Electronic device for changing appearance color and method thereof

Abstract

An electronic device is disclosed. This electronic device comprises: a communication unit capable of receiving appearance color information of a plurality of external devices; a memory for storing color curation data enabling a color corresponding to the situation and taste of a user or the appearance color of a surrounding product to be identified; and a processor for determining a target device, the appearance color of which is to be changed, selecting the corresponding color on the basis of the color curation data, and transmitting a control signal for changing the appearance color of the target device to the target device through the communication unit.

Description

Electronic device for changing the appearance color and method thereof

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device and a method for changing the appearance color thereof, and more particularly, to an electronic device and a method for changing the appearance color of the electronic device itself or an external device.

[0002] Recently, a variety of home appliances and mobile devices have been developed and distributed. In particular, to meet the needs of users seeking more personalized products, devices capable of changing the exterior color of home appliances and mobile devices are being developed.

[0003] For example, some of the exterior panels of a target device whose color you wish to change can be made replaceable, allowing replacement with panels of a different color. However, this method is cumbersome and requires time and money for replacement.

[0004] Therefore, there has been a demand for a device that can automatically change the external color of a product according to the user's taste and situation, other than manually.

[0005] An electronic device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a memory storing color curation data, a communication unit for communicating with a plurality of external devices, and a processor for obtaining information on an exterior color of at least one external device among the plurality of external devices through the communication unit, identifying a color corresponding to the exterior color of the at least one external device based on the color curation data, and transmitting a control signal to at least one other external device among the plurality of external devices through the communication unit to change the exterior color to the identified color.

[0006] A method for changing an appearance color of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes the steps of obtaining information on an appearance color of at least one external device among a plurality of external devices, identifying a color corresponding to the appearance color of the at least one external device based on color curation data, and transmitting a control signal to at least one other external device among the plurality of external devices to change the appearance color to the identified color.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure for achieving the above-described object, a computer-readable recording medium including a program for executing a method for changing an appearance color of an electronic device, the method for changing an appearance color of an electronic device includes the steps of: acquiring information on an appearance color of at least one external device among a plurality of external devices; identifying a color corresponding to the appearance color of the at least one external device based on color curation data; and transmitting a control signal for changing the appearance color to the identified color to at least one other external device among the plurality of external devices.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the operation of an electronic device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0009] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an electronic device according to one or more embodiments.

[0010] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0011] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method for sensing position or distance in an electronic device according to one or more embodiments.

[0012] FIGS. 5 to 7 are drawings for explaining a method of changing the appearance color of an external device in an electronic device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figures 8 and 9 are diagrams showing various examples of color curation data.

[0014] FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 are drawings for explaining a method for changing the appearance color according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 12 is a diagram schematically illustrating a method for changing the appearance color of a mobile device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 13 is a diagram schematically illustrating an electrophoretic display technology used in one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 14 and FIG. 15 are flowcharts illustrating a method for changing an appearance color according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0018] Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0019] The terms used in this disclosure will be briefly explained, and the disclosure will be described in detail.

[0020] The terminology used in this disclosure has been selected from widely used, current terms, taking into account the functions of the disclosure. However, this may vary depending on the intentions of those skilled in the art, precedents, the emergence of new technologies, etc. Furthermore, in certain cases, terms may be arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in such cases, their meanings will be described in detail in the description of the relevant disclosure. Therefore, the terms used in this disclosure should not be defined simply as names, but rather based on the meanings of the terms and the overall content of the disclosure.

[0021] Terms like "first" and "second" may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used solely to distinguish one component from another.

[0022] Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this disclosure, terms such as "comprise" or "consist of" are intended to indicate the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, but should be understood not to preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0023] The expression "at least one of A or B" should be understood to mean either "A" or "B" or "A and B".

[0024] In the present disclosure, a "module" or "part" performs at least one function or operation and may be implemented in hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software. Furthermore, multiple "modules" or multiple "parts" may be integrated into at least one module and implemented by one or more processors (not shown), excluding any "modules" or "parts" that need to be implemented in specific hardware.

[0025] Below, with reference to the attached drawings, embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In addition, in the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted for clarity of description of the present disclosure, and similar parts are designated with similar reference numerals throughout the specification.

[0026] One or more embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the operation of an electronic device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0028] According to FIG. 1, a plurality of electronic devices (100, 10-1 to 10-n) each have a communication function and can be connected to each other through wired or wireless communication.

[0029] Among all devices, the device that acts as a master to control other devices can be called the main device or master device. On the other hand, other devices controlled by the main device or master device can be called sub devices or slave devices.

[0030] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic device (100) can perform the role of either a main device or a sub-device. Hereinafter, the case where the electronic device (100) acts as a main device will first be described. In this case, the remaining devices excluding the electronic device (100), i.e., the external devices (10-1 to 10-n), can operate as sub-devices or slave devices.

[0031] Although FIG. 1 illustrates a home network where the electronic device (100) is implemented as a TV and the remaining external devices (10-1 to 10-n) are also home appliances, the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to this. Furthermore, the contents described in this disclosure can be applied to various environments, such as office environments or campuses, where multiple electronic devices are interconnected, even outside of a home network.

[0032] In FIG. 1, the electronic device (100) can communicate with external devices (10-1, 10-2,...10-n) through various types of wired and wireless communication networks, broadcast communication networks, optical communication networks, cloud networks, etc.

[0033] The electronic device (100) can change the external color of the electronic device (100) itself or at least one external device. When the color of the external device is to be changed, the electronic device (100) can generate a control signal for changing the color of the external device and transmit it to the external device via a communication interface.

[0034] In FIG. 1, the electronic device (100) can be implemented in various forms of devices such as a TV, a PC, a laptop, a smartphone, a tablet, a game player, a laptop PC, a kiosk, a server, etc., and can also be implemented in the form of various forms of home appliances capable of communication.

[0035] The plurality of external devices (10-1, 10-2, ...10-n) refer to electronic devices having an IoT (Internet of Things) function that can operate under the control of the electronic device (100). For example, the plurality of external devices (10-1, 10-2, ...10-n) can be implemented as various types of devices such as air conditioners, washing machines, lights, cookers, refrigerators, etc., and can also be implemented as various types of home appliances that can communicate.

[0036] The electronic device (100) can obtain various information, such as color information, operation status information, sensing information, and external environmental information of the plurality of external devices (10-1, 10-2,...10-n) from the plurality of external devices (10-1, 10-2,...10-n) through communication.

[0037] For example, in the case of an air conditioner among multiple external devices, the air conditioner can directly sense the temperature and humidity information of its environment, and can operate in various operation modes such as cooling mode, power saving mode, moisture removal mode, night mode, and low noise mode according to the temperature set by the user, and the exterior color can also be changed to various colors. The air conditioner can provide at least some of this information to the electronic device (100) through communication.

[0038] The electronic device (100) determines the external colors of a plurality of external devices (10-1, 10-2, ... 10-n) based on the acquired information and transmits a control signal to change the external colors to the determined colors. For example, the electronic device (100) may transmit a control signal to change the external colors to 'pink' for all devices connected to the electronic device (100).

[0039] In addition, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic device (100) can change the color of the electronic device (100) itself or at least one external device in various ways based on information obtained from each external device, various user interactions, the location or distance of each external device, the surrounding environment, etc.

[0040] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, each device can change its exterior color using electrophoretic technology. This will be described in detail later in the following section. Alternatively, the exterior color can be changed using light-emitting elements other than electrophoretic display elements. Specifically, each device can change its exterior color by controlling the on / off states of various light-emitting elements provided on all or part of its exterior. For example, some devices may have light-emitting elements of different colors inside a housing made of thin plastic or thin metal. Alternatively, multiple holes may be provided in the housing, and light-emitting elements inside the holes may be selectively turned on / off to display an arbitrary pattern. Light-emitting elements such as color LEDs, optical fibers, and lamps may be used.

[0041] Below, various embodiments of changing the color of the electronic device (100) itself or an external device are each specifically described.

[0042] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an electronic device (100) according to one or more embodiments. According to FIG. 2, the electronic device (100) includes a communication unit (110), a processor (120), and a memory (130).

[0043] The communication unit (110) is a component provided for communicating with external devices. The communication unit (110) can receive various information, such as color information and external environment information, from multiple external devices, and transmit various signals, such as control signals for changing the exterior color, under the control of the processor (120).

[0044] The communication unit (110) can transmit and receive various signals and data to and from multiple external devices through communication methods such as Bluetooth, AP-based Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi, Wireless LAN network), Zigbee, wired / wireless LAN (Local Area Network), WAN (Wide Area Network), Ethernet, IEEE 1394, HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface), USB (Universal Serial Bus), MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link), AES / EBU (Audio Engineering Society / European Broadcasting Union), optical, and coaxial.

[0045] The memory (130) can store at least one command required for the operation of the electronic device (100), various software, and data required for various embodiments of the electronic device (100). The memory (130) can also store color curation data.

[0046] Curation refers to providing customized services tailored to the user's interests or circumstances. Color curation data includes data on colors collected to provide customized colors tailored to the user's circumstances or preferences. Color curation data may include information on multiple colors categorized according to various criteria, such as season, weather, time of day, user age, user gender, skin color, hair color, preferred color, and preferred content. Alternatively, color curation data may include information on colors in tone-on-tone or tone-on-tone relationships, or information on various color combinations. In addition, color curation data may include various data on colors, such as color combination relationships and complementary color relationships. Color curation data may be collected in advance by the manufacturer of the electronic device (100) or other related companies and stored in memory (130). Alternatively, the user of the electronic device (100) may download color curation data from an external device or directly register preferred colors to generate and store color curation data. Alternatively, the electronic device (100) may analyze the user's tendencies or behavioral patterns to generate color curation data.

[0047] The memory (130) may be implemented in the form of a volatile memory (e.g., dynamic RAM (DRAM), static RAM (SRAM), or synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM)), a non-volatile memory (e.g., one time programmable ROM (OTPROM), programmable ROM (PROM), erasable and programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable and programmable ROM (EEPROM), mask ROM, flash ROM, flash memory (e.g., NAND flash or NOR flash), etc.), a hard drive, a solid state drive (SSD), a compact flash (CF), a secure digital (SD), a micro secure digital (Micro-SD), a mini secure digital (Mini-SD), an extreme digital (xD), a multi-media card (MMC), a USB memory, etc.

[0048] The processor (120) is a component that is connected to each component of the electronic device (100) and controls the overall operation of the electronic device (100) according to various embodiments. The processor (120) can control the operation of the electronic device (100) based on at least one of a program, command, or various software modules stored in the memory (130).

[0049] For example, the processor (120) communicates with an external device through the communication unit (110) and receives various types of information from the external device. The received information may include information about the external color of each device.

[0050] When information on the external color of at least one external device among a plurality of external devices is obtained, the processor (120) can determine the external color of at least one electronic device among the plurality of external devices based on the obtained information and color curation data stored in the memory (130).

[0051] For example, if the communication unit (110) receives information that the color of a washing machine, which is one of the plurality of external devices, is white, the processor (120) detects data on a color that matches white within the color curation data. If the color that matches white is identified as ivory, the processor (120) may transmit a control signal to change the exterior color to ivory to at least one other external device among the plurality of external devices through the communication unit (110). Here, the at least one other external device may be determined based on various criteria. Specifically, the processor (120) may designate the external device closest to the washing machine as the target for color change. Alternatively, the processor may designate at least one external device within a certain distance range from the washing machine as the target for color change. Alternatively, the processor (120) may designate all external devices within the same group as the target for color change based on group information that the user has previously grouped to change to the same color as the washing machine. Alternatively, the processor (120) may designate at least one external device designated by the user as the target for color change through interaction with the user. Here, interaction with the user can be achieved in various ways, such as touch operation, voice input, motion input, remote control operation, etc. The processor (120) may include one or more of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an APU (Accelerated Processing Unit), a MIC (Many Integrated Core), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an NPU (Neural Processing Unit), a hardware accelerator, or a machine learning accelerator.

[0052] In embodiments of the present disclosure, the processor (120) may mean a system on a chip (SoC) in which one or more processors and other electronic components are integrated, a single-core processor, a multi-core processor, or a core included in a single-core processor or a multi-core processor, wherein the core may be implemented as a CPU, a GPU, an APU, a MIC, a DSP, an NPU, a hardware accelerator, or a machine learning accelerator, but embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto.

[0053] In FIG. 2, the communication unit (110), processor (120), and memory (130) are each illustrated one by one, but these components may be implemented in at least one or more configurations as needed. In addition, in FIG. 2, the electronic device (100) is illustrated and described based on the case where it includes the basic configurations necessary for changing the exterior color, but the electronic device (100) may further include additional configurations for changing the exterior color in various ways. This will be described in detail again in the following section.

[0054] In addition, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic device may further include additional components.

[0055] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. According to FIG. 3, the electronic device (100) includes a communication unit (110), a processor (120), a memory (130), a display (140), a sensor (150), and a body unit (160). Duplicate descriptions of the same components as those in FIG. 2 among the components illustrated in FIG. 3 will be omitted.

[0056] The sensor (150) is configured to sense the distance to various external objects. External objects may include not only external devices connected to the electronic device (100) via a network, but also mobile devices, the user themselves, animals, furniture such as a sofa, walls, etc.

[0057] The sensor (150) may include at least one or more of various types of sensors, such as a UWB (Ultra-wideband) sensor, a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) sensor, a location information sensor (GPS), an image sensor, a depth camera, and a proximity detection sensor.

[0058] The processor (120) can determine the distance between the external device and the electronic device (100), the distance between external devices, the location of the external device, etc., based on the sensing value output from the sensor (150).

[0059] When a target device whose exterior color is to be changed is determined among a plurality of external devices, the processor (120) identifies at least one peripheral device adjacent to the target device based on the sensing value of the sensor (150). The processor (120) can receive exterior color information of the identified at least one peripheral device through the communication unit (110). The processor (120) selects a color corresponding to the received exterior color information based on color curation data stored in the memory (130). The processor (120) can generate a control signal for changing the color of the target device to the selected color, and then transmit the control signal to the target device through the communication unit (110).

[0060] Meanwhile, when an external object such as a mobile device, surrounding furniture, a user, or an animal, rather than multiple external devices, is identified, the processor (120) identifies the distance between the target device and the external object based on the sensing value of the sensor (150). Specifically, assuming that an image sensor is provided, the processor (120) can identify the target device and the external object respectively within an image captured by the image sensor, and then calculate the distance therebetween.

[0061] The processor (120) can select a color of the target device based on the distance between the external object and the target device. For example, if the external object is red and the target device is close to the external object, the color of the target device can be determined as a pink color close to red. Alternatively, if the target device is somewhat far from the external object, the color of the target device can be determined as a light pink. In this case, if the color curation data includes information about various colors that change with distance, the processor (120) can directly refer to the color curation data to identify colors according to distance. If the color curation data does not include all colors that change with distance, the processor (120) can also adjust properties such as saturation, brightness, turbidity, and color temperature of a color determined by the color curation data in proportion or inverse proportion to the distance to determine the color of the target device.

[0062] Meanwhile, if the external object is a mobile device, the distance between the mobile device and the target device may change frequently depending on the movement of the mobile device. In this case, the processor (120) may change the color of the target device depending on the distance. If the mobile device is also structured to have a changeable exterior color, the processor (120) may control the change of the exterior color of both the target device and the mobile device, or may control the change of only the exterior color of the mobile device while maintaining the exterior color of the target device.

[0063] The display (140) refers to a configuration for displaying various screens. The display (140) can display content under the control of the processor (120). When the display (140) is implemented as a touch screen, the processor (120) can recognize a user's touch input to the display (140). When a point is touched while content is being displayed on the display (140), the processor (120) can identify the color of the pixel displayed at the touched point. Specifically, the processor (120) identifies at least one image frame being displayed at the time when a touch operation is input among the video frames of the content being displayed. The processor (120) can identify the color by checking the pixel value of the pixel displayed at the coordinate value of the touched point among all pixels constituting the identified image frame.

[0064] The processor (120) can generate a control signal to change the external color of the target device to a color that matches the identified color or to a color identical to the identified color, and transmit the control signal to the target device.

[0065] Selection of the target device can be accomplished in a variety of ways, such as by a separate touch operation by the user, voice input by the user, motion input, remote control operation, etc.

[0066] In contrast, the processor (120) can also input the color itself to be changed in various ways.

[0067] For example, the processor (120) may display a question window through the display (140) asking the user which target device the user wants to change the color of, and may display a question window asking the user which color the user wants to change the color to. Specifically, the processor may display a question window asking, "Which device's exterior color do you want to change?" on the display, and may display a question window asking, "Do you want to change the color of the target device (refrigerator) to 'blue', which is a complementary color to 'yellow'?" In response to these question windows, the user may touch a "YES" or "NO" portion of the display (140) to respond to the question.

[0068] The display (140) may be implemented as a display including a self-luminous element or a display including a non-luminous element and a backlight. For example, it may be implemented as various types of displays such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diodes) display, an LED (Light Emitting Diodes), a micro LED, a Mini LED, a PDP (Plasma Display Panel), a QD (Quantum dot) display, a QLED (Quantum dot light-emitting diodes), etc.

[0069] The body (160) refers to a component that forms the exterior of an electronic device. Alternatively, the body (160) may be referred to as a housing. The body (160) may include electrophoretic display elements, but is not necessarily limited thereto, and various types of light-emitting elements such as general color LEDs, optical fibers, and lamps may be used. In the present disclosure, the case of using an electrophoretic display element is described as an example.

[0070] The body (160) may further include an electric circuit that applies a specific voltage to the electrophoretic display elements under the control of the processor (120). The processor (120) controls the electrophoretic display elements, thereby enabling the electronic device to display various external colors.

[0071] For example, the processor (120) of the electronic device (100) can obtain environmental information from an external device through the communication unit (110). The environmental information includes weather, season, and current time information. The processor (120) selects a color corresponding to the obtained environmental information based on color curation data stored in the memory (130). In order to change the exterior color of the electronic device (100) to the selected color, the processor (120) can control the body unit (160). The body unit (160) applies a specific voltage to electrophoretic display elements to express the selected color under the control of the processor (120), and as a result, the exterior color of the electronic device (100) can be changed to the selected color. Specifically, when the processor (120) of the electronic device (100) receives weather information such as 'currently clear weather' through the communication unit (110), the processor (120) can select 'green', which is a curation color corresponding to 'clear', based on the color curation data stored in the memory (130). In order to change the color of the electronic device (100) to 'green', the processor (120) controls the body unit (160) to apply a voltage corresponding to a voltage value at which the electrophoretic display element can express 'green'.

[0072] As another example, the electronic device (100) may obtain information about the exterior color of at least one external device located within a preset distance range from the electronic device (100) among a plurality of external devices, identify a color corresponding thereto, and then change the exterior color of the electronic device (100) to the identified color. Specifically, the electronic device (100) may sense the distance to each of the surrounding external devices through the sensor (150). The processor (120) of the electronic device (100) may obtain exterior color information of the external devices located within a preset distance of 10 m among the surrounding external devices based on the sensed value through the communication unit (110). If the obtained color information is black or white, the processor (120) of the electronic device (100) may select 'gray' according to the color curation data stored in the memory (130). The processor (120) controls the body (160) to change the external color of the electronic device (100) to 'gray' and applies a voltage corresponding to a voltage value that enables the electrophoretic display element to express 'gray'.

[0073] As another example, when a user sequentially selects a first external device and a second external device, the processor (120) of the electronic device (100) may identify a color corresponding to the exterior color of the first external device based on color curation data, and transmit a control signal to the second external device through the communication unit (110) to change the exterior color of the second external device to the identified color.

[0074] At this time, selection of the first external device and the second external device can be made through at least one of various methods, such as user touch input, voice input, motion input, remote control operation, or user presetting.

[0075] Specifically, if the exterior color of the first external device was 'pink', the processor (120) can transmit a control signal to the second external device through the communication unit (110) to change the exterior color of the second external device to another color that matches pink or to pink itself.

[0076] If multiple external devices are selected simultaneously or sequentially within a very short time period, the processor (120) can also match the colors of the multiple external devices. The above has described a method for changing the appearance color according to various embodiments based on the configurations of FIGS. 2 and 3. Below, a method for changing the appearance color according to changes in the distance between devices will be described.

[0077] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method for sensing location or distance according to one or more embodiments.

[0078] According to FIG. 4, the sensor (150) includes a plurality of UWB sensors (150-1, 150-2, 150-3, 150-4) arranged at each corner of the bezel portion of the electronic device (100). The UWB sensor can measure the relative position of an external device in a three-dimensional space based on TOF (Time Of Flight). For example, when a plurality of UWB sensors (150-1 to 150-4) exist, each UWB sensor (150-1 to 150-4) transmits a pulse and then receives a pulse returned by the external device (10). The processor (120) can calculate the distance d to the external device (10) by calculating the difference between the time at which the pulse is transmitted and the time at which it is received by each UWB sensor (150-1 to 150-4). In this way, when the distance d between at least three sensors and the external device (10) is calculated, the processor (120) can estimate the relative position of the external device (10) based on the position of the electronic device (100) by utilizing a trilateration algorithm. Trilateration refers to a method of finding the position of an object using triangular geometry.

[0079] In FIG. 4, a total of four UWB sensors (150-1, 150-2, 150-3, 150-4) are illustrated arranged at each corner of the front surface of the electronic device (100), but the number and arrangement positions of the UWB sensors (150-1 to 150-4) may vary depending on the size, position, and shape of the electronic device (100). Alternatively, the processor (120) of the electronic device (100) may calculate the position of the external device by synthesizing the sensing values ​​measured by the UWB sensors respectively provided in multiple electronic devices, not just one electronic device (100).

[0080] FIGS. 5 to 7 are drawings schematically illustrating a method of changing color according to a change in distance from an external device in an electronic device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0081] FIG. 5 shows three external devices (10-1, 10-2, 10-3) spaced apart by distances d1 and d2 around the electronic device (100), respectively. FIG. 6 shows a state where the distance changes to d3 and d4 as the external device (10-2) located in the middle moves in one direction, and FIG. 7 shows a state where the distance changes to d5 and d6 as the external device (10-2) located in the middle moves in the opposite direction.

[0082] The processor (120) of the electronic device (100) can detect changes in distance and positional relationships between external devices (10-1, 10-2, 10-3) based on the sensing values ​​of the sensor (150).

[0083] The processor (120) of the electronic device (100) can determine a target device for changing the exterior color among a plurality of external devices. The processor (120) of the electronic device (100) can recognize and determine the target device through a user's touch input, voice input, or a user's preset.

[0084] When the processor (120) recognizes the external device (10-2) located in the middle as the target device, it identifies the peripheral external devices (10-1, 10-3) adjacent to it.

[0085] The processor (120) of the electronic device (100) can receive the appearance color information of an adjacent peripheral external device (10-1, 10-3) through the communication unit (110).

[0086] The processor (120) of the electronic device (100) can select a color corresponding to the appearance color information of the peripheral external devices (10-1, 10-3) based on the color curation data stored in the memory (130) of the electronic device (100).

[0087] According to FIG. 5, the target device (10-2) is located at the midpoint of the peripheral external devices (10-1, 10-3). The processor (120) of the electronic device (100) can identify that the external colors of the peripheral external devices (10-1, 10-3) of the electronic device (100) are 'black' and 'white', respectively.

[0088] The processor (120) of the electronic device (100) can identify an exterior color arranged between black and white from color curation data, generate a control signal to curate the exterior color with the identified color, and then transmit the control signal to an external device (10-2).

[0089] For example, the processor (120) of the electronic device (100) may transmit a control signal to change the external color of the target device (10-2) to 'gray', which is a color that mixes black and white.

[0090] In Fig. 6, the target device (10-2) is shown positioned closer to the external device (10-1), which is black. Accordingly, the processor (120) can transmit a control signal to change the external color of the target device (10-2) to dark gray.

[0091] According to FIG. 7, the target device (10-2) is shown as being positioned closer to the external device (10-3) which is white. The processor (120) of the electronic device (100) can transmit a control signal to change the external color of the target device (10-2) to light gray.

[0092] FIGS. 5 to 7 illustrate a method for controlling the change of the appearance color of one target device (10-2), but the change does not necessarily involve changing the appearance color of only one target device, and the target devices subject to the change of appearance color may be two or more electronic devices.

[0093] Alternatively, when the distance changes due to movement of the target device (10-2), the processor (120) may change the colors of peripheral devices that move away from or closer to the target device (10-2) while maintaining the color of the target device (10-2) as is.

[0094] In addition, in FIGS. 5 to 7, only a method of controlling the change of the external color to a color corresponding to the color information (black, white) of two external devices (10-1, 10-3) adjacent to the target device is illustrated, but color information of more external devices may be used, not necessarily only the color information of two adjacent external devices.

[0095] FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 are diagrams schematically illustrating some of the examples of color curation data of the present disclosure.

[0096] Color curation data may be stored in the memory (130) of the electronic device (100). The color curation data is data for providing users with customized colors according to their situation or preferences, such as by season, time, or weather.

[0097] Figure 8 illustrates color curation data, which organizes recommended colors to be curated by season. As described above, color curation data may include multiple colors sorted based on various criteria other than season.

[0098] For example, you can use color curation data that organizes colors that match each time period, as shown in the table below.

[0099] Time zone curation color 00:00~06:00 Brown / Black 06:00~12:00 Orange / Brown 12:00~18:00 Purple / Blue 18:00~24:00 Yellow / Green

[0100] Figure 9 represents color curation data containing colors in tone-in-tone and tone-and-tone relationships. Tone-in-tone refers to colors that are different but have similar brightness and saturation. Even though the colors are different, similar brightness and saturation create a sense of unity. Therefore, if a user wants to change the external color of a target device to create a sense of unity with surrounding products, they can set the device to "color curation with tone-in-tone colors."

[0101] Tone-on-tone refers to colors that are identical in hue but have different values ​​and saturation. While tone-on-tone has different values ​​and saturation, they all belong to the same color family, creating a sense of unity that is different from tone-in-tone. Users who want to change the color of a target device to create a sense of unity with surrounding products can set their device to "Color Curation with Tone-on-Tone Colors."

[0102] In addition, when utilizing color curation data organized by weather, the electronic device (100) can communicate with external devices to receive weather information for the user's location. For example, if today's weather information received by the electronic device (100) from an Internet device is "clear," the electronic device (100) can recommend a curation color corresponding to the "clear" weather information, such as green or blue, as the device's exterior color to the user.

[0103] Additionally, color curation data may include the brightness / saturation relationships of multiple colors.

[0104] Meanwhile, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the color of the external device may also be changed depending on the distance between the external device and an external object such as a user or an animal, rather than the external device.

[0105] FIG. 10 is a drawing schematically illustrating a method for changing the appearance color of an external electronic device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0106] According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the color of a target device can be changed according to a change in the distance between an external object and the target device. The electronic device can identify the distance between the external object and the target device through a sensor, and control the change in the appearance color of the target device by selecting a corresponding curated color according to the change in the distance between the external object and the target device.

[0107] The colors by distance can be organized as shown in the table below.

[0108] When the distance between me and the washing machine (registered by the user) is within the specified distance, the washing machine exterior color changes. Example: 0 ~ 20cm The refrigerator exterior changes to 'red' in real time. 20 ~ 40cm The refrigerator exterior changes to 'yellow' in real time. 40 ~ 60cm The refrigerator exterior changes to 'blue' in real time. 60 ~ 80cm The refrigerator exterior changes to 'purple' in real time. 80 ~ 100cm The refrigerator exterior changes to 'green' in real time.

[0109] For example, if the external object is a user and the target device is a washing machine, the processor (120) can change the exterior color of the washing machine according to Table 2. Specifically, the electronic device (100) can change the exterior color of the washing machine to 'red' when the distance between the user and the washing machine is 0 to 20 cm, and can change the exterior color of the washing machine to 'yellow' when the distance between the user and the washing machine is 20 to 40 cm.

[0110] If the electronic device (100) determines that the distance between the user and the washing machine is 10 cm, it can send a control signal to the washing machine to change the exterior color of the washing machine to 'red'. In addition, if the user moves and the distance between the user and the washing machine changes to 30 cm, the electronic device (100) can detect the change in distance and send a control signal to the washing machine to change the exterior color of the washing machine to 'yellow'.

[0111] Figure 10 only illustrates the external color of the washing machine changing depending on the distance between the user and the washing machine. However, external objects are not limited to users and can include any object capable of sensing distance, such as mobile devices, animals, or electronic devices. Furthermore, the target device is not limited to washing machines and can include any electronic device capable of communicating with other electronic devices, such as refrigerators, TVs, and air conditioners.

[0112] FIG. 11 is a drawing schematically illustrating a method for changing the appearance color of an external device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0113] Specifically, in an electronic device (100) having a display (140), a user can touch a point where a desired color is displayed while watching content. The processor (120) of the electronic device (100) can identify the color of the touched point based on the user's touch input signal acquired from the display (140).

[0114] Separately, the processor (120) may also receive a user's voice signal through an external device (200) capable of voice input. In FIG. 11, the external device (200) is illustrated as a remote control, but is not necessarily limited thereto, and may be implemented as an artificial intelligence speaker, a mobile device, a microphone provided on the body of the electronic device (100), or a separately provided microphone.

[0115] The processor (120) can recognize the user's voice signal and identify the target device whose color the user wants to change.

[0116] The processor (120) may perform a voice recognition operation on the electronic device (100) by itself using a voice recognition model stored in the memory (130) of the electronic device (100), or may receive a recognition result recognized on its own from an external device (200). Alternatively, the processor (120) may transmit a voice signal to a voice recognition server (not shown) provided separately externally and receive a voice recognition result from the server.

[0117] When the electronic device (100) directly performs voice recognition, the processor (120) loads the voice recognition module into the memory (130) and then executes it. The voice recognition module acquires user intent information by performing ASR and NLU processing on the voice signal received through the external device (200). The processor (120) can identify the target device whose color is to be changed by identifying the acquired user intent information. The order of the voice recognition operation and the color identification operation of the touch point can be changed, and they can also be performed simultaneously.

[0118] The processor (120) can generate a control signal to change the appearance color of the target device identified by voice to be the same as the color information of the touch point.

[0119] FIG. 12 is a diagram schematically illustrating a method for changing the appearance color of a mobile device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0120] According to FIG. 12, the electronic device (100) can select a color corresponding to the exterior color of the mobile device (300) held by the user among external devices and devices adjacent to the mobile device (300), and then change the exterior color of the mobile device (300) to the selected color.

[0121] An electronic device (100) can identify peripheral devices adjacent to a mobile device (300) carried by a user through a sensor. The electronic device can obtain color information of the identified peripheral devices through a communication unit and select a color corresponding to the colors of the peripheral devices based on color curation data. To change the exterior color of the mobile device to the selected color, the electronic device (100) can send a control signal to the mobile device to change the color.

[0122] Specifically, the electronic device (100) can determine that the user carrying the mobile device is 3 m away from the first external device (20-1), 1 m away from the second external device (20-2), and 5 m away from the third external device (20-3). The electronic device can determine that the mobile device is closest to the second external device (20-2) and select a color that matches the color of the second external device (20-2) based on the color curation data. For example, if the color of the second external device (20-2) is pink, the color can be copied as is to change the color of the mobile device (300) to pink.

[0123] Additionally, the electronic device can change the color of adjacent peripheral devices to a color that matches the color of the mobile device the user is carrying.

[0124] Specifically, the electronic device can determine that the user carrying the mobile device is 3 meters from the first external device, 1 meter from the second external device, and 5 meters from the third external device. If the color of the mobile device is pink, the color of the second external device closest to the user can be changed to pink by copying the pink color as is.

[0125] In FIG. 12, the color of the mobile device (300) is described as being changed by the control of the electronic device (100), but the mobile device (300) itself may also perform the operation of the electronic device (100). Specifically, the mobile device (300) may directly sense the distance to the first, second, and third external devices (20-1, 20-2, 20-3), and then change the color of the mobile device (300) itself based on the distance and the color of each device.

[0126] As described above, various devices can change their appearance color. One method for changing the appearance color is to use an electrophoretic display, as described above. This method is described in detail below.

[0127] FIG. 13 is a diagram schematically illustrating an electrophoretic display technology used in one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0128] The body (160) of the electronic device includes an electrophoretic display element. The electrophoretic display element includes a plurality of microcapsules (310), pixel electrodes (311), and a common electrode (312).

[0129] The charged particles within the plurality of microcapsules (310) may include positively charged particles and negatively charged particles. The plurality of microcapsules (310) may be positioned between the pixel electrodes (311) and the common electrode (312). An electric field may be generated by a voltage applied to the pixel electrodes (311) and the common electrode (312). The electronic device may include a driving chip for applying a voltage between the pixel electrodes (311) and the common electrode (312). The driving chip may individually apply a voltage to the pixel electrodes (311).

[0130] For example, the electronic device may apply a common voltage, which is a reference voltage, to the common electrode (312) and apply a voltage higher or lower than the common voltage to each pixel electrode (311). In this case, an electric field may be formed due to the difference between the voltage applied to the common electrode (312) and the voltage applied to the pixel electrodes (311). Due to this electric field, charged particles inside a plurality of microcapsules (310) may move according to electrophoresis, so that a color to be expressed may be displayed through the body portion (160).

[0131] For example, charged particles may include particles of different colors. In this case, the properties of these different colored particles may differ. Therefore, the degree to which the charged particles of different colors move varies depending on the voltage difference applied to the electrodes. Accordingly, electronic devices can display various colors by changing the arrangement of the charged particles by applying voltages with different voltage differences to the electrodes.

[0132] The display device of the present disclosure may use an electrophoretic display element having a structure as disclosed in FIG. 13, but is not necessarily limited thereto, and may also change the external color of the electronic device using various light-emitting elements such as color LEDs, optical fibers, and lamps.

[0133] FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating a method for changing the appearance color of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0134] According to FIG. 14, the electronic device can obtain color information of external devices (S1410).

[0135] At this time, the external device may be at least one of electronic devices such as a washing machine, refrigerator, or cooker that is connected to communicate with the electronic device. Meanwhile, when color information of the external devices is received, the electronic device can identify a corresponding color based on the received color information (S1420).

[0136] At this time, identification of the corresponding color is performed based on color curation data stored in the electronic device.

[0137] After the color is identified, the electronic device transmits a control signal to the target device to change the external color of the target device (S1430).

[0138] For example, an electronic device can identify through communication that the color of an external device, a refrigerator, is 'yellow'. The electronic device identifies a color corresponding to the 'yellow' of the refrigerator based on color curation data. Specifically, the electronic device can identify 'navy', which is a complementary color to 'yellow'. Complementary colors are used to add an emphasis effect to colors, and since complementary colors have the effect of blending well together and increasing visibility, they can be selected when you want to make the colors of two products stand out from each other. After identifying 'navy', which is a complementary color to 'yellow', the electronic device can transmit a control signal to at least one external device to change the exterior color of at least one external device to 'navy'. Through this control signal, the exterior color of the external device can be changed to 'navy'.

[0139] FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating a method for changing the appearance color of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0140] According to FIG. 15, the electronic device can determine a target device among a plurality of external devices to change the appearance color (S1510).

[0141] For example, an electronic device may display a prompt on its screen to prompt the user for information regarding which external device the user wishes to change the appearance color of. The method for determining the target device is not limited to the above example and may include various methods such as the user's voice, the user's touch, or a previously configured setting.

[0142] Once the target device is determined, the electronic device identifies peripheral devices adjacent to the target device (S1520) and obtains appearance color information of the adjacent peripheral devices (S1530).

[0143] For example, an electronic device can identify at least one external device within 2m of the target device through sensing values ​​of a sensor, and can obtain information that the external device's exterior color is 'black' or 'white' through a communication method.

[0144] After acquiring information about the appearance color of the adjacent external device, the electronic device can select a color corresponding to the appearance color of the acquired peripheral device based on previously stored color curation data (S1540), and transmit a control signal to the target device to change the appearance color of the target device to the selected color (S1550).

[0145] For example, if the colors of adjacent external devices are 'black' and 'white', the electronic device can select a color, 'gray', which is a mixture of the two colors, based on color curation data, that complements 'black' and 'white'. Then, a control signal can be transmitted to the target device to change the external color of the target device to 'gray'.

[0146] In addition, when voice recognition technology is used to identify the target device, the external color change method may further include a step of acquiring the user's voice signal to identify the target device.

[0147] Additionally, when a user directly selects a color to be changed by touch operation, the electronic device may select the color based on the pixel value displayed at the point where the touch was made.

[0148] The methods for changing the appearance color described in the various embodiments described above, as well as in FIGS. 14 and 15, can be performed in an electronic device having the configuration illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, but are not necessarily limited thereto. That is, the various methods for changing the appearance color described above can also be performed by an electronic device having a configuration different from that described in FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0149] Additionally, the various embodiments described above may be applied to a product as an embodiment alone, but at least some of the contents may be implemented in combination with other embodiments.

[0150] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure as described above, the external colors of a plurality of electronic devices connected to a network can be changed in various ways depending on the situation.

[0151] In particular, since the appearance color of an electronic device can be changed automatically rather than manually, users can change the color without much inconvenience, and time and cost can also be saved as there is no need to purchase an additional appearance panel separately.

[0152] Therefore, user satisfaction can be maximized, and even color therapy effects can be achieved, such as soothing the user's mood or treating depression. Furthermore, the effects can be achieved by calming the user's excitement when they are excited and increasing their joy when they are happy. Furthermore, if the above-described embodiments are implemented in a typical home, the colors of home appliances placed indoors can be varied to complement each other, significantly improving the home's atmosphere.

[0153] Meanwhile, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented as software containing commands stored on a machine-readable storage medium that can be read by a machine (e.g., a computer). Here, the device is a device capable of calling the commands stored on the storage medium and operating according to the called commands, and may include an electronic device or color curation data according to the disclosed embodiments.

[0154] When the above command is executed by the processor, the processor can perform the function corresponding to the command directly or by using other components under the control of the processor. The command may include code generated or executed by a compiler or interpreter. The machine-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, 'non-transitory' only means that the storage medium does not contain a signal and is tangible, and does not distinguish whether data is stored semi-permanently or temporarily in the storage medium. According to one embodiment, the method according to the various embodiments disclosed in the present disclosure may be provided as included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between sellers and buyers as a product. 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 online through an application store (e.g., Play Store™). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be temporarily stored or temporarily created in a storage medium such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or an intermediary server.

[0155] Each component (e.g., a module or a program) according to various embodiments may be composed of one or more entities, and some of the aforementioned sub-components may be omitted, or other sub-components may be further included in various embodiments. Alternatively or additionally, some components (e.g., a module or a program) may be integrated into a single entity, which may perform the same or similar functions as those performed by each of the respective components prior to integration. Operations performed by a module, program, or other component according to various embodiments may be executed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically, or at least some operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or other operations may be added.

[0156] The above description is merely an illustrative description of the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure, and those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains will appreciate that various modifications and variations may be made without departing from the essential characteristics of the present disclosure. In addition, the embodiments according to the present disclosure are not intended to limit the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure, but rather to illustrate it, and the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure is not limited by these embodiments. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present disclosure should be interpreted by the following claims, and all technical ideas within a scope equivalent thereto should be interpreted as being included in the scope of rights of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. In electronic devices, Memory where color curation data is stored; A communication unit for performing communication with multiple external devices; and Processor; including; The above processor obtains information about the external color of at least one external device among the plurality of external devices through the communication unit, An electronic device that identifies a color corresponding to an exterior color of at least one external device based on the color curation data, and transmits a control signal to change the exterior color to the identified color through the communication unit to at least one other external device among the plurality of external devices.

2. In paragraph 1, It further includes a sensor for sensing the distance to each of the plurality of external devices; The above processor, When a target device to change the appearance color is determined among the plurality of external devices, at least one peripheral device adjacent to the target device is identified based on the sensing value of the sensor, and appearance color information of the at least one identified peripheral device is received through the communication unit. An electronic device that selects a color corresponding to the received appearance color information based on the color curation data, and transmits a control signal to the target device through the communication unit to change the color of the target device to the selected color.

3. In paragraph 1, Further comprising a sensor for sensing the distance to an external object; The above processor, An electronic device, wherein when a target device whose exterior color is to be changed is determined among the plurality of external devices, the device identifies a distance between the target device and the external object based on the sensor value, selects a color of the target device based on the color curation data and the identified distance, and transmits a control signal to the target device through the communication unit to change the color of the target device to the selected color.

4. In paragraph 3, The above external object is a mobile device, The above processor, An electronic device that, when the distance to the target device changes due to movement of the mobile device, selects a color corresponding to the changed distance based on the color curation data, and transmits a control signal to the target device through the communication unit to change the color of the target device to the selected color.

5. In paragraph 1, It further includes a sensor for sensing the distance to each of the plurality of external devices; When the location of the mobile device, one of the above multiple external devices, changes, An electronic device in which the processor identifies an exterior color corresponding to the mobile device from the color curation data based on a distance between each of the plurality of external devices and the mobile device and an exterior color of each of the plurality of external devices, and transmits a control signal to the mobile device through the communication unit to change the exterior color to the identified color.

6. In paragraph 1, The above processor, An electronic device, wherein when a first and a second external device are sequentially selected from among the plurality of external devices, a color corresponding to the exterior color of the first external device is identified based on the color curation data, and a control signal for changing the exterior color to the identified color is transmitted to the second external device through the communication unit.

7. In paragraph 1, A body portion including an electrophoretic display capable of changing the appearance color; and It further includes a sensor for sensing the distance to each of the plurality of external devices; The above processor, Obtain information on the external color of at least one external device located within a preset distance range from the electronic device among the plurality of external devices, An electronic device that identifies a color corresponding to an appearance color of at least one external device based on the color curation data, and controls the electrophoretic display to change to the identified color.

8. In paragraph 1, including display; The above processor, When a user voice signal is received through the above communication unit, at least one target device among the plurality of external devices is identified based on the user voice signal, The above processor When a point on the display is touched while content is being displayed on the display, the color of the pixel displayed at the touched point is identified. An electronic device that transmits a control signal to the target device through the communication unit to change the target device to the identified color.

9. In paragraph 1, A body part including an electrophoretic display capable of changing the appearance color; The above processor, Receive environmental information through the above communication unit, Identifying a color corresponding to the received environmental information from the color curation data, An electronic device that changes the appearance color of at least one of the plurality of external devices and the electrophoretic display to the identified color.

10. A method for changing the appearance color of an electronic device, A step of obtaining information on an external color of at least one external device among a plurality of external devices; A step of identifying a color corresponding to an appearance color of at least one external device based on color curation data; and A method for changing an appearance color, comprising: a step of transmitting a control signal to at least one other external device among the plurality of external devices to change the appearance color to the identified color; 11. In paragraph 10, When a target device for changing the appearance color is determined among the plurality of external devices, a step of identifying at least one peripheral device adjacent to the target device; A step of acquiring appearance color information of at least one peripheral device identified above; A step of selecting a color corresponding to the received appearance color information based on the color curation data; and A method for changing an appearance color, comprising: a step of transmitting a control signal to the target device to change the color of the target device to the selected color; 12. In paragraph 10, When a target device whose appearance color is to be changed is determined among the plurality of external devices, a step of identifying the distance between the target device and the external object; A step of selecting a color of the target device based on the color curation data and the identified distance; and A method for changing an appearance color, comprising: a step of transmitting a control signal to the target device to change the color of the target device to the selected color; 13. In paragraph 12, The above external object is a mobile device, When the distance from the target device changes according to the movement of the mobile device, a step of selecting a color corresponding to the changed distance based on the color curation data; and A method for changing an appearance color, comprising: a step of transmitting a control signal to the target device to change the color of the target device to the selected color; 14. In paragraph 10, Step of acquiring a user voice signal; A step of identifying at least one target device among the plurality of external devices based on the user voice signal; A step of identifying the color of a pixel displayed at a touched point when a point on the display is touched while content is displayed on the display; and A method for changing an appearance color, comprising: a step of transmitting a control signal to the target device for changing the target device to the identified color; 15. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing computer instructions that, when executed by a processor of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform an operation, the operation comprising: A step of obtaining information on an external color of at least one external device among a plurality of external devices; A step of identifying a color corresponding to an appearance color of at least one external device based on color curation data; and A computer-readable recording medium comprising: a step of transmitting a control signal to at least one other external device among the plurality of external devices to change the appearance color to the identified color;

Images