Wearable electronic device for obtaining biometric information

Abstract

According to an embodiment disclosed herein, a wearable electronic device comprises: a housing including an outer housing portion and an inner housing portion that is coupled to the outer housing portion and configured to be at least partially transparent; a light emitter disposed inside the housing and configured to emit light through the inner housing portion; a first sensor disposed inside the housing and configured to receive light transmitted through a user's finger; a second sensor disposed inside the housing and configured to receive light reflected from the user's finger; at least one processor including processing circuitry; and a memory for storing instructions. When executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, the instructions may cause the wearable electronic device to: control the light emitter to emit first light; receive a first signal corresponding to the first light via the first sensor; control the light emitter to emit the second light; receive a second signal corresponding to the second light via the second sensor; and generate biometric information on the basis of the first signal or the second signal.

Description

Wearable electronic devices for obtaining biometric information

[0001] Embodiments disclosed in this document relate to wearable electronic devices, for example, to wearable electronic devices for obtaining biometric information.

[0002] Recently, electronic devices have evolved into various forms for user convenience and are becoming smaller and more portable. For example, electronic devices can be provided in the form of a wearable ring. Furthermore, interest in health is increasing, and so is interest in technologies that can monitor health conditions.

[0003] Accordingly, electronic devices may include sensors for measuring the user's bio-information, and are being developed in various forms to measure and utilize various bio-signals of the human body using sensors, and provide various services for managing the user's health or checking the health status through measurement of various bio-signals.

[0004] The above information may be provided as background art to aid in understanding the present disclosure. No claim or determination is made as to whether any of the above-described matters constitute prior art related to the present disclosure.

[0005] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a wearable electronic device includes a housing including an outer housing portion, and an inner housing portion coupled to the outer housing portion and configured to be at least partially transparent, a light emitter disposed within the housing and configured to emit light through the inner housing portion, a first sensor disposed within the housing and configured to receive light transmitted through a user's finger, a second sensor disposed within the housing and configured to receive light reflected from the user's finger, at least one processor including processing circuitry, and a memory storing instructions, wherein the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor, cause the wearable electronic device to control the light emitter to emit a first light, receive a first signal corresponding to the first light through the first sensor, control the light emitter to emit a second light, receive a second signal corresponding to the second light through the second sensor, and generate biometric information based on the first signal or the second signal. there is.

[0006] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for controlling an operation of a wearable electronic device may include an operation of controlling a light emitter to emit a first light, an operation of receiving a first signal corresponding to the first light through a first sensor, an operation of controlling the light emitter to emit a second light, an operation of receiving a second signal corresponding to the second light through a second sensor, and an operation of generating biometric information based on the first signal or the second signal.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions recorded thereon may cause a wearable electronic device to control a light emitter to emit a first light, receive a first signal corresponding to the first light through a first sensor, control the light emitter to emit a second light, receive a second signal corresponding to the second light through a second sensor, and generate biometric information based on the first signal or the second signal.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a wearable electronic device includes a housing including an outer housing portion, and an inner housing portion coupled to the outer housing portion and configured to be at least partially transparent, a light emitter disposed within the housing and configured to emit light through the inner housing portion, a first sensor disposed within the housing and configured to receive light transmitted through a user's finger, a second sensor disposed within the housing and configured to receive light reflected from the user's finger, at least one processor including processing circuitry, and a memory storing instructions, wherein the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor, cause the wearable electronic device to control the light emitter to emit a first light, receive a first signal through the first sensor, control the light emitter to emit a second light, receive a second signal through the second sensor, and generate biometric information based at least in part on a determination that a difference between the first signal and the second signal is less than or equal to a threshold value, and wherein the difference is greater than or equal to the threshold value. Based at least in part on the confirmation that the difference is large, the biometric information can be generated by compensating the second signal with a compensation value corresponding to the difference.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for controlling an operation of a wearable electronic device may include controlling a light emitter to emit a first light, receiving a first signal through a first sensor, controlling the light emitter to emit a second light, receiving a second signal through a second sensor, generating biometric information based at least in part on a determination that a difference between the first signal and the second signal is less than or equal to a threshold value, and generating the biometric information by correcting the second signal with a correction value corresponding to the difference based at least in part on a determination that the difference is greater than the threshold value.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having recorded thereon computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions causing a wearable electronic device to control a light emitter to emit a first light, receive a first signal through the first sensor, control the light emitter to emit a second light, receive a second signal through the second sensor, generate biometric information based at least in part on a determination that a difference between the first signal and the second signal is less than or equal to a threshold value, and generate biometric information by correcting the second signal with a correction value corresponding to the difference based at least in part on a determination that the difference is greater than the threshold value.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a device may include a housing, a first sensor, a second sensor, a third sensor, and at least one processor or memory. The housing may have a ring shape. The housing may include an outer housing portion or an inner housing portion. The inner housing portion may be coupled to the outer housing portion. The inner housing portion may be configured to be at least partially transparent. The light emitter may be disposed within the housing. The light emitter may be configured to emit light through the inner housing portion. The light emitter may be disposed within the housing. The light emitter may be configured to receive light transmitted through a user's finger. The second sensor may be disposed within the housing. The second sensor may be configured to receive light reflected from the user's finger. The third sensor may be disposed within the housing. The third sensor may be positioned between the first sensor and the second sensor. The third sensor may be configured to receive light reflected from the user's finger. The at least one processor may include processing circuitry. The memory may store instructions. The instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor, may cause the wearable electronic device to generate information about oxygen saturation using a signal received through the first sensor, a signal received through the second sensor, and a signal received through the third sensor.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for controlling an operation of a wearable electronic device may include an operation of generating information on oxygen saturation using a signal received through the first sensor, a signal received through the second sensor, and a signal received through the third sensor.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions recorded thereon may cause a wearable electronic device to generate information about oxygen saturation using a signal received through a first sensor, a signal received through a second sensor, and a signal received through a third sensor.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device within a network environment according to various embodiments.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a drawing for explaining usage examples of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 6 is a side view of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a process for obtaining a user's oxygen saturation value according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 8 is a graph for explaining the operation of a light emitter and a sensor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 9a, FIG. 9b, FIG. 9c, and FIG. 9d are drawings for explaining changes in a user's posture according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG. 11 is a graph for explaining the operation of a light emitter and a sensor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a process for obtaining a user's oxygen saturation value according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG. 14 is a graph for explaining the operation of a light emitter and a sensor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings 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 connection with the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used for identical or similar components. Furthermore, in the drawings and related descriptions, descriptions of well-known functions and configurations may be omitted for clarity and conciseness.

[0034] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device (101) within a network environment (100) according to various embodiments.

[0035] 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). In 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)).

[0036] The processor (120) may, for example, execute software (e.g., a program (140)) to control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware or software component) of the electronic device (101) connected to the processor (120) and perform various data processing or operations. According to one embodiment, as at least a part of the data processing or operations, the processor (120) may store commands or data received from other components (e.g., a sensor module (176) or a communication module (190)) in a volatile memory (132), process the commands or data stored in the volatile memory (132), and store result 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 an auxiliary 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 with the main processor (121). For example, when the electronic device (101) includes the main processor (121) and the auxiliary processor (123), the auxiliary processor (123) may be configured to use less power than the main processor (121) or to be specialized for a given function. The auxiliary processor (123) may be implemented separately from the main processor (121) or as a part thereof.

[0037] The auxiliary processor (123) may control at least a portion 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.

[0038] 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).

[0039] 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).

[0040] 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).

[0041] 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. In one embodiment, the receiver can be implemented separately from the speaker or as part of the speaker.

[0042] 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.

[0043] 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).

[0044] 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.

[0045] 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.

[0046] 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).

[0047] The 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.

[0048] 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.

[0049] 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).

[0050] 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.

[0051] 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).

[0052] 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) can 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.

[0053] The antenna module (197) can transmit or receive signals or power to or from an external device (e.g., an external electronic device). In 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). In 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. In 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).

[0054] According to various embodiments, 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 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 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.

[0055] 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)).

[0056] 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.

[0057] FIG. 2 is a drawing for explaining usage examples of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0058] The embodiment of FIG. 2 may be combined with the embodiment of FIG. 1, or the embodiments of FIGS. 3 to 19.

[0059] Referring to FIG. 2, a wearable electronic device (200) (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1) may be configured to be worn on a user's body. For example, the wearable electronic device (200) may be implemented as a wearable electronic device that can be worn on a user's finger. For example, the wearable electronic device (200) may be provided in the form of a ring that can be worn on a user's finger. The wearable electronic device (200) may be defined and / or referred to as a smart ring.

[0060] According to one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) can perform wireless communication with another electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (102, 104) of FIG. 1) via a wireless communication network (e.g., the first network (198) or the second network (199) of FIG. 1). For example, the wearable electronic device (200) can perform wireless communication with another electronic device, such as a smart phone (S1), a desktop / laptop computer (S2, S3), a car (S4), a smart TV (S5), indoor smart home devices (S6), a tablet PC (S7), or a smart watch (S8). The wireless communication between the wearable electronic device (200) and the other electronic device can be implemented as wireless communication via a short-range communication network (e.g., the first network (198) of FIG. 1) or a long-range communication network (e.g., the second network (199) of FIG. 1). For example, when a Bluetooth communication link is established between the wearable electronic device (200) and an electronic device that the user wishes to connect, message transmission may be possible between the two electronic devices, and the wearable electronic device (200) worn by the user may generate commands corresponding to specific movements / gestures of the user's fingers and transmit them to another electronic device. In order to detect the user's finger movements / gestures, motion sensors such as an accelerometer, a gyroscope, or an electronic compass (e.g., the sensor module (176) of FIG. 1) may be disposed in the wearable electronic device (200). When a message is received from another electronic device to the wearable electronic device (200), the wearable electronic device (200) may notify the user of the receipt of the message using sound, vibration, a display screen, or lighting (e.g., a light-emitting diode or a xenon lamp).To this end, the wearable electronic device (200) may include an acoustic module (e.g., an acoustic output module (155) or an audio module (170) of FIG. 1), a haptic module (e.g., a haptic module (179) of FIG. 1), or a display module (e.g., a display module (160) of FIG. 1). According to one embodiment, in the wearable electronic device (200), at least one of the acoustic module, the haptic module, or the display module may be omitted, or one or more other components may be output. In addition, the wearable electronic device (200) may obtain biometric information of the user (e.g., oxygen saturation) and provide the biometric information to another electronic device.

[0061] FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0062] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0063] The embodiments of FIGS. 3 to 4 may be combined with the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 2, or the embodiments of FIGS. 5 to 19.

[0064] The configuration of the wearable electronic device (200) of FIGS. 3 and 4 may be partially or entirely identical to the configuration of the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 or the configuration of the wearable electronic device (200) of FIG. 2.

[0065] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the wearable electronic device (200) may include a housing (210). The housing (210) may form the overall appearance of the wearable electronic device (200).

[0066] In one embodiment, the housing (210) may be ring-shaped. The housing (210) may include an opening configured to receive a user's finger. For example, the opening may be defined as a hole formed in the housing (210).

[0067] In one embodiment, the housing (210) may include an outer housing portion (211) or an inner housing portion (213). The inner housing portion (213) may be coupled to the outer housing portion (211). In one embodiment, the outer housing portion (211) and the inner housing portion (213) may be manufactured separately and assembled, or may be formed integrally.

[0068] According to one embodiment, the outer housing portion (211) may include a material capable of withstanding external impacts and / or scratches and implementing design features. For example, the outer housing portion (211) may include at least one of titanium, stainless steel, or ceramic. The outer housing portion (211) may be color-treated or coated to implement the design.

[0069] According to one embodiment, the inner housing portion (213) may be a portion that comes into contact with a user's finger when the user wears the wearable electronic device (200). The inner housing portion (213) may be made of a material such as a molding material for sensing, transparent plastic, or glass. For example, the inner housing portion (213) may be configured to be at least partially transparent. For example, the inner housing portion (213) may include a material that is transparent to light for measuring biometric information. At least a portion of the inner housing portion (213) may be made of a material that is substantially the same as or similar to the outer housing portion (211). In addition, at least a portion of the inner housing portion (213) may include a metal material for measuring biometric information.

[0070] According to one embodiment, an outer housing portion (211) and an inner housing portion (213) may be combined to provide an internal space of the housing (210). Various electrical / electronic components of the wearable electronic device (200) may be arranged and / or mounted in the internal space of the housing (210). For example, the housing (210) may accommodate various electrical / electronic components.

[0071] According to one embodiment, a wearable electronic device (200) may include a circuit board (240), at least one light emitter (250), at least one sensor (260), at least one blocking member (270), or a battery (289) (e.g., battery (189) of FIG. 1).

[0072] According to one embodiment, a circuit board (240) may be placed in the interior space of the housing (210). The circuit board (240) may include at least one of a printed circuit board (PCB), a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB), or a rigid-flexible PCB (RF-PCB).

[0073] According to one embodiment, various electrical / electronic components may be arranged and / or mounted on the circuit board (240). For example, the circuit board (240) may be equipped with a processor (e.g., a processor (120) of FIG. 1), a memory (e.g., a memory (130) of FIG. 1), a communication module (e.g., a communication module (190) of FIG. 1), or a sensor module (e.g., a sensor module (197) of FIG. 1, or at least one light emitter (250) of FIG. 4, or at least one sensor (260)).

[0074] According to one embodiment, the circuit board (240) may include a plurality of printed circuit boards. For example, the plurality of printed circuit boards may be arranged according to the shape of the internal space of the housing (210) and may be electrically connected to each other. The circuit board (240) may include a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB). For example, the flexible printed circuit board may be at least partially bendable according to the shape of the internal space of the housing (210).

[0075] According to one embodiment, the battery (289) is a device for supplying power to components of the wearable electronic device (200), and may include a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell. The battery (289) may be integrally disposed within the wearable electronic device (200), or may be detachably disposed with the wearable electronic device (200). According to one embodiment, the battery (289) may be formed as a single integral battery or may include multiple detachable batteries. The battery (289) may include a battery pack that is flexible according to the shape of the internal space of the housing (210). The battery (289) may include multiple non-flexible battery packs of the housing (210). The battery (289) may include a flexible battery pack and a plurality of non-flexible battery packs.

[0076] According to one embodiment, a wearable electronic device (200) may include a power management module (e.g., power management module (188) of FIG. 1) disposed on a circuit board (240).

[0077] According to one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) may include a sensor for acquiring (or measuring) at least one piece of biometric information. For example, the at least one piece of biometric information may include at least one of information regarding the user's oxygen saturation or information regarding the user's heart rate. For example, the sensor may include a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor for measuring oxygen saturation or heart rate.

[0078] According to one embodiment, the PPG sensor may include a light source (e.g., at least one light emitter (250)) configured to emit light in two wavelength bands (e.g., a RED wavelength band or an Infrared wavelength band). The PPG sensor may include a light receiving unit (e.g., at least one sensor (260)) configured to detect at least a portion of the light reflected from, or transmitted by, a body part of a user (e.g., a finger, skin or blood vessels of a finger).

[0079] According to one embodiment, at least one light emitter (250) may emit light of substantially the same or different wavelengths to irradiate light to a body part of the user (e.g., a finger, skin and / or blood vessels of the finger) for measuring the oxygen saturation of the user. The light emitter (250) may be configured to emit light of a plurality of wavelength bands including a red wavelength and an infrared wavelength. For example, the at least one light emitter (250) may emit light of various bands and may include at least one of a light emitting diode (LED), a laser diode, or a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL). The at least one light emitter (250) may be arranged and / or mounted on the circuit board (240). The at least one light emitter (250) may be configured to sequentially (or repeatedly) emit light of different wavelength bands by dividing time. For example, the light emitter (250) may be configured to emit light through the inner housing portion (213).

[0080] According to one embodiment, at least one sensor (260) can accumulate photoelectric charge corresponding to the amount of light incident on a user's body part by reflection or transmission, and convert a biosignal in the form of an analog current according to the accumulated photoelectric charge into a digital signal. For example, light (or optical signal) acquired (or detected) through at least one sensor (260) can be converted through an analog to digital converter (ADC) and stored in a memory or a sensor buffer. At least one sensor (260) can include at least one of a photodiode (PD), a photo transistor, a charge-coupled device (CCD), or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS). At least one sensor (260), without being limited thereto, can include various elements capable of converting an incident optical signal into an electrical signal.

[0081] According to one embodiment, at least one sensor (260) may include a first sensor (261) or a second sensor (263). The first sensor (261) and / or the second sensor (263) may be positioned and / or mounted on the circuit board (240).

[0082] According to one embodiment, the first sensor (261) may be positioned further away from at least one light emitter (250) than the second sensor (263). For example, the first sensor (261) may be positioned further away from at least one light emitter (250) than the second sensor (263) in the circumferential direction (or, the periphery direction) of the housing (210). For example, the distance between the first sensor (261) and the light emitter (250) may be greater than the distance between the second sensor (263) and the light emitter (250).

[0083] According to one embodiment, an angle formed by at least one light emitter (250) and the second sensor (263) with respect to the center (O) of the ring-shaped wearable electronic device (200) may be smaller than an angle formed by at least one light emitter (250) and the first sensor (261) with respect to the center (O) of the wearable electronic device (200).

[0084] According to one embodiment, the first sensor (261) may be configured to receive light transmitted through a body part of the user. The first sensor (261) may be referred to as a transmissive sensor. The first sensor (261) may receive at least a portion of the light transmitted through the body part of the user, convert the transmitted light into an electrical signal, and transmit the electrical signal to a processor (e.g., the processor (120) of FIG. 1 or the processor (220) of FIG. 5). According to one embodiment, the second sensor (263) may be configured to receive light reflected through a body part of the user. The second sensor (263) may be referred to as a reflective sensor. The second sensor (263) may receive at least a portion of the light reflected through the body part of the user, convert the reflected light into an electrical signal, and transmit the electrical signal to a processor (e.g., the processor (120) of FIG. 1 or the processor (220) of FIG. 4).

[0085] According to one embodiment, light emitted from at least one light emitter (250) may reach a first sensor (261) along a first light path (11) or reach a second sensor (263) along a second light path (13). For example, the first light path (11) may be a path that transmits to a body part of a user (e.g., a finger, skin of a finger, or a blood vessel of a finger), and the second light path (13) may be a path that reflects off a body part of a user.

[0086] According to one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) may include at least one blocking member (270). The at least one blocking member (270) may include a material that absorbs or blocks light. The at least one blocking member (270) may be configured to block light emitted from at least one light emitter (250) from propagating within the internal space of the housing (210).

[0087] According to one embodiment, at least one blocking member (270) may include a first wall (271) or a second wall (273). The first wall (271) may be positioned between the first sensor (261) and the second sensor (263) in the interior space of the housing (210). The second wall (273) may be positioned between the second sensor (263) and at least one light emitter (250) in the interior space of the housing (210).

[0088] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0089] FIG. 6 is a side view of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0090] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a process for obtaining a user's oxygen saturation value according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0091] FIG. 8 is a graph for explaining the operation of a light emitter and a sensor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0092] FIG. 9a, FIG. 9b, FIG. 9c, and FIG. 9d are drawings for explaining changes in a user's posture according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0093] The embodiments of FIGS. 5 to 9d may be combined with the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 4, or the embodiments of FIGS. 10 to 19.

[0094] Referring to FIGS. 5 to 6, a wearable electronic device (200) (e.g., the wearable electronic device (200) of FIGS. 2 to 4) may include a housing (210), a processor (220), a memory (230), a circuit board (240), at least one light emitter (250), at least one sensor (260), at least one blocking member (270), a charging circuit (277), a battery (289), a communication module (290), or an antenna (297).

[0095] The configuration of the housing (210), the circuit board (240), the at least one light emitter (250), the at least one sensor (260), or the at least one blocking member (270) of FIGS. 5 and 6 may be partially or entirely identical to the configuration of the housing (210), the circuit board (240), the at least one light emitter (250), the at least one sensor (260), or the at least one blocking member (270) of FIG. 4.

[0096] According to one embodiment, the housing (210) may include an outer housing portion (211) (e.g., the outer housing portion (211) of FIG. 4) and an inner housing portion (213) coupled to the outer housing portion (211) (e.g., the inner housing portion (213) of FIG. 4).

[0097] According to one embodiment, at least one processor (220) (e.g., processor (220) of FIG. 1), memory (230) (e.g., memory (130) of FIG. 1), or communication module (290) (e.g., communication module (190) of FIG. 1) may be arranged and / or mounted on the circuit board (240).

[0098] According to one embodiment, at least one processor (220) may include an application processor (AP), a supplementary processor (SP) (e.g., a sensor hub)), a central processor unit (CPU), a neural processor unit (NPU), a graphics processor unit (GPU), or an internet of things (IoT) processor (e.g., a processor integrated with a communication module (290)). For example, the processor (220) may control the operation of the wearable electronic device (200). For example, the performance of a specific operation by the wearable electronic device (200) and / or components of the wearable electronic device (200) may be defined as being controlled by the processor (220). The processor (220) may be defined and / or referred to as a controller.

[0099] According to one embodiment, at least one processor (220) may include processing circuitry. The at least one processor (220) may control the overall operation of the wearable electronic device (200). The at least one processor (220) may include one or more processors. The at least one processor (220) may individually or collectively execute instructions of the memory (230) that cause the wearable electronic device (200) to perform at least one operation.

[0100] According to one embodiment, the memory (230) can store data (e.g., sensing data or communication data). The memory (230) can be integrated with the processor (220).

[0101] According to one embodiment, the memory (230) may store information for controlling the operation of the wearable electronic device (200). For example, the memory (230) may store instructions. The instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor (220), may cause the wearable electronic device (200) or the at least one processor (220) to perform at least one operation. The operations performed by the wearable electronic device (200) and / or the at least one processor (220) described below may be defined and / or interpreted as causing the wearable electronic device (200) and / or the at least one processor (220) to perform at least one operation by executing the instructions.

[0102] According to one embodiment, the communication module (290) can support communication between the wearable electronic device (200) and an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic devices (102, 104) of FIG. 1, or the electronic devices (S1 to S8) of FIG. 2).

[0103] According to one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) may include an antenna (297) (e.g., the antenna module (197) of FIG. 1). The antenna (297) may be an antenna for wireless communication. The antenna (297) may be placed in the internal space of the housing (210). According to one embodiment, a portion of the housing (210) may be utilized as the antenna (297).

[0104] According to one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) may include a charging circuit (277). The charging circuit (277) may be configured to support a wired charging (e.g., terminal or pogo pin) method and / or a wired charging (e.g., WPC or NFC) method for charging the battery (289). The wearable electronic device (200) may charge the battery (289) through the charging circuit (277).

[0105] According to one embodiment, a wearable electronic device (200) may include a PPG sensor. The PPG sensor may include at least one light emitter (250) (e.g., at least one light emitter (250) of FIG. 4 ) or at least one sensor (260) (e.g., at least one sensor (260) of FIG. 4 ).

[0106] According to one embodiment, at least one sensor (260) may include a first sensor (261) (e.g., the first sensor (261) of FIG. 4) or a second sensor (263) (e.g., the second sensor (263) of FIG. 4). The first sensor (261) and / or the second sensor (263) may be configured to receive light emitted from at least one light emitter (250). The first sensor (261) may be a transmissive sensor and may be configured to receive at least a portion of light transmitted to a body part of the user along a first light path (11) (e.g., the first light path (11) of FIG. 4). The second sensor (263) may be a reflective sensor and may be configured to receive at least a portion of light reflected to a body part of the user along a second light path (13) (e.g., the second light path (13) of FIG. 4).

[0107] According to one embodiment, the first sensor (261) may receive at least some of the light transmitted to a body part of the user (e.g., a finger, skin of the finger, or a blood vessel of the finger), and the second sensor (263) may receive at least some of the light reflected from the body part of the user.

[0108] According to one embodiment, at least one blocking member (270) may include a first wall (271) (e.g., the first wall (271) of FIG. 4) or a second wall (273) (e.g., the second wall (273) of FIG. 4).

[0109] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, a process (or an operating method of a wearable electronic device (200)) for obtaining a user's oxygen saturation value (e.g., information on oxygen saturation) will be described.

[0110] At least some of the operations of FIG. 7 may be omitted. The order of the operations of FIG. 7 may be changed. At least two of the operations of FIG. 7 may be performed in parallel. Operations other than the operations of FIG. 7 may be performed before, during, or after the operations of FIG. 7. The operations of FIG. 7 may be defined as being controlled by the wearable electronic device (200) or the processor (220).

[0111] According to one embodiment, the processor (220) may obtain the user's oxygen saturation value through at least one sensor (260) in operation 1001 and / or operation 1003. The operation of obtaining the user's oxygen saturation value through at least one sensor (260) may be an operation of obtaining (or generating) the user's oxygen saturation value using a signal (e.g., light) detected by at least one sensor (260). For example, the processor (220) may obtain the user's oxygen saturation value based on an electrical signal transmitted from at least one sensor (260). For example, the processor (220) may generate the user's biometric information (e.g., information on oxygen saturation) based on a signal received from at least one sensor (260).

[0112] According to one embodiment, the processor (220) may obtain a second oxygen saturation value of the user through the second sensor (263) in operation 1001. For example, in operation 1001, the processor (220) may control the operation of at least one light emitter (250) to emit light, and may obtain the second oxygen saturation value of the user using a signal (e.g., light) received from the second sensor (263). For example, in operation 1001, the processor (220) may control the operation of at least one light emitter (250) to emit light of a first intensity (e.g., the first intensity (i1) of FIG. 8). For example, the processor (220) may control the light emitter (250) to emit a second light having the first intensity. In addition, the processor (220) may receive a second signal corresponding to the second light through the second sensor (263). In operation 1001, the processor (220) may process light of a third intensity (e.g., the third intensity (i3) of FIG. 8) received from the second sensor (263) to obtain a second oxygen saturation value of the user. For example, the light received from the second sensor (263) may be light reflected by a body part of the user (e.g., light propagated along the second light path (13) of FIG. 5), and thus may have a lower intensity than light emitted from at least one light emitter (250). In operation 1001, the processor (220) may be set to cause at least one light emitter (250) to emit light for a first time period (e.g., the first time period (t1) of FIG. 8). The first time period (t1) may be, for example, about 36 ms to about 44 ms (milliseconds). For example, the first time period (t1) may be about 40 ms.

[0113] According to one embodiment, the processor (220) may obtain a first oxygen saturation value of the user through the first sensor (261) in operation 1003. For example, in operation 1003, the processor (220) may control the operation of at least one light emitter (250) to emit light, and may obtain the first oxygen saturation value of the user using a signal (e.g., light) received from the first sensor (261). For example, in operation 1003, the processor (220) may control the operation of at least one light emitter (250) to emit light of a second intensity (e.g., the second intensity (i2) of FIG. 8) (first intensity). For example, the processor (220) may control the light emitter (250) to emit a first light having the second intensity. In addition, the processor (220) may receive a first signal corresponding to the first light through the first sensor (261). The second intensity (i2) may be greater than the first intensity (i1). In operation 1003, the processor (220) may process the light of the fourth intensity (e.g., the fourth intensity (i4) of FIG. 8) received from the first sensor (261) to obtain the first oxygen saturation value of the user. For example, the light received from the first sensor (261) may be light transmitted through a body part of the user (e.g., light propagated along the first light path (11) of FIG. 5), and thus may have a lower intensity than the light emitted from at least one light emitter (250). In operation 1003, the processor (220) may be set to cause at least one light emitter (250) to emit light for a second time (e.g., the second time (t2) of FIG. 8). The second time (t2) may be, for example, about 54 ms to about 66 ms (milliseconds). For example, the second time (t2) may be about 60 ms. The second time (t2) may be greater than the first time (t1), but is not limited thereto.

[0114] According to one embodiment, the processor (220) may be configured to generate biometric information based on the first signal or the second signal received in operation 1001 and / or operation 1003. The biometric information may include information about oxygen saturation or information about heart rate.

[0115] According to one embodiment, the processor (220) may be configured to control the light emitter (250) to emit a second light having a first intensity (i1), and then control the light emitter (250) to emit the first light having a second intensity (i2) different from the first intensity (i1) after the second light is emitted. The first intensity (i1) may be less than the second intensity (i2).

[0116] According to one embodiment, in operation 1001 and / or operation 1003, the light emission intensity of at least one light emitter (250) may be changed depending on the size of the wearable electronic device (200) and / or the distance between the at least one light emitter (250) and the at least one sensor (260).

[0117] According to one embodiment, the processor (220) may be configured to determine, in operation 1005, whether the measurement time exceeds a set time. For example, the processor (220) may be configured to determine whether the time for which operations 1001 and / or 1003, which detect the user's oxygen saturation value through the first sensor (261) and / or the second sensor (263), are performed exceeds a set time. For example, the set time may be defined and / or referred to as a sampling interval (e.g., the sampling interval of FIG. 8). For example, the measurement time may be defined as the time for which operations 1001 and / or 1003 are performed. If the measurement time is less than or equal to the set time, the processor (220) may re-perform operations 1001 and / or 1003. For example, the measurement time may be about 15 seconds or longer, but is not limited thereto. For example, if the measurement time is less than or equal to the set time, the processor (220) may repeatedly perform operation 1001 and / or operation 1003 multiple times. In this case, the first oxygen saturation value may be, but is not limited to, an average value of oxygen saturation values ​​obtained multiple times. When operation 1001 is performed multiple times, operation 1001 may be repeated at every third time (e.g., the third time (t3) of FIG. 8). The third time (t3) may be greater than the first time (t1). In addition, the second oxygen saturation value may be, but is not limited to, an average value of oxygen saturation values ​​obtained multiple times. When operation 1003 is performed multiple times, operation 1003 may be repeated at every fourth time (e.g., the fourth time (t4) of FIG. 8). If the measurement time exceeds the set time, the processor (220) may perform operation 1007.

[0118] According to one embodiment, the processor (220) may be configured to determine, in operation 1007, whether the difference in the oxygen saturation values ​​is less than or equal to a set value. For example, the difference in the oxygen saturation values ​​may be an error ratio between the first oxygen saturation value and the second oxygen saturation value. For example, the error ratio (%) may be a value obtained by subtracting the first oxygen saturation value from the second oxygen saturation value and dividing the result by the first oxygen saturation value, but is not limited thereto. The set value may be a threshold value set to improve the reliability (or accuracy) of the oxygen saturation measurement. For example, the set value may be about 4%, but is not limited thereto. If the difference in the oxygen saturation values ​​is less than or equal to the set value in operation 1007, the processor (220) may perform operation 1009. If the difference in the oxygen saturation values ​​exceeds the set value in operation 1007, the processor (220) may perform operation 1011.

[0119] According to one embodiment, the processor (220) may determine the second oxygen saturation value as the final oxygen saturation value in operation 1009. For example, when the difference in the oxygen saturation values ​​is less than or equal to a set value, the difference between the second oxygen saturation value acquired through the second sensor (263) and the first oxygen saturation value acquired through the first sensor (261) may not be large. The processor (220) may control at least one light emitter (250) and the second sensor (263) in operation 1009 to repeatedly acquire the second oxygen saturation value every fifth time (e.g., the fifth time (t5) of FIG. 8). For example, the processor (220) can control at least one light emitter (250) to emit light of a first intensity (i1) in a detection section (e.g., the detection section of FIG. 8), and obtain a second oxygen saturation value based on light of a fifth intensity (i5) detected by the second sensor (263). The processor (220) can store the repeatedly obtained second oxygen saturation value in the memory (230) as a final oxygen saturation value. The processor (220) and / or the communication module (290) can transmit information about the second oxygen saturation value stored in the memory (230) to an external electronic device (e.g., the external electronic devices (102, 104) of FIG. 1, or the electronic devices (S1 to S8) of FIG. 2).

[0120] According to one embodiment, the processor (220) may calculate a correction value of the oxygen saturation value in operation 1011. For example, when the difference in the oxygen saturation values ​​exceeds a set value, the difference between the second oxygen saturation value obtained through the second sensor (263) and the first oxygen saturation value obtained through the first sensor (261) may be large. The processor (220) may calculate a correction value by subtracting the second oxygen saturation value from the first oxygen saturation value in operation 1011.

[0121] According to one embodiment, the processor (220) may, in operation 1013, correct the second oxygen saturation value to determine the final oxygen saturation value. For example, when the difference of the oxygen saturation values ​​exceeds a set value, the difference between the second oxygen saturation value acquired through the second sensor (263) and the first oxygen saturation value acquired through the first sensor (261) may be large. In operation 1013, the processor (220) may control at least one light emitter (250) and the second sensor (263) to repeatedly acquire the second oxygen saturation value every fifth time (e.g., the fifth time (t5) of FIG. 8), and may add the correction value to the acquired second oxygen saturation value. For example, in operation 1013, the processor (220) may store in the memory (230) a value obtained by repeatedly adding a correction value to a value obtained as a second oxygen saturation value in a detection section (e.g., the detection section of FIG. 8), as a final oxygen saturation value. The processor (220) and / or the communication module (290) may transmit information about the final oxygen saturation value stored in the memory (230) to an external electronic device (e.g., the external electronic devices (102, 104) of FIG. 1, or the electronic devices (S1 to S8) of FIG. 2).

[0122] According to one embodiment, the processor (220) may be configured to generate biometric information using the second signal, at least in part based on a determination that a difference between a first signal corresponding to a first light received through the first sensor (261) and a second signal corresponding to a second light received through the second sensor (263) is less than or equal to a threshold value, in operation 1009.

[0123] According to one embodiment, the processor (220) may be configured to generate biometric information by correcting the second signal based at least in part on a determination that the difference between the first signal corresponding to the first light received through the first sensor (261) and the second signal corresponding to the second light received through the second sensor (263) exceeds a threshold value in operations 1011 and 1013. The processor (220) may be configured to generate the biometric information by adding a correction value corresponding to the difference to the second signal in operation 1013.

[0124] According to one embodiment, the processor (220) may be configured to adjust the light emission intensity or light emission period of the light emitter (250) based at least in part on the difference.

[0125] Figures 9a, 9b, 9c, and 9d are drawings illustrating changes in a user's posture. When a user is sleeping, the user's posture may change without awareness.

[0126] According to one embodiment, the processor (220) can detect a change in the user's posture. For example, the processor (220) can detect a change in the user's posture through a sensor (e.g., an acceleration sensor or a gyro sensor) included in the wearable electronic device (200). In addition, the processor (220) can be linked to an external electronic device (e.g., a smart watch (S8) of FIG. 2) and detect a change in the user's posture using a sensor (e.g., an acceleration sensor or a gyro sensor) included in the external electronic device.

[0127] According to one embodiment, the processor (220) can obtain the user's oxygen saturation value through the above operations (1001, 1003, 1005, 1007, 1009, 1011, 1013).

[0128] According to one embodiment, if no change in the user's posture is detected, the processor (220) may obtain the user's final oxygen saturation value through operation 1009, or may obtain the user's final oxygen saturation value through operation 1011 and / or operation 1013.

[0129] According to one embodiment, when a change in the user's posture is detected, the processor (220) may re-perform the operations (1001, 1003, 1005, 1007, 1009, 1011, 1013). For example, when the user's posture changes, the relative position or degree of contact between the wearable electronic device (200) and the user's body part may change. In such a case, the operations (1001, 1003, 1005, 1007, 1009, 1011, 1013) may be re-performed to obtain the user's final oxygen saturation value through operation 1009, or the user's final oxygen saturation value through operation 1011 and / or operation 1013.

[0130] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0131] FIG. 11 is a graph for explaining the operation of a light emitter and a sensor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0132] The embodiments of FIGS. 10 to 11 may be combined with the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 9d, or the embodiments of FIGS. 12 to 19.

[0133] Referring to FIGS. 10 to 111, a wearable electronic device (200) (e.g., the wearable electronic device (200) of FIGS. 5 to 6) may include a housing (210), a processor (e.g., the processor (220) of FIG. 5), a memory (e.g., the memory (230) of FIG. 5), a circuit board (240), at least one light emitter (250), at least one sensor (260), at least one blocking member (270), a charging circuit (e.g., the charging circuit (277) of FIG. 5), a battery (289), a communication module (e.g., the communication module (290) of FIG. 5), or an antenna (e.g., the antenna (297) of FIG. 5).

[0134] The configuration of the housing (210), the processor (220), the memory (230), the circuit board (240), the at least one light emitter (250), the at least one sensor (260), the at least one blocking member (270), or the battery (289) of FIGS. 10 and 11 may be partially or entirely identical to the configuration of the housing (210), the circuit board (240), the at least one light emitter (250), the at least one sensor (260), the at least one blocking member (270), or the battery (289) of FIG. 5.

[0135] According to one embodiment, the housing (210) may include an outer housing portion (211) (e.g., the outer housing portion (211) of FIG. 5) and an inner housing portion (213) coupled to the outer housing portion (211) (e.g., the inner housing portion (213) of FIG. 5).

[0136] According to one embodiment, at least one sensor (260) may include a first sensor (261) (e.g., the first sensor (261) of FIG. 5), a second sensor (263) (e.g., the second sensor (263) of FIG. 5), or a third sensor (265). The first sensor (261), the second sensor (263), and / or the third sensor (265) may be configured to receive light emitted from at least one light emitter (250). The first sensor (261) may be a transmissive sensor, configured to receive light transmitted to a body part of the user along a first light path (11) (e.g., the first light path (11) of FIG. 5). The second sensor (263) may be a reflective sensor, configured to receive light reflected to a body part of the user along a second light path (13) (e.g., the second light path (13) of FIG. 5). The third sensor (265) is a reflective sensor and can be configured to receive light reflected from a user's body part along the third light path (15).

[0137] According to one embodiment, the third sensor (265) may be positioned further away from the at least one light emitter (250) than the second sensor (263). For example, the third sensor (265) may be positioned further away from the at least one light emitter (250) than the second sensor (263) with respect to the circumferential direction (or, the radial direction) of the housing (210). According to one embodiment, an angle formed by the at least one light emitter (250) and the third sensor (265) with respect to the center (O) of the ring-shaped wearable electronic device (200) may be greater than an angle formed by the at least one light emitter (250) and the second sensor (263) with respect to the center (O) of the wearable electronic device (200). The third sensor (265) may be positioned within the housing (210). The third sensor (265) may be located between the first sensor (261) and the second sensor (263).

[0138] According to one embodiment, the third sensor (265) may be positioned closer to at least one light emitter (250) than the first sensor (261). For example, the third sensor (265) may be positioned closer to at least one light emitter (250) than the first sensor (261) in the circumferential direction (or, the radial direction) of the housing (210). For example, the third sensor (265) may be positioned between the first sensor (261) and the second sensor (263) in the circumferential direction of the housing (210). According to one embodiment, the angle formed by the at least one light emitter (250) and the third sensor (265) with respect to the center (O) of the ring-shaped wearable electronic device (200) may be smaller than the angle formed by the at least one light emitter (250) and the first sensor (261) with respect to the center (O) of the wearable electronic device (200).

[0139] According to one embodiment, the third sensor (265) may be positioned and / or mounted on at least one circuit board (240).

[0140] In one embodiment, the third sensor (265) may be configured to receive light reflected from a body part of the user. The third sensor (265) may be referred to as a reflective sensor. The third sensor (265) may receive at least a portion of the light reflected from the body part of the user, convert the reflected light into an electrical signal, and transmit the signal to a processor (e.g., processor (220) of FIG. 5).

[0141] According to one embodiment, light emitted from at least one light emitter (250) may reach a first sensor (261) along a first light path (11), reach a second sensor (263) along a second light path (13), or reach a third sensor (265) through a third light path (15). For example, the first light path (11) may be a path that transmits to a body part of a user (e.g., a finger, skin of a finger, or a blood vessel of a finger), and the second light path (13) and / or the third light path (15) may be paths that reflect off a body part of the user.

[0142] According to one embodiment, at least one blocking member (270) may include a first wall (271) (e.g., the first wall (271) of FIG. 5), a second wall (273) (e.g., the second wall (273) of FIG. 5), or a third wall (275).

[0143] According to one embodiment, the first wall (271) may be positioned between the first sensor (261) and the third light module (265) in the interior space of the housing (210). The second wall (273) may be positioned between the second sensor (263) and at least one light emitter (250) in the interior space of the housing (210). The third wall (275) may be positioned between the third sensor (265) and the second sensor (263) in the interior space of the housing (210).

[0144] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12, a method for a wearable electronic device (200) (or a processor (e.g., processor (220) of FIG. 5)) to detect a user's oxygen saturation value (e.g., information about oxygen saturation) will be described.

[0145] In one embodiment, the processor may control at least one light emitter (250) during the sampling period to obtain a plurality of oxygen saturation values. For example, the processor may control at least one light emitter (250) to emit light of different intensities (i1, i2, i3) by dividing time during the sampling period. In one embodiment, each of the lights of different intensities (i1, i2, i3) may be emitted for different times (t1, t2, t3).

[0146] In one embodiment, the processor may obtain a first oxygen saturation value based on light of a sixth intensity (i6) detected by the first sensor (261) during the sampling period. The processor may obtain a second-first oxygen saturation value based on light of a fourth intensity (i4) detected by the second sensor (263) during the sampling period. The processor may obtain a second-second oxygen saturation value based on light of a fifth intensity (i5) detected by the third sensor (265) during the sampling period. In one embodiment, the processor may be configured to receive a first signal corresponding to a first light emitted from the light emitter (250) (e.g., a first light having a third intensity (i3)) through the first sensor (261). The processor may be configured to receive a second signal corresponding to a second light emitted from the light emitter (250) (e.g., a second light having a first intensity (i1)) through the second sensor (263). The processor may be configured to receive a third signal corresponding to a third light (e.g., a third light having a second intensity (i2)) emitted from the light emitter (250) through the third sensor (265).

[0147] According to one embodiment, the processor may be configured to generate biometric information (e.g., information about oxygen saturation) using a signal received via a first sensor (261) (e.g., a first signal), a signal received via a second sensor (263) (e.g., a second signal), and a signal received via a third sensor (265) (e.g., a third signal).

[0148] According to one embodiment, the processor may be configured to generate biometric information based at least in part on a determination that a difference between the first signal and the third signal is less than a difference between the second signal and the third signal.

[0149] According to one embodiment, the processor may be configured to generate biometric information based at least in part on a determination that a difference between the first signal and the third signal exceeds a difference between the second signal and the third signal.

[0150] According to one embodiment, the processor may determine, in the sampling interval, a value having a smallest difference from the first oxygen saturation value among the 2-1 oxygen saturation value and the 2-2 oxygen saturation value. For example, if the 2-1 oxygen saturation value is close to the first oxygen saturation value compared to the 2-2 oxygen saturation value, the processor may determine the 2-1 oxygen saturation value as the second oxygen saturation value. In this case, the processor may obtain a final oxygen saturation value using the second sensor (263) and the first sensor (261). For example, if the difference between the second oxygen saturation value and the first oxygen saturation value obtained in the sampling interval is less than or equal to a set value, the processor may determine the second oxygen saturation value obtained using light of the seventh intensity (i7) detected by the second sensor (263) in the detection interval as the final oxygen saturation value. For example, if the difference between the second oxygen saturation value obtained in the sampling section and the first oxygen saturation value exceeds a set value, the processor may determine the second oxygen saturation value obtained using the light of the seventh intensity (i7) detected through the second sensor (263) in the detection section as the final oxygen saturation value based on a correction value (e.g., a correction value using the first oxygen saturation value and the second oxygen saturation value). The processor may control at least one light emitter (250) and the second sensor (263) in the detection section to repeatedly obtain the second oxygen saturation value (or the final oxygen saturation value) every fourth time (t4).

[0151] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0152] FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a process for obtaining a user's oxygen saturation value according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0153] FIG. 14 is a graph for explaining the operation of a light emitter and a sensor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0154] The embodiments of FIGS. 12 to 14 may be combined with the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 10, or the embodiments of FIGS. 15 to 19.

[0155] Referring to FIGS. 12 to 14, a wearable electronic device (200) (e.g., the wearable electronic device (200) of FIGS. 2 to 6, or the wearable electronic device (200) of FIG. 10) may include a housing (210), a processor (220), a memory (230), a circuit board (240), at least one light emitter (250), at least one sensor (260), a charging circuit (277), a battery (289), a communication module (290), or an antenna (297).

[0156] The configuration of the housing (210), the processor (220), the memory (230), the circuit board (240), the at least one light emitter (250), the at least one sensor (260), the charging circuit (277), the battery (289), the communication module (290), or the antenna (297) of FIGS. 12 to 14 may be partially or entirely the same as the configuration of the housing (210), the processor (220), the memory (230), the circuit board (240), the at least one light emitter (250), the at least one sensor (260), the charging circuit (277), the battery (289), the communication module (290), or the antenna (297) of FIG. 5.

[0157] According to one embodiment, the housing (210) may include an outer housing portion (211) (e.g., the outer housing portion (211) of FIG. 5) and an inner housing portion (213) coupled to the outer housing portion (211) (e.g., the inner housing portion (213) of FIG. 5).

[0158] According to one embodiment, a processor (220), a memory (230), or a communication module (290) may be placed and / or mounted on a circuit board (240).

[0159] In one embodiment, at least one light emitter (250) may include a first light emitter (351) or a second light emitter (353). The first light emitter (351) and / or the second light emitter (353) may be disposed and / or mounted on the circuit board (240). In one embodiment, the first light emitter (351) and / or the second light emitter (353) may each emit light of substantially the same or different wavelengths to irradiate light to a body part of the user (e.g., a finger, skin and / or blood vessels of the finger) for measuring the oxygen saturation of the user.

[0160] According to one embodiment, the second light emitter (353) may be positioned between the first sensor (361) and the second sensor (363) along the circumferential direction of the housing (210) with respect to the center (O) of the wearable electronic device (200).

[0161] According to one embodiment, at least one sensor (260) may include a first sensor (361) (e.g., the first sensor (261) of FIG. 5 ) or a second sensor (363) (e.g., the second sensor (263) of FIG. 5 ). The first sensor (361) and / or the second sensor (363) may be configured to receive light emitted from at least one light emitter (250). The first sensor (361) may be configured to receive at least a portion of light transmitted to a body part of the user along a first light path (21) (e.g., the first light path (11) of FIG. 5 ) or to receive at least a portion of light reflected from a body part of the user along a third light path (25). The second sensor (363) may be configured to receive at least some of the light reflected from a user's body part along a second optical path (23) (e.g., the second optical path (13) of FIG. 5) or to receive at least some of the light reflected from a user's body part along a fourth optical path (27).

[0162] According to one embodiment, light emitted from the first light emitter (351) may be transmitted through a body part of the user and received by the first sensor (361) (see first light path (21)), or reflected off the body part of the user and received by the second sensor (363) (see second light path (23)). Light emitted from the second light emitter (363) may be reflected off the body part of the user and received by the first sensor (361) (see third light path (25)), or reflected off the body part of the user and received by the second sensor (363) (see fourth light path (27)).

[0163] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14, a process (or an operating method of a wearable electronic device (200)) for obtaining a user's oxygen saturation value (e.g., information on oxygen saturation) will be described.

[0164] At least some of the operations of FIG. 13 may be omitted. The order of the operations of FIG. 13 may be changed. At least two of the operations of FIG. 13 may be performed in parallel. Operations other than the operations of FIG. 13 may be performed before, during, or after the operations of FIG. 13. The operations of FIG. 13 may be defined as being controlled by the wearable electronic device (200) or the processor (220).

[0165] According to one embodiment, the processor (220) may obtain the user's oxygen saturation value through at least one sensor (260) in operation 1101 and / or operation 1103. The operation of obtaining the user's oxygen saturation value through the at least one sensor (260) may be an operation of obtaining (or generating) the user's oxygen saturation value using a signal (e.g., light) detected by the at least one sensor (260). For example, the processor (220) may obtain the user's oxygen saturation value based on an electrical signal transmitted from the at least one sensor (260). For example, the processor (220) may generate the user's bio-information (e.g., information on oxygen saturation) based on a signal received from the at least one sensor (260).

[0166] According to one embodiment, the processor (220) may, in operation 1101, obtain the user's second oxygen saturation value through the second optical path (23), the third optical path (25), and the fourth optical path (27).

[0167] According to one embodiment, the processor (220) may control the operation of the first light emitter (351) to emit light in operation 1101, and may obtain the 2-1 oxygen saturation value of the user by using a signal (e.g., light) received from the second sensor (363) through the second light path (e.g., light path (23) of FIG. 12). For example, the processor (220) may control the operation of the first light emitter (351) to emit light of a first intensity (e.g., the first intensity (i1) of FIG. 14) in operation 1101. The processor (220) may obtain the 2-1 oxygen saturation value of the user by processing the light of a fifth intensity (e.g., the fifth intensity (i5) of FIG. 14) received from the second sensor (363) in operation 1101. For example, the processor (220) may obtain the 2-1 oxygen saturation value of the user by performing computational processing on the light of a fifth intensity (e.g., the fifth intensity (i5) of FIG. 14)) received from the second sensor (363) through operation 1101. A signal corresponding to light having intensity (i1) may be received. For example, light received by the second sensor (363) may have a lower intensity than light emitted from the first light emitter (351) because it is light reflected by a body part of the user (e.g., light propagated along the second light path (23) of FIG. 12). In operation 1101, the processor (220) may be set to cause the first light emitter (351) to emit light for a first time (e.g., the first time (t1) of FIG. 14).

[0168] According to one embodiment, the processor (220) may control the operation of the second light emitter (353) to emit light in operation 1101, and may obtain the 2-2 oxygen saturation value of the user by using a signal (e.g., light) received from the first sensor (361) through a third light path (e.g., light path (25) of FIG. 12). For example, the processor (220) may control the operation of the second light emitter (353) to emit light of a third intensity (e.g., the third intensity (i3) of FIG. 14) in operation 1101. The processor (220) may obtain the 2-2 oxygen saturation value of the user by computing the light of a third intensity (e.g., the seventh intensity (i7) of FIG. 14) received from the first sensor (361) in operation 1101. For example, the processor (220) may obtain the 2-2 oxygen saturation value of the user by computing the light of a third intensity (e.g., the seventh intensity (i7) of FIG. 14) received from the first sensor (361) through operation 1101. A signal corresponding to light having intensity (i3) may be received. For example, light received from the first sensor (361) may have a lower intensity than light emitted from the second light emitter (353) because it is light reflected by a body part of the user (e.g., light propagated along the third light path (25) of FIG. 12). In operation 1101, the processor (220) may be set to cause the second light emitter (353) to emit light for a first time (e.g., the third time (t3) of FIG. 14).

[0169] According to one embodiment, the processor (220) may control the operation of the second light emitter (353) to emit light in operation 1101, and may obtain the 2-3 oxygen saturation value of the user by using a signal (e.g., light) received from the second sensor (363) through the fourth light path (e.g., light path (27) of FIG. 12). For example, the processor (220) may control the operation of the second light emitter (353) to emit light of a fourth intensity (e.g., the fourth intensity (i4) of FIG. 14) in operation 1101. The processor (220) may obtain the 2-3 oxygen saturation value of the user by processing the light of an eighth intensity (e.g., the eighth intensity (i8) of FIG. 14) received from the second sensor (363) in operation 1101. For example, the processor (220) may obtain the 2-3 oxygen saturation value of the user by processing the light of the fourth intensity (e.g., the eighth intensity (i8) of FIG. 14) received from the second sensor (363) through operation 1101. A signal corresponding to light having intensity (i4) may be received. For example, light received by the second sensor (363) may have a lower intensity than light emitted from the second light emitter (353) because it is light reflected by a body part of the user (e.g., light propagated along the fourth light path (27) of FIG. 12). In operation 1101, the processor (220) may be set to cause the second light emitter (353) to emit light for a first time (e.g., the fourth time (t4) of FIG. 14).

[0170] According to one embodiment, the processor (220) may obtain a first oxygen saturation value of the user through the first sensor (361) in operation 1103. For example, in operation 1103, the processor (220) may control the operation of the first light emitter (351) to emit light, and may obtain the first oxygen saturation value of the user using a signal (e.g., light) received from the first sensor (361). For example, in operation 1103, the processor (220) may control the operation of the first light emitter (351) to emit light of a second intensity (e.g., the second intensity (i2) of FIG. 14). The second intensity (i2) may be greater than the first intensity (i1), the third intensity (i3), or the fourth intensity (i4). In operation 1103, the processor (220) may obtain the user's first oxygen saturation value by processing the light of the sixth intensity (e.g., the sixth intensity (i6) of FIG. 14) received from the first sensor (361). For example, the processor (220) may receive a signal corresponding to light having the second intensity (i2) through the first sensor (361). For example, the light received from the first sensor (361) may be light reflected by a body part of the user (e.g., light propagated along the first light path (21) of FIG. 12), and thus may have a lower intensity than the light emitted from the first light emitter (351). In operation 1103, the processor (220) may be set to cause the first light emitter (361) to emit light for a second time (e.g., the second time (t2) of FIG. 14). The second time (t2) may be greater than the first time (t1), the third time (t3), or the fourth time (t4).

[0171] According to one embodiment, in operation 1101 and / or operation 1103, the light emission intensity of the first light emitter (351) and / or the second light emitter (353) may be changed depending on the size of the wearable electronic device (200) and / or the distance between at least one light emitter (350) and at least one sensor (360).

[0172] According to one embodiment, the processor (220) may be configured to determine, in operation 1105, whether the measurement time exceeds a set time. For example, the processor (220) may be configured to determine whether the time for which operations 1101 and / or 1103, which detect the user's oxygen saturation value through the first sensor (361) and / or the second sensor (363), are performed exceeds a set time. For example, the set time may be defined and / or referred to as a sampling interval (e.g., the sampling interval of FIG. 14). For example, the measurement time may be defined as the time for which operations 1101 and / or 1103 are performed. If the measurement time is less than or equal to the set time, the processor (220) may re-perform operations 1101 and / or 1103. For example, the measurement time may be about 15 seconds or more, but is not limited thereto. For example, if the measurement time is less than or equal to the set time, the processor (220) may repeatedly perform operation 1101 and / or operation 1103 multiple times. In this case, the first oxygen saturation value may be, but is not limited to, an average value of oxygen saturation values ​​obtained multiple times. In addition, the 2-1st oxygen saturation value, the 2-2nd oxygen saturation value, and the 2-3rd oxygen saturation value may each be, but are not limited to, an average value of oxygen saturation values ​​obtained multiple times. If the measurement time exceeds the set time, the processor (220) may perform operation 1106.

[0173] According to one embodiment, the processor (220) may determine, in operation 1006, a second oxygen saturation value having the smallest difference from the first oxygen saturation value. For example, the processor (220) may determine a value that is closest to the first oxygen saturation value obtained in the sampling interval among the 2-1 oxygen saturation value, the 2-2 oxygen saturation value, and the 2-3 oxygen saturation value obtained in the sampling interval. For example, if the 2-1 oxygen saturation value is the same as or closest to the first oxygen saturation value, the processor (220) may determine the 2-1 oxygen saturation value as the second oxygen saturation value. Hereinafter, operations 1107, 1109, 1111, and / or operations 1113 are described as an example in which the 2-1 oxygen saturation value is determined as the second oxygen saturation value, but the description thereof may be equally applied and / or understood in a case in which the 2-2 oxygen saturation value and / or the 2-3 oxygen saturation value is determined as the second oxygen saturation value.

[0174] According to one embodiment, the processor (220) may be configured to determine, in operation 1107, whether the difference in the oxygen saturation values ​​is less than or equal to a set value. For example, the difference in the oxygen saturation values ​​may be an error ratio between the first oxygen saturation value and the determined second oxygen saturation value (e.g., the second oxygen saturation value determined in operation 1106). For example, the error ratio (%) may be a value obtained by subtracting the first oxygen saturation value from the determined second oxygen saturation value and dividing the result by the first oxygen saturation value, but is not limited thereto. The set value may be a threshold value set to improve the reliability (or accuracy) of the oxygen saturation measurement. For example, the set value may be about 4%, but is not limited thereto. If, in operation 1107, the difference in the oxygen saturation values ​​is less than or equal to the set value, the processor (220) may perform operation 1109. In operation 1107, if the difference in oxygen saturation values ​​exceeds a set value, the processor (220) may perform operation 1111.

[0175] According to one embodiment, the processor (220) may determine the determined second oxygen saturation value as the final oxygen saturation value in operation 1109. For example, when the difference in the oxygen saturation values ​​is less than or equal to a set value, the difference between the second oxygen saturation value acquired through the second sensor (363) and the first oxygen saturation value acquired through the first sensor (361) may not be large. In operation 1109, the processor (220) may control the first light emitter (351) and the second sensor (363) to repeatedly acquire the second oxygen saturation value every fifth time (e.g., the fifth time (t5) of FIG. 14). For example, the processor (220) may control at least one light emitter (250) to emit light of a first intensity (i1) in a detection section (e.g., the detection section of FIG. 14), and may obtain a second oxygen saturation value based on light of a ninth intensity (i9) detected by the second sensor (363). The processor (220) may store the repeatedly obtained second oxygen saturation value in the memory (230) as a final oxygen saturation value. The processor (220) and / or the communication module (290) may transmit information about the second oxygen saturation value stored in the memory (230) to an external electronic device (e.g., the external electronic devices (102, 104) of FIG. 1, or the electronic devices (S1 to S8) of FIG. 2).

[0176] According to one embodiment, the processor (220) may calculate a correction value of the oxygen saturation value in operation 1111. For example, when the difference in the oxygen saturation values ​​exceeds a set value, the difference between the second oxygen saturation value obtained through the second sensor (363) and the first oxygen saturation value obtained through the first sensor (361) may be large. The processor (220) may calculate a correction value by subtracting the second oxygen saturation value from the first oxygen saturation value in operation 1111.

[0177] According to one embodiment, the processor (220) may, in operation 1113, correct the second oxygen saturation value to determine the final oxygen saturation value. For example, when the difference in the oxygen saturation values ​​exceeds a set value, the difference between the second oxygen saturation value acquired through the second sensor (363) and the first oxygen saturation value acquired through the first sensor (361) may be large. In operation 1113, the processor (220) may control the first light emitter (351) and the second sensor (363) to repeatedly acquire the second oxygen saturation value every fifth time (e.g., the fifth time (t5) of FIG. 14), and may add the correction value to the acquired second oxygen saturation value. For example, in operation 1113, the processor (220) may store in the memory (230) a value obtained by repeatedly adding a correction value to a value obtained as a second oxygen saturation value in a detection section (e.g., the detection section of FIG. 14), as a final oxygen saturation value. The processor (220) and / or the communication module (290) may transmit information about the final oxygen saturation value stored in the memory (230) to an external electronic device (e.g., the external electronic devices (102, 104) of FIG. 1, or the electronic devices (S1 to S8) of FIG. 2).

[0178] According to one embodiment, the processor (220) can detect a change in the user's posture. For example, the processor (220) can detect a change in the user's posture through a sensor (e.g., an acceleration sensor or a gyro sensor) included in the wearable electronic device (200). In addition, the processor (220) can be linked to an external electronic device (e.g., a smart watch (S8) of FIG. 2) and detect a change in the user's posture using a sensor (e.g., an acceleration sensor or a gyro sensor) included in the external electronic device.

[0179] According to one embodiment, the processor (220) can obtain the user's oxygen saturation value through the above operations (1101, 1103, 1105, 1106, 1107, 1109, 1111, 1113).

[0180] According to one embodiment, if no change in the user's posture is detected, the processor (220) may obtain the user's final oxygen saturation value through operation 1109, or may obtain the user's final oxygen saturation value through operation 1111 and / or operation 1113.

[0181] According to one embodiment, when a change in the user's posture is detected, the processor (220) may re-perform the operations (1101, 1103, 1105, 1106, 1107, 1109, 1111, 1113). For example, when the user's posture changes, the relative position or degree of contact between the wearable electronic device (200) and the user's body part may change. In such a case, the operations (1101, 1103, 1105, 1106, 1107, 1109, 1111, 1113) may be re-performed to obtain the user's final oxygen saturation value through operation 1109, or the user's final oxygen saturation value through operation 1111 and / or operation 1113.

[0182] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0183] FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0184] FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0185] FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0186] FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0187] The embodiments of FIGS. 15 to 19 may be combined with the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 14.

[0188] Referring to FIGS. 15 to 19, a wearable electronic device (200) (e.g., the wearable electronic device (200) of FIGS. 2 to 6, the wearable electronic device (200) of FIG. 10, or the wearable electronic device (200) of FIG. 12) may include a housing (210), a processor (220), a memory (230), a circuit board (440, 540, 640, 740, 840), at least one light emitter (250), at least one sensor (260), a charging circuit (277), a battery (489, 589, 689, 789, 889), a communication module (290), or an antenna (297).

[0189] The configuration of the housing (210), the processor (220), the memory (230), the circuit board (440, 540, 640, 740, 840), the at least one light emitter (250), the at least one sensor (260), the charging circuit (277), the battery (489, 589, 689, 789, 889), the communication module (290), or the antenna (297) of FIGS. 15 to 19 may be partially or entirely the same as the configuration of the housing (210), the processor (220), the memory (230), the circuit board (240), the at least one light emitter (250), the at least one sensor (260), the charging circuit (277), the battery (289), the communication module (290), or the antenna (297) of FIG. 12.

[0190] According to one embodiment, the housing (210) may include an outer housing portion (211) (e.g., the outer housing portion (211) of FIG. 12) and an inner housing portion (213) coupled to the outer housing portion (211) (e.g., the inner housing portion (213) of FIG. 12).

[0191] According to one embodiment, a processor (220), a memory (230), or a communication module (290) may be placed and / or mounted on a circuit board (440, 540, 640, 740, 840).

[0192] Referring to FIG. 15, a wearable electronic device (200) may include a battery (489). The battery (489) may be placed within a housing (210).

[0193] According to one embodiment, at least one light emitter (250) may include a first light emitter (451), a second light emitter (453), or a third light emitter (455). The first light emitter (451), the second light emitter (453), and / or the third light emitter (453) may be disposed and / or mounted on the circuit board (440). The first light emitter (451), the second light emitter (453), and / or the third light emitter (453) may each emit light of substantially the same or different wavelengths to irradiate light to a body part of the user (e.g., a finger, skin and / or blood vessels of the finger) for measuring the oxygen saturation of the user. The first light emitter (451), the second light emitter (453), and / or the third light emitter (455) may be spaced apart from each other along a circumferential direction of the housing (210) within the housing (210). Light emitted from the first light emitter (451), the second light emitter (453), and / or the third light emitter (455) may be reflected or transmitted onto a body part of the user and received by at least one sensor (260).

[0194] According to one embodiment, at least one sensor (260) may include a first sensor (461), a second sensor (463), or a third sensor (465). The first sensor (461), the second sensor (463), and / or the third sensor (465) may be configured to receive at least a portion of light emitted from at least one light emitter (250). The first sensor (461), the second sensor (463), and / or the third sensor (465) may be electrically connected to a circuit board (440). At least one of the first sensor (461), the second sensor (463), and / or the third sensor (465) may be disposed on a battery (489). For example, the second sensor (463) may be disposed on the battery (489). The first sensor (461) and / or the third sensor (465) may be placed and / or mounted on the circuit board (440).

[0195] According to one embodiment, the processor (220) may obtain oxygen saturation information of the user by using signals (e.g., light) detected by the first sensor (461), the second sensor (463), and / or the third sensor (465).

[0196] According to one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) may include a temperature sensor (285). The temperature sensor (285) may be positioned and / or mounted on the circuit board (440). The temperature sensor (285) may be a sensor that measures the internal temperature of a user's body or the wearable electronic device (200). The temperature sensor (285) may be a contact-type or a non-contact-type sensor. The temperature value measured by the temperature sensor (285) may be stored in the memory (230) or transmitted to the processor (220). The processor (220) may measure the user's body temperature or the temperature of the wearable device (200) by using the temperature sensor (285).

[0197] According to one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) may include an inertial sensor (286). The inertial sensor (286) may be disposed and / or mounted on the circuit board (440). The inertial sensor (286) may be a sensor that detects inertia, such as an acceleration sensor or a gyroscope. The inertial sensor (286) may include only an acceleration sensor (e.g., a 3-axis sensor) or may include an acceleration sensor and a gyroscope (e.g., a 6-axis sensor). The processor (220) may sense motion, gesture, impact, posture, or activity of the wearable device (200) by using the inertial sensor (286). For example, the processor (220) may include an acceleration sensor (286) disposed in the housing (210). The processor (220) may be configured to detect a change in the user's posture using an acceleration sensor (286). The processor (220) may control the light emitter (250) to emit a first light based at least in part on the detection that the user's posture has changed. The processor (220) may be configured to receive a first signal corresponding to the first light through the first sensor (261).

[0198] According to one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) may include a power management module (288). The power management module (288) may be positioned and / or mounted on a circuit board (440). The power management module (288) may be a module that manages power of the wearable device (200). The wearable device (200) may distribute and control power appropriately to the processor (220), at least one light emitter (250), or at least one sensor (260) through the power management module (288).

[0199] According to one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) may include a control unit (287) of a PPG sensor. The control unit (287) of the PPG sensor may be arranged and / or mounted on a circuit board (440). The control unit (287) of the PPG sensor may include an integrated circuit (IC) or an analog front end (AFE). The control unit (287) of the PPG sensor may control at least one light emitter (250) and / or at least one sensor (260), process received data, and transmit the same to the processor (220) or store the same in the memory (230).

[0200] Referring to FIG. 16, a wearable electronic device (200) may include a battery (589). The battery (589) may be placed within a housing (210).

[0201] According to one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) may include a connection board (542). The connection board (542) may be disposed within the housing (210). The connection board (542) may extend from a circuit board (540). The connection board (542) may be electrically connected to the circuit board (540). The connection board (542) may include a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB).

[0202] According to one embodiment, at least one light emitter (250) may emit light of substantially the same or different wavelengths to irradiate light to a body part of the user (e.g., a finger, skin of the finger, and / or a blood vessel) for measuring the oxygen saturation of the user. The at least one light emitter (250) may be arranged and / or mounted on a circuit board (540). The light emitted from the at least one light emitter (250) may be reflected or transmitted by the body part of the user and received by the at least one sensor (260). For example, the light emitted from the at least one light emitter (250) may be transmitted by the body part of the user along a first path (51) and propagated to the first sensor (561), or may be reflected by the body part of the user along a second path (53) and propagated to the second sensor (563).

[0203] According to one embodiment, at least one sensor (260) may include a first sensor (561) or a second sensor (563). The first sensor (561) and / or the second sensor (563) may be configured to receive light emitted from at least one light emitter (250). The first sensor (561) and / or the second sensor (563) may be electrically connected to a circuit board (540). The first sensor (561) and / or the second sensor (563) may be disposed and / or mounted on a connection board (542).

[0204] According to one embodiment, the battery (589) may include a first recess (5891) or a second recess (5893). The first recess (5891) and / or the second recess (5893) may be recessed into the battery (589). A first sensor (561) may be disposed in the first recess (5891). A second sensor (563) may be disposed in the second recess (5893).

[0205] According to one embodiment, the processor (220) may obtain oxygen saturation information of the user using a signal (e.g., light) detected by the first sensor (561) and / or the second sensor (563).

[0206] Referring to FIG. 17, a wearable electronic device (200) may include a battery (689). The battery (689) may be placed within a housing (210).

[0207] According to one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) may include a connection board (642). The connection board (642) may be disposed within the housing (210). The connection board (642) may extend from a circuit board (640). The connection board (642) may be electrically connected to the circuit board (640). The connection board (542) may include a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB).

[0208] According to one embodiment, at least one light emitter (250) may emit light of substantially the same or different wavelengths to irradiate light to a body part of the user (e.g., a finger, skin of the finger, and / or a blood vessel) for measuring the oxygen saturation of the user. The at least one light emitter (250) may be arranged and / or mounted on the circuit board (640). The light emitted from the at least one light emitter (250) may be reflected or transmitted by the body part of the user and received by the at least one sensor (260). For example, the light emitted from the at least one light emitter (250) may be transmitted by the body part of the user along a first path (61) and propagated to the first sensor (661), or may be reflected by the body part of the user along a second path (63) and propagated to the second sensor (663).

[0209] According to one embodiment, at least one sensor (260) may include a first sensor (661) or a second sensor (663). The first sensor (661) and / or the second sensor (663) may be configured to receive light emitted from at least one light emitter (250). The first sensor (661) and / or the second sensor (663) may be electrically connected to a circuit board (640). The first sensor (661) and / or the second sensor (663) may be disposed and / or mounted on a connection board (642).

[0210] According to one embodiment, the first sensor (661) and / or the second sensor (663) may not be positioned in the internal space of the wearable electronic device (200) formed by the outer housing portion (211) and the inner housing portion (213). For example, the first sensor (661) and / or the second sensor (663) may be positioned to protrude from the inner housing portion (213) toward the center (O) of the wearable electronic device.

[0211] According to one embodiment, the housing (210) may include a cover housing portion (215). The cover housing portion (215) may be coupled to the inner housing portion (213). The cover housing portion (215) may be configured to cover at least one sensor (260). The cover housing portion (215) may include a transparent material (e.g., resin) that allows light to pass through. The cover housing portion (215) may include a first cover housing portion (2151) or a second cover housing portion (2153). The first cover housing portion (2151) may be configured to cover the first sensor (661). The second cover housing portion (2153) may be configured to cover the second sensor (663).

[0212] According to one embodiment, the processor (220) may obtain oxygen saturation information of the user using a signal (e.g., light) detected by the first sensor (661) and / or the second sensor (663).

[0213] Referring to FIG. 18, a wearable electronic device (200) may include a battery (789). The battery (789) may be placed within a housing (210).

[0214] According to one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) may include a connection board (742). The connection board (742) may be disposed within the housing (210). The connection board (742) may extend from a circuit board (740). The connection board (742) may be electrically connected to the circuit board (740). The connection board (742) may include a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB).

[0215] According to one embodiment, at least one light emitter (250) may include a first light emitter (751), a second light emitter (753), or a third light emitter (755). The first light emitter (751) may be disposed on a circuit board (740). The second light emitter (753) and / or the third light emitter (753) may be disposed and / or mounted on a connection board (742). The first light emitter (751), the second light emitter (753), and / or the third light emitter (753) may each emit light of substantially the same or different wavelengths to irradiate light to a body part of the user (e.g., a finger, skin and / or blood vessels of the finger) for measuring the oxygen saturation of the user. The first light emitter (751), the second light emitter (753), and / or the third light emitter (755) may be spaced apart from each other along the circumferential direction of the housing (210) within the housing (210). Light emitted from the first light emitter (751), the second light emitter (753), and / or the third light emitter (755) may be reflected or transmitted onto a body part of the user and received by at least one sensor (260).

[0216] According to one embodiment, at least one sensor (260) may include a first sensor (761) or a second sensor (763). The first sensor (761) and / or the second sensor (763) may be configured to receive light emitted from at least one light emitter (250). The first sensor (761) and / or the second sensor (763) may be electrically connected to a circuit board (740). The first sensor (761), the second sensor (763), and / or the third sensor (765) may be disposed and / or mounted on a connection board (742).

[0217] According to one embodiment, the second light emitter (753), the third light emitter (755), the first sensor (761), the second sensor (763) and / or the third sensor (765) may not be positioned in the internal space of the wearable electronic device (200) formed by the outer housing portion (211) and the inner housing portion (213). For example, the second light emitter (753), the third light emitter (755), the first sensor (761), the second sensor (763) and / or the third sensor (765) may be positioned to protrude from the inner housing portion (213) toward the center (O) of the wearable electronic device.

[0218] According to one embodiment, the housing (210) may include a cover housing portion (215). The cover housing portion (215) may be coupled to the inner housing portion (213). The cover housing portion (215) may be configured to cover the second light emitter (753), the third light emitter (755), the first sensor (761), the second sensor (763), and / or the third sensor (765). The cover housing portion (215) may include a transparent material (e.g., resin) through which light may be transmitted. The cover housing portion (215) may include a first cover housing portion (3151), a second cover housing portion (3152), a third cover housing portion (3153), a fourth cover housing portion (3154), or a fifth cover housing portion (3155). The first cover housing portion (3151) may be configured to cover the first sensor (761). The second cover housing portion (3153) may be configured to cover the second light emitter (753). The third cover housing portion (3153) may be configured to cover the second sensor (763). The fourth cover housing portion (3154) may be configured to cover the third light emitter (755). The fifth cover housing portion (3155) may be configured to cover the third sensor (765).

[0219] According to one embodiment, the processor (220) may obtain oxygen saturation information of the user by using signals (e.g., light) detected by the first sensor (761), the second sensor (763), and / or the third sensor (765).

[0220] Referring to FIG. 19, a wearable electronic device (200) may include a battery (889). The battery (889) may be placed within a housing (210).

[0221] According to one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) may include a connection board (842). The connection board (842) may be disposed within the housing (210). The connection board (842) may extend from a circuit board (840). The connection board (842) may be electrically connected to the circuit board (840). The connection board (842) may include a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB).

[0222] According to one embodiment, at least one light emitter (250) may include a first light emitter (851) or a second light emitter (853). The first light emitter (851) and / or the second light emitter (853) may be disposed and / or mounted on the connection substrate (842). The first light emitter (851) and / or the second light emitter (853) may each emit light of substantially the same or different wavelengths to irradiate light to a body part of the user (e.g., a finger, skin and / or blood vessels of the finger) for measuring the oxygen saturation of the user. The first light emitter (851) and / or the second light emitter (853) may be spaced apart from each other along a circumferential direction of the housing (210) within the housing (210). Light emitted from the first light emitter (851) and / or the second light emitter (853) may be reflected or transmitted to a body part of the user and received by at least one sensor (260).

[0223] According to one embodiment, light emitted from the first light emitter (851) may be transmitted through a body part of the user along the first path (81) and propagated to at least one sensor (260). Light emitted from the second light emitter (853) may be reflected through a body part of the user along the second path (83) and propagated to at least one sensor (260).

[0224] According to one embodiment, at least one sensor (260) may be configured to receive light emitted from at least one light emitter (250). At least one sensor (260) may be positioned and / or mounted on a circuit board (840).

[0225] According to one embodiment, the processor (220) can obtain oxygen saturation information of the user using a signal (e.g., light) detected by at least one sensor (260).

[0226] As consumers' interest in their health grows, technologies for measuring biosignals through wearable electronic devices are advancing. For example, sensors embedded in electronic devices can measure heart rate, electrocardiogram, blood pressure, pulse, respiration rate, body temperature, and oxygen saturation (SpO2).

[0227] To obtain biometric information such as a user's heart rate or blood oxygen saturation, a wearable electronic device may be equipped with a sensor. As an example, a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor may include a light source and a light receiving unit for receiving light emitted from the light source, and the wearable electronic device may obtain biometric information of the user based on the light signal detected by the light receiving unit.

[0228] In the case of a ring-type wearable electronic device worn on a user's finger, there is a concern that the acquired biometric information may be provided as inaccurate information due to deterioration of the optical signal detected by the light receiving unit depending on the user's sleeping posture or the location of a thick blood vessel in the path of the light.

[0229] Meanwhile, light emitted from a light source is transmitted or reflected by the user's blood vessels or skin. Generally, it is known that the accuracy of obtaining the user's biometric information is higher based on the light signal transmitted through the user's finger. However, there was a problem with the large current consumption required to emit light that transmits the user's finger. In addition, although the current consumption is known to be relatively low when obtaining the user's biometric information based on the light signal reflected from the user's finger, there was a problem with the low accuracy of the biometric information.

[0230] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a wearable electronic device can be provided that can obtain biometric information of a user based on light reflected or transmitted through a user's finger via a plurality of sensors.

[0231] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a wearable electronic device can be provided that detects a user's oxygen saturation using a reflective sensor, and further increases the reliability of the oxygen saturation obtained through the reflective sensor using a transmissive sensor.

[0232] However, the problem to be solved in this disclosure is not limited to the problem mentioned above, and may be determined in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

[0233] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a wearable electronic device can reduce power consumption of the wearable electronic device by minimizing the operating time of a high-accuracy transparent sensor.

[0234] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a wearable electronic device can provide more reliable biometric information by verifying the accuracy of biometric information based on a signal detected by a reflective sensor through a more accurate transmissive sensor or by correcting the biometric information.

[0235] The effects that can be obtained from the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects that are not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs from the description below.

[0236] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a wearable electronic device (200) may include a housing (210), a light emitter (250), a first sensor (261), a second sensor (263), at least one processor (220), or a memory (230). The housing (210) may include an outer housing portion (211) or an inner housing portion (213). The inner housing portion (213) may be coupled to the outer housing portion (211). The inner housing portion (213) may be configured to be at least partially transparent. The light emitter (250) may be disposed within the housing (210). The light emitter (250) may be configured to emit light through the inner housing portion (213). The first sensor (261) may be disposed within the housing (210). The first sensor (261) may be configured to receive light transmitted through a user's finger. The second sensor (263) may be disposed within the housing (210). The second sensor (263) may be configured to receive light reflected from the user's finger. The at least one processor may include a processing circuit. The memory (230) may store instructions. The above instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor (220), may cause the wearable electronic device (200) to control the light emitter (250) to emit a first light, receive a first signal corresponding to the first light through the first sensor (261), control the light emitter (250) to emit a second light, receive a second signal corresponding to the second light through the second sensor (263), and generate biometric information based on the first signal or the second signal.

[0237] According to one embodiment, the biometric information may include information about oxygen saturation or information about heart rate.

[0238] According to one embodiment, the light emitter (250) may be configured to emit light in a plurality of wavelength bands including red wavelengths and infrared wavelengths.

[0239] According to one embodiment, the distance between the first sensor (261) and the light emitter (250) may be greater than the distance between the second sensor (263) and the light emitter (250).

[0240] According to one embodiment, the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor (220), may cause the wearable electronic device (200) to control the light emitter (250) to emit the second light having a first intensity, and to control the light emitter (250) to emit the first light having a second intensity different from the first intensity after the second light is emitted.

[0241] In one embodiment, the first century may be less than the second century.

[0242] According to one embodiment, the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor (220), may cause the wearable electronic device (200) to generate the biometric information using the second signal, at least in part based on identification of whether a difference between the first signal and the second signal is less than or equal to a threshold value.

[0243] According to one embodiment, the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor (220), may cause the wearable electronic device (200) to generate the biometric information by compensating the second signal based at least in part on a determination that the difference between the first signal and the second signal exceeds the threshold value.

[0244] According to one embodiment, the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor (220), may cause the wearable electronic device (200) to adjust the light emission intensity or light emission period of the light emitter (250) based at least in part on the difference.

[0245] According to one embodiment, the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor (220), may be configured to cause the wearable electronic device (200) to generate the biometric information by adding a correction value corresponding to the difference to the second signal.

[0246] According to one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) may further include an acceleration sensor (286). The acceleration sensor (286) may be disposed in the housing (210). The instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor (220), may cause the wearable electronic device (200) to determine a change in the user's posture using the acceleration sensor (286), and, based at least in part on the determination that the user's posture has changed, control the light emitter (250) to emit the first light, and receive the first signal corresponding to the first light through the first sensor (261).

[0247] According to one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) may further include a third sensor (265). The third sensor (265) may be disposed within the housing (210). The third sensor (265) may be positioned between the first sensor (261) and the second sensor (263). The third sensor (265) may be configured to receive light reflected from a finger of the user. The instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor (220), may cause the wearable electronic device (200) to receive a third signal corresponding to the third light emitted from the light emitter (250) through the third sensor (265), and to generate the biometric information based at least in part on a determination that a difference between the first signal and the third signal is less than a difference between the first signal and the second signal.

[0248] According to one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) may further include a first wall (271), a second wall (273), or a battery (289). The first wall (271) may be positioned between the first sensor (261) and the second sensor (263). The second wall (273) may be positioned between the second sensor (263) and the light emitter (250). The battery (289) may be disposed within the housing (210).

[0249] According to one embodiment, at least one of the light emitter (250), the first sensor (463), or the second sensor (465) may be placed on the battery (489).

[0250] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a wearable electronic device (200) may include a housing (210), a light emitter (250), a first sensor (261), a second sensor (263), at least one processor (220), or a memory (230). The housing (210) may include an outer housing portion (211) or an inner housing portion (213). The inner housing portion (213) may be coupled to the outer housing portion (211). The inner housing portion (213) may be configured to be at least partially transparent. The light emitter (250) may be disposed within the housing (210). The light emitter (250) may be configured to emit light through the inner housing portion (213). The first sensor (261) may be disposed within the housing (210). The first sensor (261) may be configured to receive light transmitted through a user's finger. The second sensor (263) may be disposed within the housing (210). The second sensor (263) may be configured to receive light reflected from the user's finger. The at least one processor (220) may include a processing circuit. The memory (230) may store instructions.The instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor (220), may cause the wearable electronic device (200) to control the light emitter (250) to emit a first light, receive a first signal through the first sensor (261), control the light emitter (250) to emit a second light, receive a second signal through the second sensor (263), generate biometric information based at least in part on a determination that a difference between the first signal and the second signal is less than or equal to a threshold value, and generate biometric information by correcting the second signal with a correction value corresponding to the difference based at least in part on a determination that the difference is greater than the threshold value.

[0251] According to one embodiment, the biometric information may include information about oxygen saturation or information about heart rate.

[0252] According to one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) may further include an acceleration sensor (286). The acceleration sensor (286) may be disposed in the housing (210). The instructions, when executed by the at least one processor (220), may cause the wearable electronic device (200) to determine a change in the user's posture using the acceleration sensor (286), and, based at least in part on the determination that the user's posture has changed, control the light emitter (250) to emit the first light, and receive the first signal corresponding to the first light through the first sensor (261).

[0253] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the device may include a housing (210), a first sensor (261), a second sensor (263), a third sensor (265), at least one processor (220), or a memory (230). The housing (210) may have a ring shape. The housing (210) may include an outer housing portion (211) or an inner housing portion (213). The inner housing portion (213) may be coupled to the outer housing portion (211). The inner housing portion (213) may be configured to be at least partially transparent. The light emitter (250) may be disposed within the housing (210). The light emitter (250) may be configured to emit light through the inner housing portion (213). The light emitter (250) may be disposed within the housing (210). The light emitter (250) may be configured to receive light transmitted through a user's finger. The second sensor (263) may be disposed within the housing (210). The second sensor (263) may be configured to receive light reflected from the user's finger. The third sensor (265) may be disposed within the housing (210). The third sensor (265) may be positioned between the first sensor (261) and the second sensor (263). The third sensor (265) may be configured to receive light reflected from the user's finger. The at least one processor (220) may include a processing circuit. The memory (230) may store instructions. The above instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor (220), may cause the wearable electronic device (200) to generate information about oxygen saturation using a signal received through the first sensor (261), a signal received through the second sensor (263), and a signal received through the third sensor (265).

[0254] According to one embodiment, the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor (220), may cause the wearable electronic device (200) to control the light emitter (250) to emit light of a first intensity for detecting light from the second sensor (263), to control the light emitter (250) to emit light of a second intensity for detecting light from the third sensor (265), and to control the light emitter (250) to emit light of a third intensity for detecting light from the first sensor (261). The first intensity, the second intensity, and the third intensity may be different from each other.

[0255] According to one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) may further include a battery (289). The battery (289) may be disposed within the housing (210). The battery (289) may have an at least partially curved shape.

[0256] Although the detailed description of this document has described specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of this document.

[0257] Electronic devices according to the various embodiments disclosed in this document may take various forms. Electronic devices may include, for example, portable communication devices (e.g., smartphones), computer devices, portable multimedia devices, portable medical devices, cameras, wearable devices, or home appliances. Electronic devices according to the embodiments of this document are not limited to the aforementioned devices.

[0258] The various embodiments of this document and the terminology used therein 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.

[0259] The term "module" used in various embodiments 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).

[0260] Various embodiments 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)). For example, a processor (e.g., a processor (120)) of the machine (e.g., an electronic device (101)) 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.

[0261] According to one embodiment, the method according to various embodiments disclosed in this 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) through 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.

[0262] According to various embodiments, 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 arranged in other components. According to various embodiments, 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 various embodiments, 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 (200), A housing (210) comprising an outer housing portion (211) and an inner housing portion (213) coupled to the outer housing portion (211) and configured to be at least partially transparent; A light emitter (250) arranged within the housing (210) and configured to emit light through the inner housing portion (213); A first sensor (261) arranged within the housing (210) and configured to receive light transmitted through a user's finger; A second sensor (263) arranged within the housing (210) and configured to receive light reflected from a user's finger; At least one processor (220) comprising processing circuitry; and Contains a memory (230) that stores instructions, The above instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor (220), cause the wearable electronic device (200) to: Control the light emitter (250) to emit the first light; Receive a first signal corresponding to the first light through the first sensor (261); Control the light emitter (250) to emit a second light; Receive a second signal corresponding to the second light through the second sensor (263); and A wearable electronic device that generates biometric information based on the first signal or the second signal.

2. In paragraph 1, A wearable electronic device wherein said at least one biometric information comprises information about oxygen saturation or information about heart rate.

3. In any one of paragraphs 1 and 2, The above light emitter (250) is a wearable electronic device configured to emit light of a plurality of wavelength bands including red wavelengths and infrared wavelengths.

4. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 3, A wearable electronic device wherein the distance between the first sensor (261) and the light emitter (250) is greater than the distance between the second sensor (263) and the light emitter (250).

5. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 3, The above instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor (220), cause the wearable electronic device (200) to: Controlling the light emitter (250) to emit the second light having the first century; and A wearable electronic device that controls the light emitter (250) to emit the first light having a second intensity different from the first intensity after the second light is emitted.

6. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 5, The above first century is a wearable electronic device smaller than the above second century.

7. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 6, The above instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor (220), cause the wearable electronic device (200) to: A wearable electronic device that generates the biometric information using the second signal, based at least in part on identification of whether a difference between the first signal and the second signal is less than or equal to a threshold value.

8. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 7, The above instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor (220), cause the wearable electronic device (200) to: A wearable electronic device that generates said biometric information by compensating said second signal based at least in part on a determination that said difference between said first signal and said second signal exceeds said threshold value.

9. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 8, The above instructions, when individually or partially executed by the at least one processor (220), cause the wearable electronic device (200) to: A wearable electronic device that adjusts the light emission intensity or light emission period of the light emitter (250) at least partially based on the above difference.

10. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 9, The above instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor (220), cause the wearable electronic device (200) to: A wearable electronic device that generates the biometric information by adding a correction value corresponding to the difference to the second signal.

11. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 10, It further includes an acceleration sensor (286) placed in the above housing (210), The above-mentioned insulator lines, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor (220), cause the wearable electronic device (200) to: Using the above acceleration sensor (286), the change in the user's posture is confirmed; Controlling the light emitter (250) to emit the first light based at least in part on the determination that the posture of the user has changed; and A wearable electronic device that receives the first signal corresponding to the first light through the first sensor (261).

12. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 11, It further includes a third sensor (265) arranged within the housing (210), positioned between the first sensor (261) and the second sensor (263), and configured to receive light reflected from the user's finger. The above instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor (220), cause the wearable electronic device (200) to: Receive a third signal corresponding to the third light emitted from the light emitter (250) through the third sensor (265); and A wearable electronic device that generates the biometric information based at least in part on a determination that a difference between the first signal and the third signal is less than a difference between the first signal and the second signal.

13. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 12, A first wall (271) positioned between the first sensor (261) and the second sensor (263); A second wall (273) positioned between the second sensor (263) and the light emitter (250); and A wearable electronic device further comprising a battery (289) disposed within the housing (210).

14. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 13, A wearable electronic device, wherein at least one of the light emitter (250), the first sensor (463), or the second sensor (465) is disposed on the battery (489).

15. In a wearable electronic device (200), A housing (210) comprising an outer housing portion (211) and an inner housing portion (213) coupled to the outer housing portion (211) and configured to be at least partially transparent; A light emitter (250) arranged within the housing (210) and configured to emit light through the inner housing portion (213); A first sensor (261) arranged within the housing (210) and configured to receive light transmitted through a user's finger; A second sensor (263) arranged within the housing (210) and configured to receive light reflected from a user's finger; At least one processor (220) comprising processing circuitry; and Contains a memory (230) for storing instructions, The above instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the at least one processor (220), cause the wearable electronic device (200) to: Control the light emitter (250) to emit the first light; Receive a first signal through the first sensor (261); Control the light emitter (250) to emit a second light; Receive a second signal through the second sensor (263); generating biometric information based at least in part on a determination that the difference between the first signal and the second signal is less than a threshold value; and A wearable electronic device that generates the biometric information by compensating the second signal with a compensation value corresponding to the difference, at least in part based on a determination that the difference is greater than the threshold value.

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