodiment can confirm (or identify) the code value received from the application processor (420). The communication processor (491) according to one embodiment can confirm (or identify) whether the code value received from the application processor (420) is A or B.
[0113] In operation 660, a communication processor (491) according to one embodiment may control a communication circuit (493) to transmit a communication signal using first transmission power control information corresponding to code value A (e.g., first transmission power control information of Table 1).
[0114] In operation 670, a communication processor (491) according to an embodiment may control a communication circuit (493) to transmit a communication signal using second transmission power control information (e.g., second transmission power control information of Table 2) based on code value B and music playback time information.
[0115] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a transmission power control operation considering a power back-off condition associated with SAR in a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment.
[0116] Referring to FIG. 7, at least one processor (e.g., the processor (120) and the wireless communication module (192) of FIG. 1 or the application processor (420) and the communication processor (491) of FIG. 4) of an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 or the electronic device (401) of FIG. 4) according to one embodiment may perform at least one operation among operations 710 to 780.
[0117] In operation 710, at least one processor (420, 491) according to an embodiment may identify the occurrence of a communication signal transmission event. At least one processor (420, 491) according to an embodiment may identify whether a baseband signal to be transmitted exists.
[0118] In operation 720, at least one processor (420, 491) according to an embodiment may identify whether a power back-off condition associated with SAR is satisfied. According to an embodiment, SAR is a numerical value indicating how much electromagnetic waves radiated from a wearable electronic device (101 or 401) are absorbed by the human body. SAR uses a unit of KW / g (or mW / g), which may mean the amount of power (KW, W, or mW) absorbed per 1g of the human body. According to an embodiment, a power back-off condition associated with SAR may be a condition in which the expected SAR due to the transmission power exceeds a threshold. For example, a power back-off condition associated with SAR may include a condition in which a microphone or speaker is being used in a call connection state and a country code associated with the communication corresponding to the call connection is a designated country code (MCC (mobile country code)).
[0119] In operation 730, at least one processor (420, 491) according to an embodiment may control to transmit a communication signal using third transmission power control information regardless of whether a music playback function is activated when a power back-off condition associated with SAR is satisfied. The third power control information according to an embodiment may include information for adjusting each of the maximum transmission power levels for each designated frequency band to levels corresponding to the power back-off condition associated with SAR.
[0120] The third transmission power control information according to one embodiment may include information as shown in Table 3 below.
[0121] INDEXBANDPower control12-424035-54120513-4.........
[0122] Referring to Table 3 above, BAND according to one embodiment may be frequency band identification information. Power control according to one embodiment may be power control information for each frequency band. For example, BAND: 2, Power control: -4 may be control information to adjust the power of the frequency band corresponding to 4 lower by -4 dB. BAND: 4, Power control: 0 may be information indicating that the power of the frequency band corresponding to 4 is not adjusted. BAND: 5, Power control: -5 may be control information to adjust the power of the frequency band corresponding to 5 lower by -5 dB. BAND: 12, Power control: 0 may be information indicating that the power of the frequency band corresponding to 12 is not adjusted. BAND: 13, Power control: -4 may be control information to adjust the power of the frequency band corresponding to 13 lower by -4 dB. The above Table 3 only describes one embodiment for power adjustment, and it is obvious that the control information value can be designated as various other values depending on the experiment on the relationship between the transmission power level for each frequency band of the wearable electronic device (101 or 401) and the SAR. In operation 740, at least one processor (420, 491) according to one embodiment can identify whether the music playback function is activated if the power back-off condition associated with the SAR is not satisfied. At least one processor (420, 491) according to one embodiment can identify whether the music playback function is activated based on an interrupt associated with audio processing (or an audio data block of the memory (430)). At least one processor (420, 491) according to one embodiment can identify whether the music playback function is activated based on a media session generated when a music playback application is executed or a music data streaming application is executed.In an embodiment, the application processor (420) may identify whether the music playback function is activated based on an interrupt associated with audio processing (or an audio data block of the memory (430)) in a state where a power back-off condition associated with SAR is not satisfied. In operation 750, at least one processor (420, 491) according to an embodiment may control the communication circuit (493) to transmit the communication signal using first transmission power control information if the music playback function is in a deactivated state. The first transmission power control information according to an embodiment may include information for causing the communication circuit (493) to use transmission power levels for each designated frequency band or maximum transmission power levels (MTPL) (e.g., 23 dB according to 3GPP communication standards). For example, the first transmission power control information may include transmission power control information in a normal state (e.g., a normal transmission power control table (or default transmission power control table)). The first transmission power control information according to an embodiment may include information such as Table 1.
[0123] In operation 760, at least one processor (420, 491) according to an embodiment may obtain music playback time information when the music playback function is activated. At least one processor (420, 491) according to an embodiment may continuously (or periodically) check the music playback time when the music playback function is activated and obtain the accumulated music playback time from the time of music playback to the present.
[0124] In operation 770, at least one processor (420, 491) according to an embodiment may identify a section including a music playback time. At least one processor (420, 491) according to an embodiment may identify a section including a music playback time in a state where the section is set by time units (e.g., 5-minute units) in which the music playback time is specified. The music playback time unit (or interval) may be specified in a different time unit from several minutes to several tens of minutes.
[0125] In operation 780, at least one processor (420, 491) according to one embodiment may control a communication circuit (493) to transmit a communication signal using a section including a music playback time and second transmission power control information (e.g., second transmission power control information of Table 2).
[0126] FIG. 8a is a graph showing peak currents when the second transmission power control information is not applied in response to the activation of a music playback function in a wearable electronic device according to an embodiment. FIG. 8b is a graph showing peak currents when the second transmission power control information is applied in response to the activation of a music playback function in a wearable electronic device according to an embodiment.
[0127] Referring to Fig. 8a, in a first peak current graph (810) according to an embodiment, the horizontal axis may represent time (s) and the vertical axis may represent current (mA). In an embodiment, when at least one processor (e.g., the processor (120) and the wireless communication module (192) of Fig. 1 or the application processor (420) and the communication processor (491) of Fig. 4) of a wearable electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of Fig. 1 or the wearable electronic device (401) of Fig. 4) performs a transmission operation using the first transmission power control information in a normal state when the music playback function is activated in a state other than a power back-off condition associated with SAR, current peaks (812) higher than the reference current may occur as in the first peak current graph (810), so that the heating temperature may increase and a cool-down mode due to heating may occur frequently.
[0128] Referring to FIG. 8B, in a second peak current graph (820) according to an embodiment, the horizontal axis may represent time (s) and the vertical axis may represent current (mA). In an embodiment, when at least one processor (e.g., the processor (120) and the wireless communication module (192) of FIG. 1 or the application processor (420) and the communication processor (491) of FIG. 4) of a wearable electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 or the wearable electronic device (401) of FIG. 4) performs a transmission operation using the second transmission power control information when the music playback function is activated in a state other than a power back-off condition associated with SAR, second current peaks (814) lower than the first current peaks (812) or the reference current may occur as in the second peak current graph (820), so that the heating temperature may be lower than the state of the first peak current graph (810) and the number of cool-down modes due to heating may be reduced.
[0129] In an embodiment, a wearable electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 or the wearable electronic device (401) of FIG. 4) may have a call holding time (e.g., a call holding time associated with music streaming) increased when the music playback function is activated and the second transmission power control information is used during music playback in a state other than a power back-off condition associated with SAR, compared to when the second transmission power control information is not used.
[0130] Table 4 below is a table showing the average current, call holding time, and temperature (e.g., rear temperature) of the wearable electronic device during cool-down when the wearable electronic device (401) does not use the second transmission power control information when streaming music under network weak electric field conditions and when the second transmission power control information is used.
[0131] Network weak electric field conditions Case 2: Case 1 without using transmission power control information Case 2: Case 2 with transmission power control information Average current during call maintenance 211mA 216mA 220mA Call maintenance time 4'13” 5'10” (approximately 20%↑) 5'29” (approximately 30%↑) Cool-down temperature (°C) 39.5 39.9 39.7
[0132] Referring to Table 4 above, a wearable electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 or the wearable electronic device (401) of FIG. 4) according to an embodiment performs music streaming in a state other than a power back-off condition associated with SAR, and when the music playback function is activated, the second transmission power control information is used during music playback, compared to the first case or the second case where the second transmission power control information is not used, while the average current and the temperature during cool-down are maintained similarly, while the call holding time (e.g., the call holding time associated with music streaming) is increased, thereby increasing the network connection usage time and delaying the entry into the cool-down mode during music playback. An electronic device according to an embodiment disclosed in the present document may be a variety of devices. An 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 home appliance device. An electronic device according to an embodiment of the present document is not limited to the above-described devices.
[0133] The embodiments of this document and the terminology used herein are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, but should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutes of the embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related components. The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of the items, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this document, each of the phrases "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" can include any one of the items listed together in the corresponding phrase among those phrases, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as "first," "second," or "first" or "second" may be used merely to distinguish one component from another, and do not limit the components in any other respect (e.g., importance or order). When a component (e.g., a first component) is referred to as "coupled" or "connected" to another (e.g., a second component), with or without the terms "functionally" or "communicatively," it means that the component can be connected to the other component directly (e.g., wired), wirelessly, or through a third component.
[0134] The term "module" used in one embodiment of this document may include a unit implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with terms such as logic, logic block, component, or circuit. A module may be an integral component, or a minimum unit or part of such a component that performs one or more functions. For example, according to one embodiment, a module may be implemented in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).
[0135] An embodiment of the present document may be implemented as software (e.g., a program (140)) including one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (e.g., an internal memory (136) or an external memory (138)) readable by a machine (e.g., an electronic device (101) or an electronic device (301)). For example, a processor (e.g., a processor (520)) of the machine (e.g., an electronic device (301)) may call at least one instruction among the one or more instructions stored from the storage medium and execute it. This enables the machine to operate to perform at least one function according to the at least one called instruction. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code executable by an interpreter. The machine-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, 'non-transitory' simply means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not contain signals (e.g., electromagnetic waves), and the term does not distinguish between cases where data is stored semi-permanently or temporarily on the storage medium.
[0136] According to one embodiment, the method according to one embodiment disclosed in the present document may be provided as included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded as a product between a seller and a buyer. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM)), or may be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) via an application store (e.g., Play Store™) or directly between two user devices (e.g., smart phones). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be temporarily stored or temporarily generated in a machine-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or an intermediary server.
[0137] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in a non-volatile storage medium storing commands, the commands are configured to cause the electronic device to perform at least one operation when executed by the electronic device, wherein the at least one operation may include an operation of identifying whether a music playback function is activated based on an occurrence of a communication signal transmission event, an operation of transmitting the communication signal using first transmission power control information through a communication circuit based on deactivation of the music playback function, and an operation of transmitting the communication signal using second transmission power control information through the communication circuit based on activation of the music playback function.
[0138] According to one embodiment, each component (e.g., a module or a program) of the above-described components may include one or more entities, and some of the entities may be separated and placed in other components. According to one embodiment, one or more components or operations of the aforementioned components may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Alternatively or additionally, a plurality of components (e.g., a module or a program) may be integrated into a single component. In such a case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the plurality of components identically or similarly to those performed by the corresponding component among the plurality of components prior to the integration. According to one embodiment, the operations performed by a module, program, or other component may be executed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.
Claims
1. In a wearable electronic device (101 of FIG. 1 or 401 of FIG. 4), Audio output module (155 in Fig. 1 or 455 in Fig. 4); Communication circuit (493 in Fig. 4); Memory for storing instructions (130 in FIG. 1 or 430 in FIG. 4); and comprising at least one processor (420 and 491 of FIG. 4), The above instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to: Identify whether the music playback function is activated based on the occurrence of a communication signal transmission event, Based on the deactivation of the music playback function, the communication circuit transmits the communication signal using the first transmission power control information, and A wearable electronic device that causes the communication circuit to transmit a communication signal using second transmission power control information based on activation of the above music playback function.
2. In paragraph 1, The above first transmission power control information includes information that causes the communication circuit to use transmission power levels specified for each frequency band, A wearable electronic device wherein the second transmission power control information includes information for lowering each of the transmission power levels specified for each of the frequency bands by a specified value in response to activation of the music playback function.
3. In paragraph 1 or 2, Wearable electronic device with the above specified value of -1dB.
4. In paragraph 1 or 2, A wearable electronic device in which the above-mentioned specified value is assigned to a different value depending on the music playback time based on the activation of the music playback function.
5. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 4, The above instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to: Further identifying whether the power back-off condition associated with the specific absorption rate (SAR) is satisfied based on the occurrence of the above communication signal transmission event, If the power back-off condition associated with the SAR is not satisfied, the communication circuit transmits the communication signal using the first transmission power control information or the second transmission power control information depending on whether the music playback function is activated, and A wearable electronic device configured to transmit the communication signal based on third transmission power information when the power back-off condition associated with the above SAR is satisfied.
6. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 5, The power back-off conditions associated with the above SAR include a wearable electronic device in which a microphone or speaker is in use during a call connection and the country code associated with the communication corresponding to the call connection is a designated mobile country code (MCC).
7. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 6, The at least one processor comprises an application processor and a communication processor, The above instructions, when executed by the application processor, cause the electronic device to: Identify whether the music playback function is activated based on the occurrence of an interrupt related to audio processing, If the above music playback function is disabled, a first value corresponding to the deactivation of the music playback function is transmitted to the communication processor, If the above music playback function is activated, a second value corresponding to the activation of the above music playback function is transmitted to the communication processor, The above instructions, when executed by the communication processor, cause the electronic device to: Transmitting the communication signal through the communication circuit based on the first transmission power information based on the reception of the first value, A wearable electronic device that transmits the communication signal through the communication circuit based on the second transmission power information based on the reception of the second value.
8. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 7, A wearable electronic device wherein the application processor and the communication processor are set to communicate using an interprocessor communication (IPC) protocol.
9. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 8, The above instructions, when executed by the application processor, cause the electronic device to: A wearable electronic device that identifies activation of said music playback function based on a media session generated when a music data streaming application is running.
10. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 9, The above communication circuit includes an RFIC and an RFFE, The above RFIC converts the transmission baseband signal into a transmission RF signal and outputs it. The above RFFE amplifies the power of the transmitted RF signal and outputs it through the antenna module. The above instructions, when executed by the communication processor, cause the electronic device to: A wearable electronic device that controls the operation of a power amplifier of the RFFE for amplifying a transmission RF signal generated by the RFIC based on the first transmission power control information, the second transmission power control information, or the third transmission power control information.
11. In a method for controlling transmission power in a wearable electronic device (101 of FIG. 1 or 401 of FIG. 4), Action to identify whether the music playback function is activated based on the occurrence of a communication signal transmission event; An operation of transmitting the communication signal using first transmission power control information through a communication circuit based on the deactivation of the above music playback function; and A method comprising an operation of transmitting the communication signal using second transmission power control information through the communication circuit based on activation of the music playback function.
12. In paragraph 11, The above first transmission power control information includes information that causes the communication circuit to use transmission power levels specified for each frequency band, The second transmission power control information includes information for lowering each of the transmission power levels specified for each of the frequency bands by a specified value in response to activation of the music playback function, and A method in which the above-mentioned specified value is assigned a different value depending on the music playback time based on the activation of the above-mentioned music playback function.
13. In paragraph 11 or 12, An action to identify whether a power back-off condition associated with a specific absorption rate (SAR) is satisfied based on the occurrence of the above communication signal transmission event; An operation of transmitting the communication signal by using the first transmission power control information or the second transmission power control information depending on whether the music playback function is activated when the power back-off condition associated with the SAR is not satisfied; and Further comprising an operation of transmitting the communication signal based on the third transmission power information when the power back-off condition associated with the above SAR is satisfied, A method wherein the power back-off condition associated with the above SAR includes a condition in which a microphone or speaker is in use in a call connection state and a country code associated with the communication corresponding to the call connection is a designated country code (MCC (mobile country code)).
14. In any one of paragraphs 11 to 13, The wearable electronic device comprises an application processor and a communication processor, An operation in which the application processor identifies whether the music playback function is activated based on an interrupt occurrence related to audio processing, and if the music playback function is deactivated, transmits a first value corresponding to the deactivation of the music playback function to the communication processor, and if the music playback function is activated, transmits a second value corresponding to the activation of the music playback function to the communication processor; and A method comprising: controlling the communication circuit to transmit the communication signal based on the first transmission power information based on reception of the first value, and controlling the communication circuit to transmit the communication signal based on the second transmission power information based on reception of the second value.
15. In a nonvolatile storage medium storing commands, the commands are set to cause the electronic device to perform at least one operation when executed by the electronic device, the at least one operation being: Action to identify whether the music playback function is activated based on the occurrence of a communication signal transmission event; An operation of transmitting the communication signal using first transmission power control information through a communication circuit based on the deactivation of the above music playback function; and A storage medium including an operation of transmitting the communication signal using second transmission power control information through the communication circuit based on activation of the music playback function.
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